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News

Post 2024 Election

Leah Ally

Volume 5 Issue 3

January 14, 2025

Post 2024 Election

Image Provided by Elaine Ching

With the 2024 Election recently coming to an end, it has been determined that Donald Trump will be the 47th president of the United States. Similar to many past elections, it is no secret that the results have left much of the country divided, especially with those who were in support of Kamala Harris’ campaign. Nonetheless, Trump is prepared to be sworn in and take office for his second term on January 20th, 2025, with J.D. Vance as his vice president. With many expectations and plans for his presidency, United States citizens eagerly anticipate what is next.  However, what exactly can the United States expect in the next four years from his presidency?

Prior to Trump’s victory, it was expected for much of the United States to make their voice heard by voting. This proved to be mostly accurate as 64% of eligible voters cast their ballots between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris on or prior to November 5th.  As usual, the candidate who receives most of the electoral votes, which is at least 270 out of 538, wins the presidency. In this case, Trump received the majority of the popular vote and electoral votes. According to The New York Times, he had a total of 312 electoral votes with 77,095,526 individual votes, which is around 50% of the eligible voting population. In comparison, Kamala Harris received 226 electoral votes with 74,659,711 individual votes, which is approximately 48.3% of the eligible voting population. So, what led to these results? 

According to U.S. News, there were seven swing states that proved incredibly crucial to the election results, including Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Swing states refer to states that do not vote consistent with either party. In this election, every single swing state voted in favor of Donald Trump. This totaled up to 93 electoral votes, which Kamala Harris would fall short of. In terms of demographics, Trump proved to be more popular among the older group of voters, while younger voters were a 50-50 split. Kamala Harris was prominently supported by young women and minority groups; however, Trump’s favor among young men is what would eventually lead to his victory. Nonetheless, the United States has split opinions on his upcoming presidency. Expectedly, according to Pew Research Center, “Nearly three-quarters of Democrats (73%) say they are “fearful” about the state of the country, while 54% say they feel “angry.” On the other hand, “most Republicans (76%) say they feel hopeful about the state of the country, while nearly half (46%) say they are proud.” While these stats are expected after a competitive campaign, it raises questions on how Trump will unify the country and whether he will be successful in doing so.

 

Now that the details and demographics concerning the 2024 Election have been established, what is Trump’s next step for the country? First, he must be inaugurated on January 20th to officially be sworn in. The Biden Administration has promised that there will be a smooth transition of power to ensure as much efficiency as possible for Trump. But as soon as he gets into office, Trump has plans waiting to be fulfilled. His most popular discussion has been surrounding immigration. It is no secret that he wants to limit people from foreign countries entering the United States, especially illegally. This relates to his focus on ideological screening. Ideological screening refers to the process of evaluating an individual's beliefs and values to determine their suitability for entry into the United States. He hopes ideological screening will help prevent criminal activity by filtering out individuals with anti-American sentiments and stop them from entering the country.


Another hot topic of debate has been abortion, which is why many women were in support of Kamala Harris who promised to protect Roe v. Wade. However, Trump’s stance on abortion is not as obvious as Harris’s. Unlike his previous statements about banning abortion, he has now expressed that he believes that the status of Roe v. Wade should be specific to each state, meaning that there is no need for a national law to be made. Instead, he believes it to be a decision that should be made strictly federally.

  

The economy is arguably the most important aspect of a country so how does Trump plan to address it? Well, he has put forth numerous tax and tariff policies that have gained the support of many recently. While he has been criticized for his previous policies only benefiting wealthy, high-class individuals he has since reformed these ideas by including reducing taxes on tips and overtime pay. This ultimately benefits those in the low to middle working class as they can fully enjoy the benefits of the extra money, they receive that is not included in their salary without paying taxes on them. Additionally, Trump has proposed eliminating taxes on Social Security benefits, which would benefit retirees and disabled individuals.

  

Nonetheless, Trump is still ensuring that wealthy business-owning Americans benefit from his tax policies. According to AP NEWS, Trump will reduce the “corporate income tax rate to 15% from the current 21%.” This demonstrates Trump’s efforts to hopefully help all Americans regardless of background or economic status. At the same time, Trump has also expressed his thoughts on foreign trade. His plan includes increasing tariffs on imported goods, which would aim to protect American industries and jobs. Regardless of his seemingly straightforward plans, they are all considered to be controversial because of the possible drawbacks and risks for the economy. For instance, how will other countries react to his tariff policy, and will this increase costs for American consumers? Nonetheless the country awaits to see how his plans work out and whether they will reap benefits for all.

 

With the election officially over it is unclear what is next for Kamala Harris and her political career, nonetheless her time as vice president and throughout her campaign has left a lasting impression on America. As Biden’s term comes to an end and Trump begins his, the transition will prove to be a crucial step for the next 4 years. With that, America awaits their new president, some with hesitancy, and some with a feeling of confidence.  

 

Sources: 

 » 2024 General Election Turnout UF Election Lab 

 High voter turnout in the 2024 election benefited Republicans | AP News 

7 Swing States That Could Decide the 2024 Presidential Election | America 2024 | U.S. News 

How 5 Key Demographic Groups Helped Trump Win the 2024 Election | National News | U.S. News 

Biden and Trump promise smooth transition in White House meeting 

Presidential Election Results Map: Trump Wins - The New York Times 

A look at what Donald Trump has proposed for his second term | AP News

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