Americans held their breath on Election Day as they cast their votes for the next president, but a Shippensburg University professor said now is time to unite a divided America.

By Wednesday morning, Donald Trump prevailed over Hillary Clinton, winning the electoral vote, but losing the popular vote. Major news sources such as CNN reported thousands of Americans protesting Trump’s victory in the days following the election.

SU political science professor Alison Dagnes said she believes there is hope that Trump can better the nation by enforcing policy regardless of his campaign that focused on a “government sucks,” platform.

“What he was able to do was rally a bunch of really, really angry Americans, and so now he has to lead the government,” Dagnes said. She said Americans will see his foreign, education and healthcare policies in the coming days of his presidency.

“His campaign was not based on policy it was based on personality,” she said. “I’m not sure what he wants to do about student loans and interest rates. I don’t know what ideas he has about college education. I don’t know what he wants to do about a woman’s right to choose. I don’t know what he’s going to do about gun control. I’m not sure how he’s going to heal the country after how divided this election has left it.”

The country is torn, not only by race and social class, but also by age, Dagnes said. She said she believes millennials need to “vote for their best interest” in the midterm elections, giving them a chance to challenge their government. She emphasized that “if you do not vote, your rights will go away.”

“Congratulations Mr. Trump, I hope you can fix the country because it’s broken,” Dagnes said. She said she thinks Americans should be optimistic about the future direction of the country because it will not be a negative one if people can mend the wounds of a torn nation and come together under a united government.

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