Trump Defies the Odds in an Unforeseen Win

The ballots are in, the votes cast. Donald Trump has been elected as the 45th President of the United States. At three in the morning on Nov. 9, the Republican Nominee was able to get the majority of the electoral votes, beating out his opponent, the Democratic Nominee Hillary Clinton, despite losing the popular vote by over 200,000.

In his acceptance speech, Mr. Trump said, “Now it is time for America to bind the wounds of division, have to get together. To all Republicans and Democrats and independents across this nation, I say it is time for us to come together as one united people.”

“It is time,” He continued, “I pledge to every citizen of our land that I will be President for all Americans, and this is so important to me. For those who have chosen not to support me in the past, of which there were a few people, I'm reaching out to you for your guidance and your help so that we can work together and unify our great country.”

The results started coming in after the first of the country’s polls closed at 7.  Of the traditional swing states, North Carolina, Iowa, Ohio, Michigan, Florida all voted for Mr. Trump. New Hampshire, Virginia, Colorado, and Nevada voted for Secretary Clinton. Surprising turnouts were Pennsylvania and Wisconsin who voted in favor of Mr. Trump. Overall, 30 states voted Republican with 19 states voting Democrat.  Maine is divided into four congressional districts, three of the districts voted for Secretary Clinton where as one district voted for Mr. Trump.  

Of the swing states, Donald Trump won Florida, Pennsylvania, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Iowa. Clinton won Virginia, Colorado, Nevada, and New Hampshire.

The Republicans won big in the election. The GOP gained control of not only the White House, but the Senate and House of Representatives as well. The closely watched swing state of New Hampshire voted in the Democratic nominee, Maggie Hassan, in an incredibly close race in which the two candidates were separated by only 700 votes. The Republicans have 51 seats in the Senate,  the Democrats won only 45. In the House of Representatives, Republicans now control 238 seats compared to 193 Democratic seats.

“This is painful,” Clinton said during her concession speech, “and will be for a long time. We have seen that our nation is more deeply divided than we thought. But I still believe in America and I always will. And if you do, then we must accept this result and then look to the future. Donald Trump is going to be our president. We owe him an open mind and the chance to lead.”

Who would be the next President was not the only thing on many ballots. In California, Nevada, and Massachusetts, recreational marijuana was legalized. Arkansas, Florida, and North Dakota and Montana legalized medical marijuana. Nebraska eliminated the death penalty. California also strengthened gun laws. According to the Los Angeles Times, Proposition 63 outlaws possession of magazines that hold more than ten rounds, requires background check for those buying ammunition, makes it a crime to not report lost or stolen guns, and provides a process to remove guns from people upon their conviction of a felony.

The reaction to the election in Plymouth State University was extreme. The campaigns of both candidates were at the forefront of many student’s minds, In many ways, students were disappointed by the election. “This election is an embarrassment to our country with how we only have these two people to choose from. I think both Trump and Clinton are criminals,” said Nicolas Kalantzakos, a senior theater major at PSU.

Many students at PSU are democratic who felt like they had a personal stake in who won the presidential election. Alexa Benanti, a junior information technology major, said, “I voted for Hilary because I have a lot of LGBTQ friends and I saw their fear when they heard how Trump said he was going to run things.”

Not all of PSU students were Clinton supporters. A large number of students were fans of Trump, saying “Trump appeals to the American people because he talks more about doing things for Americans,” said Pat Farnell, a sophomore criminal justice major.

There were a lot of students who refused to vote, or chose instead to vote for third party candidates. One student, who chose to remain anonymous, said, “I didn’t vote because I didn’t believe in either candidate. I thought they were both dishonest and unfit to lead our country. I was ashamed that our election came down to these unqualified individuals and I did not want to partake in supporting it.”

“When I got down to choosing, it felt like picking my poison,” said Kevin O’Brian, a undeclared freshman.

Donald Trump is set to take office on January 20, 2017. In the mean time Obama has promised to help the President Elect in his transition into power. Time will tell if Trump is truly able to make America great again as he has promised.