By Gabriel Brogan

In the wee hours of November 6th, 2024, Donald Trump was elected president for the second time in 8 years. Trump, seen as a disrupter candidate with little chance back in 2016, won that race by an incredibly narrow margin- and lost the popular vote by a slim 2%. In 2020, the election was similarly close, with Biden taking the popular vote by 4 points. Both of these elections saw divided congressional races as well, with Democrats winning 2 seats in the senate and 8 seats in the house in 2016 despite their presidential loss. In 2020, Republicans won 10 house seats, and lost 3 in the senate. 

Americans are used to razor-thin margins of victory in presidential elections, and mixed results in congress. Past results and most news outlets led us to expect an incredibly close race this November, closer even than 2020 and 2016.

That is not what we got. 

Not only did Donald Trump sweep every single major swing state (Arizona, Nevada, Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania), but he won the popular vote by 3.5 million votes and the electorate 312 to 226. Republicans won the House of Representatives and cemented their lead by 2 seats, and it seems like they will keep their senate majority as well. 

Republicans have won a rare trifecta of House, Senate, and Presidency, giving Donald Trump significant power as he takes office in January. How do McCaskey students feel about it?

McCaskey students got a chance to share their thoughts in a brief survey, and a majority weren’t happy with Trump’s victory. In particular, many expressed concern about Trump’s plans for mass deportations. One student responded that they were afraid they were worried they would not be able to “Afford higher education, let alone stay in America” if the mass deportation plan was enacted. Many also feared for the future protection of women’s rights, with predictions such as “freedoms will be stripped from women” and “I have no rights.” 

Education was a big worry for McCaskey students as well, one student saying “Education will become worse if the Department of Education actually ends by the hands of Trump.” Others were nervous about climate change, increased inflation, and a general feeling of fear. 

While many students expressed common worries, some predicted truly dire outcomes to a second Trump term. One student asserted that “The Nation will crumble,” and another viewed Trump’s victory as the “end of The Democratic Party and the start of a dictatorship.” Many short, blunt answers sum up some of the more disastrous potential outcomes of Trump’s next term. “War.” “Fear.” “Hell.” “Bad stuff.” “The country is f***ed, plain and simple.”

Of course, not everyone is so upset. While only nine students responded that they were happy with Trump’s victory, a few of them were vocal. “Good thing!” One student joyfully responded. Another dreamed big, hoping the Trump presidency would turn the U.S into the “Galactic Republic.”

Mirroring the last Vidette political survey released pre-election, nearly 20% of responders said they simply did not care. Whether they believe their peers are overreacting or are truly apathetic is unclear. There was the usual share of “Idc,” but also some more in-depth responses. A responder wrote in saying “To be completely honest I don’t really care at the moment, maybe because I’m a lost teenager.” Another line seemed to cover the whole range of carefree responders, saying they “Think the earth will continue to spin.”