Why Harris lost to Trump – African school of Governance President

Professor Kingsley Moghalu, the President of the African School of Governance in Rwanda, has shed light on the reasons why Vice President Kamala Harris lost to former President Donald Trump in the recent election. Moghalu, a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, shared his analysis, attributing Harris's defeat to a combination of sexism, economic concerns, and Trump's undeniable influence.

In his statement released on Wednesday, Moghalu pointed out that the American electorate wasn’t yet prepared for a female president, highlighting that sexism played a significant role. He also noted that Harris’s campaign was overshadowed by rising inflation, which shaped negative economic perceptions, despite her message of economic prosperity.

"Sexism remains a barrier – Americans are still not ready for a woman in the Oval Office. Economic perceptions also hurt Harris, especially with inflation being a dominant issue for much of the campaign season," Moghalu explained.

He added that Harris struggled to gain the trust of the white working class, a demographic influenced by both racial and gender biases. He compared her experience to that of Barack Obama, stating that while Obama overcame racial barriers, Harris faced a tougher battle due to the intersection of both sexism and racism.

Moghalu pointed to Trump’s sweeping victory across key battleground states, including the historically Democratic strongholds of Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin, as evidence that many Americans favored a return to "traditional values." 

"Despite Trump's controversial legal issues and polarizing personality, a significant portion of the country still chose him. It reflects a rejection of the ‘woke’ liberal agenda, which is less popular with voters than some media outlets would suggest," he said.

While praising Harris for running a strong and well-organized campaign in just 100 days, Moghalu concluded that she simply couldn’t surmount the deeply ingrained factors – both positive and negative – that ultimately swung the electorate in Trump’s favor.