America says Bi-den to Trump

By Aaron Deering

The US election took place on the 3rd of November 2020 and after five long days filled with anxiety and high emotions, we learnt that Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. would become US President Elect and the 46th President of the United States of America.

For each of those five long days I was glued to CNN and I must give them a special mention for their fantastic election coverage and analysis. A particular shoutout must go to John King of CNN and his ‘magic wall’. Having watched the three previous US elections on CNN it was great to see him get the appreciation he deserved for his fantastic breakdown

By Maureen Breslin

Hollywood is infamous for being very left-wing. The stars are known for using their Oscar acceptance speeches to voice concerns about political issues, tweeting their statements on policy and now, giving endorsements on social media for candidates. Most of which are Democrats. This type of influence has often faced criticism, especially among those on the right.

People usually say that celebrities should stick to singing or acting, and that they don’t know anything about politics. To a degree, this holds a shred of truth, however, of note it has been the right who have elected celebrities to positions of significant political power.

Ronald Reagan was a famous

Hollywood actor before becoming a

Republican president, and along with

Arnold Schwarzenegger became a

Republican governor for the State of

California, and of course most notably of late Donald Trump - the 45th President of the United States. So, despite the celebrities’ overwhelming support for Democrats, it seems that the most prevalent examples of celebrities as legitimate elected officials, who would of how each state is voting through the use of his ‘magic wall’. This US election was like no other because as Biden had stated throughout his election campaign that the ‘soul of the nation was at stake’. This was pretty evident over the last few months as America looked increasingly divided.

Donald Trump the soon to be former President, and his campaign have refused to accept that the election is over, but the truth is his campaign has been over for a long time, ever since Covid-19 hit. As the projection of Joe Biden being announced as President Elect came in, Trump was off playing a round of golf. The latest round of golf summed up his Presidency perfectly, below par hold the most political influence, stems from the Republican party.

In the 2020 Presidential Election, many celebrities spoke out, primarily in support of Joe Biden. Billie Eilish spoke virtually at the Democratic National Convention, Brad Pitt voiced a commercial for Biden, Jennifer Lopez has advocated for the Latino vote for Biden, Taylor Swift baked Biden cookies and allowed her song to be used in a Biden campaign ad, and John Legend sang a song that he posted to Twitter to encourage Georgian Democratic voters. And these are just a few examples of celebrities using their voices during the 2020 election.

In previous elections, it has been shown to be impactful. In 2018, Taylor Swift broke her political silence and spoke out in support of the Democratic candidate, Phil Bredesen in the Tennessee Senate election against Republican candidate, Marsha Blackburn. Though Blackburn ultimately won the race, Swift was shown to have a significant bearing on youth voter turnout in a usually - low participation rate election. This influence, in and of itself, is a powerful tool that celebrities have in their hands, espeand floundering in the water on the back nine. Trump has insisted that the election has been stolen from him and has mounted various legal challenges in the states of Pennsylvania, Nevada, Georgia and Arizona claiming that only legal votes should be counted and not illegal ones. The fact is none of these legal challenges will change the outcome of this election. I won’t entertain any of his claims of voter fraud in this article because they’re simply baseless and aren’t supported by any evidence. The fact is Trump lost this election through his own stupidity and I’ve no problem saying that. It was Trump who told his voters not to vote through mail-in ballots, it was Trump who mishandled the pandemic

Mr President, instead you signed your own political death warrant. Now accept your defeat graciously and

Celebrity political apprentice

move on. cially superstars such as Miss Swift.

Many people begrudge celebrities for not sticking to the script and keeping to entertainment. They see them as unqualified to speak on the matter and alienating their bases. However, especially with the recent presidential election, many celebrities see it as their moral duty to speak up and endorse liberal politicians. When a personal moral dilemma is in play, or there is something that a person finds to be a true threat to democracy or human rights, they should speak out. It is, of course, their right to do so, just as it is the right of some to disagree with it and be annoyed by it.

It doesn’t seem fair to ask celebrities to keep their views to themselves. The world is at a time where it feels like we are at a crossroads. Parts of the planet are literally on fire, and to not speak out can be seen by many as having dire consequences. Just as someone’s uncle on Facebook likes to re - share things regarding politics, a celebrity’s large sphere of influence shouldn’t prevent them from being encouraged to stand up for what they believe in and speak their mind for the sake of what they see as democratic justice. that has led to 230,000 people in the US losing their lives and it was Trump’s disgraceful comments on what happened in Charlottesville that led to Joe Biden coming out of retirement to beat Trump in this US election. This election wasn’t stolen by the Democrats or the system Mr President, instead you signed your own political death warrant. Now accept your defeat graciously and move on.

It is was great to see Americans in various cities across the country celebrate Biden’s win, but I also thought it was ironic because it was like a scene we had seen before in a far off country were a dictator had fallen, with relieved citizens flock to the streets to rejoice in their new found freedom. For so long we have associated America with ending dictatorships in various countries, and seeing the joyous scenes play out on our tv screens but this time it was happening in America. I was deeply moved by Van Jones’s reaction to Biden’s projection as President Elect. Jones who is a political commentator with CNN became highly emotional as he took the news in “it’s easier to be a parent this morning, it’s easier to be a dad, it’s easier to tell your kids character matters, telling the truth matters, being a good person matters and it’s easier for a whole lot of people if you’re Muslim in this country you don’t have to worry if the President doesn’t want you here, if you’re an immigrant you don’t have to worry if the President is going to be happier having babies snatched away or send dreamers back for no reason. This is vindication for a lot of people who have really suffered. It’s a good day for this country. I’m sorry for the people that have lost for them it’s not a good day but for a whole lot of people it’s a good day”. This was the reality for some people living under Trump for the last four years especially those of colour.

As Van had pointed out for some Americans Biden’s election isn’t good news but one thing I take away from Donald Trump and his presidency is that maybe he gave the system the kick it so desperately needed. Trump was elected back in 2016 for a whole bunch of reasons but one was definitely people’s dissatisfaction with the system and how they were left behind that’s why one of his popular slogans from his 2016 campaign was that he was going to ‘drain the swamp’ was so successful. I hope that Trump has given the system the wakeup call that it needed and that it now listens to the ordinary working class voter that felt they were left behind after the last economic crash. This has never been more important than now for those people as the economic hardships of Covid-19 hits them even harder. Joe Biden will be that President that brings the nation of America together again and restore its status a major player on the world stage a status it had lost over the years during the Trump presidency.

It is unclear yet whether the senate will remain in Republican hands or switch to the Democrats but even if it remains in Republican hands Biden’s experience in US politics stretching back 47 years now will stand to him. As a senator and Vice-President, Biden was able to work across the aisle and work with Republicans and this experience will come crucial in making sure that the country can heal over the next four years. Biden’s journey to the White House has been one filled with success and tragedy. The loss of his daughter Naomi and his first wife Neilia when he first became a senator back in 1972 and the loss of his son Beau Biden in 2015 were enough to beat any man but one thing Joe Biden has shown throughout his career is his willingness to persevere despite the challenges he faced. This is one characteristic that we can definitely expect from a Joe Biden presidency.

One thing that may have been overlooked in the battle that took place between Biden and Trump for the White House was the importance of Kamala Harris who now becomes the first ever female Vice President Elect. She will not only be the first woman Vice President, but she will also be the first Vice President of colour and of Indian heritage. A lot of firsts for the incoming Vice President. Harris has now become a symbol of how far the women’s effort for equality has come. Giving hope to millions of girls around the world that anything is possible. Harris claimed in her victory speech that she won’t be the last woman in the White House and I for one agree and Harris herself may go one step further in 2024 and become the first ever female President of America. Although this election has come to an end and some sort of normalcy will return to the top of US politics, we see that Donald Trump certainly gave the broken system the kick it needed, but Joe Biden, I believe will be the one to fix it.