Donald J. Trump achieved the greatest political comeback in modern U.S. history in the early hours of Wednesday, securing enough electoral votes to defeat Vice President Kamala Harris and return to the White House for a second term.
The elected president declared victory in a speech from Florida at 2:30 a.m. Eastern Time, saying he had created “the greatest political movement of all time” and promised to “help our country heal,” after having vowed during his campaign to deliver “vengeance” to his political enemies. This marked a nearly unimaginable point in what can now be considered an interlude in the Trump era, which began with his refusal to accept defeat four years ago.
The violent attack on the Capitol by a mob of his supporters followed, along with four criminal indictments, a conviction on 91 counts, a $354 million fine in a civil lawsuit against him and his company, and another jury finding him liable for sexual abuse and defamation.
“The real outcome will come on November 5th, from the people,” Trump said earlier this year.
And, of course, the outcome came in his favor. “We’ve overcome obstacles that no one thought were possible,” Trump told a crowd at a convention near his Mar-a-Lago estate.
After thanking voters, he said he would not stop until he secured a “golden age” for America.
“He’s the toughest son I’ve ever seen,” said Brit Hume of Fox News on Tuesday evening as results began to swing in Trump’s favor.
PROČITAJTE VIŠE:
Since Grover Cleveland in 1892, no U.S. president had been elected for two non-consecutive terms. In the end, Trump managed to achieve this victory not only by mobilizing his base but also by expanding the Republican electoral map.
His campaign strategy largely avoided mainstream media, instead focusing on appealing to young men and dissatisfied minority voters through prominent appearances on popular podcasts, supported by influencers who had replaced traditional media among those voters.
As Tuesday evening turned into night, it became clear that this high-risk strategy was paying off. Trump performed better than in 2020 nationwide, while Harris underperformed compared to Biden in key districts and among critical voter groups, including Latinos and white men.
Trump, by sheer force of will, defeated a challenger who spent a billion dollars trying to beat him, with a campaign that had the best “ground game” in politics.
“Former President of the United States, who was written off after January 6, 2021, is now stronger than he was in the last campaign,” said John King on CNN, noting that Trump was now leading by 3 points over his 2020 performance on a national level.
“Trump is defiant of history and has created a new, diverse coalition,” said political scientist Steve Schier to Newsweek. “This is an extraordinary achievement in presidential history.”
The elected president will take office with the wind at his back. Republicans have also regained control of the Senate, meaning his cabinet appointments and judicial nominations are likely to face minimal resistance (control of the House was still uncertain in the early hours of Wednesday and is likely to remain so for several days until all votes in California are counted).
After a period of inflation caused by the pandemic, the economy is now running at full speed, and the Federal Reserve is expected to lower interest rates again when it meets later this week. Meanwhile, ongoing legal cases against him are either dead in the water or seriously disrupted.
Now, instead of ending his career on a losing note—as a twice-impeached, one-term president and convicted felon—Trump will have another four years to reshape the government and a chance to further cement his legacy as the most influential Republican president since Ronald Reagan.
However, unlike Reagan’s decisive victory 40 years ago, Trump may not enter the White House again with a broad mandate for government. Still, whether he views his victory as a mandate is a different story altogether.
In this regard, Joe Biden offers a cautionary tale. The 46th president came to power promising to be a “bridge” to a “new generation of leaders” and then tried to govern in the style of FDR. Despite poor polling, Biden decided to run for re-election, even though large segments of the electorate, including those within his own party, repeatedly signaled that they considered him too old.
As for Harris, she will have the task as vice president of presiding over the certification of Trump’s victory in Congress on January 6 of next year—four years after the Capitol riot, which at the time seemed to be a fate that would consign her opponent to the dustbin of history.
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Source: MSN
Photo: llustration by Newsweek