Donald Trump wins White House comeback in 2024 US election

Republican candidate defeats Kamala Harris in swing states to regain presidency

Donald Trump and his wife Melania enjoy an election night event in West Palm Beach, Florida, early on Wednesday. AFP

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Republican Donald Trump sealed victory in the US presidential election early on Wednesday, defeating Vice President Kamala Harris to win back the White House.

Mr Trump, at 78, will become the oldest president in American history when he takes the oath of office during inauguration day on January 20. Returning to power after his 2017 to 2021 term, he follows in the footsteps of Grover Cleveland to become the second US president to serve two non-consecutive terms.

He will also become the first president to have been convicted on criminal charges and still faces charges in two other federal cases.

Mr Trump triumphed in the swing states of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Georgia and North Carolina to secure the 270 votes needed for victory in the electoral college. He led in the remaining battlegrounds of Michigan, Arizona and Nevada where votes were still being counted on Wednesday.

In a victory speech in Florida, Mr Trump hailed a "magnificent victory for the American people" as he vowed his administration would "help our country heal".

Ms Harris has not yet conceded or publicly spoken to supporters after AP called the race.

Mr Trump clinched his win shortly after 5.30am Eastern Time when AP projected that he would take Wisconsin's 10 electoral votes, snuffing out the Harris campaign's last hopes.

He led by almost five million votes in the national tally, proving he also obtained a popular vote in the US.

On a dramatic election night:

• Kamala Harris's 11th-hour campaign to succeed Mr Biden fell short in the swing states, with Democrats trailing in all seven of the key battlegrounds
• Results showed a swing to the right around the country, as Mr Trump made inroads with the Latino community and gained support from Arab-American and Muslim voters
• Republicans took control of the Senate by gaining seats in Ohio and West Virginia, ensuring a conservative grip on cabinet appointments and potential Supreme Court nominations
• Mr Trump declared victory to jubilant supporters in Florida hours before the election was officially called in his favour
• World leaders began congratulating Mr Trump and describing him as US president-elect, with Middle East leaders among those hoping for co-operation

Besides surviving two assassination attempts, in Pennsylvania and Florida, he campaigned throughout a busy legal year, juggling court cases in several states and in Washington.

Republican vice-presidential running mate Ohio Senator JD Vance in a victory speech called Mr Trump's win the "greatest political comeback in American history", after his first presidency ended with his supporters storming the US Capitol to overturn his election loss against Democrat Joe Biden.

As Vice President, Ms Harris will have to certify her defeat when the same joint session of Congress takes place in January to finalise the results.

More than 82 million voters sent in ballots in the days and weeks leading up to election day on November 5.

Her backers hoped for a surge in female support driven by a push for abortion rights but it failed to materialise in exit polls. Instead, Mr Trump's vote share was up 13 points among Hispanic voters, according to an Edison Research survey, turning what was once a potent Democratic voter base into a more even split. A late row over a Trump backer insulting Puerto Ricans at a rally proved another false hope for the Harris campaign.

The shift in Latino support, along with a slight narrowing in the still overwhelmingly Democratic black vote, helped Mr Trump romp to victory in his adopted home state of Florida, win Georgia and North Carolina and take the lead in Nevada and Arizona, leaving Ms Harris reliant on a trio of Midwest states.

Before Mr Trump's victory speech, Jen O'Malley Dillon, the Harris campaign director, said it felt confident "about what we're seeing" in some pivotal swing states, including Pennsylvania.

However, the state was called for Mr Trump shortly after the email was sent, by which time the Harris election night party at Howard University had turned to dejection in Washington.

"You won't hear from the Vice President tonight but you will hear from her tomorrow," Cedric Richmond, a co-chairman of the Harris campaign, told disappointed guests.

Mr Trump's victory in Wisconsin thwarted the last hopes of a comeback in Democratic stronghold counties.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was among the first foreign leaders to hail a Trump victory, saying a second term would be a "powerful recommitment to the great alliance between Israel and America".

Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban, another right-wing ally of Mr Trump, called it a "much-needed victory for the world", while French President Emmanuel Macron said he was "ready to work together".

Among those celebrating in Florida was billionaire Elon Musk, who welcomed the results as a "crystal-clear mandate for change". He has expressed interest in cutting the size of the federal government if he is given a role in the next Trump administration.

Former independent candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr was also at the victory party, after talk of him taking a role in the health department under Mr Trump.

Mr Trump faces federal charges that he allegedly tried to subvert election results in 2020, when he lost to Mr Biden. It is expected that as president he will shut down this investigation.

The election was at times viewed as a "referendum on American democracy", with Mr Trump suggesting the US Constitution should be "terminated" and former staff members saying he is a "fascist" with dictator-like aims. Ms Harris tried to counter Mr Trump with messages of protecting democracy, women's rights and inclusion.

While the Vice President enjoyed a surge in popularity after Mr Biden stepped aside, she struggled in media appearances to connect with voters, to separate herself from Mr Biden and to present her own policies clearly.

Mr Trump, meanwhile, focused on illegal immigration and plans to correct what he has called the failure of the Biden administration on the economy.

Ms Harris faced challenges over her role in the Biden administration and its support for Israel while the civilian death toll grew and the humanitarian crisis worsened in Gaza and Lebanon. Mr Trump has promised to end the war in Gaza.

He tried to attract, sometimes successfully, the support of Muslim and Arab-Americans in the last weeks of his campaign, despite having enacted the so-called Muslim ban in his first presidency. He hinted last year that he would introduce a new Muslim ban of sorts and bar refugees from Gaza.

Mr Trump has also presented himself as strongly pro-Israel and it remains to be seen how the situation in the Middle East would change with him in the White House.

The US Congress will certify the election results in its special joint session on January 6, 2025, with the presidential inauguration for Mr Trump to be held on January 20.

The White House last month said Mr Biden would be present at the inauguration, despite Mr Trump not appearing at his in January 2021.