Bill Derrough: Former Democratic Party Treasurer on the high tensions on Election Day

The US is bracing for protests, regardless of who wins today's election. 

The race between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump is expected to go down to the wire, with the final result being determined by key battleground states like Pennsylvania and North Carolina. 

Washington DC is installing reinforced fencing in the Capitol, over fears of protests if Harris wins. 

And former Democratic Party Treasurer Bill Derrough told Ryan Bridge there could be protests in Democrat strongholds like New York, if there's a Trump victory. 

He says that tensions are very high, and the rhetoric is very intense.  

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Donald Trump has just cast his vote in Palm Beach, Florida.
He says the biggest issue in his mind this election
was the border. We're going to Bill Darrow now. He's
a former d NC treasure a Democrat and is with
us live from New York City. Welcome to the show.

Speaker 2 (00:15):
Thank you, good morning in New Zealand.

Speaker 1 (00:17):
Thank you for being with me. First of all, no
matter who wins, how do you How are you feeling
about the state of your country right now?

Speaker 2 (00:29):
Maybe maybe I'll be applying for New Zealand passport. I
don't know. It is. It is terrifyingly fraught right now.
The the tensions are very high, the the rhetoric is
is very intense. I think a lot of it has
to do with social media from outside the US. But

(00:53):
it's h's it's I've never seen it so divided in
my life.

Speaker 1 (00:59):
Have Democrats lost the ability to penetrate and speak to
those white, middle class, working class voters that they need
to get Harris across the line?

Speaker 2 (01:10):
Well, I do think that Democrats have lost some of
the ability to talk to those people. I don't know
that that will result in not getting across the line.
I think there's a bunch of different factors happening right now,
particularly with women. I'm very optimistic as a Democrat that

(01:33):
there's sort of a silent majority of women, large majority,
who are going to vote for Kamala Harris, not because
she's would be the first female president, but really to
stop the other side in the things that they have
been doing and saying, you know, with respect to women's
reproductive rights, with respect to women's rights in general, I

(01:57):
do think we have a lot of work to do
with the white working class. My father was a union carpenter,
so I'm very familiar with that that world, and I
do think having Tim Walls as as Vice president will
be will be helpful in connecting with people like that.

Speaker 1 (02:14):
What's happening in You're in New York City right now,
what's happening there in terms of protest backlash? Preparing for
that potential.

Speaker 2 (02:23):
I think that there is a sorry potential of a
Trump winner or a Harris Win.

Speaker 1 (02:29):
Harris win, I think people in New.

Speaker 2 (02:33):
York in general, I'm there is an interesting divide amongst
people who would traditionally be Democratic voters, but if they're
Jewish Americans, some of them are taking a different perspective
now because it's happening in the Middle East and I'm
going to stay out of that. Other than to say,
I think it's kind of silly on both sides. People

(02:55):
who who are not going to vote for Harris because
they don't think she's strong enough for people on the
other side saying she's not doing enough for the Gosins.
I'm not saying it's ridiculous and since that those are
huge issues. But I think clearly Donald Trump would be
worse for everybody over there. But I think in New

(03:16):
York a lot of people are nervous about what might happen.
That being said, it is predominantly a democratic city, but
I wouldn't be surprised if, you know, if Donald Trump
tonight has announced a winner in a massive landslide, then
I think you will see a bunch of people coming
out protesting, not unlike the Women's March you had after

(03:39):
the election in twenty sixteen.

Speaker 1 (03:40):
So potential for protest either way. Bill, thank you very
much for being with us here in New Zealand today.
Great to have your company. That's Bill dere He's the
former DNC treasure For more Familiar edition with Ryan Bridge,
listen live to News Talks. It'd be from five am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio