Erika D. Smith, Columnist

Democrats’ Problem With Big Cities, in Three Charts

Too many of America’s urban spaces lack affordable housing and streets that feel clean and safe. And voters are watching.

December 31, 2024 at 12:30 PM UTC

By Erika D. Smith

Erika D. Smith is a politics and policy columnist for Bloomberg Opinion. She is a former Los Angeles Times columnist and Sacramento Bee editorial board member.

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Photographer: John Moore/Getty Images

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There’s one moment from the presidential campaign that’s still stuck in my mind: when Donald Trump told the Detroit Economic Club what would happen if he were to lose to Vice President Kamala Harris.

“You want to know the truth? It’ll be like Detroit,” he said in October. “Our whole country will end up being like Detroit if she’s your president. You’re going to have a mess on your hands.”