Americans realise, all right.
Brit here who moved to the US at age 32 with my US-born/British-raised husband. Been here almost 20 years.
Almost two-thirds of the electorate did not vote for Trump. Turnout was 64% and a little under half voted for him, so 32% of the electorate. That's 68% of the American electorate who didn't vote for him.
Additionally, three million MORE people voted for Hillary than voted for Trump in 2012. He only got in because of the Electoral College. She won the popular vote by a mile. People wanted her, not him.
And, the people voted him out in 2016.
Since then, extremists and activists on various issues have driven society crazy and pushed moderates and the undecided more to the right. I believe that's why he scraped in this time.
All this is to say: America is chock-full of people who are every bit as appalled as everyone else. Until further elections, there's not a lot we can do about it. But rest assured, the vast majority have their jaws hanging open just like the rest of the world. I'm not sure that a president has ever been so hated.
About abortion, Ruth Bader Ginsberg actually thought that control of abortion SHOULD be handed back to the states instead of being dealt with federally. She thought that if control had remained with the states, or handed back long before, the issue would not have gained so much traction and attention, and there would not be all these states with very restrictive laws now. She considered Roe v. Wade to be a Pyrrhic victory, because it galvanised the wrong side.
At least there's a silver lining in that women can travel to another state. Of course, this does not help the poorest. These things always disproportionately affect the poorest. I honestly don't know why women here don't organise a sex strike until these men in power stop doing things like defunding Planned Parenthood and restricting abortion. I would take part, happily. (I know that women trapped in abusive relationships might not be able to, and I think most fellow women would understand that.)
Access to healthcare today is way better than it was before Obamacare.
ICE has been mainly arresting people who have come here illegally, although some got swept up in it and shouldn't have been, including Dreamers. Personally, I think that if someone has established themselves here, worked hard, paid taxes, and hasn't committed crimes, just let them be. They have families and everything and are now part of society. Don't send the good ones back, just tighten up future immigration. It's a hard one to argue against someone who disagrees, though, because technically, they are breaking the law. (Not including Dreamers in this.) I am glad that some really dangerous criminals have been removed, including one near where I live, but much of what ICE has done is deport people who are no trouble and who were making valued contributions to their societies with their various businesses and their work ethic.
What ICE did today was unspeakable and I hope the murderer goes to prison for a long time. There is NO EXCUSE. Trump and his gang are nothing but bullyboys. In another era they would have been brownshirts and buddies with Oswald Mosley. It's funny how Trump once said, of Mexican men, "Those are some baad hombres." Well, it takes one to know one. And projection much?
Agree about foreign policy and the rest of your points. It's horrendous. Frankly the only thing that makes me feel a bit better is that the UK is swinging to the right as well, so I'm less embarrassed by my adopted country than I would be otherwise. Farage is despicable, imo. We will be in trouble if there's a Reform government. And you just know that he and Trump would love each other. 🤮
I am not sure where Trump stands in approval ratings now. I must do some research, if I can find anything non-partisan.