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Opinion | Does Trump’s victory reflect a shift in traditional American values?
Trump’s ‘America first’ stance has led some to wonder if traditional American values still apply. The answer is crucial to shaping the US’ future
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Many Americans were shocked when Donald Trump was first elected president in 2016, believing he did not represent American values or have the people’s mandate – Hillary Clinton won the popular vote, with almost 2.9 million more votes than Trump.
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His presidency highlighted deep divisions within American society and solidified his status as a polarising figure. His aggressive approach broke norms: he openly targeted opponents, team members, politicians from both parties, foreign leaders and the media.
His inflammatory posts on Twitter, which he used prolifically, led to the platform banning him. Despite this, he consistently attracted media attention, becoming a focal point of public interest and a source of deep factional divisions. This time around, Elon Musk and X (formerly Twitter) are among his biggest supporters.
By the end of his term, he had been impeached for a second time for inciting the insurrection at the US Capitol building in Washington. Therefore, many Americans were astonished by his political comeback.
But on this occasion, Donald Trump, now a convicted felon, won the popular vote and secured all seven swing states, which is impressive. With the Republican Party controlling both the Senate and the House of Representatives, there is no doubt about his mandate from the American people.
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The Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite ended at record levels after the election. With Trump expected to use stock market performance as an indicator of his success as president, many are betting on its continued strength.
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