USA2024: The Night’s Recap and Next Steps

With the vote count for the 2024 U.S. presidential election coming to a close, the climate is more tense than ever. Donald Trump, the former Republican president, is projected toward the White House after he won in critical states such as Georgia, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania. Conversely, Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, current vice president, desperately tries to balance the electoral map by winning crucial votes in the Midwest and Sun Belt. The challenge is tight, and the decisive states are once again proving to be the heart of the American political confrontation.

Trump, for his part, inflamed the enthusiasm of his supporters by declaring victory from Florida , now a solid Republican stronghold. Having reached the magic threshold of 270 electors needed for victory, Donald Trump is definitively confirmed as the 47th president of the United States. In a long speech full of references to the “revenge” of the American people, he declared: “This day will be remembered as the day Americans took back control of their nation.” Between one thank you and another, Trump emphasized that his recent survival of an attack was a sort of sign of destiny, a providential event that would have allowed him to complete his political mission.

The speech was not short of praise for some key allies. Trump gave special thanks to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who seems destined for a healthcare post, and Elon Musk, likely to have a senior post in the Trump administration. The media has focused on Musk, as many speculate that he will act as a “shadow vice president” in the coming years, more influential even than the official designee JD Vance.

Unexpectedly, compared to the polls’ forecasts, Trump has managed to win support among minorities . The data shows that the former president has expanded his voter base within the African-American communities, among Latinos and, in particular, among legal immigrants, in particular for his more restrictive immigration policy, perceived as a promise of order and security.

Two key themes seem to have driven voters’ choices in this election cycle: protecting democracy and economic recovery. While the former has sparked public debate, it is the latter that has influenced voters more. Inflation, which has hit the United States hard, has reduced the purchasing power of Americans, especially the poorest and minorities such as Latinos , pushing many of them towards the Republican candidate’s promise of economic stability.

On the Democratic front, President Joe Biden ‘s decision to withdraw from the race only at a late stage proved strategic, concentrating electoral enthusiasm around Kamala Harris. However, the vice president failed to maintain the necessary enthusiasm . Harris failed to recreate the enthusiasm that had characterized the figure of Barack Obama in 2008. Many voters, especially in the urban suburbs and cities, perceived Harris as distant from that dream of renewal that had characterized Obama’s rise, preventing the Democratic campaign from fully capitalizing on the progressive electorate.

The final element to consider is that the beginning of this second term also coincides with the beginning of the end of the Donald Trump era. It is likely that there will be growing attention on the management of the MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement and its political legacy. Trump has been the face and heart of this movement, managing to catalyze around himself a large base of loyal supporters. However, the constitutional limits on presidential terms pose the need to identify a new generation of leaders capable of keeping the spirit of MAGA alive and adapting it to future challenges.

One of the emerging names is precisely that of JD Vance, the young senator and vice president-designate. But among the prominent figures we also find Ron DeSantis , governor of Florida, and the young representative Matt Gaetz . However, it will be Trump’s management that will mark this transition.There is a lot on the fire for Americans. Let’s see.