As it became official on Wednesday that president-elect and former President Donald Trump will return to the White House on Jan. 6, 2025, some students cheered over slices of pizza, while others struggled to fall asleep.
Fourth-year James Gallarelli, secretary of the University of Rhode Island College Republicans, was “ecstatic” about Trump’s win over Vice President Kamala Harris. Club members, including Gallarelli, screamed at the top of their lungs as they watched the electoral map grow increasingly red.
“Most of us thought we were going to win, but at the same time, [some of us] had butterflies in our chests,” Gallarelli said. “We were nervous, which is why we stayed up all night. We wanted to make sure that we won this before we went to sleep.”
The URI College Democrats, however, had a different reaction.
“We couldn’t watch the whole thing,” third-year Cameron Chadronet, president of the URI College Democrats said. “We went to bed. Not all of us slept. It was a bad Tuesday and a bad Wednesday.”
Chadronet, who watched Wednesday’s votes roll in with his closest friends, said he fears the next four years for both himself and the people he cares about.
“I have friends who are women,” Chadronet said. “I have friends who are victims of different forms of abuse. And I have friends who are gay. I have friends who are non-binary. I know a lot of people who have been affected by the types of things Trump has done, and I kind of feel betrayed by my neighbors.”
The College Republicans support the idea that people should choose their rights for abortion at an individual level, mainly through ballot questions, according to fourth-year club President Jack Duggan. The club does not have an overall consensus on the issue, but agrees with Trump in that a national ban on abortion should be vetoed.
Trump won the election because of his charisma, authenticity and strength, according to Duggan. These perceived qualities, along with Trump’s “negotiation skills” as a businessman, were why some voters went red.
In terms of Trump’s plans for border security and the economy, Duggan said those two issues were what cemented the red wave.
Along with their approval of the president-elect’s policy, both Duggan and Gallarelli agreed that they believe Trump is a “showman.”
“I think a lot of people were like, this guy really wants to win, he wants to do this, he’s not giving up even after getting shot [at a rally],” Duggan said. “We want that guy to win because we like that, that’s what we’re fond of.”
When asked whether he was surprised that Trump won the election, Chadronet said he thought Wednesday’s results were “highly unlikely” but still possible.
“We didn’t really want to think about [Trump winning],” Chadronet said. “We all knew it could happen. We just did our best to expect Kamala to win.”
Referencing the fear he and his peers felt during the overturn of Roe v. Wade and the Capitol riots on Jan. 6, 2021, Chadronet said it was hard to think about what would come from that latter possibility. Now, he is doing just that.
“I think that if her [Harris] life story and her career, her resume, was attached to a white man with white parents born in America, that she, or he in that case, would have won the election,” Chadronet said. “It came down to her not being ‘bro-y’ enough.”
As a marine biology major, Chadronet said that the election results have impact beyond the years Trump will be in the White House. Maintaining the blue economy and being aware of issues in local government is that first step.
Going to the polls is not something that should be done once every four years, according to Chadronet. Additionally, neither is reading the news.
Both the College Democrats and College Republicans mentioned the importance of checking news outlets during election season. To Chadronet, this is a way individuals can work toward a “peaceful state.”
“We need to be nice to each other, and that’s the first step in bipartisanship,” Chadronet said. “I think that has nothing to do with policy – the reason why we’re so divided – and more to do with personality.”