The heavy defeat of Kamala Harris can be attributed to two major factors: the lack of concrete proposals from the Democratic candidate to curb the flow of illegal migrants and the high level of inflation, which, in some states, saw the price of gasoline double under Joe Biden—a serious misstep in the land where cars reign supreme. Trump, for his part, pledged to replace subsidies for electric engines with cheap fossil fuels for traditional internal combustion engines.
Regarding immigration, Kamala Harris’s weakness was part of a broader issue: “the perception that Democrats are unable to maintain order. Take Democratic strongholds like San Francisco or Los Angeles. The number of homeless people has reached staggering levels, housing has become unaffordable, and drugs circulate as freely as water in a river,” noted economist Nicolas Bouzou.
Kamala Harris is a sensible woman, but a significant faction of the Democratic Party is as lenient as some of the most radical environmentalists. Americans reject this stance.
Conversely, in terms of the economy, Joe Biden’s record might have seemed commendable. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), a major tax credit system for businesses, has been driving green reindustrialization in the country, demonstrating that economic strength and environmental sustainability can be perfectly compatible. This policy has made the United States an industrial power once more, fostering innovations that will contribute to global decarbonization and making it difficult for China to catch up economically. It is a well-conceived policy, effectively executed by an excellent administration.
However, the 20% inflation eroded the purchasing power of the American middle and lower classes, a cost that the Democratic candidate paid dearly. During Trump’s first term, prices rose by an average of 8%, while the average hourly wage grew by 15%.
Trump triumphed on issues of immigration and purchasing power. His campaign promises resonated. Ethnic minorities in America chose to shut the door on a new wave of immigration that threatened their jobs. They voted for Trump, who made a historic comeback, capturing the Senate and the popular vote (with a majority of votes). “Unprecedented!” declared the 47th President of the United States.