Well, didn't see that coming. I give full credit, he got out the rural vote, and Hillary didn't get her core out. 47.6 percent of eligible voters didn't vote. That's unbelievable. In the end, the DNC has to take responsibility for not accounting for this dissatisfaction from the rural areas, and for not getting their core out in higher numbers.
As for the protests, it's probably a simple case of Trump's message now scaring the hell out of those mentioned - immigrants, Muslims, women (Roe vs. Wade he promised to repeal, remember). Might be a case where now that he's in, he backs out of the most fear-mongering stands (kicking out 7-11M illegal immigrants who have family who are US citizens, getting a judge in on SC who will then seek to reverse Roe vs. Wade). But the fear-mongering has its consequences, too.