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Republican Donald Trump declared victory in the 2024 presidential election after Fox News projected him as the winner over Democrat Kamala Harris, marking a significant political comeback four years after leaving the White House.
“America has given us an unprecedented and powerful mandate,” Trump told an enthusiastic crowd early Wednesday at the Palm Beach County Convention Center.
While other networks had not yet called the race for Trump, he appeared poised for victory after securing battleground states like Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Georgia, and holding leads in four others, according to Edison Research.
Kamala Harris did not address her supporters gathered at Howard University, where campaign co-chair Cedric Richmond spoke briefly after midnight. “We still have votes to count,” Richmond said, noting that Harris would speak on Wednesday.
Trump demonstrated strength across the country, improving on his 2020 performance in rural, suburban, and urban areas alike. Republicans gained a majority in the U.S. Senate after flipping seats in West Virginia and Ohio, while the battle for the House of Representatives remained closely contested, with Republicans holding a slight edge.
Trump’s potential return to the presidency marked a dramatic shift from January 6, 2021, when his political career was widely thought to be over following the storming of the Capitol by his supporters attempting to overturn the 2020 election.
Exit polls showed Trump gaining more support from Hispanic voters and lower-income households affected by economic challenges since 2020. He garnered 45% of Hispanic support nationally, a 13-point increase from 2020, while Harris led with 53%.
Economic concerns were a key factor for many voters, with 31% citing it as their top issue. Among them, Trump held a 79% to 20% lead. About 45% of voters felt their financial situation had worsened over the past four years, favoring Trump 80% to 17%.
Financial markets reacted to Trump’s strong performance, with U.S. stock futures, the dollar, Treasury yields, and bitcoin all rising as global investors anticipated his potential win.
At Howard University, Harris’ supporters began leaving as it became clear she would not be speaking. Richmond addressed the crowd, reiterating that votes were still being counted and some states remained uncalled.
By 12:30 a.m. ET, with ballots counted in over 1,600 counties – roughly half the country – Trump was up about 2 percentage points compared to 2020. He gained ground in traditionally Democratic strongholds, including suburban, rural, and urban areas, as well as in both affluent and economically challenged regions.
Harris had hoped to secure substantial margins among urban and suburban voters, but her support trailed that of President Joe Biden in 2020.
The deepening polarization in the U.S. was reflected in exit polls, with nearly 75% of voters expressing concern for American democracy. Trump used charged rhetoric, claiming without evidence that the election was rife with fraud, focusing on cities like Philadelphia and Detroit. Philadelphia city commissioner Seth Bluestein denied these claims, saying, “There is absolutely no truth to this allegation.”
Throughout the day, voters cast ballots with minimal disruption, despite a few false bomb threats traced to Russian email domains. Trump, who voted in Palm Beach, Florida, stated, “If I lose an election, if it’s a fair election, I’m gonna be the first one to acknowledge it.”
Tesla CEO Elon Musk, a vocal Trump supporter, watched the results at Mar-a-Lago alongside Trump.
This election was marked by extraordinary events, including two assassination attempts on Trump, Biden’s unexpected withdrawal, and Harris’ rapid ascent. No matter the outcome, history was set to be made: Harris could become the first woman, Black woman, and South Asian American president, while Trump could become the first president in over a century to win non-consecutive terms.
Dj Vnyash
