The recent election has been a capturing force in American minds. This week, The Blue and Gold has decided to dive a bit deeper into the election and give the students an opportunity to understand more about the weeks leading to and the monumental outcome of the 2024 election season. This was both a unifying and divisive time on the nation.

Setting the Stage

After some tumultuous years of scandals, trials and political unrest,  Donald Trump achieved his long-awaited goal: becoming the 47th President of the United States. He defeated former vice president and fellow presidential candidate Kamala Harris, representing the democratic party. While not all the votes had been counted, Trump was declared the winner at 2:24 AM after undoubtedly surpassing the required 270 electoral votes.

This was set to be a close election as speculators swayed between both outcomes. Two failed assassination attempts on Trump and Biden stepping down from the presidential race in August, led to an election that was contentious, passionate and unpredictable.

Shocking the States

Over the course of this election, there have been some shocking polls and outcomes of swing states. It is common knowledge that candidates aim to win over these states, and, during this election, Trump has managed to do so. Trump also managed to gain the support of multiple known democratic states which has shocked the nation.

• Swing State Data:
  During the 2024 elections, Trump was able to sway multiple swing states such as Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Georgia and North Carolina while also being the leading candidate in many others. Trump took the lead in Michigan, Arizona and Nevada, breaking the previous record.
  Pennsylvania – Trump Won 19 Electoral votes
  Wisconsin – Trump Won 10 Electoral votes
  Georgia – Trump Won 16 Electoral votes
  North Carolina – Trump Won 16 Electoral votes
  Nevada – Trump Leading 51.5%
  With these numbers Trump was able to break through some of the percentages from his prior elections and was even supported by some influential people such as Elon Musk and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the independent party candidate.

Why This Matters:
One of the most coveted states in this election was North Carolina, which is evidently important to those who live in the state. Not only was N.C. incredibly relevant in the election, but the results of the swing states are what pushed Trump forward in his campaign, ultimately ending in his victory. States react differently to certain elections as the swing states tend to follow after economic gain. Overall, the swing states were in favor of Trump, causing him to become the 47th president of the United States.

• Shocking Shifts:
  During this election, Trump was able to break through the “Blue Wall,” a collection of heavily democratic states, which was a huge victory for the republican party. This was a huge shock to most states as people viewed it as Harris’s hope after Trump won over the sunbelt, the majority of southern states. Prominent democratic states such as Michigan, Wisconsin and Arizona became red over the course of the long election night. Trump also managed to get close to winning over New York which is a big deal as the state is normally very democratic. Trump succeeded in his battle to win over America and even won over some very shocking states.

Why this matters:
This is important because it is a very record-breaking election. We all are currently living in a time that will be written down in history books and we should understand how our president became our president.

Response

Vice President Harris delivered her concession speech Wednesday afternoon at Howard University in Washington, D.C. Harris had called and conceded the race to the President-elect, Donald Trump, earlier that afternoon. Harris was greeted by a passionate crowd of her supporters, who though teary-eyed, cheered on her campaign, her mission and her service to America.

Harris emphasized the “fundamental principle of American democracy […] when we lose an election, we accept the results.” Both Harris and Biden agreed that the transfer of power will be peaceful and democratic, emphasizing the lack thereof in the 2020 election.

Harris urged her supporters to continue “the fight for a future where Americans can pursue their dreams, ambitions, and aspirations.” She maintained her position in the public eye to be a beacon of hope and  justice for her supporters as “[they] will also wage [this fight] in quieter ways: in how [they] live [their] lives by treating one another with kindness and respect.”

Harris thanked her family, her team and her supporters for the efforts and energy that they had given in the months leading to the election. She ended her concession with the hope that though “many people feel like [America is] entering a dark time, […] I hope that is not the case. […] The light, the light of optimism, of faith, of truth and service” will light the sky.”

Looking forward

 The Associated Press called the race at 5:38 AM Eastern Time. However, Trump gave his victory speech at 2:30 AM from Florida since the race was almost entirely in his favor. In a crowd filled with news reporters and some of his supporters, Trump addressed the nation after his projection to win. He thanked his supporters and echoed that campaigns motto stating that he believed that this is “the greatest political movement of all time. There’s never been anything like this in this country, and maybe the world, and now it’s going to reach a new level of importance because we’re going to help our country heal. We’re going to help our country heal.”

Trump vowed that he would lead the way to a ‘golden age’ in America in light of his victory. The future president also recognized the state of the nation and promised to ‘get to work’ as soon as he goes into office. Trump’s campaign focused on making lives as Americans better, and he is eager to get back into the Oval Office.

While it may seem that the Republican Party is celebrating as the Democratic Party is left to piece themselves back together again, a poll by Rap TV on Instagram showed that the majority of voters are still very unsure about the future of the United States. The nation is still figuring out how to react to this outcome, but a new era in the United States means new beginnings for many Americans. There is still a little over 2 months of the Biden administration, but President Joe Biden has pledged for a peaceful transfer of power come the Inauguration on January 20, 2025.