Trump won. By more than expected.

How did it happen?

Sometimes fear triumphs over hope.

This time there is no excuse. America knew that he was a convicted criminal, serial liar and racist demagogue who four years ago attempted to overthrow the government. It voted for him anyway.

Democrats confront fact that Trump’s dark vision prevailed as result sinks in

Democratic and progressive Americans, at least 67 million of whom voted for Harris, struggled to come to terms with the overnight reality. They were confronted by the fact that Trump’s pitch to the American people, built on his dark and lie-packed vision of a country in terminal decline, “swamped” by murdering “illegal aliens”, and on the point of a communist takeover, had prevailed.

As does much of the rest of the world.

The world, too, will be reeling. It has long known the most powerful nation on earth committed war crimes from Vietnam to Iraq. Many will now take the view that has also committed a crime against decency and democracy itself.