Election Response: What Trump’s Re-Election Could Mean for the U.S.

As Donald Trump returns to the White House, is his re-election a step toward national progress—or a repeat of past controversies?

Donald Trump’s re-election has aroused a lot of mixed feelings across the nation, with many ecstatic and many anxious about what is to come in the next 4 years. Many people, especially those in Democrat-dominated states such as Massachusetts, think that the re-election is a sign of bad things to come; however, I think it’s worth considering the other side. Trump isn’t perfect and holds many radical views, but his second term may help the US in ways that aren't talked about enough. 

First and foremost, Trump is coming into his second term with experience. Trump’s first term was messy, filled with scandals and constant drama. But even amid all the chaos, he accomplished things that had a real effect on the country. For example, his policies of cutting corporate taxes and reducing regulations helped create millions of jobs and brought unemployment to a record low until March 2020 when the coronavirus hit. These policies benefited small businesses and gave companies the confidence to invest. Now that Trump has already gone through four years as president, he knows what works and what doesn’t. He’s had a chance to reflect on the challenges he faced, like struggling to keep his administration stable or dealing with backlash. This term, he could avoid making the same mistakes that caused his last term and instead focus on improving what he has already started. Like what Zach Beauchamp, an author of articles on reactionary politics, states, “Donald Trump is much more organized. He knows what he is doing, has a series of distinct policy objectives that he’s reiterated again and again”, and that, “[His next term] will be, in a lot of ways, fundamentally different than what we all lived through four years ago.”

In addition, Trump’s approach to international issues may help with ensuring peace and stability. While his first term was defined by a “America First” policy, which aims for non-interventionism, his recent call for a ceasefire in Gaza for peaceful negotiations related to hostages shows a shift towards prioritizing peaceful resolutions. Trump has made it clear that he is demanding de-escalation of violence, and many are looking for him to achieve it, with Trump’s press secretary asserting, "President Trump will serve as America's Negotiator-in-Chief and work to get innocent civilians held hostage home." Trump’s focus on Gaza could strengthen America’s role on the world stage, showing that the US is willing to take action to promote peace rather than divisions. Even though many criticize Trump for his direct assertions, such as when he states that Gaza has “hell to pay” if the hostages are not released, it may just be what is needed to continue stalling diplomacy. 

Finally, it is important to address a widespread misconception that Trump is behind Project 2025. This belief is false. Even though many of the creators of Project 2025 worked in Trump’s administration, Project 2025 is a political playbook created by the Heritage Foundation and dozens of other conservative groups, not Trump himself. Indeed, Trump even stated that disagrees with elements of the effort, stating “...many of the points are fine, many of the points are absolutely ridiculous. I have nothing to do with the document.”

Trump’s re-election is more complicated than it might seem. It’s easy to focus solely on the negative aspects, but one should take a closer look at what he could accomplish. Whether we agree or disagree with Trump’s policies, it’s important to take a balanced and objective view of the potential of the future. 

Zephyr Liu