Opinion: A moment of hope. Then America rejected a woman. Again.

Growing up, I was told I could be president.
I was born in 1997, putting me on the cusp of the millennials and Gen Z. It was the era of third-wave feminism, where little girls like me were told we could be anything we want. I was raised by a mother who gave me books on winning the right to vote. I was taught that I was on the same playing field as the boys in my class.
I’m starting to think that isn’t true.
On Tuesday night, Vice President Kamala Harris lost. It was Donald Trump’s second time winning a presidential election against a woman. I held my mother as she repeatedly expressed her disbelief. I scrolled through posts from my female friends on social media, sharing their anger and their grief. In all of it, I felt nothing and everything.
I have been dreading this for months. The United States has proved that it prefers an adjudicated rapist and womanizer to a woman. Now, I’m unsure I’ll ever see a woman president in my lifetime.
I’m worried about what this means for myself and the people I care about. Trump’s looming presidency spells disaster for most of the people in my life.
I’m worried about my younger sister’s access to abortion care, living in a state with a 12-week restriction. I’m worried about my LGBTQ+ friends’ marriages – and about whether I’ll be able to wed when the time comes. I’m worried about the immigrants in my community, and in my family.
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In the coming days, all of the reasons Trump won and Harris lost will be dissected by pundits and researchers. Each voter in each county across the country will be scrutinized to determine just how this happened.
I’ve heard many of the reasons – Trump was seen as stronger on the economy and immigration, Harris was seen as too liberal, etc.
Still, I can’t help but feel devastated by yet another qualified woman’s loss to Trump, a man whose campaign is founded on publicly hating women. Not to mention Ohio Sen. JD Vance, the next vice president who clearly hates us.
I doubt I’m alone in feeling this way. Most of Harris’ supporters are women. What’s disappointing is that women supported Harris by a smaller margin than Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton in 2016.
White women continue to vote for Trump, as they did in previous elections. Men continue to back Trump, despite everything we know about him.
I’m also disappointed that fewer people turned out to vote in 2024 than in 2020.
For a fleeting moment early this week, I allowed myself to feel a glimmer of hope. I hoped for a country that would elect Harris, and we could chart a course beyond Trump. I hoped that my rights and the rights of people I care about would be protected by the Democrats.
Trump’s first presidency was a disaster for our country. His second term will be worse, especially when parts of Project 2025 come to fruition. The Republicans already have a majority in the Senate and are possibility taking the House.
Long term, there is the potential Trump could add more justices to the U.S. Supreme Court – improving what is already split 6-3 in his favor.
This isn’t just a win for conservatives – it cements MAGA as the Republican Party.
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I don’t know what is coming next. No one does. It’s terrifying, but it is our reality. I am scared of this country’s rightward shift. I am scared that we will never see a woman president in my lifetime.
I want to say we’ll survive this, but the truth is that many people won’t. A lot of people will suffer under another Trump presidency. Even more people’s lives just got thrown into a dreadful uncertainty, including mine.
This is the America that its people chose, and I understand that. I’m just sad that another qualified woman lost to Trump.
Follow USA TODAY elections columnist Sara Pequeño on X, formerly Twitter, @sara__pequeno