Merel Verhulst stayed with a Republican family: ‘In America, Trump is taken seriously’

Before Merel Verhulst (20) starts her Communication and Information Sciences studies in Tilburg, she spends six months in a deeply red state in America, living with a staunchly Republican family in Winona Lake. In the lead-up to the U.S. elections, she reflects on her time in the United States.

Merel is pro-choice, an advocate for LGBTQ rights, a feminist, and, perhaps worst of all in the eyes of her host family, an atheist. With her progressive ideals, she stands in direct opposition to her Christian conservative host family. ‘By American standards, I’d be a Democrat, but in the Netherlands, I’m even more left-wing than that.’

Every Sunday to church

Merel heads to America with great enthusiasm. She’s already abandoned the assumption that she’ll immerse herself in a free, liberal environment. Merel has chosen six months of high school, which also means staying with a host family. ‘I knew that many families who host are conservative and Christian,’ she explains.

Within 24 hours of her arrival, she goes to church with her host family, an experience that completely overwhelms her: ‘I arrived on a Saturday, so I had to go to church right away on Sunday.’

Merel is surprised by how openly religious everyone is. ‘Kids wear cross necklaces and t-shirts that say “God is Life”—you just don’t see that in the Netherlands.’ She notices that everyone goes to church. ‘Some friends went to a more inclusive church than I did, but everyone went.’

When asked if her perspective has changed since her stay, she responds with a firm no: ‘I’ve actually only grown further apart from the church and its community.’

Abortion, homophobia, and Harry Styles

Merel sees the conservative values of the church reflected in her host family’s views on social issues. In the first week, they go to Chicago together. On the street, they encounter pro-choice demonstrators. Her host father starts a heated argument.

‘Who do you think you are,’ ‘why don’t you go somewhere else,’ and ‘I don’t need your flyers!,’ he yells at the demonstrators. ‘I thought, I don’t want to be associated with them, but yeah, I couldn’t really say that—I had just arrived,’ Merel says.

Just before Merel’s arrival, the federal right to abortion had been overturned. The issue is a huge topic in conservative Indiana. Merel often feels uncomfortable in church, shocked by how enthusiastically her host family reacts to anti-abortion messages preached there. ‘I’d stand up, but I wouldn’t clap along—I just couldn’t agree with what was being said.’

Beyond abortion rights, her host parents are against same-sex marriage. One of the first questions her host father asks her is: ‘Are you gay?.’ Though it’s presented as a joke, the message is clear: ‘They don’t support it.’ The conservative attitude is palpable everywhere. ‘When I showed them a video of Harry Styles, their first reaction was that he must be gay, which they saw as reason enough not to like him.’

Trump and the U.S. presidential elections

Despite their different worldviews, Merel still keeps in touch with her host parents. ‘I could really laugh with my host father; he was incredibly funny,’ she says. After recent controversy over migrants supposedly eating Americans’ pets in Springfield, Merel sends her host father a message about Trump’s claim.

She’s shocked when her host father responds that he believes it: ‘But it’s true!.’ As proof, he sends her a TikTok video—not from Springfield and without any migrants. ‘I didn’t want to continue the argument over WhatsApp, but I realized then that he’s still deeply caught in that bubble.’

With the elections approaching, Merel is worried about the future. ‘I really hope Kamala becomes president,’ she says. ‘She’s a woman of color and a Democrat; that would be a huge step forward.’ Yet, she fears Trump has a real chance. ‘Trump has a loyal following. In the Netherlands, we see him as a joke, but in America, he’s taken seriously.’

In a way, she understands the American attitude toward Trump, especially regarding the economy. Her host parents claim their lives were better under Trump. ‘I guess I have to believe that, but that doesn’t change the fact that I’d rather not see him on the world stage.’

The future after November 5

Merel is mainly concerned about what a Trump presidency would mean for the rights of marginalized groups. ‘I’d hate to see all the progress we’ve made be undone,’ she says. In particular, she fears for the rights of women and LGBTQ people. A future with Trump as president is something that scares her for that reason, but the future of America does that anyway.

‘If he doesn’t accept the election results, you’ll get another kind of rollercoaster,’ says Merel. She refers to the 2021 Capitol storming, when Trump supporters stormed the government building. ‘It remains Trump’s circus.’

_Advertentie.