How the 2016 Trump Election Shaped a Divided America

The 2016 election between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton wasn’t a normal campaign. It was full of anger, fear, and deep disagreement about what kind of country America should be. And the way it played out—and what followed—has had lasting effects on civil rights, corporate power, and how people feel about elections.

A Campaign That Made the Divide Worse

Trump ran as someone who would break the system and speak for people who felt ignored. Clinton ran as someone who knew how the system worked and wanted to improve it. Their campaigns couldn’t have been more different.

But instead of focusing on policy, the election became personal and hostile. Trump led crowds in chanting “Lock her up!” about Clinton. Russian groups spread lies on social media to stir up anger. The FBI reopened an email investigation just before the vote, creating more confusion. Meanwhile, Trump made many offensive comments about immigrants, women, and minorities.

These things made people more suspicious of each other and more distrustful of the political system. And when Trump won the Electoral College—but lost the popular vote by almost 3 million—it only made those feelings worse.

Civil Rights Were Weakened

After the election, millions of people protested. Many worried about what Trump’s presidency would mean for civil rights. During his time in office, those concerns grew.

The Trump administration rolled back protections for immigrants, LGBTQ+ Americans, and people of color. It took a more aggressive approach to immigration and ignored or downplayed issues of racism. It also placed judges in federal courts who were less likely to support civil rights laws.

For people who had been pushing for more equality, these changes felt like a step backward.

Big Business Got Bigger

Trump often talked about standing up for regular people. But many of the policies his administration pushed ended up helping corporations and wealthy donors.

He signed a tax bill that mostly benefited large businesses and the richest Americans. His administration cut back environmental rules, consumer protections, and other regulations meant to hold corporations accountable. He also brought in many officials who had close ties to the industries they were supposed to oversee.

As a result, big companies gained even more power during his presidency, while working people continued to struggle with wages, healthcare costs, and job security.

Elections Lost Trust

The 2016 election also raised big questions about how elections work—and whether they’re fair.

Even though Clinton won more votes nationwide, Trump became president because of the Electoral College. That made many people feel like their votes didn’t count. On top of that, Russian interference and online misinformation showed how easy it is for outside forces to influence public opinion.

These problems didn’t go away. In fact, distrust in elections grew over the next few years. More Americans began to believe that the system was rigged against them, or that elections were being stolen—especially when leaders repeated those claims without evidence.

A Country More Divided

Trump’s time in office made the country more divided than it already was. Some people saw him as a necessary change. Others saw him as a threat to democracy and civil rights. These sharply different views made it harder for Americans to talk to each other, even within families and communities.

The anger and mistrust that built up during and after 2016 is still with us today.

What We Can Learn

The 2016 election didn’t create all of America’s problems, but it made many of them more obvious. It showed how fragile civil rights protections can be, how much power corporations still have, and how important it is to protect fair and trustworthy elections.

These are issues that affect everyone—no matter which side of politics they’re on. If we want a more stable and fair country, we’ll have to face these challenges head-on and find ways to work through them together.

Trump’s first term had some limits. Many civil servants, military leaders, and agency officials still felt bound by their oath to the Constitution and worked to stop the most extreme ideas from becoming policy. But that guardrail is gone.

Now that Trump has returned to power, he’s made it clear that loyalty to him comes before qualifications or experience. Many of his new appointees were chosen not for their ability to govern, but for their willingness to follow orders and ignore norms. He and Elon Musk, working in tandem, are actively dismantling the very institutions that once held him back—often pushing the limits of legal authority or bypassing it altogether.

This isn’t just about politics. It’s about whether government still works for the people—or only for those at the top. What happens next depends on whether the public is paying attention, staying informed, and willing to push back when power is abused.