Thursday Briefing

Donald Trump on election night in West Palm Beach, Florida.Credit…Doug Mills/The New York Times

Welcome to ‘Trump’s America’

Donald Trump survived a criminal conviction, indictments, an assassin’s bullet, accusations of authoritarianism and an unprecedented switch of his opponent. Now, in an astonishing political comeback, he will be the next president of the United States. He is the first former leader in more than 120 years to be elected for a second nonconsecutive term.

Trump’s defiant plans to upend the country’s political system held appeal to tens of millions of voters. He picked up support among Latino and Black working-class voters, giving the Republican Party hope for a new way to win in a diversifying nation.

Some voters saw him as their only choice to combat what they saw as out-of-control immigration or to bolster the U.S. economy. Others were compelled by the power of his campaign. But many Americans still found him unappealing, and his victory may say more about the country’s dissatisfaction with Vice President Kamala Harris and the Democratic Party.

Trump’s electoral victory is shaping up to be substantial: He won all five of the battleground states that have been called so far, he leads by comfortable margins in the other two, and he is on track to become the first Republican to win the popular vote in 20 years. The Republicans also took control of the Senate, which will allow Trump to more easily carry out his priorities. Control of the House has yet to be determined.

Legal troubles: Trump will be able to dispense with federal criminal charges against him while postponing or derailing the state and local cases that threatened to send him to prison and wipe out his wealth. Jack Smith, the special counsel who charged Trump, has already begun discussions about winding down his cases.

Concession speech: Harris conceded the race yesterday afternoon. “It is OK to feel sad and disappointed, but please know it is going to be OK,” she told tearful supporters in Washington. “Here’s the thing: Sometimes the fight takes a while.”