Michael Hovde has a lot he dislikes about Donald Trump’s agenda. But when he votes in November in the electorally crucial state of Wisconsin, he believes the stakes are far higher than mere policy issues.

“Trump, I think, is an existential threat to democracy,” the 36-year-old said as he strolled through the bustling downtown of Appleton, one of the most politically diverse areas of one of the most closely divided US states.

He pointed to the “terrifying” people around the Republican mogul and to Project 2025, the governing blueprint written for, but publicly disavowed by, Trump that would ram through his hard-right policies.

“They aim to truly just bypass and circumvent checks and balances, and really neuter the efficacy of our political system,” Hovde said.

Not far away, past the verdant lawns and elegant Victorian homes in this comfortably middle-class city, Casey Stern, 58, sees the race between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris quite differently.

Above his neatly tended garden of corn and zucchini flies an imposing “Trump 2024” flag. Another banner calls for Biden’s impeachment and says, “We the People Are Pissed.”

If the message is in-your-face, so are the reactions. Stern recounts passers-by shouting profanities, while some critics jot down his address and send him letters.