EDITORIAL: Many seeds sowed Trump’s return to the White House

Were the seeds planted during the disastrous Afghanistan pullout in August 2021, after President Joe Biden proclaimed that the Taliban couldn’t overrun Kabul, yet 13 Americans were killed and another 45 injured as the United States fled the nation in humiliation?

Were the seeds planted that same year, after Mr. Biden insisted that no “serious economist” believed there was unchecked inflation on the horizon, only to soon see prices rise year to year by 9 percent, the highest level in four decades, evoking memories of the Carter administration?

Or were the seeds planted when the Harris-Biden administration, almost immediately upon entering the White House, intentionally opened our southern border, leading to chaos and eventually causing even large-city Democratic mayors to tap out, as migrants in the country illegally strained their social services to the breaking point?

Or perhaps it was when the current White House got weak-kneed on the Middle East, scolding Israel for defending its right to exist while appeasing the barbaric terrorists who murder innocent civilians and seek to wipe the Jewish state and its inhabitants off the map?

Or was it that Mr. Biden’s anointed successor, Vice President Kamala Harris, avoided answering significant policy questions during the campaign and couldn’t articulate anything of coherence when challenged on issues important to the American voter.

The answer: all of the above.

Toss in the radical progressive stranglehold on the Democratic Party — a woke agenda that includes legal abortion until birth, biological men competing in women’s sports and puberty blockers for children — and is it any surprise that American voters on Tuesday rejected Ms. Harris and elected Donald Trump as president for a second time?

Republicans also won control of the U.S. Senate and will probably have an edge of up to six seats. The U.S. House remained up in the air.

Americans have spoken. Mr. Trump has many flaws, yet he improved his 2020 performance across the board. Analysts noted that he picked up significant support from Black and Hispanic voters while winning many of the swing states crucial to reaching the requisite electoral votes. Next January, he will become just the second president in American history to serve two non-consecutive terms (Grover Cleveland was the first in the late 19th century).

There will be hand-wringing, of course. But the nation will move forward. Mr. Trump must recall that his first-term successes include maintaining international order, reining in an overactive administrative state, lowering taxes and appointing a multitude of judges who respect the Constitution’s limitations on federal power. He now has the opportunity to govern and further advance a similar agenda.