Trump’s return to power: What are the hopes and fears of women in Florida?

ITV News’ US Correspondent Dan Rivers reports from Florida, where there are polarised views on the Trump presidency
There is no doubt Trump won a definitive victory on November 5th.
He secured the presidency by winning every battleground state and popular vote nationally, but the United States remains a profoundly divided country.
A political chasm separates two Americas; those who voted for Trump and those who can’t stand him.
In the first of a new series, we look at the hopes and fears of these two groups and take the political temperature across different states to find out what Trump’s detractors are dreading and why his supporters are so excited.
We’re starting in Florida, the new centre of political power. Donald Trump has remained in Palm Beach since election night, surrounded by his transition team, preparing his cabinet for a second term.
Over the past few years, his presence here has turbocharged an already soaring property market. Want a slice of Palm Beach Island? You need tens of millions.
Vince Marotta is a property estate agent who, as his advertising posters in the local airport say, is “setting the bar in the northern palm beaches”.
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He tells me the island on which Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate is located is only 12 miles long by half a mile wide, comprising just 2,500 homes.
Only 10% of those are on the water. He agrees part of the appeal is Trump’s presence, as well as a benign winter climate.
“There is no question we have seen a Trump bump. I have calls from brokers already looking to place someone in a 10-15 million dollar house with staff who will be working with the President.”
For property developer Kim Hernandez who works with her husband Tony, it represents a huge opportunity. They have made their fortune building luxury homes here, but the market is now in a frenzy.
“Since the election, there has been an absolute influx of clients. They are coming not only to be near our new President but also to expand business….In the past two weeks, we have noticed an absolute voluminous change in a great way….just before the election everything was a little iffy…but since then it’s been non-stop.”
Tony tells me: “This is paradise. I am blessed to be sharing my vision of paradise with people from all around the world. There are a ton of people coming mostly from the northeast.”
“The day after the election my phone rang multiple times. People are ready to get back into the market. There was a slow-down before the election…Since Trump has come into office there has been a massive confidence across the market.”
But not everyone in Florida is upbeat about Trump.
Rachel Cohen is a mother of three who is worried Trump’s promised tariffs will push up grocery prices even further.
She is so fearful about how America might change, that she is even considering leaving the country of her birth.
“If our way of life starts being challenged if there is harassment if it starts being unsafe, then we do have to consider that and get out.”
She becomes emotional when talking about Trump’s return to the Oval Office. Asked to sum up her feelings she lists her emotions as follows: “Disappointed, upset, overwhelmed, scared.”
She then breaks down crying.
“It hasn’t been that long that we are dealing with it (a Trump second term) yet and we have a while before it kicks in, to watch it building is troubling.”
For some women, the fears are focused on one area of policy: reproductive rights.
Danielle Tallafuss is concerned about a further tightening of Florida’s abortion laws.
It is currently limited to six weeks, one of the most restrictive in the country.
Floridians rejected a proposal to loosen it during the election.
For Danielle, this is a deeply personal issue. She had a termination a few years ago after her baby, who she named Nathaniel, was found to have a severe heart defect which meant his survival was highly unlikely.
“I feel scared for the next four years for myself and friends and family around me.”
She feels Florida’s rejection of a proposal to lift tight abortion restrictions personally.
“It’s unimaginable that my state turned against me.”
These polarised views in Florida are being played out across the nation.
Bridging them seems unlikely as Trump prepares for office with one of the most radical policy agendas in decades.
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