In the United States
The Chicago Tribune: “Congratulations, Mr. Trump. I hope, with all my heart, that you rise above the rhetoric that got you here and take this precious country — and all the people who make it special — and guide it well. But know this: There are millions upon millions who will stand with those who fear you, and push back steadily, and relentlessly, and without fear, against any harm you seek to bring. We are all Americans. We need to remember that — and so do you, Mr. Trump.”
The Dallas Morning News: “We worry that we don’t yet know, that no one knows, how Trump will govern once he is president. We worry about his tough talk on massive deportations, religious litmus tests, and his general impulsiveness, even on issues of national security and foreign affairs. Principled Republicans and Democrats alike should steel themselves to push back against these instincts. These wounds will not heal quickly, and the fear of what a Trump presidency will mean for America will not evaporate over night. But they can heal eventually, and Trump himself can help that happen. Much depends on how he governs.”
The Los Angeles Times: “… it’s in the nation’s interest to pray for his success — because the failure of an American president, especially one with Trump’s shoot-from-the-hip style, would be chaotic and destructive.”
The New York Times: “By challenging every norm of American politics, Mr. Trump upended first the Republican Party and now the Democratic Party, which attempted a Clinton restoration at a moment when the nation was inpatient to escape the status quo. Misogyny and racism played their part in his rise, but so did a fierce and even heedless esire for change. That change has now placed the United States on a precipice.”
The Washington Post: “Americans are not and have never been united by blood or creed, but by allegiance to a democratic system of government that shares power, cherishes the rule of law and respects the dignity of individuals. We hope our newly elected president will show respect for that system. Americans must stand ready to support him if he does, and to support the system whether he does or does not.”
In Canada
The Globe and Mail (Toronto): “… Once upon a time, Republicans and Democrats would compete, but also co-operate. But since the early 1990s, the parties have been less and less able to work together. For many voters, particularly on the Republican side, bipartisanship is a sin, and compromise is a four-letter word. The next president must try to rebuild the bridges – even while recognizing that success depends on finding hands reaching across from the other side. Those hands are in short supply. But they are not non-existent.”
Times Colonist (Victoria): “The U.S. election is over, and now the world’s most powerful nation must heal. Americans, and by extension the rest of the world, have lived through the ugliest campaign in living memory. More than 150 years ago, at a time when the United States faced the greatest threat to its existence, Abraham Lincoln appealed to his fellow Americans to heed ‘the better angels of our nature.’ Hard as it might be, their descendants must try to do so again. It is up to both president-elect Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton to lead that healing. Both must recognize that what they do and say in the next few days will make healing possible or will condemn the country to years of division.”
