WASHINGTON − Here’s the positive aspect: everyone from victorious Donald Trump to defeated Kamala Harris is discussing the topic of national unity.

The downside? Don’t get your hopes too high.

It’s encouraging to see that the chaos and denial witnessed after the 2020 election is absent this time. Vice President Harris accepted the results shortly after the last votes were cast. President Joe Biden reached out to Trump to assist with the transition process. This time, there are no attempts to obstruct or delay the Electoral College count.

We won’t see a repeat of the shocking January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.

“We will aid in the healing of our country,” Trump proclaimed to his enthusiastic supporters at campaign headquarters in West Palm Beach, Florida, late Tuesday night. On Wednesday, a calmer Harris addressed her supporters at Howard University, sharing that she had congratulated Trump.

“I also informed him that we will support him and his team during the transition, ensuring a peaceful transfer of power,” she stated. However, she emphasized that accepting these results doesn’t equate to adopting the opposing side’s policies on matters such as the economy or abortion rights.

“While I acknowledge defeat in this election, I refuse to abandon the struggle that energized this campaign — the battle for freedom, opportunity, fairness, and the dignity of all people,” she asserted, her voice rising. “That’s a fight I will never forsake.”

The election results were clearer than many anticipated, but they did not lessen the deep divisions regarding the government’s role and national leaders’ conduct, divisions that have split the political landscape for the last three elections.

And potentially a fourth one in 2028.

The Rarity of Trust in DC

What might change this?

Don’t expect capitulation, even with Democrats still reeling from losing the White House and facing dwindling support among their key constituencies. Biden said on Thursday, repeating for emphasis, “Setbacks are unavoidable, but giving up is unforgivable.”

Instead, it may require compromises from both parties. Congressional Democrats could consider moving toward Trump’s stance on issues like enhancing security at the southern border, a concern that many Americans find troubling.

Trump will also need to engage with Democrats to ease their fears that he might seek dictatorial powers and pursue “retribution” against his adversaries.

His post-election statements focused on unity.

“It’s time to move beyond the divisions of the past four years,” he stated. “It’s time to come together. We will make every effort. We have to make it work. And it will happen.”

However, his opponents remain doubtful about whether he will follow through with actions to back up his words. They highlight that confrontation is ingrained in Trump’s political approach, referencing the hostile partisanship of his first term.

Consider this: Trump has yet to concede that he lost the 2020 election.

During his first two years in office, he relied on Republican control of both houses of Congress to push through his agenda. In 2017, his extensive tax cut plan passed without a single Democratic vote, which analysts suggest may be the approach he takes for extending the tax cuts next year.

When Democrats regained control of Congress in the 2018 midterm elections, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer had immediate tensions with him at their first White House meeting, leading to his two impeachments by the House.

To even achieve a small amount of unity or meaningful collaboration on the country’s most pressing issues, a significant degree of goodwill and trust would need to be established between the parties.

Trust across political parties has become increasingly rare in the capital.

Nonetheless, supporters believe that Trump, as the 47th president, will be more confrontational than he was during his first term as the 45th president. A key reason is that he is now less limited by internal GOP conflicts, having significantly influenced the party’s direction.

Feeling empowered by his recent victory—this time securing both the popular vote and the Electoral College—Trump is more adept at wielding political power. Upset with the establishment officials in his administration who publicly distanced themselves from him following the January 6th incident, he has expressed to his staff his resolve to fill his administration with loyal supporters this time around.

Biden’s parting message

No one understands how difficult it can be to achieve national unity better than the 46th president.

Biden, elected with a commitment to mend the harsh rifts within the government, has found this task to be incredibly challenging. He now shares some of the blame from fellow Democrats for a poor showing on Election Day.

“I realize that for many, this is a moment of victory, to say the least,” he told a group of Cabinet members and staff in the Rose Garden on a pleasant autumn day. “For others, it’s a time of defeat—campaigns or campaigns of competing ideals.”

He mentioned that he had promised a “peaceful and orderly transition” to Trump, the very candidate he criticized during the campaign as a threat to democracy.

“We acknowledge the decision this country has made,” he said, urging citizens “to view each other not as opponents but as fellow Americans.”

With that, he called for efforts to “lower the temperature.”