“Make me great again” – Vicarious exclusion and coping strategies in the loss of the 2024 U.S. presidential election

Abstract Contemporary electoral environments are increasingly characterized by political polarization, resulting in close election outcomes in many democratic societies and a substantial proportion of voters supporting losing candidates. Previous research of U. S. presidential elections indicates that voters supporting the losing candidate exhibit social pain responses comparable to those experienced in interpersonal exclusion, often referred to as vicarious exclusion. We replicated these findings with a pre‐post measurement design in the 2024 U.S. presidential election context and qualitatively examined potential coping strategies by voters whose preferred candidate lost the election, employing a comprehensive categorization of coping strategies grounded in social exclusion theory and literature. Consistent with our hypotheses, voters of the losing candidates reported significantly more exclusion feelings, negative affect, threats to basic psychological needs (e.g., belonging, control), and more antisocial attitudes towards fellow U.S. citizens, coupled with decreased positive affect and prosocial attitudes after the election. Voters of the winning candidate (Trump) showed the reverse pattern of changes after the election. Voters of the losing candidates employed a diverse range of approach and avoidance coping strategies, with social support seeking, acceptance, and non‐engagement with media being most prevalent. Implications and limitations of the study are discussed, alongside suggestions for future research.