“For Trump, being atypical is his superpower”

Little dance steps of his own, sketched to the rock of Elvis or the disco of Village People, disjointed, insulting speeches, but always punctuated by the laughter of entertained fans, Donald Trump’s campaign choreography, as disconcerting as it is -she hit the mark.

With his atypical style of campaign, bringing with it his share of chaos and scandals, the Republican once again won the keys to the White House, after his victory in 2016 and his narrow defeat, which he never acknowledged, in 2020.

“Trump’s campaign style is raw, unapologetic and far from the usual standards and that’s exactly why it works,” analyzes Adrienne Uthe, founder of Kronus Communications, a public relations company.

“He insists on speaking directly to those who feel neglected by traditional politics. His detractors call him irresponsible, but he is a master in the art of not paying attention to criticism,” continues this communications expert.

His clear victory over his Democratic rival Kamala Harris allows the New York native, a most divisive figure, to be the first former president to be re-elected since Grover Cleveland, at the end of the 19th century.

A winning comeback all the more surprising since the Trump of 2024 is not so different from the man who left the White House in 2021, without recognizing his defeat against Joe Biden and warming up the spirits of his supporters who had then attacked the Capitol, causing unimaginable chaos.

Endowed with a political instinct that is no longer in doubt, the former real estate tycoon gave the impression, during this third campaign, of relying above all on his intuitions.

His penchant for rambling, eyes-away-from-the-prompter campaign speeches was seen by some as a turn-off to moderate voters. Editorialists denounced his racist and misogynistic statements, convinced that he would thereby alienate the voices of many women and Hispanic voters.

His performances, in front of a McDonald’s fryer, an apron covering his red tie or behind the wheel of a garbage truck, in an orange jacket, aroused mockery from the opposition and disconcerted even his own camp.

And faced with his multiple legal setbacks – he was indicted and convicted in criminal and civil cases – Donald Trump gambled on the loyalty of his loyal voters, transforming his appearances in court into a media platform.

And in the end, it is Donald Trump who wins for one of the most resounding political comebacks in American history.

Convincing many undecided in the last weeks of the campaign, the Republican billionaire could even surpass his rival Kamala Harris in number of votes, a first for a Republican in twenty years, in this election by indirect universal suffrage.

“For Trump, being atypical is not a weakness, it is his superpower,” assures analyst Adrienne Uthe.

Two impeachment procedures, several legal indictments, two assassination attempts, accusations of authoritarianism: against all odds, Donald Trump succeeded in his bet and deceived, once again, the polls which predicted a close race.

The businessman did better than in 2020 in almost all categories of the population and almost in all corners of the country.

Facing journalists, Trump’s supporters explain that they tolerate his excesses, less out of support than for economic reasons: their purchasing power was better when he was president and they have the feeling that he is still fighting for them.

“Many others hold their noses and support him because they think he will be better on subjects to which they are attached: the economy, immigration, abortion,” says Donald Nieman, science professor. politics at Binghamton University in New York State.

Same story with Nikki Haley, her main rival in the Republican camp. “He survived two impeachment proceedings, numerous indictments and America still elected him because, at the end of the day, they knew what they were going to get with Donald Trump,” she explained on SiriusXM digital radio.

For political consultant Andrew Koneschusky, the former president’s success is mainly based on seducing an electorate of young men who are losing their bearings, exploiting Americans’ anger at inflation, and designating migrants as scapegoating and divisions in society on gender and racial issues.

“The attraction to Trump is not rational, it is emotional,” believes this former spokesperson for Chuck Schumer, the leader of the outgoing Democratic majority in the Senate.

“A lot of the emotions that underlie support for Trump are negative. Studies show that negative emotions are felt more strongly and Trump is a master in the art of exploiting and manipulating them,” asserts Andrew Koneschusky.