By the end of the night: The President, the popular vote, The House (a few days later confirmed) and the Senate, are have been democratically voted by the people as Republicans. And it is known Trump wants to dismantle the government, appointing Musk as his knight of state light.
It was a momentous evening for me. At meeting at Holton Pits earlier that day I gave my resignation. I do not share their vision, they do not share mine. We’d walked around the Pits in growing dusk, where I outlined the potential tree work, and this confirmed our differences. Returning I let of steam with B, quite passionately I noted, (good to have an equally passionate listening friend). As the closing of the American day drew to a close, I hunkered down, opened up my tax return. There is a certain pleasure in creating order out of papers, equalising numbers. By 23.00 I was tucked up in bed with the radio on, and passed in and out of sleep for the next few hours. At around 3.30, New York Times predicted Trump to win. I was wide awake, and felt the fall, as North Carolina went to Trump. The first swing state. The rest fell like nine pins.
Echo’s of Brexit were strong. It was about 4am that the announcement came through on Radio 4, and I felt a similar shock, an isolation, a disbelief I was not in step with the majority of my tribe, that people could vote for what was an anathema for me. Yes, i felt all this the same, but even more the anathema.
My early reflections found critic of the democrat strategy: Kamala spent much of the latter campaign knocking Trump, warning us against electing him, rather than giving her path. Only in the last week she started giving a singular path, the reproductive rights of women. She appeared weak and woolly on economics or boarder. By contrast, Trumps message Trumps message was clear throughout, boarder control, and his very simple message, a question: Are you better off than you were four years ago?”
(With Brexit I remember reflecting on similar faults in attack rather than the joy of Europe: George Osbourn: A vote to leave would represent an immediate and profound shock to our economy. The vote leave had a simple and very effective message: Take back control, along with multifarious lies on busses.)
Trumps tag line is Jimmy Savills, ‘Trump will fix it’. In 24 hours he will fix the Ukranian war. Israel . Fix health care with Kennedy (a vaccine denier), Fix tarrifs on imports. Fix boarders by exporting illegals.
In his acceptance speech, he said, Hands off my liquid gold, the oil he will resurect. A climate sceptic, during his first term in 2017-2021, Trump rolled back climate regulations and pulled the US out of the Paris Agreement. He lent heavily on his mantra of “drill baby drill” and terminated the “green new deal”, ‘He’s been very honest about this’, said his supporter. He will no doubt withdraw from Nato. What the world will look like is unimaginable, as the news sinks in, and implications have to re-align.
The most stunning is how and why did so many vote for Trump: two impeachments, multiple criminal indictments at the state and federal levels, and a felony conviction as evidence that he is unfit to be president again, a threat to democracy, a misogynist, a racist a serial liar, an accused rapist. A man who has no respect for the rule of law, and broke the law when he tried to overturn the 2020 election results.
There was a strong feeling of vindication in the hall. Despite no support of mainstream press, despite all evidence against him, he got the popular vote. So many women in hall. Who were these people?
In sharp contrast, Kamala gave the most gracious speech the following day. I hope she will be back, will not give up but roll up her sleeves.
One week later – review of how could this happen?
Trump’s base cannot simply be dismissed ‘racist deplorables’ as Hillary Clinton famously said in 2016, or “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters,” as Biden famously said in 2023. Such conceit and arrogance, (another fault line found in Brexit).
- Distortion: The obsessive need to rationally address Trumps words and develop a passionate dislike of Trump, offically called TDS. Hardcore Trump supporters argue, with no evidence, say that “fake news” media outlets, like CNN, are part of a larger deep state plot of the federal government to upend the will of the people. Mainly but not exclusively lefties. Trump is wrongly persecuted. The left have gone too far left, and left many behind.
- Economy: “Are you better off than you were four years ago?” People accurately remember Trumps previous term as one of economic growth and stock market highs. Although overall employment numbers and average pay went up under Biden, the massive surge in inflation during Biden’s term, (world wide) prevails, as voters are reminded every day at the grocery store. Ecomony was top concern for the voters.
- Boarder invasion: This massive influx of illegal aliens, who are mostly criminals and often murderers. In 2022, a poll found 7/10 republicans worried that “open borders” were part of a Democratic plot to expand liberals’ power by replacing conservative White people with “non-White” foreigners. Trump consistently gives his proposed solution, shutting the border, building a wall, and deporting 11 million immigrants who are living in the U.S. without legal authorization.
- The Record: There were no new wars under Trump. Biden-Harris, in contrast, have been saddled with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Israel’s invasion of the Gaza Strip. Trump supporters’ perception is that American taxpayers pay large portion of the bill, even though Israel is actually buying weapons from the U.S. contributing to the GDP. Abortion opponents believe he delivered by appointing Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade.
One week on – Cabinet
Donald Trump’s controversial cabinet choices include two with outstanding sexual misconduct allegations, mirroring the president-elect’s own history of abusive behavior towards women. Guardian
Kalikellett 