Donald Trump wins presidency

The American people have elected Donald Trump as President of the United States.

Though most polls predicted Hillary to have a comfortable lead, Trump managed to edge out a victory over his opponent.

Two years of political speculation, party aggression and rigorous campaigning have culminated in the business magnate being elected to serve as the head of state and the commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the United States.

He arrived on Manhattan’s Upper East Side just before 11 a.m. to vote with his wife, Melania Trump. Cheers and boos filled streets as he interacted with pedestrians before entering the polling location to cast his vote.

“We’re going to win a lot of states,” Trump said in a Fox News interview before expressing a rare moment of uncertainty, “Who knows what happens ultimately?” The uncertainty proved to be unfounded as Trump solidified his spot as president in the early hours of Nov. 9, 2016.

Trump will be inaugurated on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017 at the U.S. Capitol. His term of office will begin at 12 p.m., just after the swearing-in ceremony. The Vice Presidential ceremony of Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, Trump’s running mate, will directly precede the inauguration.

According to his campaign platform, Trump will “upgrade” America’s military by working with congress to repeal the defense sequester and increase the budget to rebuild the “depleted military.” To strengthen our national defense, Trump is calling for an audit of the Pentagon to cut wasteful spending, more focus on cyber-security and a “serious” missile defense system. His objections with the current missile defense system are unclear.

Trump also supports withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade deal he claims is responsible for taking American jobs. His platform is to negotiate fair trade deals, increase wages and reduce America’s trade deficit.

Immigration policy has been a primary area Trump has made waves. His plan to build a physical wall on the U.S. and Mexico border is still clearly outlined on his website. There is also a “10 Point Plan to Put America First,” that calls for more vetting of immigrants and priority of Americans in job placement.

Trump’s tax policy focuses on making a business tax rate “more competitive to keep jobs,” in order for it to “revitalize” the economy. Sweeping tax cuts across-the-board, especially for working and middle-class American’s, is also on his agenda.

Finally, his “peace through strength” plan to defeat ISIS revolves around ending the current strategy of nation-building and regime change. Trump aims to work with Arab allies in the Middle East to form a coalition against ISIS. Defeating radical Islamic ideology is a central point to his solution to defeat ISIS.

For more information on Trump’s policies visit his website.

Edited by Ben Webb

Featured image by Gage Skidmore on Flickr, obtained using creativecommons.org