America made history on Nov. 5, though not the kind many would have foreseen. Voters chose a convicted leader, who a jury has found guilty 34 times, a judge ruled committed massive business fraud, and another court determined had sexually assaulted a journalist to serve as the 47th president of the United States.
Latino and white women voters, who many note voted against their own interests and have borne the brunt of his attacks, were primarily responsible for this outcome. But plainly put, Donald Trump has ascended to the highest office in the land once more.
“This is all still so confusing to me, because it really felt like she started out strong. When they called [that] Kamala had won New Hampshire, my home state, I was ecstatic, hoping the crowd and I would be cheering like that a lot more,” said Howard University alumna Mya Trujillo, who was among the thousands of heartbroken supporters who initially gathered at Howard University in hopes of celebrating the first Black and Southeast Asian woman to claim the presidency. “Even when Trump started racking up more votes, but then Kamala won California, it felt like everyone’s hopes of her winning were slowly being woven together to make it happen.”
However, at 2:30 a.m. on Nov. 6, Trump declared victory to the country from a convention center in West Palm Beach, Florida.
“This is a movement like nobody’s ever seen before and, frankly, this was, I believe, the greatest political movement,” said Trump, the now president-elect, whose campaign was marred by divisive, racist and vulgar rhetoric.
While he was victorious, earning at least 276 electoral college votes compared to Harris’ 223, many of the vice president’s supporters are shocked about Trump’s victory and concerned about the future.
“This feels like 2016 all over again, but this time it feels so much worse. From reproductive rights to accountability for police brutality, so many things are at risk and I’m anxious to see what Trump will do this time around,” Trujillo said. “This is also concerning for future elections, because what if this outcome discourages more women and people of color from running? It just felt like a punch in the gut.”
Mixed Reactions as Votes Roll In for Trump
Leading up to Election Day, many political strategists, commentators and experts predicted it could take a while before a victor was declared. However, as the clock ticked toward midnight, it became clear: Trump had taken the race, and, to the surprise of many, it wasn’t even close.
“I have to say from basically start to finish this night has been clear,” election analyst Harry Enten said on CNN. “There hasn’t been any weird shifting directions. It’s basically been Trump since we got the first counties in. Very much unlike 2020 when there was whiplash as the vote count went on.”
The battleground states that so-called experts had insisted were in play weren’t close at all: Arizona, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Ohio all went to Trump.
Riding Trump’s wave, the GOP regained control of the Senate, guaranteeing the rapid implementation of their sweeping conservative agenda, Project 2025. Democrats held out hope for the House, but with Trump facing little to no punishment for his alleged crimes, many wonder if it matters.
Many European leaders watched the results overnight.
A French official told NBC News that President Emmanuel Macron viewed the results with some sleep breaks in between. He was one of the first to congratulate Trump, posting on X that he was “ready to work together as we did for four years.”
In Europe, the viability of NATO and other trans-Atlantic alliances hangs in the balance. Despite controversy over Labor Party officials openly backing Harris, Prime Minister Keir Starmer had little choice when he expressed optimism about the “special relationship” between the U.K. and U.S., saying, “I look forward to working with you in the years ahead.”
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, himself viewed as the kind of dictator Trump promises to become, appeared ecstatic, writing on X: “The biggest comeback in U.S. political history! A much-needed victory for the World!”
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz took a more formal tone, emphasizing Germany’s commitment to working with the U.S. “promoting prosperity and freedom,” while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the E.U.-U.S. relationship as “a true partnership.”
At Howard University, the mood was very different from the celebratory tone of Trump’s supporters and allies abroad.
When the campus first reopened around 6 p.m. Tuesday night, previously closed amid heightened security measures in anticipation of the vice president’s appearance, the view from Howard’s Yard was nothing short of optimistic.
The celebration at Harris’ alma mater was an all-inclusive salute to Black culture and legacies, amplified by motivational words from Howard University President Dr. Ben Vinson III and strolling from members of African American sororities and fraternities, also known as the Divine Nine.
With Harris being a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., her sorority sisters and fellow Divine Nine family members, as well as other passionate supporters, kept spirits alive much of the night.
But the energy shifted as key battleground states were called in Trump’s favor.
Students like sophomore biology major Shelby Hopson continued to hope for the best, but brace for the inevitable outcome.
“We are hopeful at the moment, though odds are not looking in our favor. However, as a whole, we are still together, dancing, having fun, because no matter the results, we still know who we are. We know what we represent as a country, and no matter what comes of this election, we will continue to fight for that representation and fight for our voices to be heard,” Thompson told The Informer.
While the evening didn’t end how she planned, Trujillo said being with others at Howard still offered her hope for the future.
“Even though she didn’t win – especially since she didn’t win – everyone being there together was a crucial piece to processing it all. People cheering and booing and dancing together made the news a little easier to handle, and it made me feel just a little stronger every time we’d get discouraging updates,” she told The Informer.
Next Steps: Fighting On
Democrats must now face the reality of their defeat.
After a final debate in which some questioned his cognitive skills, the party sidelined President Joe Biden yet failed to portray Trump as the volatile threat he posed. With his 2020 victory in hand, Biden had warned that he alone could defeat Trump. However, Democrats chose to force him out just over 100 days before the election.
Although Harris raised unprecedented amounts of cash and had the backing of global celebrities, she and the Democratic National Committee faced criticism from Black Americans.
There were also complaints that the campaign appeared to scapegoat Black men, with even former President Barack Obama publicly admonishing Black voters for not doing enough.
Despite challenges, Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz garnered major support from Democrats and high profile celebrities such as Beyoncé and Oprah Winfrey, as well as Republicans such as Liz Cheney.
Throughout the campaign season and beyond, many Harris supporters warned of the dangers of a second Trump presidency. Now, some are preparing for what will happen now that he’s been elected.
“Now brace for another Trump inauguration—American carnage redux—and another fantastical claim about his crowd size,” said U.S. Guardian Editor Betsy Reed. “Brace for norms to be trampled, institutions to be undermined, opponents to be targeted for retribution. Brace for an Oval Office occupied by a malignant narcissist without guardrails this time. Brace for unhinged all-caps tweets that trigger news cycles and move markets. Brace for national anxiety off the charts and global tremors from China to Ukraine. Brace, also, for a new resistance and surge of anti-Trump energy.”
As many worry about next steps, others are emphasizing that now is a more important time than ever to unite to work to save democracy and fight to protect civil rights and freedoms.
Interesting update on the election results! It will be interesting to see how this impacts the future. Thanks for sharing the news.