Donald Trump has been elected the forty-fifth president of the United States. During his victory speech, Trump vowed to unify a deeply divided nation.
Trump defeated Hillary Clinton after an historic campaign plagued by controversy. Trump said Clinton phoned to congratulate him and said Americans owe her a major dept of gratitude for her service.
Over the past year, it had often been joked that Americans, including many celebrities, would flee their country should Trump win. Overnight, the Canadian Immigration website crashed numerous times after becoming overloaded with users. “Canada” was also a top trend on Twitter Tuesday night with over 1 million tweets.
Canadian business leaders and politicians are looking at what the impact of some of the cross-border policy changes Trump says he’ll enact when he is in the White House. Trump is firmly against the Trans Pacific Partnership and is adamant that the North American Free Trade Agreement will end if it is not changed to his liking. He is supportive of the Alberta’s Keystone XL Pipeline that President Obama rejected.
Canada’s first female Prime Minister, Kim Campbell, says Trump’s win is a “disaster, not just for Canada, but for the world.” Campbell says she was looking forward to seeing Clinton become the first female U.S. President because it would send a powerful message around the world to normalize the idea of women in leadership positions.
Green Party Leader Elizabeth May says Trump’s win is “clearly horrific” because he vowed to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement on climate change.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau released a statement early Wednesday saying “On behalf of the Government of Canada, I would like to congratulate Donald J. Trump on his election as the next President of the United States. Canada has no closer friend, partner, and ally than the United States. We look forward to working very closely with President-elect Trump, his administration, and with the United States Congress in the years ahead, including on issues such as trade, investment, and international peace and security. The relationship between our two countries serves as a model for the world. Our shared values, deep cultural ties, and strong integrated economies will continue to provide the basis for advancing our strong and prosperous partnership.”
I congratulate President-elect @realDonaldTrump on his election victory – please read my full statement: https://t.co/Kv7fK6B5BA
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) November 9, 2016
Nearly ten hours after she conceded defeat to Donald Trump, Clinton took the stage inside the New Yorker Hotel in New York City Wednesday morning and told the crowd “This is painful, and it will be for a long time.”
She thanked her supporters, and apologized for the outcome saying “This loss hurts, but please never stop believing that fighting for what’s right is worth it.”
