Well, I never thought I would ever be saying these words, but Donald Trump will become the 45th president of the United States this January.
It was an outcome most people were not expecting, especially considering that Trump won states that everyone thought former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would win hands down, including historically Democratic states such as Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Iowa.
Considering how many people dismissed Donald Trump when he first announced his candidacy for president, going as far as he did is an accomplishment, even if he did it in admonishable ways, such as declaring that he would “build a wall”, generalizing minorities such as Mexicans into categories including “murderers and rapists” and mocking reporters with disabilities.
Here’s something, however, that needs to be considered, especially after his non-inflammatory victory speech and his visits with President Barack Obama.
Trump might not be as bad as we have hyped him up to be.
I am not saying by any means that Trump is a great person. As a matter of fact, I was a major supporter of Hillary Clinton during the presidential election, and I still am.
I am an American citizen with Iranian ancestry, a major feminist and someone who has been diagnosed on the autistic spectrum. And even though Clinton’s character has been called into question, I believe that with every politician comes some dirty laundry.
I wanted Clinton to win badly, and I was beyond furious and terrified when Trump emerged victorious.
This aside, I believe that while you can dislike whoever is in office, it is imperative to respect the presidency.
The presidency is the most prestigious job in the United States. It is an office that carries power and respect in many countries all over the world. The person that holds this office may not necessarily be the best qualified for the position, but the American people chose them.
Now that the election is over, it is our duty as Americans to rally behind our new president and give him support when he needs it.
This doesn’t necessarily mean we have to forgive and forget, because his past definitely needs to be taken into account. However, it is futile to protest the results of an election that both Clinton and President Obama have conceded. Both of them have made strong speeches and encouraged us to move forward and give our support to Trump as he prepares for his inauguration Jan. 20.
We must, therefore, respect the wishes of all parties involved. President Obama, Hillary Clinton and even Bernie Sanders have all agreed to keep an open mind to Trump. If Bernie Sanders, one of the most progressive Democratic senators today, can agree to be open-minded to a Trump presidency, then why can’t we?
Even Donald Trump seems to be showing signs of reform. He’s replaced New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie as head of his transition team with Vice President-elect Mike Pence, based on evidence of Christie’s corruption surrounding the George Washington Bridge scandal.
Trump’s even compromised on the Affordable Care Act, vowing to amend it instead of finding a way to replace it. He will probably not follow everything he promised during his campaign.
Besides, history has shown that for every amazing president, there comes a terrible successor. For every Abraham Lincoln, there’s an Andrew Johnson.
Point being, don’t be too disappointed about this election cycle. Let’s support Trump and only stop when we don’t like his policies when in office.