It was clear on Tuesday night that Donald Trump had won the election. We could see relatively early in the evening that Trump was over-performing everywhere, and that panned out everywhere.
Sea of Red (shift) pic.twitter.com/hRmDf9PPSU
— Patrick Ruffini (@PatrickRuffini) November 6, 2024
To make the victory even sweeter, we could see that Trump was on track to win the popular vote. The only way to describe it is as one of the greatest political comebacks in history.
And yet, it wasn't until Wednesday night that we learned the final result of the Electoral College, when Arizona was finally called for Donald Trump.
Decision Desk HQ projects Donald J. Trump wins the Presidential election in Arizona.#DecisionMade: 8:59 PM EDT
— Decision Desk HQ (@DecisionDeskHQ) November 7, 2024
Follow live results here:https://t.co/i61IF3hUqp pic.twitter.com/9rWgy98yQg
With Arizona officially in his column, Trump has won every single election battleground state of 2024. An amazing victory, to say the least. And now we have a final Electoral College vote tally.
Trump's Electoral College victory officially stands at 312-226. pic.twitter.com/4M3ozD13vP
— Matt Margolis (@mattmargolis) November 7, 2024
Kamala Harris finally conceded the election Wednesday afternoon. It was the first and only time I'd ever looked forward to hearing her speak. Her speech contained the obligatory graciousness, but there was also an unmistakably defiant edge, in which she sounded much like she was rallying for future battles. Her initial remarks expressed gratitude for her family, campaign, and supporters, but she soon shifted to a tone of resistance as she lamented, “The outcome of this election is not what we wanted, not what we fought for.” She followed this with a defiant call to “keep fighting,” casting her loss as a mere setback in a larger battle.
Her eventual acknowledgment of President-elect Trump's victory felt obligatory, noting she’d “congratulated him on his victory” and promised a peaceful transfer of power. Yet she also took a veiled jab at Trump, referencing the importance of accepting election results in a democracy — a swipe seemingly aimed at Trump and the absurd allegations against him over January 6. She appeared emotional at times, but she made it clear she wasn’t surrendering her cause, rallying her supporters to continue pushing for her campaign’s core issues, from “freedom” to “fairness” and “dignity.”
Related: WATCH: Kamala Harris Concedes With Bitter, Divisive Speech
Pivoting to policy, she vowed to keep fighting for key issues, including abortion rights. Instead of a unifying call, she painted her side’s vision as the only path forward, a strikingly partisan close to her speech. Addressing young viewers, she urged resilience and to “never give up,” aiming to keep her movement’s energy alive.
What does the future hold for Kamala Harris? I hear a lot of talk about an eventual run for governor. I'm not sure I believe it. She likely won't pursue the presidency again. Hillary Clinton lost a lot of her political cachet in 2016, despite winning the national popular vote. Kamala Harris was defeated in a blowout in the Electoral College and lost the national popular vote by nearly five million votes, depending on whose count you go by.
The important thing is that she lost, and she lost bigly.
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