For people around the globe, the new year symbolizes a fresh start. For American citizens, this marks a pivotal political change in their country. On Nov. 6, 2024, Republican Nominee Donald J. Trump was elected to be the next president of the United States of America. His rival, Kamala Harris of the Democratic Party, announced early that day that she had officially lost the election.
Trump impressed the majority of voters with his visions of the future including new immigration laws, more affordable healthcare and, possibly his most convincing proposition, the “America First” doctrine. This doctrine promises a reduced involvement in foreign affairs; still, it clarifies that the United States will fully support one of its biggest allies, Israel, in its fight against terror with Hamas.
Trump’s personality was just as imperative to his victory as his policies. His ability to inspire many with strong and powerful promises was why he was able to garner votes, said Junior Joseph Calabrese of Tinton Falls.
“President Trump and his party was able to target the right people and the Democratic party didn’t. That gave them an advantage in the popular and electoral vote,” Calabrese said.
There are many U.S. citizens, including Communications High School (CHS) students, who were convinced by Trump’s “fiery” personality that he was the only answer to the question, “who will lead America next?” Sophomore Dominic Gombelieski is one such example.
“It was clear in the way that [Donald Trump] carried himself and spoke in his rallies that he was the person fit to be in office. If a war were to break out like the wars in the Middle East and Europe, the United States would need a president like Trump to sustain relations and maintain some semblance of peace. And as you can clearly see, that has not been the case with President Biden and his administration.”
Some citizens believe that Kamala Harris squandered her opportunities for presidency. CHS students, like sophomore Todd Edison of Ocean Township, support this.
“[Kamala] Harris’s inability to speak and her habit of always changing up what she stands on regarding different topics to different people showed that she wasn’t ready to have any leadership role in America,” Edison said.
Many members of Congress feel the same way as Edison. Among them is Tulsi Gabbard, a former senator of Hawaii who all but knocked Kamala Harris out of the preliminary primaries for the Democratic Party in the 2020 election. Gabbard points out the discrepancies between Harris’s constantly changing views.
“Now, Sen. Harris says she’s proud of her record as a prosecutor and that she’ll be a prosecutor president. But I’m deeply concerned about this record. There are too many examples to cite, but she put over 1,500 people in jail for marijuana violations and then laughed about it when she was asked if she ever smoked marijuana,” Gabbard said. Harris quickly withdrew from the nomination process afterward.
Trump’s reelection has divided the public’s opinion. Democrats and other critics are unhappy with the way that the election results panned out because they believe that Trump won’t bring America any prosperity, instead bringing the country closer to another world war. Junior Lee Haggard of Atlantic Highlands is one of these concerned citizens.
“Many Americans have a very narrow perspective… But the [Democratic] party isolating different minorities did themselves no favors,” Haggard said.
Many others do recognize the flaws of the Democratic Party. However, because of the legal issues Trump has been facing, they believe there should be no reason why his name was even allowed on the ballot.
Everyone, no matter if they are allowed to vote or not, is entitled to their own opinion and having their voices heard. At CHS specifically, the atmosphere regarding political discussion can be biased. Similar to most liberal arts institutions, CHS is a primarily left-leaning school. As a result, there are still some that feel that being a Republican here can become hostile and volatile.
One freshman student, who wishes to remain anonymous, feels victimized by this environment.
“Every time my friends talk about anything political, they can say whatever they want to. But the second I have a differing opinion, I am a dumb person who doesn’t know what he is talking about,” they said.
However, there are others who believe that political matters do not have a place in a school environment, such as junior Russell Sage of Wall Township.
“No one here really has a voice besides a handful of seniors because they can vote. I don’t feel like school should be the place [for] these types of conversations either,” Sage said.
In two months time, the United States will go through massive changes in regards to economics, foreign affairs and taxation. While it is important to be knowledgeable about current events in the country, it is also imperative to remember that everyone has their own opinion. Even if people have differing opinions, they can still express them in safe and respectful ways.
