The News quoted the president of the Yale College Republicans, Manu Anpalagan ’26, as cheerfully wondering if Yale’s Democratic students were in tears following election night. Anpalagan has since disputed the News’ characterization of his comments — but it should come as no surprise that today’s Republicans would rather celebrate Democratic defeats than their own victories.

The Republican reaction is rooted in an unfortunate reality: They have become an opposition party. Donald Trump’s MAGA movement is built on what he is against. 

MAGA Republicans run against immigrants. They run against transgender people. They run against providing aid to Ukraine. On issue after issue, they are against, against, against. During the campaign, an analysis found that 81 percent of Donald Trump’s ads were negative. He described the United States as a “garbage can for the world.” Donald Trump was the least hopeful presidential hopeful in our nation’s history. 

I am disappointed that such a divisive strategy worked. MAGA Republicans have won the presidency, the Senate and maintained a majority in the House. But I also know that you cannot govern as the opposition. Once in power, Republicans will have to show what they are for.

The failures of the current MAGA House majority are revealing. It took three weeks for House Republicans to elect a Speaker. They regularly lose procedural votes on the House floor. By nearly every measure, the 118th Congress was one of the least productive in American history.

Last time they controlled the government, Republicans failed to replace the Affordable Care Act. A promised infrastructure week never materialized. It was much easier to criticize President Obama than to offer substantive policy solutions. MAGA Republicans claim that the government is broken. Then, they get elected and prove it. 

Thus, in the face of defeat, Democratic students have no more tears to shed. We fear for the people that Trump will harm. But, we also know that we have work to do. 

We will continue to canvas voters, phonebank, write letters and be involved in the New Haven community. We will continue supporting human rights, civil rights, women’s rights, democracy and the environment. We know what we are for. 

In the past four years, Democratic majorities have capped the cost of insulin at $35, invested over a trillion dollars in infrastructure and secured health benefits for veterans. So to the president of the Yale Republicans: how will your party govern, if your obsession is only to defeat your fellow Americans?

ZACH PAN is a sophomore in Ezra Stiles College. He is the treasurer of the Yale College Democrats. He can be reached at zach.pan@yale.edu.