Trump vows to ‘heal’ America & usher in ‘Golden Age’ in triumphant victory speech…& says ‘God spared me for a reason’
DONALD Trump has vowed to "heal" America and usher in a "Golden Age" after declaring an election win following sweeping swing state gains.
The victorious Republican called the campaign "the greatest political movement of all time", with his commanding performance humiliating Democrat rival Kamala Harris.
Trump thrashed Harris after one of the most tense build-ups to polling day in history.
With a win in Wisconsin, Trump cleared the 270 electoral votes needed to clinch the presidency in a stunning comeback that many doubted he could do.
Speaking to fans, Trump gushed that it would "truly be the golden age for America".
Frankly, this was, I believe, the greatest political movement of all time
Donald Trump
"Every single day I will be fighting for you, with every single breath in my body," he continued.
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"I will not rest until we have delivered the strong, safe and prosperous America that children deserve.
"And that you deserve. This will truly be the golden age for America."
The victorious president-elect took to the stage to address crowds of fans in Florida after leaving his star-studded watch party at luxury residence Mar-a-Lago.
He said that America had given them an "unprecedented and powerful mandate", and therefore looks to "help our country heal".
'World will need to recalibrate' after Trump's historic election victory
Dr Alan Mendoza, executive director for the think tank Henry Jackson Society, told The Sun that the world will need to adjust after Trump's US election win and that lesson can be learned from the ex-president's former stint in the White House.
He said: “Donald Trump’s comprehensive victory means that US allies and enemies alike are going to have to recalibrate their positions to reflect that, it is now going to be his global agenda that the world moves to.
"It would be a mistake to assume that anything – whether the end of the war in Ukraine or the future of the Middle East – is a foregone conclusion.
"The history of the first Trump administration from 2016-20 shows that those who engage and respect the USA did well, while those who denigrated and challenged it did badly.
"Lessons can be learned from that, about how to position internationally to make sure that countries are in the driving seat of history rather than its passengers.
"Trump’s unpredictability will be as positive a factor in the world stage as it was in his first term.
"It will keep allies on their toes, working hard to maintain an alliance that requires burden sharing rather than passengers, and enemies will need to watch their step rather than assume that America is asleep at the wheel."
Reflecting on the two assassination attempts made against him, the victorious Republican added that he'd been told "God spared my life for a reason".
Trump added: "Frankly, this was, I believe, the greatest political movement of all time.";
"We have a country that needs help very badly", he told the audience, promising to "fix everything".
He declared: "It's clear that... this is a political victory".
And swearing to lower taxes and tackle immigration, Trump said: "We can do things that nobody else can do".
His Vice President pick JD Vance described Trump's win as "the greatest political comeback of all time".
In his speech, Trump also paid tribute to his ally Elon Musk who has been a fixture during the campaign - dubbing him a "super genius".
He said: "We have a new star - a star is born, Elon [Musk]!
"He is an amazing guy, we were sitting together tonight. He spent two weeks in Philadelphia and different parts of Pennsylvania campaigning."
Speaking about watching a rocket launch, Trump said: "That's why I love you, Elon."
It comes as...
- Donald Trump defied the odds again to win a shock election landslide
- Kamala Harris refused to speak to the media as Trump took the lead.
- Harris' team said the Vice President will speak on Wednesday.
- Trump won battleground states Georgia, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania, according to the .
- Trump's team started to celebrate early with a chant when he won North Carolina.
- Republicans took control of the Senate after Ted Cruz was re-elected in Texas.
- Firefighters were forced to help recount 30,000 votes when polls faced election night chaos.
The new president-elect also thanked his "beautiful" wife Melania and affectionately gave her a kiss on the cheek - saying she did "a great job".
The race to the top sat on a knife-edge for weeks, with pollsters struggling to call who would inevitably scoop the win.
Despite being built up of 50 states, the result once again came down to those all-important swing states where voters are fearlessly divided.
With an incredible win in Wisconsin, Trump cleared the 270 electoral votes needed to win the election.
And he is on track to win the popular vote - something he didn't secure in 2016 or 2020.
As the closest of allies, we stand shoulder to shoulder in defence of our shared values of freedom, democracy and enterprise
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer
Once that is confirmed, it will be the first time a Republican candidate has won the popular vote since 2004 in his epic comeback.
Trump, 78, is the first former president to return to power since Grover Cleveland regained the White House in the 1892 election - 132 years ago.
He bagged sweeping gains with a projected win in swing state North Carolina and Georgia before 1am local time.
The win in Pennsylvania was called for the new president moments before he stepped on stage just after 2am ET.
North Carolina and Georgia both offer 16 electoral college votes, with 19 in vital Pennsylvania.
Trump needed 23 electoral college votes from the remaining swing states, while Harris needed 60 to hit the finish line of 270.
Winning Pennsylvania took him to just three votes shy of his target after bagging one in Maine - all but guaranteeing his path to the White House.
What is the Electoral College?
And why swing states are important.
- The Electoral College is the body of 538 electors divided among the states who select the next president of the United States.
- To become president, a candidate must win a majority of 270 electoral votes.
- Every state is assigned one elector for each of its House representatives and two additional electors for the state's senators.
- In 48 states, a presidential candidate will be awarded all the electors in a state if they win the state's popular vote.
- Two states, Nebraska and Maine, are outliers, awarding two electoral votes to the state's popular vote winner, and awarding one electoral vote to the winner of each of the state's congressional districts.
- Sometimes, electors vote against the state's popular vote winner, becoming known as "faithless electors."
- Many states will be virtual shoo-ins for the Democratic candidate (such as New York and California) or the Republican candidate (such as Texas and Missouri), while a minority are genuinely up for grabs by either candidate.
- These states, known as purple or swing states, are the main targets for presidential candidates.
- In 2024, those states are Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
World leaders have rushed to praise Donald Trump as he celebrates his election victory.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke of "history's greatest comeback" in his statement, adding that Trump's victory offered a "powerful recommitment to the great alliance between Israel and America".
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has also congratulated Trump on an "impressive" election victory.
The pair met in September where they discussed Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine.
Zelensky said on X: "I am hopeful that we will put it into action together.
"We look forward to an era of a strong United States of America under President Trump's decisive leadership."
Trump has criticised US support for Ukraine and ridiculed Zelensky as a salesman for persuading Washington to provide weapons and funding to his military in the past.
And he has confidently claimed previously that he could end the war after being elected but before taking office in January.
The Kremlin have acknowledged Trump's victory but says it has no knowledge of any plan by Russian leader Vladimir Putin to congratulate him.
Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the US remained unfriendly towards Russia.
Sir Keir Starmer also congratulated Trump on his sweeping election victory.
In a written statement, the PM declared he looks forward to working with the incoming president and continuing to foster the US-UK "special relationship".
Sir Keir said: "Congratulations President-elect Trump on your historic election victory. I look forward to working with you in the years ahead.
"As the closest of allies, we stand shoulder to shoulder in defence of our shared values of freedom, democracy and enterprise.
Can Donald Trump still be president if he is convicted before the election?
The U.S. Sun spoke to former prosecutor Neama Rahmani on the question of whether Donald Trump can still serve as president if he is in prison.
Here's what she said:
"If Donald Trump is found guilty, even if he's sentenced to prison, which is unlikely in the New York case, he can still be president.
"There's nothing prohibiting a convicted felon from being president of the United States.
"Theoretically, Trump could be in prison and still be president of the United States, earning the Constitution.
"The only requirements are that he be 35 and be born in the United States and not have engaged in an insurrection."
"From growth and security to innovation and tech, I know that the UK-US special relationship will continue to prosper on both sides of the Atlantic for years to come."
Trump's granddaughter also congratulated him on his election victory.
Kai, 17, the daughter of Donald Trump Jr. and the eldest grandchild of the president-elect, took the stage at the Republican National Convention back in July.
She also appeared on stage with her grandfather when he made a speech declaring victory in Florida earlier.
Kai said on X: "No one works harder or cares more about the American people.
"Congratulations Grandpa, I love you!"
Two assassination attempts and trash talk failed to dampen Trump’s parade as he now clinches the keys to the White House.
Trump - who beat Hillary Clinton in 2016 before losing to Biden four years ago - is to be the first president in more than a century to serve non-consecutive terms.
His presidency and ventures since have been marred by controversy, with the businessman caught up in a series of scandals and legal battles.
Trump was twice impeached by Congress, but acquitted, and has been hauled through the courts over the January 6 Capitol riots and allegations of sexual harassment.
Earlier this year, he was convicted of falsifying business records - yet has used his controversies to round up support by claiming he's the victim of a Democrat-lead witch hunt.
How do the US presidential elections work?
BY Ellie Doughty, Foreign News Reporter
The Democratic and Republican parties nominate their candidates with a series of votes - called state primaries and caucuses - in the run up to the election in November, held every four years.
This gives members the opportunity to choose who they want to lead the party into an election - this year, Donald Trump and following Biden's resignation, Kamala Harris.
There are also some independent candidates running for president - arguably the most well-known was Robert F Kennedy Jr who pulled out in August and endorsed Trump.
In US elections the winner is not the candidate who gets the most votes across the country.
Instead Trump and Harris will compete to win smaller contests held in each of the 50 states.
Many of the states often vote the same way - but seven of them - Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia, Wisconsin, Nevada and Arizona - tend to go in either direction.
Each state has a number of electoral college votes - partly based on population sizes - with a total of 538 across the country up for grabs.
The winner is the candidate that gets 270 or more, marking a majority in the electoral college.
All but two of the US' 50 states - Maine and Nebraska - have a winner-takes-all rule.
Meaning whichever candidate gets the highest number of votes wins all of the state's electoral college votes.
In 2016 Hillary Clinton won more votes nationally than Donald Trump - but she still lost the election because of electoral college votes.
The candidate who will win this election is the one who secures 270 or more college ballots.
Usually the winner is declared on the night, but it can take days to finalise the result.
In 2020 Joe Biden wasn't officially announced as the president-elect until November 7.
The new president will be sworn into office in January on the steps of the Capitol building in Washington DC.
The race initially started neck-and-neck, but Trump began pulling ahead as result predictions flooded in from solidly red states - with reports of "silence" at the Democrat's campaign HQ.
Harris has been radio silent since Trump's victory and has not formally conceded.
Pictures from the Harris camp in DC showed downcast voters amid reports of a "silent" atmosphere as early celebrations wound down.
Meanwhile fans deserted the arena grounds in the early hours - as a Trump victory looked more and more likely.
Fox News reported that Harris' press spokesperson has told staff not to talk to the media.
A CNN reporter at the Harris campaign HQ in Washington DC said that they were getting "silence" from the Harris team.
The vice president is set to give a speech on Wednesday after she canceled her Election Night party while her team refused to answer questions as results trickled in showing Trump's major lead.
Harris' route to victory narrowed fast as the Republican vote in rural areas and suburbs delivered for Trump.
Earlier in the night, a source close to the Harris campaign warned her path to victory was very difficult.
"Her path is so narrow and she is not doing what she needs to do in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin," the source told Fox News' Senior White House Correspondent, Jacqui Heinrich.
Republicans have reclaimed control of the US Senate - bagging seats in West Virginia and Ohio.
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The Democratic party has long controlled over three-quarters of the seats in both the House and Senate.
The eyes of the world will now very much be glued to the White House for the next four years as the eager Republican navigates his second term as leader.