After an intensely divisive campaign, Donald Trump has secured victory in the U.S. presidential election. His win reflects the appeal of his populist message among voters frustrated by economic hardship and political gridlock. Many Americans, disillusioned with traditional party lines, responded to his calls for change and a renewed focus on national interests.

By Ella Darwin // EEW Magazine Online

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump was elected the 47th president of the United States on Wednesday, an extraordinary comeback for the former president who survived two assassination attempts.

With a win in Wisconsin, Trump cleared the 270 electoral votes needed to clinch the presidency.

“I want to thank the American people for the extraordinary honor of being elected your 47th president and your 45th president,” Trump told throngs of cheering supporters in Florida.

In state after state, Trump outperformed what he did in the 2020 election while Harris failed to do as well as Joe Biden did in winning the presidency four years ago. Upon taking office again, Trump will work with a Senate that will now be in Republican hands, while control of the House hadn’t been determined.

We’ve been through so much together, and today you showed up in record numbers to deliver a victory,” Trump said. “This was something special and we’re going to pay you back,” he said.

The U.S. stock market, Elon Musk’s Tesla, banks and bitcoin all stormed higher Wednesday, as investors looked favorably on a smooth election and Trump returning to the White House. In his second term, Trump has vowed to pursue an agenda centered on dramatically reshaping the federal government.

The results cap a historically tumultuous and competitive election season that included two assassination attempts targeting Trump and a shift to a new Democratic nominee just a month before the party’s convention. Trump will inherit a range of challenges when he assumes office on Jan. 20, including heightened political polarization and global crises that are testing America’s influence abroad.

His win against Harris, the first woman of color to lead a major party ticket, marks the second time he has defeated a female rival in a general election. Harris, the current vice president, rose to the top of the ticket after Biden exited the race amid alarm about his advanced age. Despite an initial surge of energy around her campaign, she struggled to convince disillusioned voters that she represented a break from an unpopular administration and evaded questions—something that deeply concerned American voters.

Furthermore, Harris's descriptions of Trump as a fascist dictator and a threat to democracy failed to resonate with many American voters who, facing economic hardship and weary of divisive politics, were looking for solutions over rhetoric.

Trump is the first former president to return to power since Grover Cleveland regained the White House in the 1892 election. At 78, he is the oldest person elected to the office. His vice president, 40-year-old Ohio Sen. JD Vance, will become the highest-ranking member of the millennial generation in the U.S. government.