I am genuinely scared. Come January, we have to accept that our president will be a man with no political or military experience. A man who has been taped making sexist comments and has received support from hate groups will be moving into the White House.

While many people have faith that the status quo of politics will continue, for many Americans, a Trump presidency is extremely threatening.

Instead of embracing a message of love and respect, many Americans supported a man who bragged that “when you’re a star…you can do anything [to women].” The fact that Trump was elected despite these comments sends a dangerous message to women in the U.S. and around the world: America allows its politicians to threaten women’s rights.

As a self described “pro-life” candidate, Trump promised during the debates that the “justices that I’m going to appoint will be pro-life. They will have a conservative bend.” While Clinton vowed to end the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits federal money from going to abortions, women’s right to chose under a Trump presidency will be severely threatened.

Trump also told an MSNBC reporter on live TV that “there has to be some form of punishment,” for women who have abortions. Since Trump’s potential Supreme Court appointments have terms for life, a woman’s right to choose is at risk of being lost for decades.

A President Trump will probably not prioritize creating laws that protect women assaulted in the work force. Trump told USA Today interviewers that action after being assaulted in the workplace has “got to be up to the individual.” Trump stated that if his daughter was harassed he would “like to think she would find another career or find another company.” Women simply cannot afford four years of policymakers who think women should just adjust their lives to in response to sexual harassment. Women need government action, not reaction.

In terms of racial justice, I can’t think of anything worse for the equality movement than having the first African-American president hand the keys of the White House to a man who has been hailed as a hero by the KKK.  In response to the election, David Duke, once grand wizard of the KKK, tweeted that Trump winning was “one of the most exciting nights of [his] life.” This isn’t just a step backward, it’s a leap into a previous century. Hate groups touting a Trump administration as a victory undercuts this country’s founding principles.

Even our checks and balances may not be enough to save us now. Since Republicans control both the House of Representatives and the Senate, stricter immigration policies are likely to follow this election result.  Whether we build a wall or mandate mass deportation, the reported 11.1 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. are likely to be targeted. Many of these families fled their home countries to make better lives for themselves, but now they may be denied their chance of achieving “the American Dream.”  

Yet another group at risk is the LGBTQ+ community.  While Vice President-Elect Mike Pence was Governor of Indiana, he signed a bill that allowed businesses to turn away customers because of their sexual orientation. This type of discriminatory attitude in the White House is extremely dangerous; the LGBTQ+ movement has justed started to achieve national victories and any setbacks could halt the progress being made.

People across the country are disappointed with current government policies or lack thereof. But despite Trump’s promise to improve the lives of these disaffected Americans, any gains cannot be at the expense of other Americans and their livelihood.

Hate won this election.  I worry that this hate will fuel Trump to act even more radically as president, putting the well-being of Americans and the international community at risk.