On the night of Nov. 8, 2016, I could not believe that Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in that year’s presidential election. However, I found great solace in the fact that Clinton won the popular vote. Despite both sides of the political spectrum having issues with the former secretary of state, the majority of American voters recognized that she was clearly the more qualified candidate for the presidency than Trump. Thus in 2016, the electoral college was to blame for Trump’s victory.
Therefore, in both the 2020 and 2024 presidential elections, the thought of President Trump winning the popular vote was never of serious concern to me. I firmly believed that most voters saw through Trump’s lies and charisma, and saw him for what he truly is: a vulgar, offensive con-artist.
When Trump first entered the political stage, it seemed a large consensus of Americans were put off by his rhetoric of dehumanizing immigrants, his egotistical personality, and his apparent lack of eloquence to communicate effectively to the nation and the world. Then came his four years as president where his only legislative achievement was a tax break that mainly benefitted the rich, was impeached for soliciting foreign interference in the 2020 election, and failed to safely lead the country during a deadly pandemic.
But most of all, I thought Americans were truly done with Donald Trump after he committed an unforgivable sin as an elected leader of a democracy. He did not accept defeat after losing an election he knew he lost fair and square. His lies and actions led to an assault on our capital, which could have led to the deaths of our national representatives and Vice President Mike Pence, while they were simply doing their constitutional duty of certifying the election. January 6th was a prime example of the dangers a democratic leader can cause by manipulating and lying to their supporters. I thought for sure the age of Trump was over.
So on Election Day this year, when former President Trump received not only the 270 electoral college votes needed to win, he achieved what I thought was impossible. He won the popular vote. At first, I was in disbelief. But then I realized what Trump has done over the past eight years, he’s completely altered the country’s perception of what it means to be the president of the United States.
After three campaigns, one term in the White House, interview after interview, rally after rally, lie after lie, Donald Trump has legitimized his behavior and actions. Trump’s openly crude or shocking comments that cause outrage in the media has become a part of daily life when consuming the news. Trump’s constant lying has created a whole new reality for some Americans, which appears way too vast and ingrained for them to escape. Other politicians have adopted Trump’s chaos and bigotry, such as House Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene and Matt Gaetz, further normalizing Trump’s brand of politics.
Trump’s unprecedented behavior and actions have probably gained legitimization by never facing any tangible consequences. He was impeached twice by the House and then acquitted both times by the Senate. Out of all the court cases targeting Trump’s alleged criminal actions, the only one that has found success is an inconsequential hush money case. And now the consequence of Trump losing re-election in 2020 has been rendered null, by his re-election victory this year.
As a result of Trump being the Republican nominee for three elections in a row, so many young Americans have never voted on a presidential ballot that has not included the name Donald Trump. There is nothing more legitimizing for a presidential candidate than that. And there is probably nothing more presidential than experiencing an assassination attempt. One where Trump came out looking like a resilient, action hero no less.
In short, the major change Trump has brought about in the past eight years is this: Trump, who appeared not to be presidential when he entered the political scene, has turned Trumpism into being presidential. After dominating presidential politics for so long, it should not come as a surprise that Trump has changed Americans' perception of what it means to be a president.
I do not mean to suggest that this argument is the sole reason Trump has won re-election, considering other important factors like the economy, border hysteria, bigotry, and political apathy. But the theory I have laid out has helped me understand how Trump managed to win over the hearts and minds of most American voters. The most concerning takeaway I have from my own conclusion is that even after Trump’s second term is over, he will have forever changed the American presidency.
Brandon Denley
Hixson
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It is rather concerning how many liberals and democrats are “blaming” the Electoral College for Trump’s election. The Electoral College is not interference, it is literally how we elect our president. It is the only thing preventing our country from becoming a pure mob-rule democracy, where essentially the West Coast and East Coast would overrule everything else on every candidate and issue.
Trump has a long list of achievements that people like you seem to want to ignore. His tax cuts did not benefit the rich, according to IRS data. Trump’s tax cuts were more effective on middle-class, working Americans (a bloc that voted for him in this election by larger numbers than before). Trump stabilized the Middle East with the Abraham Accords, withdrew from the ridiculous sham that is the Paris Climate Agreement, stood up to dictators in countries like Iran, China, and North Korea, became the first president since Bush to not have a new war occur in his term, had the southern border under control, almost complete energy independence, and got the United States to the #1 producer of oil and gas in the world.
In just the singular week since he was elected again, Hamas has called for an immediate end to the war in Gaza, Putin now suddenly wants negotiations with Ukraine and a “reset” of relationships with the U.S., the stock market and Bitcoin have hit all time highs, and Germany now wants to start buying our oil and gas again.
Neither Joe Biden, nor Kamala Harris, nor Hillary Clinton could’ve achieved this in four years of the presidency.
You seem to talk about Trump lying but can also never bring up a lie. This is a very common tactic on the left - they accuse their enemies of lying, but they themselves can not defend their own evidence.
So go ahead. Keep on blaming “bigotry” and political apathy for Kamala’s loss. It certainly worked in getting Trump elected. I’m sure it’ll work again for Republicans in four years.
James Cowart
Signal Mountain
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You say, "As a result of Trump being the Republican nominee for three elections in a row, so many young Americans have never voted on a presidential ballot that has not included the name Donald Trump. There is nothing more legitimizing for a presidential candidate than that."
I don't know about persistence being a 'legitimizing' factor for any candidate, and I'm not all that great on history or politics, but I suspect other candidates have been equally persistent, whether or not they've ever been successful. In fact, the moment I read your words, a long-forgotten name came to mind, dredged up from my youth in the far-distant past. Look up Harold Stassen (1907-2001). The Wikipedia article on Mr. Stassen nails my recollection of him in the first paragraph: "his name became most identified with his status as a perennial candidate." Yes, that's exactly what I recall; back then if it was election season, we heard the name Harold Stassen every day.
Evidently Mr. Stassen was a somewhat liberal Republican from Minnesota. He seems to have had some good ideas, and some ideas that were not so good. Some of his ideas (not necessarily the good ones) have become law, while others (not necessarily the bad ones) are still offered periodically but rejected. He was elected governor of Minnesota three times (1938, 1940, and 1942) but otherwise "he ran unsuccessfully" for a variety of different positions. Whatever jobs he offered himself for, evidently the people simply did not want him. I don't know if he and his supporters ever offered the kind of lame, simplistic, "It wasn't MY fault I lost" excuses that we're hearing now; maybe back then people were more honest and responsible and had some self-respect.
Now that I think about it, though, I don't believe mere persistence makes a candidate 'legitimate' in anybody's eyes. In some candidates it might be an indication of good character and determination, but in most it's probably just a sign of stubbornness, ignorance, or stupidity.
Larry Cloud