The Guardian’s Aditya Chakrabortty argues that recent US election results have exposed the limits of Donald Trump’s alliance between wealthy tech figures and working-class voters. The column says Democrats made gains by foregrounding the cost of living and inequality rather than allowing economic discontent to be redirected into cultural conflict.
The article links voter frustration to the cost of basic goods, fuel and rent, as well as wages that have not kept pace. It points to New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s affordability-focused campaign as an example of how concerns about prices can be connected to a wider argument about unequal pay and wealth.
Chakrabortty also argues that the gains from investment in artificial intelligence are concentrated among a small group of companies and investors. The column cites an analysis by Apollo that found the S&P 500’s seven largest technology companies were thriving while the other 493 had flat revenues and profits. It also notes growing opposition to datacentres, which can consume substantial energy and water and affect nearby communities.
Texas was presented as a notable example. The article says the state shifted from Republican to Democratic control in the results described, despite Elon Musk contributing a quarter of a billion dollars to Republicans there. It credits James Talarico’s anti-datacentre campaign with helping him win, and quotes him framing the divide as one between those at the top and the rest of the country.
The column also highlights Troy Jackson’s campaign in Maine, which called for abolishing ICE, and Abdul El-Sayed’s Michigan campaign, which backed Medicare for all. Chakrabortty says the results point towards a Democratic politics more focused on opposing corruption, war and billionaire influence, and predicts that a leading candidate for the party’s 2028 presidential nomination may sound more like Bernie Sanders.
Sources: The Guardian Business.