The Republican Party candidate, who lost to President Joe Biden in the 2020 election, secured several battleground states, including Pennsylvania, Georgia, and North Carolina, to surpass the 270 electoral votes needed to defeat his Democratic rival in this year's polls.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Trump had garnered 277 electoral votes, surpassing the 270 threshold and dimming Harris' hopes of becoming the first Black woman and first female U.S. president. Harris is trailing Trump with 224 electoral votes.
With Trump leading Harris in the popular vote by more than five million votes, the Associated Press has called the election in Trump's favour, though the world awaits the final official results.
This historic victory makes Trump the first U.S. president to secure a non-consecutive win in over a century, a feat last achieved by Grover Cleveland 132 years ago.
Early on, Trump declared victory as it became increasingly clear that he would defeat Harris.
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.'
Trump, who has promised to spur economic growth by boosting tariffs and trade and decisively deal with illegal migration, 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.
Meanwhile, dejected supporters of Harris, who had gathered at Howard University for an election watch party, left after Trump took an early lead in the election, which had been described as neck-and-neck.
The mood dampened further after Harris' campaign co-chair Cedric Richmond announced that the candidate would not address them, suggesting that she would speak about the election later on Wednesday.
"We still have votes to count. We still have states that have not been called yet. We will continue overnight to fight to make sure that every vote is counted, that every voice has been heard. So you won't hear from the Vice President tonight, but you will hear from her tomorrow," Richmond told the supporters.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/trump-makes-comeback-to-u-s-presidency-in-historic-win
