“I think people are discouraged because they believe that politics is just a rich man’s game and that real change is unlikely,” said Rev. William J. Barber II, the founding director of the Yale School of Theology’s Center for Public Theology and Public Policy. He made this comment in light of Donald Trump’s impending second term.

Many supporters of Democratic candidate Kamala Harris are still trying to understand the factors behind the Republican victory, he noted. Though Trump won less than half of the popular vote (his margin of victory being smaller than President Biden’s in 2020) he swept all seven key states, prompting Democrats to reevaluate how to reach more effectively working-class and Latino voters, Barber explained in an interview with CNN.

He expressed deep concern for the country, warning that both the Democratic and Republican parties are failing to serve the working class. “I am deeply disappointed by the presence of someone who exhibits such violence and cruelty—a sexual abuser, as a federal jury found last year in a civil case regarding an incident in 1996 in New York City. He does not uphold the rule of law. He lies, he curses, and he creates a list of enemies,” he stated.

Barber added that if Vice President Harris had engaged in even half of Trump’s behavior, her poll numbers would have plummeted, and she likely would have been unable to remain in the race. “Trump is capable of that, nevertheless many Americans looked the other way,” he emphasized. jrr/jav/oda/dfm