A front-row seat to history

It’s deputy editor Liam Phelan this week, filling in for Bevan while he takes a break.

I have been listening this week to a special series of the podcast The Rest is Politics: US, which has been taking a look back at how Donald Trump came to power and completely reshaped the American political landscape. Told by his former fundraiser and campaign adviser Anthony Scaramucci and BBC correspondent Katty Kay, it provides a fascinatingly candid review that shows how everybody, from politicians to journalists, completely underestimated Trump and thought he would flame out.

Donald Trump and Kamala HarrisCredit: Monique Westermann

Instead, he took the nomination, won the 2016 presidential election – and is now in a closely fought contest with Democrat Kamala Harris to return to power in the November 5 election.

The outcome will have a massive bearing not just on the US, but around the world, including Australia.

Which brings us to the role of our US correspondent Farrah Tomazin, who delivers intelligent, balanced coverage that gives us an insight into this pivotal contest.

This week, I wanted to hand over to Farrah to give you a glimpse into the life of a foreign correspondent and what it’s like to cover one of the biggest stories in the world.

Farrah, how long have you been the Herald’s North America correspondent?
Since January 2022. I also spent a few months in the US on secondment in 2020 ahead of the presidential election between then-president Donald Trump and Joe Biden.

Has the experience been like you expected?
It has been the greatest adventure of my life. Travel was a luxury my family couldn’t afford when I was growing up, and I distinctly remember looking at images of America and yearning to visit this wild, crazy country. There are still days I’ll walk around the grounds of the White House or roam around battleground states and pinch myself that I’m actually here.

What has been the greatest challenge and the greatest reward of the role?
The greatest challenge has probably been the relentless news cycle, which has meant that I don’t really know what sleep feels like any more! Even on an average day, there is so much happening, let alone on days when an extraordinary story breaks: such as the attempted assassination(s) of Donald Trump, or President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw from the 2024 election. But the trade-off – and the greatest reward – has been my front-row seat to history. Who needs sleep anyway?

Donald Trump emerged determined to fight after narrowly missing an assassin’s bullet at a rally in Pennsylvania in July.Credit: AP

You would have been expecting to cover the 2024 election campaign since starting your posting in Washington DC, but did you imagine it would be anything like it has turned out to be?
I knew it would be wild – but not this wild! I thought the 2020 election campaign was pretty incredible: at the time, the US was the epicentre of the global pandemic, there were race riots across the country following the murder of George Floyd under the knee of a white police officer, and the nation felt like a tinderbox ready to explode the closer we got to the election. This year has all the intensity of 2020 – and then some.

What has surprised you most this time around?
Kamala Harris’ rapid ascension since Biden stepped down has surprised me a lot. For years, her approval ratings were worse than Biden’s; she was relentlessly attacked over her policy performance on everything from immigration to foreign affairs and there was scepticism – including from within her own party – about who she is or what she stands for. Equally surprising was the way Trump was cast out after the 2022 midterm elections by many Republicans who blamed him for the so-called “red wave” that failed to materialise. Then, within months, all had been forgiven and the party eventually anointed him their presidential nominee.

The surging popularity of Kamala Harris has been one of the big surprises of the election campaign.Credit: nna\advidler

If you had to pick one pivotal moment in the campaign so far, what would it be?
It would have to be Biden’s decision to step down, which completely upended the race and could end up making history if Harris happens to become the first woman in the Oval Office. The contest is still neck and neck, but until the president withdrew, the lack of enthusiasm among voters for a Trump-Biden rematch was palpable in every state I visited – and many Democrats believed a Trump victory was all but inevitable. Now, folks on both sides are galvanised to show up on election day, which is half the battle under America’s voluntary voting system.

What is the most challenging aspect of covering the unfolding circus?
The long hours are definitely the most challenging part – even for someone used to burning the candle at both ends! Washington is 14 hours behind Australia, so when most “normal” folks in the US are having dinner about 7pm, The Age is just beginning its 9am morning news conference. By that stage, I’ve usually filed one or two stories for the day, but there is often appetite for more – especially when a big story breaks. Double shifts have become the norm, weekends off are fairly limited, and it’s not uncommon to cancel plans at the last minute – like my own birthday dinner last Sunday when Trump was almost assassinated again.

You’ve covered elections in Australia as well as the US. How does the experience differ?
I’ve covered about eight state and federal election campaigns in Australia as the state politics correspondent for The Age and the Victorian politics editor for The Sunday Age. Apart from the obvious political system differences (for example, voting is compulsory in Australia but not here) one notable contrast is the hyper-partisan media landscape in the US. As a voter or a consumer of the news, you could turn on right-wing outlets such as Fox News or Newsmax and feel like you’re living on one planet, and then switch over to left-leaning stations like MSNBC or CNN and feel like you’re living on another. Politicians are generally accessible here, particularly for background information, and I find political staffers tend to be more accommodating than the often opaque and risk-averse spin doctors I’ve dealt with in Australia (for example, we get daily briefings from the White House and other key departments). But the sheer number of political journalists is obviously much, much larger, so you’ve really got to hustle. It’s a lot of fun.

On the campaign trail you’ve had the chance to observe many of the candidates at close quarters. Do they seem different to how they appear from a distance? I’ve covered every major candidate as we travel around on the campaign trail, but the one that has surprised me most is Donald Trump. Yes, he’s bombastic and incendiary, but he can also be very funny up close, regardless of whether or not you like him.

Beyond work, what have been the highlights of your time in the US?
First, the food (you can learn a lot about a culture by its food, so I’ve made it my mission to eat the local dish in every state I’ve covered). Then discovering as many US states as possible (27 and counting). And finally, and importantly, my mates – I moved to Washington by myself but have met some wonderful people on my travels, many of whom are now my dearest friends.

Are you looking forward to life after the election, or will you miss the excitement when it’s over?
I’m looking forward to a holiday (and seeing my beloved cavoodles Prince and George Michael, who are in Australia with my ex-wife). But I will miss every second of the excitement. I’m so grateful for this opportunity and for the subscribers who have appreciated my work.