By: Hosna Kachooee, Noah Yeboah
The elections this year had many at the edge of their seats; two very different candidates campaigned to win the minds of the American people. The result? The United States now has a convicted felon as president. It is still shocking to many how he was able to gain votes despite his offensive campaigns, weak debates, and policies that would directly harm certain groups. But one thing is for sure: he was able to flawlessly weaponize religion and woo the audience away with his charismatic speeches.
Donald Trump ran against current Vice President Kamala Harris, and won with 52% of the vote, despite having several criminal court cases. The question on everybody’s mind is, what will happen to his criminal charges? Will his court cases be postponed or will they all just go away? Discussions are still ongoing, but it is certain that the procedure will defer with him as president.
CNN reports that Trump’s position is “extraordinarily unique” as there has never been a time where a criminal has been elected as president.
How was he able to run despite all of these charges? There was nothing holding him back from running; in fact, the US Constitution has few eligibility requirements for presidential candidates: such as the candidate being at least 35, a “natural born US citizen,” and having lived in the US for at least 14 years.
But what do the students at Bergen Community College think about the result of the election? In our last issue, we took to the student body to find out how they felt about the election and the candidates. Many stated that they were not going to vote, and those that did found neither candidate to reflect their values.
The Torch conducted an anonymous social survey in which BCC students could provide their input to the prompt: “What’s your opinion on the recent election?” Some provided short answers like “terrified” or feeling “pure sadness,” while others went more in depth as to what exactly concerned or motivated them regarding his policies.
“I’m curious about how he’ll approach foreign policy this time, especially with countries like China and Russia. In his last term, he imposed tariffs on Chinese goods, which he claimed was to reduce the trade deficit and protect American industries. As we saw, this led to trade tensions and even a trade war that hurt U.S. farmers and increased prices on many goods. If he follows a similar approach, I hope he considers the impact on American businesses and consumers. It’s a fine line to walk, and I hope he finds a way to balance it better this time.” – Anonymous respondent
Tariffs penalize businesses who import foreign goods to sell within the country. Imposed by the federal government, any company based in the U.S. that imports products from other countries must pay a percentage of their profit to the government. With the tariffs, a company can either stop importing that product or raise its sale price. When such items can’t be found within the United States, the firms tend to pass the costs of these tariffs to consumers. As a result, prices for everyday goods will be much higher. According to the Washington Post, In the past few weeks, Trump called for a 20% blanket tariff on all imported goods and at least 60% on imports from China. In addition to that, New York Times reports that he plans to impose a 100%, or higher, tariff on vehicles that are built in Mexico. Vice President Kamala Harris referred to this initiative as “a sales tax on the American people,” saying that it would raise costs for households by approximately four thousand dollars annually. While this economic strategy intends to encourage companies to depend on domestic resources, previous attempts suggest otherwise. In 2018, NBC News reported that Donald Trump imposed 20-50% tariffs on many residential washing machines from South Korea. This led the Seoul based company, LG, to increase its prices in response to the tariffs. But their American competitors did the same.
“[I’m] concerned about his stance on healthcare. Last time, he tried to repeal the Affordable Care Act, without a clear replacement; which put millions at risk of losing coverage. For example, the Congressional Budget office estimated his plan would have resulted in over 20 million people losing their health insurance by 2026. I worry that he will try to do similar changes again which, could be disastrous for low income families who rely on affordable healthcare options” – Anonymous respondent
Trump has always expressed his dissatisfaction with the Affordable Care Act (ACA), set into law by former president Barack Obama back in 2010. Since then, he has gone back and forth on his position, often saying that he wants to eliminate it and replace it with something better. One of his latest statements regarding ACA was during the presidential debate on September 10th. When asked about his views, he said that he has “concepts of a plan” to replace the law and did not provide a clear course of action that would make it “better.” The ACA is estimated to cover over 45 million people in health care plans through programs like Medicare and Medicaid. Potential changes to the ACA could affect healthcare affordability, drug prices, and reproductive care across the country. He has voiced support for privatizing more of the healthcare sector, which would mean higher out-of-pocket costs and fewer in-network care options within those who depend on ACA plans, usually families with lower-incomes.
“After the election, I had some concerns about the future of women’s health and reproductive rights in our country. Historically speaking, the new president-elect has given no indication that these issues are on his agenda at all, much less making them a priority. With so many women all over the country already experiencing the devastating consequences of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, a decision that was only possible because the justices Mr. Trump appointed voted for it, my first thought after he was re-elected was: ‘What will this mean for the rights of American women?’” – Anonymous respondent
Donald Trump’s conservative views regarding reproductive rights have many concerned. Vice President Kamala Harris focused greatly on this topic during her campaign, promising protection of these rights. Trump has repeatedly taken credit for the historic reversal of Roe v. Wade back in June 2022, which resulted in many states enforcing strict laws regarding abortion and, in some states, banning it completely. This decision took away the freedom of choice for women and left millions at risk of limited care options and potential danger through risky procedures. Banning abortion does not prevent it from happening; it just leaves people with limited and more dangerous options for a procedure they have the right to seek. “Project 2025,” a policy plan proposed by Trump’s allies, calls for national restrictions on birth control and abortion. We have yet to see how this will be executed, but the devastating aftermath of the Roe v. Wade reversal still echoes nationwide.
“As a student, I’m super worried about education stuff. If they cut loans or whatever, it’s gonna suck for people like me. Also, my bestie, who’s an international student, might get screwed too.” – Anonymous respondent
When it comes to education, Trump is not shy of wanting to implement his conservative views. Whether it’s abolishing diversity and inclusion offices or cutting funds to schools that require vaccines, he has always been firm on his vision towards education. His most concerning promise is to shut down the U.S. Education Department entirely. If this were to happen, every single student across the nation will be impacted, especially those relying on federal aid. Colleges, including Bergen Community College, rely heavily on federal money to make education more affordable through programs like FAFSA, EOF, and others that either you or someone you know depends on for their education. For the K-12 program, two of the biggest funding programs include the Title I program, meant to help educate children who come from low-income families, and the IDEA program, which provides schools with funds to help meet the needs of students with disabilities. While this won’t be a quick process, it is definitely on his agenda. With his policies on immigration and education, international students will likely face a lot of complications, both in maintaining and obtaining their student visas, necessary to study in the U.S.
“I think his policies could be beneficial for the economy, especially with his focus on reducing corporate taxes and bringing manufacturing jobs back to the U.S. For example, during his previous term, he pushed for companies like Apple and Ford to consider moving production back to America, and we saw companies like Foxconn making investments in U.S. facilities. If he can encourage similar moves this time around, it might create more job opportunities for American workers and help our economy recover faster” – Anonymous respondent
Tax breaks were one of his promises during his campaign, but it’s not as simple as it may sound. The benefits of these tax breaks, mostly initiated from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, are mostly skewed toward the wealthy. It did significantly reduce corporate tax collections, but that did not create more jobs and, at the same time, put the nation in more debt. Taiwan electronics manufacturer Foxconn scaled back from the planned $10 billion investment in Wisconsin, reducing its investment to $672 million. The deal, first announced in July 2017, was one of Trump’s examples of how his “America First” approach could improve the economy, but it didn’t go as planned. The exact details as to why this occurred haven’t been disclosed; however, industry executives and some officials at Foxconn were said to have been “skeptical” of the plan from the beginning. With companies like Apple and Ford, Trump suggested that they move production to the U.S. so that they could avoid his tariffs. But both companies stated that doing so will likely increase sales prices for consumers, seeing that U.S. labor is much more expensive, and lower their profits. In addition, CNN reports that if the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act were to be extended in 2025, it would cost more than $4 trillion and the promised tax relief measure will be $3.3 trillion on top of that. According to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, over the next decade, Trump’s platform will blow a nearly $8 trillion hole in the federal budget. In regards to job opportunities, bearing the pandemic in mind, Forbes found that the U.S. added about 2.7 million jobs during Trump’s presidency while it added about 16 million jobs during Biden’s presidency.
With Donald Trump re-elected, the nation will have to go through some shaky paths in order to fulfill his agenda. Apart from his own initiatives, Trump has already appointed some of his administration members and each time one gets announced, a discussion on their qualifications emerges. But what will become of the country in the next four years? Regardless of your political views, we’d like to hear more from you. Send your thoughts to thetorcheic@gmail.com.
