SO... WHAT NEXT?

the Editorial board

“The truth is rarely palatable to those who benefit from the delusion” said Cole Arthur Riley.

On the morning after the election, many Americans woke up feeling betrayed by their country. As liberals across the country are busy pointing fingers and placing blame, the heart-wrenching truth remains: millions of ballots were cast to elect an authoritarian populist leader who promises to “Make America Great Again” once and for all.

The Editorial Board believes the decision to elect former President Donald Trump as the 47th president of the United States is disappointing for the future of this country.

During election season there was continuous coverage about each presidential candidate and their stances on issues regarding the economy, abortion, immigration and more. It was more than obvious that Donald Trump could only ever render “concepts of a plan,” amidst his inflammatory and bigoted rhetoric.

The decision wasn’t just about getting a specific party candidate in office, it was ultimately about choosing the issues that we as a country place value in. For the next four years, we’ll be faced with the gut-wrenching truth that, when given the choice, America will continue to choose the candidate that represents a threat to our democracy and civil liberties.

What was at Stake?

“We are a society that depends on public amnesia," said Angela Davis. And, she is right.

In the years following Trump’s 2016 election victory, America seemingly got its act together, at least on the surface, choosing not to give Trump a second term. However, even as he lost in 2020, the country continued to show its hatred. Rises in anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment, erosion of women's rights and even starker partisan divisions arose in recent years.

Regardless of this, much of the nation still supported Trump in 2020 –74,224,319 of Americans, to be specific. At the time, this was the second most votes ever cast for a presidential candidate, only behind winner Joe Biden’s 81,284,000 votes.

The evidence is out there: We’ve made a racist felon the first Republican to win the popular vote since 2004, with some of the only reasons being a vague “he’ll fix the economy.”

As student journalists at the helm of a historically Black and marginalized student newspaper, we were acutely aware the outcome of this election poses a perilous path for our futures.

We are growing up amidst an onslaught of racist and discriminatory rhetoric about Black people, Brown people, immigrants and more. Many of us remember when Donald Trump was elected in 2016 and the political and social unrest that hastened afterwards.

Now, we shield ourselves as Republican legislatures strip away every safe rail against the continued marginalization of students of color, including Affirmative Action and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI).

The Election Night

For many students of color, our futures felt at stake ahead of election night. Despite all this, upon entering the newsroom on Tuesday night, there was hope along with the uncertainty and anxiety. We geared up for what we all knew would be a long night and likely, a long week in America. But soon, a feeling of uneasiness stirred as we monitored those first electoral college maps. Republican victories in Congress inched closer and closer to the majority, and Harris’ slow progress in the electoral college began to dishearten even the most hopeful in The Nubian’s office.

In a show of hope, we kept a tally on which staff members thought North Carolina would flip to a blue state. As the night progressed, more of us pessimistically wrote our names in chalk under “No,” and by 11:30 p.m. the Associated Press (AP) called the North Carolina race for Trump. The ‘Nos’ had won.

Around midnight, Republicans officially secured control of the Senate and not long after, Georgia, a state that President Joe Biden had flipped in the 2020 election was called for Trump. By this point, we realized that Harris’ best bet for victory was the long shot of winning the last three “Blue Wall,” states consisting of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.

As 2:00 a.m. came and went, many exhausted staff members went home for the night to preserve what little peace they took with them. AP called the Pennsylvania race 24 minutes later, bringing Trump to 267 electoral college votes and effectively cementing his victory. No Democrat has won the White House without also winning Pennsylvania since 1948, meaning the last spark of hope was extinguished.

In the morning, what came as news to many was already known to us – America is stuck in the past with no way to move forward. Donald Trump will be the 47th president of the United States.

No More Blame Game

Many dissatisfied voters, including students at NC State, took to social media to vent their frustrations, place blame and even spread hate. Though Trump supporters are an overwhelming and potent source of online hate, the infighting between Democratic voters is spilling over into dangerous territory.

The Nubian Message does not condone any form of hate speech or violence, especially against Arab, Black or Latine Americans who are often used as a scapegoat for the failure of the electoral system.

The Democratic party’s hardline stance on Gaza destroyed their chances of winning over many voters. Harris should have been listening to Arab Americans to begin with rather than living in Biden’s shadow.

For those placing blame on third-party candidates, the reality is that neither Jill Stein, nor Robert F. Kennedy Jr is to blame. The math simply doesn’t add up, and if it did, the larger point of concern should be that so many Americans feel unrepresented by the current political system.

The 2024 presidential election had at least five million fewer voters compared to 2020, which, per FiveThirtyEight, was evidence of a turnout issue for Democrats.

The Democratic party ultimately failed to meet voters where they are and rather than placing blame, America should be facing its own reflection.

Finally, regardless of how voters feel about Kamala Harris, she is a Black and South Asian woman and she does not deserve your anti-Black, anti-immigrant and misogynistic rhetoric.

The 2024 presidential election is yet another reminder of America being politically apathetic at best and bigoted at worst.

Yet, there is always a glimmer of hope. As students, we have the potential to truly change the world. A CNN Exit poll revealed that Trump secured almost 60 percent of first time North Carolina voters.

We have more power than we think. For now, we lift where we stand. Looking ahead, we must turn to our communities for support and ensure that the 2028 election offers a future that uplifts us all.