As it became evident that the GOP ticket of Donald Trump and JD Vance was going to be victorious late Tuesday evening, a Fox News panel got heated with liberal analyst Juan Williams voicing his incredulity at the polling results.
As the segment progressed, Williams reflected on the implications of Trump’s victory, especially for the Democratic Party, which had nominated Kamala Harris as its candidate.
“The size of this mandate, as you call it… I think that there is even recriminations now among Democrats as to [President Joe] Biden and whether Biden should have dropped out earlier or Biden should have stayed … Would a white male have done better? Obviously, Trump has defeated two women and now a black woman. So there’s all of these questions,” Williams began.
Williams’s comments alluded to a significant ideological divide, implying that Democrats are struggling with whether Harris’s defeat represents a setback for diversity or a broader referendum on party strategy. However, the core of his frustration emerged as Williams wrestled with the notion that Trump, whom he characterized as leading an “insurrection,” could reclaim the White House.
“It seems to me incredible that a guy who led a resurrection… insurrection, against the United States government, is going, potentially now… like a phoenix going back into the Oval Office. It’s unbelievable,” Williams said.
Brit Hume quickly responded, reflecting a viewpoint held by many of Trump’s supporters.
“Well, you have to consider the fact, Juan, that a lot of people didn’t think that was an insurrection. They thought it was a riot, but not an insurrection,” Hume said. “And had they thought there was an insurrection, I don’t think he could have won.”
As the discussion progressed, Williams made typical left-wing claims that race was a factor in the election, asserting that “white grievance politics” played a crucial role in Trump’s victory. He further argued that Trump’s “bro strategy” appeared to resonate with white male voters, as well as certain segments of Latino and Black male voters.
“I’m not sold on this idea that ‘Oh, it was the cost of eggs.’ I worry that it was, well, ‘I’m not voting for this woman. Or I’m not voting for this Black woman,’” he claimed.
At that, GOP consultant Karl Rove suggested that Trump’s appeal to black and Latino men was much more nuanced.
“I just think it is extremely odd to suggest that black men are somehow prejudiced because they vote for a white candidate who says ‘I want to make certain that everybody has an opportunity to succeed in our great economy. I want you to be more prosperous, and I will do things that will make it possible for you to make a better life,’” Rove explained.
President-elect Donald Trump has been projected to win Arizona, meaning he won every battleground state over Kamala Harris in the 2024 race.
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With the call in Arizona, Trump has won all seven competitive states: Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin, Nevada, and Arizona. Trump now has 312 Electoral College votes.
Polling leading up to the election showed that the race was very close. Trump was ahead of Harris by an average of 2.8 points going into Election Day.
“In 2020, $427 million was spent in the state by both parties for all political races. That number has now increased to $487 million spent in the state for all political races, with Democrats spending $308 million to $147 million for Republicans. For the 2024 presidential race in the state, Democrats outspent Republicans $122 million to $83 million,” the Daily Wire noted.
