By: Sami Mahfood

The choice was: a 34 count convicted racist felon and sexual assaulter or an overqualified former district attorney that happens to be a Black woman. For anyone with sound judgment and a strong moral compass, the answer was obvious, at least that’s what we thought. In a 316 to 228 electoral vote, Donald Trump became America’s 47th president, and I am not sure that voters know what they have just set into action. 

Kamala Harris took over the Biden campaign after he backed down just 107 days before election day. With such a short period of time, her campaign worked overtime to connect with young voters and appeal to them through social media. Her campaigns and rallies were successful and lively, as a variety of celebrities, politicians, and even former president Obama endorsed her. On the contrary, Trump’s rallies were smaller and filled with a lot more hatred and racism. Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who spoke at Trump’s final rally in Pennsylvania, made countless racist remarks, including calling Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage”. This was only one of many speakers that contributed to the hate and racism being spread through this campaign. 

The biggest threat that the Trump presidency poses to America is through Project 2025. Project 2025, developed by the Heritage Foundation, is a policy blueprint intended for future Republican administrations, continuing a tradition the Foundation began in 1981 during Reagan’s presidency. While administrations commonly propose policy agendas, Heritage has historically influenced Republican administrations, with nearly two-thirds of its 2016 proposals adopted by the Trump White House. Heritage Foundation president Kevin Roberts, close to Vice-President-elect JD Vance, oversaw the project, which received contributions from over 100 conservative groups. Its four main goals are strengthening family as a societal cornerstone, reducing federal bureaucracy, protecting national sovereignty, and ensuring individual freedoms. Below is a picture of just some of the policies wanting to be implemented through the Project 2025 plan.

Giving the police immunity, defunding the department of education and revoking the right to an abortion is what voters chose for the future of America. It is hard to believe that with this public information of what Trump plans to do during his presidency, he still won by quite a large gap.

Many people have wondered how Trump won the popular vote regardless of all the damaging things he has said, and it is important to acknowledge the influence that people in power have on the public. Elon Musk has been a huge campaigner for Trump and started spreading democratic disinformation through his app X. He did this by banning some left-wing news reporters and creating an algorithm to boost his posts, meaning whatever he said was seen by more people than if the news said it. According to the Economic Times “Since Trump’s win last week, Musk’s net worth has increased by approximately $60 billion, the company’s stock rose by roughly 39%, pushing its market value above $1 trillion (ET Online, 2024). This is a truly shocking statistic that shows the ulterior motives many of Trump’s campaigners have, as they immediately benefit from his presidency. 

Overall, I am scared for the future of America. As a 20-year old college student, not originally from America but living there now, the idea of moving to Europe is constantly on my mind. If the policies in project 2025 begin to pass there is no telling or predicting what America will look like in the next 4 years.