Like many Americans watching around the country I was surprised, but not entirely shocked, when the 2024 presidential election was called for Donald Trump in the early hours of Wednesday, November 6th. I had dared to hope that Kamala Harris might have been able to overcome the populous narrative that Trump delivered to Americans, but the sharp turn to the right that the country’s electorate took this cycle proved me wrong. Though in retrospect in the weeks after his win, I don’t find it difficult to grasp why Trump pulled this off. His unique brand of charisma, lack of civility, and the appearance of being a political outsider all appeal to voters who often feel ignored by both parties’ establishment liberalism. Trump has always had these characteristics though,So why did he emerge victorious from his elections against Clinton and Harris, but fall to Biden? 

There are multiple factors that played into these results, such as sexism, which many people have been quick to point out. Another reason, and what I believe to be the most vital, is the Democrats’ lack of ability to harness their own brand of populism to connect with normal working-class voters. That belief might scare some people. The brand of hate filled politics that Donald Trump has engaged in, more often than not targeting immigrants, people of color, and those who are LGBTQ+, has had dangerous and even deadly consequences on the country.

For example, within the first week of his second administration he has signed executive orders banning transgender individuals from enlisting in the military and ending federal support for the gender affirming care of those under 18. The research of Andrew R. Flores, Professor of Government at American University, has found that transgender individuals are 4 times as likely to be the victim of a violent crime. At the same time, African American victims account for over half of race based hate crime, despite making up only 14% of the United States population. While these don’t show a direct link to Donald Trump’s speech and action as the cause, there’s a clear correlation between hateful and dehumanizing behavior and the targeting of those groups.

The consequences of Trump’s speech and actions have been horrifying, but they led him to victory this time around. He used his charisma to steer a movement, and that movement will now steer the country. Susan Wild, Former Democratic representative of Pennsylvania’s 7th district, attributed the loss to an overemphasis on large cities such as Chicago and New York, and a disregard for the economic issues that many people faced in favor of social ones. Wild told 60 Minutes that, “If you are struggling to pay your rent or feed your kids-you don’t have the privilege of thinking about things like LGBTQ rights”. I believe this view and many similar to it miss the broader point of why this election went so poorly for Democrats. Conceding on social issues only benefits Republicans, giving them even more talking points to use against Democrats, however nonsensical those talking points might be. Democrats should’ve instead pushed even harder on social issues as well as the economic ones. Civility and respect can only go so far if your opponent is diametrically opposed to your view that everyone deserves equal rights, and a demand to always adhere to politeness ultimately just means that you will always be on the back foot while your opponent insults your every move. Putting less emphasis on civility wouldn’t mean blatant rudeness, but the willingness to call out your opponents political faults is something that Democrats have seemed adverse to. Being able to face them could go a long way with connecting with those voters who feel turned away by them.

Democrats lost this election not because of their policies, but the way in which they presented them. A shift away from the civility that has been so ingrained in our political system is one of the only ways that they can seize the initiative and succeed in the future. Adopting some of the tactics that have made Donald Trump so successful, such as trying to appeal more to the average person, can aid them in doing well in the future and beyond.