The ‘Landslide’ That Wasn’t: Trump and Allies Pump Up His Narrow Victory

The New York Times ^ | Nov. 22, 2024Updated 9:13 a.m. ET | Peter Baker

[E. Pluribus Unum]

On the night he won a second term, President-elect Donald J. Trump rejoiced in the moment. “America has given us an unprecedented and powerful mandate,” he boasted. In the two weeks since, his campaign has repeatedly heralded his “landslide,” even to market Trump merchandise like the “Official Trump Victory Glass.”

But by traditional numeric measures, Mr. Trump’s victory was neither unprecedented nor a landslide. In fact, he prevailed with one of the smallest margins of victory in the popular vote since the 19th century and generated little of the coattails of a true landslide.

The disconnect goes beyond predictable Trumpian braggadocio. The incoming president and his team are trying to cement the impression of a “resounding margin,” as one aide called it, to make Mr. Trump seem more popular than he is and strengthen his hand in forcing through his agenda in the months to come.

The collapse of Matt Gaetz’s prospective nomination for attorney general on Thursday demonstrated the challenges for Mr. Trump in forcing a Republican Congress to defer to his more provocative ideas. While Mr. Gaetz, a former Republican congressman from Florida, denied allegations of attending sex and drug parties and having sex with an underage girl, they proved too much even for Republicans eager to stay in Mr. Trump’s good graces.

With some votes still being counted, the tally used by The New York Times showed Mr. Trump winning the popular vote with 49.997 percent as of Thursday night, and he appears likely to fall below that once the final results are in, meaning he would not capture a majority. Another count used by CNN and other outlets shows him winning 49.9 percent. By either reckoning, his margin over Vice President Kamala Harris was about 1.6 percentage points, the...

[pepsi_junkie]

Analysis: They are sending the message to the deep state and the RINOs in congress: it's okay to block and fight him tooth and nail, there won't be consequences because really, he barely won.

A message they'll be receptive too, but is a lie.

[Vaquero]

NY Slimes has no credibility. So why post it?

[wiseprince]

Trying to get under his skin. Hope he ignores this. The truth is, wherever everyone decided to play Trump won. The “closeness” of the popular vote can be summed up by looking at the most populated state in the nation. It went 60-40 for her. NY, IL each went about 9 or 10. She got crushed and they know it.

[madison10]

Excellent question! WE do not need to see this stuff.

[pepsi_junkie]

A lot of people did vote for Kamala Harris and that should remain a sobering reminder to conservatives as we work to restore and rebuild the movement to have lasting impact.

Sure, just like when dems win elections and try so hard to find consensus with conservatives.

[Bob434]

Witch Hazel for the butt-hurt liberals

[FlipWilson]

It was a landslide NY Times. It was. And you can print all the effing copium you want. It was especially a landslide when you consider the fact that the media (as always) and the existing regime (lawfare) put their thumbs, no, sat on, the scale and this guy still won by this margin.

Of course, when the Dems win by so much as a vote, it’s a mandate.

[Steve_Seattle]

Historically, it was not a landslide victory, but in the middle of the pack as far as the Electoral College is concerned. I would expect the NYT to nitpick about this, but when will they publish the article, “Trump: The Hitler That Wasn’t”?

[libh8er]

Trump and Musk are in Moscow ? Where did you get that ?

[McGruff]

Denial ain’t just a river in Egypt.

[dforest]

You do know that they are still pulling Kamala votes out of their butts and counting and counting. All to try and deny deny Trump his mandate.

Doesn’t matter, he still won and the democrats are filthy losers who crapped on the American people.

[CondoleezzaProtege]

It would be nice if some democrats could work in bipartisan fashion, but I just mean conservatives must make sure Trump’s MAGA agenda (including Make America Healthy Again with RFK jr.) gets through - and promises made be kept. in which case, establishment GOP is often the greatest obstacle.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

NY Slimes has no credibility. So why post it?

If you are not exposed to germs your immune system atrophies.

[Flaming Conservative]

Get over it NYT, Trump won, despite election fraud; chalk up another miracle of God!

[E. Pluribus Unum]

If you are not exposed to germs your immune system atrophies.

[The Unknown Republican]

Propagandists gotsta propagandize. Who’da thunk it?

[kiryandil]

You do know that they are still pulling Kamala votes out of their butts and counting and counting. All to try and deny deny Trump his mandate.

"The Countin' Party"

[The Unknown Republican]

And meanwhile, if Harris had won by the same margin, the NYT would be running with headlines like “Harris Win an Overwhelming Repudiation of MAGA!”

[kiryandil]

Newly-reformulated Special Formula No. 47!!

[Roadrunner383]