Donald Trump has been elected the 47th president of the United States, the Republican party won the U.S. Senate majority and the race is still on for control of the House of Representatives, though it appears the Republic party will retain a lean majority at the time of publication. According to results from Assistant Professor of Government Annabelle Hutchinson’s class survey of Hamilton students’ political preferences, ~88% of Hamilton students voted for Vice President Kamala Harris and ~10% of Hamilton students voted for Former President Donald Trump. The Spectator invited students and faculty to share their reflections on the 2024 election with the newspaper.
“When Trump was first elected I was thirteen, so as a graduating government major it feels hard to enact change or move policy in a direction that is effective for more Americans when it feels as though our hands are tied by a president who wants to turn policy back. As a student, I am not sure how I’m supposed to learn how to create more effective policy when we keep electing the same leaders,”
Anna Richardson ’25 whose 22nd birthday coincided with the election.
“I’m not going to assume that everyone is feeling the same way about the election results. But I expect that some of you are feeling as upset as my daughter was when she called me, crying, at 2:30 this morning. As I said on Monday, we are a deeply divided and polarized country. We need to work on better hearing and understanding each other.
It’s OK if you need to take a beat before embarking on that difficult project. Remember that your primary responsibility is to yourselves at this stage of your lives. Start by taking care of your own physical and emotional well being. It might be good to take a break from media, especially social media. Go for walks. Be with friends. Take care of your commitments, including your work, as much as you can. You’ll feel better if you don’t fall desperately behind on work, adding to your stress. Perhaps our work will be a nice break from more emotionally charged tasks. Remember that there are resources available on campus to help you to manage,”
Professor of Philosophy Russell Marcus
“I thoroughly believe America will survive all of Trump’s radical promises and emerge a democracy, but I would be lying if I did not say I am absolutely mortified for the next four years.” –
Gandelman ’28
“The results of this election across the board have made me fear for the future of the country and the safety of women and people of color, and it’s very disheartening to see an experienced candidate lose to a convicted felon,”
Member of the Class of 2026
“It hurts to see half of this country vote for a man whose policies and ideas disparages so many Americans, especially minority groups. I thoroughly believe America will survive all of Trump’s radical promises and emerge a democracy, but I would be lying if I did not say I am absolutely mortified for the next four years,”
Luiz Gandelman ’28
“I am just deeply disappointed that the country would rather elect a felon for the first time than a woman,”
Ilsaa Siddiqui ’25
“The American electorate has shown, and very proudly, they’d much rather their neighbor be unemployed than pay $2 more for eggs. American identity is an identity of consumerism first,”
Javier Garcia ’26
“The election results are extremely disappointing, and we will need time to grieve. But we must also work against despair, and keep fighting. The struggle continues. We need each other to get through the next four years,”
Professor Heather Merrill
“In sum, I expect the people who are at the top of the economic order will seek gains by attempting to create social divisions out of the deteriorating conditions of everyday life for the majority of Americans.” –
Professor Winkelman
On the Russia-Ukraine War:
“Ukraine has been at a marked disadvantage in terms of both its number of soldiers and quantity of basic armaments (such as artillery shells) compared to Russia for well over a year. Kyiv has somewhat offset its quantitative disadvantages means of the superior morale and resolve of its fighting forces and general population (who are well aware that Russian conquest of the remainder of the country would be followed by mass arrests, the extensive use of torture, and the erasure of Ukrainian national identity). Nonetheless, Ukraine’s morale and resolve are waning as the Russian army continues to make incremental but steady territorial gains and continues to missile and drone attacks on civilians on an almost daily basis.
A major factor behind Kyiv’s material disadvantages is that Russia receives greater assistance from its partners and allies (Iran, North Korea, and China) than Ukraine does from its partners. Indeed, North Korea recently sent approximately 10,000 soldiers to fight in the war on Russia’s side. In contrast, no major NATO state has seriously considered such a move.
The disbalance in external support for the two sides will only become more pronounced as a result of Trump’s victory. The Trump administration might continue to supply Ukraine with some military aid in the future if it believes that the Kremlin is not taking its proposals for ending the war sufficiently seriously. However, even in that rosiest of scenarios, the level of American support for Ukraine will be less than what it has been under Biden. In theory, Europe’s leading states could step up and fill the void; but in practice, they are unlikely to take those risks or spend the money that would be needed to regenerate armaments industries. In short, the odds that Moscow will continue to slice away at (and/or destroy and depopulate) the Ukrainian state have gone up dramatically,”
Associate Professor of Government David Rivera
“Higher education will be besieged in the years to come. Do what you can to come to its defense.” –
Professor Isserman
“I would predict that Republicans will have a Congressional majority, which means there will be a smooth path to implementing a presidential agenda. New York state’s congressional delegation looks to be about as predicted. John Mannion, our representative in the 22nd district outperformed my expectations, but the results are pretty well aligned with partisan distribution of the district. I can’t say that I’m particularly surprised by any of the results, or find much of interest. I expect the toss-ups to go to the Republicans.
I expect it means changes to our foreign policy, notably distancing ourselves from Europe and NATO; support for an expanded war in the Middle East; deteriorating trade relationships around the world; the declining support for international organizations that were key sites of U.S. influence. I think the immediate future of domestic politics is a significant reduction in the power of the regulatory state and a significant expansion of the power and visibility of the conventional law enforcement and security agencies, especially ICE and CBP.
I expect that executive branch itself to become much more politicized and much less able to execute public policy. As regulations become more unclear, I expect the next four years to have an above-average share of corruption and fraud scandals both in the public and private sectors.
I expect we’ll see a continued growth in inequality, and a worsening of conditions for Americans who rely on income for their livelihood while people whose livelihood comes from capital gains will expand their influence. It will be an especially active time for billionaires. I expect to see financial elites using the failure of a politicized state to carry out policy as an opportunity to privatize more and more public services. People who rely on public services to carry on their day-to-day lives will be especially impacted.
In sum, I expect the people who are at the top of the economic order will seek gains by attempting to create social divisions out of the deteriorating conditions of everyday life for the majority of Americans.
As for people who are looking for something “to do,” I think it’s about resisting the distraction of being told to look down on someone else. This election was a brilliant demonstration of “divide and rule” politics,”
Assistant Professor of Government Joel Winkelman
“For the last few years I’ve assigned the graphic edition of Yale University historian Timothy Snyder’s book On Tyranny to students in my Recent US History class at Hamilton. Written and published during the first Trump administration, On Tyranny discusses twenty lessons Professor Snyder has distilled from the experience of peoples living under fascist and communist tyrannies in the twentieth century. Many commentators recently invoked lesson # 1, Do Not Obey in Advance, when Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos vetoed the paper’s planned editorial endorsement of Kamala Harris. Snyder’s lesson #2 seems of particular relevance to those of us — students, staff, and faculty — who find ourselves on the Hamilton campus at this dangerous and disheartening moment: Defend institutions.
As Snyder explains, ‘It is institutions that help us to preserve decency…Institutions do not protect themselves. They fall one after the other unless each is defended from the beginning. So choose an institution you care about — a court, a newspaper, a law, a labor union and take its side.’ And to Snyder’s list I would add another institution — colleges and universities. Higher education will be besieged in the years to come. Do what you can to come to its defense,”
Publius Virgilius Rogers Professor of American History Maurice Isserman
“Donald Trump has scored a massive and unexpected victory, consolidating Republican control in House, retaking the Senate, and paving the way for a generation of rightwing control over the Supreme Court. His victory sets the stage for full range of highly de-stabilizing economic policies, including a vast trade war, deregulation of oil and gas industries, further extension of corporate tax cuts beyond those of his first administration, and threatened deportation of millions across the Mexican border. Notwithstanding their regressive and ultimately inflationary consequences these policies amount to a virtual bacchanal for his billionaire supporters even as they produce hardship for working Americans and non-documented immigrant workers.
Trump’s victory was enabled by a Democratic Party that has long since turned away from its working class base, abandoning economic populism, contributing $20 billion in weapons and aid to Israel’s disproportionate assault on Palestinians in Gaza, and waging proxy war against Russia ‘to the last Ukrainian.’ All of these factors account for the party’s dismal performance and indicate a pressing need for radical transformation,”
Henry Platt Bristol Professor of International Relations Alan Cafruny
“I am resolved that we will prove democracy is more resilient than authoritarianism, but we must we refuse to be silent; we must refuse to sit on the sidelines or hide; we must act with the courage of our forebearers in those great American movements to expand and extend rights and liberties over the past two hundred years.” –
Professor Ellingson
“Donald Trump has proven time and time again that he has little respect for the norms that ensure the perseverance of the institution of democracy both domestically and around the world. I woke up Wednesday morning terrified that long-standing international norms will be turned on their head in the next four years. I worry for the rights of those who will be most hurt by another Trump presidency. Yet, I remain hopeful that there are truly good people in government and I am committed, now more than ever, to a meaningful career in public service so that I may someday be one of them,”
Member of the Class of 2025, World Politics Department
“We are grateful for the civic engagement that Hamilton’s student body displayed throughout this election. HamVotes is proud to have registered hundreds of Hamilton students this semester, many of whom voted here in Clinton. We plan to continue engaging the Hamilton student body in future election cycles, major or minor, and will continue to be a resource for all voters in the years to come,”
Gabby Johnson ’25, HamVotes
“The results of this election have left me feeling deeply disheartened. As a woman, a daughter and a sister, I cannot understand that the majority of people would vote for someone who acts in ways that are filled with such hatred for us.
I study Women’s and Gender Studies and Biology, and I am currently applying to public health programs with a concentration on maternal and child health. I firmly believe that every single person deserves the right to access fundamental medical care and make informed decisions about their bodies.
It is insane to me that people were willing to prioritize empty promises about the economy over the rights, health and lives of their loved ones.
I am angry at those people who decided yesterday that they were going to be on the wrong side of history, but seeing the resilience of my friends and family today has shown me that people are still hopeful. It has been moving to see the way that the women in my life and on campus have been coming together for one another. Even though there are a lot of people who are really hateful, there are even more who are full of love.”
Abby Marzec ’25
“I am ashamed of my country because we elevated cruelty over compassion; favored corruption over honesty; voted to support exclusion and dehumanization instead of inclusion and the expansion of freedoms.
I am sickened to see that once again in our history, we have willingly turned our backs on the ideals of the Declaration of Independence in order to restrict freedom and opportunity.
I am saddened that we voted out of fear and anger rather than courage and hope.
I am angered and dismayed that when candidates and their surrogates promoted and even celebrated sexism and racism, hatred and animosity, and trumped up moral indignation over the state of the nation, the media and many of us stood by silently, and still more voted to support these things.
I am appalled by those who dare call themselves Christian for their support of policies, politicians, and a party that so clearly is at odds with the fundamental beliefs and practices of that religion. The command to love one’s neighbor does not include conditions — everyone is our neighbor.
I am resolved that we will prove democracy is more resilient than authoritarianism, but we must we refuse to be silent; we must refuse to sit on the sidelines or hide; we must act with the courage of our forebearers in those great American movements to expand and extend rights and liberties over the past two hundred years,”
Professor Stephen Ellingson, Department of Sociology
