The Sequel Nobody Could Stop

Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election decisively, completing one of the most remarkable political comebacks in American history — from impeachment (twice), an indictment (four times), a conviction, and January 6th to the presidency (again). The margin was clear enough that there was no prolonged counting drama this time; the networks called it on election night, which was either a mercy or a cruelty depending on your perspective. His supporters celebrated the return of a movement. His opponents sat in the same stunned silence they thought they'd processed in 2016, discovering they hadn't. The coalition that carried him back included gains with Latino voters, young men, and working-class communities who decided that democracy was less interesting than grocery prices. The world watched and recalibrated. Allies in Europe were polite about it. Adversaries were delighted about it. The stock market went up, because the stock market always goes up for reasons that have nothing to do with you.