The 47th president of the United States will be Donald J. Trump. This is our reality.
The United States seems to be going through one of the strongest political shifts in our lifetimes as Generation Z. For the first time in 20 years, a Republican has clenched the popular vote for president, along with an electoral college landslide victory.
This is also coupled with a more momentous occasion. Donald Trump’s third run marks only the second time a president has served two non-consecutive terms. The last time this feat was achieved was back in the 1892 election of President Grover Cleveland.
34 criminal court convictions, millions of dollars in civil and criminal penalties, and media humiliation couldn’t bring Trump down. If anything, it lifted him to a new high. This high has brought hope to millions in the country, leading to his victory over Harris, who initially seemed to be a clear favorite in the polls.
This message quickly shifted in the weeks following her candidacy announcement, and Trump proved to be neck-and-neck in the days and weeks leading up to Election Day. Seeing as Trump usually outperforms polls, it wasn’t a shock to many Republicans on Election night that he was leading. The result? A complete sweep of all swing states in the race.
When I saw the results roll in on election night, I had two initial feelings. First, I was relieved. The economic and military failures our country had experienced for the past four years would now be over. No more failed Afghanistan withdrawals that killed innocent soldiers, no more failed global leadership crisis as in Ukraine, and no more senseless proxy wars like we’ve seen in the Middle East.
I was hopeful. But then came another feeling: fright.
While President-elect Trump’s policies will right America’s economic and world standing, I become fearful of what our social fabric will become over the next four years.
The people that lead this country on both party lines are completely out of touch with middle America. Vice President Kamala Harris has spent her life as a career politician. President Trump has made his living in high-level real estate development, and has surrounded himself with high-level politicians and investors.
Neither of these characters represent the average American and their aspirations. I do, however, think that the policies of Trump reflect a more beneficial economic policy for Americans. This does seem ironic considering his wealth. I think the lack of endorsements by organized labor for either candidate backs up this fact of our current economic conditions.
So, who do we want to be as a county? How do we want to present ourselves to the world? These questions are partially answered with the election of Trump. We want to be seen as a watchdog around the world again, and we want to follow a Trumpism type of foreign and domestic policies.
I guess what I’m trying to get at is this: Our country is currently like a gymnast, walking on a balance beam. One wrong step, and we can easily fall. Like a gymnast, we have to be careful and considerate of a multitude of factors to remain upright. The roar of the crowd, our personal anxiety, and a panel of judges always watching can make us mess up. But still, we have to stay on the beam. No matter the cost, no matter the time we take, we must stay up.
So, we have to root for whoever is on the beam — because they will be representing us. Previously, our gymnast was President Biden. Now, for one last time, we will be competing with Donald Trump walking the beam. Whether he stays up is on him, but it is also on us.
If he falls, we all fall with him.
