Donald J Trump is President-elect of the United States. The possibility had me stricken with fear, now that fear has shape and consequences. Former Obama states, traditional Democratic states turned pink then red, occasionally flickering blue/red-red/blue. The media predicted a win for Hillary, tops 42% for Trump. Well Hillary lost, and down ballot women also lost. Trump received his mandate for hate, bigotry, and division. America voted for racism, misogyny, anti-semitism, anti-muslim, anti-immigration, anti… The media and polls assumed Americans would repudiate his words and acts, but instead Americans embraced him.

What voice was speaking, was it a unified voice, a fearful voice, a voice of contempt and ignorance, a voice of Change? It’s easy to encamp against this red wash throughout our country, but I wonder why, in one of the greatest nations in the world would it’s citizenry vote for a repugnant demagogue entertainer. A man who continuously needed to remind us how intelligent he is, and conversely how dumb we are.

There must be a reason why he was elected, it’s not for his brilliant policy, or solutions to problems that vex and harm poor, working and middle class families, it’s not for a referendum on traditional Christian values, after all Trump is hardly an example of their values. It can’t be for his business acumen, or temperament, reliability, or rationality. The attraction wasn’t about what he demonstrated he could do, maybe what he said he would do, but it seems to be a cult of personality, someone so flawed it gave our collective hate and prejudice voice, a loud unapologetic voice. The speculation whether Trump had multiple pathologies became irrelevant, America found shared resonance in Trump’s irreverence. What a shameful time in our history.

Again people voted against their own self-interest. The Affordable Care Act will be repealed immediately – millions will lose health insurance. Trump wants the system to revert to market based insurance, which means exactly what existed before the Affordable Care Act; high premiums, millions of uninsured, denial of coverage due to pre-existing conditions. Roe v. Wade will be completely gutted, women will be driven underground once again, at the cost of their lives. The path for citizenship for millions of immigrants just evaporated, families will be deported and broken apart. Muslims also have questions of where they fit in a Trump presidency, they may not. The few environmental protections and gains are all for lost. Policing may become harsher, civil liberties compromised, rights diminished. We’ve thumbed off our International Allies. Protection of the press will certainly come into question. The Supreme Court will be reshaped in ways we never considered. The repercussions, nationally, internationally are too numerous and devastating to list.

Americans forget, if my rights are diminished so are yours, it’s not ‘us vs. them’, it’s all of us, what happens to me happens to you. Why then are we seduced by snake oil in a suit? Is Trump and his hate the voice of this country? As Trump hurled insults and affronts to the American people, the Republicans redoubled their support of him, they lowered the bar of American liberties and values. Trump’s early morning election speech was conciliatory, the abuser apologizing to the abused, time to heal… until the next time. I hope Trump will find a different voice, whether real or not, but I suspect he’ll surround himself with views to embolden his agenda, causing many constitutional battles. The House & Senate are Republican controlled, or should I say Trump controlled, as will be the Supreme Court – their agenda is clear and ambitious. Those few Republicans who chose to call Trump what he is are disappointed and concerned, as are millions more. 

I just read Hillary Clinton’s letter of thanks to her supporters, and her request to search ourselves, participate in the defense of our constitutional democracy, give Trump a chance to show a reasoned presidency. I don’t think Trump will find a path to lead with grace, I fear divisions will grow while tolerance erodes. The past is a pretty good predictor of the future, and the future Trump is the Trump we’ve witnessed, there’s no evidence in his history to suggest otherwise.