Donald Trump has been elected the 47th President of the United States, marking a stunning political comeback that has reverberated across the country and around the world.
The 78-year-old former President, now the oldest person ever to win the office, becomes the first convicted criminal to do so.
Trump’s victory over Vice President Kamala Harris, who had been hoping to make history herself as the first woman, first Black woman, and first South Asian-American president, has sparked intense global concern.
Critics warn of his unpredictable leadership style and his past admiration for authoritarian leaders like Russia’s Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s Kim Jong-un.
The election, which had raised alarms domestically and internationally, saw Trump surpass the necessary 270 electoral votes after Wisconsin was called for him by the Associated Press at 5:37 a.m. ET, giving him a total of 277 electoral votes.
Harris, 60, who had centered her campaign on reproductive rights and a national law guaranteeing safe access to abortion, now faces a loss that is seen as deeply disheartening for her supporters, echoing the emotional devastation that followed Hillary Clinton’s loss in 2016.
Trump’s win represents a remarkable turn of events for a politician many thought had seen the end of his career after his 2020 defeat to Joe Biden and his subsequent involvement in the Capitol riots on January 6, 2021.
Despite the storming of the Capitol and his second impeachment, Trump retained a tight grip on the Republican Party, which rallied behind him as he overcame multiple legal challenges.
His criminal convictions, including a high-profile case involving hush-money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, did little to diminish his support base, which remained fiercely loyal.
The former President’s political resilience was underscored by his ability to galvanize the white working class, evangelical Christians, and even make inroads with African American and Latino voters.
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Trump’s rhetoric, often divisive and inflammatory, resonated with voters dissatisfied with the political establishment.
He secured the Republican nomination for a third time, overcoming stiff competition within his Party and even surviving an assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.
The presidential race, which lasted little more than 100 days, was one of the shortest and most intense in recent memory, shaped by natural disasters and global conflict.
Trump’s campaign received substantial financial backing from tech mogul Elon Musk, who directed millions of dollars to swing states through his political action committee. The contest remained tightly contested until the final stretch, with both candidates tied at 48% in the final New York Times/Siena College national poll.
In his victory speech, Trump’s message continued to echo themes of populist nationalism. His focus on anti-immigrant rhetoric, including promises of mass deportations and harsh attacks on undocumented immigrants, struck a chord with many voters.
He also used the campaign to cast his ongoing legal battles as politically motivated, vowing retribution against his perceived enemies and suggesting more aggressive measures to deal with domestic “enemies from within.”
“This is a magnificent victory for the American people that will allow us to make America great again,” he told cheering supporters at his campaign headquarters in Florida.
“We made history,” he said, speaking against a backdrop of Stars and Stripes flags, adding that “we are going to help our country heal.”
Trump’s return to the White House will make him the first U.S. president to serve non-consecutive terms since Grover Cleveland, who held office from 1885 to 1889 and again from 1893 to 1897.
As Harris prepares to oversee the certification of the election results in Congress this January, she will make way for her successor as vice president, JD Vance.
Vance, a 40-year-old senator from Ohio, is a staunch Trump ally and has firmly supported the former president’s claims about the 2020 election.
