Latest US elections: Cellphones used by Trump, Vance and Harris campaigns, also targeted by Chinese hackers

In the run-up to November 5, our correspondents in the United States answer your questions about the elections.

Do you think the election results have the potential to cause unrest or has the US learned its lesson?

Gary, Kilmarnock

American correspondent Mark Stone say…

You hear the phrase “civil war” far too often here in America these days.

As uncomfortable as this is, we’re not there. That’s the good news.

But we are now in a realm where something once considered impossible in modern America is now being considered. Tensions and concerns are high in America right now.

The nation is divided. There is also a division between city and countryside. There’s not much new there. But it goes deeper now.

The nation is also siloed. Different parties do not trust each other; they don’t listen to each other’s points of view.

It may be easy to overlook this deep social rift, precisely because of the country’s isolated nature. It’s only as an outsider, living here, looking in and having conversations across the spectrum that I notice this deep mess.

America’s mainstream media, which has become deeply partisan, is not trusted. “I get my news online” is a phrase I hear all the time. That’s not healthy.

The institutions that act as a balancing guardrail are creaking; some would say they are compromised.

One of the two candidates in these elections is consistently undermining the electoral process and the judicial process, sowing doubt among his followers. All of this was dangerous even before Donald Trump moved within an inch of the White House again.

During Trump’s last presidency, the institutions that serve as guardrails to maintain democracy—such as the courts, the military, and state-level officials—held firm.

The danger this time is that a victorious Donald Trump would hire only those officials who are completely loyal to him. He has made this clear. Also remember that the power of the American presidency under a president who does not care about the law is enormous.

Some experts argue that America has already entered a zone where it is no longer a full-fledged democracy. It’s not an autocracy, but in some middle ground they call it an ‘anocracy’ because of the erosion within some of the key pillars.

That is the important context in which the issue of “civil war” must be considered.

This outcome of this election will almost certainly be very close. Recounts and claims of fraud (aggravated on Trump’s side by ingrained distrust) are very likely.

A narrow victory for Harris would likely prompt Trumpian accusations of fraud.

These would be examined by courts he has already undermined and perhaps then elevated to the highest court – the Supreme Court – which he appointed with his like-minded judges in his last term.

We all remember the January 6 nightmare on Capitol Hill. A dress rehearsal? Let’s hope not. But the prospect of unrest at the Capitol buildings in several states, where Trump-aligned politicians hold key positions, is real.

Another scenario: Trump wins, perhaps comfortably. The danger then is protests – which could turn violent – from the left, who could react against Trump’s policies, which they will see as a slide towards authoritarianism.

So – do I feel that the election results have the potential to cause unrest? Yes. Has the US learned its lesson? No.