As I write these words, I am certain many readers continue to feel anger, frustration and anxiety in the aftermath of the 2024 presidential election. I share many of these emotions. But I am equally concerned about this country’s intense polarization. We must do our part in the long process of reconciliation, and the first step is to refrain from demonizing supporters of our President-elect.
We can disagree with Trump and his supporters and believe their ideas are not good for this country. But we must never view them as the enemy. They are no less American than we are. While the extreme wing of Trump’s base dominates the headlines, we must remember that more than 76 million of our fellow citizens voted for him. Not all own guns. Not all refuse to acknowledge the result of the last presidential election. And not all oppose immigration. There is no possible stereotype that can possibly group together this many people. If we wish to even begin the process of easing the harsh polarization in this country, we must examine people’s views more critically.
It’s not just the national interest that should encourage us to view Trump supporters as less of a monolith; it’s also the only way we can hope to improve the Democrats’ fortunes in future cycles. If we continue to dismiss and vilify Trump supporters with only stereotypes in mind, we risk fanning the exact flames that led to this sharp rebuke of the Democrats in the first place. We cannot discount the effect that national culture wars have had on this past election cycle. Many have long expressed their frustration with “woke” culture and the perceived inability of the left-wing movement to engage in meaningful discourse. Perhaps we are inclined to dismiss conservative opinions, but the numbers this time ought to be a wake-up call. It is time to consider whether we have alienated too many and to question what more we as individuals could have done to make the Democratic party America’s top choice.
Now is instead the time to begin the work of reconsideration and reconstruction. Exit polls indicate that there are real reasons why Harris lost beyond misogyny and racism. Persistent economic weariness and growing suspicion of illegal immigration made her vulnerable as a member of the incumbent administration. Gender was less of a dividing issue than expected, and Harris lost support across almost all racial groups and regions compared to Biden. Even my home state of California, long considered one of the safest blue havens, unexpectedly swung toward Trump this election despite still granting Harris a safe win; she notably became the first Democratic nominee since John Kerry in 2004 to win less than 60% of votes in the Golden State.
None of this will be easy; the entire Democratic party, from politicians and party chiefs to individual supporters, has much to reflect on after this past election. I understand that at the present moment, we may wish to vilify Trump supporters given the incoming president’s erratic and often authoritarian-leaning agenda. I share the concerns many students have about how this country will change after Jan. 20. But stigmatizing and alienating Trump supporters will do nothing to encourage reconciliation nor improve the Democrats’ standing in the next election cycle. We must accept that Harris did not lose only because of racism, sexism and xenophobia. Our duty is now to reflect and continue our work, whether it’s distributing information about safe abortion access, volunteering for candidates running in the next election cycle or reconsidering how we approach opinions that may conflict with ours. As long as we do so, we’ll always have hope.
Lucas Guan ’27 can be reached at lucas_guan@brown.edu. Please send responses to this column to letters@browndailyherald.com and other opinions to opinions@browndailyherald.com.
