Alyssah Hall
Millions of people across the nation were affected by the election results on Nov. 5. Whether they chose to vote or not, identified as Democrat, Republican or Independent, the outcome is the same: Donald Trump was chosen by 50.1% of the United States voting population to be president for a second term since 2016. California, which is generally a blue state, voted for Harris by 58.7%, which is on the lower end compared to Hilary Clinton’s 62% in her run for president in 2016, and to Biden’s 2020 win by 64%.
The Inland Empire, however, leaned towards Trump with 50.1% in favor of him and 47.3% in favor of Harris in San Bernardino, and in Riverside, 49.1% in favor of Trump and 48.3% in favor of Harris.
First-time voters and other young adults from ages 18-29 voted 51% in favor of Kamala Harris, while 47% voted for Trump, and 2% “other,” according to AP News’ findings. Younger voters’ main concerns were centered around the economy more than immigration, focusing on removing student loan debt, addressing climate change, and having more government action in health care.
Black Voice News visited the campus of the University of California, Riverside (UCR) to talk to students about their reactions to the election results and how another four years of Trump will impact them as young adults.
Eduardo Loya, 22
Eduardo Loya, a 22-year-old Business Finance major, was surprised by the presidential results. He expected the race to be close, but in the end, Trump won the electoral vote by 312 compared to Vice President Kamala Harris, who won 226 electoral votes. Trump also won the popular vote — the first Republican candidate to do so in more than a decade.
“I’m worried, just because of everything that was said beforehand about Trump and what he was gonna be implementing, but at the same time, I have optimism in the fact that his first presidency wasn’t as bad as it was led up to be,” Loya said. “It still wasn’t what I would’ve hoped. But I just have the optimism that maybe he won’t go as far as people made it out to be.”
Loya is graduating next June and said he is a little worried about Trump’s economic policies more than anything. Loya doesn’t believe Trump’s economic policies will be as positive as Trump hopes and said that could worsen the job market for Loya, post-graduation.
Sanyia Taylor, 18
“I kind of felt conflicted, I guess, because I feel like we tried so hard to get Kamala to win. I mean, we can’t really do nothing right now, but to move forward and try to keep fighting for our rights. We just keep looking [to] the future,” 18-year-old neuroscience major Sanyia Taylor said.
“We can’t really get stuck on the past because it happened and [we] can’t really do much to change it. Just keep voicing our opinions, [and] fighting for our rights,” said Taylor.
Taylor is worried about school and the federal student aid program and the U.S. Department of Education.Trump has stated that he has plans to shutter the Department. of Education during his campaign for president. The California Department of Education has begun to prepare for possible cuts to federal funding, with State Superintendent Tony Thurmond pledging to resist such actions.
“I’m kind of worried about that. Hopefully, nothing changes, but you never know what could happen. I hope it doesn’t because that would affect my schooling, and maybe I can’t go to school if I don’t have the financial aid for it,” Taylor said.
Victoria Juarez, 20, ( left) and Joanna Castro, 19 (right)
Victoria Juarez, 20-year-old Biology major, recalled the day before the election, when her knowledgeable and politically active friend at the University of California, Davis, wrote in their group chat, “there’s just no hope, he’s for sure going to win.” Juarez said that moment was very dreadful as she realized the reality of a second Trump presidency.
With the political activism displayed by Democrats on social media, Juarez said she felt hopeful up until she received that group chat message.
Trump’s win left Juarez with a lot of conflicting emotions.
“I have family who [are] on his side, and it’s a little disappointing to see that because initiating that conversation became kind of hard. Like, can you tell me, at least, why you’re supporting him?”
Juarez is Mexican and grew up in a small town. She has friends who identify as minorities, queer and Mexican women, and shared how it’s scary to know those same people are targeted by Trump.
“I have a lot of younger friends, too, still in high school, that are kind of worried about their future, too,” Juarez said. Juarez said her friends worry about college, if it will be harder for them.
“This is the reality now. What’s the next step? What can we do? But I think now that we’ve had some time to breathe, it’s like, okay, we’re gonna regroup and try to see what the next four years are gonna hold for us, I suppose,” Juarez explained.
Joanna Castro, neuroscience major, 19, said she voted by mail the day before the election. One of Castro’s friends chose not to vote, even though they had the opportunity to. Castro believed it was fine because California would still have enough votes to “tip over the scale.”
“When the results came in, like, ‘Oh, Trump won.’ I’m like, ‘Oh, are you sure?’” Castro recalled. She wasn’t entirely convinced he won, and debated if all the mail-in ballots had been counted.
It was Juarez who confirmed Trump’s win with Castro.
“It’s not that I’m in denial, but I still don’t entirely believe he’s the new president because I think, on the news, someone was asking for a recount…” Castro said. According to PBS, Milwaukee had to recount more than 30,000 absentee ballots because doors on the ballot tabulators were not properly sealed. Laws that authorize recounts vary state by state, and some states do not offer a recount process at all.
Still, Castro doesn’t believe Trump’s win is set in stone as he awaits sentencing in New York following being found guilty of 34 felony counts.
Castro said it’s a bit disheartening to see Trump’s win in light of the minorities that could be negatively affected and said it was “pretty wild” that people would vote for him “knowing what’s on the line.”
Desmond Brown, 21
“I didn’t get the chance to vote because I live in Ventura, so it was a little bit of a hassle to go all the way back home for it. I did watch the election results, though that night I was kind of studying at the time. I thought it was shocking,” said 21-year-old Biology major Desmond Brown.
“It was a little bit of a blowout, in my opinion. I think I started tuning into it when it was on the swing states. I was thinking maybe some would go blue, and then I just saw the statistics yesterday that they all ended up going red. I was like, dang, that’s crazy” Brown said. Trump won all seven swing states.
Brown said that if he could have voted, he would have voted Democratic, but that he had a feeling California was already going to go blue.
“If the numbers say so, then that’s the way it’s going to be” Brown said in regard to the election results.
“I’m half white, half Mexican so that definitely has a little bit of a say on how I vote,” Brown said. During Trump’s first presidency, Brown said his family wasn’t largely impacted.. “I’m from a middle-class family, so it didn’t have a large impact on me too much, per se. I have some family in Mexico, but they are very content in Mexico right now. I wouldn’t suffer from any immigration-like status or anything like that.”
Brown said he does, however, think Trump’s win this time around will impact some people he knows with regard to Trump’s immigration policy.