‘Donald Trump just staged one of greatest comebacks in political history – the reaction was absolutely priceless,’ says Brendan Clarke-Smith

Love him or loathe him, Donald Trump has just staged one of the greatest comebacks in political history.

As an avid watcher of GB News’s excellent coverage of the US Presidential Election, I have to confess that I switched over at brief points to see the reaction on Channel 4 and the BBC. Like the General Election in 2019 and the Brexit vote before that in 2016, I was not disappointed.

For those of us wanting to see a Republican President despite the constant cheerleading for Harris from the commentariat, the reaction to the results was absolutely priceless.

Podcasters such as Rory Stewart have also come in for something of a hard time on social media since, with their predictions being wildly inaccurate.

“Fight! Fight!” were the words Trump shouted to his crowd, in what is now an iconic scene with his fist in the air in a show of defiance. Well, he certainly did that. “God spared my life for a reason” said Trump. This is an incredibly powerful message, especially in a nation where religion and politics have such a close relationship.

If anything, Trump is a lesson in sheer resilience. Not since the Democrat Grover Cleveland, who served as President between 1885-1889 and then from 1893-1897 have we had a President serving non-consecutive terms.

Following his defeat to Joe Biden, countless lawsuits and being disowned by much of the mainstream media, many had written Trump off.

The infamous mugshot – more akin to a Dirty Harry pose than a person concerned about lawfare – went viral.

But did the wider electorate still have the appetite for a man whose critics argued had reach, but would no longer pass the dinner table test?

They were wrong. It was therefore ironic that one of the more memorable parts of this election campaign was also about food. Not at the dinner table, but instead at a McDonald’s drive-thru.

The Democrats have been their own worst enemy. Aside from serving burgers and fries, Trump has taken full advantage of other situations to show that he is a President for working people.

The garbage comment from Biden not only insulted many who were considering voting Republican, but also gave another opportunity for a successful media stunt.

When the public think you are talking about them, they tend to take it personally and turn out to vote.

Aside from individual moments, the biggest problem the Democrats faced is that people stopped seeing them as being ‘normal’.

We’ve had many conversations about ‘culture wars’ in the UK.

The backing of Hollywood celebrities – hardly seen as your Average Joes – may seem great on television or social media, but few share the same concerns as ordinary Americans.

Go Woke, Go Broke, as Elon Musk would say.

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Whilst Trump enjoyed support from Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Nigel Farage, the reverse-ferreting in the UK has already started from those who most bitterly opposed him.

Being in Government brings new responsibilities and you would expect the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary to offer their congratulations, as they have.

However, ‘There’s always a tweet’, as the saying goes. In this case many tweets, especially in David Lammy’s case, and they are particularly embarrassing.

We won’t even mention the controversy over the 100 Labour staffers planning on heading over to campaign for Kamala Harris before it caused a diplomatic incident.

So, what next for the special relationship? Will the trade talks cancelled by Joe Biden be resurrected, as Kemi Badenoch asked at PMQs?

Will Trump’s personal fondness and family links to the UK be beneficial?

Or will Labour’s previous comments cause long-term permanent damage? If so, then we must make the special relationship great again.