Republican Donald Trump was elected 47th president of the United States on Wednesday in a political comeback that has not been seen in over a century.
Trump, who served one term before being ousted by Democratic President Joe Biden in 2020, joined Grover Cleveland as the only commander-in-chief to win non-consecutive terms. Cleveland initially won keys to the Oval Office in 1884 before regaining power in 1892.
While the count from Tuesday’s election has not been finalized, an early-morning win in Wisconsin cleared the 270 electoral votes needed to once again clinch the presidency for Trump.
Donald Trump won an election that will return him to the White House by securing Wisconsin, the same state that put him over the top when he won in 2016. https://t.co/vNyURdNHtn pic.twitter.com/rSduCZYieL
— The Associated Press (@AP) November 6, 2024
As Wisconsin put Trump over the top, the numbers were in the Republican’s favor for the entirety of election night. Securing historically red states – including Mississippi – early before winning battleground states such as North Carolina, Georgia, and Pennsylvania placed Trump ahead of Vice President Kamala Harris and never afforded the Democratic nominee a glaring path to victory.
Trump, joined on stage by family and friends in West Palm Beach, Fla., told supporters just after 2:30 a.m. ET that it was “time to unite the country” amid heightened political polarization that has emerged in recent years. He vowed to lead the “golden age of America” upon his inauguration.
“This was, I believe, the greatest political movement of all time. There’s never been anything like this in the country, and maybe beyond. And now it’s going to reach a new level of importance because we’re going to let our country heal,” Trump said.
Trump pointed to frustrations over high prices, uncertainty at the southern border, and wars in Ukraine and the Middle East – topics he was able to seize along the campaign trail, as ballot boxes proved on Tuesday.
“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,” Trump said as supporters cheered him on. “And the reason is going to be just that. We overcame obstacles that nobody thought possible.”
“Every citizen, I will fight for you, your family, and your future. 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,” he continued. “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.”
Trump then welcomed Vice President-elect JD Vance to the podium. The Republican senator from Ohio echoed some of Trump’s sentiments, calling the campaign an “incredible journey.”
“I appreciate you allowing me to join you on this incredible journey. I thank you for the trust you placed in me,” Vance said to Trump before turning to the crowd. “And I think that we just witnessed the greatest political comeback in the history of the United States of America. Under President Trump’s leadership, we’re never going to stop fighting for you, for your dreams, for the future of your children. And after the greatest political comeback in American history, we’re going to lead the greatest economic comeback in American history.”
Tuesday’s election capped a tumultuous campaign cycle that included two assassination attempts targeting Trump and a shift to a new Democratic nominee just a month before the party’s convention. Trump is now slated to assume office on January 20.
