TRUMP wait and see

Several Jamaican Diaspora leaders in the United States (US) who backed Vice President Kamala Harris in Tuesday’s presidential election have been left devastated by her loss but are now adopting a wait-and-see attitude towards the incoming Donald Trump administration.

In Tuesday’s election, former President Donald Trump scored a resounding victory to become the 47th president of the US.

Not only did he gather the minimum 270 electoral college votes required to become president, but he also won the popular vote, becoming the first Republican presidential candidate to do so since George W. Bush in 2004.

Going into the elections, Jamaicans in the diaspora had expressed confidence in a victory for Harris, the daughter of Jamaican economist Donald Harris.

Former New York City council member and community activist Una Clarke, who was a delegate for the vice president at the Democratic National Convention, said she was extremely disappointed in the results.

“I was confident that she would have won because she had the better policies to improve the lives of members of the middle class, but the country decided to go in another direction,” Clarke told The Gleaner.

She said she had no doubt that Trump would follow through on the policy initiatives that he outlined during the campaign.

“I will be watching carefully to see if he delivers on what he promised because if he does, it will be a dark period for the country,” she said.

Clarke said she was disappointed because Harris ran an outstanding campaign in the time since she ascended to the top of the ticket.

Dr Allan Cunningham, former Jamaica Global Diaspora Council member for the Southern United States and head of the People’s Choice Awards, also expressed his disappointment at the vice president’s loss and said he hoped that Trump would not follow through on “the negative things” he said during the campaign.

“I don’t see a scenario where he is going to do the right thing, but I will not judge him on the past but will wait to see how his administration performs,” he said.

“The results show democracy at work. The people have spoken, but it shows the continued divide in the country,” he said.

Cunningham expressed the hope that leaders will come together to bridge the divide that plagues the country.

SHOCKED BY RESULTS

Stanley Campbell, who ran as a candidate in the Democratic senatorial campaign, said people were shocked by the results of the election.

“The country is so divided, and this is reflected in the results. Kamala ran the best race possible in the four months she became the nominee, but the results are not about the candidate with the best policies,” he said.

He said the division in the country is there and the country has to work to heal such divisions.

“I will look to see if he will be a better president than candidate. I am hopeful that he will be a sensible person,” said Campbell.

He said he knows that the country can do better, and it will.

Scherie Murray, a Republican activist, welcomed Trump’s victory and said he was elected because people wanted to return to a better economy, stop illegal immigration, and feel safe.

“They should never have removed Joe Biden from the top of the Democratic ticket, but President-elect Trump will deliver on his policies,” she said, adding that she was looking forward to Trump doing the right thing.

Dr Karren Dunkley, former Global Diaspora Council member for the Northeast United States and international educator, said the election revealed the deep divisions in the country.

“In a striking turn of events, Donald Trump has emerged victorious in the 2024 presidential election, which has sparked widespread celebration and profound consternation across the political landscape,” Dunkley told The Gleaner.

“For his supporters, this victory represents a reclaiming of what they view as traditional values, a voice for the economically disenfranchised, and a push-back against what they perceive as a Washington establishment detached from the realities of Middle America. Fuelled by a powerful narrative of ‘America First’ policies, the campaign clearly resonated with voters looking for a bold shift in US domestic and foreign policy.”

She said the election revealed deep divisions, with significant segments of the population expressing concerns about the potential implications for civil liberties, climate action, and global alliances.

As the results set in, she noted that Americans would grapple with what this presidency will mean for the future and that with a majority mandate and a strong, impassioned base, Trump is now positioned to shape the nation’s trajectory with significant influence.

“The challenge will be for the country to bridge divides and find common ground in a time of heightened political polarisation. For millions of Americans, there is hope and anxiety about what lies ahead as the country embarks on yet another transformative chapter in its democratic journey. We will undoubtedly remember this election as a defining moment in America’s modern history, and only time will reveal the full impact of this renewed Trump administration on the nation and the world,” she said.

Dale Holness, former mayor and city commissioner of Broward County, also expressed his profound disappointment at the results of the election.

“I am disappointed to see the outcome. As a Jamaican I am doubly disappointed. Vice President Harris had a strong message and policies that would have made a difference in people’s lives,” he told The Gleaner.

The Republican party not only won the White House, but also flipped control of the US Senate and was up to last night in a strong position to keep control of the US House of Representatives.

Control of all three arms of government would give Trump immense powers to push through legislation at will.

editorial@gleanerjm.com