Close election ends in Trump victory

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Coming down to the wire, the early morning results have finally put an end to the brutal 2016 election

At roughly 3 a.m. Wednesday morning, Donald Trump told his supporters in a victory speech that Hillary Clinton had called him, and that she had conceded. In one of the tightest and most divisive elections in U.S. history, Trump has proven his critics wrong and shown the world that Americans have had enough of Washington and political insiders.

Up until last week, most polls showed Trump trailing Clinton, and many main stream media outlets predicted a landslide victory for the Democratic nominee. Trump’s victory has both alienated and elated respective supporters. In his victory speech in the early hours of Wednesday morning, Trump told supporters and detractors alike that “it is time for us to come together as one united people.”

The election came down to the wire, but a Trump victory in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin secured his post as the 45th president of the United States. President Obama reassured worried Americans that the nation would come together following the election, regardless of the outcome. This election cycle has been one of the most vicious and dividing anyone alive has ever experienced, as many have compared the divisiveness to the Civil War era. Many feared that a Trump loss would threaten the peaceful transfer of power from president to president. Similar to the election of 2008, the victor is the victor and regardless of how many people share or retweet #notmypresident the vote is the only thing that counts.

This election has mirrored the European Union referendum vote that was held in Britain, commonly known as Brexit, in its repudiation of the establishment politicians and proving pollsters and political commentators wrong. Political analysis website fivethirtyeight.com gave Clinton a 71.4 percent chance of winning the election but early losses in Florida and North Carolina quickly tightened the race.

Going into the election, many voters had a do or die mentality. A Clinton victory would have meant four years of scandal and corruption in the White House for Trump supporters, while a victory for Trump signaled four years of bigotry and misogynism for Clinton supporters. Speaking to supporters at Trump’s last rally at Devos Place in Grand Rapids, Mich., rally goers expressed their utmost contempt for Clinton. Citing the years of corruption and scandal that defined her husband’s time in the White House among chants of “Lock Her Up” and “Drain the Swamp,” supporters of all ages gave similar reasons for following Trump. Supporters voiced opinions concerning taxes, regulations and policies dictated from the top down that affected their day-to-day lives during Obama’s time in office. Supporters also stated their extreme dissatisfaction with the insiders that have controlled government and the vast amount of corruption that lurks beneath the surface in Washington D.C.

Trump’s victory signals a real change in politics. The Republican party elite distanced themselves from Trump throughout the majority of the race, a move that seemed to give his “Drain the Swamp” message more credit. A Republican victory across the board on Tuesday night will make for an interesting 2017. Republicans Control Congress and the White House and will likely nominate a conservative Supreme Court judge, breaking the deadlock in the court.

It remains to be seen if Donald Trump will be a good president. If he can rally support in the other Republican controlled branches of government he has a fair chance of getting many of his “pro-growth” policies approved. As we have seen in his campaign, the dissent evident within the Republican party will likely make Trump’s presidency seem similar to his campaign: like a wild roller coaster ride.