Kamala Harris supporters gathered at Howard University on election night, ready to rally around what they thought would be a historic victory.

But as Cedric Richmond, her campaign co-chair, took the stage with grim news, that anticipation quickly dissolved into frustration. Richmond, without much fanfare, told the crowd that they wouldn’t be hearing from the vice president that night, as votes were still being counted. His assurances that every vote mattered and every voice would be heard fell flat against the disappointed faces of Harris’s supporters, who soon began to filter out of the event.

Kamala Harris Campaign Co-Chair:

“You won’t hear from the Vice President tonight.” pic.twitter.com/m1sIsn7JqS

— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) November 6, 2024

But by that point, the numbers were clear. Michigan had just flipped back to red, and with it, a hefty chunk of what Democrats had banked on as their “blue wall.” For decades, Michigan, along with Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, had been the Democrats’ electoral bread and butter.

In 2016, Trump cracked that wall and took all three states, shocking the liberal establishment. Biden narrowly managed to win them back in 2020, but this year, they slipped out of the Democrats’ grasp once again as Michigan’s voters swung decisively in Trump’s favor.

This is what Kamala Harris’ canceled victory party in Washington, D.C. looks like

She was expected to give a victory speech at a rally to her supporters outside Howard University, but the speech understandably did not happen. pic.twitter.com/Y3rvATEISm

— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) November 6, 2024

The reality is this: Democrats have relied on identity politics and hollow promises about “change” and “progress” for so long, they forgot about the basics. Working-class voters in places like Michigan and Pennsylvania have watched their industries disappear, their towns decline, and their bills go up. They’re sick of speeches about “unity” from leaders who fly over their communities on the way to fundraisers in coastal enclaves.

Trump’s message, whether people like it or not, resonated because he actually addressed their concerns. While Harris’s team was crafting speeches about equity and “believing in America’s promise,” Trump was talking about getting inflation under control and restoring security at the border.

🚨#BREAKING: The Kamala Harris campaign has canceled all her public appearances tonight and will not be addressing supporters at what was supposed to be a celebration. With Crowds of people are now leaving, with some visibly upset and even in tears. pic.twitter.com/kMvS7197vX

— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) November 6, 2024

The Harris campaign’s decision to send supporters home on election night without so much as a word from the candidate herself speaks volumes. When Democrats can’t win, they stall, they litigate, they keep counting, hoping that somehow the numbers will miraculously change. But this time, it’s over. Michigan’s red return is a clear signal that America is rejecting the progressive fantasy that has done little to actually improve people’s lives.