As the dust settles from the shockwave that was the 2024 US presidential election, pundits, journalists, and political insiders find themselves asking one core question: How did Vice President Kamala Harris lose, and how did former President Donald Trump, the man often branded a “fascist” by his critics, stage a political comeback rivaled only by history’s greatest underdog stories? The victory marks an astonishing return, akin to heavyweight boxer George Foreman’s 1994 title win at age 45, and symbolizes what Trump’s supporters see as a grand vindication after years of accusations, investigations, and public demonization.

Since his initial campaign in 2016, Trump’s brand of politics has polarized the nation. Critics have labeled him everything from “unfit” to “fascist,” with some going so far as to publicly entertain the notion that his own cabinet might invoke the 25th Amendment to remove him from office. He was impeached twice and faced endless media scrutiny, including accusations of mental instability so strong he voluntarily took a cognitive test to reassure the public. Yet, Trump’s followers remained steadfast, even as the former president endured investigations into alleged collusion with Russia and lawsuits pursued by prosecutors who promised to “take him down” before investigations even began.

As the media and Harris’s campaign machine threw everything they had at Trump, he managed to stay in the race, ultimately capturing the White House in one of the most improbable upsets in American politics. Despite facing unprecedented levels of legal, financial, and personal challenges, Trump’s resurgence may signal a shifting national mood – one fed up with traditional politics, media narratives, and a perceived detachment of Democratic leaders from the realities faced by everyday Americans.

Since his initial rise to power, Trump has been labeled by opponents as a fascist, an accusation often echoed by prominent figures in politics and the media. During an October 2024 CNN interview with Anderson Cooper, Kamala Harris herself agreed with retired General Mark Milley’s characterization of Trump as a fascist, asserting the label as a matter of fact. But Trump’s path back to power contrasts sharply with the historical record of genuine authoritarianism. Unlike 20th-century dictators, Trump governed without abolishing freedoms central to democracy.

Trump, unlike true fascists of history, did not implement widespread censorship or control of the press. The Nazis, for example, suppressed media and personal expression through strict censorship and propaganda, silencing dissent through intimidation and violence. Under Trump, no journalists were jailed, tortured, or killed, nor were political rivals targeted in the ways historically associated with authoritarian regimes. Trump preserved the democratic primary process, campaigned through it, and accepted his 2020 loss without a violent retention of power, ultimately winning back the presidency in 2024 through lawful democratic means.

Trump’s policies, such as protecting the right to bear arms and bolstering religious freedoms, stood in stark contrast to the command-and-control governance tactics that define fascist rule. The list of “fascist” policies opponents ascribe to him does not align with Trump’s record, and this likely contributed to the growing dissonance between media portrayals and public sentiment.

Trump’s political survival through four years of intensive investigations and legal proceedings speaks to his tenacious appeal. A nearly four-year investigation into alleged Russian collusion in the 2016 election yielded no conclusive evidence, and more recent accusations have similarly faded, fueling perceptions of bias in the justice system. Additionally, Trump has faced prosecutors such as New York Attorney General Letitia James and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who campaigned on promises to “get Trump,” sparking concerns over prosecutorial overreach and motivating his supporters.

Trump’s supporters viewed these allegations and investigations as evidence of a biased system set against their candidate, which only bolstered their determination. Trump’s victory in 2024 represents not just a political win but a vindication of sorts for the millions of Americans who felt sidelined, ignored, or even silenced by what they see as a political and media elite increasingly detached from their concerns.

Meanwhile, Harris’s campaign faced considerable headwinds. A Marquette University poll leading up to the election found that 79 percent of likely voters believed the country was on the wrong track. Food prices had surged by 20 percent, while gas prices had risen by 50 percent. Millions of unvetted immigrants entered the country under the Biden-Harris administration’s immigration policies, a fact that resonated strongly with voters concerned about national security and job competition. When asked whether she would have done anything differently from Biden’s administration, Harris famously replied, “Not a thing that comes to mind,” signaling her unyielding commitment to policies the public had increasingly grown dissatisfied with.

Harris also faced a trust deficit, stemming from her alignment with controversial statements and actions by establishment figures. The Biden administration’s handling of the Hunter Biden laptop story became emblematic of an establishment eager to downplay issues that hurt its image. During the 2020 campaign, 51 former intelligence officials dismissed the laptop story as Russian disinformation, a narrative adopted widely by the mainstream media. Later revelations contradicted this claim, and a Media Research Center study found that 9 percent of Biden voters in key swing states would have changed their vote had they known the truth.

In the end, Trump’s 2024 victory came down to contrasting visions of America’s future. While Harris’s team branded Trump as “dangerous” and “fascist,” Trump emphasized issues closer to voters’ daily lives: economic stability, national security, and an aversion to political correctness. Trump also used the primary process to challenge the Democratic establishment and attempted no structural overhaul of the democratic process, unlike true fascist regimes of the past.

Harris’s campaign fell short of capturing the public’s trust, burdened by her close association with Biden’s economic policies and the public’s perception that the country was spiraling downward. The traditional Democratic coalition, while still potent, faced unexpected headwinds as middle- and working-class voters reconsidered their allegiances amid rising living costs and disillusionment with the status quo.

For Trump, the night of November 5 represented more than a return to power. It was a moment of profound redemption in the eyes of his supporters. To them, Trump’s win wasn’t just about reclaiming the White House – it was a long-awaited validation that the American public was more discerning than pundits had assumed, capable of distinguishing between propaganda and policy. It was, as they saw it, the revenge of the “fascist” who stood by democratic principles, defied the odds, and overcame political and media opposition on his path back to the presidency.

Trump’s improbable comeback in 2024 may signal a new chapter in American politics, one where the mainstream media’s narratives face growing public scrutiny, and candidates who champion the grievances of the electorate find themselves wielding unexpected power.

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