President Trump: The combination of these two words seemed unthinkable. Even RNC staffers thought that Trump would only receive 240 of the 270 electoral votes needed to win the election. On the night of November 8, 2016, the United States watched in amazement as Florida turned red; North Carolina turned red; Ohio turned red; Wisconsin turned red; and even Pennsylvania succumbed to the allure of a President Trump.

Winning 306 electoral votes, Donald J. Trump is the President-Elect of the United States of America. For Donald Trump to win with such a majority against the polished political expertise of Hillary Clinton is nothing less than stunning.

Nearly all of the polls showed Clinton with a comfortable lead, and with help from President Obama and former President Bill Clinton, she ran one of the best ground games in election history. She even had  myriad  pop icons such as Jay-Z, Bon Jovi, Madonna, and John Legend supporting her cause. Trump had a few prominent endorsements, but they were nowhere near the level of support given to Clinton. Before the night of the election, one had to look hard to find a journalist who believed Trump could clinch the presidency. Most poll experts agreed that a Trump path to the White House existed, but it was far from likely. This ideology was perpetrated further by the majority liberal media, likely rubbing off on the viewers. Donald Trump even hurt his own chances at being president by simply letting his mouth run. He made several remarks towards women, Mexicans, Muslims, and others that made President Trump even harder of a concept to grasp. The election was practically handed to Clinton on a silver platter.

So how did Trump win the election? Obviously, his victory can be attributed by his excellent performance in the rust belt states or his triumph in Florida, but underneath these obvious answers exists a profound political movement.

Donald Trump challenged the status quo of politics. Having no prior political experience, voters believed he could bring about fresh change to Washington. This idea of a status quo heavily juxtaposed the two candidates: Hillary was the insider, and Donald was the outsider. Hillary represented the establishment that had existed for the past 8 years under the Obama administration; many voters, especially middle class white workers, felt that this administration did not accomplish the change promised 8 years ago. Hillary Clinton has been a part of the United States government for around 30 years, and what has she accomplished? This notion that Hillary is “all talk, no action” has been an integral part of the Trump campaign and has resonated strongly with his supporters. Trump’s background as a businessman also encouraged millions of Americans who believed he would run the economy more successfully than his opponent Hillary Clinton. Similar to Bernie Sanders, Trump managed to inspire his followers to support his cause and support him at the polls on election day. This concept of a “political revolution” drove Trump to his impressive victory on Tuesday night.

That night, the “silent majority” spoke with their ballots. Silent majority refers to the countless number of Americans who kept their support of Trump a secret for fear of being labelled “racist,” “sexist,” or “misogynistic.” When all the non-racist, non-sexist, non-misogynistic, non-homophobic, non-bigoted people become tired of being called racist, sexist, misogynistic, homophobic, and bigoted by outspoken liberals, they show up to vote. They get sick and tired of being called these names for merely supporting the Republican candidate, and their votes showed up in the polls on election night. This could also explain why the multitude of polls the weeks and months before the election predicted a decisive Clinton victory. Trump supporters may not have felt comfortable exposing their political siding until they were safely concealed by the ballot box. A “silent majority” were provoked to vote for Trump this election, while Clinton supporters may have lacked the drive to turnout at the poll booths, especially after being exhausted by months of uninterrupted election coverage.

Another factor in Donald Trump’s victory was the image of a “crooked” Hillary Clinton. At the time, Clinton had experienced multiple FBI investigations, some closed, some still open. Clinton’s trustworthiness could have also been a deciding factor in this election. Along with being the status quo candidate, Clinton was also seen as a corrupt choice for office. Receiving money and support from several big businesses as well as with the ongoing investigation into the Clinton Foundation, many supporters could not see themselves throwing their support behind a candidate who was even painted as a criminal by the opposing party.

As stunning as it may be, Donald Trump IS the President-Elect of the United States. While protesters swarm the streets of cities chanting, “Not my president!”, the need for unity in the nation has never been more clear. Trump is your president. Trump is my president. Trump is our president. Here at the Jetstream Journal, we as Americans support the peaceful transition of power from one administration to the next, no matter who is the president or what they advocate.

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