Brooklyn Republicans Applaud Trump’s Victory, Democrats Preach Unity
In the wake of last week’s historic presidential election — in which Brooklyn overwhelmingly voted Clinton, with the exception of a few southern districts — the community and local politicians are still processing the results, but immediate reactions are polarizing.
While many in the Russian community in Sheepshead Bay and Brighton Beach celebrated the victory (the neighborhoods, which compose the 45th Assembly District, was one of only two Brooklyn A.D.s to go to Trump, the other being the 48th A.D. in Boro Park) others mourned the election’s results and Clinton’s loss. New Utrecht High School students we spoke with earlier this week expressed a fear of increased sexism and racism following the election while noting their school’s atmosphere was notably downtrodden the day after Trump won.
While many Democrats are taking to the streets in Manhattan protests or otherwise reacting with great upset and alarm, others are offering President-elect Donald Trump a chance, and emphasizing their faith in New York’s local pols and community to do the right thing.
Bath Beach resident Brian, who asked to go by only his first name, blamed the DNC for Trump’s victory, and expressed frustration with both major parties’ alienation of Americans.
“I believe that regardless of who is elected president, our community and New York City as a whole will remain a shining example of diversity, inclusiveness, and cultural tolerance,” he said, adding, “But I also feel the election of Trump reflects a huge economic and cultural divide that exists in our country, where average people are hurting financially.”
Councilman Vincent Gentile expressed a similarly positive call to unite, as well as a foreboding prediction of the future, in response to the election, stating “Regardless of the outcome, in the great American tradition, it is time to come together, to work together and take on the challenges and concerns we face as a nation.”
Comptroller Scott M. Stringer was a bit more blatantly negative in his response to Trump’s election. “Make no mistake,” he said in a press release, “this new administration, with a Republican-controlled Congress, will present major challenges. From a common-sense approach to immigration, to women’s health, to smart gun laws, to fair wages, and everything in between, we’re going to face obstacles on the issues that matter most to us as a City.”
On a slightly more upbeat note, he added, “New York City must continue to be a bulwark against hate and a model for all that America still can be.”
In Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adam’s statement on the election, he avoided a direct response to Trump, instead applauding those who voted and encouraging his constituents to “get engaged in the weeks and months ahead in the continued work…to make all of our communities safer places where every one of us is able to raise healthy children and families.”
Republicans Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis and Congressman Dan Donovan were much more specific in their support of Trump, with Malliotakis expressing her hope that Trump will reverse rising healthcare premiums and remedy America’s $20 trillion debt, and Donovan lauding the silent majority being “silent no more” Kings County Politics reported.