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Donald Trump's success in 2024 did not solely rest on his talents as a showman or a prevaricator of disinformation. He proved that his real genius was as a political communicator and as a superb tactician. Few figures have understood so well the culture and the yearnings of his constituents. Add on his instincts for why people vote and for whom they cast a ballot.
Trump's act has been long, almost 10 years either being or running for President. Impeached twice, convicted twice in court, and written off after his defeat in 2020. Despite all that, he obliterated the Republican field in the 2024 primaries, managed to get the nomination after a bevy of court appearances, and wins the Presidency. Given these obstacles, it behooves any analyst to seriously ascertain how he did it.
Perhaps the punditry should be more critical of themselves for not trying to understand Trump on his own terms. On numerous occasions, he has been discounted, beginning with his remarks on John McCain in 2015, to the Access Hollywood tapes to every other "supposed" outrages he has committed on and off the stump. He has managed to keep the loyalty of his followers and added some new friends despite all the unfavorable publicity.
Maybe in all those cases, he understood that the electorate was not that shocked. After all, did not Bill Clinton see his popularity increase after the Monica Lewinsky affair and survive his own impeachment? Trump survived all of it because people had more interest in their own lives and were not that concerned over his transgressions. He knew that was the case and pressed on without so much as a fare thee well.
The so-called experts expected a campaign to dissolve on a tenth of what Trump said on a regular basis. As a communicator, he speaks directly to his audience, eschewing weaselly words and saying whatever comes to his mind. After years of contrived messaging and "nuanced" approaches many found Trump's appeal refreshing. He was and is spontaneous or at least tries to appear so. Trump also pays attention to his audience, at times stopping when someone was overcome by heat or dizziness and waiting until a nurse or doctor tended to the person. But his strongest asset is that he knows his opponents and how they will react.
Take the announcement of his Cabinet appointments. He threw his critics off the scent. They went for the ploy like a 10-year-old boy going after a five-dollar bill on the sidewalk. Trump's mastery of media has helped him considerably. Trump understands what Democrats do not, that you no longer have "monolithic media" but rather multiple media. This plurality of news sources no longer leaves a viewer dependent on a few outlets. Now, each grouping of media sources, has their favorites and their own audience, creating a larger diversity. Kamala Harris once called Trump an "unserious person." On that, she is dead wrong. He is a political impresario who focuses on his objectives, and failing to understand that works to his advantage.