Donald Trump was elected the 45th president of the United States on Tuesday, Nov. 8. The business mogul and reality television star defeated Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, former U.S. secretary of state and U.S. senator from New York, after receiving at least 276 electoral votes, the Associated Press reported at 2:32 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 9.

Clinton has not yet publicly conceded the election. Her chairman told supporters to “get some sleep.” Trump said in his acceptance speech that Clinton called him to concede the election and congratulate him on his campaign.

“She fought very hard. Hillary has worked very long and very hard over a long period of time and we owe her a major debt of gratitude for her service to our country,” Trump said. “Now it’s time for America to bind the wounds of division.”

Fivethirtyeight, an election analysis website that correctly predicted the outcome in every state in the 2012 presidential election, said Clinton had a 71.4 percent chance of winning the presidency at 10:41 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 8.

Mike Pence, governor of Indiana and vice president-elect, said the results showed the will of the people.

“The American people have spoken, and the American people have elected their new champion,” Pence said.

Trump’s election comes after a two-term Barack Obama administration. Obama is on track to finish his second term with the highest approval rating of any outgoing president since Bill Clinton, according to Gallup.

Allegheny students, faculty and staff gathered in Tippie Alumni Center from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. for an election watch party, sponsored by the Center for Political Participation. The CPP screened live coverage of the polls as votes were counted.  

The 596-day election, which began with Republican Ted Cruz’s announcement to run for president in March 2015, was marked by divisiveness, according to Assistant Professor of Political Science Andrew Bloeser.

The president-elect said he will “be a president for all Americans.”

“Working together, we will begin the urgent task of rebuilding our nation and renewing the American dream,” Trump said. “I’ve spent my entire life in business, looking at the untapped potential in projects and people all over the world. That is now what I want to do for our country.”

The watch party in Tippie ended before the final results of the election were reported. Viewers cheered when Clinton was projected to win Virginia, though they predicted the outcome of the election for Trump.

“I worry for the precedent this sets for future elections,” said Madeline Hernstrom-Hill, ’18.

Hernstrom-Hill said she believes Trump’s election will have disparate negative impacts on older generations of Americans.

“I worry for my parents who are reaching retirement age, and if our economy crashes they wouldn’t be able to retire,” Hernstrom-Hill said.

President of the College Democrats Mark Myers, ’19, said the election will have an impact beyond politics.

“By empowering a man like Donald Trump, you are in turn empowering people to commit heinous crimes because you’ve validated them,” Myers said.

Jonah Raether, ’18, said one potential complication of Trump’s presidency is the impact it could have on minority groups.

“It’s not just Black Lives Matter that’s at stake,” Raether said. “Black lives are at stake.”

Bloeser said he has some concerns about Trump’s presidency.

“Whereas Hillary Clinton has really detailed plans, … Donald Trump has not been very detailed in his plans, including major plans like building the wall,” Bloeser said.

Trump said a key goal for his presidency is to create jobs by rebuilding infrastructure.

“We’re going to rebuild our infrastructure, which will become, by the way, second to none,” Trump said. “And we will put millions of our people to work as we rebuild it.”

The new administration will begin work before taking office in January 2017, according  to Trump.

“We’re going to get to work immediately for the American people,” Trump said.

Another issue Bloeser said may come with a Trump presidency is Trump’s fiscal responsibility. Trump wants to increase government spending, including massive immigration reform that calls for a wall along the southern border of the U.S., according to Bloeser.

“He literally has no governing experience,” Bloeser said.

Trump won Pennsylvania and its 20 electoral votes, including 67.24 percent of the popular vote in Crawford County, which includes Allegheny College, according to the Associated Press.

Trump will be inaugurated on Jan. 20, 2017.