The 2024 presidential elections have been a whirlwind of emotions for everyone. The season has showcased a seemingly tight race with two candidates who couldn’t be any more different in character and policy.
Now that the election is over, Donald Trump will be the 47th president. He makes history for being re-elected into presidential office after inciting a failed coup d’etat and becoming a convicted felon.
It was a solemn day for those who voted blue and were looking forward to having the first woman of color as president of the United States. It was an especially somber day for people of color or any marginalized group in America.
These people were shown that they should be afraid for their rights – with good reason.
This election season came with a lot of major concerns for candidates to address, especially concerning healthcare access, immigration policy, and foreign affairs, such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The public demanded clarity on these issues.
Donald Trump made his stance very clear on these issues, especially the ones concerning minority populations. One of the most infamous highlights from his campaign was a comment from comedian Tony Hinchcliffe at a rally in New York City’s Madison Square Garden calling Puerto Rico a “floating pile of garbage.” Hinchliffe would also go on to reiterate a stereotype of Black Americans “carving watermelons.”
This was far from the only incident in which racist and xenophobic rhetoric was espoused. The general immigrant population was also another target of Trump’s campaign, at a rally in Aurora, Colorado, claiming it is “in their genes” to commit crimes. During the only debate hosted between Trump and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, he falsely claimed the legal Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were eating pets.
Phrases such as “animals” and “enemies from within” are just a couple of the ways he has referred to America’s migrant population and his opposition on the left. One of his many promises to the country included plans for denaturalization of immigrants and mass deportation – a depressing concept to face emotionally and economically if enforced.
America’s Arab/Muslim population were also major stakeholders in the elections, especially in light of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. While both candidates provided similar views on the situation, they received very different reactions from the voter population.
On the Democratic side, Harris made it clear she supports Israel’s “right to defend itself” and a two-state solution to the ongoing conflict. This made her a target for ongoing interruptions and protests during her campaign and may have been one of the reasons for her loss.
Meanwhile, during Trump’s campaign, Muslim leaders took a stand at Trump’s rally in Novi, Michigan, to profess that a future with him promised peace. Despite his previous Islamaphobic rhetoric and policies, this endorsement helped him sustain support from the Arab community and win over Michigan in the election.
The larger portion of the Arab votes (precisely 50%) went to the third-party candidate Jill Stein, who pledged to stop the genocide as a part of her campaign. Harris’s loss of support from this group of voters accounted for some 22,000 votes in the heavily Arab populated cities of Michigan.
Harris herself has been the target of racist comments throughout the campaign season. Far-right activist (who was on the campaign trail with Trump) Laura Loomer stated the White House would “smell like curry” if she was elected, referring to Harris’s half-Indian background. Trump himself had also made comments about Harris’s Black background, using stereotypes to refer to her as “slow,” “lazy,” and claiming she had a “low IQ.”
In the end, blue voters were met with disappointment and frustration from the election results. Best shown through social media, Harris’s loss has caused intersectional discourse between the marginalized groups of America, specifically between racial groups.
Many Harris supporters abandoned current strikes, such as the Starbucks strike, in retaliation to much of the Arab community voting red. There has also been an increase in xenophobia towards Hispanic men in particular for their support for Trump. One of the only groups that was not completely split were the Black American voters, who voted blue by a landslide.
Celebrations of Republicans have also been an alarming after-effect of the election results. Many people of color have been faced with more racist and xenophobic confrontations now that Trump will be in office. The most infamous case of this boasting comes from Republican Nick Fuentes and his misogynistic rant which popularized the misogynistic slogan “your body, my choice.”
Overall, it has been a taxing election season for Americans, especially for people of color and other marginalized groups. As the beginning of Trump’s term in office approaches, states are already bracing to protect rights from the opposition Trump promises to show for them.
New York, for example, passed the “Prop 1” amendment adjustment, which protects rights concerning reproductive health, sexual orientation and identity, and much more for citizens. It also bars legislation from dismantling these rights.
While state protections are reassuring, there are many more issues to be addressed if the policies of Project 2025 are to be enacted, which prominently concerns minority populations in America, such as immunity to police and tighter restrictions on welfare.
Donald Trump is not yet in office, but many Americans are already facing the consequence of his widespread rhetoric through upticks in hate speech and increasing harassment.
This leaves minority groups to redefine what being American means for them, as they bear the brunt of not only the attitude coming from our current majority but the potential incoming egregious policies to come.
