Everyone thought they knew how the 2024 election would go. The polls were screaming "dead heat" for months. Pundits on TV were practically vibrating with anxiety over "margin of error" shifts. But then the actual election results for president started rolling in on that Tuesday night in November, and the map didn't just lean—it broke.
By the time the dust settled and the states certified their tallies, Donald Trump hadn't just won; he’d fundamentally shifted the American political floor. He secured 312 electoral votes to Kamala Harris’s 226. Even more surprising to the "experts" was the popular vote. Trump became the first Republican since George W. Bush in 2004 to win the plurality of the national popular vote, bringing in about 77.3 million votes (roughly 49.8%) compared to Harris’s 75 million (48.3%).
It wasn't just a narrow squeeze through the "Blue Wall." It was a clean sweep of all seven battleground states: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
Why the "Blue Wall" didn't hold
Honestly, the biggest story in the election results for president isn't that the GOP won—it's where and how they did it. For years, Democrats relied on the "Blue Wall" of Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin. They thought the union vote and urban turnout would be a permanent shield.
They were wrong.
Basically, the 2024 results showed a massive "red shift" in places no one expected. Look at New Jersey or New York. Trump didn't win them, but he closed the gap significantly. In New Jersey, a state Biden won by 16 points in 2020, the margin shrank to single digits. This wasn't a fluke. It was a symptom. People were feeling the squeeze of inflation, and no amount of "macroeconomic data" from the White House could convince a guy in Passaic that his groceries weren't 30% more expensive than they were four years ago.
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The myth of the "demographic wall"
We’ve been told for a decade that "demographics are destiny." The idea was that as the US became more diverse, Republicans would naturally phase out. The election results for president in 2024 officially killed that theory.
Trump didn't just hold his base; he built a "multiracial populism" coalition. According to Pew Research and exit poll data, he made historic inroads with Hispanic men. In some border counties in Texas, the shift was staggering—20 to 30 points toward the GOP. Even in deep-blue cities like Chicago and New York, the Republican vote share grew among Black and Asian voters.
It turns out, if you talk about the "border" and the "economy," those issues resonate across racial lines. Harris's campaign tried to focus on "the threat to democracy" and "reproductive rights." While those mattered to a lot of people—especially college-educated women in the suburbs—they didn't carry the same weight for the guy working two jobs who felt like his paycheck was being eaten alive by rent.
The "Silent" shift in the suburbs
While everyone talks about the "rural surge," the real nuanced story in the election results for president is the stagnation in the suburbs. In 2020, Biden won over the "Panera Bread" moms and the "grill dads." In 2024, they didn't necessarily all flip to Trump, but many simply didn't show up for Harris.
Turnout was the invisible killer.
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In key counties like Oakland County, Michigan, or Bucks County, Pennsylvania, the Democratic margins just weren't "fat" enough to offset the massive red waves coming out of the rural areas. It’s kinda fascinating—you can have the most sophisticated ground game in history, but if the "vibe" is that the country is on the wrong track, people either vote for change or they stay on the couch.
What actually happened in the swing states?
Let's get specific because the numbers tell a brutal story.
- Pennsylvania: Trump won by about 120,000 votes. In 2020, Biden won it by 80,000. That’s a massive swing in a state where elections are usually decided by the width of a razor blade.
- Florida: It’s not even a swing state anymore. Trump won it by 13 points. It’s officially "deep red" now.
- Nevada: First time a Republican won here since 2004. The service workers in Vegas, hit hard by the cost of living, moved toward Trump in numbers that shocked the Nevada GOP itself.
The "Incumbent Curse"
There's a theory floating around political science circles right now called the "Global Incumbent Curse." If you look at elections in 2024 and 2025 across the UK, France, and Japan, every single party in power got absolutely thrashed.
Voters are just... mad.
The post-COVID hangover, the supply chain mess, and the sudden spike in prices created a global mood of "throw the bums out." Harris, being the sitting Vice President, couldn't run as the "change" candidate, even though she tried to distance herself from Biden’s age. The election results for president reflect a country that wanted to hit the "reset" button, regardless of the baggage the challenger brought with him.
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Actionable Insights: What this means for you in 2026
So, we’re sitting here in 2026. What do these results actually mean for your life and your wallet?
- Tax Policy Is Changing: With the GOP control of the House and Senate (53-47 in the Senate), expect the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act to be extended or even expanded. If you're a small business owner, talk to your CPA now about how to position your assets before the new legislative session kicks in.
- Trade and Tariffs: Trump has been vocal about a 10% universal tariff. This isn't just "campaign talk." It’s a core part of his 2026 agenda. If you rely on imported goods for your business, start looking for domestic suppliers or "friend-shoring" alternatives today. Prices at the store will likely stay volatile as these trade shifts happen.
- Local vs. National: The election results for president showed that "all politics is local" is dead. It’s all national now. Even school board races are being influenced by these big-picture national shifts. Pay more attention to your local candidates' stances on federal issues, because that’s what's driving the base now.
- Watch the Midterms: We are already seeing the gears turn for the 2026 midterms. Historically, the party in the White House loses seats. However, if the GOP can keep this "multiracial coalition" together, the old rules might not apply. Watch the polling in urban Hispanic districts—that’s the new "canary in the coal mine."
Basically, the 2024 results weren't just a win for one guy; they were a total reshuffling of the deck. The "Blue Wall" is cracked, the "Demographic Destiny" is paused, and the economy remains the only thing that truly moves the needle for the average voter.
If you want to understand where the country is headed, stop looking at the map in terms of "Red States" and "Blue States." Start looking at it in terms of "The Squeezed" and "The Secure." The election results for president told us exactly which group has more power right now.
Now is the time to audit your personal finances for a high-tariff environment and stay plugged into how the 2025-2026 legislative sessions handle the expiration of the current tax code.