Identity Politics in the United States

Sitting in my living room during the 2024 presidential election, I was relatively unsurprised at the results. All the dialogue had been on how tight the election was, and thus, either Kamala Harris or Donald Trump could become the next president of the United States. So, while the magnitude of Trump's victory was surprising, the fact that he won was not. I could not help but think about my experience in 2016 when Trump won the national election for his first term. In 2016, the first time I thought that Trump had a chance to win was in the middle of election night. Needless to say, that victory was quite shocking to me. I could not help but wonder about the difference in my expectations. Ultimately, in 2024, I knew that Trump had a chance to win because he had powerful loyalties from specific social groups. Groups such as Whites, the working class, and Christians had a pronounced and visible loyalty to Trump that made his victory very plausible. The movement of Trump toward conservative identity politics, which he used in 2016, was on full display in 2024 and helped to ensure his victory. My awareness of the power of identity politics is a major reason why I was less surprised in 2024 than I was in 2016.