Former President Donald Trump waves as he walks with Melania Trump at an election night party at the Palm Beach Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida.

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Evan Vucci/AP

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — At one of his final rallies at New York's iconic Madison Square Garden, former President Donald Trump delivered an exaggerated version of his signature stump speech, promising “the strongest economy, the safest borders.” and safest cities.”

He also railed against opponents he sees as “the enemy from within” and described his opponent, Vice President Harris, as a bad person with a “low IQ.”

“We are running against something that is far bigger than Joe (Biden) or Kamala (Harris) and far more powerful than them, which is a huge, evil radical left machine that runs today's Democratic Party,” Trump told the crowd.

In his return to power, Trump defied so many expectations and survived repeated scandals and numerous indictments. He is the first convicted felon to win the White House.

Trump's overall focus on the economy and immigration ultimately resonated with enough Americans – more so than Harris' message, which called for unity and warned that Trump was a “petty tyrant” obsessed with revenge.

Trump sharpened his tough stance on the border, using increasingly dehumanizing descriptions of immigrants, accusing them of poisoning the country's blood and falsely claiming that a Venezuelan street gang was taking over the country.

The election results show that Americans were less concerned about Trump's rhetoric and instead longed for change. Polls just before Election Day showed Harris was unable to assume the leadership role as part of the Biden administration.

Many experts cite runaway inflation in the middle of the Biden administration's term as the key to Harris' downfall. While inflation eased, prices remained higher than when Trump was in office.

Voters like Dale Roberts in Georgia viewed Harris as an extension of President Biden.

“Harris has the same policies as Biden. There is no doubt about it,” said the 67-year-old former state trooper. “No matter how hard she lies or tries to get out of it, she can’t get out of it. She should have changed the policies or attempted to change the policies as vice president.”

As in 2016, Trump appeared to galvanize an army of white, working-class voters this election cycle, particularly men. Exit polls also suggested he weakened support among key Democratic groups, including Latinos and black men.

In the end, Trump's victory may simply come down to an old political cliché: “It's the economy, stupid.”

“Ultimately, President Trump's victory says that people are more willing to vote for their wallets,” said Republican pollster Jon McHenry. “They say, 'I think the criticism of democracy is exaggerated and I'm going to vote for my wallet because I know it's not exaggerated.'”

Trump was helped by increased border crossings early in the Biden administration, which sparked outcry not only from Republican but also Democratic governors and mayors who criticized the Biden administration over its immigration policies along the border.

Some expected that divisions within the Republican Party, including the high-profile exit of key party leaders such as former Rep. Liz Cheney, would prove fatal for Trump.

But Harris also struggled to articulate a clear vision for the country's future that went beyond trying to urge people to vote against Trump.

“Donald Trump has spent a decade dividing the American people and making them fear each other. He is,” Harris said during a high-profile speech at the White House. “But America, I’m here tonight to say: This is not who we are.”

But Biden did her job of promoting unity a disservice when he appeared to call Trump's supporters “trash” in the final days of the race. The White House sought to clear up the confusing remark, arguing that the president was specifically talking about a comedian, Tony Hinchcliffe, who called Puerto Rico a “floating island of trash” during his speech at Trump's New York rally.

But the damage was done. Trump stoked his supporters' outrage by sitting in a Trump-branded garbage truck before his rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin, donning an orange high-visibility vest and answering questions from the press, which he then wore at his rally.

Rather than running away from his scandals, Trump embraced his legal troubles and used them to reinforce one of his core messages: that the system is rigged and particularly biased against conservatives.

He stepped up his threats to take action against political opponents and even suggested he might use the military to attack “the enemy from within.”

He enjoyed giving a high-profile speech that his die-hard fans would wait for hours in the hot sun to hear.

“I like to be nice and careful,” Trump said at a rally in Duluth, Georgia. “And then I decide: Am I better off being careful or actually entertaining people?” And I usually choose the entertaining side. And then I have fun.”