Behind the Curtain: The most powerful Republican president of the modern era

Make no mistake: Trump will come to power better organized, better staffed, and exponentially better positioned to dominate his party and the nation than he was last time.

• Trump promises to stretch the immense powers of the presidency, with historically wide latitude from a pliant, conservative Supreme Court.
• A new conservative media ecosystem — centered on Elon Musk's X — will amplify Trump's power and reshape America's information wars.
• And efforts to prosecute him are likely to end.

By the numbers: Trump's victory was astonishing in its sweep and scope. All but two states — Washington and Utah — went more heavily for Trump on Tuesday than in 2020 (Financial Times).

• Trump was backed by a remarkable 1 in 3 voters of color (NBC News exit poll).
• He improved over his 2020 performance among voters younger than 30, Black voters and Hispanic voters.
• President Biden won Latino men by 23 points in 2020, but Trump won them by 10 points in 2024. (CNN)

The big picture: The roughly half of America opposed to Trump is left with little solace, and even less federal power. Trump's romp flipped the Senate to Republican control, and the GOP is on track to keep the House.

• Democrats are left without a leader or a clear ideological identity, after Vice President Harris ran a campaign light on ideas and heavy on emotion. She underperformed Biden's 2020 showing across the map.

Trump can brag of a new coalition, brimming with record-high Hispanic support, working-class zeal and a surge in younger voters. And any restraints from anti-Trump Republicans in Congress or inside his White House are gone.

• He vowed to use that power to punish or even jail his critics.
• He has pledged to carry out "the largest deportation operation in American history."
• He has threatened to fire thousands of government employees deemed disloyal.

What's next: Trump sources tell us he'll consolidate power by steering who runs the House and Senate and unleashing his agenda out of the gate, starting with an immigration crackdown.

• Watch for him to load his White House and cabinet with rich, accomplished men.

How it happened: How Trump won says a lot about how he'll govern, Trump advisers tell us.

1. Trump will be Trump. He said and did whatever he wanted on the campaign trail — and will do more of this in office. He will surround himself with capable people — like he did with Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita on the campaign — to bring some method to the public madness.
2. Leverage his new base. Trump sees himself as the champion of toughness and the working class, which attracted a lot of Hispanic and Black men to his predominantly white, blue-collar base. It's no accident that Stephen Miller — a top adviser on immigration policy adviser in the first Trump term, who's expected to have a top White House job in the new administration — tweeted at 5:58 p.m. ET last night: "If you know any men who haven't voted, get them to the polls." And six minutes later: "Get every man you know to the polls."
3. Destroy traditional media. He hates his media critics and witnessed the new power of X and Elon Musk, plus Joe Rogan and the other bro-tilted realms of the podcast world. Trump believes a weakened media is ready to collapse. Now he has a bigger, more powerful alternative to help replace it.
4. Pound the "woke." Don't underestimate the damage Democrats did to their brand by promoting political correctness. Democratic strategists told us it's a huge problem for the image of the party, not just Harris. Trump saw this as vital to turning independents and apathetic voters into Republicans — or at least Trump Republicans. The campaign was only the beginning.

What to watch: Expect Trump to lure economic advisers who'll be accepted by the corporate establishment. Based on his path back to power, he knows his presidency will hang partly on low inflation and robust growth.