2016 Election

COLLEGE PARK, Md. Early Wednesday morning, there was a shock

was felt all around the country due to the results of the 2016 election.
As the final votes from swing states were recorded, Americans found
out the Republican nominee, Donald Trump, would be president.

How could we vote someone as racist and sexist as Trump is to

represent our country? asked Maria Qafzezi, sophomore kinesiology
major.

President-Elect Trump is known for making racial and degrading sexual

comments about minorities and women.

According to 270towin.com, if the presidential election were based on

millennials, 18 to 29 years old, voters, Clinton would have beaten
Trump in Electoral College votes 504-23 respectively. Instead, Trump
beat Clinton 290-228. However, Clinton narrowly defeated Trump in the
popular vote with 630,877 more votes.

The millennials voted more liberally; 55 percent voted for Clinton, while
only 37 percent voted Trump. In the 2012 election, 60 percent of the
millennial voters voted for Democratic President Obama. These voters
made up 19 percent of ballots cast nationwide in both 2012 and 2016.

#NotMyPresident started trending on Twitter, whose users are typically

millennial aged, rejecting President Trump. Protests have been
commenced in cities all over the country, as well as college campuses.

On Wednesday, November 9, the day after Election Day, University of

Maryland students gathered in front of McKeldin Library in a rally called
UMD United After Elections for students to discuss their emotions
after the presidential verdict.

They performed a peaceful rally to let students, regardless of racial

background, gender identification, religious beliefs and sexual
orientation, know that they are loved and supported, according to
USA Today College.

Im fearful for not only my rights as a women but also for the rights of
my gay twin brother. We have a new Vice President [Mike Pence] that
believes gay people can be treated using electroshock therapy, said
Rachel Fishman, junior education major.

There has been a spike in hate crimes and racist actions taken since
the election. On various social media platforms, like Twitter and
Facebook, people have posted updates about how they have been
treated differently since Trump won the presidency, sometimes using
the hash tag #TrumpsAmerica.

The posts include radical racial gestures made to minorities. A lot of

them are deportation jokes to people of Hispanic descent, or using the
demeaning words to describe African Americans.

At the University of Pennsylvania, first year African American students

were added to a group message where they were threatened to be
lynched. They also were called racist names, such as dumb slaves,
according to NBCnews.

I am absolutely sick to my stomach, said Mairead Treanor,

sophomore government and politics major, how could anyone vote for
a for a man who praises misogyny, racism, sexism, rape culture, and is
a hater of the latinx, lgbtq+, people of color and every other minority
that does not fall under the category of white privileged male?

There are many issues that Trump takes a conservative stance on. He
does not believe that global warming is an issue; he does not believe it
even exists. He is pro-life, and talks about defunding Planned
Parenthood. Trump insists that he will build a wall and deport
immigrants. He also plans to reject letting not only refugees into
America, but also anyone who is of Muslim faith.

He has contrasting views on many ideas and topics that the millennial
generation has. With all the progress the United States made as a
whole under the Obama Administration, Americans are fearful that all
of their growth will be meaningless under a Trump presidency.

I am scared for the future of America, said Treanor.

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