Trump is [the] 47[th president]. Chances are your reaction to this was either one of dismay or of relief. With his classic puckered lips and his particular hand movements, Trump thanked his supporters throughout the country [on election] night for helping him “take back America.” I was one of them.

Before you [judge], I’d like to share a few thoughts. I’m particularly interested in politics because many claims and decisions made by the American government can have a significant impact on normal people like you and me. However, my identity is not Democrat or Republican. I’m a Christian. My savior isn’t Trump or [Harris], but Jesus, who is the best ruler.

Ultimately, my faith in Him informs all the views I have, even political ones.

Why did I support Trump’s candidacy? Trump’s administration supports some of the most foundational Christian values. After his first term in office, for example, the Supreme Court Justices Trump had appointed overturned Roe v. Wade. Establishing a pro-life precedent is on the top of my priorities. To Christians, human life is of the utmost value. It seems clear that Trump’s administration will do more to encourage the right to practice religion in this country. A vote for Trump discourages the government from doing things like establishing tax-funded abortions or compelling Christian doctors to perform them, and protects Christians from being prosecuted and harassed for upholding traditional views of gender and sexuality.

Our nation’s Declaration of Independence declares that life is an unalienable right given to us by our Creator. Additionally, the first right guaranteed by the Constitution’s First Amendment is freedom of religion! Although I’m not an ultra-MAGA, die-hard Trump supporter. It seems clear that Trump will preserve these freedoms and protect Christians more than Harris’ administration would.

“A convicted felon is better than a woman” is a statement I made in my first-period AP Gov. class — a dark joke — on Nov. 6, the day after the election. Mr. Oberg looked at me with an inscrutable look before telling me that a student in his third-period class had said that same statement the day before — except not ironically. 

All my anger drained until I was left with just a numb, cold, sad feeling. I know of course that misogyny is rampant, but it never hit me that that could happen here – that a student my age, a kid I might sit right next to in class, could think so low of me, of 50% of the population. What might happen in the next four years terrifies me, from losing the right to my own body and to marry who I love, to hearing all the horror stories that will come out about Trump’s detention camps and about more women dying of pregnancy complications that could have been easily avoided. I hate that I live in a country where half of the people lack empathy, cannot think beyond themselves, call for saving fetuses when they don’t care for dying babies and mothers, and most importantly, where some people unironically believe that a convicted felon is better than a woman.

What led 74 million Americans to vote for a man who has said and done things wildly against what America is supposed to stand for? The morning after election day, my question was immediately answered when I opened Instagram to videos of people celebrating a win for pro-life conservatives, affordable groceries and a healthy economy. To no surprise, nearly all of these people were white and mostly men who showed complete unawareness of the privilege necessary to prioritize economic policies (incredibly flawed ones) over basic human rights. 

The recurring argument that Trump’s closed-minded personal opinions will not affect his performance as president can only be made by people who do not care if it is true. Concerning developments following the election, such as the objectifying tweets about owning women’s bodies and dehumanizing texts sent to Black Americans, show how Trump’s latest presidential victory reopened the door to shamelessly outspoken hate in America.

While some place the blame for the Democratic party’s loss onto third-party voters, it is important to confront the real reason why Harris’ campaign failed. The Democratic party failed to listen to voters about significant issues such as economic and foreign policy concerns. Many third-party voters, who usually vote blue, stated that the current U.S. support and aid to Israel created a point of serious disagreement with both Republicans and Democrats. 

Contrary to popular belief, Trump’s economic policies will not save middle-class Americans. In fact, his plan regarding tariffs would make it more expensive to import goods from other countries, raising prices. So who will Trump’s policies benefit? According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priority, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), which Trump signed in 2017 and currently plans to extend, disproportionately benefited high-income households, worsening American income inequality. Simply put, Trump’s tax policies solely benefit the rich.

It seems some Americans voted based on surface-level promises without questioning their legitimacy. As with most elections, many who did research had trouble finding a popular candidate that truly aligned with their values. Despite the dividing nature of election season, I have noticed one positive post-election shift: an emphasis on supporting your loved ones through a concerning time. As history has shown, a strong sense of community is a powerful defense against hate.

I have mixed feelings. While many people will first start talking about Trump, talking about the Harris Campaign is just as important. For one, Harris had five months to get her campaign on the road before election day whereas Trump had been campaigning since 2022. This gave her significantly less time to create a team and generally get the American people to know her as a candidate.

The Democratic Party is at fault for giving her this disadvantage. To any average person, having a forgetful 81-year-old man run for reelection is a terrible idea. Had they given Harris more time to come into her own as a candidate instead of letting Biden embarrass himself on national television, she would have had a better shot at the election herself.

Moving to Trump, he capitalized on issues that many Americans have legitimate concerns about such as immigration. While his views on such issues are extreme (calling immigrants from select countries “animals”), the fear he espoused connected with a large portion of Americans, especially young men. By using platforms such as the Joe Rogan Experience or his own macho persona, Trump showed that he could connect with young men whether it be through the issues he talked about or the toxic masculinity he exudes. 

Finally, focusing on the economy was ultimately what got Trump the win. At the end of the day, people want affordable prices for the goods they need whether it be as a consumer or business owner. Despite Trump’s misunderstanding of tariffs and little presidential control over the economy, many people voted for Trump not necessarily because they liked his character, but because they believed he would make their lives better economically than under the Biden administration. 

The biggest misconception about Trump is that he will improve the economy, which I believe is the main reason people voted for him. The economy under the Biden-Harris administration was horrible, and with both candidates having served before, the election became a matter of picking which time the average voter had an easier life. 

At the start of their term, the Biden-Harris administration had a broken economy because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the economy during a president’s term is based on the economic decisions the previous president made. According to the United States Congressional Joint Economic Committee, Former President Barack Obama brought the country out of the recession, leaving a strong economy that Trump inherited when he took office in 2017. He was under Obama’s tax code during his presidency as well. 

Many people also do not understand what tariffs are, which Trump plans to increase. The countries importing goods are not the ones who would be paying them, it would be the consumers in the United States that would see a price increase. Any business that buys goods or materials from other countries would have to pay more, increasing the price of the final product — even if it was made in the United States. In addition, other countries may raise tariffs back at us and contribute even more to a decline in our economy.

My biggest concern is not just the election outcome, but rather the balance of power throughout the entire government. All of the branches of the government on a national level currently have more Republican representatives. This puts checks and balances in danger because the executive branch and Congress can pass bills easily without many Democratic opinions to balance it out. In addition, the majority of the justices in the judicial branch are Republican, and Trump has the power to replace the last Democrats there. This imbalance undermines the system, no matter which party holds the power.

On the morning of Nov. 5, I woke up to a text message from my friend — a singular text message saying, ‘Why.’ I have never felt so disappointed and betrayed by America — by Americans. 74 million people voted for a felon, voted for someone who does not have the people first. That day, the drive to school was melancholy, the drive home was gloomy and the school day was unbearable. I continuously scroll through social media and still see Americans fight for Donald Trump and his beliefs. Women, the LGBTQ+ community, immigrants — how could these people vote for a man who hates even just the idea of them? The idea of bodily autonomy, the idea of love, the idea of starting a new life. The lack of empathy and education is strong within these people who voted for him. America will never be as great as it used to be under the presidency of Trump.