Donald Trump, 78, will complete his improbable comeback at noon, becoming the first former president to lose re-election and return to power four years later since Grover Cleveland in 1893.

That he’s getting a second term — and a second chance — attests to his singular blend of political instinct and perseverance, coupled with the nation’s deep polarization. His loyal base never gave up on him, even when fellow Republican politicians had seen quite enough.

Capitalizing on voters’ frustration with high prices, Trump persuaded them that he — the billionaire celebrity with the private jet and palatial homes — was the one candidate who wouldn’t forget them when he regained power.

He swept all seven swing states and, on top of that, won the popular vote. Driving his candidacy were the same character traits that many Democrats found so objectionable: his willingness to flout convention, shatter norms and shake up a federal bureaucracy that seemed unmoored from Americans’ day-to-day concerns.