The United States’ 2024 Presidential election was undoubtedly widely anticipated by Americans. Would the country usher in its first-ever female president, or would a convicted felon reclaim the White House? The election pivoted around policies and legislation that shape core values for Americans, including gun control, inflation, reproductive rights, immigration and the ongoing war in Gaza.
On the morning of November 6th, the poll results filtered in. Donald Trump achieved a decisive victory in the seven swing states, amassing 312 electoral college votes and capturing the popular vote with just over 50%. Later that day, Kamala Harris officially conceded defeat in a speech delivered at Howard University, her alma mater.
Speaking with Trinity News, Audrey de Groot, a first-year student from Los Angeles, California, expressed her disappointment with the election outcome. “After Biden dropped out of the race in mid-July, I was confident Harris would win the ticket.” As someone deeply passionate about legislation the Trump administration is strongly opposed to, de Groot identified key issues she valued in Harris’s campaign such as abortion rights, humane immigration laws and combating climate change.
“‘I am scared. Not just for myself, but for others’”
“I couldn’t understand how a convicted felon, who had been impeached multiple times and exposed as a morally bankrupt, fraudulent politician with objectively harmful and oppressive policies, could win,” de Groot remarked. “I am scared not just for myself, but for others. Especially for women, people of colour, immigrants, and future generations” she voiced.
Another first-year student, who wishes to remain anonymous, also participated in their first-ever presidential election. An avid Trump supporter since 2015, the student was proud to cast their vote for Trump and elated by the outcome. “I’m a big fan of Donald Trump. I think he’s a remarkable individual; he has an amazing ability to keep going no matter what. He never quits; he’s a winner.”
They added, “The main reason I voted Republican is that I want the national environment to be as friendly to innovation as possible. When Donald Trump brought Elon Musk into his campaign, I was thrilled. Elon is probably the most impressive individual of this century, and I’m confident he’ll do a tremendous job gutting the administrative state.”
“‘I am incredibly optimistic for the next four years; it’s going to be a boom-time for America…’’’
When asked about Trump’s opponent, they added, “In regards to Kamala Harris, I think she is totally illegitimate. She didn’t win the primary, and she was a diversity hire as VP. Her resume is beyond underwhelming. Simply put, Kamala Harris is of middling intelligence at best.” They added, “I am incredibly optimistic for the next four years; it’s going to be a boom-time for America. We’re going to build, build, build.”
When asked why over 74 million Americans cast their ballots for Trump, the anonymous student expressed the following sentiments: “One thing has been made abundantly clear by Donald Trump’s decisive victory: America rejects the corrosive wokism that has emanated from elite liberal institutions for the past decade. Americans are tired of identity politics; nobody wants to hear that George Washington was an evil racist, or that illegal aliens should be afforded free sex-change surgery.”
Another first-time voter interviewee, who also wished to be kept anonymous, shared their views, stating: “I voted for Harris. I was confident that she would be a great president if elected, but it would be incredibly naive of me to be confident in her victory. Nevertheless, I did have hope that the American people couldn’t possibly be so backward-minded and ignorant as to not even hear her a chance.”
When asked why they chose Harris, the reasoning was straightforward: “Unfortunately, this election was primarily about keeping Trump and his policies out of office. It shifted focus away from how Kamala’s policies would benefit the nation and instead emphasised how much Trump’s policies on issues like abortion, healthcare, and guns would harm the American people and future generations.”
For this student, “Trump has allowed people to revert in thinking, building up anger, hate, and fear towards change and a progressive ideology. And who better to represent the harbinger of this amorphous nightmare of a liberal future in the eyes of ignorant people than a smart, ambitious multi-racial woman?”
Dr. Noah Buckley, an assistant professor of Political Science at Trinity, spoke to Trinity News about the aftermath of the election. A registered Democrat, Dr. Buckley voted for Kamala Harris, having been impressed by her campaign and having felt confident in her abilities. “I disagree with most, if not all, of Trump’s policy stances. I think he represents a continued danger to some aspects of the American political system; he is not good at governing, and he only works to benefit himself, rather than the country or his constituents.” Buckley asserted. He expressed frustration and disappointment with the election results and what the next four years may entail. Discussing reasons behind America’s votes, he commented; “my tentative assessment is that there is frustration about high prices, dislike of the Biden administration’s handling of those bread-and-butter economic issues, and a general sense that the Democratic Party is neglecting these basic issues while focusing too much on things that only matter to their educated, ‘out of touch’ base.”
“Buckley noted that the Supreme Court is likely to lean conservative for much of Generation Z’s lifetime”
With the Republican Party now in control of the White House and the Senate, Buckley noted that the Supreme Court is likely to lean conservative for much of Generation Z’s lifetime. “This is certainly not good either. This will only aid in Trump’s efforts to make the scary changes he has in mind a reality. It’s particularly concerning when we think about the future of the Supreme Court. If Alito and/or Thomas take the opportunity to retire, Trump could end up having appointed a majority of the Court – five justices out of nine – and this 6-3 (or 7-2, if Sotomayor has to retire) majority will potentially be cemented for decades.”
Professor Gillian Frank, from the History Department at College, also shared his perspective on the U.S. election with Trinity News, drawing on his expertise in U.S. culture and politics. A week before the election, he visited Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he observed Republican political advertising and high levels of polarisation in the media. “It was unprecedented. The sheer level of hatred directed towards immigrants and transgender individuals was unbridled. This advertising utilised pure scare tactics to suggest that transgender people posed a threat to people’s children. The targeting and demonisation of minority groups as a means of fear-mongering was alarming,” he remarked, shedding light on the intense political polarisation apparent in America.
Both campaigns actively targeted younger demographics and first-time voters through platforms like Instagram, X and especially TikTok. TikTok emerged as a crucial platform for campaigning on both sides, with the social media teams of both Harris and Trump tapping into popular trends for their campaigns. This novel approach made interacting with US politics unavoidable, weaving political messages into people’s everyday social media experience. For many “Gen Z” voters, political content appeared directly on their TikTok “For You” pages, making it part of their daily media consumption and encouraging them to think about key issues under a politicised lens.
The aftermath of the election has stirred a range of reactions among Americans; from celebration to fear, anxiety and anger. These emotions will continue to evolve as the Trump administration begins four more years in office. Trump’s victory confronts Americans with a new political reality, which will likely include significant changes on issues like abortion rights, gun control, healthcare, and more. How Americans will respond to the end of the Biden administration and the dominance of the Republican Party remains to be seen. As a nation, America must wait and see how the incumbent Trump administration shapes the future and the extent to which its policies will alter the landscape of American life.
