JASON CHAFFETZ: How did Trump do it?

In the biggest political comeback in our lifetime, Donald Trump will once again be seated in the Oval Office as the 47th president of the United States.

How did he do it? No one expected him to be able to recreate the magic of his 2016 surprise win.  After facing an endless onslaught of lawfare, false narratives, demonization of his family, and literally being shot in one of two assassination attempts, former President Trump overcame every obstacle. He defied the odds, and the masses responded.

Some will be tempted to dismiss his successful comeback as a consequence of a bungling Democratic Party paired with a horrific candidate in the lackluster Vice President Kamala Harris. But that’s not the whole story.

In reality, Donald Trump built the most diverse coalition of voters Republicans have seen in our lifetimes. He expanded the tent, ran hard on substantive policies, and built a dream team of former rivals who love America. 

One-by-one he welcomed new people into the Republican Party. His efforts benefited the candidates for the United States Senate and the House of Representatives.

Trump ran on strength and making America great again. The traditional legacy media never understood the power of that vision. Democrats dismissed it as offensive.  

Democrats erroneously believed they could create a crude caricature of a man whose leadership had brought prosperity and peace.  But Trump overcame the over-the-top name-calling and far-fetched catastrophizing.

In the end, the Donald Trump 2024 victory is a story of perseverance, guts, and an insatiable desire to ‘fight, fight, fight’ for the American people.

Trump led the party by remaking the party. New leadership at the Republican Party was focused on getting out the vote and doing it early. RNC Chairman Michael Whatley, together with Lara Trump and countless others, raised the money and built the infrastructure necessary to enhance the efforts of the state parties.

Trump successfully drew in low propensity voters from across the demographic and political spectrum. With Charlie Kirk leading the way, young voters were engaged in fundamental public policy exchanges, giving a new generation a seat at the table.

Trump elevated talented leaders like Tulsi Gabbard, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Nicole Shanahan, and others abandoned by today’s woke-ified Democratic Party.  He won over current thought leaders from Joe Rogan to Tucker Carlson to Megyn Kelly to Dr. Phil, each with their own massive audiences. Even former congressman and libertarian icon Ron Paul was on the Trump Train before all was said and done.

Elon Musk’s support paved the way for Republicans to communicate their messages without the suppression and manipulation of previous presidential campaigns.  As the new owner of X (formerly Twitter), Musk provided the platform for Trump and his supporters to openly communicate without the legacy media as an intermediary.

Finally, Donald Trump selected the best possible running mate in Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance. Not only did the ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ author have a compelling and inspirational personal story, he knew how to articulate the best case for a Trump presidency. 

He savagely dismantled false narratives with a twinkle in his eye and a smile on his face.

In the end, the Donald Trump victory is a story of perseverance, guts, and an insatiable desire to ‘fight, fight, fight’ for the American people. That message resonated. Voters heeded the call in record numbers.

Going forward, we’ll see how the Democrats react to a convincing Trump victory. Will they accept the results of a free and fair election? Or will they once again resort to the election denial they embraced after Trump’s first election?