The 2024 Election Results Were Disappointing But Certainly Not Surprising
Here’s how we arrived at a second Trump presidency.
President Trump Postlaunch Remarks (NHQ202005300074) by NASA HQ PHOTO is licensed under CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0
Donald Trump is headed back to the White House. After securing 312 electoral votes last week, he is now the President-elect of the United States. Within days of his victory, he has begun selecting cabinet members from all walks of life. For attorney general, he selected Matt Gaetz. Gaetz is an attorney who served four terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. Gaetz is also an alleged sexual predator, although he denies the allegations and the Justice Department declined to bring charges to him in 2023, according to The Guardian US.
However, Gaetz is not the only contentious cabinet pick by Trump. Other controversial ones include Tulsi Gabbard, the prospective director of National Intelligence, and Elon Musk, who will head the Department of Government efficiency. These appointments feel intentional. In his previous presidency, Trump appointed Supreme Court justice Brett Kavanaugh, despite Kavanaugh’s assault allegations levied on him by Dr. Christine Blasey-Ford.
As we reel in another four years of Trump, many may wonder how we got here. While Rwebel does not purport to have all the answers, we base our analysis on exit polls and publicly available data.
Since 2016, Trump’s support has been growing among Latinos – Cubans in particular. NBC News reported that, “In 2016, about half the Cuban American vote in Florida went to Trump. But the numbers have increased, according to recent polls. A Florida International University poll (FIU) released Friday found that 59 percent of South Florida Cuban Americans say they will vote for Trump.” Looking at the most recent polling data, that checks out. 58 percent of Cubans voted for Trump, which was Trump’s highest support among Latino voters.
AS/COA, a New York based nonprofit that studies policies and democracy, revealed that other ethnicities within the Latin diaspora voted under 50 percent for Trump, while Cubans were at over 50 percent. To some Cubans, Trump appeals to anti-socialist views. Following the reign of Fidel Castro and the history of socialism within Cuba, some Cubans gravitate toward these viewpoints.
However, an important point to note is that Cubans are not a monolith. Also, most Latino voters voted for Kamala Harris, per PBS. Geoff Bennett, co-anchor of PBS News Hour, noted: “While a majority of Black and Latino voters turned out for Vice President Kamala Harris in this election, president-elect Donald Trump made significant inroads with both groups, especially Latinos, to help him secure the White House.”
Instead of assigning individual blame, it is important to look at the election results holistically. Another voting bloc that overwhelmingly supported Trump was white women. While Black and Latina women voted blue straight through, White women have supported Trump in 2016, 2020, and now 2024, CNN exit polls reveal.
In this last election, over 50 percent of White women supported Trump. Then, after he was declared the victor, White women on TikTok began donning friendship bracelets to “prove” they supported Kamala Harris. This empty gesture ignores the problem: White women tend to vote against their own interests.
In 2016, when a white woman could have been the first female President, 52 percent of White women voted for an accused rapist. This election cycle, it was 53 percent. This is not to say that White women are the problem, but they are certainly not the solution. Just like White feminism failed Black women and women of color in the past, fourth wave feminism has done the same.
Due to this betrayal, some Black people are planning an exodus. Currently, there is a growing movement on TikTok called “Black Project 2025.” The idea is that Black people organize among ourselves and shape policies and economics for our community, in the same way Project 2025 is set to shape the outcomes for the white community.
Although I’m not a fan of the name, given the implications of Project 2025, I can’t say that I’m mad at the idea. In all three elections, Black people have shown up and shown out for the Democratic Party, but our interests have been betrayed not just by white men who seek to maintain the status quo but also by “DEI” groups that seek the same.
Moreover, we too have been tricked by third party candidates like Jill Stein, who present broad solutions to specific problems. What I find interesting about Stein is that she only runs to counteract votes for Black and women candidates. She has run in 2012, 2016, and 2024, but not 2020 (when two white men were on the ballot).
Given this dysfunctional political system, it makes sense that Black people would want to disengage. For myself, I pondered even writing about it because I’m just outdone by the politricks. Nonetheless, we are survivors. We should not have to be, but that is the reality of being Black in America. As I scope out my survival guide, I want to share some mental health resources, just in case you feel overwhelmed by all of this.
About This Rwebel
Javanna is a multifaceted professional with a rich background in writing, education, and media. She holds a Master of Science in Journalism and a Bachelor of Arts in English, which has fueled her passion for storytelling and communication. Javanna is the CEO and founder of Rwebel, where she produces books, articles, and multimedia videos about culture and difference.
