Originally published at National Catholic Register
In a political comeback for the ages, Republican Donald Trump on Nov. 5 became the first president since Grover Cleveland to win a second non-consecutive term in the White House.
Securing at least 292 electoral votes, well over the 270 needed to win, with votes in a handful of states still being counted as of Wednesday afternoon, Trump’s decisive victory caps an unprecedented election season in which the brash businessman overcame multiple indictments, two assassination attempts and two general election opponents, President Joe Biden and his successor at the top of the Democratic ticket, Vice President Kamala Harris.
Trump’s stunning victory signaled a demographic realignment in U.S. politics. The shift includes several meaningful shifts in the electorate toward the Republican Party, including among Latino, Black and Catholic voters, the latter of which favored Trump by a decisive margin.
Men without a college degree who are concerned with the economy and the border powered the swing toward Trump in each of these demographics, causing many to credit Trump’s outreach strategy toward these groups through appearances on male-driven podcasts and at blue- collar venues. The Harris campaign, on the other hand, is facing criticism for focusing too heavily on abortion, celebrity endorsements
