On Thursday, January 23, Polis: Center for Politics co-sponsored an Election Reaction Roundtable in collaboration with Duke Democrats, Duke College Republicans, and The Lemur magazine. The roundtable presented an opportunity for students with diverse political ideologies to reflect on the 2024 Presidential campaigns, debrief President Donald Trump’s inauguration, and engage in dialogue about America’s political future. The event was facilitated by members of the sponsoring organizations who posed discussion questions to the group and ensured dialogue remained respectful and productive. Over the course of the event, discussion topics ranged from the anticipated effects of President Trump’s recent executive orders, the strengths and weaknesses of the Harris and Trump campaigns, and the value of tariffs. In general, participants inquired about one another’s perspectives with curiosity and freely shared their own in return, making for a productive and enlightening conversation.

Among the first topics discussed was the role of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in American politics and the general partisan attitudes toward these practices. Self-identified conservative students shared the perspective that “woke” ideology has deepened polarization in the US, and that DEI policies over-value the representation of minority groups at the expense of those with the greatest merit. In response, several progressive students contributed that they understood the purpose of DEI policies as promoting equity in society by providing opportunities for those who otherwise would have been disadvantaged, challenging the idea that DEI is a “handout” to minorities.

Additionally, students reflected on the successes and failures of the Trump and Harris campaigns. Several Democrats in the group expressed their admiration at Harris’ strong campaign, but they posited that the Democratic party didn’t “sell” themselves well enough to the working class and other disadvantaged groups. Republican students attributed Trump’s success on the campaign trail to his podcast appearances, which they claimed have become a right-wing space due to a perceived left-leaning bias in traditional news media. Participants from both sides of the aisle acknowledged that a strength of both campaigns was Harris and Trump’s ability to draw large crowds and deliver persuasive messages.