Reluctantly opening my laptop at 4 a.m. on Nov. 6, I see The Associated Press has called the presidential race. Former president Donald Trump has won against Vice President Kamala Harris and will be the 47th president of the U.S.
It’s no secret that elections tend to be accompanied with great amounts of fear with everyone jumping to the worst possible scenarios. While some of these fears may turn out to be irrational, politics and elections absolutely can be personal and have ramifications that reflect that. Especially when the politicians in question give speeches with an abundance of misinformation and disinformation, causing irreparable harm to different communities.
It’s obviously impossible to enact every Republican policy on hot issues from this election cycle, such as LGBTQ+ rights, reproductive healthcare and immigration. However, these promoted views still tend to incite hate and smaller acts of legislation. Therefore, it makes absolutely no sense to spread the idea that politics and the election are not personal when most – if not all – policies being pushed this election season directly affect underprivileged and underrepresented people.
LGBTQ+ PROTECTIONS
It’s personal when my transgender friends worry about how they’ll continue to access their healthcare – such as estrogen and testosterone – when Sen. Ted Cruz was reelected for a third term, Trump will be back in office and the GOP has control of the Senate.
According to Time Magazine, Republicans spent approximately $215 million this election cycle on anti-transgender ads. Trump’s speeches and his official website both state plans to roll back LGBTQ+ rights, such as cutting back on “Biden-era discrimination laws” and decreasing federal funding for schools pushing “radical beliefs.”
Restrictions to gender-affirming healthcare, which some doctors refer to as “life-saving care,” is not the only way transgender people have been targeted this election cycle. Trump, along with plenty of Republican ads, centered on “keeping men out of women’s sports,” focusing on the small number of transgender women playing on teams aligning with their gender identity.
Texans have also seen a fair share of ads with this message. Almost every Ted Cruz ad I saw consisted of this message and Colin Allred, his Democratic opponent, “wants boys in girl sports.”
With all these targeted ads and policies promoted by politicians in power, this only risks the safety and well-being of queer and transgender Americans.
REPRODUCTIVE HEALTHCARE
Personal feelings cannot be removed when the effects of Roe v. Wade being stricken down – which Trump takes credit for – are coming to light. According to NBC News, at least two women in Texas have already died, receiving delayed care for miscarriages due to the state’s abortion ban.
When asked if he’d veto a federal abortion ban, Trump has consistently been vague or responded with “I won’t have to” because leaving it to the states is “what everyone wanted.”
However, not every citizen has the luxury or ability to simply pick up everything and move to a state that gives them the freedom and rights over their own autonomy.
According to a 2024 poll by the Pew Research Center, 63% of Americans believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases. This year, 10 states had measures on the ballot to protect abortion rights and seven of them won.
The right to a woman’s body and autonomy isn’t something that should constantly be up in the air, with the individual being punished based on which state they reside in.
Even with the idea of only allowing abortion in “extreme circumstances” such as rape and incest – which is not even an exception in Texas – simply reinforces the idea that a woman still can’t have full control over her body unless it’s been violated first.
Reproductive healthcare should be a federal right. It is not something that should be constantly changed and be given or taken depending on what state lines an individual crosses.
IMMIGRATION
In response to the number of people who crossed the border being at a historical high under the Biden administration, Trump has continuously spoken about “reining in the situation.” Since winning the election, Trump and his campaign have announced plans of the “largest deportation program in American history,” according to USA Today.
The process of getting a green card is already difficult, taking from a few months to years. Thousands, if not millions, of families continue to be separated, not seeing each other for years.
This number will only increase exponentially under Trump. In addition to more families being separated, Trump’s plan is likely going to damage the economy. During this election, the economy has already been of much discussion, with complaints of inflation and prices being too high.
According to both CNN and CNBC, construction, housing and agriculture will be especially affected. Deporting millions of undocumented workers will leave businesses with a huge gap in labor, resulting in higher prices for consumers and possibly even lower pay for workers.
It truly seems Trump, Republicans and others sharing similar views on immigration have not done thorough research on the ramifications of what they want to implement. Americans already believe prices are too high and it appears it may only get worse.
