Fresh out of Barnard College with a degree in political science, Riley is learning the ropes as a writer and reporter for GZERO. When she isn’t writing about global politics, you can find her making GZERO’s crossword puzzles, conducting research on American politics, or persisting in her lifelong quest to learn French. Riley spends her time outside of work grilling, dancing, and wearing many hats (both literally and figuratively).
Donald Trump won the presidential election in an apparent landslide on Tuesday night, with a realigned GOP coalition that, according to early exit polls, successfully drew young, male, and minority voters.
“We’ve achieved the most incredible political thing," Trump said in an address at his campaign headquarters early Wednesday, proclaiming a “political victory that our country has never seen before."
As of this writing, Trump had surpassed the 270 electoral college votes needed to secure the presidency, winning in the key swing states of Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Georgia, and defying Democratic hopes that Kamala Harris would carry Pennsylvania and Georgia as Joe Biden did in 2020. Trump also looked set to win the popular vote, becoming the first Republican presidential candidate to do so in 20 years.
Trump clinched the White House by winning Pennsylvania by over two percentage points and cracking the so-called Democratic “blue wall,” of Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin. He won the Badger State by one percentage point, and while the count continues in the Wolverine State and it's close, he maintains a lead there as well.
Threats of violence. Polling places in several states were targeted with bomb threats. In DeKalb and Fulton, Georgia, two counties that would have been key to a Democratic win of the swing state, threats caused five polling places to be closed in the final hours of voting, and the FBI uncovered that they appeared to be sent from Russian email domains.
Where did Harris go wrong? She may have bet too big on one issue: democracy, which came in third – after the economy and immigration – on the list of voter’s concerns heading into the election. Harris’ closing campaign message focused on Trump’s anti-democratic rhetoric – and perhaps not enough on pocketbook issues.
Harris also struggled with young Democratic voters, who may have wanted a platform that promised greater policy change – especially on issues like the war in Gaza and climate change – which led to her underperforming in some cities and swing-state college towns. Meanwhile, Trump’s efforts to appeal to young men – who typically vote at the lowest rates – were highly successful. Another surprise of the night was early exit polling that showed Trump gaining substantially among Latino and Black voters, particularly men.
Trump has a strong mandate and will face few constraints. "America has given us an unprecedented and powerful mandate," Trump told supporters overnight. Indeed, Republicans won the White House and the Senate -- and could also win the House in the coming days. Taken together with a conservative majority on the Supreme Court, Trump will come into office in an immensely powerful position to implement his vision for America.
