Donald Trump secured a sweeping victory in the 2024 election, defeating Vice President Kamala Harris in a polarizing race. Despite facing multiple criminal charges, Trump’s campaign resonated with voters demanding change, positioning him for a return to the White House on January 20.
Trump, 78, clinched Tuesday's election after a polarizing and dizzying campaign marked by two attempts on his life and Kamala Harris' late entry into the race following President Joe Biden's surprise withdrawal.In a concession speech at her alma mater Howard University on Wednesday afternoon, Harris sought to console the voters who had hoped she would become the first woman to win the White House.
"To everyone who is watching, do not despair," she said. "This is not a time to throw up our hands. This is a time to roll up our sleeves."
Harris said she had called Trump to congratulate him and promised to aid his transition. But she was not prepared to embrace his vision for the country.
"While I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign," she said, as some supporters in the crowd shed tears. "The fight for freedom, for opportunity, for fairness and the dignity of all people."
At least 200 people gathered outside the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago to protest his election. One banner at the front read "Trump out!" as demonstrators also called for and end to Israel's Gaza incursion, pictures on social media showed.
Biden planned to address the nation at 11 a.m. EST (1600 GMT) on Thursday. The White House said Biden was committed to a smooth transition between now and Trump's inauguration on Jan. 20.
Trump's campaign said Biden called Trump to congratulate him and invite him to a meeting at the White House at an unspecified time.
Trump's resounding victory underscored how disenchanted Americans had become with the economy, border security and the direction of the country and its culture. Voters demanded a change, even if the agent of change was a convicted felon twice impeached and no longer the Washington outsider he was in his 2016 campaign.
Trump has said he wants the authority to fire civil servants he views as disloyal and has vowed to use federal law enforcement agencies to investigate or prosecute perceived enemies, including political rivals.
Trump promised roles in his administration to Tesla CEO Elon Musk, the world's richest man and a prominent Trump donor, and former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Musk contributed at least $119 million to a pro-Trump spending group, giving him extraordinary influence to help his companies secure favorable government treatment.
The outcome defied polls that showed a razor-close race ahead of Tuesday's Election Day. Trump prevailed in at least five of the seven battleground states to push him over the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the presidency and was leading in the remaining two, Arizona and Nevada, where votes were still being tallied.
Trump was also on track to become the first Republican presidential candidate to win the popular vote since George W. Bush two decades ago.
His fellow Republicans wrested control of the U.S. Senate from Democrats and had added to their narrow majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, though the outcome there may not be known for several days with dozens of races still uncalled.
"It was a hell of a good day," said Mitch McConnell, the longtime Senate Republican leader.
Unified Republican control on Capitol Hill would clear the way for major portions of Trump's legislative agenda, as it did in the first two years of his 2017-2021 presidency when Republicans whipped a major tax-cut bill through Congress that mainly benefited the wealthy.
"America has given us an unprecedented and powerful mandate," Trump said early on Wednesday to a roaring crowd at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in Florida.
Major stock markets around the world rallied following Trump's victory, while the dollar and bitcoin surged.
OVERCOMING ODDS
Trump was elected despite persistently low approval ratings, four criminal indictments and a civil judgment against him for sexual abuse and defamation. In May, Trump became the first former U.S. president to be convicted of a crime when a New York jury found him guilty on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to cover up hush money paid to a porn star.
Trump's political career appeared over after his false claims of election fraud led a mob of supporters to storm the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in a failed bid to overturn his 2020 defeat. His efforts to reverse his defeat led to two separate indictments, though all the criminal cases against him are expected to end after his victory.
Trump swept away challengers inside his party and then beat Harris by capitalizing on voter concerns about high prices and what Trump claimed falsely was a rise in crime due to illegal immigration.
Trump's win will have major implications for U.S. trade and climate change policies, Americans' taxes and immigration, and U.S. foreign policy, including in the Middle East and Ukraine.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated Trump, and they discussed "the Iranian threat" and the need to work together for Israel's security, Netanyahu's office said.
Hamas, the Palestinian militant group, called for an end to the "blind support" for Israel from the United States.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy welcomed Trump's commitment to "peace through strength," while the Kremlin said it would wait and see if his victory could help end the war in Ukraine more quickly. Trump had said he could end the war in 24 hours but has not offered a detailed plan.
Trump's tariff proposals could spark a fiercer trade war with China and U.S. allies, while his pledges to reduce corporate taxes and implement a spate of new cuts could balloon U.S. debt, economists say.
Chinese President Xi Jinping sent Trump a congratulatory message and said he hopes the two powers will coexist peacefully and achieve win-win cooperation, China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol spoke with Trump and congratulated him, as officials at the trade ministry in Seoul swiftly convened meetings to weigh the potential impact of Trump's proposed tariffs.
A second Trump presidency could drive a bigger wedge between Democrats and Republicans on issues such as immigration, race, gender and reproductive rights.
Trump has promised to launch a mass deportation campaign targeting immigrants in the country illegally.
Hispanics, traditionally Democratic voters, and lower-income households hit hardest by inflation helped fuel the victory.
Trump's support among women, whose backing Democrats had counted on, improved from four years ago. And his loyal base of rural, white and non-college educated voters again showed up in force, according to Edison Research exit polls.
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Abolishing mail-in ballots and voting machines is key to restoring election integrity ahead of 2026, according to U.S. President Donald Trump.
The U.S. Justice Department has opened a grand jury investigation into claims that former officials fabricated links between President Donald Trump and Russia.
Ukraine has welcomed the European Union’s decision to provide €90 billion in support over the next two years, calling it a vital lifeline even as the bloc failed to reach agreement on using frozen Russian assets to finance the aid.
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has warned that attempts to reach a peace agreement in Ukraine are being undermined by Russia’s continued refusal to engage meaningfully in negotiations.
Petroleum products are being transported by rail from Azerbaijan to Armenia for the first time in decades. The move is hailed as a tangible breakthrough in efforts to normalise relations between the long-time rivals.
A rare pair of bright-green Nike “Grinch” sneakers worn and signed by the late NBA legend Kobe Bryant have gone on public display in Beverly Hills, ahead of an auction that could set a new record for sports memorabilia.
U.S. President Donald Trump delivered a wide-ranging address from the White House in which he sought to highlight what he described as his administration’s achievements while laying the groundwork for his plans for the year ahead and beyond, on Wednesday (18 December).
U.S. intelligence sources indicate that Russian President Vladimir Putin still intends to take control of all of Ukraine and reclaim parts of Europe that once belonged to the Soviet Union. These assessments contradict Putin’s repeated claims that he poses no threat to Europe.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has issued a stark warning over the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.
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The Conservative Party says it would cut funding for green energy projects and redirect the money into defence, arguing the UK needs to be ready for war.
The European Union is facing mounting political pressure over its ability to keep Russian sovereign assets frozen, as internal divisions, leadership changes and war fatigue reshape decision-making across the bloc.
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