Albert R. Hunt, Columnist

Trump's Win Was Unusual But Not Historic

Three elections in U.S. history realigned politics for a generation. This one probably won't.

December 25, 2016 at 3:00 PM UTC

Albert R. Hunt is a former Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He was the executive editor of Bloomberg News, before which he was a reporter, bureau chief and executive Washington editor at the Wall Street Journal.

Time will tell.
Photographer: DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images

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Donald Trump's aides, understanding their leader, vie to be most ostentatious about calling his victory "historic."

That claim deserves close inspection. Certainly Trump's rise to the White House was unusual and surprising, even if only because it produced the least politically experienced and probably least qualified president in American history. It could also have lasting consequences: the shape of the Supreme Court, the prospects for war or peace, the shredding of regulations and the social safety net.