Who expected Bill to say this?
As the dust settles from the 2024 election, former President Bill Clinton’s earlier remarks about the swing states have been called into question. Just before the election, Clinton confidently predicted that all the key battleground states would swing together in the same direction, but that’s not how things turned out.
After nearly three weeks of vote counting, President-elect Donald Trump emerged victorious in a sweep of critical swing states, including Pennsylvania, Georgia, Nevada, Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin, and North Carolina. Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris—who was campaigning alongside President Joe Biden—actually garnered fewer votes in these states than Biden had in the 2020 election. This shift in voter sentiment is a striking signal of changing political dynamics in America.
Clinton, who wrote his book Citizen before the election results were clear, had expressed hope that voters would choose the “benefits of inclusive, economic, and social policies” and stand for the preservation of democracy. He articulated these thoughts during an appearance on MSNBC’s The Saturday Show, telling the host, Jonathan Capehart, that he had a strong intuition about the outcome.
“By the time you read Citizen, we’ll know who won,” Clinton had said in the book. “I hope enough people will have chosen the benefits of inclusive capitalism, inclusive government, and social policies over divisiveness.”
However, when asked if Trump’s victory was a rejection of those values, Clinton conceded, “Oh, by some, but only a small percentage.” He went on to say that voters ultimately didn’t prioritize inclusive policies enough to counter the appeal of other concerns, suggesting that the nation must continue “fighting” for those ideals.
In hindsight, Clinton’s optimism about the strength of inclusive policies appears to have been misplaced. Despite his hopes, the 2024 election results suggest a different narrative, where voters in key battleground states rejected the direction of the Biden administration. In fact, Clinton’s own campaign appearances during the election cycle were marked by several missteps. His gaffes, including controversial comments in Georgia and Michigan, seemed to highlight the disconnect between the Democrat party’s message and the concerns of many American voters.
Ultimately, the 2024 election underscores a larger shift in American politics, where conservative principles on issues like economic growth, border security, and national unity are resonating more strongly with the electorate. Bill Clinton’s predictions, it seems, did not match the will of the people, and the red wave that surged through the swing states speaks to the growing disenchantment with the left’s progressive agenda. The road ahead will be shaped by voters who demand a return to values that prioritize individual liberty, economic opportunity, and national sovereignty.