Trump's Turbulent Career / Powerful Comeback as President

2024-11-06 13:38:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Donald Trump returns to the White House for a second term almost four years after he left the political scene in an atmosphere of accusations and tension. His triumph against Vice President Kamala Harris marks a historic victory, with many surprises throughout the election campaign, including a criminal trial against him and two assassination attempts.

After a narrow loss in 2020, Trump returns as the first president in more than 120 years to win back the White House after an interrupted term. His latest campaign has been highly successful in a tight race where Harris replaced President Joe Biden on the Democratic ticket after he withdrew from the race earlier this year.

Trump won the White House for the first time in 2016, but lost the race for re-election in 2020. After the loss, he fueled unproven claims of vote-rigging, culminating in the violent attack on Capitol Hill on January 6, 2021, when his supporters tried to stop the certification of Joe Biden's victory. Following these events, Trump was indicted on federal charges in 2023 for trying to stay in power after losing the 2020 election.

Trump's rhetoric and behavior during his first term caught the attention of some former cabinet officials and senior aides, who characterized him as authoritarian. He was indicted in four different jurisdictions in 2023 and was convicted in New York City of 34 criminal charges in May. Trump left the White House without attending the inauguration of his successor in 2021, and many politicians and pundits declared him politically dead, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. However, McConnell did not vote to convict Trump in his impeachment trial over the events of January 6.

If Trump had been convicted, it could have ended his political career and prevented him from running for the White House again. against all odds, Trump managed to secure the Republican Party nomination and, with strong support from his base, emerged as the front-runner for the White House. During the campaign, he managed to gather wide support, having an excellent performance in key states. He won Georgia, carried North Carolina, and broke the Democratic "blue wall" by winning Wisconsin and Michigan.

Trump was able to win in all the swing states outside of all predictions. During the campaign, Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), capitalized on public discontent over economic issues, inflation and increased immigration. A large part of their strategy involved concerns about the southern border situation and international instability, which were used to mobilize his supporters and protect the political agenda. At 78, Trump becomes the oldest president-elect in US history, surpassing the record set by Biden in 2020.

However, he has refused to make his full medical records public, although he previously stated that he would be willing to do so. This second term is also Trump's last under the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, barring him from running for re-election after 2028. The results show that Trump scored significant improvements in several important voting blocs, including Latino voters and those African Americans, who were decisive in some battleground states. He also improved his performance among young and rural voters. These groups helped him to victory, an important demographic shift for a Republican candidate.

During the campaign, Trump promised to take bold steps, including a major deportation crackdown on illegal immigrants and the continuation of tax cuts from 2017. He also stated that he intends to limit protections for transgender youth, close the Department of Education and strengthen environmental policies in line with his conservative positions.

With his election, Trump may have the opportunity to strengthen the conservative majority on the Supreme Court after the Republican Party regained control of the Senate, a key factor in advancing his agenda in the coming years. Trump closed this successful campaign with the full support of the Republican Party and managed to maintain a lead over Biden in the polls during most of the campaign. However, Biden's withdrawal from the race and the nomination of Harris as the Democratic nominee brought an unexpected twist.

Harris galvanized her supporters and managed to secure broad financial support for the campaign, temporarily narrowing the race with Trump. After a difficult performance by Trump during the September debate, his campaign was restructured and in recent weeks managed to strengthen support by increasing significantly in the polls./ CNA