T.D. Jakes says Americans grieving over election results
Bishop T.D. Jakes, senior pastor of the Potter's House church in Dallas, Texas, said that many Americans are traumatized and in grief over the election of Republican Donald Trump.
"Many, many people are dealing with the grief of an idea of a candidate in an America that seems to be passing away and suddenly so without the warning of the press leading us into a preparation period that this was going to happen," Jakes said in a Nov. 9 interview with Tamron Hall of MSNBC.
"There is a certain amount of trauma that has been ingested by the American people," he added.
Jakes said that there are many unanswered questions regarding the next administration and he added that many Americans need a place to vent and talk about their concerns.
The Christian Post reported that some of those who were angry about the election results have engaged in protests in several U.S. cities such as New York City, Washington, D.C., Portland, Chicago, Los Angeles and Oakland. Some of the protests have resulted in violence and property damage.
Jakes suggested that the problem does not solely lie with the elected official but also the political system.
"America keeps thinking that if they hire a new chef, they're going to have a great dinner. ... The problem is not just the chef—the oven is broken. We have a system that is dysfunctional that has not heard the needs of average, ordinary people," he remarked.
The bishop believes that the problems will continue regardless of who is in power. He added that political leaders must begin to recognize that they are elected to serve the people and not their own agendas.
Some protesters have warned that there will be a mass demonstration during Trump's inauguration at the Capitol in Washington D.C. On Jan. 20, 2017.
In his victory speech, Trump declared that he is willing to work to represent all Americans including those who did not vote for him.
Outgoing President Barack Obama has stated that he wants the Trump administration to succeed and has ordered his staff to facilitate a smooth transition in power. However, he has not issued a statement to call for an end to the violent protests.