Early in the morning on Nov. 6, Donald Trump officially won the U.S. presidential election, which means he will return to the White House in January for his second term. For those who supported Trump’s opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, the election outcome has been incredibly discouraging. However, when Harris delivered her concession speech on the afternoon of Nov. 6, she encouraged voters to “keep fighting” for the causes that matter to them, which was an apt conclusion for the campaign of hope she ran alongside her VP pick, Tim Walz. Now, in the wake of her concession, many people are joining Harris in refusing to give up the fight — including Walz’s daughter, 23-year-old Hope Walz.
In the days since the election, Hope — who has become a representative of the fun and empathetic side of Gen Z in the political sphere throughout her dad’s campaign — has taken to TikTok to share her thoughts about the election. In her first election-focused video posted on Nov. 7, she said, “I’ve officially reached the point of anger,” which many Harris-Walz supporters may be feeling right alongside her. “This country does not deserve Kamala Harris,” Hope continued. “The only people that delivered this election were Black women, and we failed them. And it’s just heartbreaking.”
Hope’s statement has been echoed by many as the national exit poll results have become available since the election. In 10 key states, 91% of Black women voted Democrat, compared to 45% of white women, 77% of Black men, and 37% of white men.Â
“I’m giving myself the week to be sad and to mourn what could have been,” Hope went on. “And then the work starts. So, we got this America, we’re gonna be okay.” The video had over 100,000 likes as of Nov. 8.Â
Hope sharing her post-election thoughts on TikTok is comforting to many of her fellow Gen Zers who felt the same way. Many young voters are terrified and heartbroken over Trump regaining the presidency, and in the wake of uncertainty, videos like Hope’s could provide some, well, hope. It shows voters who felt isolated that they are not alone, and that the work does not stop just because of this outcome.
Hope returned to TikTok on Nov. 8 to share a very open and vulnerable post about how she was taking care of herself in the days following the election. “[I’m] just kind of starting to pick myself back up and lean into what makes me feel good,” she said.
She isn’t the only one who may have felt despondent or unable to do self-care following the election. Mental health experts have shared that it’s expected for Americans to feel a wide range of emotions following this election, and it’s important to acknowledge those feelings. Experts also recommend taking time to do activities that bring you joy, like taking a walk or connecting with family and friends.Â
Hope’s most recent video, as of the afternoon of Nov. 8, addresses hateful comments and messages she had received after posting her previous videos. “I don’t hold any hate in my heart,” she said. “I pray for Donald Trump and J.D. Vance, and their success and their ability to help all Americans.”
Hope ended her last video with a call to action for her viewers to continue taking care of themselves and championing the issues they believed in. “While we’re all just feeling a whole lot of feelings right now, I’m just gonna reiterate the need to dive into your community and help those at the ground level, because that’s really where the change is gonna happen.”
Hope has amassed over 76 thousand followers on TikTok, many of whom are likely feeling inspired and reassured from her calm and eloquent videos. During a week where many people have felt scared, hurt, and hopeless, Hope has been a source of inspiration, showing that it’s important to both feel any emotions you do about this outcome, and then get to work helping those who are most vulnerable.