Historian and writer Nicole Bacharan, a prominent expert on the United States where she lived for many years, analyzes the Democrats’ downfall and Donald Trump’s triumph.
By Martine Gozlan– On the night of Donald Trump’s election, your initial reaction was to observe that Americans weren’t ready to elect a woman…
– Nicole Bacharan: In a dangerous world where people’s anxiety levels are high—fueled by social media and Russian influence agents—the world’s leading power, in people’s minds, needs a man as commander-in-chief, one who repeats, “I’ll protect you.” True, Kamala Harris didn’t measure up to what Hillary Clinton once attempted. But I think that in a country like the U.S., in such a global role, there’s no majority ready to elect a woman, even a highly talented one, for a long time. This factor in Trump’s re-election says a lot about our era. Women’s issues, like healthcare, weren’t prioritized, though many other factors also played a role.
– Which factors seemed most significant to you?
– On the Democrats’ side, Joe Biden’s decline was hidden for the last two years by his team and the White House, but it became increasingly visible. The president avoided press conferences, seemed diminished, and made frequent errors with names, dates, and his performance in debates. Despite pledging to serve only one term, he clung to power. Kamala Harris had only sixteen weeks to campaign, while typical campaigns last two years, allowing voters to form a full opinion. With Harris, there was uncertainty about her capability, highlighted by her inability to attend the volunteers’ thank-you event on election night.
– Does her defeat signal the end of the Democratic Party?
– They’ve been wiped out, and infighting has started. The Democratic message, especially on the economy, was so confused. Harris constructed her economic stance gradually, with a disconnect between macroeconomics and everyday experience. While Biden inherited an economy hit by COVID-19 and Ukraine’s war, and he did lower inflation and boost employment, prices remain high. Purchasing power was the decisive factor: many felt they couldn’t afford a new Democratic experiment. Biden’s message on his economic success didn’t resonate with people struggling to afford groceries, leaving them feeling abandoned. Harris attempted to correct this late in the campaign, but her initiative targeting Black men was seen as extreme, humiliating, and ultra-racist. This reflects an identity-based progressivism that’s alienating. This elitist, incomprehensible rhetoric—talking to workers about “white privilege”—is a death knell for this version of the Democratic Party. I don’t know how it will reshape, or who will lead it, but it’s finished. The autopsy will follow.
– So what kind of Donald Trump are we getting back?
– Americans chose him with full knowledge. In 2016, there was some uncertainty, but not now. Voters know exactly who he is—a man who overcame everything. He’s conquered the judicial system, won a decisive victory, and now controls the executive, judiciary, and the Senate, and he’ll likely have the House, too. Can such triumph, in someone known for narcissistic behavior, lead to any peace? All his life, he’s been driven by revenge. I observed him in New York in the 1980s: he loudly proclaimed himself the best, while inwardly terrified. Now, at 78, he’s achieved it all.
– How will American society, an example of effective checks and balances, function without them?
– Some checks remain. States, governors, and mayors retain significant powers within their regions. Parts of the judiciary and the complexity of major procedures can still prevent radical shifts. But these checks are highly divided, especially as Trump’s 2017 presidency had establishment Republicans around him. Now, he’s surrounded only by ideologues and loyalists willing to implement the policies they want. This will be far more effective than his first term. It’s not the end of American democracy, but a serious authoritarian turn. There are lessons for us in Europe, too. The dynamics behind this election are very present here: elite rejection, the forgotten in globalization, a sense of invisibility, frustrations over lack of recognition—all these factors are vivid in our societies. Not to mention democratic fatigue and short-termism. Amid this exhaustion and anger, the appeal of a “strongman” solution grows.
– Can we hope that wokism, which has degraded the Democrats’ image, has run its course?
– After such a defeat, there will be a reckoning. The Clintons and Obama were overshadowed by the woke, which wasn’t their core belief. Some will cling to their obsessions—like the American equivalent of Aymeric Caron! But ambitious figures like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who envisions herself as president, campaigned hard for Harris without a word of wokism or mention of Gaza. So perhaps, from these ruins, a new Democratic Party can emerge—less identity-driven, with a bit more common sense. Only under these conditions can it revive.
BIOEXPRESS
Nicole Bacharan, the author of numerous books on the United States, regularly travels between Paris and New York. Her works include The Secrets of the White House (Perrin, 2014, with Dominique Simonnet) and The Great Days that Changed America (Perrin, 2021). She paid tribute to her mother, Ginette Guy, with The Most Resistant of All (Stock, 2023), which won the Simone Veil prize.
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