EDITORIAL: Trump must mend a broken nation, rely on advisers

At a certain point in time, it is most important to look to the future rather than the past. This is that time.

The polls have closed, electors have spoken and the voters have turned out. Donald Trump is the next president of the United States.

While this is an achievement for Trump and the Republican Party, his work here is just beginning. He campaigned hard for his place in the White House, but he must now assume his elected position. As Hillary Clinton supporters (as evidenced by our unanimous endorsement of her), the editorial board of The Daily Free Press has a to-do list of sorts for President-elect Trump. Following one of the most tumultuous campaigns in history, there is a significant amount of mending to be done.

Our first ask stems from his charades that have characterized the campaign. As we said, it is time to move on. It is unacceptable for a world leader to call for the jailing of an opponent or for another government to hack American servers. One can only hope that these were charades to garner votes. Despite that fact, these are not professional, let alone presidential, to exclaim. The game has been won; no need to maintain the facade.

Trump must utilize social media in a positive manner, rather than the negative trolling that seems to dominate his Twitter feed. Trump is infamous for his insults, which have been tracked by The New York Times, but they are particularly associated with social media. He needs to cut this association and focus on the potential outreach he can have by positively utilizing social media. President Obama has made digital interaction his trademark, in a way, and Trump could take a pointer or two. Trump needs to move away from his chaotic candidacy and into his professional presidency by using social media to connect with the youth of America. It is also worthy to note that the majority of college students were fixated on the idea of Bernie Sanders, and he needs to gain their trust.

Along the lines of connecting with the children of America, Trump must lead by example. In a recent New York Times Upshot piece, the opinions of teenage girls held Trump in an abysmal light. Nearly half of 332 teenage girls, aged 14 to 17, said “Mr. Trump’s comments about women have affected the way they think about their bodies.” These are young girls, whose gender reflects half the general population. It is not acceptable to be viewed in this regard, and Trump must address this openly and directly. Addressing an issue is, just to clarify, different from objectifying those young girls, a distinction Trump may struggle with, but must also face at some point before assuming the role of president.

Little boys also look up to Trump. In another Upshot piece, the impacts of Trump’s misogynistic speech was explored. Author Claire Cain Miller made the point that, “Role models, whether parents or public figures, can help boys overcome disruptive behavior. And boys are much more responsive to this kind of attention and modeling than girls are, according to a study by Marianne Bertrand of the University of Chicago and Jessica Pan of the National University of Singapore.” Boys look up to men, and if they look up to a man who is justifying grabbing women by their genitals, then perhaps this role model needs to readjust his behavior.

Little boys also grow up to be men, who also look to Trump as a justification for undermining leadership roles not held by women. In a Wall Street Journal article, the idea of Trump justifying “bro culture” on Wall Street explores the connection between this election and inappropriate behavior in the workplace. The article said, “They’re bothered by the uptick in edgy banter they’ve detected from their male colleagues as Trump advanced in the campaign. And they wonder how they’ll advance in their own careers if their coworkers question Clinton’s fitness for the presidency because she’s a woman.” This concern is warranted, and cannot be propagated by Trump once he assumes the Oval Office.

Putting Trump’s antics from the past aside, there is one particular step that must be taken. Trump’s inexperience speaks for itself, stemming from his blatant lack of any form of a political career. Because this is nothing less than fact, Trump needs to surround himself with the most intelligent, able, action-seeking and commandeering support system he can. In this way, when he inevitably faces a jamb, he has a safety net to catch his floundering self. He can no longer afford to surround himself with “Yes” men who will go along with his outlandish proposals. He must select the most worthy individuals who will be willing to stand up to him, to guide his feeble hand. Trump does not seem to understand that there is such a thing as fact, as evidenced by his views on climate change — this is exactly why he needs experts by his side at all times.

Once established, this safety net is the only hope America has. Certainly we cannot put our hope in someone who insinuates that half of the population “nasty.”

Lastly, the newly elected president must separate reality television show Donald Trump from President Donald Trump. America is not a reality show, and the vast majority of things a president does day in and day out is done behind the scenes. America is so much more important than just a single business. We cannot fail and then file for bankruptcy. We have history and families and rights and voices. All of these must be respected. One can only hope that this has crossed Donald Trump’s mind.