Donald Trump, the Republican candidate and former U.S. President, has emerged victorious in the 2024 presidential election, defeating Kamala Harris, the Democratic contender who sought to become the first female president.
GistReel earlier reported that Decision Desk HQ (DDHQ) had projected former President Donald Trump as the winner of the U.S. presidential election, marking his return to the White House after four years of legal and political challenges.
The controversial Republican’s victory follows one of the most heated campaigns in recent American history, marked by an extraordinary criminal conviction, a foiled assassination attempt, and stark warnings from a former chief of staff who called him a “fascist.”
“It’s a political victory like our country has never seen before,” Trump declared at his victory celebration in Florida.
Vice President Harris, who joined the race in July after President Joe Biden decided to step down, ran a centrist campaign that underscored Trump’s divisive rhetoric and his use of racially and gender-charged language.
However, Trump’s strong stance on immigration and calls for a more isolationist America resonated with a voter base frustrated by the post-Covid economy and longing for a break from the Biden administration’s policies.
Despite expectations for a close race, the results emerged swiftly, confirming Trump’s decisive win in key swing states such as Georgia, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.
This victory makes Trump the first US president in over a century to win a non-consecutive second term.
Remarkably, he also becomes the first elected US president with a felony conviction; he faces sentencing for fraud in New York on November 26.
At 78, Trump is set to make history once more, becoming the oldest-ever president upon taking office, surpassing Biden, who will be stepping down in January at 82.