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DONALD Trump has been elected as the 47th president of the United States after a stunning victory over Kamala Harris.

described his campaign as "the greatest political movement of all time" as he declared victory during a triumphant speech to supporters.

Donald Trump addresses supporters after winning the 2024 presidential election
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Donald Trump addresses supporters after winning the 2024 presidential electionCredit: AP
He was joined on stage by his wife, Melania, and youngest son, Barron Trump
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He was joined on stage by his wife, Melania, and youngest son, Barron TrumpCredit: AFP
Trump supporters celebrate Tuesday night's results
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Trump supporters celebrate Tuesday night's resultsCredit: REUTERS
The mood among Trump supporters was jubilant
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The mood among Trump supporters was jubilantCredit: Getty
The atmosphere among Harris supporters was far more somber
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The atmosphere among Harris supporters was far more somberCredit: EPA
Vice President Kamala Harris has lost the presidential election
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Vice President Kamala Harris has lost the presidential electionCredit: AFP or licensors

Speaking at the Palm Beach Convention Center, Trump vowed to help America "heal" and said there was a lot of "love" in the room.

Trump's crushing victory comes after weeks of polls suggesting it would be a neck-and-neck race.

The former president took what appears to be an unassailable lead over the presidential nominee and Vice President early on Wednesday morning.

Fox News declared Trump the winner after the network called Wisconsin for the former president, pushing him over the 270 Electoral College votes required to clinch .

READ MORE ON DONALD TRUMP

Other networks and the Associated Press have Trump with 267 Electoral College votes, but he would need to win just one of the remaining five states to tip him into victory.

He currently has the lead in each of the five states remaining as of 3.30 am ET.

Alaska is also among the remaining states, which has voted for the Republican candidate in every election since 1968, meaning its three electoral college votes are all but certain.

Addressing hundreds of supporters on Wednesday morning, Trump vowed to return America to its "golden age" after four years out of the Oval Office.

Joking about the criticism that his vice-presidential pick, JD Vance, had received, Trump gestured to his running mate and said, "he turned out to be a good pick."

He added, "I took a little heat at the beginning, but I knew the brain was a good one."

Kamala Harris now 'refusing to answer questions from media' as she loses 1st swing state & her staff are issued warning

Vance now becomes the youngest vice president-elect since the 1860s.

Trump was flanked by his wife, Melania, his daughter Ivanka, and his youngest son Barron.

He also praised Elon Musk as a "new star" and said he had spent the election night with him, adding that he "loved" him.

He was joined by Elon Musk on stage, sporting a black MAGA hat, and UFC boss Dana White.

The 45th and future 47th president said that Tuesday would forever be remembered as the day "Americans took back control of their country."


It comes as...

  • Donald Trump took to the stage in Florida to celebrate his election as the 47th President of the United States.
  • JD Vance said the victory is the "greatest political comeback in American history."
  • Kamala Harris refused to speak to the media as Trump took the lead.
  • Harris' team said the Vice President will speak on Wednesday.
  • Trump won battleground states Georgia, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania, according to the .
  • Trump's team started to celebrate early with a chant when he won North Carolina.
  • Republicans took control of the Senate after Ted Cruz was re-elected in Texas.
  • Firefighters were forced to help recount 30,000 votes when polls faced election night chaos.

Trump jumped to an early lead on election night after clinching North Carolina, the first swing state to be called.

The moment those 16 delegates went to Trump, his election night watch party erupted in chants of "fight, fight, fight."

With victory all but guaranteed in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Nevada, Ohio, Georgia, and Arizona, Harris' path to victory was on the brink of elimination.

Just before 1 am, a full-blown dance party erupted at Trump HQ when Georgia was also called for the GOP candidate.

Before 2 am, Fox News became the first major network to call the election for Trump, with The Hill calling it shortly afterwards.

Eric Trump shared a behind-the-scenes picture of his father on Tuesday night
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Eric Trump shared a behind-the-scenes picture of his father on Tuesday night
He was also joined on stage by UFC boss Dana White
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He was also joined on stage by UFC boss Dana WhiteCredit: SKY NEWS

The jubilant scenes at Trump's election party in Florida starkly contrasted with the Harris camp's watch party, which appeared to go silent before midnight.

At Howard University, where Harris HQ was established, the CNN election night broadcast was turned off just before midnight.

High-energy music was reportedly blasted through the speakers in place of the gloomy-looking election projections.

But disappointed supporters were seen trickling out before several swing states were called one way or another.

A guest on CNN said it felt "more like 2016 than 2020," with the New York Times reporting the mood was "seriously downcast."

Cedric Richmond, co-chair of the Harris-Walz campaign, gave a brief statement at the watch party just before 1 am ET, admitting the Vice President wouldn't speak but would address a crowd on Wednesday.

It's not yet clear when a concession speech will come from Harris, but she did not address supporters on Tuesday night.

World leaders have congratulated Trump on his reelection, with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer describing it as a "historic election victory."

PIVOTAL SWING STATES

Trump spent a good chunk of the later stages of his campaign in swing states like Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Wisconsin, and Michigan.

Most notably, he was holding a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13 when he was the target of an attempted assassination.

The Republican candidate survived a graze wound to the ear, but a supporter was killed, and others were left critically injured due to the gunfire.

Still, Trump continued campaigning in and around the state, even returning to Butler in October.

God spared my life for a reason.

Donald Trump

Addressing the attempt on his life, Trump said, "Many people have told me that God spared my life for a reason, and that reason was to save our country and to restore America."

Trump had a team rallying on his behalf in the final weeks of the campaign, focusing on those pivotal swing states.

Tulsi Gabbard and Sage Steele were among those rousing supporters in the final days before ballots were cast.

Trump himself appeared at rallies in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia, and Michigan in the days leading up to the election - a move that clearly left an impact on voters.

Donald and Melania shared a kiss on stage after his victory
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Donald and Melania shared a kiss on stage after his victoryCredit: Reuters
Crowds emptied out of the Harris election party in Washington DC after it was announced Harris wouldn't speak
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Crowds emptied out of the Harris election party in Washington DC after it was announced Harris wouldn't speakCredit: EPA

'PRESIDENT FOR ALL AMERICA'

Since departing for his Mar-a-Lago beach club and resort in Palm Beach, , in 2020, Trump has been the biggest critic of the administration.

With the MAGA movement yearning for a second Trump term, the former president ran on the same policy focus that launched him into the presidency in 2016, placing immigration, inflation, and the wars in Gaza and at the forefront.

"The discord and division in our society must be healed," Trump said during his acceptance speech at the National Convention in July.

"As Americans, we are bound together by a single fate and a shared destiny.

"Together, we will launch a new era of safety, prosperity, and freedom for citizens of every race, religion, color, and creed.

"I am running to be president for all of America, not half of America, because there is no victory in winning for half of America."

In the weeks leading up to the November 5 election, Trump pivoted his media strategy and began operating outside political norms.

Trump shifted his campaign efforts by appearing on podcasts that cater to young men, generating millions of views and listeners.

The president-elect appeared on Joe Rogan's enormously popular podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, Comedian Andrew Schulz's Flagrant show, Logan Paul's Impaulsive, and wrestling legend The Undertaker's Six Feet Under podcast.

The strategy paid off, with Rogan even endorsing Trump late Monday evening just hours before polls opened.

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However, his iron fist over the Republican Party and climb back to the presidency after his 2020 election defeat came at a terrifying and life-threatening cost.

What is the Electoral College?

And why swing states are important.

  • The Electoral College is the body of 538 electors divided among the states who select the next president of the United States.
  • To become president, a candidate must win a majority of 270 electoral votes.
  • Every state is assigned one elector for each of its House representatives and two additional electors for the state's senators.
  • In 48 states, a presidential candidate will be awarded all the electors in a state if they win the state's popular vote.
  • Two states, Nebraska and Maine, are outliers, awarding two electoral votes to the state's popular vote winner, and awarding one electoral vote to the winner of each of the state's congressional districts.
  • Sometimes, electors vote against the state's popular vote winner, becoming known as "faithless electors."
  • Many states will be virtual shoo-ins for the Democratic candidate (such as New York and California) or the Republican candidate (such as Texas and Missouri), while a minority are genuinely up for grabs by either candidate.
  • These states, known as purple or swing states, are the main targets for presidential candidates.
  • In 2024, those states are Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

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