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Economic concerns appear to have significantly influenced the recent U.S. presidential election, with former President Donald Trump defeating Vice President Kamala Harris. Analysts suggest that economic issues were a major factor for voters, and there was a notable shift among Catholic voters towards Trump since 2020.
Projections indicate that Trump secured a second term on November 5, after losing his bid for consecutive terms four years prior. Campaign representatives confirmed that Harris called Trump on November 6 to concede and congratulate him.
A Harris campaign spokesperson stated they discussed "the importance of a peaceful transfer of power and being a president for all Americans." Meanwhile, Trump's spokesperson noted he acknowledged Harris's "strength, professionalism, and tenacity throughout the campaign," emphasizing the need for national unity.
In her concession speech at Howard University in Washington, D.C., Harris said: “A fundamental principle of American democracy is that when we lose an election, we accept the results.” She continued by affirming her commitment to ongoing fights for freedom and opportunity.
John White from The Catholic University of America remarked on the impact of economic issues: “Inflation is a job-killer and it killed Kamala Harris’ job prospects.” He also noted how Trump's victory contradicted expectations based on campaign metrics such as fundraising and polling leads.
Early data suggests Catholics swung back to support Trump more strongly than in 2020. NBC's early exit poll indicated Catholics favored Trump over Harris by 58% to 40%. White highlighted Trump's strong performance with Hispanic Catholics as significant.
Margaret Susan Thompson from Syracuse University cautioned that early exit poll data requires further analysis to understand voter motivations fully. She raised questions about whether Catholic beliefs directly influenced voting behavior or if other factors played a role.
James Patterson from Ave Maria University commented on additional challenges faced by Harris due to her association with Biden’s administration amid low approval ratings. He suggested that Trump's focus on key issues like inflation helped rally support despite previous setbacks.
Catholic lobbying groups reacted variably to the election outcome. Brian Burch of CatholicVote praised Trump's win as exposing challenges within the Democratic Party regarding Catholic voters. Conversely, Denise Murphy McGraw of Catholics Vote Common Good expressed gratitude for Harris's inclusive campaign efforts.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' president called for prayer and unity following the election results. Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio congratulated elected officials while reaffirming the Church's non-alignment with political parties.
Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory emphasized working together towards truth, justice, and peace amid differing reactions to the election results among Americans.
Kate Scanlon reported this news for OSV News from Washington.
