The Republican candidate has won at least 277 Electoral College votes, per The Associated Press.
Donald Trump has been elected to return to the White House as the 47th United States president.
The vote was called for the Republican candidate by The Associated Press news agency early on Wednesday. His victory has been met by international congratulations but is likely to add further uncertainty to a turbulent geopolitical situation.
Results showed Trump beating Vice President Kamala Harris in a race far less tight than expected as he triumphed in key battleground states.
Victory in Wisconsin after earlier triumphs in Georgia, North Carolina and Pennsylvania saw the former president clear the threshold of the 270 Electoral College votes required to clinch the White House in Tuesday’s election.
Trump’s victory in those swing states currently sees him with 277 electoral votes against 224 for Harris. Polls had predicted a much tighter race, but it appears that anger fuelled the Republican’s remarkable comeback from defeat in 2020 and widespread condemnation of his refusal to accept the result.
That refusal sparked a violent insurrection at the US Capitol, and Trump was also convicted of felony charges and survived two assassination attempts.
However, his campaign, which has seen him demonise his political opponents, immigrants and many minorities, tapped into the frustrations of many voters in a bitterly polarised nation.
Speaking to his supporters as he declared victory, Trump claimed he had won “an unprecedented and powerful mandate”.
Anger and resentment
Scott Lucas, a professor of international politics at the University of Dublin, told Al Jazeera that Trump’s victory stemmed from frustrations that have been bubbling within the US public for years.
“There is anger and resentment in the US, which has been there for quite some time. It’s been a trauma since 9/11. It’s been there with the financial crash in 2008-2009. It was there in 2016 when Trump exploited it, and he exploited it again,” Lucas said, adding that Trump was able to do that because the “political system is damaged”.
Concern over the economy, and inflation in particular, under President Joe Biden was a major focus of the campaign.
That also encouraged opposition to the support Washington is giving to Ukraine in its war against Russia. Meanwhile, the failure to rein in Israel’s wars on Gaza and Lebanon has angered Muslim and liberal voters.
Those complex geopolitical issues will test Trump, who is known for his simplistic claims of being capable of quickly solving such issues.
He has promised to end the war in Ukraine in a day, an idea that has Kyiv wary that it could face pressure to strike a deal to hand over territory to Russia. NATO allies, meanwhile, fear Trump will weaken the alliance’s mutual defence guarantees.
Trump is also a strong supporter of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and has boasted he will end the war with Hamas in Gaza in hours.
“Your historic return to the White House offers a new beginning for America and a powerful recommitment to the great alliance between Israel and America. This is a huge victory!” Netanyahu said in a statement after Trump declared victory.
The enthusiasm in Israel also stems from the incoming president’s hawkish approach to Iran, which he is likely to reassert.
China is also braced for a more confrontational relationship with the US under Trump, who is expected to revive staunchly nationalistic trade policies, putting both allies and rivals on edge.
‘Much more dangerous era’
However, at home, supporters will look to Trump to put the focus on the welfare of US citizens while following through on promises to enact an agenda that would transform nearly every aspect of American government.
That will include plans to launch the largest deportation effort in the nation’s history and use the Department of Justice to punish his enemies.
The result is that “we are going into a much more dangerous era for Americans and for the world because this will not be a coherent US policy for America but one pursued for Trump,” Lucas said.
“I Can’t Move It,” the Real Reason Morgan Freeman Wore Only One Glove at the Oscars
When Morgan Freeman escorted Margot Robbie on stage at the 2023 Oscars, his left arm caught the attention of many. In fact, the 85-year-old actor wore an elbow-length satin black glove, which raised many concerns. And the reason behind it goes back to a heartbreaking event that transformed Freeman’s life 15 years ago.
PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP/East News
Back in 2008, the Shawshank Redemption star was injured in a serious car accident that left him with a paralyzed left hand.
After the crash, Freeman had to undergo a 4-hour surgery in order to deal with his broken left shoulder, arm, and elbow.
Evan Agostini/Invision/AP/East News
A couple of years after the unfortunate event, the acclaimed actor opened up about his struggle, saying ’’I suffered nerve damage, and it hasn’t gotten better, I can’t move it.’’
He added, ’’If you don’t move your hand, it will swell up. Do you know you move your hand about a million times a day?’’
EAST NEWS
And even though doctors had reassured him that his hand would get better by 2011, this unfortunately didn’t happen to be the case.
Freeman ended up with permanent nerve damage and is still unable to wiggle his fingers.
PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP/East News
And it seems that even 15 years later, the Oscar-winning actor is still dealing with the consequences of his accident, as we saw him wearing a glove during the ceremony.
According to experts, the compression glove works by lightly squeezing the veins in one’s hand to support blood circulation and can even help to manage tingling, pain, and swelling.
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