New York, Nov 6 (UNI) Republican Donald Trump has won the US presidential election and is set to make a historic return to the White House, after winning more than the required 270 electoral votes.
The incoming 47th president of the US told jubilant crowds in Florida: “America has given us an unprecedented and powerful mandate”.
Of the seven crucial swing states, Trump won North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, and is ahead in Michigan, Nevada, and Arizona.
Democrat Kamala Harris is yet to concede defeat or address her supporters even as dejected crowds left her watch party well before the final result came in.
Republicans have also taken the Senate back from Democrats after flipping a string of seats.
Addressing supporters in the nation early on Wednesday morning, Trump vowed he will lead the “golden age of America” after launching the “greatest political movement of all time.”
“This was, I believe, the greatest political movement of all time. There’s never been anything like this in this country, and maybe beyond. And now it’s going to reach a new level of importance because we’re going to help our country heal,” Trump said just before 2:30 a.m. on Wednesday, addressing supporters at his campaign’s watch party in West Palm Beach, Florida.
“We’re going to help our country here. We have a country that needs help, and it needs help very badly. We’re going to fix our borders. We’re going to fix everything about our country and we’ve made history for a reason tonight. And the reason is going to be just that. We overcame obstacles that nobody thought possible,” he added as the crowd chanted “USA, USA, USA!”
Trump took the stage after Fox News projected he would win the key battleground state of Pennsylvania, as well as Wisconsin, Georgia and North Carolina. He notched more than 270 electoral votes around 1:45 a.m., officially defeating Harris.
“Every single day, I will be fighting for you. And with every breath in my body, I will not rest until we have delivered the strong, safe and prosperous America that our children deserve and that you deserve. This will truly be the golden age of America. That’s what we have to have. This is a magnificent victory for the American people that will allow us to make America great again,” he said.
Kamala Harris and her campaign called it an early night on Tuesday. The Harris-Walz campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon encouraged supporters to go home and “get some sleep” ahead of 11 p.m. on Tuesday, which was followed by Harris skipping an address to her supporters.
President Biden notably did not join the Harris watch party at Howard University on Tuesday, instead staying at the White House and congratulating Democrats who came out of their races victorious. Biden kicked off the 2024 campaign cycle running for re-election, but dropped out of the race in July as concerns mounted over his mental acuity and age.
For Trump, a projected win in Wisconsin pushed the Republican over the 270 electoral vote threshold required to win the presidency.
Some of the issues Trump campaigned hard on are those surrounding the economy – where he has promised to “end inflation and make America affordable again” – and immigration, where he says he will complete construction of the US-Mexico border wall which he promised last time around.
