On January 20, 2017, Donald J. Trump became the president of the United States of America. Prior to the election, most United States citizens were not expecting this outcome. In fact, the majority of polls and news networks were very convinced that Hillary Clinton would enter the White House in 2017. As such, after the results of the election became public, many people were astonished and outraged. In their incertitude and bewilderment, some Democrats even refused to accept the outcome of the election.

There are several reasons why people were resentful after Trump was elected. Primarily, Trump had a reputation for lacking political correctness throughout the promotion of his campaign. He garnered strong criticism for his stereotypical views of Muslim people, objectification of women, bitter resentment towards Mexican immigrants, and controversial remarks about the LGBT community. Plenty of his infamous remarks sparked significant outrage throughout the country, including when he referred to Mexican immigrants as “bad hombres” and when he implied that his high status in society gave him the right to “grab [women].” Therefore, it is understandable why Trump’s victory upsets many of the country’s citizens.

Nevertheless, it is essential that we accept the outcome of the election. Towards the end of his campaign, people were mortified when Trump suggested that he would not accept the outcome of the presidential election. His rejection of election’s results, depending on outcome, belittled the democracy of the United States. Ironically, a select group of Democrats, who were previously infuriated that Trump might not have accepted the results, are now refusing to acknowledge the president of their country.

Primarily, there are people who refuse the results because they believe some form of fraud or foul play was responsible for the outcome. Furthermore, there are people who object to the fact that someone can lose the popular vote but win the Electoral College. Nonetheless, the reality is that Donald Trump is our president, and, as the people of a strong and powerful democracy, we need to accept that.

Austin Segal ‘20 agrees, “While I may not be thrilled about the results of the election, I believe that the country should accept the outcome, because anything otherwise would go against every democratic idea our country was built on.” Additionally, according to The New York Times, Hillary Clinton herself stated that her supporters should accept Trump’s presidency and give him the chance to lead. Thus, it is only logical that Clinton’s supporters listen to her advice and abide by our rules of our nation. In brief, stating that Donald Trump is not the rightful president is simply undemocratic.

This is not to say that people do not have the right to peacefully protest against Donald Trump’s position in office.  As Radhika Puppala ‘17 explains, “I think people shouldn’t deny the results of this election, but that doesn’t mean the protestors should stop protesting. We need to work our democracy to its fullest potential to make sure that our voices are heard and expressed in Trump’s government.” In truth, Trump is here now. Even so, people are welcome to exercise their right to protest if they are unhappy with their president and his policies as long as we, the people of the United States, continue to wish for the nation’s success and prosperity. Although people may dislike the president and oppose his views, wishing for him to fail as a president is wishing for the country to fail and for the people to suffer.

In spite of ideological and partisan differences, we must all remember that America was created to be indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.