Americans went to the polls on Tuesday, November 8 2016 thinking that at day’s end they would be listening to an acceptance speech from the first woman ever to be elected president in United States history. But imagine their shock when they awoke Wednesday morning and watched unbelieving newscasters announce that Donald Trump had scored an unbelievable and stunning upset of Hillary Clinton for the presidency of the United States.
Hillary Clinton could have screamed “Rigged!” which Trump said he would do if he lost. The survey polls gave her as much as 2-digit leads over her rival in the weeks prior to election. Many odds were stacked up against Mr. Trump. Clinton’s campaign persisted in declaring that Trump was unfit and not qualified for the highest office of the land. Trump himself bungled things up and almost offended every group and segment of the constituency every time he opened his mouth during the campaign. But incredibly, he still won. And as several of his naysayers were threatening to do if he won the elections, they might as well start packing up and move to Canada or to some other planet in the universe.
Disaffection for Clinton and her performance or lack of it while in office may have been greater than people’s disdain over Trump’s flawed character. But the results of the election may also be a reflection of the panic that people had as they see the direction this country is going and want to change course. The horizon may look so bleak Americans in desperation want to try someone from outside the political arena to lead them to where America could be great again as Trump promised time and time again during his rallies.
Even as the president-elect is meeting with President Obama at the White House in order to map out a smooth transition of power, students and young people across the land are marching out on the streets protesting the election of Mr. Trump and refusing to acknowledge him as their president. In Los Angeles, they burned effigies of him and vandalized police cars.
We don’t know how a Trump presidency will affect day to day life in the United States or the role the US will play in world politics. We can only pray that God gives him wisdom to lead the country and the free world and that under his leadership, the church will be able to finish its task so that when his world as we know it comes to an end, Christ will come and usher in an everlasting kingdom of joy, peace and prosperity that has long eluded us under the rule of men.