Trump Claims a Real Victory This Time

We all pretty much knew Donald Trump would claim victory on Election Night. And sure enough, he appeared to his supporters in Florida at roughly the same time in the wee hours when, in 2020, he declared a premature win while demanding the Supreme Court stop the counting of perfectly legal mail ballots. But this time, he wasn’t counting on the “red mirage” of a temporary advantage, soon to be decisively reversed. He won with a lot of despicable tactics and lies and in alliance with some of the most sinister forces in American politics. Nonetheless, he won an entirely legal and constitutionally legitimate victory, as Kamala Harris will almost certainly confirm in a formal concession within some number of hours.

Speaking of Kamala Harris, Trump did not mention her at all in his valedictory remarks. Nor did he mention any contrived voter fraud or imaginary noncitizen voting, or, indeed, any “electoral interference” by his enemies. He didn’t mention the Democratic Party and barely mentioned the Republican Party. And in his vague remarks about the administration he will lead, he didn’t repeat any of his many threats to wreak vengeance on his alleged persecutors in public office or the news media.

Trump’s call on Americans to “put the divisions of the past behind us” didn’t sound particularly sincere, but this was as light and benevolent a speech as this strange man, our apparent president-elect, can probably manage. Those of us who are unhappy with the judgment of our fellow citizens can only be grateful for a moment of relative peace before the advent of Trump 2.0 brings a very different reckoning with the future.