Donald J. Trump will be the 45th president of the United States of America. These are words that many expected not to hear. So, when many Americans woke up on November 9, to a Trump victory, it wasn't a pleasant surprise. Trump's win has sparked outrage and protests in a country that was already divided and has been for months. There have been numerous hypotheses for Trump's win, with many citing Clinton's e-mail scandal, low voter turnout and a lack of enthusiasm for Clinton. But the fact is, logic can't be applied here. Yes, Clinton was the logical choice, but for many white Americans, electing a female president after eight years under the presidency of a black man was unbearable. Trump's victory over Clinton boils down to motivation, the white working class simply felt they had more to lose under a Clinton presidency.
Michael Moore predicted this. A few months ago, the filmmaker predicted a Trump victory in an essay posted to his website. In the essay, titled, "5 Reasons Why Trump will Win" Moore tackles the Midwest, the angry white man, Clinton's unpopularity, the depressed Sanders vote and the "Jesse Ventura effect."
He writes, "Well, folks, this isn’t an accident. It is happening. And if you believe Hillary Clinton is going to beat Trump with facts and smarts and logic, then you obviously missed the past year of 56 primaries and caucuses where 16 Republican candidates tried that and every kitchen sink they could throw at Trump and nothing could stop his juggernaut...People have to leave the house and get in line to vote. And if they live in poor, Black or Hispanic neighborhoods, they not only have a longer line to wait in, everything is being done to literally stop them from casting a ballot. So in most elections it’s hard to get even 50% to turn out to vote. And therein lies the problem for November – who is going to have the most motivated, most inspired voters show up to vote?" Short answer, Trump.
So, what does a Trump presidency look like for minorities, immigrants and the LGBT community? No one knows for certain, but in this instance, what's really important is our response. These things happen in a democracy and it isn't the first or the last time for an upset like this. A Trump presidency is not a death sentence to America and one's party affiliation does not determine their worth. Remember, Lincoln, widely regarded as the first Republican president, also not the popular choice, ultimately changed the course of the country. Let's do what we do best and make lemonade from these lemons.
