What happened to conventional politics? What happened to the rich, bigoted conservatives and the overpowering, “open” liberals who ran this country for decades? What happened to the Tea Party, the social justice warrior, and the Black Lives Matter movement? The era of Donald Trump has brought about a string of controversies, ranging from Cabinet scandals to massive protests. Although his presidency came with controversy, Donald Trump’s election brought something US politics hasn’t seen for a while: bipartisanship.

Many of Donald Trump’s policies are not conservative. In fact, many of his plans mirror those of Senator Bernie Sanders. These “liberal” reforms include a crackdown on government corruption, infrastructure rebuilding, “universal” healthcare, and non-interventionist policies. Of all of the Republicans in the 2016 election, Donald Trump was arguably the most liberal. This, ironically, made him the most likely choice to be the nominee. What Donald Trump did was revise modern conservatism, by pulling in support from African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, the LGBT community, and working class Americans. Doing so redefined American politics and created a more “open” Republican party.

In contrast, the Democrats appear to be more “resistant” to changing their platform. This election, they have lost all three branches of government and a majority of the state/local governments. In their defense, the Democratic Party wants to remain committed to its values. However, one can see a shift more towards a “socialist” left. The Democratic Party is heading towards a collision course, by putting more divisive characters in its leadership. This, and other factors, will lead to its permanent demise. It may well be replaced by a far-left socialist party, lead by Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.

For many Americans, Trump offers an political alternative to the two-party system. His election told us that you do not have to be a conservative or a liberal. You can have your own opinions which ought to be valued and respected.