The 2024 presidential election has ended, and, as called by the Associated Press, former President Donald J. Trump won the election with 312 electoral votes, reigning over his Democratic opponent Kamala D. Harris who finished with 226 electoral votes. Now that the election has been called, what can students and citizens expect from the next four years?
Trump was born to wealthy real estate broker Fred Trump and philanthropist Mary Anne MacLeod Trump. He attended the New York Military Academy, the Wharton School of Finance and the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied commerce.
Since Trump first ran for the presidency in 2016, he has run two other times, including this year. He won the 2016 and 2024 elections and was the first candidate to win office without any prior political or military service.
According to the White House Historical Association, “As president, he signed a major tax reform bill into law and oversaw a reduction of federal regulations. His protectionist trade policies included tariffs on foreign aluminum, steel and other products. The Trump administration also renegotiated trade agreements with Mexico, Canada, China, Japan and South Korea. Other domestic priorities included Supreme Court and federal judicial appointments, increased military budgets, aggressive border and immigration control, criminal justice reform and the reduction of prescription drug prices.”
Some are calling this the biggest shift to the right in the country since Ronald Reagan’s campaign in 1980.
Trump’s Vice President J.D. Vance will be one of the youngest vice presidents in history. Before running for office with Trump, he began as a member of the U.S. Marine Corps and served in the Iraq War.
Afterward, he attended Ohio State University and earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and philosophy. He then studied at Yale Law School and earned a law degree.
In 2016 he released his book “Hillbilly Elegy,” which is an eye-opening journey through the struggles and resilience of America’s working-class families. After various employment endeavors, he became one of two Ohio representatives in the U.S. Senate in 2022.
Before his race for senator, he did not support Trump; however, he later apologized for these statements and made his support for Trump one of the centerpieces of their campaign.
They plan to focus on working on commerce and economics in the United States, Trump plans to apply a tariff on imported goods from foreign countries. They believe this will stimulate the home market, and, in turn, boost the American economy.
He and his administration have also vowed to carry out “the largest mass deportation effort in American history,” which would deport millions of immigrants who entered the country illegally. He also vows to secure the southern border, which will include finishing and sealing the border wall that was blocked by the Federal Court in his first term.
President Joe Biden addressed the election results at a recent press conference. He stressed the importance of uniting the American people when some may be upset over the results.
President Biden stated, “I’ve said many times, you can’t love your country only when you win. You can’t love your neighbor only when you agree.”
