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WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — As he bid farewell to Washington successful January 2021, profoundly unpopular and diminished, Donald Trump was already hinting astatine a comeback.
“Goodbye. We emotion you. We will beryllium backmost successful immoderate form,” Trump told supporters astatine Joint Base Andrews, wherever he’d arranged a 21-gun salute arsenic portion of a subject send-off earlier boarding Air Force One. “We will spot you soon.”
Four years later, he’s fulfilled his prophecy.
With his commanding victory complete Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump achieved a comeback that seemed unimaginable aft nan 2020 predetermination ended pinch his supporters violently storming nan Capitol aft he refused to judge his defeat.
In nan years that followed, Trump was widely blamed for Republican losses, indicted 4 times, convicted connected 34 felony counts, ruled to person inflated his assets successful a civilian fraud trial and recovered liable for intersexual abuse. He still faces fines that top much than half a cardinal dollars and nan imaginable of jailhouse time.
But Trump managed to move his ineligible woes into substance that channeled voters’ anger. He seized connected wide discontent complete nan guidance of a state battered by years of precocious inflation. And he said to a caller procreation — utilizing podcasts and societal media — to show those who felt forgotten that he shared their disdain for nan position quo.
And he did truthful while surviving 2 attempted assassinations and a late-stage campaigner replacement by Democrats.
“This was a run of October surprises,” Trump run elder advisor Chris LaCivita said hours aft clinching victory. “When you deliberation astir it, whether it was indictments, convictions, assassination attempts, nan switching retired of nan campaigner — I mean it was a run of firsts connected truthful galore different levels.”
‘Fight! Fight! Fight!’
Trump had entered nan wide predetermination aft sweeping nan GOP primaries and routing a crowded section of candidates. The indictments against him dominated news sum and forced moreover his rivals to rally astir him arsenic he formed himself arsenic nan unfortunate of a politically motivated effort to hobble his candidacy.
A precocious June debate against President Joe Biden — which nan Biden run had pushed for — ended disastrously for nan president, who struggled to put words together and many times mislaid his train of thought.
When Trump arrived astatine nan Republican National Convention to formally judge his party’s information for nan 2nd clip weeks later, he seemed unstoppable. Just 2 days earlier, a gunman had opened occurrence astatine his rally successful Butler, Pennsylvania, unleashing a hail of bullets that grazed his receptor and near 1 protagonist dead.
After nan gunman had been killed, Trump stood, surrounded by Secret Service agents, his look streaked by blood, and raised his fist successful nan aerial — shouting “Fight! Fight! Fight!” — arsenic nan crow erupted into cheers. The infinitesimal became a rallying outcry for his campaign.
“If you want to make personification iconic, effort to propulsion them successful jail. Try to bankrupt them. ... If you want to make personification iconic, effort to termination him,” said Roger Stone, a longtime Republican operative who has known Trump for 45 years and was pardoned by nan erstwhile president. ”All of those things failed. They conscionable made him bigger and much powerful arsenic a governmental force. Every 1 of those things turbocharged his candidacy.”
A abrupt reversal
Trump had appeared to beryllium connected a glide way to victory. But conscionable days later, Democrats, fearing a blowout nonaccomplishment and panicking complete Biden’s property and expertise to do nan occupation for different 4 years, successfully persuaded nan president to measurement speech and extremity his bid, making measurement for Harris’ history-shattering candidacy.
Trump run aides insisted they were prepared. Videos for nan normal had been trim pinch 2 different versions: One featuring Biden, nan different Harris, and versions attacking some were played connected nan large screens successful Milwaukee.
But nan alteration sent Trump into a tailspin. He had spent millions, he complained, beating Biden, and now had to “start each over” again — this clip facing a campaigner who was not only astir 2 decades younger, embodying nan generational alteration voters had said they wanted, but besides a female who would person go nan country’s first female president.
In one peculiarly dispute appearance, Trump questioned nan group personality of nan first female of colour to service arsenic vice president and to lead a major-party summons earlier nan National Association of Black Journalists.
“I didn’t cognize she was Black until a number of years agone erstwhile she happened to move Black and now she wants to beryllium known arsenic Black,” Trump said of nan girl of Jamaican and Indian immigrants, who had attended a historically Black assemblage and served arsenic a personnel of nan Congressional Black Caucus.
On his Truth Social site, he amplified a station that suggested Harris had utilized intersexual favors to beforehand her career.
Harris fails to make her lawsuit for change
Trump’s run aides quickly pivoted to taking Harris down. They belittled her arsenic unserious, pinch ads focused connected her laugh. They branded her “dangerously liberal,” highlighting nan progressive policies she had embraced erstwhile she first ran for president successful 2020.
They based on her “joyful warrior” messaging was fundamentally astatine likelihood pinch nan sour temper of nan electorate, and responded gleefully to Harris telling voters “We are not going back” erstwhile galore voters seemed to want conscionable that.
Though Trump had near agency pinch a dismal support rating, that number had ticked up considerably successful nan years that followed, amid concerns complete precocious prices and nan influx of migrants who entered nan state illegally aft Biden relaxed restrictions.
Harris’ momentum was conscionable a sweetener high, they said. Tony Fabrizio, nan run pollster, called it “a benignant of out-of-body acquisition wherever we person suspended reality.” Soon, they predicted, what they dubbed nan “Harris honeymoon” would subside.
Trump’s run insisted they did not fundamentally alteration their strategy pinch Harris arsenic their rival. Instead, they tried to formed her arsenic nan incumbent, tying her to each 1 of nan Biden administration’s astir unpopular policies. Trump, nan 78-year-old erstwhile president, would beryllium nan campaigner of alteration — and 1 who had been tested.
Harris played correct into their hands. Asked during an October quality connected “The View” if location was thing she would person done otherwise than Biden complete nan past 4 years, she responded that location was “not a point that comes to mind.”
Trump’s run rejoiced erstwhile they heard nan clip, which they quickly trim into ads.
Harris, they believed, grounded to articulate a forward-looking schedule that represented a break from nan unpopular incumbent. And she struggled to region herself from immoderate of nan far-left positions she had taken during nan 2020 Democratic superior — sometimes denying positions she was connected grounds arsenic having taken, aliases failing to connection a clear mentation for her alteration of heart.
She spent overmuch of nan last agelong of nan run reverting to Biden’s strategy of casting Trump arsenic a basal threat to democracy.
But nan state made clear it was “ready to move successful a different direction,” said longtime Trump advisor Corey Lewandowski. “They want personification who’s going to change. They don’t person to deliberation backmost 20 aliases 30 years. They tin deliberation backmost to 4 and 5 years ago. And they want that backmost successful nan White House.”
A caller Republican coalitio
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After his 2020 loss, Trump’s run worked to turn his entreaty beyond nan achromatic working-class guidelines that had delivered his first victory. The run would tribunal young group and Black and Latino men, including galore who seldom voted but felt for illustration they weren’t getting ahead. They seized connected divisions successful nan Democratic Party, courting some Jewish voters and Muslims.
In a segment that would person seemed unthinkable 8 years ago, Trump — nan man who called for “a full and complete shutdown of Muslims” entering nan state and later perused targeted recreation bans — appeared onstage astatine his past rally of nan run pinch Amer Ghalib, nan Democratic, Arab American politician of Hamtramck, Michigan. Days earlier, Trump had gone to nan mostly Arab American metropolis of Dearborn, Michigan, for a run stop.
“They saw him arsenic their past dream to extremity these wars successful nan Middle East and bring backmost peace. And this was made very clear erstwhile he came to Dearborn,” said Massad Boulos, nan begetter of Trump’s son-in-law, who led Trump’s outreach pinch Arab Americans. He noted Harris “didn’t moreover travel adjacent to Dearborn.”
Trump received different boost erstwhile nan International Brotherhood of Teamsters declined to endorse either candidate, citing a deficiency of statement among its 1.3 cardinal members.
While overmuch of nan campaign’s messaging centered connected nan system and immigration, Trump besides tried to tribunal voters pinch giveaways, promising to extremity taxes connected tips, connected overtime salary and connected Social Security benefits.
And his aides seized connected nan civilization wars surrounding transgender rights, pouring money into ads aimed astatine young men — particularly young Hispanic men — attacking Harris for supporting “taxpayer-funded activity changes for prisoners,” including 1 spot featuring celebrated power big Charlamagne tha God that aired predominantly during shot games.
“Kamala is for they/them. President Trump is for you,” nan narrator said.
Trump’s run succeeded successful its mission, picking up a mini but important share of Black and Hispanic voters, and forging a caller working-class conjugation crossing group lines.
“They came from each quarters: union, non-union, African American, Hispanic American, Asian American, Arab American, Muslim American,” Trump successful his triumph speech. “We had everybody and it was beautiful. It was a historical realignment, uniting citizens of each backgrounds astir a communal halfway of communal sense.”
Podcast bros and Mickey D’s
The run decided early that it would attraction overmuch of its efforts connected low-propensity voters — group who seldom move retired to nan polls and are much apt to get their news from non-traditional sources.
To scope them, Trump began a podcast blitz, appearing pinch hosts who are celebrated pinch young men, including Adin Ross, Theo Von and Joe Rogan. He attended shot games and UFC fights, wherever audiences erupted into cheers astatine arrivals broadcast unrecorded connected sports channels.
The run besides worked to create viral moments. Trump paid a sojourn to McDonald’s, wherever he donned an apron, parented nan fry position and served supporters done nan drive-through window. Days later he delivered a news convention from nan rider spot of a garbage truck, while wearing a yellowish information vest.
Clips of those appearances racked up hundreds of millions of views connected platforms for illustration TikTok, which Trump embraced, contempt having tried to antecedently prohibition nan app astatine nan White House.
The appearances helped to item an facet of Trump’s entreaty that is often mislaid connected those who aren’t supporters.
Jaden Wurn, 20, a student astatine Lafayette College successful Pennsylvania who was casting his ballot for Trump, said he was drawn to nan erstwhile president successful portion because of his consciousness of humor.
“Trump is capable to conscionable chat,” he said. “It tin beryllium policy. It tin beryllium culture. It could beryllium golf. It could beryllium immoderate it is, and he’s conscionable capable to beryllium down and person a nice, bully conversation. Be relatable. Crack immoderate jokes. He’s a funny guy. It’s refreshing.”
A caller squad and a crushed crippled gamble
Unlike past campaigns marked by backstabbing and turnover, Trump’s cognition was wide praised for being his astir competent and disciplined, pinch in installments fixed to Florida operative Susie Wiles, who will now service arsenic his White House main of staff.
Haunted by lessons from 2020, aides were observant to prevention money for nan race’s last agelong moreover arsenic they were dramatically outraised by Democrats and shelled retired millions connected ineligible expenses.
And they took risks, including outsourcing a ample information of their paid get-out-the-vote cognition to extracurricular groups, taking advantage of an FEC ruling that allowed unprecedented coordination pinch a PAC formed by billionaire Elon Musk, his newest benefactor, and Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point group.
Ten days of chaos
As nan title headed into nan race’s last stretch, Trump’s squad continued to task confidence, moreover arsenic nationalist polling showing a dormant heat. They were connected offensive, scheduling rallies successful Democratic states for illustration Virginia and New Mexico, arsenic good arsenic what was intended to beryllium nan marquee arena of nan campaign’s end: a rally astatine New York’s Madison Square Garden.
But nan arena — which Trump had talked of for years — was derailed agelong earlier he moreover took nan shape arsenic a bid of pre-show speakers delivered vile, crude and racist insults, including a comedian who called Puerto Rico “a floating heap of garbage.”
Trump was livid, angry that nan arena had been overshadowed by vetting failures and he was being attacked for thing he hadn’t said.
While aides insisted they saw nary effect connected their polling — their soul information had him starring done nan last 3 weeks of nan race, albeit pinch a razor-thin separator — moreover Trump’s astir diehard supporters expressed concerns that nan fallout was resonating pinch undecided friends and family members.
“A mates of them were making nan remark that he was against Puerto Rico aliases he’s racist and I’ve been trying to amended them,” said Donna Sheets, 51, a caregiver who lives successful Christiansburg, Virginia, describing friends who had yet to dress up their minds successful nan race’s last stretch.
But yet again Trump caught a break. Biden, successful a telephone organized by a Hispanic defense group, responded to nan insults by calling Trump’s supporters “garbage.”
Trump quickly seized connected nan gaffe, coming up pinch nan thought of hiring a garbage motortruck to thrust in. Aides quickly scrambled to find a motortruck and people a “Trump” run decal to portion to its side.
They besides presented him pinch an orangish worker’s vest — which he decided he liked truthful overmuch that he continued to deterioration it onstage astatine a consequent rally successful Green Bay, Wisconsin. Supporters began showing up astatine his rallies wearing their ain vests and garbage bags.
Still, Trump continued what felt, astatine times, for illustration self-sabotage. He doubled down connected his arguable promise to “protect women,” saying he would do truthful whether they “like it aliases not.” He railed against erstwhile Rep. Liz Cheney, saying she would beryllium little inclined to nonstop Americans into warfare if she knowledgeable what it felt for illustration to beryllium opinionated pinch 9 rifles “trained astatine her face.”
And on nan Sunday earlier nan election, astatine a rally successful Pennsylvania, an exhausted Trump, afloat unleashed, abandoned his stump reside altogether to present a profane and conspiracy-laden diatribe successful which he said he “shouldn’t person left” nan White House aft his 2020 nonaccomplishment and wouldn’t mind overmuch if reporters were shot.
The capacity was truthful unhinged that Wiles was spotted coming retired to look astatine Trump arsenic he spoke.
While aides were alarmed, they urged him to instrumentality pinch nan plan. Trump, onstage nan adjacent day, seemed to admit their efforts arsenic he repeated a acquainted title astir really he’s not allowed to telephone women “beautiful” anymore, and past asked that it beryllium struck from nan grounds — saying, “So I’m allowed to do that, aren’t I, Susan Wiles?”
Victory
As his apical aides huddled upstairs successful his agency astatine Mar-a-Lago, Trump spent overmuch of predetermination nighttime holding tribunal pinch friends and nine members arsenic good arsenic Musk and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — leaders of a caller Make America Great Again mostly that bears small resemblance to nan Republican Party of old.
While aides described him arsenic confident, Trump watched nan TVs that had been group up successful nan ballroom intensely arsenic he mingled. This was much than an election, friends noted. He was fighting for his freedom. He will beryllium capable to extremity nan national investigations he faces arsenic soon arsenic he takes office.
After Fox News had called nan race, Trump emerged, flanked by run unit and family.
“This will everlastingly beryllium remembered arsenic nan time nan American group regained power of their country,” he said.
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