Donald Trump triumphs and becomes President of the United States again

Photo: Evan Vucci Associated Press Newly elected Republican President Donald Trump, with his wife Melania Trump, greets supporters gathered during an election night event at the Palm Beach Convention Center, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla.

Sarah R. Champagne

Posted at 5:36 AM Updated at 9:17 AM

• United States

Republican candidate Donald Trump was elected the 47th President of the United States on Wednesday, after an election night marked by his victory in several decisive states. The American media confirmed his return to the White House on Wednesday at around 5:30 a.m., first announced by the Fox News network.

Even before the final results were confirmed, Mr. Trump gave a speech on stage in Florida at around 2:30 a.m., during which he claimed to his supporters a “political victory never before seen [in] the country” and promised to “fix everything” in the United States.

American voters therefore chose Donald Trump, 78, his image as a strong man and his incendiary remarks. They overturned his 91 criminal charges, his 34 criminal convictions, and his role in the January 6, 2021, Capitol assault. His return to power could also guarantee that he will escape these charges, as he has the power to order a stay of execution. He has also repeatedly promised to free the Capitol rioters if elected.

It was the first time that a person with a criminal conviction had taken office in the United States. He also made history by becoming the first president in more than 100 years to win a second non-consecutive term. The last president to be defeated and then win an election was Grover Cleveland in 1893.

The businessman also escaped two assassination attempts during the campaign. “This was the greatest political movement of all time,” he said during his speech. He thanked his wife, his running mate, J.D. Vance, and campaign organizers. He also spent several minutes talking about the Starlink company and paid tribute to Elon Musk, who supported his campaign, including by organizing a lottery for his benefit.

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Mr. Trump also assumed that he was winning the “popular vote.” Although there were still ballots to be counted, as of 6 a.m. he had 51 percent of the popular vote, and Kamala Harris had 47.4 percent. “It's a feeling of love,” he summed up.

Several observers noted that Mr. Trump echoed broadly the same conclusions he had used at his campaign rallies, but in a somewhat less vindictive tone. He spoke of closing the country’s borders, promised a new golden era, and pledged to bring security and prosperity.

On the campaign trail, he promised to expel “illegal” immigrants en masse and said he wanted to target “enemies within,” against whom he would be prepared to deploy the military and use executive powers, which many interpreted as authoritarian rhetoric, and even by some, mentions of “fascism.”

After an election race that appeared very close in the polls, to the point where many observers spoke of a “toss-up” election, Mr. Trump had won four of the seven key states by early morning. First North Carolina, then Georgia and a little later Pennsylvania, with its 19 electoral votes. Then it was Wisconsin's turn.

The margin that is emerging, with several states still counting votes, is not as slim as the polls had predicted. Donald Trump had 276 electoral votes in his pocket at the time of this writing, more than the minimum of 270 required to be elected president. He predicted that he would win “at least 315,” a better performance than current President Joe Biden did in 2020.

Republicans also captured the Senate and appear on track to control the House of Representatives as well, but that last victory has yet to be confirmed.

Did he benefit from a “ballot box bonus” from voters who didn’t dare tell pollsters how they voted ? Or from a wave of doubt about a female candidate ? The analyses were being written quickly Wednesday morning. Several polls indicated that he was winning the hearts and minds of the Latino electorate, as heterogeneous as it is. Exit polls also showed a big jump in his popularity among this group.

Read also

• Live | Follow our coverage of Donald Trump's victory
• Editorial | The most disturbing night

Reactions

The rally for her political opponent, Kamala Harris, gradually dispersed in the second half of the night from Tuesday to Wednesday. One of the campaign organizers told the crowd gathered at Howard University, shortly before 1 a.m., that the Democratic candidate would not deliver a speech until the morning, assuring that there were still “votes to count.”

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau congratulated the president-elect on the X Network. “The friendship between Canada and the United States is the envy of the world. I know that President Trump and I will work together to deliver greater opportunity, prosperity and security to the citizens of both our countries,” he wrote.

Among the first to extend their congratulations, French President Emmanuel Macron said he was “ready to work together as we have done for four years” during the Republican’s first term.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky congratulated Donald Trump on his “impressive victory.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed “the greatest comeback in history.”

Several American allies are preparing for a period of instability in the country's foreign policy, similar to Donald Trump's first term. In particular, he has shaken NATO's certainties, casting doubt on the principle of mutual defense, the organization's cornerstone.