Donald Trump Wins Reelection After a Campaign of Fear, Division, and Authoritarianism
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After a campaign built around targeting immigrants and his political “enemies”, Donald Trump was reelected as president of the United States in the early hours of Wednesday morning. In a shocking turn of events, the Republican nominee easily won the swing states of Pennsylvania, Georgia, North Carolina and Wisconsin, securing more than the 270 electoral college votes needed to win the presidency, per the New York Times. He even appears on track to become the first Republican presidential candidate in 20 years to win the popular vote.
Trump, 78, will become the oldest president in history, and the first with a felony conviction. He had threatened not to accept the results of this election unless he won, after instigating an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol following his loss in 2020.
Trump’s win is a devastating blow for supporters of reproductive rights, undocumented immigrants, LGBTQ Americans, and many marginalized communities. On the campaign trail, the former president vowed to launch mass deportations of immigrants, smearing them as “criminals” who are destroying the country. Trump alarmed civil rights groups by calling for the removal of protections for trans students and workers based on gender identity and to limit access to gender-affirming care. While his comments about abortion were all over the map, as president, he appointed conservative Supreme Court justices who helped overturn Roe v Wade — something he later bragged about.
His administration is also likely to worsen inequality and accelerate the climate crisis, as the New York Times has reported. Trump wants to further lower corporate tax cuts and is eager to “drill, baby drill,” expanding the production of fossil fuels in the U.S.
Trump’s anti-democratic streak has also grown more alarming. He and his running mate JD Vance repeatedly refused to acknowledge the results of the 2020 election and to agree to a peaceful transfer of power if they lost. As recently as mid-October, Trump referred to his Democratic opponents as the “enemy from within,” saying, “We have some sick people, radical left lunatics…and it should be very easily handled by, if necessary, by National Guard, or if really necessary, by the military.” The New York Times reported that “never before has a presidential nominee openly suggested turning the military on Americans simply because they oppose his candidacy,”
Despite the many twists and turns of the 2024 race — from Joe Biden dropping out and being replaced by Harris to two assassination attempts against Trump — the fundamental dynamic remained stubbornly fixed. Polls showed a tight contest between the Democratic and Republican candidates, especially in key swing states in the Midwest.
Trump ultimately “made gains with nearly every demographic group compared with his 2020 loss,” including young men, Latinos, and rural voters, according to CNN's analysis of its exit polls.
Republicans also won control of the Senate, meaning Trump will have an easier time getting his nominees for the Cabinet and federal judiciary confirmed. Control of the House of Representatives has not yet been called.
Activists and civil rights organizations have promised to keep fighting for reproductive rights and equality for all. “We will deploy our millions of activists and card-carrying members — alongside our 2,200 staff spanning every state, DC, and Puerto Rico — to ensure that erosions of civil rights or civil liberties will be hard-fought and hotly contested,” the American Civil Liberties Union said in a statement.
Election night did bring some wins for Democrats and progressives, with abortion rights measures passing in seven of the 10 states where they were on the ballot, according to NBC News. Far-right North Carolina Republican gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson lost his race, while Sarah McBride became the first trans member of Congress. With Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland and Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware winning their races, the U.S. will see two Black women serve as senators together for the first time. Progressives including Rep. Maxwell Frost of Florida, the first Gen Z member of Congress, and Rashida Tlaib, the first Palestinian American to serve in Congress, also won their races for reelection.
This article will be updated. It was originally published on Wednesday November 6.
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