President Donald J. Trump. Get Used To It

Honestly, I never thought that I’d end up writing this piece but it really happened. Donald J. Trump was elected President of the United States on Tuesday night with a remarkable victory over Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.  Trump’s victory helped the Republican Party gain a majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. Hillary Clinton won the popular vote but Trump won the Electoral College getting over 270 votes to secure the presidency. Nobody from the media to the pollsters to the political class thought that Trump would win but he did and boy they’re going to be eating some humble pie.

Donald Trump won states like Ohio and Florida, two states that are particularly influential in deciding the race in narrow margins but outperformed his opponent in other swing states like North Carolina and Pennsylvania where the polling data had favored Hillary Clinton. The real surprise was Trump winning Wisconsin and Michigan; States that had been reliable for the Democrats for decades. Hillary Clinton made her concession speech on Wednesday in front of her supporters congratulating Donald Trump and thanking her supporters for being behind her during a long and strenous campaign. Right now a lot the overwhleming mood has been one of  shock and disbelief at the future of the United States and the world remains uncertain with a Trump Victory. Here are my thoughts from the results and what is needed to move forward.

Firstly, the US Election and Brexit shows that people are rejecting principles of Neoliberalism. There is a sense of populism across the Western World which has seen the rise of the Alternative-Right with the rise of Trump, Nigel Farage and Marine Le Pen. Trump’s victory across the Rust Belt region of the US (Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan) shows that with the region heavily affected by urban decay and deindustrialization over the past three decades due to Neoliberal policies. People are dissatisfied with the Washington establishment and sought change, threw a brick at its window which elevated Trump to where he is now.

Secondly, people who are fearful of a Trump Presidency have every right to feel scared as Trump’s comments about women, racial and religious minorities, LGBT people will feel legitimized as they embody white supremacy groups to open discriminate people who are not like them. Van Jones of CNN captured it succinctly describing it as a ‘whitelash’ against Obama and a changing America where the white majority is decreasing. Jones also gave the fact that many people are afraid of what’s going to happen with some of their rights might be taken away under Trump and his policies of deporting 11 million undocumented immigrants, bringing back torture, his Muslim ban, repealing Obamacare, etc.

Thirdly, it has to be said, the Democratic Party failed big time with choosing Hillary Clinton over Bernie Sanders. They also missed out on the opportunity to gain seats in the House and take a majority in the Senate. There needs to be a complete overhaul of the Democratic Party by firing those who made this possible and making real reforms. Where the party goes I don’t know but there needs to be a connection with its grassroots. We have to get used to a Trump presidency but I believe that this ought to get people to act. There has been a number of peaceful protests across the United States against Trump and that’s a start. Trump’s campaign was based on fear mongering. If the left can get its act together, the havoc that a Trump presidency could wreak could be minimized.  It’s also worth looking to 2018 which isn’t too far away when Congress mid terms will take place.