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In a landmark win, Donald Trump has clinched the US presidency, achieving an extraordinary return to the White House. The former president, a Republican, defeated Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in a contest that was widely anticipated to be tight. However, Trump emerged with a decisive lead, winning several key swing states and securing a strong popular vote margin.
At 78, Trump now holds the record as the oldest man elected to the US presidency and becomes the first former president in over 130 years to return to office. Following the victory, Harris called Trump on Wednesday afternoon to congratulate him, highlighting the "importance of a peaceful transfer of power and being a president for all Americans," according to her campaign. President Joe Biden also phoned Trump to pledge a smooth transition, inviting him for a meeting, according to a statement from the White House.
Trump celebrated the win with his family and vice-presidential pick, JD Vance, addressing supporters in West Palm Beach, Florida. “This is a magnificent victory for the American people that will allow us to make America great again,” he said, pledging to bring his “energy, spirit and fight” to the role. Elon Musk, who had been a strong financial backer of Trump’s campaign, was present as results were announced, sharing positive messages on X, his social media platform, throughout the evening.
Trump's victories in critical states like Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Georgia, and North Carolina led CBS to project that he could even sweep all seven essential battlegrounds. Projections indicate he will likely claim the national popular vote this time, a feat he fell short of in 2016. Trump also maintains a solid lead in Nevada, while Arizona remains closely contested.
Kamala Harris, who had planned to address supporters at her alma mater, Howard University, canceled her appearance as it became clear that the election was slipping from her reach. CBS exit polls indicate that Harris may have struggled to mobilize women voters, with only 54% of female voters supporting her compared to Joe Biden’s 57% in 2020. Black and Latino voters also seemed less inclined to back Harris than they did Biden, per data from the Associated Press. Trump, meanwhile, reclaimed the Democrats' former "Blue Wall" states—Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania.
Republicans also gained control of the Senate, flipping seats in West Virginia, Montana, and Ohio, and staving off a Democratic challenger in Texas. Control of Congress remains divided, with Republicans holding a slight majority in the House, giving Trump potential legislative backing for policies including stricter immigration measures and significant tax cuts. Trump has also expressed intentions to overhaul the federal government, promising to replace thousands of civil servants with political appointees. In his Florida rally, he described his win as “an unprecedented and powerful mandate.”
Trump’s political comeback marks a dramatic shift from 2021, when he left office with low approval ratings in the aftermath of the Capitol riot, where his supporters attempted to halt the certification of Biden’s victory. The event led to Trump’s second impeachment, though he narrowly escaped conviction. Subsequently, he faced a series of legal challenges, including a criminal conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records.
Despite these challenges, Trump returned to the political scene in November 2022, quickly outpacing rivals in the Republican primaries and securing his party’s nomination. His campaign for the presidency was notably combative, characterized by personal attacks on both Biden and Harris. Trump reiterated his unproven claims of a stolen 2020 election, pledging to be his supporters’ “justice” and “retribution” if re-elected. He also painted a dire portrait of the US, focusing on illegal immigration and economic issues with impassioned rhetoric.
Trump survived two assassination attempts during the campaign, including a narrowly missed sniper shot in Pennsylvania in July. Looking ahead, his transition team is set to meet in West Palm Beach, with discussions about potential cabinet members underway. Trump hinted that Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a former Democrat and vocal vaccine skeptic, might take a key role in healthcare, saying, “He’s to help make America healthy again.”
Both Republicans and Democrats mobilized legal teams for potential election challenges, but the election day has remained peaceful, despite around 30 hoax bomb threats targeting election sites, mainly in Georgia.
Republican allies were quick to celebrate Trump’s victory. Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley praised the win, calling it a solidification of the GOP as “Donald Trump’s party.” Florida Senator Marco Rubio hailed the result as a win for “hardworking Americans” over “celebrities” who supported Harris, and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, a likely cabinet pick, stated that Trump would ensure a “safe, secure and prosperous future” for Americans.
On the other hand, notable Republican critics of Trump have responded cautiously. Liz Cheney urged Americans to respect the election outcome and safeguard democratic institutions, while Adam Kinzinger shared a message of resilience, saying, “This isn’t forever, and after America gets a taste of what it voted for, there will likely be a massive backlash.”
By fLEXI tEAM