Dear America,

Surprise, surprise, surprise. When I was sitting on my couch watching MSNBC at 3 AM, I knew our country was about to endure something we never had before. Throughout the night, Florida, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and more states turned the Republican red. And the other morning, revered MSNBC analyst Joe Scarborough affirmed the reality of the 2016 Presidential Election “Donald Trump will be the 45th President of the United States.”

You mean, the billionaire businessman Trump? You mean the host of the Celebrity Apprentice Trump? Did I expect him to be our Commander and Chief, protector of the land of the free and the home of the brave, the man who would swear to uphold the Constitution of the United States? Absolutely not.

The reality is, we haven’t seen a president like Trump. A man who promises to tear down all the strides that Barack Obama made, such as stopping a nuclear belligerent Iran through the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or creating a trade deal with 12 nations, allies of the United States to “promote economic growth; support the creation and retention of jobs” through the Trans-Pacific Partnership. We are living in a new America, an America that will experience the presidency of a man who has had almost no experience with politics rather than a woman who has dedicated her life to public service and has only wanted the best for this country.

This election was a byproduct of the democratic process, a decision that the 125 million Americans made and there is nothing we can do about that. But the people have spoken. As Americans, we have no idea what Donald Trump will do as the 45th President. And when he will be transferred that power at 1 East Capitol Street in approximately seven and a half weeks, not me, not anyone will know what the next four years, a Trump Presidency, will mean for the future of this great nation.

Sincerely,

A confused American

Introduction to Journalism students at Masters wrote letters to America, sharing their reactions to Donald Trump’s victory in this week’s presidential election. Tower will be posting these reactions over the next few days as members of the community try to understand the significance of this major shift in our political landscape.