Trump is still their president

Donald Trump will not change. Faced with the crushing defeat, the White House launched on social media one of those messages that characterize the character and give an idea of his pitiful situation: "Remember that Donald Trump remains your president." Indeed. And he will be for two more years. Two years that may prove difficult for him. Although, as things stand, they may still be more difficult for the Democrats, who have emerged victorious from the polls.

Let's take it one step at a time: Trump has already said that his name did not appear on the ballots and that, therefore, the electoral disaster is not his responsibility. He also added, appealing to those imaginary polls he usually uses, that 99% of Republican voters remain enthusiastic about his presidency. He has acknowledged the results, but it is likely that, little by little, he will try to question the fairness of the elections. Trump is Trump.

What will he do from now on? He has the option of remaining active in foreign policy – the area where he will still have a certain margin for maneuver – when he has free time and does not have to focus on defending himself against the parliamentary investigations that the Democrats will open. Letitia James, the Attorney General of New York who imposed a 400 million dollar fine on him (currently under appeal), has been re-elected. Here he will have another source of headaches.

Both the Vice President, J.D. Vance, and the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, both aspirants to succeed him, have already verified that the Trump brand is no longer profitable and will begin to distance themselves. Trump will become increasingly alone.

It would not be strange if, faced with the helplessness and loneliness that will gradually characterize the final stretch of his presidency, he truly dedicated himself to what he likes: accumulating even more money for himself and his family, erecting monuments in his honor, finishing covering the White House in gold and christening things with his name.

A diversity as real as the country

Let's move on to the Democrats. Their victory has been historic. The euphoria is understandable. In view of the results, it is easy to fall into the temptation of believing that they have secured victory in the presidential elections two years from now. However, they should keep in mind that these elections have been, in large part, a referendum on Trump. Neither Texas nor Kansas have suddenly become Democratic: the population of both states continues to maintain its Republican instincts for the most part. And Trump, despite his fantasies, will not be a candidate in 2028.

While the Republican Party, dazzled and fearful of Trump, was becoming almost a sect in which any dissent was punished with political death, the opposite has happened in the Democratic Party. Its traditional division between moderates and radicals (to use North American terminology) is deeper than ever. Even the taboo against using the term socialist has been broken.

The Democrats' advantage is that their diversity makes them quite similar to the real country. But this diversity is also their disadvantage. It is no longer a matter, as on other occasions, of keeping progressive veterans like Bernie Sanders at bay and prioritizing the moderate wing. The majority of the party is leaning towards the left and, on some issues, it is hard to imagine that it can reach a common position.

Among the contentious issues, Israel stands out, obviously. Young voters and many of the new elected officials are anti-Zionist (in some cases, also anti-Jewish), while the old guard remains entrenched in strict Zionism and unconditional support for Israel.

Another thorny issue is the files of the pedophile Jeffrey Epstein: the voters and the new elected officials demand that it be investigated and that the truth be made public; some of the Democratic Party's stalwarts, such as former President Bill Clinton or tycoon Bill Gates, undoubtedly prefer that the files remain buried, as they have been until now.

The ability of the Democrats to manage their internal discrepancies over the next two years will determine if the United States manages to break with Trumpism. Something that is by no means guaranteed.