Strategists on what the results mean for their parties

GEOFF BENNETT: All right, we're going to take a closer look now at Donald Trump's decisive victory in this deeply divided nation.

Republican strategist Kevin Madden is back with us, as is Democratic strategist Faiz Shakir.

Thanks for coming back.

KEVIN MADDEN, Republican Strategist: Good to be with you.

(CROSSTALK) GEOFF BENNETT: So, Kevin, help us understand the key factors behind Donald Trump's election victory, especially the fact that he was able to expand the GOP from a mostly white working-class party to a party that draws working-class voters from all races.

KEVIN MADDEN: Well, I think, first and foremost, it was the economy.

I think if you look at so many of the concerns that were that were driving sort of swing voter attitudes during this election, it was very focused on the economy.

And worries about inflation, worries about housing prices things like that.

And I think Trump talking about those issues resonated with a lot of those voters.

And I also think that he also was lucky in that he -- or not lucky, but he was fortunate in that there was a nostalgia for the Trump economy of his administration versus some of the challenges that the Biden administration has had with all of these same prices, rising housing costs, rising prices, rising inflation.

And I think the contrast really worked in their favor as well, because for so long the Biden administration said inflation is transitory or inflation is not necessarily a problem.

That's a very tough message to have.

And Kamala Harris having to carry that message all the way through the 100 days of her campaign just created a huge opportunity not only for Trump, but all of those Republicans downballot.

And that's why I think you saw such a decisive victory yesterday.

GEOFF BENNETT: And, Faiz, among Democrats, the recriminations have already started, that Biden dropped out too late, costing Harris precious time to establish herself and define herself, that she didn't distance herself enough from Joe Biden.

Are those legitimate critiques or is there something more fundamental here about the way the Democratic Party is perceived?

FAIZ SHAKIR, Democratic Strategist: Yes, the Democratic Party brands, in terms of speaking to working-class people, is suffering.

And there needs to be a serious repair and reconstruction of that brand.

When you think of how much the working class left the Democratic Party last night, it suggests to you that the contrast on an economic message was not clear to them.

And I get that the deck is a difficult debt, that you're dealt with inflation.

But I do believe that people are looking for hunger in an explanation.

Help me understand.

What we learned through polling is people felt corporate greed was at play.

People felt when labor -- when workers were going on strike, whether they're a Boeing or port workers, that they supported those efforts.

There was opportunities to tap that populism that exists to associate yourself with workers, associate yourself with fights against corporate greed.

Those are paths not taken.

And as a result of, I think a working class that feels uncertain in an environment is often looking for somebody who offers them certainty.

Do you know what you're doing and what's your plan to do it?

And in that environment, Donald Trump comes along and says, I know what I'm doing and I got a plan for you.

We're going to drill.

We're going to do this immigration raid.

We're going to do some tariffs and I'm confident it'll work and it'll work quickly.

It's an appealing message to working-class people searching for answers.

GEOFF BENNETT: In his victory speech last night, Donald Trump said that voters gave him an unprecedented and powerful mandate.

How might he use it, especially with the Republican Senate?

And the House hasn't been called yet, but if he has a Republican House, his supporters are going to expect him to him to deliver.

KEVIN MADDEN: Yes, and I think that's one of the things I -- when you talk to a lot of Republicans today, there's a certain level of euphoria that they have in that many, many quarters, they were counted out.

And the fact that they had such a decisive victory around the country, that's really emboldened them.

So I think not only with President Trump, president-elect Trump, but congressional Republicans they feel like they have just accumulated an enormous amount of political capital.

And with that political capital they're going to focus on the core issues that I think registered with voters, I think, namely, the economy.

They want to unleash a greater level of prosperity and offer a straight contrast with the Trump administration, but I also think they want to want to address some of these other issues, subissues that are important to the American public underneath the economic umbrella.

So they're going to tackle the issue of trade.

They're going to tackle the issue of border security.

So many of those concerns I think are sort of wrapped up in a lot of the anxieties that American people have.

And so with this mandate comes in that comes an opportunity to address very directly those concerns.

GEOFF BENNETT: And, Faiz, there's this aspect of Kamala Harris' loss that is unquantifiable, but still unnerving for her supporters.

And this -- that's this perceived racial and gender bias, because, as some Democrats see it, that while Donald Trump was pushing his unique brand of economic populism, there was also the nativism the sexist and racist rhetoric espoused by him and his campaign, and yet there were 72 million Americans who either voted for that or did not see that as disqualifying.

And that's disheartening for some folks.

How do you see it?

FAIZ SHAKIR: We got to learn from it.

And I hope that this occurs, Geoff, that there should be an autopsy or self-examination of the Democratic Party.

If you're running the DNC or whatever powers that be right now, I would urge that you begin a process that not only convenes the elites of a Democratic Party to assess, what did we do and how do we do it, but that opens the door and says I want critiques and I want opinions.

I want to hear, what do you think of the Democratic brand?

I want to find these voters in New York, Texas wherever -- Philadelphia, wherever they may have been, Detroit, of people of color who for whatever reason went with Donald Trump, away from the Democratic band, was in some sense not only affirming that vote, but felt like they were condemning the Democratic Party.

What do we have to learn from that?

There can and should be an open process to allow for that criticism to take place.

And I hope it's not just criticism within a closed-door circuit, but allowed people to come into this party to criticize and offer thoughts, so we can learn from it.

GEOFF BENNETT: Faiz Shakir, Kevin Madden, thank you both.

KEVIN MADDEN: Great to be with you.

FAIZ SHAKIR: Thank you.