In one of the biggest upsets in American political history, Donald Trump has been elected as the next President of the United States. Election 2016 has finally come to and end, which brings a whole new set of problems to the table.
Duke rises
It was shortly after 2:30 a.m. EST when Hillary Clinton made the phone call to the president-elect and officially conceded the race. As of press time, Trump has been awarded 288 electoral votes, passing the 270 needed for victory. The results come as a major shock to pollsters, political pundits and politicians in Washington, D.C.
who never thought Trump would walk out the winner. When Trump announced his campaign over a year and a half ago, he did so by labeling illegal immigrants from Mexico as "rapists" and "murderers." Since that time, Trump has attracted support from members of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) and other controversial groups. As reported by The Huffington Post on November 9, a former KKK leader celebrated the victory.
GOD BLESS DONALD TRUMP! It's time to do the right thing, it's time to TAKE AMERICA BACK!!!#MAGA #AmericaFirst #LockHerUp #GodBlessAmerica pic.twitter.com/1mVrrs0kFF
— David Duke (@DrDavidDuke) November 9, 2016
Former KKK Grand Wizard David Duke expressed his support for Trump early during the primary.
The billionaire real estate mogul came under-fire for not disavowing the endorsement for close to a week, leading to instant backlash. Other white supremacists have come out to cheer Trump on, and he was just endorsed by the offical KKK newspaper last week.
#BREAKING Hillary Clinton called Donald Trump to concede defeat in the presidential election, CNN and NBC report https://t.co/WMRWFIbTqy
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) November 9, 2016
Taking to his offical Twitter account early Wednesday morning, Duke expressed his joy.
"GOD BLESS DONALD TRUMP! It's time to do the right thing, it's time to TAKE AMERICA BACK!!!," Duke tweeted, before using the hashtags, "#MAGA #AmericaFirst #LockHerUp #GodBlessAmerica." In a follow-up message, Duke called Trump's victory "one of the most exciting nights of my life."
This is one of the most exciting nights of my life -> make no mistake about it, our people have played a HUGE role in electing Trump! #MAGA pic.twitter.com/HvJyiJYuVa
— David Duke (@DrDavidDuke) November 9, 2016
Election reaction
The reaction to the election results are as expected.
For Trump supporters, it was a collective celebration of vindication. For those who oppose the former host of "The Apprentice," the night ended in heartbreak, fear, and uncertainty. The idea of a Trump presidency was initially met as a joke or a fantasy, which quickly became a reality on election night. Most of the big swing states that were expected to go to Clinton swung the other way. Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin all shocked voters and landed in the hands of Trump as he makes preparations to move into the White House.
