“This is a movement like nobody’s ever seen before and, frankly, this was, I believe, the greatest political movement of all time,” Trump boasted during his victory speech.

As the results began to roll in that Tuesday evening, Trump won the first battleground state of North Carolina before winning Georgia, then Pennsylvania, and sweeping Michigan, Wisconsin, Nevada, and Arizona.

He went on to win 312 Electoral College votes compared to Harris’s 226 votes and the popular vote, becoming the first Republican president since George W. Bush in 2004 to accomplish this feat.

Trump rode a wave of public anger over rising grocery and gas prices that helped reinstate him as president and gave Republicans control over the House and Senate, along with previous majority control of the Supreme Court, in a backlash against President Joe Biden’s administration.

With Biden and subsequently Harris as the de facto incumbent candidate, one political expert claimed the race was there for Democrats to lose.

“While I see the political accomplishment of Trump (or any Republican) winning the popular vote and sweeping all swing states, I nevertheless think that it’s mostly Democrats who lost the election,” said Louis Perron, a political consultant and author of Beat the Incumbent: Proven Strategies and Tactics to Win Elections.

“Did you win? Or did the other side lose? In this case, I think Democrats blew it. And I say Democrats specifically and not Harris,” Perron continued.

Trump was likely on the march to trouncing Biden, whose mental acuity was a key topic of concern among voters and as voters increasingly disapproved of his leadership. Biden’s disastrous debate against Trump on June 27, in which he often appeared confused, accelerated calls among fellow Democrats for him to stand down from reelection.

A little over a month later, Biden announced on X that he was suspending his campaign. Hours later, he endorsed Harris to replace him atop the Democratic ticket.

Harris’s quick consolidation of the Democratic Party, historic fundraising figures, and extensive ground game operation should have given her the advantage heading into the election. But there were key warning signs.

Public heartburn over the economy and the rising immigration crisis at the southern border proved no match for Harris, who struggled to distance herself from Biden’s administration. When Harris told the hosts of The View there was “not a thing” she would do differently than Biden, Trump and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance repeatedly aired the clip at campaign rallies.

Piggybacking off of Trump’s populist approach, Senate Republicans were able to brand the Democrats and Biden as out-of-touch elitists. The effort resulted in the GOP retaking the upper chamber by flipping seats in West Virginia, with Sen. Joe Manchin retiring, Ohio, Montana, and Pennsylvania.

Bernie Moreno took down Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), while Tim Sheehy toppled Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT), the most vulnerable incumbent senator, and Dave McCormick unseated Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA). The GOP now holds a 53-47 majority.

More than a week after the election, House Republicans narrowly held on to their control of the lower chamber after losing seats in New York and California. Their win marks the first year since 2018 that the GOP has had a governing trifecta.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) will likely hold on to his leadership role after the success of the election and given Trump’s support.

“The mandate that has been delivered shows that a majority of Americans are eager for secure borders, lower costs, peace through strength, and a return to common sense,” Johnson wrote in a congratulatory letter to the conference. “With unified Republican government, if we meet this historic moment together, the next two years can result in the most consequential Congress of the modern era.”

Grant Reeher, professor of political science at the Maxwell School at Syracuse University, claimed that voters in the battleground states were most primed to display their economic anger at Democrats after the last four years of inflation.

“They have been the ones that have really been living the brunt of this,” Reeher said. “And so they were the most, I think, ripe for the picking, if you will, for the Republicans, and the most receptive to the kinds of messages that Trump was offering on the economy.”

The vice president raised a historic $1 billion in roughly three months and repeatedly boasted about having more campaign staff and field offices in the seven battleground states. Yet, according to most preelection polls, Trump remained within striking distance of Harris.

Harris also campaigned heavily on galvanizing women voters around the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade and restoring abortion access. However, Trump proved he could run on gender, and he frequently appeared on podcasts geared toward young male voters, culminating in an appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast.

Harris won women voters by an 8-point margin, while Trump won male voters by a 13-point margin, according to CNN exit poll results.

Anti-abortion conservatives championed Trump’s win as an example that the public was no longer politically motivated by Roe.

“This election proves that abortion was not the silver bullet Democrats thought it would be. Even after Democrats put half a billion dollars behind abortion TV ads in this election, they still lost the presidency, the Senate, and potentially the House,” Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, said in a statement. “The reason? Their extreme abortion agenda is out of step with Americans. And their fearmongering and abortion lies did not work. There was not a historic gender gap that ushered in Kamala Harris’s abortion policies. That’s because most Americans support early, reasonable limits on abortion.”

Another feat Trump accomplished was winning more Hispanic voters at 45%, according to NBC News exit polls, a record high for a GOP presidential candidate, and winning more Asian and black voters than most GOP candidates have done in decades by running on a populist pitch.

Steven Hilding, a Republican strategist in Nevada, pointed to Trump’s efforts to reach niche voting blocs as an example of how his campaign helped win the popular vote.

“You saw Trump do things like going to the sneaker convention and socializing with young minority males,” Hilding said. “You saw him having a Greek and Cyprian American leadership council … he was able to make some inroads in the Muslim communities in Michigan.”

In the final days before the election, Trump visited a Dearborn, Michigan, cafe owned by an Arab American leader. Dearborn’s Arab and Muslim population long signaled their disapproval of the Biden administration’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war.

Also hobbling Harris was the struggle to define herself to the public once she became the nominee. During her 2020 run for president, she embraced several left-leaning policy issues, such as fracking, that she later denounced in the run-up to the election.

“Harris ran a deliberately, in terms of policy, pretty vague campaign. I don’t blame her for that. You have 107 days. What are you going to do?” Reeher said. “And also, you want to distance yourself from a presidential administration, but you don’t want to throw that administration under the bus. So, how do you finesse that? Well, she tried, but it didn’t really end up working out.”

WHAT MAGA AND THE GOP WILL LOOK LIKE IN A POST-TRUMP ERA

In the end, Democrats are now left scrambling over how to win back disaffected voters who overwhelmingly rejected the Harris campaign as Trump governs over the next four years. Trump, at least, claims that easing financial burdens for the average American will be a top priority.

“We have to put our country first for at least a period of time. We have to fix it. Because together, we can truly make America great again for all Americans,” Trump claimed in his election victory speech.

A wet and dreary Saturday is on the horizon for the D.C. metro area, but Sunday’s weather may offer a brighter reprieve, with warmer temperatures and breaks of sunshine possible ahead of the Commanders’ Sunday night game. FOX 5 meteorologist Mike Thomas has the forecast.

Closing time! One last call for decking the hall and wrapping up your holiday cheer.

Celebrate Hanukkah with menorah lightings in Clarendon and National Landing and Kwanzaa at the Anacostia Community Museum and The Kennedy Center.

Though decorations are already deeply discounted, it’s your last weekend to check out plenty of Christmas classics, too.

The week between Christmas and New Year’s is all about catching up. Get extra sleep, exchange those not-quite-right gifts and check out some cool stuff you may have missed in the holiday hustle. 

For one, it’s the finale weekend for the Washington Ballet’s “The Nutcracker.” We’re sorry to report that Tommy and Aimee Cho will not be on stage.

4 things to know about the weekend

See these holiday displays before they’re gone

Free pick
Holiday Walk of Lights at Neabsco Regional Park
Through Fri., Woodbridge
🔗 Details

Stroll the boardwalk covered with lights, enjoying characters and a holiday market. It’s free to visit. It’s friendly to pets, strollers and wheelchairs.

Winter Lights Festival at Seneca Creek State Park
Through New Year’s Eve, Gaithersburg
🔗 Details

Drive past hundreds of illuminated displays and trees on this 3.5-mile path. Tickets must be purchased in advance and cost $15 to $25 per vehicle.

Free pick
Seasons Greenings
Through Jan. 5, U.S. Botanic Garden
🔗 Details

The Conservatory and Garden have transformed into the ultimate holiday wonderland with botanical wreaths and décor, thousands of poinsettias and iconic D.C. landmarks made from plants.

Tingle Bells: An ASMR-Inspired Holiday Special
Through Jan. 5, ARTECHOUSE DC in Southwest, $17+
🔗 Details

The holidays can be a bit much sometimes with all of the hustle and bustle. Take some time to soothe your mind by visiting Artechouse’s Holiday Special: Tingle Bells. The ASMR-inspired experience soothes your senses with calming soundscapes and captivating visuals.

The newest addition to the multi-sensory experience is the Spectacular Factory, where you’ll feel like you landed in a dream in a holiday gift factory that came to life.

Can’t-miss museum exhibits

Free pick
“OSGEMEOS: Endless Story”
Through August, Hirshhorn Museum

Colorful and whimsical, this exhibit of twin brothers Gustavo and Otavio Pandolfo’s art takes over a full floor of the Hirshhorn with an incredible amount of work from paintings and sketches to larger-than-life sculptures. Make sure to grab timed tickets and stop by the Basquiat × Banksy exhibit, too.

Free pick
“Paris 1874: The Impressionist Moment”
Through Jan. 19, the National Gallery of Art in D.C.
🔗 Details

Don’t miss the only U.S. stop for this exhibit on the origins of the impressionist art movement. It’s filled with heavy hitters like  Paul Cézanne and Claude Monet, plus lesser-known artists. Stop by to warm up after a morning ice skating in the Sculpture Garden!

JewCE: The Jewish Comics Experience
Through March 2025, Capital Jewish Museum, $10 (for non-members and those over 12 years old)
🔗 Details

In this new exhibit, you can explore 100 years of Jewish cartoons, comics, and graphic novels at the Capital Jewish Museum. Learn about the Jewish origins of iconic comic book superheroes from the 1930s through the 1960s.

A comic experience isn’t complete without reading a comic or two! After you’re done taking it all in, hang out in the reading room and enjoy comics, graphic novels, creator biographies, and works represented in the galleries.

Free pick
In Slavery’s Wake
Through June 8, 2025, National Museum of African American History and Culture, free (timed passes required for museum)
🔗 Details

The National Museum of African American History and Culture is opening its newest exhibit called “In Slavery’s Wake: Making Black Freedom in the World.” The multi-lingual experience is the museum’s first international traveling exhibition and will explore how racial slavery, colonialism and Black freedom-making influence the world.

The exhibit will be split into six sections on Concourse Level C and features 100 objects, 250 images, and 10 multi-media interactives and films.

The Future Scene: New Year’s Eve with the family

Free pick
Noon Yards Eve
10 a.m. to 1 p.m., The Yards Park
🔗 Details

A balloon drop at noon? We’re in!  Let the little ones get in on the New Year’s Eve fun early with carnival games, a magic show, bounce houses and more. Take a selfie under the 13-foot illuminated Swinging Bells on The Yards’ Sun Deck, too.

First Night Alexandria
Starts at 2 p.m., $10-$22 to enter festival
🔗 Details

The longstanding family-friendly festival will celebrate its 30th year with music, arts and community at the center of Historic Old Town Alexandria. The festival will begin with performances for children and a day party for all ages.

The first round of fireworks is set to go off at 6 p.m. over the waterfront.

If you’re not ready for bed yet, explore Old Town for live music, comedy and more on 12 stages inside churches, stores and more until another round of fireworks at midnight.

Tickets for the festival range from $10 to $22 with free admission to children ages two and under.

Visit Alexandria has a list of great places for spotting fireworks even if you don’t go to the festival.

New Year’s Eve dance parties through the decades

Dance New Year’s Eve away with cover bands and DJs playing the greatest hits from their favorite eras.

Go old school cool with Peaches O’Dell and her 11-piece, big band orchestra at Black Cat’s New Year’s Eve Swing Ball. At The Anthem, Sammy Rae & The Friends blend indie rock band, jazz, soul and funk.

Gimme Gimme Disco: A Dance Party Inspired by ABBA at The Atlantis delivers a one-of-a-kind ’70s vibe while The Fillmore Silver Spring has a Black Sabbath cover band.

All about the ’80s? You’ll want to see The Legwarmers at the State Theatre in Falls Church, The Reagan Years at The Tally Ho Theater in Leesburg or the Ultimate 80’s NYE Dance Party with DJ D at Jammin Java in Vienna.

Show off your ’90s and Y2K fashion for White Ford Bronco at The Lincoln Theatre or Uncle Jesse, a ‘90s and early aughts cover band at Farm Brew Live in Manassas.

Love T.K.O., the Howard Theatre’s party with Mariah The Scientist, channels all eras of R&B.

If you’ve ever worn ripped tights as a fashion statement, maybe Indie Sleaze New Year’s Eve with Melina and Dahger at Songbyrd is your vibe.

Concerts this weekend

The Shirks, 8 p.m. Friday, Black Cat, $20
D.C. band plays classic, ‘70s-style punk rock – short and fast. Opener Baby Alcatraz and the Aurelions offer early rock & roll inspired instrumentals. Details.

“Salad Days” 10th Anniversary Party, 8 p.m. Saturday, Black Cat, $20
This celebration of the seminal documentary about D.C.’s punk scene features performances by D.C. supergroup Hammered Hulls, featuring Alec MacKaye and Mary Timony, and Birthday Girl DC – a terrific teen indie rock trio of D.C. alternative rock progeny with a bright future. Details.

More things to do in D.C.

Kwanzaa programs at Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum: Events daily, Dec. 26-31, Southeast D.C., free

DowntownDC Holiday Skate Spectacular: Through Jan. 4, National Building Museum (401 F Street NW), free

Sculpture Garden Ice Rink: Daily, National Gallery of Art, $12 ($6 for skate rentals)

National Christmas Tree: Through Jan. 1, The Ellipse at President’s Park, free

Light Yards: Through Jan. 1, The Yards Park, free

Hot To Go – A Chappell Roan party: Fri., 9 p.m., 9:30 Club, $22

Best of DC Comedy Showcase: Fri. and Sat., DC Improv, $22+

The Legacy of the Dibinga Sisters and OrigiNation Cultural Arts Center (Kwanzaa celebration): Fri., The Kennedy Center, free

Seasons Greenings: Through Jan. 5, U.S. Botanic Garden, free

& Juliet: Through Jan. 5, The Kennedy Center, $45-$239

Life of Pi: Through Jan. 5, The Kennedy Center, $49-$179

Things to do in Maryland

Washington DC Temple Festival of Lights: Through Jan. 1, 9900 Stoneybrook Dr, Kensington, free

Disco Biscuits: Fri. and Sat., Fillmore Silver Spring, $60+

Winter Wonderland Extravaganza on the Farm: Sat., Charity’s Hope Family Farm in LaPlata, $7.18

Things to do in Virginia

Silent Disco! at Punch Bowl Social Arlington: Sat., 4238 Wilson Blvd. in Arlington, $10+

Winter Walk of Lights: Nov. 8 to Jan. 5, Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna, $18-$22

Aurora’s Winter Circus Adventure: Through Dec. 29, Dulles Town Center, $35+ (adult)/$28+ (child)

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