Eden Kwan
*Names have been changed to protect source privacy.
On Nov. 5, former President Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election. Trump and the Democratic candidate, Vice President Kamala Harris, had opposing views on many issues, making this election especially polarizing.
Trump won the election by 86 electoral votes and increased his margins compared to his popular vote in 2020, even in states he did not win. Trump won all seven battleground states, receiving 312 of the 538 electoral votes.
Trump’s win has left some feeling worried about the future.
“I felt defeated,” said freshman *Inara. “So many people in America are going to be affected so badly by his whole plan … I know that the Hispanic community has voted for him a lot this election. But a lot of Hispanic people are illegal here or they got papers as of recently, so [they might get] deported, sent back or even [have their citizenship revoked].”
However, other students believe having Trump as president will be beneficial to the country as a whole.
“Trump was president before, so [people] kind of got a taste test,” said freshman Vincent Guaraldi. “So clearly, Trump was good if he got reelected. Overall, [people] should trust Trump, because we’re not in bad hands.”
Some attribute Trump’s victory to his unique character.
“Maybe his policies aren’t the best, but I feel that he has a personality that attracts this major following,” said junior Evie Stern.
Moreover, some believe Harris’ identity as a woman of color impacted the way people voted.
“I think [identity] played a really big role, because I saw some people [say], ‘Oh, we don’t want a female president or much less a woman of color,’” Inara said. “I feel like if [Harris] was a white man, she would have won because she had pretty good policies.”
Trump and Harris had very different visions for policy, and Trump has made many promises to the public about what he will do in his second term. These include mass deportations of undocumented immigrants, shifting the country’s focus from fighting climate change through renewable energy to bolstering the fossil fuel industry, ending the [Russia-Ukraine war], enacting tax cuts and instituting tariffs on foreign goods.
Some think that Trump will do a better job than Harris would have on economic issues, given Harris’ role as vice president in the Biden-Harris administration.
“Since Biden didn’t do much this year, and this is the biggest inflation [rise] we’ve had in a long time, I think that accounts for why [Trump won],” said freshman Connor Eng. “Trump is willing to try and fix the economy.”
On the other hand, many at Aragon are concerned by some of Trump’s proposed policies.
“[I care about] preserving the right for women to get abortions in the states that still have them,” Stern said. “I don’t know if he’s gonna go after that, but I wouldn’t be surprised. Also, [Trump disregards] a lot of the work that we’ve done to protect and prevent climate change.”
Many students expressed concerns with Trump’s views on abortion.
“My mom [would always tell] me that I would be able to make my own choices, [and] I would be able to do all the things that the boys could do,” said junior Sheridan Stewart. “And now, instead of putting women in the position of power, we are putting men in the position to control women and control their bodies. It’s kind of heartbreaking.”
Others are worried by Trump’s strong stance on immigration and the border.
“A lot of my family are immigrants,” Inara said. “My parents are, [and] my cousins, grandparents, aunts [and] uncles [are]. A lot of them don’t have papers, so the possibility of me not being able to see my family is something that I don’t really want to think about.”
Amid the uncertainty encompassing Trump’s second term, some students remain optimistic about the future.
“I really wish this wasn’t the outcome,” Stewart said. “But I do think as a country, we’re gonna be okay.”
Congress is expected to officially certify the election results on Jan. 6, and Trump’s inauguration will take place on Jan. 20.
