When Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election by a landslide, many were taken by surprise. Many people are wondering how Trump gained so many voters, but the answer is simple: the United States economy.
The economy was a hot topic among US voters this year. According to Gallup, 52% of voters said the economy was an “extremely important” influence on their vote, while another 38% said it was “very important.” This means that a majority of voters interviewed prioritized the economy over any other categories offered.
In addition, only about 46% of voters said they trusted Harris more with the United States economy. While 52% said they trusted Trump more with the economy, according to Reuters.
This prioritization of US economics most likely sprouted from economic uncertainty and instability among voters, where about 46% of voters stated that their financial situation was worse than it was four years ago, according to Reuters.
Moreover, Trump’s messaging and publicity got him lots of attention and made it very clear exactly what he thinks, how he feels, and what he intends to do. Even if it is not entirely certain he will follow through with what he says he’ll do, it still sends an incredibly strong message to those listening.
One of the reasons that Kamala Harris wasn’t able to win over voters is because of her association with the current president, Joe Biden. According to NBC’s exit polls, about 59% of voters disapproved of the way Joe Biden was handling his job, which was associated with Harris, his vice president.
Despite Harris’s attempts to separate herself from Biden, and any issues voters had with him, it was unsuccessful and ultimately hurt her campaign. And, with many voters unhappy with the current state of the economy, they chose Donald Trump to create change.
These statistics align heavily with the results of the 2024 election, which led to Trump’s victory and Republican control in the Senate and soon control of the House of Representatives. His campaign advertised that his presidency would cut taxes for Americans and this message was spread throughout the nation. But, is it true that his presidency will improve the economy for Americans?
Trump’s campaign won’t quite “fix” taxes. Trump has expressed interest in imposing tariffs on imported goods, especially goods from China. According to an analysis from the Peterson Institute, “Trump’s tariff proposals would cost the typical US household over $2,600 a year.”
These international tariffs that he’s imposing would raise the price of most products, something that tax cuts can’t fix. It could disrupt and harm US households and families around the nation, especially since many paychecks have not been able to keep up with inflation. Additionally, Trump does not intend to improve jobs or wages in the United States, which could lead to higher inflation and unemployment rates. Some of his other promises, such as mass deportation, could also dramatically increase inflation and add to our country’s national debt.
How Trump will affect prices, taxes, tariffs, and other promises for the economy is uncertain as we can’t predict with certainty which offers he will carry out or not.
Although we will never truly know if the economy was the cause of Donald Trump’s victory, it’s obvious that whatever happens next will impact the United States for years. Whether our economy improves, remains the same, or collapses will be up to the president and his advocates.