Bill Clinton, the former US President, recently stated that he was not surprised by Donald Trump’s decisive victory in the 2024 presidential election, anticipating the consistent voting trend across various swing states which played a pivotal role in deciding the election outcome.
During a weekend discussion on MSNBC with Jonathan Capehart, Clinton highlighted the notable shift in America’s political landscape. He noted that Trump’s win comprised both the popular vote and the Electoral College, contrasting from 2016 when Trump lost the popular vote to his wife, Hillary Clinton.
Trump triumphed in all seven battleground states: Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Georgia, North Carolina, Wisconsin, and Nevada. These states, with their combined 93 electoral votes, were instrumental in securing the presidency.
The election results revealed a significant decline in the Democratic turnout. Vice President Kamala Harris lost around seven million votes compared to President Biden’s 2020 performance. Factors contributing to this decline included inflation and dissatisfaction with the party.
Clinton discussed how wider societal factors influenced the election results. He noted, “There’s been a lot of change for people to digest, a lot of economic adversity and upheaval, a lot of political upheaval, a lot of social developments.” He added that voters were “just exhausted by uncertainty and tired of carrying it around,” and such feelings “always helps the right.”
Clinton also drew comparisons between the 2024 election and Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign. Hillary recently mentioned that Harris seemed to have better odds initially, and lacked a looming figure like former FBI Director James Comey who had negatively impacted her own campaign. Bill Clinton implied that Comey’s investigation into Hillary’s private email server during her Secretary of State tenure had swayed the 2016 election results.
Trump’s win marked a major political resurgence. Despite numerous legal hurdles, including two impeachments and several criminal charges, he was successful in expanding his voter base. His campaign appealed to a varied group, achieving increased support from Latino and African American men, and young adults.
On the other hand, Harris’s campaign faced several challenges like distancing herself from President Biden’s policies and mobilizing crucial voter demographics. Her campaign’s focus on abortion rights failed to generate enough voter turnout to counter Trump’s extensive coalition.
