President-elect Donald Trump‘s roots in Queens run deep, but the borough’s residents are anxious about what the future holds when he takes the oath of office in January.
Trump lived at 85-15 Wareham Pl. in Jamaica Estates for the first few years of his life. The current owner of the Tudor home — Isaac Kestenberg — is currently looking to sell the house at auction.
Kestenberg was not available to speak outside of the president elect’s former home, but his friend Ioan Serban said that Kestenberg is hoping Trump would come and visit his old home.
“The house may be more historic,” Serban said. “[Kestenberg] is looking forward to having the president-elect come down to the house, and maybe even buy it himself.”
When asked about having Trump as the next president, Serban believe the American people should give him a chance.
“We have a duty to give Donald Trump, the new president-elect, a chance to deliver on his promises,” Serban added. “It could be a disaster … but assuming what will happen could be just as bad as thinking we knew who was going to be the next president.”
That uncertainty was shared among local elected officials who spoke out on Wednesday. While many of them disagreed with Trump’s politics, they offered the new president their support in helping to move the country forward after one of the most divisive and ugly elections in modern times.
“I am going to support the next president,” said Congressman-elect Tom Suozzi, who won the Third Congressional District seat on Tuesday night. “That is our duty as American citizens. The peaceful transition of power is fundamental piece of what makes this country great … I’m gonna work with anybody. I’m going to work with President Trump to try and address problems.”
Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer, the majority leader of the City Council, said he is “stunned” and “saddened” by the results.
“I have already heard from too many who are afraid, legitimately afraid, of what will be,” Van Bramer said. “But while I understand that there is much to be concerned about, I don’t want to focus on fear. Instead I ask all of us to dig deep at this difficult moment and feel hope and be in touch with our undying thirst for freedom. Women, African-Americans, Latinos, all immigrants — including the undocumented, my LGBT brothers and sisters, people of all faiths including Muslims, and the differently abled have come as far as we have because we know how to fight. We should take some time to feel this pain because it’s real. But we must quickly turn this around and organize and fight.”
