In the early morning hours of Nov. 9, Donald Trump was announced to be the official president- elect of the United States after a long night of very tight returns.
Despite pre-election polls which showed Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton at a slight advantage, the anti-establishment Republican candidate has come out ahead in the Electoral College. Regardless of who won, the result of the 2016 Presidential Election would have been historic. Clinton would have been the first female president in the history of the United States, and Trump will be the first president without direct political or military experience.
Following the results of a close finish, supporters of both candidates at the University of Rhode Island campus reacted strongly to Trump’s victory.
“I think he deserves it,” Trump voter Brooke Simoneau said. “I think change is good and it’s what we needed. I come from Massachusetts and I’m surrounded by Democrats, but as a young female I’m proud that he won. But I do understand why people are upset. I think a lot of millennials’ reaction on social media is embarrassing, because that’s how our country voted.”
In his victory speech, Trump expressed “gratitude” to opponent Hillary Clinton for her public service and her hard-fought campaign.
Clinton supporters were noticeably upset by their candidate’s surprising loss. Other supporters of Clinton were more angered, like URI student Sarah Desilets who shared her reaction.
“I was not happy,” Desilets said. “I don’t think a misogynistic racist should be our president.”
Another Clinton voter, Dominic Barata, explained his own shock. “I was astonished,” Barata said. “I was sleeping, my dad called me up and said Trump won. He’s not my cup of tea.”
After the heated election season, Trump urged a message of unity to the nation.
“It’s time for America to bind the wounds of division,” Trump said. And later, “It is time for us to come together as one united people.”
In the moments after being elected, Trump also stressed the importance of rebuilding the nation’s infrastructure.
“We are going to fix our inner cities and rebuild our highways, bridges, tunnels, airports, schools, hospitals,” Trump said.
In addition, Republicans have retained control of Congress, meaning that the Republican Party will control both houses of Congress and the presidency for the first time since 2005. Trump’s inauguration will take place on Jan. 20, 2017