Donald Trump has secured a return to the White House, defeating Kamala Harris with relative ease despite facing widespread criticism and legal troubles, according to analysis from two Cypriot academics.
Speaking to philenews, political scientist George Venizelos and Cyprus University of Technology Associate Professor of Political Communication Vasiliki Triga outlined the key factors behind Trump’s victory.
“Trump is characterised by his pronunciation, unrefined speech, short and syntactically incomplete sentences, simple language, ignorance, and strange references”, Venizelos said. “While these traits violate political and social norms—concerning Democrats, liberals, and the highly educated who voted for Harris—they are precisely what strengthened Trump’s appeal and helped certain social groups identify with him. He managed to become associated with authenticity. His style played a crucial role”.
Venizelos noted Trump’s showmanship, describing him as a “political entertainer” who creates euphoria among viewers. He also highlighted Trump’s provocative behaviour, which draws public attention. “Notably, there appears to be no strategy behind this behaviour, which further reinforces his image of authenticity”, he said.
The analysis showed Trump doubled his support to 25% among traditionally Democratic voters, including Black and Latin American communities, whilst also making gains in urban centres. Venizelos added that Trump’s rhetoric of hate and ability to cultivate fears and insecurities, particularly about immigration, proved effective. After society absorbed these as real issues, Trump presented an agenda offering solutions to these problems.
Anti-Trump critics inadvertently strengthened his position, Venizelos argued, by using derogatory terms that cultivated an image of elitism and arrogance. “This happened in 2016 when no one expected Trump to win. It almost repeated in 2020, showing the Democrats hadn’t learned their lesson by belatedly nominating Kamala Harris—someone who represents exactly the opposite of Trump and couldn’t draw voters from his pool”.
Triga pointed to two decisive factors: the economy and immigration. “Despite positive economic indicators and Biden’s policies succeeding in lowering inflation and achieving growth, this prosperity isn’t reflected in American households”, she said. “When a coffee and croissant cost $20, people aren’t interested in economic indicators. Americans weren’t happy with their inability to consume as they wished”.
The immigration issue, Triga explained, mobilised even immigrant voters themselves through “social competition reflexes”. She highlighted the presence of shy Trumpers, particularly women expected to support Harris on gender issues, who were embarrassed to declare their Trump support publicly.
Harris ultimately failed to distance herself from the Biden administration’s record, Triga noted. “She’s being blamed for the high cost of living, for failing to improve American citizens’ lives, and for running a campaign that lacked narrative and merely defended against Trump’s attacks”.
The experts suggested Harris was further hampered by the delayed launch of her campaign following the Biden candidacy situation, whilst also noting that Democratic handling of the Gaza genocide and subsequent student protest suppression may have cost them Muslim voter support.
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