In the end, most voters wanted to go back.

Vice President Kamala Harris and Democrats have dropped a message of turning the page on former President Donald Trump and his brand of politics, promoting former aides who have questioned his commitment to democracy and crafting their own plans to combat things like rising prices and high housing costs. .

On Wednesday morning, however, they were counting on a stunning sweep by Trump, who as president-elect appeared poised for a coup and left Democrats wondering how it all went so wrong.

“Complete, unmitigated disaster,” Democratic strategist Chris Kofinis said when asked about the results. “This was a total repudiation of the Democratic message, the Democratic strategy, the Harris candidacy. There is no way to cover up what an abject disaster this was.”

Click here for analysis on the pitfalls of the Harris campaign and what may come during Trump’s second term.