Former U.S. President Donald Trump has been described as a highly influential political figure with the power to drive significant voter turnout in the 2024 presidential election.
Trump, who served as president from 2017 to 2021, is running against Democrat and current Vice President Kamala Harris in a closely watched race.
John Kincaid, Professor of Political Science at Lafayette College in Pennsylvania, described Trump as a remarkable mobilizer with the unique ability to draw voters from both sides of the political spectrum.
“Trump is a powerful motivator,” Kincaid explained. “He can mobilize people on both sides—those who support him will come out to vote for him, and those who oppose him will still come out to vote against him. This could be one of the biggest elections we’ve seen.”
Kincaid added that many voters may be driven not solely by support for their candidate, but by opposition to the alternative. “Lately, we’ve seen that some U.S. voters are motivated not by a strong connection to a candidate, but rather by the desire to prevent the other from winning,” he said.
He also highlighted the strategic importance of Pennsylvania, one of the nation’s key swing states, where voting trends have often aligned with the overall election outcome.
“In 2016, Trump won Pennsylvania by a margin of 2.6% against the Democrats, while in 2020, Joe Biden won by just 0.5%. Pennsylvania has a track record of voting for the eventual winner, which makes it a critical battleground this year,” Kincaid noted. “Both Republicans and Democrats understand the importance of securing Pennsylvania’s support in this election.”
