In the wake of the election results, commuters boarded the Staten Island Ferry in what is newly referred to as Trump’s America. It is here that The New York Times reached out to the emphatic passengers for comment, highlighting the divide that the election has created among Staten Island residents due to the tumultuous presidential campaign of 2016.
In a state that is overwhelmingly blue (Clinton won 58.8% of the vote to Trump’s 37.5% in the state of New York), the New York Times reached out to commuters on the Staten Island Ferry to “Talk Trump” and the coming four years.
Tony Corazza, amazed by the victory, expressed that Trump’s success “Was like one of those pleasant surprises, like when you unwrap your present at Christmas and it’s exactly what you want.”
Gabrielle Chiusana, on the other hand, is simply excited to stop hearing her classmates drone on about the campaign. “I’m happy” she said. “At school, I didn’t say anything… Everyone was preaching, they were crying. They were being kind of annoying.”
Still, the fear that Trump’s election instilled in many American citizens is echoed by the words of two students, Ashley and Merna. The young women spoke out against Trump’s sexist and racist rhetoric that had prevailed during this year’s presidential race.
Despite the mixed reviews of our President-Elect, Staten Island resident William Sears reminds us that “We have to hope that the guy just doesn’t try to burn the house down.”
