Eight years. For eight years Republicans have waited for an election day like the one we just had, yet for some, it was still bittersweet. Many conservatives, like myself, had hoped for a better nominee for our party. But, nonetheless, the general consensus among conservatives was that no matter what, we had to win this election — and we did. Do I love Trump? By no means, but I recognize that our country cannot continue on the way it has the last four years. Healthcare is a disaster. Taxes are high. The country is more racially divided than it was eight years ago. Islamic terrorism is on the rise. Yet, President Obama has hardly done anything to help these situations and I fully believe Trump will.

However, two major concerns about Trump are his treatment of women and his treatment of people of color. While I do not condone comments made by him, especially about women, I want to point out a few facts. His campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, is the first female campaign manager to win a presidential election, largely credited for gaining Trump’s campaign 42 percent of the female vote. Trump also raised African American vote 25 percent compared to Romney’s support from the voting bloc in 2012. In addition, an outspoken supporter of Trump and a man likely to be placed in Trump’s cabinet is Ben Carson, an African American.

Again, I would like to restate that Trump was by no means my first choice, but I am overjoyed that he won. Hillary Clinton is a criminal. Hillary Clinton is not for women, just look at the amount of sexual assault victims she allegedly silenced at the hand of her husband. Hillary Clinton is not for our soldiers, as evidenced by her handling of Benghazi. As a woman, I am 100 percent for having a female president, but Hillary Clinton was going to ruin the opportunity for women for the rest of history, and I am so glad she no longer has the chance.

So, as we press on as a country, I am hopeful that President-Elect Trump will bring us the change our nation needs. I pray the country accepts it. As one Twitter user wrote, “wanting Trump to fail is like hoping your pilot crashes the plane.” I hope our nation can come together, end the riots and look forward to a brighter future. For those worried about being kicked out or silenced because your skin is a different color or because of your religion, know that there are strong conservatives who will fight for your basic, constitutional freedom. There is no need to fear.