Trump Returns to Power in a Era of Uncertainty for Hawaii and the World

Tens of millions of Americans have cast their votes in the Presidential race between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, one of the closest and most consequential in modern history.

Trump’s sweeping election victory, the world is now preparing for another four years of unpredictability and “America first” protectionism that could reset the ground rules of the global economy, empower autocrats and erase the assurance of American protection for democratic partners.

Kamala Harris won Hawaii’s four Electoral College votes, securing 62% of the vote compared to 35% for Donald Trump, but hopes came crashing down on Tuesday night, when she suffered a resounding election loss to Trump. While many of Harris’s supporters had braced themselves for a tight election that could swing either way, the magnitude of Trump’s rout was jarring.

By Wednesday morning, Trump had swept five of the seven battleground states and appeared on his way to cinching the last two once votes in those places were counted. Trump was also on pace to win the popular vote, the first time a Republican nominee has done so in 20 years.

On a happier note, in the Senate, Mazie Hirono, Hawaii’s incumbent Democrat, won re-election with 64% of the vote, defeating Republican Bob McDermott. Hawaii’s other Federal races produced expected Democratic victories, e.g., in the 1st Congressional District, incumbent Democrat Ed Case will return for another term, and in the 2nd Congressional District, Democrat Jill Tokuda secured 63% of votes, ensuring her return for another term.   This outcome was consistent with Hawaii’s historical tendency to support Democratic candidates in presidential elections.

For Harris, her hopes for victory came crashing down on Tuesday night as she suffered a resounding loss to Trump.  Many Harris’s supporters braced themselves for a tight election that could swing either way, but the magnitude of Trump’s victory was jarring. By Wednesday morning, the former president had swept five of the seven battleground states and appeared on his way to cinching the last two once votes in those places were counted. Trump was also on pace to win the popular vote, the first time a Republican nominee has done so in 20 years.

Republicans now control the Senate, and the Executive and Judiciary branches of the Federal government, amid a slew of victories by allies of Trump, and giving Trump’s  GOP powerful leverage over domestic and global policy, tax and spending priorities, and a far-right social agenda.  The last remaining chamber of government still up for grabs is control of the House of Representatives, which will likely not be resolved for several days.

For Democrats, the lessons of this election cycle are sobering.

When Vice President Kamala Harris took the reins of the Democratic Party just over 100 days ago, it was the latest triumph in a political career that has been marked by both reversals of fortune and history-making breakthroughs.  Harris, a multiracial child of immigrants and a career public servant, has always combined left-leaning ideals with pragmatic governing instincts, which generally translated into a middle-of-the-road path forward.

She ran a presidential campaign imbued with reverence for America’s democratic institutions.   But in the end, she came up short against a 78-year-old felon and former reality television star who assailed those same institutions as corrupt. She was the second woman to lead a major party’s presidential ticket — and the second to lose to Trump, a White man who ran a campaign marked by brazen appeals to nativism, racism and misogyny.

The pain of defeat — and of its implications for both Harris, her party, and the Country are still being absorbed by Democrats. The overriding question for the Country now is can we heal as a nation with President Donald Trump – again?