By Wale Odunsi
Former United States President Donald Trump, the 45th, will become the 47th U.S. President after a resounding victory against Vice President Kamala Harris, who clocked 60 in October. 78-year-old Trump caused a major upset to the Democratic Party and supporters as the enigma not only won the electoral college vote, he also secured the popular vote, an icing on the cake which capped a spirited two-year campaign fraught with multiple lawsuits.
The cases are connection with the 2020 election aftermath/January 6, 2021 riot (on hold); Classified documents at Mar-a-Lago (dismissed); Election tampering in Georgia (on hold); Business fraud in New York (found liable), and Stormy Daniels hush money (convicted). Apart from the legal battles, Trump is one of three presidents to be impeached and the only president to be impeached twice: for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress and refusal to obey subpoenas.
Even so, the Republican Party candidate persevered, vowing not to allow the matters to weigh him down. On the campaign trail and during interviews, Trump maintained that he was a victim of vindictive investigation and politically-motivated trials allegedly engineered by the President Joe Biden administration. Trump already revealed his plan to sanction Jack Smith, the DOJ special counsel, likewise the prosecutors and judges overseeing the litigations against him.
The year’s election is historic: an ex-President impeached on two occasions, and in the middle of criminal and civil cases, went head-to-head with a Vice President who nearly emerged as the first female President after replacing the sitting President as the party’s presidential nominee. Whew! Besides, it just so happened that Trump defeated another female candidate of the left: Kamala Harris, 2024; Hilary Clinton, 2016.
With the 2024 presidential election now decided, this article highlights the key issues that largely dominated the election and influenced the voting patterns of the American people.
Immigration: The majority of citizens can not wrap their head around the flexibility of the Democrats regarding illegal immigration. John Cornyn, the Senator from Texas, one of the top three most affected states, decried the “unprecedented crisis” at the southern border under Biden’s superintendence, noting that the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) had recorded nearly 8 million unauthorized crossings in less than four years.
The Biden administration’s open border policies drew denunciations as the thought of undocumented immigrants having criminal records evoked apprehension and unsettled many Americans. The conduct of some of the immigrants added insult to injury as they engaged in robberies, abductions, sexual assaults and murders. In Aurora, Colorado, a gang reportedly took over an apartment building, charging rent in exchange for protection.
Up to now, Texas accuses the federal government of ignoring the border crisis. Taking matters into their own hands, Governor Greg Abbott launched Operation Lone Star in 2021. The op, ongoing along the vast United States–Mexico border, targets human smugglers, cartel gang members, and deadly drugs like fentanyl and methamphetamine. To further tackle the menace, the state is building a border wall that will spread across 1,254 miles or thereabouts.
Economy: From interactions and news monitoring, it was not hard to deduce that at least half of the population are not satisfied with their economic well-being, arguing that the situation was better pre-2021. Although the Biden administration started off strong despite the pandemic recession, dwindling inflation and increased prices of gas, goods, groceries, and bills such as rent, auto and home insurance, among others, depleted wages and savings.
With a GDP of over $28.78 trillion, the U.S. maintains its status as the richest country, so it is easy to comprehend the feeling of average persons doing many hours of shifts for remuneration considered incommensurate. Speaking in an ABC broadcast during the election, House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson expressed concern about citizens, especially seniors, having to take extra jobs in order to sustain themselves and dependents.
Russia-Ukraine war/Middle East crisis: Most people believe these crises wouldn’t have degenerated if Trump was in office. Moreover, the financial support to Ukraine since the February 2022 invasion infuriated struggling Americans. In October, the Department of State confirmed it had provided $64 billion in military aid. The U.S. also spent $17 billion on military assistance to Israel from October 2023 to October 2024, according to the Costs of War Project at Brown University.
In addition, the Biden administration was chastised after the Abbey Gate terrorist attack in Afghanistan in August 2021; 13 service members and over 100 Afghans died. The Republican repeatedly feasted on the hurried withdrawal of troops, which Trump labeled “the most embarrassing day”. A congressionally mandated report from the US Department of Defense revealed that about $7 billion of military equipment was left behind.
Believe it or not, another issue that swung votes is the incumbent government’s stance on gay rights. A cross-section of the electorate, especially millions of conservative Christians, is not comfortable with the seeming attempt to “indoctrinate” children through books, cartoons, movies, and other materials that portray LGBTQ+. The pushback has seen parents/guardians withdraw their kids from certain schools while championing book bans.
In April, the Biden administration restored the Barack Obama-era protections for gay and transgender Americans seeking healthcare, reversing the Trump-era limitations restrictions condemned by LGBTQ+ advocacy and human rights organizations. In June, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) declared its readiness “to defend the LGBTQ community from a second Trump administration’s anticipated attempts to weaponize federal law against them.”
Furthermore, abortion rights were a big deal for the Democrats but judging by conversations and reactions, Kamala Harris was perceived as concentrating too much energy on the subject, perhaps thinking it would help her coast to triumph over Trump who nominated three conservative Supreme Court justices that voted to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022. Since then, abortion restrictions in most Republican states have gone into effect.
In the course of electioneering, the Vice President went to these states to try to demarket Trump on the controversial topic. Instead of elucidating her plans on immigration and economy, she was accusing her opponent of worsening medical care for women and warned of further restrictions if he won. It turns out that the two more pressing concerns, which centered around national security and personal finance, became the deciding factors ahead of reproductive rights.
Ultimately, Trump outperformed expectations with a remarkable comeback made possible millions of loyal supporters who constitute the “greatest political movement of all time.” Despite two impeachments, two assassination attempts, and dozens of indictments, the proverbial cat with nine lives will return to the White House on January 20, 2025. “Nothing will stop me from keeping my word,” Trump declared in his victory speech. Americans will hold him to account.
Wale Odunsi, a Nigerian journalist & humanitarian, writes from wodunsi@yahoo.com
