Trump wins the White House with Rust Belt wins, Arkansas Republicans reflect

Donald Trump accepted the presidency of the United States after receiving a phone call from Hillary Clinton early on Nov. 9.

“Now is the time for America to bind the wounds of division,” he said, calling for Americans to come together “as one united people.” He pledged to be president “for all Americans.” He said he was reaching out to those who did not vote for him in search of their guidance and help.

He said the forgotten people of America would no longer be forgotten and pledged to rebuild the country’s infrastructure and to take care of the country’s veterans. He said that “America will no longer settle for anything less than the best.”

“We will get along with all nations willing to get along with us. … We will seek common ground, not hostility; partnership, not conflict,” he said.

In Arkansas, the state chairman of the Trump campaign, Bud Cummins, said Trump “tapped into a movement, and it’s a different combination of people that are motivated a little bit differently than the two traditional parties.” He said that free trade policies have hurt workers while borders have not been controlled, which brought immigrant workers into the country who then depressed wages.

Trump, who will become the 45th U.S. President, spoke to those union-type concerns without necessarily agreeing with union views, and while Trump didn’t deny that trade is good, the country’s leaders have not negotiated or policed trade deals well, Cummins said.

Cummins said Trump was elected by a “silent majority” that was partly inspired by cultural issues such as athletes refusing to stand for the national anthem. He said Trump received far fewer lobbyist dollars than other candidates – particularly Clinton.

“People have been saying my whole lifetime that they wanted a candidate that wasn’t beholden to special interests, so here you go,” he said.

Cummins said he was attracted to Trump’s campaign because, “I see his candidacy and his presidency as an opportunity to try to solve problems a little differently.” For example, Trump could try to find a third way to address health care between Obamacare, which Cummins said is unworkable, and previous Republican non-attempts to address health care.

Cummins said Trump stayed on message at the end of the campaign – an assessment echoed by Doyle Webb, Republican Party of Arkansas chairman. Webb said Trump was disciplined and focused in the last two weeks of the campaign – the same period of time when new voters were most focused on the election. The polls that showed Clinton leading failed to measure the intensity of the voters, or that they would accurately determine which “likely” voters actually voted. Supposedly Clinton had a stronger ground game, Webb said, but the Republican National Committee also had a strong ground game that it utilized in support of his candidacy.

Webb said Trump has broadened the base of the Republican Party with an appeal to voters in blue states who voted for President Reagan but otherwise had voted for Democrats.

Asked about how the party will adjust to Trump’s policies, Webb said, “I think it’s a little bit early to speculate on that yet, but I think we will be responsive to the people that elected Trump. I think that we need to be responsive to … their concerns and their desires and aspirations.”