Four years ago, Donald TrumpItaly’s political career seemed to be over. He lost the US presidential election to Joe Biden and responded by seeking to thwart the peaceful transfer of power. His supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, on one of the darkest days in the republic’s history. Accused of “incitement of insurrection,” Mr. Trump became the first president to be impeached twice. It was, it was said, his political death.

And yet, nearly a decade after his first victory, Mr. Trump is reborn. He didn’t just defeat the Democrats Kamala Harris – he did it comfortably.

Such an outcome was deemed impossible by Liberal commentators such as former Conservative Party minister Rory Stewart. Ms. Harris, it was said, would be propelled to victory by the Biden administration’s economic record and voter outrage over the abortion ban.

But this misinterpreted the political times. Although the performance of the U.S. economy has been impressive internationally, it has not been felt by ordinary Americans whose living standards have been eroded by inflation. The increase in the number of illegal migrants to 11 million worries both Democrats and Republicans. And far from relying on his base, Mr. Trump has broadened his appeal — to African-American and Latino voters.

The selection of Ms. Harris as the Democratic nominee in July briefly allowed liberals to take a vacation from reality. She delighted party activists who thought she would succeed where Hillary Clinton failed in 2016 and become the first female president.

But the electoral task that awaited him was always arduous. As an international editor Megan Gibson wrote on October 23his defeat was inevitable from his selection. Mr Biden’s performance in the presidential debate, aged 81, combined tragedy and farce. After long tolerating his mental decline, Democrats were exposed.

If any candidate could defy those odds, it wasn’t Ms. Harris. As vice president, she was irrevocably linked to the Democrats’ record. His meaningless campaign did nothing for disillusioned voters. Ms. Harris’s vow to curb illegal immigration rang hollow after it reached record levels under Mr. Biden. Even though she raised $1 billion in donations, it only confirmed that she is the candidate of the wealthy elite in the eyes of working-class voters. Far from deepening Mr. Biden’s hesitant populism, Ms. Harris has diluted his progressive tax plans. She was the establishment candidate in a protest era.

For the United States and the world, Mr. Trump’s second term promises a break with the past. His “America First” policy could see his country abandon its post-1945 international role. Europe, which Mr Trump has long denounced for its refusal to match US defense spending, must now adopt autonomy. Ukraine may be forced to negotiate with Vladimir Putin’s Russia and abandon all hope of regaining lost territory.

If he sticks to his campaign rhetoric, Mr. Trump risks triggering a global trade war. He pledged to impose a universal tariff of 20 percent on foreign goods, including from the United Kingdom, and 60 percent on Chinese goods. The world is about to enter a new era of economic protectionism.

During his first term as president, Mr. Trump was constrained by senior Republicans and a fractured party. But now the GOP has been remade in his image. Emboldened by the magnitude of his victory, Mr. Trump will shape the American state to his personal advantage. His admiration for tyrants like Putin and China’s Xi Jinping is a warning for American democracy.

Progressives are rightly repelled by Mr. Trump – his casual racism, sexism and excessive narcissism. But far from taking power by force, as they feared, he defeated them in peaceful and democratic elections. Considered a disgrace to America, he showed that he was better attuned to its strange rhythms than almost anyone.

This is not the first time that liberals have been assaulted by reality: Mrs. Clinton’s defeat, the Brexit vote in 2016, Boris Johnson’s electoral victory in 2019. When voters feel abandoned, they find alternatives. vehicles for their rage – as dilapidated as they appear. Until progressives learn this lesson, more such humiliations will follow.

(See also: Donald Trump’s revenge)