On Nov. 5, Kamala Harris lost a contest that was disappointingly not as close as polling and pundits expected it to be. The hope, come January 20, 2025, for a professional president who respects human rights has been set back at least another four years as the Trump administration readies itself for the White House. Once again, we, as a country, are moving backward and the best thing we can do is take the next step forward.

Harris’ campaign was inspiring. Vilified by the right as an illegitimate candidate who did not face a primary, she did an impressive job of getting people to vote for her. Engaging in social media trends, celebrity endorsements, interviews and rallies, Harris’ campaign rose from zero in just over three months to give her a legitimate shot at the Oval Office. 

On July 21, 2024, Harris announced her campaign to run for president after Joe Biden stepped down. This was a historic moment in American politics, but it was also the beginning of a spiral into political demagoguery and dog whistling that ended in a right-wing sweep of all three branches of government, backed by a right-wing Supreme Court. 

Harris was never the ideal choice, but there never is an ideal choice. The United States is too big an idea for that. She is a smart, progressive, Black and Asian woman, a brilliant lawyer who chose to serve the people. As a candidate, she was a symbol of the immigrant history, diversity and inclusivity that is the beacon and light America shines. And in every way she was a better person than her opponent.

Tasked with winning the presidency, she got to work pulling in followers, but she hit crucial roadblocks that set her apart from some in the Democratic Party. Her support for gun ownership, accusations of being weak on border security, and her support for Israel's war against Hamas prompted some on the left to not vote at all. 

Some believe she lost voters because of her race and gender. What I believe is that some people in America, fed by right-wing media, have come to love what Trump stands for: hate. Our country is extremely polarized and has never faced a president so bent on maintaining and intensifying that polarization. Nothing that Trump does as the 47th president should surprise us, so his lies don’t matter anymore. 

The economy is a huge issue and the Democrats in office weren’t making the changes people wanted to see. Because of this, the majority of Americans ignored Trump’s long dark history of criminality, sexual violence, xenophobia, racism, homophobia, transphobia, sexism and lying. To most Americans, his promise to fix the economy was enough to put him in office despite all of these things.

As someone who didn’t want him to win, I hope he fixes our economy. But if he doesn't, his history of lying tells me that he will take zero responsibility for failing the American people. And my heart hurts for our environment and marginalized groups of people in America that face uncertainty. As someone who didn’t want him to win, I wish honesty mattered more. 

In my opinion, Harris lost because Trump was always going to win. I think it's a matter of accepting that he has half of this country believing the delusion that America needs to be made great again, when the very fact of Harris' candidacy shows there has never been more progress towards that goal than now. What is this “greatness” his supporters are looking for, except for a return to the worst of our past?