Donald Trump was elected the 47th president of the United States. What comes next?
That’s the question we struggle to answer as we enter a new period of uncertainty, with a second Trump presidency looming on the horizon. Will our system of checks and balances hold true? Or will he dismantle our very state of democracy?
In our lifetimes, we have seen immense progression in social, economic, and legislative realms: gay marriage became nationally legalized in 2015, the first over the counter birth control pill hit stores in 2024, and large steps were made towards renewable energy. And now, in the first election when we are of voting age, we had no power to protect those advances.
When the New York Times reported on Wednesday that Kamala Harris had called Trump to concede, we were in class—our lives as students did not halt just because of a historical election. But not to worry: a guy in class assured the room that once Trump takes power, he won’t immediately angle for dictatorship.
In an ideal world, that statement would not need “immediately” as a qualifier. The American people should not have elected someone who has multiple times shown a desire for complete and unregulated control. How could it have come to this? What turnoff to normality did we so blindly miss to end up here?
When we think “Trump,” it isn’t an economic policy or plan for a better America that comes to mind; it is hate. It is 400,000 COVID-19 deaths while he told people to inject bleach, and it is immigrant children ripped from their families at the border, and ultimately, it is a legacy of complete disregard and disrespect for the average American citizen.
We are disappointed with the overwhelming majority Trump won the election by. How did more than 72 million Americans vote for a man full of such hate? The same man who has been found liable for rape?
When we think back to this election cycle, we saw something we had not seen in recent politics: hope. A few powerful images come to mind: Harris’ niece looking up at her as she accepted the Democratic nomination; the little girls excited to finally see themselves in a presidential candidate; countless lifelong Republicans endorsing Harris, risking their party’s support to prevent a Trump presidency.
Harris was not the perfect candidate for this race. Once President Joe Biden dropped out of the race, she was the default choice; any other Democratic nominee would have angered Democratic voters. Why shouldn’t she be president if the American people voted her vice president, saying we had confidence in her ability to serve if Biden vacated the seat over the last four years?
But she wasn’t Trump. Her most apparent campaign strategy, from political debates to rallies to social media campaigns, attempted to leverage people’s hatred for Trump as her platform. Felon versus prosecutor, rapist versus women’s rights advocate. However, the American people ignored these pleas and voted back into office a dangerous, vile man.
Yes, Trump served four years and the country did not end—even though his last term ended with an actual insurrection against the Capitol. But he has spent the last four years preparing for another term. He urged his supporters to vote, saying they will “never have to vote again” after this election. What could that mean besides Trump’s wish to be a total dictator?
His campaign this time around wasn’t built on “greatness.” It was built on his ability to stoke so much fear in his supporters that they would back him up no matter what. Trump used this election cycle to set the stage for his next four years; the fear mongering worked in the polls, and we believe it will work just as effectively in the White House.
The difference between this Trump and 2016 Trump is that he has four years of Washington, D.C. knowledge under his belt and nothing to lose. He threatened democracy on Jan. 6, and he is only more equipped now.
While some remain optimistic that this is his second and final term, MAGA does not end with Trump. He has taken over the Republican Party, and those in his circle are equally scary. Trump was the stepping stone back into the White House, but his campaign also secured a Republican majority win in the Senate and prospective win in the House.
The Supreme Court has held a conservative majority since Trump’s first term. It is likely that Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, 76 and 74, respectively, will step down while he’s in office. Trump’s win allows him to appoint two new justices, which will easily be approved through the Republican Senate. If the current court was able to overturn Roe v. Wade, which held precedence for almost 50 years, what could a renewed Trump court mean for our future? How long until the court returns to a fairer balance?
The future is grim, but it’s not over. This is not the end. As Harris said in her concession speech, “While I concede the election, I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign.” If Harris isn’t giving up a better America, neither should we. The fight is not done.
