Indian-origin Democratic leader Neil Makhija
Credit: X/@NeilMakhija
Philadelphia: Former President Donald Trump was fired by 80 million American people in the 2020 presidential poll and they still do not trust him, Indian-origin Democratic leader Neil Makhija said, days ahead of the election day.
In an interview with PTI, Harvard-educated Makhija, who is emerging as a prominent face in the Democratic Party and overseeing Vice President Kamala Harris' campaigning in Pennsylvania said it is even concerning to think that Trump could even be close to being back to the White House.
He said the people of the US are all set to create history by electing Harris as the first woman president of the country.
Makhija is serving as Montgomery County Commissioner and Chair of the Board of Elections. He is the first Indian American Commissioner elected in the history of Pennsylvania and many Democrats believe that the young leader could be in Harris' cabinet if she wins the election.
On Trump's repeated jibe at Harris that 'Kamala, you are fired', Makhija said the Republican leader was rejected by the people of the US four years back while Harris is a ray of hope for the country.
The US presidential election will be held on November 5 and polls by CNN and other outlets showed both Harris and Trump are locked in a dead heat for the popular votes in most battleground states.
"Donald Trump lost the last election. He was fired by 80 million people in the United States who voted against him and said they wanted him out of office. And he still does not admit that happened," Makhija said.
"In fact he tried to overturn the election, he incited a violent mob to try to prevent the transfer of power in 2021 and he is very dangerous," he added.
As Chair of the Board of Elections, Makhija is focused on combating election disinformation, pioneering a national standard for voting rights, and ensuring safe and secure elections.
"I think it is concerning to think that he could even be close to being back to power because he could be even more dangerous the second time," he said.
"I do think the American people realise that he does not tell the truth, he is not someone they would trust with their own children," he added.
On issues that will impact voting by the Indian-Americans, Makhija said good education, opportunity to excel and protection of the US's value system are some of the focus areas of the community.
"The Indian American community believes in the American dream. We want to see our children work hard, have the opportunity to get a good education and be able to contribute to the larger society as a whole," he said.
"I think the candidates who care about those basic principles, no matter who you are, where you are from, you should have the opportunity if you work hard," Makhija noted.
The Democratic leader said Harris will be a president who cares for everyone, not only her supporters.
"Having Kamala Devi Harris as the US president will be tremendously important not just for our community but for women, the African-Americans and for all of the people who have never seen themselves having a seat at the table," he said.
"I am very excited to see her getting elected and to make history in 2024. I did not think this would happen in the early part of my lifetime. I have known her since she was a district attorney. I have seen her serve as a US senator and it is such an honor to be here and participate and to be part of making history," he said.
Makhija also referred to Democratic Vice Presidential hopeful Tim Walz's visit to a Hindu temple in Montgomery this week, and took an indirect dig at Trump on his immigration policy.
"At a time, when politics sometimes becomes anti-immigrant or there is rhetoric around excluding people, keeping them out of the country, I think he (Walz) showed that he cares about every community and the Indian-Americans as well," he said.
The presidential election race remained razor-tight. The latest CNN polls showed that Harris has a narrow advantage in Michigan and Wisconsin, while she and Trump remain tied in Pennsylvania.
In Michigan, Harris holds a lead over Trump by 48 per cent to 43 per cent among likely voters, according to the findings Harris also leads Trump in Wisconsin, where 51 per cent support her to 45 per cent for Trump, but the race is tied in Pennsylvania with both having 48 per cent support.
More than 62 million voters have cast early ballots, according to the University of Florida’s Election Lab.