This Here Victory

There is a great difference between the feeling of knowing something is going to happen, and the sensation the occurs when it actually does. 

Donald Trump’s victory was years in the making, becoming apparent somewhere around July 13th, 2024. However it still managed to revive a great sense of hope in the American people once Pennsylvania was called for Trump around 1:20 Wednesday morning. Mirrored in the line “our flag was still there”, a sense of providential purpose is embedded in the center of this coming administration. As champagne bottles were popped, cigars were lit, and fireworks were ignited, so too was a new chapter for our nation in need. 

There was a palpable difference in this Election Day. After suffering the loss of 2020, and the disappointment of 2022, the polity seemed to have finally woken up to the plagues of  incompetence, infidelity, and inflation, consolidating their rage into a national vote of “No. More.” 

Today as we howl with laughter over all the crazy leftist TikTok meltdowns, it can be easy to forget that we still have at least four years of work ahead of us, and while relishing in the much-deserved disappointment of the Left, we must not let the screaming symphonies distract us from our game plan. So what now? Trump has a tough train to run. Populism may have worked for him on November 5th (and the month of voting leading up to it), but it will take a lot to keep everyone on track. The nation may have seen the demise of the mainstream media, but the rhetoric it embodies will never see death. 

Step one in moving forward is building a team (or in this case a cabinet) that can both excite the Right without making his center-left base feel forgotten and used only for their vote. So far, Trump’s team is incredibly balanced. From people adamant about free trade like DOGE co-head Vivek Ramaswamy to deportation hardliner border czar Tom Homan, Trump seems intent on keeping the support of everyone who helped elect him. 

The only way to master the art of politics is to learn how to know who is needed and how at any given time. Portrayed perfectly with his sentiments about RFK Jr., Trump has this method down to a science. To the delight of moderate voters RFK will most likely become the Secretary of the DHHS. A Kennedy being appointed by Trump not only speaks to the concerns of one-sidedness many Independents have, but builds up his own ethos as a dedicated politician who isn’t afraid to appoint someone who he may differ with on most issues. On the other hand, remembering the former future presidents’ guarantee to keep him as far as possible from the EPA, Republicans also felt comfortable with the choice. Trump’s ability to make both moderates and his loyal MAGA base happy is political ingenuity. 

Secondly, this coming administration finds itself in a unique gray area of history as both a symptom and a result of the mass realignment of the American political system. Trump rose to prominence as the wildly inflammatory (however, popular) candidate because people were tired. The Republican Party had finally shifted away from the party of the rich elites, advocating for tax cuts for all classes and greater incentives to start small businesses, but were still learning how to cater to a base with such potential. 

Enter Trump: Flamboyant businessman, charismatic communicator and soon-to-be populist weapon. Not only did people initially take such a liking (or hating) to him because of his character, but because of his unrelenting nature to speak the unbridled truth. His famous quips, jokes, and nicknames symbolized the angst of Americans throughout every state, giving them a voice powerful enough to carry him to the White House. 

In this year of our Lord 2024, Trump has managed to accomplish the same thing, bringing people from all over the spectrum together while doing so. It is arguable that without Trump’s presidency, Tulsi Gabbard would not have even left the Democrat Party in the first place, as Trump triggered such a special reaction from leading figures. Because of this, Tulsi, symbolic of myriads of former Democrats, was exposed to the true Left, leaving her to realize that their message was not what she ever stood for. It is a well-known saying that “I didn’t leave the Left, the Left left me!”, but I would counter that no one did any moving. Trump simply tore down the facade that the Left called “being there for the little guy.”

For now, it’s ok to spend a bit of time laughing at the mentally ill TikTokers screaming into their phones, in fact, we deserve it. But, while there is no wrong in relishing in the Leftist tears, there is great wrong in allowing ourselves to think that this is the end. Things are not all better now. America only just began to identify the problem. Nor will things be all better 4 years from now. As special as Trump is, he cannot and will not be able to fix everything by 2028, and while it's obvious that he is aware of that (seen by the amount of young talent he has tapped) the greatest threat to our success right now is falling into the trap of thinking this is the end-all be-all. But as long as we can keep looking forward, yes…

We are so back.