As the 2024 general election created an uproar in our democracy, voters must be informed of their candidates' character and policies—both past and present. The 2024 election’s two major candidates were Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. Although the media has varied portrayals of these candidates, the current political climate clearly shows that the American public has forgotten essential information about them. 

“Political amnesia” is a term describing the phenomenon of individuals or groups forgetting significant political events, historical events, or any information regarding their government. Although political amnesia is not necessarily an issue in itself, it can lead to issues that affect election results. With political amnesia, a voter forgets the past actions and policies of a candidate. This is currently happening in the United States, particularly demonstrated by Donald Trump, who recently secured a second term as president. In an episode of The Daily, a podcast by The New York Times, Michael Barbaro and several of his colleagues discussed the notion of political amnesia. They emphasized that the public does not remember the United States of America during Donald Trump’s presidency, forgetting important aspects from that period such as the governance, policy, and quality of life [1]. 

One noteworthy example of political amnesia is the 2016 presidential race between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. During this election, voters were faced with the choice to elect the country’s first female president or a businessman with no political experience. Throughout this presidential race, many people faulted Hilary Clinton, deeming her unfit to be president due to her spouse, Bill Clinton, and his controversial affairs with other women [2]. Although this scandal occurred within their personal lives, it was a very controversial incident that caused an uproar against Hillary Clinton from the American public.

The resulting negativity associated with Hillary Clinton’s last name inevitably hurt her in the 2016 election. As a result of political amnesia, what many voters failed to remember was her exemplary record from her time serving as the Secretary of State under the Obama administration. For instance, Hilary Clinton was able to finalize sanctions on Iran and their nuclear program, de-escalating tensions within the Middle East [3]. She was also a staunch advocate for women's rights, initiating several women's rights conversations when speaking to the United Nations [4]. Further, Clinton hosted civilized talks with Russia to secure a better relationship between the two countries in the future [5]. Despite her success, Hillary Clinton’s accomplishments during her time as Secretary of State were neglected as a personal scandal came into her life, took over the narrative of her career, and facilitated an environment in which political amnesia was possible. Whether knowingly or unknowingly, the American public “forgot” her various accolades in the face of her scandals. 

Donald Trump’s candidacy likewise demonstrates the idea of political amnesia. Before running for president, Trump was a successful New York businessman who owned and led billion-dollar companies. While his political inexperience made voters wary of how he would lead as a president, it was his rhetoric, which was tailored to a majority of young, male, and conservative voters, that attracted a large following. As evidenced by this large following, however, it is clear that an instance of political amnesia occurred. For example, as noted by ABC News, Donald Trump had multiple cases against him for sexual assault and harassment as a businessman in New York [6]. Then, during his run for the presidency, comments he had made about women surfaced, which were deemed disrespectful and vulgar [7]. Most recently, Donald Trump has been recorded stating, “Do you want to lose your life savings because we put a weak and foolish woman in the White House?” [8]. These comments highlighting his hurtful and insulting behavior towards women seem to have been forgotten by the public during the 2024 election through the process of political amnesia. While conversations surrounding these various controversies dominated the news cycle leading up to the 2016 election, they have been substantially less circulated and minimally discussed in the months before the 2024 election, suggesting that the public may have collectively “forgotten” them.  

Vice President Harris's candidacy likewise demonstrates the phenomenon of political amnesia. Kamala Harris has received pushback from citizens all across the country and has been subjected to higher media scrutiny over her past actions than her opponent. For instance, a New York Times article highlighted how Harris was heavily questioned by the Black community due to the role she played in incarcerating many Black Americans during her time as District Attorney of San Francisco. Another instance of criticism towards Harris was when she softened her stance regarding the death penalty, contradicting her strict opposition to the penalty in the past [9]. These decisions from her former career as District Attorney are continuously highlighted in the media, while the public seems to have forgotten about the countless positive impacts she has made, not only as a District Attorney but also as Vice President. 

While serving as Vice President of the United States, Harris has been an outspoken advocate for voting rights and has made headway in trying to bring back Roe v. Wade after a Trump-influenced Supreme Court overturned it [10]. For instance, Harris stood at a podium in North Carolina in 2023, condemning the decision to interfere with a woman's choice concerning her body that was a result of Roe v. Wade's overturning, and holding Trump accountable for initiating such a rule against women's autonomy. By doing so, Harris brought awareness to the issue of women's rights to the entire nation [11]. This is just one example of the momentous work Harris has done as the Vice President, yet the media has overly emphasized her negative past actions, therefore promoting collective amnesia among the public of her positive achievements. With political discourse constantly overemphasizing Harris’s missteps, Americans may be inclined to forget her positive contributions. 

The scandals that circulated around Trump’s campaign in the 2016 election and were once used to convey his character are no longer considered relevant today. Through the process of political amnesia, society has forgotten Trump’s past actions, which include harmful and hateful rhetoric towards immigrants, harassing and assaulting women, ignoring the climate crisis, and more recently, his felony conviction on multiple charges [12]. Much can be said about Donald Trump’s actions and their effects—the issue today is that not enough people remember them. By distorting the public perception of Harris’s accomplishments while simultaneously promoting the collective neglect of Trump’s controversies, political amnesia may have played a major role in determining the outcome of the 2024 election.

Political amnesia can harm the way a country is run, as its citizens forget the good and the bad candidates have done throughout their careers, and therefore may make ill-informed choices when voting. Because Americans have ignored or forgotten the past, they neglect the various issues and baggage that come with Donald Trump being elected. The fact that voters were not reminded of the atrocities and exhausting experiences they endured during the Trump Administration, and that Donald Trump was re-elected as the president of the United States of America, is likely a collective moment of political amnesia. It is alarming to think that the act of forgetting can alter the future of the United States government and the lives of its citizens.