Some European leaders clearly did not want the Republicans to win. There are also many people who do not want this outcome and push global agendas. Let’s not forget the celebrities and people in the media. But 72 million Americans, more than half of those who voted, wanted the 45th President to return for a second term.

There will be a lot of debate about why Trump won. Actually it has already started. But from this perspective, there are a few simple reasons.

The Democrats’ campaign failed on many fronts. First, by eschewing traditional primaries, Kamala Harris has never felt like a legitimate candidate. Second, his inability to speak without a script caused him to turn down opportunities to speak to some large media audiences. Third, he chose not to campaign on his record as vice president or the policy framework he planned to pursue. Instead, his strategy was to attack Trump first and then rely on celebrity endorsements and gimmicks.

Trump, by contrast, appeared at every step of the primary process and at every interview opportunity, including a three-hour segment on Joe Rogan’s podcast. He took over town halls and people-filled areas at every opportunity, including eight rallies in the final two days of the campaign. Of course he attacked incumbents. But he spent just as much, if not more, time talking about his version of the track record and his future focus on solving America’s problems.

And it worked. Let’s make no mistake about this. This is a huge victory. Republicans won the popular vote for the first time since 2004. They look poised to win the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the presidency. This is a huge power.

While it’s a bad day for Democrats, it’s also a huge ‘punch in the nose’ for those who champion the causes of the world. At the top of this list is the United Nations, but they are also joined by climate activists, advocates for NATO and the World Economic Forum. This is something that discourages Hollywood and the celebrity culture that tries to influence politics. Let’s not forget the television networks that defended and lost the Democratic campaign in the United States and around the world.

These are the television networks that want us to accept their views on the Middle East, Ukraine and the economy. They want to convince us of their views on climate and vaccines. But the platforms for doing so are in shambles.

These TV networks now need to rethink their coverage of politics. But they also need to rethink their role in society’s interpretations. It was put into practice as a result of a survey conducted in the state of Iowa a few days before the election. Harris was apparently projected to win the state, which is usually a safe haven for Republicans. The media could not hide its celebratory tone as it speculated that other safe states could turn against Republicans.

As we now know, Trump won Iowa and won it well. She received 56% of the vote to Harris’ 43%. The poll was wrong. But they released it anyway.

The U.S. media, especially the broadcast media, needs to relearn how to listen, understand, and speak to the half of the electorate that does not represent their partisan views.

While traditional media had to count the election results as one of their worst days, new media won and won big. Individuals, rather than networks, carried the election with their news and support for the successful candidate. One-man show hosts like Megan Kelly, Tucker Carlson, Joe Rogan and others have proven that the media hasn’t changed. It has changed. Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) provides a platform for off-net news operators to reach audiences. While there are many people who can’t find these channels yet, you can bet that this election result will change that too.

I heard one commentator describe the election result as “the revenge of the American working class.” Let’s not forget that Trump and his supporters were called “trash” by the outgoing president. They were likened to Nazis by left-leaning media.

Instead, Trump supporters are ordinary people living ordinary lives, trying to keep their jobs, raise their children, and make their mortgage payments every week.

As Trump repeatedly confirmed on the campaign trail, these ordinary people feel poorer than they did four years ago. They are gripped by inflation, worried about illegal immigration, and worried about crime in their neighborhoods.

I was not surprised by the election result. In July of this year, I traveled 2200 km in the south of America. Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana. I was there in the immediate aftermath of the disastrous Biden debate and during the decision to appoint Harris. I enjoyed talking to the locals, starting a discussion about politics, and then standing back to see what happened. Even then there was a mood. That mood wasn’t for Biden, and it certainly wasn’t for Harris.

Of course, there is a lot of news here about how bad the election result could be for our country. It is clear that Trump’s tariff regime may shake us up a bit in the short term. But there is also a bigger picture to consider.

The world needs a strong America right now.

The level of chaos in the world is like most of us have never seen before. While we have seen economic shocks and even regional wars before, the many layers of global upheaval are unique in our lifetimes.

For the first time, we see economic, structural and geopolitical crises colliding simultaneously. As a result, uncertainty remains.

Economically, the world is trying to recover from the post-Covid economic shocks that have occurred as a result of economic mismanagement by governments. The result was a lot of debt and three years of inflation, the nasty surprises of which are now fully baked in. In other words, $7 coffee will never go back to $5. So while the inflation monster is now back in its box, people struggling with the revised cost of living will continue to do so.

Structural factors mainly affect business and governments; These factors, in turn, affect people, jobs and trust. Major structural change in industries including retail, housing, construction, media, motor vehicles and technology is affecting the way we do business in the future. At the government level, healthcare, education and debt are core issues in most of the countries we would call friends. All this before we talk about Artificial Intelligence.

But most frightening is the geopolitical outlook, and perhaps the area where a strong America is needed most. Crisis after crisis is seeing governments unable to cope. The Ukrainian war continues and the Middle East conflict continues to widen and deepen. Protesters supporting Palestinians or Israelis meet face to face in London or Belgium. In Europe and North America, illegal immigration is at the center of crime waves that leave police and governments turning on their own people as they try to gain control.

Meanwhile, advocates of many causes are also coming under pressure. Human nature is such that when things are going well we tend to be more accepting of those who challenge the status quo. But when the going gets tough, these agendas receive less attention as we focus on survival. Fifteen years of economic boom combined with the Covid era when people feared and obeyed allowed many of these cases to claim wide latitude.

The World Economic Forum, the World Health Organization and the climate industry also want to force us to change the way we live. Trying to meet the expectations of others, companies and governments have become distracted by ESG, DEI, and the need to control “misinformation.”

Freedom of expression is threatened every day around the world. In Australia this week we see the Government trying to introduce a ‘misinformation’ bill.

We’re seeing governments cracking down on individuals because of something on social media. But as we have learned, disinformation rarely comes from “we, the people.” When we reflect on the Covid pandemic, we know that most disinformation is distributed by governments. Considering the recent results of the US election, we know that the major TV networks are as guilty of misinformation as anyone else.

And so, as times get tough and as a result of these overlapping crises, people are understandably stepping back. Across Europe, centre-right parties are leading in most of this year’s election races. In South America, El Salvador’s new president has overreacted to the crime wave, and Argentina’s new president is one of the most aggressive in pursuing economic reform. The New Netherlands Government is withdrawing immigration and others are following suit.

With worsening economies, a bleak outlook, and the threat of external controls affecting their lives, newly motivated people are stepping back. The people and the working class say, “We are fed up.”

We saw this in America this week. And so we shouldn’t be surprised. Continuation of several trends. It’s a trend that will continue to challenge the new president.

From my perspective, this perfect storm of global economics, structural change, and geopolitical turmoil tells me something. New Zealand is still one of the best places in the world right now.

And if you’re one of those people who gets unsettled by a few te reo lines during news time, or if you’re a new MP dressed as a circus juggler, think for a moment.

We don’t know how lucky we are!