Trump’s 2024 Election Win: Eight Early Signs and the Bigger “Troll”
Reza Mehman looks back at eight early signs that, in his view, pointed to Donald Trump winning the 2024 US presidential election. He considers newspaper endorsements, podcast appearances and Trump’s trolling-style marketing. This is his personal assessment of campaign dynamics, without endorsing either candidate.
Originally published on 20 November 2024. Opinions, audience comparisons and campaign assessments reflect this episode. All published conversation paragraphs are translated below. The original lists eight signs but develops only numbers 1, 2, 3, 7 and 8 in its detailed sections; that structure is preserved.
Clarification on the nomination: Harris did receive a formal nomination through a delegate vote in August 2024. The DNC reported support from 99% of participating delegates. Reza’s criticism of how the candidate was selected is retained in the transcript, but the statement that no nomination vote took place is inaccurate. See the DNC’s announcement of 6 August 2024.
Trump’s 2024 Election Win: Eight Signs in Retrospect
Donald Trump won the 2024 US presidential election. Reza Mehman examines eight early signs he believes pointed towards that result, from newspaper endorsements and podcast appearances to trolling-style marketing. His conclusion is: “I thought both were extremely poor candidates. I couldn’t tell you who I would have voted for.” This is his personal, non-partisan assessment of the campaign.
Summary
In one sentence: Reza Mehman examines eight early signs he believes pointed to Trump’s 2024 election win, from media endorsements to trolling-style marketing.
In three sentences: Donald Trump won the 2024 US election. Reza considers eight signs, including missing newspaper endorsements for the Democrats, podcast appearances, trolling-style marketing and his criticism of Kamala Harris’s selection as candidate. He concludes: “I thought both were extremely poor candidates.”
In five sentences: Donald Trump won the 2024 US election, and Reza Mehman believes he saw early signs of that outcome. Major newspapers, including the Washington Post and LA Times, did not endorse the Democratic candidate. Trump also appeared on Joe Rogan’s podcast, which Reza describes as the world’s biggest. He believes Trump’s bin-lorry and McDonald’s publicity appearances appealed to many people. Reza also regards Harris’s selection process as a serious Democratic mistake, although she was formally nominated through a delegate vote, as clarified above.
Context: Who, What and Why
Who is speaking: Reza Mehman, host of the Project Mindset podcast.
What this is about: Eight early signs that Reza believes help explain Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 US presidential election.
Why it matters: Trump’s victory was a defining political event of the period. Reza offers his own assessment without endorsing either side.
The eight signs at a glance, as presented by Reza:
- The absence of newspaper endorsements from the Washington Post and LA Times.
- J.D. Vance appearing more convincing than Tim Walz.
- Trump appearing on Joe Rogan’s podcast, which Reza describes as the world’s biggest.
- Trump’s rallies appearing larger and more energetic.
- Public dissatisfaction with the economy.
- Trump’s narrative of surviving an assassination attempt.
- Trolling-style marketing: the bin lorry and McDonald’s.
- Criticism of Harris’s nomination process; the claim that there was no nomination vote is corrected above.
Contents
- Introduction
- Summary
- Context
- The signs in detail
- Key takeaways
- Frequently asked questions
- Highlight quotes
- The published conversation
- Keywords
- Names and terms
- Quotable passage
The Signs in Detail
1. Missing newspaper endorsements
Major US newspapers such as the Washington Post, owned by Jeff Bezos, and the LA Times did not endorse the Democratic candidate. Reza says: “That was an early sign for me that Donald Trump would probably become president this time.” The episode cites 200,000 Washington Post subscription cancellations following the decision.
Keywords: Washington Post, LA Times, Jeff Bezos, endorsement, media
2. J.D. Vance versus Tim Walz
Reza found J.D. Vance more convincing than Tim Walz in their debate. He says: “He came across as much more presidential, far more than Donald Trump.” The article also discusses a Walz remark about Musk, rendered in the German transcript as “gay dude”. Reports described an apparent “gay guy” slip; his campaign said he misspoke. See contemporary reporting on the remark.
Keywords: J.D. Vance, Tim Walz, debate, vice president, verbal slips
3. Podcast appearances
Trump appeared on Joe Rogan’s podcast, which Reza describes as the world’s biggest, while Harris appeared on smaller podcasts in his comparison. Reza says: “I think it was very important that Donald Trump appeared on Joe Rogan.”
Keywords: Joe Rogan, podcast, reach, Trump, Kamala Harris
7. Trolling-style marketing
Reza discusses Trump’s bin-lorry appearance in response to Biden’s remarks and his publicity appearance at McDonald’s, described in the original as working there for a day. He says: “From a trolling perspective, that was a good marketing stunt.”
Keywords: trolling, marketing, bin lorry, McDonald’s, Trump
8. Criticism of the nomination process
Reza argues that Harris was simply selected rather than chosen through the kind of election he wanted. His statement that no nomination vote took place is inaccurate: delegates formally nominated her, as explained above. Reza says: “There really should have been an election here. That was another sign that more votes would go to Donald Trump.”
Keywords: nomination, Democrats, Kamala Harris, democracy, election
Key Takeaways
- “I thought both were extremely poor candidates. I couldn’t tell you who I would have voted for.”
- The Washington Post and LA Times did not endorse the Democratic candidate.
- Reza found Vance more convincing than Walz and more “presidential”.
- On Trump’s Joe Rogan appearance: “I think it was very important.”
- The bin-lorry and McDonald’s appearances were, in Reza’s view, effective trolling-style marketing.
- Reza criticises the process that made Harris the candidate. His claim that no nomination vote occurred is clarified above.
- “I don’t want to endorse or recommend either side.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Trump win the 2024 US election?
Reza offers eight personal observations rather than a definitive causal explanation. They include missing newspaper endorsements for the Democrats, his assessment of Vance against Walz, Trump’s Joe Rogan appearance, trolling-style marketing and criticism of Harris’s selection process. He says: “I thought both were extremely poor candidates. I couldn’t tell you who I would have voted for.” The nomination claim is clarified above.
What does Reza mean by Trump’s trolling-style marketing?
He refers to Trump’s bin-lorry appearance in response to Biden’s remarks and his McDonald’s publicity appearance. Reza says: “From a trolling perspective, that was a good marketing stunt. I have to admit, it was an interesting marketing stunt. I think it went down very well with a lot of people.”
Why does Reza consider Trump’s Joe Rogan appearance important?
Reza describes Rogan’s show as the world’s biggest podcast and says: “I think it was very important that Donald Trump appeared on Joe Rogan.” The original article contrasts this with Harris’s appearances on smaller podcasts and says they reached fewer people than usual. These are the episode’s audience comparisons, not a separately established explanation of the election result.
Highlight Quotes
“I thought both were extremely poor candidates. I couldn’t tell you who I would have voted for.”
— Reza Mehman
“From a trolling perspective, that was a good marketing stunt.”
— Reza Mehman on Trump’s bin-lorry appearance
“There really should have been an election here. Only then can you be sure that the large majority of your party supports its own candidate.”
— Reza Mehman criticising Harris’s selection process; see the clarification above
The Published Conversation
Introduction
Reza Mehman: Donald Trump has won the election in the United States. We can think that is good or bad. Personally, I think both were extremely poor candidates. I couldn’t tell you who I would have voted for. But I think there were eight signs, at least eight signs, that Donald Trump would win. One of them has to do with being a troll. And that is exactly what I want to discuss in today’s podcast.
Reason 1: Missing Newspaper Endorsements
Reza Mehman: Many major US newspapers were not on the Democrats’ side this time. These included USA Today and the LA Times. Also the Washington Post, which really surprised me. Jeff Bezos has owned the Washington Post for several years now. Typically, the Washington Post always endorses the Democrats. This time, however, Bezos decided that they would not make an endorsement. Of its 2.5 million subscribers, 200,000 then cancelled their subscriptions. That was an early sign for me that Donald Trump would probably become president this time.
Reason 2: J.D. Vance versus Tim Walz
Reza Mehman: The Democrats made a good choice with Tim Walz. Nevertheless, in the direct exchange during the debate against his opponent J.D. Vance, I thought he performed worse. For example, he once called Elon Musk a “gay dude”, which is of course a no-go. Vance, on the other hand, gave the better performance in my view. He came across as much more presidential, far more than Donald Trump.
Reason 3: Podcast Appearances
Reza Mehman: Trump is definitely ahead here. Among other appearances, he went on Joe Rogan, which is of course the biggest podcast in the world. By comparison, Harris appeared on smaller podcasts. I think it was very important that Donald Trump appeared on Joe Rogan.
Reason 7: Trolling-Style Marketing
Reza Mehman: Trump hired a bin lorry, put his name on it in big letters and had himself photographed with it. From a trolling perspective, that was a good marketing stunt. And Trump also worked at McDonald’s for a day. That was basically a direct response to Harris. I have to admit, it was an interesting marketing stunt. I think it went down very well with a lot of people.
Reason 8: The Nomination Process
Reza Mehman: Elections are extremely important in a democracy. And as I saw it, the Democrats’ candidate nomination process did not actually take place. Harris was simply named as the candidate for the presidential election. I think there really should have been an election here. Only then can you be sure that the large majority of your party supports its own candidate. In my view, it was not a good move by the Democrats.
Conclusion
Reza Mehman: Those were my eight signs or reasons why Donald Trump won the election. Please take today’s podcast with a little wink as well. I don’t want to endorse or recommend either side, whether Trump or Harris. I thought both were extremely poor candidates. What mattered to me was sharing what I saw as major signs that Trump would win this time. Thank you for listening. Until next time. Bye, bye.
Keywords
Tags: Trump, election win, 2024, USA, Kamala Harris, Joe Rogan, trolling-style marketing, Reza Mehman
Names and Terms
Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, J.D. Vance, Tim Walz, Joe Rogan, Jeff Bezos, Washington Post, LA Times, McDonald’s, bin lorry, Democrats, Republicans
Quotable Passage
Reza Mehman: “I thought both were extremely poor candidates. I couldn’t tell you who I would have voted for.”
“From a trolling perspective, that was a good marketing stunt.”
“There really should have been an election here. Only then can you be sure that the large majority of your party supports its own candidate.”
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