One year and almost seven months later I believe it’s time to talk about the 2024 election.
For years Americans have argued about election integrity with some believing the system is fundamentally secure and others believing that vulnerabilities exist. The facts of the matter show that the potential of the 2024 election being rigged is less than 1%.
So, why did Donald Trump win? Well lets look at the facts. He claimed the White House as president, increased his performance with battleground states, expanded support for demographic groups, and completed one of the most remarkable political comebacks in Modern American History.
Here are the top 10 reasons people most likely voted for Donald Trump.
2024 Economy
Even though inflation was getting slightly better toward the end of Biden’s term, it was one of the main issues Americans faced after the COVID-19 pandemic. Prices at grocery stores were significantly higher, rent and home prices continued to climb, insurance rose, utilities rose, and all of our necessities became more expensive. For millions of Americans including myself it felt like inflation didn’t slow, but just kept getting worse and worse. We couldn’t comfortably afford the same lifestyles we once had.
Reasoning Trump won? Very Very High.
Immigration
Once a policy debate, it quickly became one of the biggest issues to the people of America. Record levels of migrant encounters at the southern border received extensive media coverage. Especially during Republican coverage.
The argument was simple. Million of illegal immigrants were pouring into the United States from God knows where. The problem wasn’t human beings, the problem people had was who were these human beings? Democrat candidates mainly focused on humanitarian concerns, asylum processing, and some broad immigration reform.
Too little, too late as most Americans saw this as a national security flaw. Famously being said by Donald Trump, he said “They’re not sending their best.” Regardless if you agree with him or his stances or not. This was a major problem as people contemplated “Who are we letting into our home?”
Home Ownership
Aww Yes! The American Dream. For many younger Americans. However, it seems many of them have began to wake up as it feels incredibly out of reach.
Higher mortgage rates, limited housing supply, rising insurance costs, construction expenses, zoning restrictions, and years of underbuilding combined to create one of the least affordable housing markets in decades.
Economic frustration extended beyond groceries or gasoline.
Public Safety
During the COVID and post-COVID years there was a public perception that violent crime, retail theft, drug activity, and homelessness increased in major cities.
As you can see the Democrats were put in a pickle here as they want to make the public feel safe, but also want to adjust criminal justice reform. Regardless of how you wanted things to be heard didn’t matter as voters believed Republicans would be tougher on crime.
The Working Class
This is a huge political story as the blue collar workers generally voted for Democratic candidates in the past. However, in 2024 reality shifted, Republicans and Donald Trump obtained the majority of the blue collar worker votes.
Why??? Well it doesn’t help that economic concerns, manufacturing jobs, energy policy, trade, and cultural identity all played a role depending on the region by the end of the 2024 election.
This wasn’t simply a rural phenomenon. It appeared in industrial communities across battleground states where many voters felt national politics had become increasingly disconnected from their everyday concerns.
Trump’s Coalition
Many were surprised at this portion of the reality, but Trump ended up gaining voters who were young male, Hispanic, and some urban communities in the 2024 election. Modest gains showed the effectiveness of his campaign.
Most of these presidential elections really depend on margins. Trump just got most of them if not all of them.
Democrat Leadership
Joe Biden simply faced significant challenges throughout his presidency with low approval ratings and persistent questions about his age/performance.
As Biden didn’t do well in one of the debates the Democrat ideology was to shift the candidate to Kamala Harris. Simply, she faced a significant compressed timeframe and wasn’t really the most favored candidate.
For example, Kamala didn’t do well in the 2020 presidential election, especially after Tulsi Gabbard’s statements against her. Throughout both campaigns critics argued that her interviews and public appearances appeared scripted and didn’t answer any of the questions. She was generally not liked by the general voter base. She also wasn’t doing herself any favors by being a border czar with one of the worst borders in American history
Legacy/Mainstream Media
The 2024 election showed us the shift in how Americans consumed political information. Part of the blame why Americans stopped trusting the mainstream media was how they kept stating that Biden was the best he’s ever been prior to this 2024 election.
Traditional television mattered, but it had lost the majority of the trust of the American people with their statements about Biden and COVID-19 being difficult to believe. Especially as new information kept pouring in.
Podcasts especially Joe Rogan, YouTube channels, independent journalists, and social media platforms increased as the main sources of information for the public especially coming up to the 2024 election.
Long-form content made these candidates more realistic. Additionally, Kamala’s team decided not to go forth with the Joe Rogan podcast unless it was strictly structured. Horrible decision.
Swing States
Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia, Arizona, and Nevada remained at the center of the presidential race.
Trump swept the swing states by turning economic frustration and border security into defining campaign issues while expanding his support among several key voting blocs. Combined with concerns about the Biden administration’s performance and a late Democratic campaign reset, those shifts were enough to flip every major battleground in his favor.
2024 Realignment?
The real question isn’t why did Donald Trump win the 2024 election, but it’s whether or not this is a temporary shift. Since 2016, Republicans have generally improved their standing with many working class voters while Democrats have strengthened support among college educated suburban voters.
If these trends continue to strengthen on both sides, I believe it will become very fun to witness in the 2028 presidential election. Guess we will see which party is better at adapting to changes.
Final Thoughts
The 2024 election will likely be analyzed for decades. Some will argue it was primarily about inflation. Others will point to immigration, leadership, housing affordability, or campaign strategy. The reality is that no single issue explains a national election.
Understanding why elections are won or lost isn’t about proving one party right and the other wrong. It’s about recognizing the concerns that motivated voters and asking whether political leaders are listening.
As both parties prepare for the next election cycle, one lesson seems clear. Voters expect results on the issues that affect their daily lives. The party that addresses those concerns most effectively will likely have the advantage in the elections to come.