In a stunning political twist, former President Donald Trump secured his re-election four years after leaving the White House, defying expectations and becoming the first convicted criminal to hold the U.S. presidency. Trump triumphed in several critical battleground states, ultimately winning the popular vote with 72.5 million ballots, besting Kamala Harris, who garnered 68 million. Harris, who had been the frontrunner in polling, fell far short of Joe Biden’s 81 million in 2020.
As news of Trump’s return reverberated across the globe, many readers expressed alarm, not just over his victory but over the implications for democracy and global stability. Many pointed to Project 2025, a controversial manifesto purportedly outlining Trump’s agenda for a second term, as a troubling sign of the direction his presidency might take. Concerns extended beyond the U.S., with economic ramifications for the UK and broader international unease over Trump’s stance on climate change and foreign policy.
Meanwhile, Kamala Harris’s campaign came under heavy scrutiny. Critics, particularly among our readers, blamed her loss on an over-reliance on identity politics, fear-driven messaging, and an absence of clear, compelling policy proposals. Her tendency to downplay her past positions or shift her tone to match the audience raised doubts about her authenticity and leadership. In contrast, Trump, despite his polarizing persona, was seen by some as a more straightforward figure, his populist appeal clear to voters seeking a decisive, unyielding leader.
Here’s a snapshot of the reactions from our readers:
‘Staggering’
“It is staggering that a constitution should allow a convicted felon who is still the subject of litigation to stand for political office, let alone that one. The consequences, both national and international, are potentially absolutely horrendous.”
— JanP
‘Americans Have What They Voted For’
“Americans have what they voted for, same as the UK. They wanted change, not the same old, same old. Will they be happy, or will they rue the result?”
— Martyn
‘Remember Hillary Clinton’
“I do not like Trump, but I was not surprised by his win. Kamala Harris was leading in the polls by about 1.0 to 1.3 percent, but this was less than the lead Hillary Clinton had in the popular vote in 2016 when she lost to Trump. Plus, Trump has a tendency to attract more support than polls suggest.”
— PaulB
‘Anti-Christ’
“The term ‘anti-Christ’ has been bandied around to describe President-elect Trump. Maybe ‘demonic’ would be a better word, a negative agent of change with the charisma to sweep common sense away, enabling bigotry, discrimination, and misogynistic abuse to become normalized. Someone needs to dust off the Constitution before it gets trampled underfoot!”
— LouB
‘Identity Politics’
“Kamala Harris’s campaign relied too heavily on identity politics and fearmongering about conspiracy theories like Project 2025. She did a lot of pandering—downplaying her past radical ideas and even changing accents depending on her audience. This made her seem disingenuous. With Trump, while he isn’t the most likable or polished, at least he seemed more honest. His message, ‘Make America Great Again,’ resonated as a more tangible political goal than Harris’s vague slogan about bringing back ‘joy’.”
— DanTebasco
‘Farewell America!’
“Farewell America! You have chosen dark before light, the American Nightmare before the American Dream. Those of us in parts of the world that have experienced fascism will no longer say, ‘Look to America.’ You are moving backwards, not forward.”
— Arne
‘Grow Up’
“America needs to ‘grow up.’ Until its population acknowledges that anything vaguely social-democratic isn’t ‘communist,’ the country will be stuck in this endless cycle of shouting about being ‘great again.’ The whole Western world has been tricked into a ghastly blind alley by its support for ‘Israel,’ while hoping that Putin might just go away. Trump has gotten away with foul language and insults—playground abuse in any other context.”
— TheYachtsman
‘This Is Obviously Bad’
“This is obviously bad. Even from a parochial UK perspective, it’ll be economically disastrous. A 50% reduction in UK growth, wasn’t it? But the real disaster is Trump’s climate denialism and his determination to fuel the American economy with fossil fuels. For the first time in my life, I’m almost happy that I might be dead in thirty years, because the climate will be uninhabitable by then.”
— Spindriver
‘Tragic Day’
“A very tragic day for the world. An unhinged, vindictive, anti-democratic fascist will rule America, controlling the Senate, House, and effectively the Supreme Court. And let’s not forget his climate change denial.”
— MarcusW
‘Too Close for Comfort’
“Trump has said one of his priorities is ending the war in Ukraine—what does that mean for Europe? It’s too close for comfort, and yet Europe is dragging its feet. The UK is now caught between a rock and a hard place.”
— Troubled
‘Brexiters Should Feel Absolute Shame’
“Now more than ever, we need to unite with Europe. With Putin, Xi Jinping, and now Trump in charge of powerful states, a strong, united Europe is essential. Brexiters should feel absolute shame.”
— Much0Ado
‘America Will Suffer Again’
“I am shocked! Trump represents everything that is wrong with America—a convicted criminal, a narcissist, a liar, a misogynist. If he implements his 2025 Plan, the consequences will be even worse than last time. I am very sad.”
— Algae
‘Disheartening’
“The US already has shockingly high rates of infant and maternal mortality. If the ‘pro-life’ movement really cared, they’d do something about that. Very disheartening that so many Americans, including many women, voted for government control of uteruses.”
— IveAlreadyGotACommentingName
‘Pocket Books’
“What is clear is that the majority of the U.S. electorate care more about their pocketbooks than anything else. With the backing of the corrupt Supreme Court, Trump will push the boundaries of power to extreme limits.”
— StigStag
‘Hysteria’
“It was a huge mistake for the Democrats to label Trump as fascism reincarnate. They’ve said the same about every Republican from Barry Goldwater to G.W. Bush, and that made it easy for the GOP to dismiss their concerns as hysteria.”
— Reader
Trump’s re-election signals a sharp divide within America, with a polarized electorate offering starkly different visions of the country’s future. As the fallout from his victory unfolds, the world will be watching closely—uncertain of what comes next.
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