The recent US election is a perfect example of Reality over Idealism. Former president Donald Trump is set to become the 47th president of the United States of America after a fierce, turbulent and defiant campaign against vice president Kamala Harris. He comfortably defeated Kamala Harris in what polls had suggested would be a very tight election, after he swept several key battleground states and won a commanding lead in the national popular vote. He won the popular vote with over 73 million votes, compared to Harris’ roughly 69 million and swept 295 Electoral College votes.
It’s indeed an historic and improbable comeback for the former president, who left office in 2021 after failing to overturn the 2020 election results. Trump became the first former president to be charged with either state or federal crimes, with four separate indictments, one of which resulted in conviction.
Trump’s first indictment and only conviction in the New York hush money trial only bolstered his poll numbers and his fundraising, solidifying his control over the Republican Party in the early stages of the primary campaign. Within 24 hours of his conviction, he raised over $52.8 million.
Trump launched his 2024 campaign in November 2022, at his home in Florida, shortly after Republicans fell short of their expectations of a “red wave” in the midterm elections. He built his campaign on retribution, anti-immigrant rhetoric and a continued populist shift in his economic and social policies.
After Trump and Mr. Biden clinched their respective nominations, their debate, hosted by CNN, was scheduled for June 27. It became the most consequential debate in U.S. history when Mr. Biden’s performance, marred by gaffes, unfinished sentences and mumbling, caused Democratic leaders and voters to question his ability to serve another term because of his age.
On July 13, Trump survived an assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, when his ear was grazed by a bullet after a gunman fired several times at him during a rally just before the Republican convention.
Days later he accepted the Republican Party nomination for the third time, making him the first Republican to secure the party nomination three times since Richard Nixon.
A few days later, Mr. Biden exited the race and backed Kamala Harris for the Democratic nomination.
Just two months after the attempt on his life in Butler, Trump’s life was put in danger again after an attempted gunman, armed with a rifle, was spotted at his golf course in West Palm Beach on Sept. 15. Trump returned to Butler on Oct. 5 for a rally with Elon Musk.
Immigration was a constant in all of three of Trump’s bids for the White House. He promised mass deportations for migrants and promised to establish the death penalty for any migrant who kills a U.S. citizen.
In the final week before the election, his campaign was embroiled in controversy. His rally at New York’s Madison Square Garden was overshadowed by comments made by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who referred to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage,” among other racist jokes.
This election shows that there was clear dissatisfaction with the economy, especially the cost of living and anger with a broken border policy. These are issues that resonates with an average American and are germane to voters, every other thing is secondary. These were the issues that are the hallmark of the trump’s campaign and he sure really pushed them hard to his base and the Americans.
Additional Info: CBS News
