Buyer’s remorse is the sense of regret after having made a purchase. Buyer’s remorse is thought to stem from cognitive dissonance, specifically post-decision dissonance, that arises when a person must make a difficult decision, such as a heavily invested purchase between two similarly appealing alternatives.

So, now the election is over and people on both sides are sweeping up the pieces. One side starting gloating immediately while the other is trying to figure out what went wrong.

I sit here in blue Massachusetts watching with a modicum of safety, at least for the moment. I don’t know how long that will last.

Buyer’s Remorse for Better or Worse

What I do know is that many of the people who voted for Trump are in for a surprise. What’s that you say? You didn’t vote FOR Trump, you voted AGAINST Harris? Does that make you feel better?

Well, guess what, it doesn’t matter. You have Trump for better or for worse and I think how much worse will become apparent sooner rather than later. With control of both houses of Congress as well as the White House, they have no restraints.

“They” Fill the Vacuum

And I mean “they.” I don’t expect Donald Trump to really work at the job of running the country. After all, he didn’t do it the last time. He only likes the trappings of office like Air Force One and people calling him “sir.” But the vacuum created during his “executive time” will be filled by others—and very eagerly.

J.D. Vance, a fervent acolyte of the Heritage Foundation and author of the introduction to Project 2025, will start executing that program’s components immediately. If you didn’t like what you read about Project 2025 but didn’t like Harris even more, brace yourself. At the behest of his mentor, billionaire Peter Thiel (immigrant from Germany) Vance will be Trump’s Thomas Cromwell and heads will roll.

Elon Musk (immigrant from South Africa) already holds multiple federal contracts for aerospace. At the very least, he will be continuing to leverage all the federal money he can score in contracts, subsidies and tax breaks for his companies.

Free Rein and Open Graves

Robert Kennedy Jr. will have free rein in healthcare and, as far as we know from Trump’s statements, a lot of other things as well. He will rescind any vaccination requirements and has floated the idea of outlawing vaccines altogether. Prepare for a soaring infant mortality rate as epidemics spread and children die of preventable diseases.

Rupert Murdoch (immigrant from Australia) will support the new administration’s programs with the radical right-wing editorial page of The Wall Street Journal. Should he pass on—Murdoch is 93—his son Lachlan (immigrant from Australia) stands ready to carry the torch.

Irony and Buyer’s Remorse

The irony is that these white immigrants to the United States will push an anti-immigrant agenda aimed at ridding America of immigrants who happen to be people of color. We have a word for that, one that should be familiar to someone from South Africa.

I am, however, beginning to watch the reality of the situation sink in to people who voted for Trump. Buyer’s remorse will only increase as the impact begins hitting Americans personally. More on this next week.