Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has officially been announced as the winner of the 2016 presidential election.
The reality television star and real estate mogul brought in 279 of the necessary 270 electoral votes needed to declare victory, according to the New York Times.
“Nothing we want for our future is beyond our reach,” Trump said in his victory speech. “America will no longer settle for anything but the best. We will seek common ground, not hostility. Partnership, not conflict.”
A Trump victory was unlikely in most pre-election polls, but by getting unexpected swing states such as Wisconsin and Michigan, Trump took the lead early in the evening.
A restorative criminal justice and German double major, Joel Cottrell gave his support to Trump and is optimistic about his presidency.
“It’s exciting,” Cottrell said. “I think we had a really close race. It was a little nerve-racking from time to time, but I think in the end I’m excited for what’s to come and to see the change that comes from that and see where we go from here.”
Clinton supporter Sam Hearn is less optimistic about a future with Trump in the Oval Office.
“I’m fearing most of the overwhelming wave of victory from a place of anger and disillusionment with what we are called to as people, much less as Christians,” Hearn said. “I just think there is going to be an overwhelming person to person sense of victory in things I really detest.”
As the results rolled in throughout the night, other victories were in store for Republicans. The Republicans maintained control of Congress, with the Senate losing only one seat in Illinois.
This has potential to present uncomfortable situations for Republicans for the next four years because of many of those very Republicans denouncing Trump at various points in his campaign, such as when he called Mexicans rapists, when he mocked a disabled reporter and other incidents.
Dr. Marc Schwerdt of Lipscomb’s political science department said that in light of this, the Republican Party is facing a time to realign and readjust its values and target audience.
“They had a little bit of a split this time as they tried to go one direction and their voters pulled them into another,” Schwerdt said. “The Republican Party is going to face a fork in the road. What are they going to stand for? Their ideology isn’t being seen as a way to get people to the voting booth, and it’s not really a guide for government to a lot of people.”
Dr. Susan Haynes said that the most immediate challenge for the president-elect will be uniting the country after a divisive election.
“The first challenge would be trying to bring everyone together again and rallying around and respecting the office and who is in that office,” Haynes noted.
Democratic nominee and former First Lady, Senator and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton conceded to Trump in a speech on Wednesday morning after calling to congratulate the president-elect when he was announced to be the winner early Wednesday morning.
In her address to her supporters, Clinton apologized and said the loss is “painful, and it will be for a long time.”
Clinton encouraged her supporters to give Trump an open mind and an opportunity to lead but to do so without giving up the fight for what is good.
“To the young people in particular, I hope you will hear this,” Clinton said. “I have spent my entire adult life fighting for what I believe in. I’ve had successes, and I’ve had setbacks, sometimes really painful ones. Many of you are at the beginning of your professional public and political careers. You will have successes and setbacks too but please never stop believing that fighting for what’s right is worth it.”
To speak to her female supporters specifically, Clinton made reference to her concession speech after losing the 2008 Democratic primary to President Obama.
With her 18 million votes in that primary, she told her supporters they caused 18 million cracks in the glass ceiling, creating space for light to shine through and to one day shatter the boundary believed to have prohibited women from rising to the same level as men in various professional and societal hierarchies.
“To all the women, and especially the young women who put their faith in this campaign and in me, I want you to know that nothing has made me prouder than to be your champion,” Clinton said. “I know we have still not shattered that highest and hardest glass ceiling, but someday someone will and hopefully sooner than we may think right now.”