Donald J. Trump won the race to the White House by grabbing 277 electoral votes

WASHINGTON, Nov 06 (SABAH): Republican presidential candidate and former president Donald John Trump won the race to the White House by grabbing 277 electoral votes in the US election 2024 held on Nov 5 (Tuesday).

According to the US media, Trump has become the 47th president of the United States in a tight competition with Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris who won 226 votes.

It was the second time that Trump defeated a woman rival in presidential election. In 2016, he defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton to reach the White House.

Any candidate winning 270 out of 538 electoral votes will become the US president.

Trump has secured victory in Georgia, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. Trump secured 19 electoral votes in Pennsylvania, 16 in Georgia, 16 in North Carolina and 15 in Michigan. He clinched 11 votes in Arizona.

In a speech delivered to his supporters in Florida, Donald Trump declared his campaign’s victory a triumph over formidable and unprecedented obstacles. “We overcame obstacles that nobody thought possible,” Trump stated, reflecting on the challenges his campaign had faced throughout the race.

The ‘victory’ speech turned to the future as Trump made a bold vow to continue his fight for his supporters’ families and the country’s prosperity. “Every single day, I will be fighting for you with every breath in my body,” Trump promised, positioning himself as a relentless advocate for the American people. “I will not rest until we have delivered the strong, safe, and prosperous America.”

“We’re going to fix everything about our country. We made history for a reason tonight,” he said. “It is now clear that we’ve achieved the most incredible political thing.”

Donald Trump praised his running mate, Senator JD Vance, during his victory speech in West Palm Beach, Florida, following his strong lead in the 2024 U.S. presidential election. The event saw Trump and Vance addressing an enthusiastic crowd, as Trump solidified his position for a second term.

In his address, Vance lauded Trump’s leadership, calling it pivotal in what he described as “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,” Vance said. He continued, emphasizing their shared vision for America’s future, “And after the greatest political comeback in American history, we’re going to lead the greatest economic comeback in American history.”

Trump, who had just announced Vance as his running mate, received raucous applause from the crowd as both men vowed to continue working together for the American people.

While Vance’s role as vice president would grant him limited authority over policy, he is seen as a potential successor to Trump in the 2028 election.

Trump’s remarks capped off a night filled with celebratory moments, as his supporters cheered and waved in the background. His success in key battleground states, particularly in the South and Midwest, has put him in a strong position to claim the presidency once again.

Donald Trump reiterated his resolve to “Make America Great Again” in his address to his supporters at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in Florida.

“America has given us an unprecedented and powerful mandate,” he told a roaring crowd of supporters. “This, I believe, was the greatest political movement of all times. It will help our country fix all things. We overcame obstacles everyone believed we would not be able to,” added a beaming Trump.

“Every single day, I will fight for you. This would be a truly golden age of America. It will allow us to make America great again,” said the 47th president of the United States. “We are going to help our country heal,” Trump said. “It’s a political victory that our country has never seen before.”

Trump mentioned the swing states he won and counted that he had also won the popular vote. He congratulated the swing states on his victory, saying that he expected to win 315 electoral votes.

“We won the election under very difficult circumstances. It was unbelievable. My family and especially my wife supported me during this difficult time.”

Trump promised that he would not start a war but would end wars. “America needs to be better. We will better America, we will heal America’s wounds,” he continued.

“America will reach new heights. We’ll fix all issues; make America safe, strong and prosperous.”

Referring to assassination attempts on him, Trump said “God spared my life for a purpose.”

He thanked his wife Melania, daughter Ivanka, son-in-law Jared, all his family members and his supporters. He also thanked Asian-Americans and people of other nationalities who voted for him. “If I lose an election, if it’s a fair election, I’m gonna be the first one to acknowledge it,” Trump told reporters.

Meanwhile Republicans gained control of the US Senate again on Tuesday night by sweeping up seats in West Virginia and Ohio with the help of an unexpected battleground win from Nebraska.

It is worth noting that it is the first time in four years for the Republican party to win a majority in the Senate.

Incumbent GOP Sen Deb Fischer brushed back a surprisingly strong challenge from independent newcomer Dan Osborn.

As tallies rolled in across a map that favoured Republicans, Democrats watched their efforts to salvage their slim majority slip out of reach.

In Ohio, multiple US media outlets projected that Republican Bernie Moreno would defeat incumbent Democrat Sherrod Brown. Those two victories ensured Republicans will hold at least a 51-49 majority in the Senate, with further gains possible as results in other competitive races come in.

Republicans also posted gains as they sought to retain control of the House, which they currently control by a narrow 220-212 majority.

They picked up three seats from Democrats in North Carolina, where they had redrawn district lines to bake in their advantage, while Democrats won control of a Republican-held seat in Alabama that had been redrawn to comply with a US Supreme Court order to create a Black majority district.

Democrats now need to flip at least six seats to take control of the 435-seat chamber.

As in the presidential election, the outcome will likely be determined by a small slice of voters. Fewer than 40 House races are seen as truly competitive.

Republicans stand a chance to widen their Senate majority further if they win in Montana, where Democrat Jon Tester faces a tough reelection battle, and prevail in several competitive Midwestern states. However, they are unlikely to end up with the 60-vote majority needed to advance most legislation in the chamber.

Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris’s campaign announced she would not address supporters on election night, as US media projections showed Donald Trump on the brink of a second term.

The Republican candidate made a “victory” speech on Tuesday night, saying: “America has given us an unprecedented mandate, we are going to heal our country.”

However, the supporters of Harris hoped for an 11th-hour turnabout as the US VP said they still had votes to come.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he looked forward to renewing collaboration with Donald Trump, who has claimed victory in the US election, to strengthen the “comprehensive global and strategic partnership” between the countries. “Let’s work for the betterment of our people and to promote global peace, stability and prosperity,” Modi said in a post on X.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer congratulated Republican Donald Trump. He said: “Congratulations President-elect Trump on your historic election victory. I look forward to working with you in the years ahead. As the closest of allies, we stand shoulder to shoulder in defence of our shared values of freedom, democracy and enterprise.”

French President Emmanuel Macron congratulated Donald Trump on Wednesday after the Republican claimed victory in the US presidential election.

“Congratulations, President Donald Trump,” wrote Macron on social media platform X.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has congratulated Donald Trump on his “impressive” victory. “I appreciate President Trump’s commitment to the ‘peace through strength’ approach in global affairs. This is exactly the principle that can practically bring just peace in Ukraine closer,” Zelensky said on X, congratulating Donald Trump.

Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani congratulated Donald Trump after the US presidential candidate claimed victory in the race to the White House, AFP reports.

The ruler of the Gulf monarchy, a key mediator for a truce and hostage release deal in Gaza and host of the largest US military base in the Middle East, said he looked forward to “working together again… in promoting security and stability both in the region and globally”.

Italy’s right-wing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Wednesday congratulated Donald Trump after he claimed victory in the US presidential election, and said it would strengthen ties between the two countries.

In a post on X Meloni offered her “most sincere congratulations” to Trump, and said Italy and the United States had an “unshakeable alliance”.

“It is a strategic bond, which I am certain we will now strengthen even further,” she said.

Iranians’ livelihood will not be impacted by the US election, government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said on Wednesday according to Tasnim news agency, after Donald Trump declared victory in the US presidential election