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The American citizens have already spoken at the polls and have chosen a clear winner to govern the country for the next four years. Republican leader Donald Trump has emerged victorious after a challenging voting day and a tough campaign. A result that for many was expected, but for others, quite the opposite.

It seemed that the polls were predicting Kamala Harris, head of the Democratic Party, as the future President of the United States or, better said, as the first woman to lead the country. A victory that was expected to come with very close results in comparison to the Republican Party. But reality has been entirely different, much to my dismay, as most states have been painted red, declaring victory for the former president.

During the election celebration on November 5, 2024, Trump managed to win the central area of the country, as well as the battleground states: Georgia, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania. These wins gave him a strong boost to defeat his rival.

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But who has American society chosen? Is he the perfect candidate to lead the country? Donald Trump’s former White House Chief of Staff, John Kelly, had already described the future president as a “fascist.” He wasn’t the only one in Trump’s circle to turn against him; other top-ranking officials and military advisors also warned about his “autocratic instincts.”

Moreover, it seems his criminal record hasn’t affected his supporters. For those who don’t remember or have chosen to erase it from their memory, Donald Trump organized an assault on the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021. Not only that, but he has also faced a civil trial for $454 million in fraud in New York, in addition to other charges like conspiring to defraud his own country. And now he wants to be president again!

Let’s not forget that in May, he was charged by the Manhattan District Attorney with 34 felonies for covering up a hush-money payment made to a porn star during the 2016 campaign, with a sentencing expected later this month.

This last accusation brings us to the policies he’s pushed during his campaign, which include advocating for traditional family values and rolling back progress on equality, contrasting sharply with the policies of Vice President Kamala Harris. In fact, we could argue these elections have been heavily influenced by gender ideology.

To take a break from Trump’s regressive policies and remind ourselves that not everything is lost, I’d like to mention what, for me, has been a strong campaign by Harris. The Democrat focused her platform on supporting women, the LGBTQ+ community, immigrants in the country, and especially on reaching out to younger generations like Gen Z. Kamala has aimed to avoid a “return to the America of 1950” and instead move toward the future.

In fact, she warned us that a Trump return to power would bring a “deranged, unstable, and uncontrollable second term,” and I believe this has been evident in the campaign of the 45th president, backed by Elon Musk (CEO of X Corp., formerly known as Twitter).

Misinformation, fear of migrants, economic anxieties, threats to imprison political opponents, undermining the credibility of the independent press and the judiciary, and casting doubt on free and fair elections have been the daily rhetoric of the Republican candidate. Meanwhile, as we saw a candidate engaging with the public, speaking with them in the streets and appearing in non-traditional media, Trump only seemed intent on denigrating her based on her ethnicity and throwing out statements like she is “a stupid, failed, and dangerously liberal person.”

I think this gives us an idea of what lies ahead for the United States, but let’s focus a bit more on his promises. We already know that Donald Trump is a radical figure, but he seems more determined than ever. In short, the incoming 47th President of the United States has promised a radical redesign of government driven by promises of retribution, economic recovery through tariffs, and a purge of internal opponents, whom he calls “domestic enemies.”

Hold on, there’s more. Calling himself the “leader of the greatest political movement of all time” that will have an “unprecedented and powerful mandate,” he assures that there will be greater consolidation of presidential power and a call for the rule of law. To me, this sounds like a dictatorship.

As for the country’s migrants, an issue he’s shown little tolerance for since 2016, he has vowed to close the southern border by any means necessary and carry out the largest deportation wave in history, even hinting at deploying troops within the country.

To wrap up, let’s turn to what concerns us Europeans about a Trump presidency. The Republican leader has made it clear that he intends to withdraw the country from foreign conflicts, meaning he wants to return to isolationism. But what will happen to U.S. support for Ukraine? And beyond that, it raises questions about the future of NATO.