An Opinion on the Election Results
Disclaimer: All articles published under this section are the opinions of the respective authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Cor Chronicle.
Many students are rejoicing over the results of the election, which named Donald Trump victorious as our 47th president. While I will join in the excitement and hope that the next four years will be brighter than the last, I do not think that we have destroyed the “Eye of Sauron” and everything is now yippy-skippy, or that we can all go home because we, as republicans, won.
The state of our nation is not certain. As Catholics, we should continue to pray for our country and our political leaders. Trump will be the most powerful man in America for the next four years and he should be kept in our prayers, both for his physical safety and for the safeguarding of our nation.
Another reason to pray for Trump is that despite what Luke Enriquez might have you believe, Trump is not exactly the number one man you should imitate. In the past few years, and especially during the 2016 election, Trump was made into a meme of sorts and for some people, even a political idol. However, since the 1970s, there have been many legal cases surrounding Trump, from sexual assault and tax evasion to near-impeachment.
Some even speculate that the reason Trump ran again despite his loss in 2020 was because it would be a convenient way to escape the multiple state lawsuits against him. I don’t believe that this stance is entirely true, however. The speech Trump gave following his victory focuses heavily on the values of family, promise, rebuilding the economy and the American people.
Some people hold the opposite view and argue that Trump choosing to run again is proof that he has nothing to gain and everything to give to the US as our president. Trump has a net worth of over $5 billion, so the measly less than half-a-million-dollar annual salary of the oval office is likely not his main motivation.
Why would a man fight for a job that has put him in the way of almost four assassination attempts if he did not truly believe in the value and purpose that he could bring to America?
Trump makes history as the only man besides Grover Cleavland to be voted president for two nonconsecutive terms. But a thought to consider is that Trump only won the election when his primary running mate was a woman. He beat Hillary and Kamala, but lost to Sleepy Joe. Some might question, what does this say about America’s reluctance to have a female president? Why does Trump only win elections when his opponents are women?
JD Vance is also worth mentioning.The former marine and senator from Ohio will now serve as vice president under Trump. Vance converted to Catholicism in 2019. As an adult convert who has spoken and defended Christian voters, Vance will hopefully live out his Catholic faith in a greater and more public way than previous political officials who claimed the same faith.
All of this is to say, we should remember to pray for our country, our leaders and the people that make up America. Trump only won with a 50.3% in the popular vote. Tensions are high, and many Americans remain divided on huge issues such as abortion, immigration, identity and gender issues and many others.
May God bless America. Please pray for your country!
Sophie del Mazo is a junior history major with an ethics concentration.