Today, we have elected a tyrant. This is our fault. This is our burden. We did this, America. The votes have been tallied, the last states declared. There is no denying that this, the election of Donald J. Trump to the nation’s highest office, was what we, the people of the United States, wanted.

For some Americans, this outcome is a relief. Disenchanted with Washington, with a political system that has ostensibly left them voiceless, America chose a man who professed to speak his mind, a man who broke all of the rules and defied all of the odds.

But for many of us, this outcome is a visceral threat to our very existence. Donald J. Trump is a man who has been accused of assaulting women and who has encouraged others to do so, too. This is a man who has called Mexicans “rapists” and who talks of “inner cities” when asked about America’s epidemic of violence against black bodies. Trump relates to the U.S. not through his political experience or qualifications but through his real estate properties. The man who wants to “Make America Great Again” has questioned the legitimacy of the democratic process and U.S. governmental institutions.

The Stanford Daily Editorial Board did not endorse a candidate for president this year. But we want to make one thing blissfully clear: We unequivocally and unanimously condemn Donald Trump, the 45th President of the United States.

Perhaps this severe condemnation seems futile so late in the game. But we feel that it is important to assure our readers that if you are grieving for America, you are not alone. You may feel helpless. And to an extent, we do too.

But even in this moment, especially in this moment, it is important not to disengage from politics or to retreat from this nation that we share. Continue to speak out and to vote and protest and organize. And just as importantly, reach out and engage with those people and ideas that you oppose. No matter how frightening you find our present democratic situation, it remains our common duty to make it better. America may not feel like home today or in the weeks to come. But that doesn’t mean that America can never be made great again.

— Vol. 250 Editorial Board

Stephanie Chen abstains from this editorial; read her opinion here.