The 2024 Election: Trump’s Victory and America’s Crisis

The 2024 election has been called, and Donald Trump is projected to be the next president of the United States. At 78, he is the oldest person to win the presidency. Along with this, the Senate and House are projected to be led by Republicans. This follows upsets in Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Georgia— states that were pivotal in securing Trump’s victory. Kamala Harris’s campaign, despite a valiant effort, could not catch up or overcome the momentum. For many, this outcome is deeply confusing, leaving people wondering how this could happen in a country that claims to value democracy. Unfortunately, this is exactly the country the United States is, and the election of a man like Trump isn’t a fluke—it’s the system working precisely as it was designed.

I won’t pretend I’m not upset by the result. But “shocked” or “confused” isn’t how I’d describe my feelings. Electing someone like Trump is the logical conclusion of a system that consistently prioritizes the interests of the wealthy, the powerful and the self-interested. His right-wing populist rhetoric was perfect for a post-pandemic society that lives paycheck to paycheck. His empty promises mirror every other president who has ‘served’ the American people. Trump was never an ‘outsider.’ He’s a member of the elite who has been serving himself, not the American people, since day one. Anyone still calling him an ‘outsider’ is either deluded or willfully ignorant. And conveniently, all his allegations of voter fraud dissipated for cities like Philadelphia the second he started taking the lead there. I’ve always strived to express my opinions civilly but buckle up because things are about to change. To Trump supporters: It seems there is very little—whether it’s rhetoric, actions, or behavior—that would even slightly inspire reconsideration. Despite his history of controversy, including accusations of sexual assault, fraud, and incitement to violence, many of his supporters have remained steadfast. And he’s not some martyr or political target, he’s a creep who said he would date his daughter if she wasn’t his daughter. He went on to receive the majority popular and electoral votes. While Vice President Harris’s campaign attempted to focus on a message of hope (which was clouded by unpopular centrist policies,) the Trump campaign often embraced a more divisive tone, emphasizing polarization and stirring strong emotions among his base. Bernie Sanders said it best; “It should come as no great surprise that a Democratic Party which has abandoned working class people would find that the working class has abandoned them…While the Democratic leadership defends the status quo, the American people are angry and want change… And they’re right.” Progressive policy is not unpopular, as seen in multiple state ballot measures to raise minimum wage and enshrine abortion rights, it just wasn’t in the policies of either presidential candidates.

Over the past decade, society’s values have shifted, with a growing focus on self-interest over community. The rhetoric of ‘us vs. them’ is no longer just an international battle—it’s playing out right here in the U.S.. Cruelty has become normalized, and it feels beyond the reach of any legislation. And for what? A man who has bankrupted multiple businesses? A man who praises dictators? A man who has spelled out exactly how he plans to make America—and the world— worse? A man who wouldn’t piss on anyone if they were on fire?

Many of Trump’s supporters voted for short-term self-interest— lower gas prices, grocery bills and housing costs—without any regard for the long-term consequences. They’ve chosen to sacrifice their rights, and everyone else’s, for these perceived benefits. Trump won’t stop at limiting abortion or attacking LGBTQIA+ rights. He’s set to push mass deportations, gut education, exacerbate climate change, eliminate Social Security, and suppress free speech for anyone who dares oppose him. These are real threats, and they are only the beginning. Despite his denials, Trump will use the Project 2025 framework to enact his divisive, authoritarian agenda. He’s angrier and more dangerous than in 2016, surrounded by sycophants who will enable his every plan.

Harris’ campaign, unfortunately, made the same mistakes that led to Clinton’s loss in 2016—catering too heavily to Republicans, adopting more conservative platforms in an attempt to win over moderate voters. She moved further right than Biden did in 2020 and lost by a wide margin. (Not accounting for votes that were supposedly intentionally suppressed or destroyed during targeted ballot-box burnings.) Many Bernie supporters in 2016 and 2020, frustrated with the establishment, were more likely to vote for Trump this time around. The Harris campaign sold out progressives in favor of moderates who were always going to vote for Trump anyway, as well as cozying up to billionaire donors and celebrities instead of trying to win over union workers, who reliably voted blue and endorse blue candidates up until this year. She never campaigned on what would make her a good president, instead focusing on why a Trump presidency would be so dangerous.

I voted a certain way for several reasons, one of which is climate change. This week, it hit 70 degrees in November in upstate New York— an alarming anomaly. Under Trump, with his plans to fill the EPA with his oil baron buddies and gut agencies like NOAA, NWS and FEMA, our ability to track and respond to extreme weather will be significantly weakened. Conditions like this will only worsen with the repeal of the Chevron Doctrine. An issue I never thought I would have to consider is food safety. Remember the listeria outbreaks linked to Boar’s Head deli meats this summer? This, too, is a direct consequence of Trump’s deregulation of the pork industry. In 2019, the USDA allowed pork plants to speed up processing, reduced inspectors, and allowed the industry to self-regulate. This has created more contamination risks and put public safety in jeopardy. Deregulation in the hands of Donald Trump and Elon Musk is not a fever dream, it’s dangerous and rapidly approaching.

Trump’s stance on abortion rights is similarly concerning, and one of the many reasons people are rightfully upset at his election. He knows that his VP pick, J.D. Vance, and possibly his own views, are deeply unpopular when it comes to abortion. While he tries to distance himself from national abortion bans, it’s hard to take him seriously when he continues to celebrate the overturning of Roe v. Wade. The damage Trump has already done to crucial agencies and systems will set us back decades. Abortion care is not simply a woman deciding to not have a child for any reason — which is valid— it’s women with ectopic pregnancies being treated or young girls not having to go through with delivering their rapists child. We can’t keep pretending that life was better 50, 60, or 70 years ago—it wasn’t, not for the majority of people.

So what happens now? If the Senate, House and Presidency are all Republican, who will bear the blame when things inevitably go wrong? As always, the scapegoats will be immigrants, people on government assistance, and those who don’t conform to the ‘traditional’ values. There will be no empathy, no understanding, only blame. But I believe things can still be different. This election has made me realize just how deeply I believe in my values. I’m proud of my empathy for others, my love for the earth, and my commitment to fighting for what’s right. I will continue to be unapologetically vocal in support of those values, no matter what. We can’t sacrifice others—or ourselves—for the false promise of cheaper eggs or a fleeting sense of economic relief. There is no room for hopelessness or doomerism. Love and care for others, for yourself, and for the world you live in endlessly. That’s what matters most.