Ready for Round Two? America is Headed for a KO.

You think you just fell out of a coconut tree? Falling from a coconut tree would have hurt significantly less than seeing the news that Donald Trump won the presidential election. But while Republicans, Democrats, Americans, and non-Americans alike may be gritting their teeth, or preparing celebratory rallies, this win marked more than a new presidential term. It marks a new era for American politics and society alike.

But maybe American society has already changed dramatically since the first Trump presidency. Democrats just refused to see it. Yes, people were fed up with Donald Trump, which is why he lost his re-election bid to Joe Biden, but they certainly were not all too pleased with Biden either, whose eventual approval rating has plummeted to 39% as of November 15.

Discontent with the sitting president turns voting from a chance for a new era of prosperity into a weapon of anger and punishment for the elected party. If a person in power is losing approval, the voters will turn against them, using their voice as an act of retribution instead of rational thought. It is not only the presidential election that shows voter anger and discontent; Democrats lost their Senate majority and the House remained vividly red. Millions of Democrats did not even vote.

It could be argued that this unleashing of American anger was all about the economy and all because of Biden. Under Biden, people saw prices go up. He had the absolute failure of withdrawal from Afghanistan. Biden performed dismally in the presidential debate, leading people to question his mental cognition as President.

Yes, Biden built a fairer tax system, yes he lowered costs, tackled junk fees, promoted competition and increased housing for Americans. But that was not enough, either from a lack of advertisement, positive media, or other factors, and what people saw was a weaker economy, a still sizable housing crisis and groceries that were too expensive. The economy is what drives Americans, and Biden was steering in the right direction, but just not fast enough.

It is also worth noting there is a mismatch in the US economy perception versus the actual reality. According to Reuters, currently, credit spread is low, and the stock market has never been higher. However, according to Heidi Schierholz, the president of the Economic Policy Institute in Washington, there is a disconnect between the reality and the perception of high price levels due to inflation and misinformation. Yet inflation is not far off from the Federal Reserve’s 2% goal and has been declining since the pandemic. Biased sources of information and systematic bias drive these inaccurate perceptions, which are then preyed upon by politicians.

Yet was it just the economy that disillusioned the American public so much that they chose to vote for Trump? He is a convicted felon and sexual abuser, and every day in the news was reported as having said something outlandish, from discussing Hannibal Lecter at his rallies to saying he would not mind if someone shot through the “fake news” reporters.

He went on national television and said, “They’re eating the dogs, they’re eating the cats” about Haitian immigrants in Springfield. While becoming a trendy song on social media apps, how was that not enough to convince people he was not a candidate worthy of the most powerful position in the United States, if not the world? Trump had mere “concepts” of a plan for new economic policies (which economists see as more inflationary, increasing interest rates and deficits). No, it could not possibly have been just about the money.

To a large extent, it is simply disillusionment and exhaustion of the American political environment. According to the Pew Research Center, positive views of many governmental and political institutions are at historic lows. A growing share of the public dislikes both political parties. And candidates’ policy choices were underwhelming.

The same study shows that most Americans now back age and term limits, as well as eliminating the Electoral College, all of which is unlikely given the rigidity of the Constitution’s rules regarding constitutional amendments. It sets up democratic fatigue and dismay, and the Democratic Party may have seemed like a weak rustle of the leaves while Trump promised to create a tornado of change.

It is not only election fatigue but also general political apathy from the people. On the Monday night before the presidential election, the phrase “who is running for president” started trending in places like Mississippi and Alabama. “Did Joe Biden drop out?” started surging, and “Is Trump a Republican” did as well. People wondering that the day before the presidential election does not bode particularly well for the country on the brink of a governmental precipice. Interestingly enough, “How to change my vote” searches later spiked in States won by Donald Trump.

Maybe that is what motivated the American public. Simply emotion and discouragement. But while fatigue, money, Biden, and ignorance all had a role to play, it would be remiss to overlook a very important piece in this puzzle: Kamala Harris.

Kamala Harris did not only lose the electoral college vote: she lost the popular vote. It was the first time in twenty years that a Republican candidate won more votes outright. Trump even lost the popular vote when he beat Hillary Clinton in 2016 through the Electoral College.

Many factors contributed to this. Harris had the worst incumbent approval ratings of any other vice president who had ever run. Biden’s lack of support would reflect on her, especially with the added element of her resisting distancing and distinguishing herself from him on significant issues, notably the Israel-Palestine conflict. Nonetheless, with only four months to throw together a campaign, the Walz-Harris pitch was good—maybe as good as it could be considering the circumstances.

One factor, that should not be overstated but also not overlooked, is that Kamala Harris is a woman. And that carries more weight than it should in 21st-century America. Harris was a vice president, former senator, and former attorney general of California who had economic plans approved by Wall Street. Yet she was somehow less qualified than Trump.

People are biased against female presidential candidates. In 2017, a study found about 13% of Americans were “angry or upset” about the idea of a woman serving as president. Women are represented in government: they make up nearly a third of Congress and twelve governors are women. Yet, the presidency just seems to be a just-out-of-reach goal for women.

Researchers asked voters to list the traits they want in a president, and they are always masculine-coded traits such as strength, which are regarded as more important than feminine-coded ones. Yet masculine women are then punished for not being traditionally feminine. It seems impossible: a vicious hurdle to overcome.

And yet, whether you fault Biden for the economy, Harris for being a woman or not distancing herself from Biden, or a lack of initiative in the Israel-Palestine conflict, you cannot justify a vote for Trump. Worried about the economy? Check out Biden and Harris’s economic plan, which is bound to help more than Trump. Worried about the sake of democracy? Maybe do not elect the person who called the January 6 insurrection “a day of love”. Worried about healthcare? Trump’s pick for the Department of Health, Robert F. Kennedy Jr, an anti-vax conspiracy theorist with other questionable health claims says enough about that, while his Supreme Court Picks and their view on Roe v. Wade is abundantly clear.

Trump is anything but the person who should be sitting in the Oval Office. He is a liar: he has no issue lying blatantly to the American people, with his biggest fear being fact-checked second only to his fear of people leaving his rallies. Former Chief of Staff John Kelly described Trump as fitting “into the general definition of a fascist” who “certainly prefers the dictator approach to government”.

He has contempt for the Constitution and has sworn his second term will be built on retribution. Politicians such as Liz Cheney who headed the January 6 crisis hearings, and special counsel Jack Smith who has been a leader of the charges against Trump are first on his list.

People should fear a second Trump presidency. It is easy to make jokes about the former president, ridicule the things he says, and think he will not get away with any of his outlandish claims. Yet the amount of damage Trump did in one presidency was enough to set the stage for a terrifying new reality of his second term. It would not be wise to underestimate someone who got elected into one of the most powerful government positions in the world not once, but twice.

Concerning immigration, Trump has vowed to enact the largest deportation program in American history, bringing back Title 42, and banning sanctuary cities. Title 42 “allows the government to prevent the introduction of individuals during certain public health emergencies” but Trump has relied on ii to rapidly expel hundreds of thousands of immigrants with backlash from human rights advocates.

With abortion, Trump made the very controversial comment of protecting women “whether the women like it or not”. Prioritizing women’s choices is not, in any way, a central focus of his agenda. With the economy, Trump promises to lower the corporate tax rate to 15%, and that American companies will get the lowest taxes.

The environment? Withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. Foreign Policy? The end of the Russian war in Ukraine? It does not seem as though Trump will support Zelenskyy over Putin. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) which is critical for providing student financial aid, the Department of Education, and transgender rights? All will be under siege. Maybe Trump will not be able to accomplish everything, but to think he is full of hot air and incapable of achieving any of his threats would be a massive underestimation.

Number one on Trump’s list is retaliation. He has called for the criminal prosecution of at least sixteen rival politicians and fifteen law enforcement workers at federal public health agencies, as well as billionaires and Google. Members of the January 6 Hearing Committees should also be prosecuted for “lies” and “treason”. A special prosecutor should “go after” Biden and his family. And the cherry on top, jailing journalists who do not disclose sources who leaked information.

His new cabinet will be composed of people encompassing the most negative politician attributes: blind willingness to follow a leader, irrationality, and vindictiveness. Matt Gaetz, who was under investigation for sexual trafficking, was nominated as attorney general. He withdrew his candidacy, but Trump’s stamp of approval says what kind of people he is looking for. Robert Kennedy for the Ministry of Health while being an adamant anti-vaxxer willing to ban vaccines. The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is headed by Musk and Ramaswamy. These are not just political figureheads: these people have real political power. This is real. And this will have consequences.

A second term from Donald Trump will not be like his first. Saying Trump is all talk and will not truly follow through on any of his promises may have been applicable in his first term. He had the prospect of running for re-election and had Cabinet members willing to block him. Now? Trump technically, under presidential term limits, can not run again, and his Cabinet has been wholly replaced only by those fiercely loyal to him and willing to allow him to do whatever he pleases.

A thirst will mark Trump’s presidency for revenge, which he has repeatedly expressed. All that can be done now is count down the days before his first mark is hit.
Trump said it himself: day one, he would be an authoritarian figure. Who says he is going to stop?