312-226 electoral votes—this was the total margin for former President Donald Trump in his victory over Democratic challenger and current Vice President Kamala Harris. While the popular vote was still extremely close with Trump winning about 49.9 percent of the vote to Harris’ 48.3, Trump winning nearly every close swing state, including Michigan, made this victory decisive in the electoral college.
“I was watching the race live all night; I was so shocked by the results in some of the swing states,” said Natalie Juhassz, a junior at Milford High School. The race was officially called on Nov. 6, 2024, and Trump will be sworn in as the 47th president of the United States in January.
Trump stated various plans for his first days in office, with the economy being one of his main focuses throughout the campaign. Despite this election’s controversy, many are eager to see change under Trump’s leadership. “I’m not sure how I feel about the outcome of the election, but I am interested in seeing how he handles lowering prices,” said Tori Grant, a senior at Milford High School. While not everyone supports Trump, many are curious about the changes his presidency will bring.
According to CNN, Trump plans to revisit the tax cuts from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, lower the corporate tax rate to 18%, and eliminate federal taxes on tips, Social Security benefits, and overtime pay. These changes would particularly benefit lower-income families who rely on Social Security, a key factor in Trump’s electoral success. In contrast, Trump’s proposals also appeal to higher-income families and business owners, with plans to lower corporate taxes and offer additional tax cuts. One of his more controversial policies is his plan to impose higher tariffs on international trade. According to CNN, Trump intends to raise tariffs from 10% to 20% on all imported goods, with a 60% tariff on Chinese imports. Additionally, he plans to impose a 100% or 200% tariff on cars made in Mexico. Trump believes these tariffs will boost American manufacturing, create jobs, and bring billions of dollars into the U.S. economy but many economists believe that raised tariffs may lead to higher interest rates, and increase inflation as companies will have to pass costs on to consumers to cover their importing costs.
Immigration is another major focus of Trump’s agenda. He has been extremely vocal and adamant about his plans to secure the southern border. According to Time Magazine, “he signaled an ambition to carry out what he calls the ‘largest domestic deportation operation in American history. That could mean a years-long effort to remove an estimated 11 million people who are in the country without authorization.” This mass deportation plan would be one of the most aggressive immigration policies in modern U.S. history. “His plan sounds extremely radical and it is unprecedented for most Americans. This could mean people losing family to deportation and never seeing them again,” stated Milford High School senior, Carol Rivas. Trump plans to use military power and state police to help implement this urgent plan. Apart from this plan comes greater border security and construction on the wall itself, making it taller and an unshakeable structure.
Along with stricter immigration laws, Trump has discussed a merit-based immigration system. In this system, highly skilled workers would be seen as more valuable than lower-skilled workers. It would also favor immigrants with more education or specific job skills. These extreme measures of securing the border are something that this country has never seen before.
Along with immigration and the economy, abortion is a topic on America’s mind. Trump has said at the beginning of his campaign that he wants abortion regulations to be left up to voters of each state, not a national abortion ban. He has gone back and forth on this though.
At first, he stated that a nationwide abortion ban could be made possible after the overturning of Roe v. Wade in June 2022. Vice President J.D. Vance has also had various contradicting statements on the issue. According to NBC News, he has said that he supports a nationwide ban but more recently has adopted Trump’s thinking of letting states decide on their own. Looking to the future, abortion rights may come down to state voting; it could be banned in many states all over the country. In states like Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Indiana, and South Carolina their state constitution denies the right to protect abortion in certain circumstances. If it’s up to the states to vote on their rights, more states will become like them.
Based on the current news updates, Trump’s presidency will bring about even more changes than his previous term. Whether his policies are going to benefit the citizens of America is unknown. The only certain thing is that he is now leading this country and will be using his authority to do what he feels is right for American citizens.