The Morning After: Searching for Hope in Trump’s America (Again)

BY DANIEL ARMSTRONG

My friends in my Politics course had hosted a viewing party the night of the US election, with a fun drinking game to accompany the state-by-state announcements (red Cherry Schnapps for Republican wins, blue Aftershock for Democrat wins). I left at half one, simply because I couldn’t be bothered staying up. We’d have the usual neck-and-neck race, with the Republicans leading for most of the night and the Democrats sweeping up around 4 am. I was awoken by my flatmate, who had lost his keys, at 7 am, and decided to check in on the election. Trump in the lead. I went back to sleep, knowing sanity would prevail. It did not. Trump swept the election, winning both the Electoral College and the popular vote, a rare feat. Shock doesn’t describe the atmosphere of the rest of the day. There was an air of resignation, of disappointment; here we were, nine years after his much-mocked political debut, still talking about Donald Trump. Still talking about his unabashed racism, misogyny, multiple rape allegations, and oh, yes, his attempt to overthrow democracy. America once again being the ill-behaved child that just won’t learn their lesson.

Needless to say, walking into The Scoop’s Election panel in the Peter Frogatt Centre, we were all searching for answers. How did Kamala Harris’ zeitgeist-grabbing campaign, with huge engagement, $1.5 billion in funds, and even being dubbed “brat” by Charli xcx, lose? How could America have voted again for a man who has such disdain for the fundamental pillars of democracy?

I am glad to say that The Scoop did a fantastic job organising the panel. Jessica Toal, Izzy Edge, and Jess Donohue were all adept interviewees and asked the right questions. The panellists were well-chosen, with academics, journalists, and students all getting a say. The geographical diversity of those being interviewed was also a positive; hearing Irish, American, Indian, Swedish, and Spanish perspectives allowed for a more global view. I was particularly interested to hear one panellist’s dislike of Bernie Sanders, a man frequently mourned for his presidency-that-wasn’t. A wide range of aspects were discussed, with Trump’s views on climate, the economy, and the American education system being touched upon. Dr. Mamalipurath’s talk on the part that Artificial Intelligence and social media algorithms had to play in the election was a stark reminder of the vast influence we have given technology over our world.

The final section of the night allowed the audience to ask questions, and I asked where the hope was in this situation. The two American panellists spoke about the virtues of America: the land of the free, home of the brave, a diverse melting pot that always pulls through. Unfortunately, I was not convinced and thought the sentiments, while admirable, were more suited to a Kevin Costner film than real life (that being said, Trump’s second term could very well lead the world into a dystopia akin to Costner’s Waterworld or The Postman. I’ve got a free space on my DIY raft if anyone wants it).

Ultimately, the panel did a great job dissecting and analysing the election. I look forward to their next event and hope The Scoop continues the excellent job they are doing at fostering political discussion and education at Queen’s University.