The Associated Press is now predicting that former President Donald Trump, 78, has secured 277 Electoral College votes, more than enough necessary to win the White House, earning a second term in his third run for office.
His victory seemed apparent early as results rolled in from swing states, but it was confirmed at 5:30 a.m. Wednesday.
Trump delivered a victory speech in Palm Beach, Fla., early on Wednesday where he said, “This will forever be remembered as the day the American people regained control of their country.”
The victory for the former president comes four years after he left the White House following his defeat to President Joe Biden in the 2020 election. The New York Times noted "Vice President Kamala Harris’s defeat marks the second time in eight years that a woman became the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee only to fall short of a barrier-breaking victory."
Trump surpassed the required 270 votes by winning the states of Pennsylvania and North Carolina and others in the so-called 'blue wall.' Trump ushered in a 'red wave' with Republicans also presumed to take the Senate and could even hold the House, where there are currently 220 Republicans, 212 Democrats and three vacancies.
In the final weeks of the election, Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-OH), appeared in numerous states campaigning and making their case for why Americans should give him a second term.
Heading into Election Day, polls showed Trump had regained ground on Vice President and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris after trailing her in national polls for weeks. Experts had warned that the race would be neck-and-neck, as the candidates remained essentially tied in the seven key battleground states.
Now that he has earned a second term as president, what should Americans expect from a second Trump term?
The former president ran on several hot issues, claiming his agenda would better serve the American people than his opponent. "
When it comes to the economy, the former president has floated several ideas, including the elimination of tax on tips, overtime, and federal income tax as a whole, while also proposing the implementation of widespread tariffs on foreign nations.
Trump has claimed that his tariffs, should they be put in place, would drive down prices and encourage domestic production and manufacturing. Experts have disagreed, with sixteen Nobel Prize-winning economists signing a letter in June expressing their concerns with Trump’s proposals, which they say will “reignite” inflation.
Other promises Trump has made during his campaign for office include a promise to fix the southern border, a refusal to sign a federal abortion ban should it reach his desk, increase domestic oil and energy production, stop crime, cut electric vehicle mandates, and more.
The former president had a non-traditional run for his second term, after he refused to debate any other Republican nominee candidate, survived two assassination attempts, and had his opponent back out 100 days before the election, all while fighting numerous court cases over various legal troubles he is facing. He becomes the oldest nominee in history.
Vice President Harris has yet to offer a concession speech at this time.