After watching the presidential debate between former Vice President Kamala Harris and President Donald Trump on Sept. 10, 2024, Caitlin Henzel felt disappointed in both candidates’ performances. However, she set aside her concerns about Trump on Election Day and voted for him to embrace the democratic process.
“[Who gets elected is] not going to be as drastic of a difference as people make it out to be,” thought Henzel, a sophomore public health major, back in November. “It’s really hard to make change, especially for a country as large as the United States of America. So for me, going into the whole voting process, that’s kind of my general thought, like ‘It’s four years, it’s one person, how much are they really going to be able to change?’”
As Trump enters his third month in office, Henzel supports his leadership but is disappointed in his character. Trump has signed 89 executive orders before reaching his first 100 days, in contrast to the 55 executive orders he signed during his first year in office in 2017.
A number of students feel similar to Henzel — experiencing political whiplash from the mass amounts of orders and anxiety about what Trump will decide to enact next. Trump’s array of orders represents his more aggressive strategy this term, leaving students feeling uncertain and concerned about what the rest of his term has in store.
Noteworthy executive orders include ending federal diversity, equity and inclusion programs, dismantling the Department of Education and withdrawing the United States from the World Health Organization.
While surprised by his administration’s efficiency, Lourdes Cardamone has also noticed the order’s shortcomings, as many of Trump’s actions have been shut down in federal courts.
“I think part of it is a huge fear-mongering tactic,” said Cardamone, a junior political science and criminal justice major and president of Temple Democrats. “And also a power grab for Trump to be able to show, ‘Look at what I can do, look at how much influence I have, and there’s nothing you can do about it,’ because there is such a sense of hopelessness, especially among Democrats right now, because we did lose the House and we did lose the Senate.”
Although she still grieves Harris’ defeat, Cardamone finds comfort in knowing many are experiencing her election loss collectively. She lacks empathy for Trump voters who experienced his first term, voted for him in November and now regret their vote, she said.
Optimism persists among some Harris supporters on campus, who share Cardamone’s sentiments. Kennedy Fuller is disheartened by Trump’s presidency so far and fears for queer and reproductive rights. Despite her disappointment about Harris’ loss, she remains hopeful that she will see a Black woman in office during her lifetime.
“I think for a while I was really discouraged to kind of be hopeful in something like a Black woman being president again, but I will continue to be optimistic,” Fuller said. “I think it is very possible.”
For some students who did not vote, the regret is profound.
Caden Harper was unsure how much his vote would count before the presidential election on Nov. 8, 2024. He opted out of voting after struggling to make sense of the mail-in process. Now, he is filled with remorse.
“I feel like things are gonna get really bad soon,” said Harper, a sophomore journalism student. “Right now I haven’t really been affected yet, but four years is a long time.”
Henzel, on the other hand, feels hopeful for Trump’s presidency and credits his leadership capability to lead the U.S. through the next four years.
Although she didn’t anticipate Trump’s aggressive strategy, Henzel praises him for his cabinet assembly. Most notably, she commends his pick of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the 26th Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Kennedy is widely recognized for his skeptical views on vaccinations and has proclaimed himself not an anti-vaxxer, but rather pro-safe vaccination.
“People are forcing medications onto people rather than saying, ‘Hey, you know what? Maybe go connect with nature,’” Henzel said. “Maybe go for a walk, maybe exercise, get yourself healthy. Instead, they’re prescribing medication.”
Cardamone, remains steadfast in her support for the Democratic Party and is disappointed in Trump’s early months as president, especially because of his handling of the economy, she said.
“I’m not going to feel sorry for [Trump voters], because I can sleep at night knowing that I voted for somebody who actually cares and isn’t a serial assaulter and a racist homophobe,” Cardamone said. “So, I made the right choice, and I wouldn’t change that for the world.”
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