Trump takes back White House with decisive election victory
WASHINGTON – Donald Trump has been elected U.S. president after scoring a decisive victory over his Democratic opponent Kamala Harris, with a swath of voters apparently caring little about the prospect of a more volatile world and showing they are willing to take a chance on changed American priorities.
Trump’s triumph sets up the Republican for a return to the White House in January following a four-year hiatus, foiling Harris’ bid to become the first female, first Black and first Asian American U.S. president. Trump will now start preparing to deliver on his promises such as mass deportations of immigrants and much higher tariffs on China.
For U.S. allies and partners from Europe to Asia, the 78-year-old’s comeback could prove a headache as he has long questioned the worth of multilateralism and collective action to deal with wars, climate change and other global challenges.
Republican presidential nominee former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during an election night event in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Nov. 6, 2024. (Getty/Kyodo)
Trump has already held phone conversations with world leaders, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The 2024 election was expected to be the country’s tightest in decades, but Trump’s performance was ultimately much stronger than predicted in the final rounds of polling, which showed the two rivals neck-and-neck nationally and in all seven swing states.
Trump declared victory early Wednesday, telling his supporters in Florida, “We’re going to fix everything about our country.”
“This will truly be the golden age of America. That’s what we have done,” said Trump, who according to U.S. media secured over 290 electoral votes to some 220 for Harris of the 538 total allotted to the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
“This is a magnificent victory for the American people that will allow us to make America great again,” he said.
Trump will be the first president in 132 years to be sworn in for a nonconsecutive second term in the White House.
Along with the presidential race, Republicans reclaimed control of the 100-seat Senate for the first time in four years, while they are winning races to retain a majority in the 435-seat House of Representatives, according to U.S. media reports.
Democratic presidential nominee U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris delivers a concession speech in Washington on Nov. 6, 2024, after the presidential election. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
In a concession speech at her alma mater Howard University in Washington, Harris said, “The light of America’s promise will always burn bright, as long as we never give up and as long as we keep fighting.”
Harris pledged a peaceful transfer of power, but underscored the endeavor for freedom and other fundamental American values will continue in line with the Constitution by “treating one another with kindness and respect.”
The vice president said in her concluding remarks that “only when it is dark enough can you see the stars.”
“I know many people feel like we are entering a dark time, but for the benefit of us all, I hope that is not the case,” she said, “America, if it is, let us fill the sky with the light of a brilliant, billion stars. The light of optimism, of faith, of truth and service.”
During the race, in which the economy was a top concern among voters, Harris and Trump offered conflicting visions for both the United States and the rest of the world.
In an increasingly polarized nation, they differed on almost every issue, including abortion, immigration, transgender rights, taxes and energy.
But what particularly stood out was Trump’s disregard for the rule of law, exemplified by his repudiation of the 2020 presidential election results.
For many people outside the United States, Trump’s return has sounded an alarm that the president-elect’s new administration could adopt an even more extreme isolationist position than in his first term based on his “America First” doctrine, without paying heed to current international systems.
Trump is skeptical of NATO and seems reluctant to protect Taiwan from China, while repeatedly saying he is capable of ending the war in Ukraine swiftly by bringing Kyiv and Moscow to the negotiating table.
He has said he believes Russia would not have invaded Ukraine had he been president and suggested that providing billions of dollars in assistance to the war-torn country is a waste of American money.
Trump will be sworn in as the 47th U.S. president on Jan. 20, succeeding Joe Biden. Although Biden is currently the oldest president in U.S. history, Trump will be the oldest at the time of inauguration upon taking the oath for his second term.
The 81-year-old Democratic president ended his reelection bid in July amid concerns about his age, exacerbated by a poor debate performance against Trump.
Supporters of Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump raise a flag on a street in Palm Beach, Florida, on Nov. 6, 2024, celebrating his victory in the presidential election. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
Since entering the race for the White House this summer, Harris repeatedly used the phrase “we are not going back,” attempting to cast herself as fighting for the future, as opposed to Trump who remained committed to his well-worn “Make America Great Again” slogan.
She had upheld Biden’s line of attack that Trump, the first former president to face criminal charges, would be a threat to democracy.
Although she reenergized the Democratic Party in the three-month campaign, she could not triumph over Trump, who, according to opinion surveys, was trusted more in dealing with inflation and immigration.
Trump easily racked up wins in more than 20 Republican strongholds such as Florida, South Carolina and Texas, while clinching most swing states such as North Carolina and Georgia.
He took back three states in the declining industrial area known as the Rust Belt — Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania — where he was beaten by Biden in the previous election.
Final vote counts continued Wednesday evening in two of the seven battleground states, Arizona and Nevada.
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