Donald Trump was elected president of the U.S. in 2016, when Patrisse was still in the early years of establishing the Black Lives Matter network. His election terrified and angered Patrisse because she believed that his policies would hurt women and people of color. She felt that the political Left should have considered Trump a more serious threat, especially as, in the wake of his election, hate crimes against Black people increased. After his election, Patrisse committed even more deeply to taking care of herself and her family while continuing to fight for justice.