President-elect Donald Trump routed this election. Many believed, and were told by polls, that this race would be tight. However, the polls were wrong and this race was far from tight.

Trump swept in the swing states and won both the electoral and the popular votes.

What is most astonishing about this election is how well Trump did in unwaveringly blue states. For example, Trump experienced a six-point swing in New York as compared to 2020.

It may become much easier for Trump to have his way in office, as the Republican Party also outperformed Democrats and flipped the Senate from blue to red this election. At this point, it is also likely that the House of Representatives will have a Republican majority. This is called a red trifecta and would allow Trump much easier access to input policies he wants to introduce. The Supreme Court has a Conservative majority.

This is not said to fearmonger, however, because there were positives that occurred on Nov. 5. Many progressive firsts occurred and showed that the nation is moving in the right direction overall, despite many feeling that the reappointment of Trump is a regression. Some of these include the first Korean American Senator, Andy Kim; the first Black Senator of Maryland, Angela Alsobrooks; and the first Iranian American Democrat, Yassamin Ansari, to be elected to Congress.

Though the future may look bleak to many, progress like this should not be lost. Minority voices are increasingly being heard, accepted and encouraged. This is a worthy step forward in a tumultuous time.