Kamala Harris, at her last campaign rally in Ellipse

'Trump's America': His Returning to Power Announce a New Kind of Nation

After all, Donald J. Trump was not a historical aberration as some thought, but a transformative force that reshaped modern America in its own image.

Peter Baker
Nov. 6, 2024

Kamala Harris, at her last campaign rally in Ellipse last week, accused Donald Trump of being an anomaly that does not represent the United States. "That is not who we are," she declared.

In fact, that may be who we are. At least most of us.

The presumption that Trump was a transient anomaly that would disappear into the dustbin of history was washed away by the red wave that swept rival states on Tuesday night - and the long-bred understanding of America by the ruling elite of both parties was lost.

The political establishment will no longer be able to dismiss Trump as a temporary halt from a long march of development, and as a coincidence that somehow entered the White House with a bizarre electoral victory eight years ago. With his comeback victory to retake the presidency, Trump has now become a transformative force to reshape America in its own image.

Public disillusionment with the direction of the country and a grudge against the elite proved to be deeper and more profound than both parties recognized. Trump's testosterone-filled campaign capitalized on his resistance to the election of the first female president.

Tens of millions of voters still voted against Trump, but he once again captured the sense among many that the country they knew was slipping away under economic, cultural and demographic siege.

In response, voters approved the return of the daring 78-year-old champion, who is willing to take radical action even if it overturns customs, undermines sensitivity, or violates old standards. Any concerns about their chosen leader were set aside.

As a result, for the first time in history, Americans elected a convicted criminal as president. They sought to overturn previous elections, demanded the "end" of the constitution to regain their position, and from day one handed over power to a leader who aspired to be a dictator and vowed to "revenge" his enemies.

"True America has become Trump's America," said Timothy Naftali, a presidential historian at Columbia University. "To be honest, the world would say, 'If this man had not been disqualified for the events of Jan. 6 - this has had a tremendous impact on the world - this is not the America we know.'

For Trump's allies, the election corroborates his claim that Washington is out of touch with reality: that the United States is tired of war abroad, excessive immigration and "woke" political correctness.

"The Trump presidency demonstrates the depth of alienation experienced by those who feel they have been in the cultural wilderness for too long. And it demonstrates their faith in the only person who can represent their frustration and place them at the center of American life," said Melody C. Barnes, secretary-general of the Kassie Institute of Democracy at the University of Virginia and a former adviser to President Obama.

Far from antagonizing Trump's blatant, anger-based appeals regarding race, gender, religion, country of origin, and in particular, transgender identity, many Americans have taken it refreshingly. Rather than being offended by his brazen lies and outrageous conspiracy theories, many have considered him sincere. Although many courts have found him to be a fraud, cheater, perpetrator of sexual violence, and defamation, many have accepted his claim that he is a victim of persecution.

"This election was a CT scan of the American people. It is difficult to say and define, but it has at least partially exposed a fearful affinity for a corrupt figure with no limits," said Peter H. Wenner, a strategic adviser to former President George W. Bush and a staunch critic of Trump. "Donald Trump is no longer an aberration. He has become the norm."

The fact that Trump was able to recover from numerous legal and political defeats that would have been enough to destroy any other politician's career over the past four years was a testament to his remarkable resilience and resistance. He was undaunted, and at least not defeated this time.

This was also partly due to the failures of President Biden and his vice president, Harris. Trump's victory was a rejection of an administration that passed a wide range of pandemic relief, social spending, and climate change programs but was hampered by soaring inflation and illegal immigration. Both issues were brought under control only too late.

In addition, Biden and Harris have never succeeded in healing the divisions they promised during the Trump era. Of course, it is doubtful that it was possible in the first place. They have found no way to control the anger that drives Trump's movement or to counter the culture wars he promotes.

After taking over the baton from Biden, Harris initially garnered excited support from Democrats, emphasizing a positive, joy-filled mission to the future, but not enough to convince undecided voters.