Republican candidate and businessman Donald Trump stunned previous polls and projections as he won the 45th presidency of the United States. His triumph over Secretary Hillary Clinton ends an eight-year Democratic control of the White House. Trump faces many divisions in the country, including division within his own party, but he will enter his presidency with Republican majority Congress. 

“Now its time for America to bind the wounds of division —have to get together,” he said in his victory speech on Wednesday. “To all Republicans and Democrats and independents across this nation, I say it is time for us to come together as one united people.” 

“Donald Trump may in fact be one of the most moderate and malleable of Presidents this country has ever elected.” –Derek Fake, Vice President of College Republicans

As of Wednesday morning, AP reported Trump won the presidency with 276 electoral votes, while Clinton only had 218 by that time. According to NPR’s Wednesday morning update, Clinton narrowly won the national popular vote by .2 percent. AP reported that Clinton won more counties where less than 50 percent of the population is white and won more counties where at least 45 percent of the population is African American. Trump, on the other hand, won Ohio, Florida, Iowa, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin —all states which Republican Mitt Romney lost in 2012. 

On Wednesday morning, Clinton called Trump to concede, thus ending a historic run of the first female nominee of a major US Political Party. President Barack Obama invited Trump to meet in the White House and congratulated him on his victory. The White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest promised a smooth transition of power in the next year. 

“After a bruising and exhaustive election season our nation comes to see a new reality unfold before our eyes . . .where Donald Trump and the Republicans in general were written off as out of touch and too radical,” Villanova College Republicans Vice President Derek Fake said. “The message resonated with disaffected voters in Wisconsin, Michigan and our own great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, that the establishment needs to be broken up. That the voices of the people need to be heard. At this point we should come together as a nation and heal. Donald Trump may in fact be one of the most moderate and malleable of Presidents this country has ever elected. I see a Republican Congress fixing the inefficiency of Washington, and reestablishing a government for the people.” 

VU Democrats were disappointed with the results. “We are proud to have celebrated Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine as candidates for president and vice-president,” VU Democrats Secretary Caroline Ibarra said. “We truly believe that they were the best representatives of the progressive ideals that we value as an organization in this election cycle, and we will work hard through the next four years to continue promoting these ideals on Villanova’s campus and in the community at large.” 

Trump’s victory will likely greatly affect the Supreme Court. With the Senate refusing to consider Obama’s choice of Merrick Garland to fill in Antonin Scalia’s seat and three other justices over the age of 75, Trump has released a list of Conservatives to fill any possible vacancies during his presidency. 

With regard to economic policy, Trump promises to reduce taxes, eliminate special interest loopholes and reduce the cost of childcare by allowing families to fully deduct the average cost of childcare from their taxes, including stay-at-home parents. 

According to his platform on his website, Trump wants to appoint a Veterans Affairs Secretary, increase the size of the US Army to 540,000 active duty soldiers, persuade Mexico to build an impenetrable wall on the southern border to prevent illegal immegration, end sanctuary cities, temporarily suspend immigration “from some of the most dangerous and volatile regions of the world,”boost economic growth to 3.5 percent per year on average, upgrade aging water systems, create thousands of jobs and more. 

Fake hopes students view this election cycle through the eyes of all voters. “Throughout this campaign both sides have demonstrated these same virtues,” Fake said. “All Americans, whether Democrat, Independent, Libertarian or Republican have always wanted to do what they think is best for our country. We all have this kinship for goodness and love of country. Don’t forget our Villanovan virtues and particularly remember to reach out to the poor, abandoned, and alienated members of society remembering to reach out in love and Christian charity for all humanity