During an extended 12-hour delay at London’s Heathrow, US citizens en route to New York shared their aspirations and concerns about the potential direction their country might take under the next president.

On a dreary morning, a group of weary travelers arrived at Heathrow Airport for a 7:25 am flight to New York, with politics as the furthest thing from their minds. However, as their transatlantic journey was postponed by 12 hours, the conversation among the American citizens inevitably veered towards the impending presidential elections, an event of significant consequence in their nation’s history.

Tiffany, a 30-year-old former middle school civics teacher traveling back to southern Florida, expressed her desire for a return to normalcy. She was apprehensive about the election’s outcome, predicting chaos and possibly a repeat of the January 6th incidents, incited by right-wing news channels.

Standing nearby was Patrick, an IT technician in his 50s from the battleground state of Georgia. His concerns echoed Tiffany’s, cautioning that if Trump won, there would be widespread civil unrest, attributing this to the Democrats’ alleged scare tactics.

As the polls were set to close in one of the closest presidential races in recent history, the US found itself deeply divided over its leadership. The latest polls revealed that half the voters consider the opposing party as “evil,” and many were anxiously awaiting the election results.

However, Leo, a US citizen in his 40s residing in the UK, did not share the same apprehensions as he prepared to attend a wedding on the eve of the election.

As the passengers enjoyed complimentary coffee and sandwiches during their wait, the conversation shifted to the factors that influenced their votes. Despite the low unemployment rate and robust economic growth over the past four years, many voters were critical of the current administration’s economic policies.

Patrick and Leo, both voting for Trump, cited economic reasons for their choice, although Leo also mentioned his Jewish faith and Trump’s stance on foreign policy as factors. In contrast, Tiffany expressed concerns over the potential impact of the election outcome on foreign relations, particularly with the Middle East.

For Tiffany’s mother, Brinetta, a nurse in her 60s, the key issue of the election was reproductive rights. Tom and Mike, a married couple, voiced their support for Kamala Harris due to Trump and his running mate, JD Vance’s, derogatory comments about the LGBTQ+ community.

Apart from the policy issues, many of the passengers expressed a deep distrust of the US political system, and several propagated conspiracy theories or misinformation.

As the passengers prepared to return home, they shared their plans for election night. Regardless of their political affiliations, there was consensus on one thing: they would be drinking.