Donald Trump has reclaimed the presidency, marking a historic return to the White House four years after his previous defeat and signaling a new chapter in American leadership that may challenge domestic democratic institutions and international relations.
At 78, Trump secured the presidency on Wednesday, winning more than the 270 Electoral College votes required, according to projections by Edison Research. His decisive victory came after a campaign characterized by intense rhetoric that further polarized the nation.
A win in the battleground state of Wisconsin pushed Trump over the electoral threshold. As of 5:45 a.m. ET (1045 GMT), Trump had garnered 279 electoral votes to Kamala Harris’ 223, with several states yet to finalize their results. Trump also led Harris by approximately 5 million votes in the popular count.
“America has given us an unprecedented and powerful mandate,” Trump declared early Wednesday to an enthusiastic crowd at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in Florida.
After the events of January 6, 2021—when supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol following Trump’s unfounded claims of election fraud—many believed his political career was finished. However, Trump overcame internal Republican challenges and defeated Democratic candidate Kamala Harris by tapping into public concerns over inflation and what he alleged, without substantiation, was a surge in crime linked to illegal immigration.
(Reuters)
