The 78-year-old is inching closer to victory after winning Pennsylvania, a key battleground state, putting him just three electoral votes shy of the 270 threshold needed to defeat his rival, Democratic Party candidate Kamala Harris, who is trailing with 224 electoral votes.
Addressing his supporters at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, Trump described his ballot triumph as a "magnificent victory for the American people" that would usher in a "golden age" for the country.
"This will truly be the golden age of America. It will make America great again. There was no other path to victory," he told his supporters.
Trump promised Americans he would make them 'very happy' and 'very proud' of their vote.
'We have a country that needs help, and it needs help very badly,' Trump said. 'We're going to fix our borders. We're going to fix everything about our country.'
In his speech, Trump praised tech billionaire Elon Musk as a "super genius" while thanking those who contributed to his campaign on Election Night.
'A star is born: Elon,' Trump said, directing his message to the SpaceX and X owner.
'Only Elon can do this,' he said about a recent SpaceX launch. 'That's why I love you, Elon,' he added.
Trump was also ecstatic that Republicans had regained control of the Senate in this year's election.
"The number of victories in the Senate is incredible. You'll have great senators, and it looks like we will be keeping control of the House of Representatives too," he added.
The 2024 presidential election was initially expected to be a rematch between Trump and Biden, but Biden dropped out of the race in July and endorsed Harris after a disastrous debate that heightened concerns about his age.
Trump's victory is significant, as it would make him only the second president to serve non-consecutive terms after Grover Clevelandâ€"a feat last achieved 132 years ago.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/trump-declares-victory-hails-elon-musk-as-super-genius
