The people have spoken: in January of next year, President-elect Donald Trump will re-enter the White House and serve his second presidential term, becoming the second president to serve two terms non-consecutively. Trump’s win was legitimate. His ascension to the presidency is not the result of election meddling or interference, but rather, the result of clear, widespread exacerbation among the electorate.
Trump is more popular than ever, despite his use of xenophobic and divisive rhetoric, numerous allegations of sexual assault, incitement of an attack on the United States Capitol and conviction of 34 felonies.
Voters knew who they were electing. Trump’s countless controversies have been in the spotlight for years. Yet, the 2024 presidential election saw Trump win with a larger margin than his previous presidential win in 2016. He retained support within the groups he relied on and gained favor in demographics that had previously voted in favor of Democrats. Exit polls show that Trump was more popular among women, Black and Latino voters in 2024 than in 2020, with the largest increase occurring among Latino voters.
Trump’s rise in popularity not only propelled him to a win in the electoral college, but a majority in the popular vote. This was the first time the Republican candidate has won the popular vote in a presidential election in 20 years.
The results of this election speak less to Trump’s popularity than they do of Democrats’ unpopularity. The results reflect voters’ widespread dissatisfaction with the present and fear for the future.
Vice President and former Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris was in a bind from the moment she took over incumbent President Joe Biden’s campaign in July 2024. Tied to a presidency with approval ratings hovering near just 40%, Harris did her best to campaign on a note of progress and excitement for the future. Although energized with moods of joy and advancement, Harris’ campaign was rooted in the fear of a second presidential term under Trump.
Harris drove home the danger Trump posed to American democracy, running ad campaigns that highlighted Trump’s former top aids expressing their fears of his volatility and lack of fitness to lead again. “We’re not going back” became a campaign slogan for Harris, referring to the desire not to return to another Trump presidency.
Many voters, however, do want to go back. Despite the civil unrest and COVID-19 pandemic that plagued Trump’s final year in office, many voters view Trump’s presidency positively, at least in comparison to Biden’s. In the pre-pandemic years under Trump, Russia had not invaded Ukraine, Israel was not at war with Palestine and, perhaps most notably in the eyes of the American voter, gas was cheaper at the pump.
The nostalgia for the prime of his presidency fueled Trump’s campaign as he promised to rebuild what he has coined as “the greatest economy in history.” This runs in stark contrast to public perception of the economy of the Biden presidency. Under Biden, gas prices, inflation and the costs of everyday necessities soared. This made sense since Biden did enter the White House amid a global pandemic. Shortly after, Russia invaded Ukraine, disrupting global supply chains and threatening to send the world into an energy crisis. Additionally, a surge in encounters at the border between the U.S. and Mexico under Biden stirred up the fears of immigration Trump had done so much to incite.
Although not the result of Biden’s policies, voters conflated his presidency with the harsh environment. As Democrats did their best to frame Trump as a threat to American democracy, a perception grew among voters that the economy and state of immigration were better under Trump. With public perception on his side, Trump assumed his role as the better candidate for the economy and immigration, two of the top issues for voters according to surveys by the Pew Research Center.
Trump didn’t win the election because of his most extreme, loyal supporters: he won because everyday people didn’t mind the threat he posed to democracy. People wanted change after an unfavorable presidency that Harris was too closely tied to and were willing to sacrifice nearly anything to get it. Trump’s ability to run as an incumbent from four years ago won him the election. Voters didn’t forget about the threat he posed to democracy; they just didn’t care.
