Donald Trump: He is declared winner of the American elections ahead of Kamala Harris

Updated 4 hours ago

Donald Trump has declared himself the winner of the US elections after the clear advantage he has over Kamala Harris in the presidential race.

Although his victory has not been made official, the Republican candidate scored important victories in key states like Pennsylvania, Georgia and North Carolina in elections that determine who will replace Joe Biden as president.

Trump is set to return to the White House after his defeat in 2020. His Democratic rival, who is seeking to become the first female president, now faces a difficult path to victory as Trump is just four votes away of the 270 needed to win.

Since 1948, no Democrat has won the White House without winning Pennsylvania.

“This is a magnificent victory for the American people that will allow us to make America great again,” Trump said, declaring himself the winner during a speech in Florida in front of his supporters and surrounded by his family and of his running mate, JD Vance.

“We are going to help heal our country,” the 78-year-old Republican said.

“The United States has given us a powerful and unprecedented mandate,” he added.

Harris’ campaign announced that the candidate would not speak tonight.

Georgia was the first state Trump won after losing to Biden in 2020, followed by Pennsylvania, which all but gives him the presidency.

He is only the second president to serve two non-consecutive terms after Grover Cleveland in the 19th century.

Trump has overcome all the controversies and his legal problems and is returning to a White House he left in January 2021 shortly after his supporters’ assault on the Capitol on the day Biden’s victory was certified and a defeat that he never accepted.

He returns today with radical rhetoric against immigration and promises economic improvement after years marked by high inflation. Among his proposals are a mass expulsion of undocumented migrants, ending what he calls the “occupation” of the country and ending wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.

Harris was unable to emulate the triumph of Biden, who, after a poor performance in the first debate against Trump and pressure due to doubts about his abilities due to his advanced age, gave way to his vice president , Harris, who, like Hillary Clinton in 2016, failed. in her bid to become the first female president.

Polls predicted a technical tie and that it would take time to know the outcome, but victory ultimately came quicker than expected, winning North Carolina and bypassing Georgia, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, states in which he had lost to Biden in 2020. .

With these victories and by confirming the victory in traditional strongholds, such as Texas and Florida for example, he reached the 270 votes necessary in the absence of knowing the results of the other states which will no longer define anything whatever happens.

His victory is even greater than that of 2016 since, unlike 2016 against Clinton, Trump could also win the popular vote.

“He is a 78-year-old man who faces four criminal cases (he was convicted in one and awaits sentencing in three weeks), a handful of civil cases, insults towards various demographic groups and countless scandals over the last eight years,” he explains. Gary O’Donoghue, BBC US correspondent.

“Returning to the White House for a second term is an extraordinary political achievement,” he added.

Trump will also have in his favor that the Republicans regain control of the Senate, which was in the hands of the Democrats, which will allow him to advance his political agenda.

Due to the way the US electoral system works, it was already assumed who would win in most of the 50 states, so the battle focused on 7 states, of which Pennsylvania, Georgia and North Carolina were defined in favor of Trump.

The Pennsylvania was the most important victory because it gave the winner 19 of the 270 electoral votes needed to win. It is the key state that gives the most votes and that is why it is the one to which the candidates have devoted the most money and time.

Exit polls released so far show that the state of democracy and abortion have been the top concerns for Harris voters, while the economy and migration have been drivers for Trump supporters .

In addition, not only is there the presidential election, but part of Congress has also been renewed, which could be essential for whoever occupies the presidency to carry out their agenda in the years to come.

And Republicans regained two Senate seats, according to projections, giving them a majority in the upper house. The result of the House of Representatives, the lower house, where the Republicans now have a slight advantage, should take some time to be known.

The electoral battle will be defined above all in the key states. Here we explain where the focus is and why.

Now let’s get to know each of the White House rivals better. These are the moments that define Kamala Harris’ career and what they say about her strengths and weaknesses.