In the last stretch of the 2024 Election, President Trump’s sentimentality has emerged from his usually tough exterior. At a Michigan rally on Oct. 26, he said: “We’ve been doing this together for nine years, and in eleven days, we won’t be doing this any longer … It’s a little bit sad … This spirit, I don’t know if it’s ever going to be replicated, but I just want to tell you I love you all. I love you all.” The crowd instantly erupted with cheer, and the rally came to a close.
As the final campaign in the life of Donald Trump concludes, Americans are at a crossroads. We stand at a remarkable point in history. Should the President win re-election on Tuesday and serve out his second term, he will have been at the center of politics for almost fourteen years. The man has endured more than almost anyone thought possible.
In 2015, the Republican establishment sought his destruction, but Trump won. In 2016, the odds were completely stacked against him, yet he won again. After a tumultuous first term thwarted by the deep state, he was overthrown in a fraudulent election. On Jan. 6, countless “allies” betrayed him, and Big Tech quickly orchestrated his removal from social media. We were told “the adults are back in charge,” and this was all supposed to be merely an embarrassing phase in American history. Trumpism was supposed to end, but it raged on.
Those who planned Trump’s downfall had actually ensured his return. The FBI raid of Mar-a-Lago, the four phony indictments, the show trial in New York, the assassination attempts — Trump has survived it all. His legacy and freedom itself hangs on the outcome of this election. The former president has declared “This is the final battle … We will liberate America from these villains once and for all.”
So, what will happen? There are only hours until the world forever changes. After Biden dropped out, Harris quickly rose to be the favorite for victory. In early October, Americans finally remembered her historic unpopularity, and Trump regained his lead. However, the election has once again tightened. Ann Selzer, the most accurate pollster in recent times, showed that Harris is up by a shocking three points in “safe red” Iowa. If true, this is a major blow to the Trump campaign. On the flip side, AtlasIntel, the most accurate pollster of 2020, has Trump winning all seven swing states. No matter what, it will come down to the wire.
Are young Americans truly ready for life without Trump? There is an entire generation of Americans who do not know politics without him. Being only eleven years old in 2016, I am among that generation. Whatever happens on Tuesday, I am totally grateful for Donald Trump. With all his flaws, he is America’s greatest living hero. A real life superman, he has inspired countless young Americans to strive for truth, justice and the American way. He has cast a shadow over the nation that will stand for decades.
To quote Odysseus, “Men rise and fall like the winter wheat,” but this name will never die. If they ever tell my story, let them say that I lived in the time of Trump.
Jack Docherty
sophomore
College Republicans of Notre Dame
The College Republicans of Notre Dame have agreed, along with the College Democrats of Notre Dame, to write a bi-weekly debate column in The Observer's Viewpoint section in the name of free, civil discourse in the 2024 election cycle. You can reach out to the College Republicans at creps@nd.edu.
