“Five Democratic Myths Debunked in the 2024 Election: Insights from the Political Sphere”

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In today’s edition, senior political correspondent Alex Seitz-Wald explores several deep-rooted Democratic beliefs that were challenged by the results of the 2024 election. Furthermore, Special Counsel Jack Smith has filed to have all federal charges against Donald Trump related to election interference and classified documents dismissed.

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Five Democratic Beliefs Challenged by the 2024 Election

By Alex Seitz-Wald

Democrats are eager to learn from their recent defeat to Donald Trump once again, but they have lost some grip on fundamental assumptions about the political landscape that have historically shaped their strategies. There is noticeable hesitation in re-evaluating certain aspects of their

The party has been slow to adapt its narratives regarding the political shifts that occurred during the Trump era, and many within the party continue to hold beliefs that may no longer hold true.

As the final vote counts are still being tallied and the complete picture of the election remains unclear, exit polls and key regional results across the nation are already presenting new realities that Democrats must acknowledge while strategizing for the future.

Here are five core beliefs of the Democratic Party that the 2024 electoral results have called into question.

1. Greater voter turnout benefits Democrats: Historically, Democrats have relied on the assumption that higher voter turnout favors their party. While this notion may have been valid in the past, the more recent political climate complicates this idea.

During the Trump era, Democrats have emerged as the party with a more consistent voter base—comprising college-educated, high-income, and older voters—while Republicans have successfully appealed to less educated, blue-collar demographics. This shift means that Democrats were often at a disadvantage. Voters of color appear to show a degree of political indifference, while many express support for Trump.

This shift explains why Democrats recorded successes in recent midterms, off-year elections, and special elections, yet polls frequently underrepresented Trump’s true support. Low turnout during non-presidential elections typically advantages the party with the most reliable voter demographic, which has been the Republicans until recently.

2. The Democratic Party represents the working class: For over a century, the Democratic Party has positioned itself as the champion of the working class, contrasting with the Republican stance often perceived as representing the affluent. The Democratic Party has historically had strong ties to labor unions and advocated for populist economic policies, including welfare programs and higher taxes on the wealthy.

In 2024, however, Democrats suffered losses within the working class based on education and income metrics. According to exit polls from NBC News, Trump secured 56% of votes from individuals lacking a college degree, while nearly winning over those with household incomes between $30,000 and $100,000. In contrast, Kamala Harris won among voters earning $200,000 or more annually.

This outcome represents a significant change from the previous election cycle. Hillary Clinton, despite losing to Trump in 2016, managed to capture a larger share of low-income voters and improved her standing among less-educated demographics, while Barack Obama had similar success with non-college-educated voters in 2012.

3. Trump cannot broaden his coalition: Many Democrats believed that Trump’s voter base was static, especially following his defeat in 2020. However, during his third presidential campaign, Trump expanded his support across major urban areas, Native American communities, and among heavily Latino demographics.

He made inroads in critical urban centers like Philadelphia and Detroit, while also gaining traction in traditionally liberal regions such as Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles County, and Cook County in Chicago. He also regained popularity in affluent suburban areas that had shifted away from the Republican Party, including Loudoun County, Virginia.

4. Latinos and immigrants will oppose stringent immigration policies: Democrats have traditionally relied on the belief that immigrants and Latino voters would rally against restrictive immigration policies.

Yet, recent NBC News exit polls reflect that Trump performed exceptionally well among Latino voters, even outright winning Latino men, as well as gaining support from Asian Americans and residents in Dearborn, Michigan. His appeal extended to immigrant populations, including in regions like Lawrence, Massachusetts. Trump achieved notable victories in heavily Latino counties along the Texas-Mexico border, some of which had historically voted Democratic. Additionally, a Manhattan district comprised predominantly of Chinese immigrants has consistently supported Republican candidates in presidential elections over the past decade.

5. The Electoral College disadvantages Democrats: Previously, many Democrats maintained that the Electoral College was inherently unfavorable to their party, especially since both Republican candidates lost the popular vote to win the presidency in the 21st century. This was widely viewed as a structural bias.

While this perspective holds some validity—given that large Democratic states like California and New York are less favorably represented compared to smaller Republican states—it gained further complexity as Harris’s support dwindled in these traditional blue bastions. Ultimately, Trump not only emerged victorious in the Electoral College but also captured the popular vote this year.

Jack Smith Seeks Dismissal of All Federal Charges Against Trump

By Ryan J. Reilly and Ken Dilanian

On Monday, Special Counsel Jack Smith formally moved to dismiss all federal charges against President-elect Donald Trump regarding allegations of mishandling classified documents and efforts to overturn the outcome of the 2020 presidential election prior to the January 6 Capitol attack.

Shortly thereafter, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan approved Smith’s request to dismiss the charges related to the January 6 events, which accused Trump of illegally conspiring to reverse his loss to President Joe Biden. This case has now been officially closed.

Trump faced federal indictments in Miami in June 2023, encompassing 37 felonies tied to improper handling of classified documents taken from the White House to his Florida residence. These charges included knowingly retaining national defense information, making false statements, and conspiracy to obstruct justice. Although a Florida judge dismissed the case, Smith’s office was pursuing an appeal.

In August 2023, Trump faced separate charges involving four felonies for his attempts to overturn the 2020 election results: conspiracy to commit fraud against the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstructing an official proceeding, and conspiracy against rights.

Throughout these legal proceedings, President Trump has claimed that the charges are politically motivated, and he has yet to acknowledge that the claims made post-election were indeed unfounded, as he continues to plead not guilty in both federal cases.

Trump’s federal indictment marked a historic first in America, representing a former president facing legal action for attempting to retain power, mishandling classified information, and obstructing a federal investigation. The dismissal of these charges also signifies a significant development.

This marks a significant milestone in American politics. Five decades after bipartisan lawmakers compelled Richard Nixon to step down amidst serious allegations, a notable portion of the electorate has opted to re-elect Donald Trump.

Trump’s return to office will further reinforce the Justice Department’s longstanding view that current presidents cannot face criminal charges while serving, a stance that will remain even post-inauguration on January 20th.

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That’s a wrap from the political desk. We value your input, whether positive or critical. Please reach out via email at politicsnewsletter@nbcuni.com.

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