The next President of the United States is Donald Trump, alongside his Vice President Mike Pence. Nov. 8th, 2016 America elected a new President. Results slowly poured in from the different states. The race was very close throughout the evening, keeping Americans on the edge of their seats. Final official results came out around 2:30 a.m. EST. At the end of the night the electoral vote was 278 to 218. Three states were still counting when Trump received his 278 electoral votes.
As results continued to come in the final count ended at 232 votes for Clinton and 290 for Trump. Trump won 28 states including Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Indiana, while Clinton won only 19 states. Maine split their electoral vote. Three of their electoral votes went to Clinton and one vote went to Trump. The election has raised new concerns over the Electoral College, as Clinton won the popular vote with 47.8 percent of the popular vote to Trump’s 47.2 percent.
Also on this ballot across the country, 469 congress seats are up for election, 34 from the Senate and all 435 House of Representatives. 51 seats are required for a majority win in the Senate. The House of Representatives requires 218 seats for a majority to win. With that in mind, the House majority is currently Republican. After counting the 34 Senate seats up for election, the majority is Republican. This leaves the government with a Republican Congress and a Republican President. The last time this occurred was during George W. Bush’s first term in office.
Since the election, Trump has met with President Obama, and has begun selecting potential cabinet members. Trump announced Nov. 13 that Reince Priebus will be his White House Chief of Staff. Priebus is Chairman of the Republican Party. Stephen Bannon was also considered for the Chief of Staff position, however Trump named Brannon Senior Counselor. Bannon is best known for his work as a media figure and for running Breitbart News. The other cabinet positions have yet to be officially appointed but Trump has a list, according to the New York Times, of potential people who he will consider.
During his meeting with Obama, Trump was reportedly subdued and nervous compared to his previous behavior. He was once known for questioning President Obama’s nationality and for criticizing the president’s policies. However, after the meeting, Trump reportedly told press that President Obama is a good man and that he looks forward to working with him to learn more about the position.
The two discussed current issues facing the country. President-elect Trump will also be receiving a version of the President’s daily brief to prepare him for current issues he will face starting as soon as he steps foot into the Oval Office after inauguration on Jan 20, 2017.
