Donald Trump has been elected President of the United States of America for the second time after defeating Vice President Kamala Harris with 294 electoral votes as of today, November 7th. He has also won the popular vote.
Trump accepted the ‘honour of being your 47th president and your 45th president’, and is the second person to ever be re-elected as President of USA non-consecutively.
In his acceptance speech, Trump promised to ‘going to help our country heal’, saying ‘we’re gonna fix our borders, and we’re gonna fix everything about our country’. Trump returns to the White House looking to ‘fix’ issues of immigration, tax and international wars.
For those of us the other side of the Atlantic, it was a tense night, and many awoke on Wednesday morning to see that Kamala can no longer keep calm and carry onala. So what were Exeposé members’ immediate reactions to the news? Are the next few years going to be the ‘golden age of America’?
All Exeposé members were encouraged to provide a response, no matter their stance.
Katie Matthews
There was a moment of hope there. A moment where I almost believed that the echo chamber I exist within was representative of a wider opinion. A belief in the right of women to the autonomy of their own bodies, in a chance for international security and that a woman from an ethnic minority background could make history. Barring Harris making history by running at all, I was gravely mistaken.
It’s also clear that the media exported from the US (feminist films, liberal late night TV and left wing celebrities) is not an accurate reflection of America’s overall public sphere.
Trump’s win is disappointing. His reputation in relation to women is worrying, and to be a woman anywhere, but especially in the USA, is scary. Trump has not said he will impose a national abortion ban. Whilst he believes that individual states are at liberty to decide their own laws on abortion, there will still be accessibility to these services for some.
How can a country be feasibly and ethically led by a convicted felon of sexual assault? I would like to also say that speaking up about violence against you, is never the reason why a criminal’s life is ruined, and seeking necessary medical help is a basic human right. A free country would offer that support.
The newly elected President is bound to also make some significant damage to the environment in the next few years. Trump was quoted in 2023 saying that on ‘day one’ he will be a dictator, and it will be ‘drilling, drilling drilling’. His previous emphasis on oil extraction in the Artic is most concerning to me, an area which needs to be protected as the climate crisis gets more and more devastating.
It is now crucial for everyone to learn about the political systems and power dynamics of the world, and make an educated decision for themselves about the consequences of this election. I for one see the next few years for America and its interactions around the world as dismal at best, and potentially catastrophic to over 50 years of environmental and social progress.
Amberly Wright
Donald Trump’s win does not just affect those living in the United States, but is detrimental to so many minorities, marginalised communities, and the female population, around the world.
Thankfully, as the UK are now lead by the Labour party, our relations with Trump could be less than before, with numerous members of the Labour party disliking Trump, with a previous Foreign Secretary labelling him as ‘a threat to the international order’.
Trump’s first of many questionable opinions is his call for the disbandment of the Department of Education, leaving the decision of the inclusion of race, gender, and sexuality, based topics up to individual states. This means the younger generation are missing out on the education of important issues and communities facing prejudice, placing the future safety of such communities in the hands of an under-educated youth.
Trump has promised the biggest deportation of undocumented immigrants in history, concerning for those fleeing conflict, which places their lives in more danger. The President’s strong relations with both the Israeli President, and the Russian President, makes this especially concerning, as he fails to recognise the mass genocide that is happening to Palestinian civilians, and the lack of defence Ukraine has. He supports both wars ending, but only through providing weapons and support for the success of Israel. He claims he will help to end the war in Ukraine, through support with Russia.
Agata Koralewska
It is crucial to consider what Trump’s victory might mean for Europe’s future. My main concerns are Trump’s future actions on the war in Ukraine that he claimed to end ‘in a day’, which could be done by making Ukraine enter negotiations with Russia.
Arguably, it’s a hint that Ukraine should give up on its sovereignty and make a truce with their oppressor. Ukraine is currently fighting for security of the rest of Europe so it would be crucial to keep supplying arms and sending support to the country like it was done under Biden’s administration.
However, it is not certain that Trump would keep up the effort as his latest statements had pro-Russian undertones. Without a doubt, European countries fear to see what will unfold. Trump has already managed to prove that he can act impulsively. What seems to be high on Trump’s agenda is to put “America first” and that isn’t necessarily a good thing as the safety of Europe and global unity should be high on the US priority list.
Charlie McCormack
My attention after the Trump win was towards Musk and his super ‘America’ PAC (political action committee). Of course, the millions of knocked doors in swing states can probably attest to its success, but I’m in its online presence rather than the physical.
What will political campaigns look like going forward when backers are allowed to create verified accounts on social media that are literally called ‘America’— accounts that on a sub-conscious level are masquerading as the ‘official’ account of the whole country.
What does it mean to have the richest man in the world running a twenty-four-seven propaganda machine for you? What happens when he goes on the biggest podcast in the world and claims the democrats are flying voters in to swing states and this could be your last chance ever to vote?
This election speaks to me also as an ideological shift in America. It seems the Democrats led a campaign resting on the assumption that they were coming from a stronger ‘moral’ position innately, spending much of their energy attacking the character of the convicted felon running against them, rather than building the ‘brand’ of their own campaign. This gambit completely backfired, as it seems, most Trump voters don’t care about his character or his moral quality at all, that’s not why they voted for him.
Finally, I worry about the ease in which those of us in Europe will sit here and sweep this all under the rug: ‘Oh silly America, but that could never happen here.’ We should seriously reflect on our own landscape and learn from the political battleground of America, as we enter an increasingly divisive culture of politics.
Rosie Peters-McDonald
Trump’s victory — and even the margins by which he won — were a surprise to many of us on Wednesday morning. Perhaps there was a lot of optimism on this side of the pond after Labour’s landslide earlier this year; it seemed so much less likely to myself and others I knew following the Presidential Election that the far-right would perform so well electorally in the US.
I feel not only that this is a loss for women, but also for those who had faith in a system which would protect them from what seems to be growing into a more prevalent extremist ideology. Whether sexism, racism, or blatant classism (because we can’t pretend Trump’s previous economic policy didn’t heavily favour the rich), the US Constitution’s separation of powers should ideally maintain some balance and protect its people from tyranny. It’s difficult to imagine that balance now: Trump is President, the Republicans hold the Senate, and six out of nine Supreme Court justices are considered conservative.
What really piqued my interest, though, was Musk’s involvement in the electoral race. He seemed more present and active in conversations about Trump than VP electorate Vance did. I think our generation has grown up being warned against the dangers of (and sometimes even defending) technology. Despite this, Musk blatantly manipulated over social media, rigging X algorithms to show far-right content and citing the popularity of Trump’s opinions and successes as a ‘real-time source of truths on X’. And it worked. On election day he posted, ‘The cavalry has arrived. Men are voting in record numbers. They now realise everything is at stake.’ I’m not trying to say people are particularly naive for falling victim to this narrative, but I feel that Musk’s ownership and control of X heavily suggests social media is more manipulative than ever.
What was at stake for the men Musk speaks of in America, other than the rights of their female, or trans, or poor, or ethnically diverse family members and friends? Maybe I’d have to be American to understand the want to take the US backwards in history and ideology. What I certainly won’t turn to as I try to understand this, though, is Elon Musk’s @America X account.
Magdalena Kanecka
Upon seeing that Donald Trump had won the election, I was immediately shocked. Sure, the polls were close up until the very end, but a part of me still wished that the people of America would think before electing a convicted felon and a known sexual abuser.
The first thing that came to mind for me, as a woman, was the future of American women in the next years. With the overturning of Roe V Wade in 2022, which gave states the right to individually decide on abortion regulations, along with the very recent statements made by Trump about how “there should be some sort of punishment” for women who choose to get an abortion – it is difficult not to feel hopeless.
If over 26 women can come forward about the same man’s sexual misconduct towards them since the 1970s, and the same man can then become the president of a nation as influential as the US, it makes sense for those affected to be this disappointed and scared.
I was also interested to see that Ukrainian Prime Minister Zelenskiy was among the first people to publicly congratulate Trump on his victory. I immediately began to question why this is – Trump has been vocal about withdrawing America’s support for Ukraine, so my best guess would be that countries such as Ukraine, China, or those in the Middle East, are scared.
With a first reaction as negative as mine, I am quickly beginning to wonder how the rest of Trump’s term will go.
Ethan Ford
What will freedom mean post-election? The titular Beyoncé banger Freedom enthused Kamala’s late debut, becoming her rallying cry. Three months on and Americans will now be fundamentally reconsidering their freedoms. Farage, meanwhile, has discovered the freedom to go stateside for the third time whilst MP for Clacton, for which he has not organised any office or means of contact.
And while tariffs loom with no near trade deal, Farage grins. These must be those Brexit benefits… For now, it appears that the constituents of Pennsylvania are better represented than Clacton.
Meanwhile, Trump is set to become the next president, granting him immense freedoms. And what will Trump use these freedoms for? Gutting education, national parks, individual liberties, gun control, LGBT protections, and bodily autonomy? Populist parties will be watching.
Like many things, there will be an attempt to export these ideas to the UK. And whilst disheartening for those who haven’t invested into this Musk-fueled-Gilead-fever-dream, it is important to remember that democracy was not built overnight, nor will it be dismantled so.
Interestingly, Harris finishes with a sentiment with which we, as Exeter students, will be familiar: discover the light in the darkness and chase it, Lucem Sequimur. Harris’ closing words are not final; they are a call to the courageous. Now is not the time to give up, now the real work begins. It’s a bitter irony that this campaign finishes much where it started, found in the closing line of its opener, Freedom “I was served lemons, but I made lemonade” for that is what we must now do. So roll up your sleeves and make lemonade out of this lemon..or, well, orange.
To learn more about the election and the manifestos of the candidates, please find Donald Trump’s full 2024 manifesto here and find Kamala Harris’ full manifesto here.
Amberly is in the placement year of her psychology degree, and is so excited to take on the role of Deputy Online Editor. In her spare time, Amberly plays hockey, and she enjoys writing articles about mental health, wellness, and sustainability.
Agata, who has previously undertaken the roles of Print and Online International Editor, has now started her new position as the Print Deputy Editor. She comes from Poland and has written on a wide range of topics throughout her time with the Exeposé. After her year abroad, which she spent in Madrid, she is returning and she will provide a fresh, international perspective on news coverage.
Rosie is one of this year’s Print Deputy Editors and has previously edited the satire section. She studies BA English and enjoys reading and writing about politics inside and outside of her degree.
Charlie is one of this year’s Print Screen Editors and has previously edited for Print Tech. He is in his third year studying English and enjoys writing, painting and playing video games.
Hey! I’m Magda, and I am 1/2 of your Online International Editors! I have been writing for Exeposé since the start of my first year and have written articles for all sections of the newspaper, achieving the Exeposé Rainbow in my second year. I am so excited to deliver new content to the International section!
Trump declares victory in US presidential election- Exeposé reacts
Donald Trump has been elected President of the United States of America for the second time after defeating Vice President Kamala Harris with 294 electoral votes as of today, November 7th. He has also won the popular vote.
Trump accepted the ‘honour of being your 47th president and your 45th president’, and is the second person to ever be re-elected as President of USA non-consecutively.
In his acceptance speech, Trump promised to ‘going to help our country heal’, saying ‘we’re gonna fix our borders, and we’re gonna fix everything about our country’. Trump returns to the White House looking to ‘fix’ issues of immigration, tax and international wars.
For those of us the other side of the Atlantic, it was a tense night, and many awoke on Wednesday morning to see that Kamala can no longer keep calm and carry onala. So what were Exeposé members’ immediate reactions to the news? Are the next few years going to be the ‘golden age of America’?
All Exeposé members were encouraged to provide a response, no matter their stance.
Katie Matthews
There was a moment of hope there. A moment where I almost believed that the echo chamber I exist within was representative of a wider opinion. A belief in the right of women to the autonomy of their own bodies, in a chance for international security and that a woman from an ethnic minority background could make history. Barring Harris making history by running at all, I was gravely mistaken.
It’s also clear that the media exported from the US (feminist films, liberal late night TV and left wing celebrities) is not an accurate reflection of America’s overall public sphere.
Trump’s win is disappointing. His reputation in relation to women is worrying, and to be a woman anywhere, but especially in the USA, is scary. Trump has not said he will impose a national abortion ban. Whilst he believes that individual states are at liberty to decide their own laws on abortion, there will still be accessibility to these services for some.
How can a country be feasibly and ethically led by a convicted felon of sexual assault? I would like to also say that speaking up about violence against you, is never the reason why a criminal’s life is ruined, and seeking necessary medical help is a basic human right. A free country would offer that support.
The newly elected President is bound to also make some significant damage to the environment in the next few years. Trump was quoted in 2023 saying that on ‘day one’ he will be a dictator, and it will be ‘drilling, drilling drilling’. His previous emphasis on oil extraction in the Artic is most concerning to me, an area which needs to be protected as the climate crisis gets more and more devastating.
It is now crucial for everyone to learn about the political systems and power dynamics of the world, and make an educated decision for themselves about the consequences of this election. I for one see the next few years for America and its interactions around the world as dismal at best, and potentially catastrophic to over 50 years of environmental and social progress.
Amberly Wright
Donald Trump’s win does not just affect those living in the United States, but is detrimental to so many minorities, marginalised communities, and the female population, around the world.
Thankfully, as the UK are now lead by the Labour party, our relations with Trump could be less than before, with numerous members of the Labour party disliking Trump, with a previous Foreign Secretary labelling him as ‘a threat to the international order’.
Trump’s first of many questionable opinions is his call for the disbandment of the Department of Education, leaving the decision of the inclusion of race, gender, and sexuality, based topics up to individual states. This means the younger generation are missing out on the education of important issues and communities facing prejudice, placing the future safety of such communities in the hands of an under-educated youth.
Trump has promised the biggest deportation of undocumented immigrants in history, concerning for those fleeing conflict, which places their lives in more danger. The President’s strong relations with both the Israeli President, and the Russian President, makes this especially concerning, as he fails to recognise the mass genocide that is happening to Palestinian civilians, and the lack of defence Ukraine has. He supports both wars ending, but only through providing weapons and support for the success of Israel. He claims he will help to end the war in Ukraine, through support with Russia.
Agata Koralewska
It is crucial to consider what Trump’s victory might mean for Europe’s future. My main concerns are Trump’s future actions on the war in Ukraine that he claimed to end ‘in a day’, which could be done by making Ukraine enter negotiations with Russia.
Arguably, it’s a hint that Ukraine should give up on its sovereignty and make a truce with their oppressor. Ukraine is currently fighting for security of the rest of Europe so it would be crucial to keep supplying arms and sending support to the country like it was done under Biden’s administration.
However, it is not certain that Trump would keep up the effort as his latest statements had pro-Russian undertones. Without a doubt, European countries fear to see what will unfold. Trump has already managed to prove that he can act impulsively. What seems to be high on Trump’s agenda is to put “America first” and that isn’t necessarily a good thing as the safety of Europe and global unity should be high on the US priority list.
Charlie McCormack
My attention after the Trump win was towards Musk and his super ‘America’ PAC (political action committee). Of course, the millions of knocked doors in swing states can probably attest to its success, but I’m in its online presence rather than the physical.
What will political campaigns look like going forward when backers are allowed to create verified accounts on social media that are literally called ‘America’— accounts that on a sub-conscious level are masquerading as the ‘official’ account of the whole country.
What does it mean to have the richest man in the world running a twenty-four-seven propaganda machine for you? What happens when he goes on the biggest podcast in the world and claims the democrats are flying voters in to swing states and this could be your last chance ever to vote?
This election speaks to me also as an ideological shift in America. It seems the Democrats led a campaign resting on the assumption that they were coming from a stronger ‘moral’ position innately, spending much of their energy attacking the character of the convicted felon running against them, rather than building the ‘brand’ of their own campaign. This gambit completely backfired, as it seems, most Trump voters don’t care about his character or his moral quality at all, that’s not why they voted for him.
Finally, I worry about the ease in which those of us in Europe will sit here and sweep this all under the rug: ‘Oh silly America, but that could never happen here.’ We should seriously reflect on our own landscape and learn from the political battleground of America, as we enter an increasingly divisive culture of politics.
Rosie Peters-McDonald
Trump’s victory — and even the margins by which he won — were a surprise to many of us on Wednesday morning. Perhaps there was a lot of optimism on this side of the pond after Labour’s landslide earlier this year; it seemed so much less likely to myself and others I knew following the Presidential Election that the far-right would perform so well electorally in the US.
I feel not only that this is a loss for women, but also for those who had faith in a system which would protect them from what seems to be growing into a more prevalent extremist ideology. Whether sexism, racism, or blatant classism (because we can’t pretend Trump’s previous economic policy didn’t heavily favour the rich), the US Constitution’s separation of powers should ideally maintain some balance and protect its people from tyranny. It’s difficult to imagine that balance now: Trump is President, the Republicans hold the Senate, and six out of nine Supreme Court justices are considered conservative.
What really piqued my interest, though, was Musk’s involvement in the electoral race. He seemed more present and active in conversations about Trump than VP electorate Vance did. I think our generation has grown up being warned against the dangers of (and sometimes even defending) technology. Despite this, Musk blatantly manipulated over social media, rigging X algorithms to show far-right content and citing the popularity of Trump’s opinions and successes as a ‘real-time source of truths on X’. And it worked. On election day he posted, ‘The cavalry has arrived. Men are voting in record numbers. They now realise everything is at stake.’ I’m not trying to say people are particularly naive for falling victim to this narrative, but I feel that Musk’s ownership and control of X heavily suggests social media is more manipulative than ever.
What was at stake for the men Musk speaks of in America, other than the rights of their female, or trans, or poor, or ethnically diverse family members and friends? Maybe I’d have to be American to understand the want to take the US backwards in history and ideology. What I certainly won’t turn to as I try to understand this, though, is Elon Musk’s @America X account.
Magdalena Kanecka
Upon seeing that Donald Trump had won the election, I was immediately shocked. Sure, the polls were close up until the very end, but a part of me still wished that the people of America would think before electing a convicted felon and a known sexual abuser.
The first thing that came to mind for me, as a woman, was the future of American women in the next years. With the overturning of Roe V Wade in 2022, which gave states the right to individually decide on abortion regulations, along with the very recent statements made by Trump about how “there should be some sort of punishment” for women who choose to get an abortion – it is difficult not to feel hopeless.
If over 26 women can come forward about the same man’s sexual misconduct towards them since the 1970s, and the same man can then become the president of a nation as influential as the US, it makes sense for those affected to be this disappointed and scared.
I was also interested to see that Ukrainian Prime Minister Zelenskiy was among the first people to publicly congratulate Trump on his victory. I immediately began to question why this is – Trump has been vocal about withdrawing America’s support for Ukraine, so my best guess would be that countries such as Ukraine, China, or those in the Middle East, are scared.
With a first reaction as negative as mine, I am quickly beginning to wonder how the rest of Trump’s term will go.
Ethan Ford
What will freedom mean post-election? The titular Beyoncé banger Freedom enthused Kamala’s late debut, becoming her rallying cry. Three months on and Americans will now be fundamentally reconsidering their freedoms. Farage, meanwhile, has discovered the freedom to go stateside for the third time whilst MP for Clacton, for which he has not organised any office or means of contact.
And while tariffs loom with no near trade deal, Farage grins. These must be those Brexit benefits… For now, it appears that the constituents of Pennsylvania are better represented than Clacton.
Meanwhile, Trump is set to become the next president, granting him immense freedoms. And what will Trump use these freedoms for? Gutting education, national parks, individual liberties, gun control, LGBT protections, and bodily autonomy? Populist parties will be watching.
Like many things, there will be an attempt to export these ideas to the UK. And whilst disheartening for those who haven’t invested into this Musk-fueled-Gilead-fever-dream, it is important to remember that democracy was not built overnight, nor will it be dismantled so.
Interestingly, Harris finishes with a sentiment with which we, as Exeter students, will be familiar: discover the light in the darkness and chase it, Lucem Sequimur. Harris’ closing words are not final; they are a call to the courageous. Now is not the time to give up, now the real work begins. It’s a bitter irony that this campaign finishes much where it started, found in the closing line of its opener, Freedom “I was served lemons, but I made lemonade” for that is what we must now do. So roll up your sleeves and make lemonade out of this lemon..or, well, orange.
To learn more about the election and the manifestos of the candidates, please find Donald Trump’s full 2024 manifesto here and find Kamala Harris’ full manifesto here.
Katie Matthews
Amberly Wright
Amberly is in the placement year of her psychology degree, and is so excited to take on the role of Deputy Online Editor. In her spare time, Amberly plays hockey, and she enjoys writing articles about mental health, wellness, and sustainability.
Agata Koralewska
Agata, who has previously undertaken the roles of Print and Online International Editor, has now started her new position as the Print Deputy Editor. She comes from Poland and has written on a wide range of topics throughout her time with the Exeposé. After her year abroad, which she spent in Madrid, she is returning and she will provide a fresh, international perspective on news coverage.
Rosie Peters-McDonald
Rosie is one of this year’s Print Deputy Editors and has previously edited the satire section. She studies BA English and enjoys reading and writing about politics inside and outside of her degree.
Charlie McCormack
Charlie is one of this year’s Print Screen Editors and has previously edited for Print Tech. He is in his third year studying English and enjoys writing, painting and playing video games.
Magdalena Kanecka
Hey! I’m Magda, and I am 1/2 of your Online International Editors! I have been writing for Exeposé since the start of my first year and have written articles for all sections of the newspaper, achieving the Exeposé Rainbow in my second year. I am so excited to deliver new content to the International section!
Ethan Ford
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