The voters I spent time with were energised by the president-elect’s messages. By contrast, Harris had no clear vision and no shared rage at the state of the country

Wherever I went during the last days of the US election campaign, Donald Trump supporters told me the same thing. From Wisconsin to Pennsylvania, the level of message discipline would put many a government to shame, except these were ordinary citizens: some wearing Maga caps and cowboy hats, others smart jackets and beanie hats. Their objections were consistent: migrants, of course; inflation; and war. You might be forgiven for concluding they were a new brand of peacenik with an aversion to foreigners.

Of all the factors that catapulted Trump back into the White House, one looms large over others. Just a quarter of Americans are happy with the way things are going in their country. Kamala Harris was seen by many as simply continuity Joe Biden, a president who has long had a negative approval rating. When asked last month what she would have done differently from Biden, Harris answered: “There is not a thing that comes to mind in terms of – and I’ve been a part of most of the decisions that have had impact.”