Thursday Briefing: How Europe sees the U.S. election

Plus, the dark side of A.I. companionship apps.

View in browser|nytimes.com October 24, 2024 By Natasha Frost and Justin Porter Good morning. We talked to our chief diplomatic correspondent in Europe about how the U.S. election is being viewed abroad. Plus, the dark side of A.I. companionship apps. Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are essentially tied in the polls. Doug Mills/The New York Times What the U.S. election means for the world Few American voters cite foreign policy as the deciding factor in how they cast their ballot. Yet the U.S. president has more international sway than virtually any other individual — especially at a time of immense geopolitical volatility. We spoke to Steven Erlanger, The Times's chief diplomatic correspondent in Europe, about what's at stake. How are U.S. election watchers around the world feeling? There's this kind of fascination and almost fury, a feeling that so much of life or policy in Europe depends on voters in North Carolina and Georgia and Arizona — because the American president, in a way, is everybody's president. It's just too big and important and rich a country. What's the view from Europe, more generally? Western Europe, for the most part, is really nervous. In general, Western Europeans have always loved Democrats and disliked Republicans, going way back beyond Reagan. In Eastern Europe, where Ukraine is such a big issue, they are also nervous. But some more far-right or hard-right leaders see Trump as something of a standard-bearer, and they share some of what seem like his biggest concerns: migration, abortion, gender, the loss of national identity. It's important to say not everybody thinks Kamala Harris is God's gift to democracy and to the world. Harris has taken great steps to differentiate herself from President Biden. How might her administration differ? Her whole experience and personal life is different — coming from California, being half Indian, half Jamaican. The cliché is that Biden is America's last true trans-Atlanticist. That's not really true, but it's not in her experience. World War II was a long time ago, so her view is just going to be different. One has the sense on Gaza, for instance, that Harris has more empathy with Palestinian suffering than Biden seems to have. Does she share the same commitment to Israel? Probably, but differently. Would she behave differently with Netanyahu? Probably. When it comes to her foreign policy, we really don't know. Would a second Trump administration substantially differ from the first? Last time, Donald Trump wasn't prepared to win, and he pulled together all these people he didn't really know, most of whom were classic Republican and military people who spent most of their time trying to convince him not to do what he wanted to do. This time, if he wins, he's going to be surrounded by a lot of very smart, much more ideological people, who know how the system works, and who want to turn his instincts into policy. What other issues are people particularly concerned about? The biggest issue is national security, which is for Europe, really, Ukraine and NATO. The two are connected. There is anxiety over Trump, because he is, on many issues, rhetorically firm, but actually unpredictable. He thinks that NATO is a club that people have to pay dues to, and nobody's paying enough — and America's being the chump. Some worry that if Trump, for example, starts saying he doesn't believe in NATO, or won't defend a member that isn't spending enough on defense, he'll undermine NATO's credibility and the faith in Article 5. That flows into the next real worry, which is Ukraine. If Ukraine falls, Russia's on the Polish border. There is a related concern that if Republicans sweep the presidency and Congress there will be fewer restraints on Trump. More on the U.S. election Americans head to the polls in less than two weeks. Trump's campaign accused Britain's governing Labour Party of "blatant foreign interference." John Kelly, the longest-serving chief of staff in the Trump White House, said that he believed that Trump met the definition of a fascist. The Justice Department warned Elon Musk that his $1 million giveaway to voters who signed a petition might be against the law. The head of The Los Angeles Times's editorial board resigned after the paper's owner blocked a presidential endorsement for Kamala Harris. Do you have questions about the election? Send them to us, and we'll find the answers. Russia has denied earlier reports on North Korea's troop presence. Ahn Young-Joon/Associated Press U.S. said North Korean troops were in Russia The U.S. secretary of defense, Lloyd Austin, confirmed yesterday that North Korea had sent troops to Russia to fight in the war in Ukraine and called the North's presence a "very, very serious" escalation. Austin cast Russia's need for North Korean mercenaries as a sign of desperation from its president, Vladimir Putin. A U.S. national security spokesman said that North Korea had sent at least 3,000 soldiers into training sites in eastern Russia. Here's what we know. Diplomacy: China and North Korea have had close relations for 75 years. Pyongyang's decision to send troops to Russia will test that bond like never before. MORE TOP NEWS Tyre, Lebanon, yesterday. Aziz Taher/Reuters Lebanon: The Israeli military carried out extensive strikes in the country's south, hitting the ancient city of Tyre. Turkey: Five people were killed and 22 injured at a state-run aerospace company in what officials called a "terrorist attack." France: Gisèle Pelicot testified in the rape trial of her ex-husband and dozens of other men charged with sexually assaulting her. Britain: A man and his daughter who were injured in a 2017 suicide bombing at a concert won a lawsuit against a conspiracy theorist. Diplomacy: China's leader, Xi Jinping, and India's prime minister, Narendra Modi, met for the first time in more than five years, raising the prospect of a thawing of tensions. Japan: The stock price of Tokyo Metro soared 45 percent during the first day of trading. SPORTS NEWS Baseball: Shohei Ohtani's 50th home run ball sold for $4.392 million at auction. Soccer: The veteran manager Jose Mourinho defended the recent performances of his former club, Manchester United. Tennis: The teams for the Billie Jean King Cup Finals were announced. MORNING READ Lucas Burtin For some American couples with opposing politics, election season can't end soon enough. With this year's presidential race proving particularly divisive, several couples shared how they were navigating their political differences and separating partner from party. Lives lived: Julia Hawkins, who started running after her 100th birthday and later set world records in the 100-meter dash, has died at 108. CONVERSATION STARTERS David McGrath Stumping scientists: Mysterious white blobs have been washing up on Canada's shores. Seth Meyers: The former "Saturday Night Live" cast member and the current host of "Late Night" isn't as nice as you think he is. Culinary overlap: A chef from Senegal and his wife, from Tokyo, share their cultural connection in a cookbook, with delicious results. TECHNOLOGY On the left, a text exchange between the chatbot and Sewell Setzer. Sewell's mother, Megan Garcia, right.  Victor J. Blue for The New York Times Can A.I. be blamed for a teenager's suicide? Just before taking his own life, Sewell Setzer, a 14-year-old from Florida, took out his phone and texted his closest friend: a lifelike A.I. chatbot. He had spent months talking to chatbots on Character.AI, a role-playing app, and had developed an emotional attachment. He preferred talking to the bot over his therapist about his problems. This week, Sewell's mother filed a lawsuit against Character.AI, accusing the company of being responsible for his death. There is now a booming, largely unregulated industry of A.I. companionship apps designed to simulate intimate relationships. My colleague Kevin Roose, a tech columnist, spoke to experts who said that there might be a dark side to these A.I. companions. Read his column here. We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. RECOMMENDATIONS Julia Gartland for The New York Times Cook: Braised white beans and greens make for a satisfying vegetarian main course or a hearty side dish. Watch: Angela Merkel, played by Katharina Thalbach, spends her retirement investigating small-town murders in "Miss Merkel." Cope: Most people with dementia will experience changes in mood and behavior. Here are strategies that can help. Travel: One of Japan's four main islands, Kyushu is rich in crafts, history and culture. Listen: Wirecutter writers discuss how to invest in durable cookware and tools. Play the Spelling Bee. And here are today's Mini Crossword and Wordle. You can find all our puzzles here. That's it for today's briefing. See you tomorrow. — Natasha and Justin Reach the team at briefing@nytimes.com. Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Morning Briefing: Europe Edition from The New York Times. 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