In a dramatic political resurgence, former President Donald Trump has been projected by Decision Desk HQ (DDHQ) as the winner of the U.S. presidential election, marking a return to the White House four years after his departure amid legal and political challenges.
DDHQ called the race for Trump after he claimed victories in key states like Pennsylvania and Alaska, pushing him to the decisive 270 electoral votes.
Trump’s win capped a fierce battle with Vice President Kamala Harris in a race marked by unusual twists: Trump’s campaign endured his ongoing criminal trial, two assassination attempts, and a last-minute reshuffling within the Democratic camp when President Biden withdrew his candidacy.
This victory makes Trump the first president since Grover Cleveland in 1892 to regain the presidency after a prior loss.
Trump’s successful strategy included flipping Georgia and consolidating support in North Carolina, while also gaining ground in the popular vote—a rare feat for Republicans since 1992.
With Ohio Senator JD Vance as his running mate, Trump’s campaign focused on issues such as economic concerns, immigration, and global security, resonating with a wide base of voters who sought a return to his policies.
Exit polls show an increased turnout among Latino voters, a surge of rural support, and near-equal support with Harris among young male voters, a demographic Trump’s campaign prioritized.
Trump’s planned policies signal a robust agenda, pledging stricter immigration laws, further tax cuts, expanded tariffs, and the rollback of certain federal protections and regulations, including his vow to dismantle the Department of Education.
Though Trump traditionally faced challenges with female voters, he managed to minimize the impact of the abortion debate, which Vice President Harris had emphasized as a focal issue in her campaign.
Trump’s victory, with Republicans also taking back control of the Senate, paves the way for a potential conservative shift in the Supreme Court.
Having narrowly won in 2016 and lost in 2020, Trump’s return concludes a turbulent period marked by his steadfast, though contested, claims of electoral fraud.
The federal indictment from 2023 concerning his post-2020 actions remains active, though Trump has indicated a possible dismissal of Special Counsel Jack Smith, which could influence ongoing investigations.
