America chose Trump with eyes wide open

The big picture: Trump won the popular vote for the first time. He is leading in every single swing state, and gained significant new support even in several blue states.

• He gained ground this time around with Black voters, Hispanic voters, suburban voters and young voters.

Flashback: Trump won an incredibly narrow Electoral College victory but lost the popular vote in 2016. That election took millions of Americans by surprise.

• After a chaotic four years, a resounding 2020 loss and the the Jan. 6 insurrection, even many of his allies thought he couldn't win again.
• Trump's own former chief of staff called him a fascist. He was convicted of 34 felonies.
• He did not moderate his rhetoric or policy proposals in the slightest as he sought the White House for a third time.

Voters knew what they were getting with Trump this time around — and 72 million and counting voted for it.

• Trump's force of personality and his drastic proposals to deal with immigration (mass deportations) and the economy (massive tariffs) clearly carried the day. Democratic warnings about his character did not.
• He'll return to the White House with a clearer mandate and a much clearer understanding of how to wield the power of the presidency.

The bottom line: Americans knew the man they were electing. But that doesn't mean anyone truly knows what's coming next.