There is so much to say about the result of the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Knowing that we could go on for thousands of words and that thousands of words will indeed be written about this result in the coming days and decades, we will simply relay facts about what transpired Tuesday. Taking political stances threatens our status as a nonprofit, so we are limited to stating the facts.
On Nov. 8, 2016, the United States elected to its highest office a man who has been accused of sexually assaulting over 10 women, who bragged about committing sexual assault and failed to apologize for it. He has never held public office. He has insulted entire groups of Americans based on their racial, ethnic and national backgrounds, referring to Mexican immigrants as “rapists.” He said a judge of Mexican descent, born in the United States, could not serve justly because of his heritage. He has called women any number of deplorable names that are not fit for the playground let alone the highest office of the most powerful country in the world. He dodged paying millions of dollars in income taxes and bragged about it. He refused to release his tax returns, something every presidential candidate has done for the last four decades. He has repeatedly incited violence at rallies and stated that his opponent should be jailed. He repeatedly said he would refuse to concede the election should he have lost.
Republican and President-Elect Donald Trump’s opponent in the presidential race, former Democratic presidential nominee and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, has spent her entire adult life in public service. She served as a senator from New York for eight years and secretary of state for four. She was First Lady for eight years prior to that. Clinton won a majority of nonwhite voters and women. She campaigned on racial justice, immigration reform, preserving and expanding women’s access to health care and preserving and expanding the rights of LGBTQ Americans.
Trump won the presidential election, securing over 300 electoral votes, a decisive victory over Clinton.
Editorials are written by The Herald’s editorial board: Emma Jerzyk ’17, Joseph Zappa ’17, Caroline Kelly ’17 and Andrew Flax ’17.
