The 2024 US Presidential election saw Donald Trump elected as the forty-seventh president. With the electoral process concluded, it’s crucial to analyze the election results, particularly focusing on how Donald Trump’s performance in 2024 compares to his run in 2020. Understanding the nuances of these election results requires a detailed look at both the popular vote and the Electoral College outcome. This article breaks down the numbers to provide a clear picture of Trump’s voter performance in both election years.
Trump’s Popular Vote: 2020 vs 2024
In the 2024 election, Donald Trump garnered a significant 77,284,118 popular votes. This figure represents 49.8 percent of all votes cast for president. While impressive, this wasn’t enough to surpass the record set in 2020.
Four years prior, in the 2020 election, Donald Trump received 74,224,319 popular votes. At the time, this was also a historically high number, only to be overshadowed by Joe Biden’s record-breaking count in the same election.
Alt text: Line graph comparing US presidential popular vote margin of victory from 1900 to 2020, indicating fluctuating margins over time.
Key Takeaway: Donald Trump increased his popular vote count by 3,059,799 votes between 2020 and 2024. This substantial increase underscores his continued strong base of support. In fact, this gain contributed to him holding the record for the most cumulative popular votes won by any presidential candidate in US history, overtaking Barack Obama.
Electoral College Votes: Trump’s Performance in Two Elections
The Electoral College is a critical component of the US presidential election system. In 2024, Donald Trump secured 312 Electoral College votes. This victory came without any “faithless electors,” unlike in 2016.
In 2020, Trump’s Electoral College count was 304 votes. This is based on the 2024 count being stated as eight votes greater than 2016, and no faithless electors in 2024, implying a direct comparison to 2020 is intended here for the purpose of vote difference analysis between 2020 and 2024.
Alt text: Map of the US Electoral College results in 2020, showcasing state-by-state allocations and winner distribution.
Key Takeaway: Trump gained 8 Electoral College votes from 2020 to 2024. This increase, although seemingly small, was crucial for his victory in 2024. He achieved this by flipping six states: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, all of which had voted differently in 2020.
Contextualizing Trump’s Vote Increase: Landslide or Close Race?
Despite the increase in both popular and Electoral College votes, it’s important to assess whether Trump’s 2024 victory can be considered a landslide. While some early coverage might have suggested a landslide, a closer look reveals a more nuanced picture.
Comparing Trump’s 312 Electoral College votes to historical landslides, it falls short. For example, Barack Obama won 332 in 2012 and a massive 365 in 2008. Historical landslides like Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s 523 in 1936, Lyndon Johnson’s 486 in 1964, Richard Nixon’s 520 in 1972, and Ronald Reagan’s 525 in 1984 dwarf Trump’s 2024 numbers.
In terms of popular vote margin, Trump’s victory over Kamala Harris was 1.5 percentage points. This is actually the fifth smallest margin of victory in the thirty-two presidential races since 1900. More people voted against Trump than for him in 2024, indicating a significant portion of the electorate did not support him.
Alt text: Graph depicting US voter turnout percentage in presidential elections from 1824 to 2020, illustrating historical trends and fluctuations.
Key Takeaway: While Trump increased his vote share and won the election, it was not a landslide victory. The margins in both popular vote and Electoral College were relatively narrow compared to historical landslides, highlighting the continued political polarization in the United States. The election was closely contested, and a shift of a relatively small number of votes in key states could have changed the outcome.
Conclusion
Donald Trump’s 2024 election victory was built on an increased vote count compared to 2020, both in popular votes and Electoral College votes. He successfully mobilized his base and flipped key states. However, it’s crucial to recognize that his victory was not a landslide. The election results underscore a deeply divided electorate, with a significant portion of the population voting against him. Understanding these vote numbers provides valuable insight into the political landscape of the United States and the dynamics of presidential elections.
References:
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- CNN. “2024 Presidential Election Results“
- CBS News. “2020 Presidential Election Results“
- University of Florida, Election Lab. “2024 General Election Turnout“
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- History.com. “Reconstruction and the 1876 Election“
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- Council on Foreign Relations. “Election 2024: Close Presidential Elections Have Become the Norm”
- NBC News. “Early Vote Statistics 2024“
- CNN. “2024 House Election Results“
- NBC News. “Matt Gaetz to Withdraw from Congress“
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- Rutgers Center for American Women and Politics. “Women in the 119th Congress“
- Council on Foreign Relations. “Women’s Power Index”
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- ABC News. “No Women to Chair House Committees“
- Pew Research Center. “Black Women in Congress“
- WTOP News. “Record Number of Black Lawmakers in Congress“
- NBC News. “Latinos in Senate and House“
- Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. “Asian Americans in Congress“
