The 2016 United States presidential election had two unusual characteristics: (a) a woman, for the first time in the country’s history, became the nominee for one of the two major parties, and (b) the contest was extraordinarily uncivil and divisive. In the end, the least expected candidate, Donald Trump, won — though he lost the popular vote by more than 2.5 million ballots. President Trump’s in-coming administration seems to promise drastic change in both domestic public policy and approach to world affairs. This presentation interrogates two pertinent questions: (a) what were some of the main reasons behind Trump’s unexpected victory? and (b) what are some possible implications, if any, for Somaliland.
