As of Jan. 20, 2025, Donald Trump is officially the 47th president of the United States of America. If someone told me a year ago this would be the reality we’re about to face, I think I would have laughed and said “good joke.” But nevertheless, here we are. On a day noted for featuring billionaires worth more than the gross domestic product of New Zealand and Portugal combined along with Melania Trump’s wide-brimmed boater hat, the nation witnessed a prosecuted felon step into one of the most powerful roles in the world. And from day one, he proved that he actually does have “concepts of a plan.” Signing more executive orders than any other president on his first day in office, Trump is making good on the promises he made in his campaign. However, this comes at the expense of those who voted to give him such power.

In a significant setback for former Vice President Kamala Harris and the Democratic Party, the U.S. experienced a major shift in 2024, with 90% of counties voting more Republican compared to the 2020 election. This was just wild. Has America become more conservative? Was Trump simply the more appealing candidate? I wish I had a good answer for this, but what I do know is that more people voted for Trump in 2024 than in 2020 and 2016. The demographics that compose these 77.3 million votes reveal quite a bit about the values of our nation and what we value in a leader. The data are rather disheartening as many of the people who voted for him belong to groups that are currently being hurt by his numerous executive orders. 

According to a poll done by the National Broadcasting Company (NBC), a noteworthy 46% of latinos voted for Trump. This is rather ironic because a core aspect of his campaign centered around deporting undocumented immigrants, particularly Mexicans. He followed through on his promise by declaring a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border, calling for law enforcement officials and the military to crack down on immigrants. As of now, a striking 74% of undocumented immigrants are latino. Thus, the very people he hopes to kick out of this country may be the family members and close friends of those who voted for him.

This poll also highlights Trump’s support among older Americans, with approximately 50% of adults over 65 pledging their vote to him. Though this comes as no surprise as older Americans have usually voted on the more conservative side, this should raise concern seeing as Trump has made it clear that he does not care about their health. It’s long been established that conservatives don’t like any initiative meant to make healthcare more affordable, but Trump took this a step further by rescinding Executive Order 14087. This law signed under former President Joe Biden worked to lower the cost of prescription drugs and increase accessibility to innovative treatment options. Additionally, Trump has expressed support for the private insurance option under Medicare, called Medical Advantage, while limiting funding for Medicare itself. This would decrease government spending at the expense of diminishing healthcare benefits for those unable to afford private insurance. And since nearly 95% of adults over the age of 60 have at least one chronic condition, with 80% having two or more, these changes would hurt this demographic the most.

Another group of voters that strongly supported Trump were concerned with the economy, with 93% of Republicans saying the economy was important to their vote. Unlike the first two scenarios described, this one has some method to the madness. In his campaign, Trump emphasized just how horrible the economy was, making sure to assert that his administration would “fix” it. Intending to protect domestic industries, Trump announced a 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico effective starting Feb. 1, 2025. The total amount of imported goods between the two countries is worth over $800 billion dollars, amounting to 28% of total imports. When this goes into effect, the price of various goods such as cars and oil will increase dramatically. This does not help the already high price of groceries—eggs in particular, as the bird flu has had negative effects on the farming industry. And once the deportations start taking effect, the price of virtually every other grocery item will go up as well because undocumented latinos compose a vast portion of farm workers. Thus, this “poor” economy will suffer further under Trump’s administration.

Though many individuals have blatantly ignored the evidence showing how Trump actually does not have their best interest at heart, unless they’re a rich billionaire who happens to also be a white man, some did. A firm 86% of the LGBTQIA+ community voted for Kamala Harris. With the foresight to see the detrimental effects another Trump administration would have on their rights, this group of people banned together to contribute to the advancement of a more progressive agenda, one determined to increase opportunities for minorities. Unfortunately, they were met with a slap in the face as Trump mandated federal policies to acknowledge only male and female genders. In doing so, he demonstrated a complete disregard for the complexities of gender that extend beyond a binary system, ignoring those who identify as agender, genderfluid and more. Additionally, he dismantled federal diversity, equity and inclusion programs which protected this community and other minorities from bigoted individuals like him. As a result of his poorly designed initiatives, this community and many more minority groups will be hurt.

America, we have a long way to go. With four years ahead, only time will tell what “life-saving” and “American” policies our new president will implement. The sheer speed at which Trump has already enacted sweeping changes suggests an administration determined to reshape the country in his image, regardless of the cost to the very people who put him back in office. Perhaps, like a racehorse forced into an unsustainable sprint, Trump’s momentum will inevitably slow. But until then, the nation braces itself for the impact. What once seemed like an impossible reality is now unfolding before our eyes. Stay vigilant, stay informed and, most importantly, stay safe. This “good joke” has turned into a political era with consequences we are only just beginning to understand.