Given his historic criminal conviction, near-miss assassination attempt, and warnings from a former chief of staff that he is a “fascist,” the controversial Republican’s victory after one of the most hostile campaigns in modern US history was all the more impressive.
Trump said at a victory party in Florida, “It’s a political victory that our country has never seen before.”
Vice President Harris conducted a centrist campaign that emphasized Trump’s aggressive rhetoric and usage of overtly racist and sexist stereotypes. Harris only entered the contest in July when President Joe Biden withdrew.
However, people who were hurt by the post-Covid economy and ready for a change from the Biden years responded favorably to his apocalyptic predictions about immigration and support for isolationism.
Although the campaign predicted a fiercely contested race, the outcome came as a surprise, yielding a decisive win that included victories in Georgia, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.
Trump is the first president to win a second term that is not consecutive in almost a century.
Additionally, he is the only one elected as a convicted felon; on November 26, he will be sentenced for fraud in a New York court.
Trump, who is now 78, is poised to become the oldest sitting president in history during his four-year term. He will be older than Biden, who will retire in January at the age of 82.
As the results came in, speculators wagered on a Trump victory, and the US dollar jumped and bitcoin reached a record high as most equity markets rose.
But there will probably be unrest in the future.
Trump’s election is accompanied by his pledge to implement drastic changes in foreign policy, where his unbridled isolationist and nationalist “America First” posture is likely to have far-reaching effects.
His frequent claims that he would force Kyiv to cede territory to Russia in order to end the situation in Ukraine have deeply alarmed Latin America, as has his threat of mass deportations of illegal immigrants.
In addition, he comes back to the White House as a climate change skeptic, ready to undermine the green initiatives of his predecessor Biden and endanger international efforts to reduce heat caused by human activity.
Foreign leaders hurried to offer their congratulations even before Trump’s surprising triumph was officially announced.
These included Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, all of whom have been longtime Trump allies.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is expected to witness a sharp cutback in US military assistance once Biden leaves office, also sent a message to Trump. Zelenksy expressed his optimism that his nation will achieve a “just peace” as a result of the “impressive victory.”
Mark Rutte, the head of NATO, claimed that Trump, who has regularly voiced his disapproval of the US-led alliance, will make it “strong.”
Keir Starmer, the prime minister of Britain, joined the chorus of well-wishers, and Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, promised to work alongside Trump “with respect and ambition.”
Trump continues to be infamously inconsistent when it comes to coordinating his words and deeds, despite his sinister threats of political retaliation against domestic adversaries and his attacks on loyal allies abroad.
Extreme rhetoric was used during his campaign rallies, which were full of complaints, taunts, and false information.
However, he received favorable press because to viral internet events that capitalized on his charisma and everyman appeal, such as his drive-thru appearance at McDonald’s and his spontaneous news conference from a garbage truck.
Despite threats of trade wars and higher prices for US consumers, he ran on a platform of tax cuts, less regulation, and the largest hike in import tariffs in almost a century to spur manufacturing and encourage growth.
Trump’s propensity to veer into profanity and violent imagery frequently obscured his more mainstream messaging. But his devoted following, who view him as an outsider in Washington, responded favorably to his hard-charging attitude.
His hard-line anti-immigration stance and outreach to working-class people affected by inflation brought on by COVID-19 also helped him gain traction.
Harris quickly closed the widening lead Trump had created over the president in surveys after entering the race in July to replace Biden.
As demonstrated by a massive spike in financing that increased her campaign war chest much beyond that of her opponent, her message of unity, emphasis on abortion rights, and warnings of Trump’s threat to democracy seemed to connect.
But in the end, she missed out on becoming the first Black woman elected to the White House, which would have been a historic victory.
