Everyone, and I mean everyone, has an opinion on Donald Trump. His controversial election has made him a household name. This week I decided to ask millennials, people in my current age-range, what they thought about Trump. I compiled an anonymous Google Form and had them answer this question:
What is your opinion on Donald Trump? This opinion could be anything--do you like him/dislike him/neutral? Why? What is your opinion on the United States' current political climate? Please try to keep your answers shorter than three sentences.
I heard back from 75 (self-proclaimed) millennials. Some of their comments have been edited for spelling, but other than that, here they are--completely raw and unedited in the order that I received them.
1.
"As a future teacher, I feel very unsupported by Trump. Being a teacher is hard enough, but it's even harder when you're not getting enough support and appreciation from our own government."
2.
"I'm embarrassed that I live in this country because of our president. He is disgusting and he is making our country go backwards. I miss Obama."
3.
"So, to me, Donald Trump represents all of the fears I had about the future of our country and world and means no positive progress. Meaning, I see his leadership as detrimental to Americans of color, to women, to the LGBTQ+ community, to non-Christian citizens, to free speech and progress toward the country and world I dream of. One in which people of every background respect each other for their differences and unique perspectives."
4.
"I will never respect a sexual predator. My heart aches for the individuals this man has harmed."
5.
"I'm very neutral. I don't know enough about politics and I don't care to learn because I see how it divides people. We can't change how Trump is or what he's doing or not doing. So why bother fighting with people on it?
We are too separated as is, and I see no reason to want to continue that. Fighting and arguing about our hate for Trump won't make the issues go away or any better. I just choose to look at the brighter side of things and focus on the positive in the world!"
6.
"Dislike. He is very unqualified for politics, which shows when he tries to appease the masses and ends up contradicting himself. He also shows when he tries to emit this sense of brute power when meeting with other countries, I would rather have someone respectful."
7.
"As a millennial, Donald Trump being president absolutely terrifies me. I'd like to think that millennials are a part of a generation that practices respect and approaches differences in opinion with an open mind, but I fear that Trump's rhetoric will only be detrimental to this mindset and cause even more division in our country."
8.
"Donald Trump is an abomination to humanity. Only Americans could elect someone so utterly incompetent."
9.
"The babbling idiot doesn't understand how to get a simple spray tan without it turning out like a jersey girl, let alone run the free world. Maybe he could have asked one of the women whom he sexually assaulted for advice but he doesn't think women are capable of much hence why he grabs them by the pussy. He is not and will never be my president."
10.
"Trump is an absolute fucking idiot."
11.
"I dislike Donald Trump because, among many other things, he is racist and misogynistic. The current political climate in the US is polarizing, the two parties are dividing more and politics are becoming more racialized."
12.
"I love him! Fuck LIBERALS! Fuck ILLEGALS!"
13.
"Trump is a different kind of politician or should I say not a politician at all. I'm neutral towards Trump, I mean he has said a lot of stuff but if you're looking at what he has accomplished it's neither good or bad. I think it's too early to tell if he's a good president or not."
14.
"I think that he is doing exactly what this country needs! He is a great leader."
15.
"I don't have a problem with President Trump. I like how he is honest and direct. I think people are trying to make him look bad just because things are going wrong and they want someone to blame."
16.
"He's doing way more than Obama ever did, and he's still and always will be a better choice than Hillary."
17.
"He's rude, disgusting and power hungry. Trump has no clue what the hell he is doing and our country is falling back."
18.
"He is simply a joke to me. I can't believe people in this country voted for him. He is childish and I have never felt more unsafe in my life."
19.
"Donald Trump makes America look like a joke to other countries in the world. With his lack of sympathy/empathy for people, poor communication and relationship skills (cue foreign policy), he is not fit to lead a country filled with diversity and people who need a STRONG leader. I miss Obama and Biden </3"
20.
"I feel that Trump is anti-everything. Someone who demonstrates so much hate should not be a role model to anyone. Our country's current political climate is topic and leads to hate."
21.
"I like him for protecting our country and willing to go to war with NK if anything happens."
22.
"Having Donald Trump as our president is insulting to our intelligence. People hear 'keep our guns' and 'build a wall' and they vote for someone not fit to run our country....In my opinion."
23.
"Dislike, I don't even know where to start... he has no respect for women for one..."
24.
"I hate Donald Trump very much. He's an awful person to women, POC, and people of the LGBT community. I don't pray but I've been praying for this country."
25.
"I honestly don't understand how anyone likes him, especially women. Everything he does is disastrous and takes us 100 steps back into history. I wish people felt a loyalty to their country before their political party as maybe then we wouldn't be in this mess."
26.
"He is quite likely the worst president out country has ever had. We have become a laughingstock among other countries and are known for having a president with small hands. We could be doing so much better, but here we are."
27.
"I voted for him. He hasn't delivered on his promises."
28.
"I am indifferent about Donald Trump. He tends to say things that are very sexist, racist, homophobic, etc. but I don't think he's a bad president. I personally agree with most of the decisions he has made so far in office."
29.
"It's something indescribable to have a President who makes me cry as often as Donald J. Trump does."
30.
"I very greatly dislike him because of his policies and views."
31.
"It concerns me how his actions will make objectifying women seem acceptable. He undermines female's strength. It hinders how far women have come in society- especially politics."
32.
"Dislike him. His ego and narcissism and endless Twitter rants are not congruent with how a president should represent themselves and this country. The political climate is too focused on party and not partisan right now."
33.
"Anyone who supports Trump supports hate. Simple as that. By respecting him, you are enabling the oppression of thousands of people."
34.
"I dislike Donald Trump, I feel this way because he has greatly encouraged racism and sexism. We are completely fucked and doomed.:
35.
"This man is a reality show buffoon with absolutely no qualifying experience to be President. He was elected under the pretenses of gross civil and human right violations, some which should have disqualified him during the campaign.
Because of this election, I no longer identify as Republican and have been fully pushed into progressive politics, which I find more align with the needs and attitudes of the current United States. Trump seeks to destroy anything that looks different than 1942, which is not only terrifying to half the population but also reverts people back to a class for worth system that never worked in the first place.
There is absolutely no way to make this shorter than three sentences. I am not Trump, my mind doesn't function well on 140 characters."
36.
"He's not the best but he's definitely entertaining. Yes, the state of the country has gone down and he needs to get his act together instead of tweeting!"
37.
"I think Trump's major fault is that he clearly doesn't think before he speaks, making a lot of the things he says sound absolutely wrong and horrible, even though in reality he may not have intended them that way. I do not personally support him being president and will continue to stand up for those who are less privileged and feel unsafe, but I also think the way we've been divided is not only Trump's fault - it's our own."
38.
"I like that he is our president over Hillary. He is quirky and I don't always agree with him, but I think he is the change we needed."
39.
"Trump is bad, but Pence is worse."
40.
"Trump doesn't understand politics. All he does is tweet and golf. #notmypresident"
41.
"United States is going downhill. When a racist becomes president, other racists follow."
42.
"I think Donald Trump is incapable of being a decent president. He is uneducated. The United States does not have a strict enough policy to protect the environment."
43.
"I love Donald Trump. I think he is going to make America great again!"
44.
"Trump is like a 5-year-old. He tells you how it is, whether or not you want to hear it; and for that, he has my respect."
45.
"For the life of me, I'll never understand why him making fun of a disabled reporter wasn't the end of his so called 'validity'. He's the president, but the hate in his heart makes him far from presidential."
46.
"He's the worst person we could have gotten for president. Total opposite politically from me."
47.
"Negative opinion on Trump. Current political landscape is a dumpster fire, but I'm still hopeful that actual leftwing policies like single payer healthcare gain strength."
48.
"I think Donald Trump and his entire family should be given the same treatment Benito Mussolini received from the Italians."
49.
"Racist sexist con artist."
50.
"DJT is an enigma, being both simultaneously everything that's wrong with America, and everything that COULD be right with America but twisted in a sort of perverse fashion.
He's a fascist, hard to say whether he's explicitly evil or just too foolish to understand this or what, but I think a far more important question, in this political climate: why does it seem like Republicans are the only ones that provide their electorate with what they want?
Why is it that when Republican voters demand racism, sexism, Christian dominionism, etc... the Republicans are more than happy to provide that, but when it comes to Democrats?
Democratic voters are always expected to settle for milquetoast, center-right, spineless trash in the name of stopping Republicans. We never see Democrats who actually believe in anything. Why is it that Republicans always get quality politicians who enthusiastically support their views no matter how extreme or unhealthy they are, but Democrats always have to settle for passionless robots who believe in nothing except what the polls tell them to believe?
Where are the Democrats who actually push for something? Where are the Democrats who actually care about the impoverished?"
51.
"He is a fascist and needs to be stopped."
52.
"Completely incompetent."
53.
"Trump is a scumfuc."
54.
"Trump is the biggest joke of a leader that America has pulled out of its ass. And that's saying something looking back at Reagan and Bush."
55.
"He is scum."
56.
"I hate that fascist fuck. He's a disgusting capitalist piece of garbage."
57.
"Trump is a harbinger of worse things to come. No hope. No future."
58.
"Send to Gulag."
59.
"He is not nice."
60.
"Terrible leader and a bigot. The whole administration needs an overhaul."
61.
"Donald is an enemy of the working class! The US government should be dismantled and should be replaced by an anarchist federation."
62.
"Fuck you, Nicole! TRUMP TRUMP TRUMP FOR REELECTION."
63.
"I admire aspects of him, but politically, I pretty much disagree with all his policies, his character, and his methods."
64.
"Dislike. Things are getting way more toxic and divided than before."
65.
"He is a horrible human being. I have a very negative opinion and view of him because he is trying to destroy what our country needs most- security for its citizens, a place to call home for immigrants and landless people, and natural resources. Trump is an evil man."
66.
"Dislike. I personally think our president should be a professional representation of our country."
67.
"Gridlock."
68.
"I believe Donald Trump is completely unqualified to be president. He doesn't seem to understand the legality of what the president can and cannot do. Under his leadership, it seems that our current politicians are treating the US like it is a business, and that isn't a way that our political system is suppose to be."
69.
"He is awful, and explicitly bigoted, but less of an aberration than the way many people paint him. His rhetoric is just a more openly bigoted extension of the rhetoric other Republicans have been using, and policy-wise, he's not really much worse than most other Republicans (or a lot of Democrats, for that matter)."
70.
"The connection with Trump is too close to Russia. Don't trust him."
71.
"I hate him. He's a terrible excuse for a human. But when the choice was between him and Hillary, it made sense that he won. Casting a vote shouldn't have felt like choosing our own death."
72.
"He will never be a president to me. He's awful and I'm still considering moving to Canada."
73.
"We are at a war zone in America. With police brutality and a horrible president, the world laughs at us."
74.
"He's a fascist."
75.
"ITMFA."