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Donald Trump Wins Elections, To Become 47th US President
Donald Trump has claimed victory in the US presidential election, according to media reports on Wednesday, defeating Kamala Harris in a remarkable political comeback likely to reverberate worldwide.
With a record turnout, Americans demonstrated their engagement despite a deeply divided nation. Trump’s campaign centred on economic revival, immigration reform, and what he called a “return to American strength” on the global stage.
His slogan, “Make America Great Again — Again,” struck a chord with voters, especially in crucial swing states, where it helped secure the electoral votes needed for his win.
Trump’s polarising return follows one of the most contentious campaigns in recent memory, marked by a criminal conviction, an attempted assassination, and even a former chief of staff warning that his leadership bordered on “fascism.”
“It’s a political victory like our country has never seen before,” Trump told a victory party in Florida.
Vice President Harris, who entered the race in July after President Joe Biden stepped down, ran a centrist campaign that highlighted Trump’s inflammatory messaging and use of openly racist and sexist tropes.
However, Trump’s apocalyptic warnings on immigration and advocacy for isolationism resonated with voters worn down by the post-Covid economy and eager for a change from the Biden years.
While the campaign appeared set for a closely fought contest, the results came in surprisingly quickly, delivering a decisive victory that included wins in the swing states of Georgia, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.
Trump is the first president in more than a century to win a non-consecutive second term.
He is also the only person to be elected as a convicted felon — he faces sentencing in a New York court for fraud on November 26.
Now 78, Trump is on course to break another record as the oldest-ever sitting president during his term, surpassing Biden, who will step down in January at 82.
Impact on Foreign Policy
The US dollar surged, and bitcoin hit a record high, while most equity markets advanced, with traders betting on a Trump victory as the results rolled in.
But turmoil may lie ahead.
Trump’s victory comes with promises of radical policy shifts — not just domestically but also abroad, where his unrestrained isolationist and nationalist “America First” stance is likely to have substantial consequences.
He has repeatedly suggested he would end the conflict in Ukraine by pressuring Kyiv to make territorial concessions to Russia, while his threats of mass deportations of illegal immigrants have caused deep concern across Latin America.
Trump also returns to the White House as a climate change sceptic, poised to dismantle Biden’s green policies and potentially jeopardise global efforts to curb human-caused warming.
Even before Trump’s victory was fully confirmed, foreign leaders rushed to offer their congratulations.
These included long-time Trump allies, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also messaged Trump, noting hopes that the “impressive victory” might help his country find a “just peace,” despite an expected reduction in US military aid after Biden’s departure.
NATO’s Secretary General, Mark Rutte, expressed hope that Trump, who has often criticised the US-led alliance, would help make it “stronger.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer joined the stream of well-wishers, while French President Emmanuel Macron pledged to work with Trump “with respect and ambition.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau congratulated Trump in a post on the social platform X and included a picture of the two of them in the White House during the President-elect’s first term.
“The friendship between Canada and the U.S. is the envy of the world. I know President Trump and I will work together to create more opportunity, prosperity, and security for both of our nations,” Trudeau posted.
Showman’s Instinct
Despite dark promises of political retribution against enemies at home and criticisms of long-time allies abroad, Trump remains famously unpredictable when it comes to aligning words with actions.
His campaign rallies, filled with grievance, insults, and misinformation, featured extreme rhetoric.
Yet he gained positive coverage with viral online moments playing to his everyman appeal and showman’s instinct — such as his appearance at a McDonald’s drive-thru and an impromptu news conference from a garbage truck.
He campaigned on tax cuts, deregulation, and the largest increase in import tariffs in nearly a century to encourage growth and boost manufacturing, despite warnings of potential trade wars and higher prices for U.S. consumers.
Trump’s mainstream messaging was often overshadowed by his penchant for foul language and violent imagery. But his combative style resonated with his unwavering base, who view him as a Washington outsider.
He also found traction with his hard-line anti-immigration stance and outreach to working-class voters affected by Covid-triggered inflation.
When Harris joined the race in July to replace Biden, she initially managed to close the considerable gap Trump had opened over the president in the polls.
Her message of unity, focus on abortion rights, and warnings about the threat Trump posed to democracy appeared to resonate, as evidenced by a huge surge in fundraising that outpaced her rival’s war chest.
Ultimately, however, she fell short of achieving a historic win as the first Black woman elected to the White House.
AFP