Donald J. Trump will be the 47th president of the United States.
With 277 electoral votes and more than 71 million popular votes at the time of this reporting, Trump defeated opponent Vice President Kamala Harris in both categories according to The Associated Press.
Green Party candidate Jill Stein and Independent Robert Kennedy both earned zero electoral votes.
Harris was the first woman of color to earn the Democratic party’s nomination for president. She was nominated after President Joe Biden, in a historic move, stepped out of the race following what many saw as a poor performance in the debate against Trump.
“I want to thank the American people for the extraordinary honor of being elected your 47th president and your 45th president,” Trump said in a victory speech aired by Fox News. “And every citizen I will fight for you, for your family and your future. Every single day, I will be fighting for you with every breath in my body. I will not rest until we have delivered the strong, safe and prosperous America our children deserve and that you deserve.”
Trump secured his victory by winning in multiple swing states including Georgia, Pennsylvania and North Carolina. By winning in the battleground state of Wisconsin, Trump earned the 10 electoral votes needed to take him over the 270 votes needed to win the presidency.
Trump will reenter the White House after being impeached twice in his first term, convicted of 34 felonies, accused of inciting the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol and surviving two assassination attempts on the campaign trail.
“I think that we just witnessed the greatest political comeback in the history of the United States of America,” running mate and Vice President-elect JD Vance said. “And under President Trump’s leadership, we’re never gonna stop fighting for you, for your dreams, for the future of your children. And after the greatest political comeback in American history, we’re gonna lead the greatest economic comeback in American history under Donald Trump’s leadership.”
Focusing on issues like the economy and immigration, Trump’s messaging spoke to voters who felt frustrated by inflation and concerned about border security. Trump said his campaign united people of all ages, races and backgrounds around a “common core of common sense.”
“This will forever be remembered as the day the American people regained control of their country,” Trump said.
