Tilting at windmills: Trump lies about having a “mandate”

Trump and his administration love to falsely claim that they have been given a mandate by the American people.

“.. the will of the American Public that was clearly expressed at the ballot box last November.” (Source)

“America has given us an unprecedented and powerful mandate.” (Source)

“The presidential election of November 5th was a mandate like has not been seen in many decades.” (Source)

I don’t dispute that he won the most votes in the 2024 election, or that he won the Electoral College. What I dispute is that either of those things was a mandate given how few votes Trump actually got.

Let’s look at the population of the United States for a minute. According to the US Census Bureau population clock, the population of the United States on November 5, 2024 (election day) was 340.9 million people. Of those, 260.3 million were voting-age adults, and of those, 236.1 million were US citizens (source).

Also according to the US Census Bureau (same link as above), 173.9 million of the voting-age US citizens were actually registered to vote. That’s 73.7% of eligible US citizens, which is frankly terrible. Of those, 156.3 million voted in the 2024 election, and of those, 77.3 million voted for Donald Trump.

77.3 million of 156.3 million is 49.5%. That’s less than 50% of the voters who voted for Trump. How, exactly, is that a “mandate?”

Let’s repeat that again – How is getting less than 50% of the popular vote an “unprecedented and powerful mandate?” Short answer – it isn’t.

77.3 million is 44.5% of all registered voters. That’s even less impressive of a so-called mandate.

77.3 million is only 32.7% of all voting age US citizens. That’s less than a third of the people who could have turned out. That’s almost a laughable mandate.

For comparison, let’s look at the 2008 election for a moment. Barak Obama won 69.5 million votes. That was 52.9 % of everyone who voted, so Obama exceeded the 50% threshold that Trump didn’t. 69.5 million votes was 47.5% of all registered voters that year, 3% more than Trump got in 2024. And 69.5 million votes was 33.7 of all voting age US Citizens, 1% more than Trump got last November. And the Electoral College? Obama got 365 electors to Trumps 312.

And if we look back at Republican winners, Ronald Reagan won by far larger margins than Trump did in both 1980 and 1984. Hell, George W. Bush won bigger than Trump in 1988. And so did Clinton in 1992 and 1996 both.

Trump’s mandate doesn’t seem so “unprecedented” now, does it?

So why do Trump and his people claim to have some overwhelming mandate multiple times a week? Because by lying so brazenly he creates room and opportunity to tear down institutions, laws, regulations, and people who oppose his fascism.

Don’t fall for his bullshit.