Former President Donald Trump was elected the 47th president of the United States, securing over 270 electoral college votes early Wednesday morning, according to election results platform Decision Desk.
Trump, who served as the 45th president from 2017 to 2021, will be the second president in history to serve two non-consecutive terms, after former President Grover Cleveland. Trump will also be the first president that is a convicted felon.
He declared his victory at 1:30 a.m. at a Florida rally addressing his supporters.
As of Thursday morning, Trump beat Kamala Harris, vice president and Democratic Party nominee, in the popular vote by about 4.5 million votes, according to Decision Desk. At the time of publication, Trump had 312 electoral votes compared to Harris’ 226.
Harris delivered a concession speech Wednesday afternoon at her alma mater, Howard University. She said she will accept the results of the election and will engage in a peaceful transfer of power to Trump.
“While I concede this election,” Harris said, “I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign — the fight for freedom, for opportunity, for fairness and the dignity of all people.”
Biden also accepted the results during an address to the nation Thursday. He told his administration to ensure a peaceful transfer of power.
“We accept the choice the country made,” Biden said. “I’ve said many times, you can’t love your country only when you win. You can’t love your neighbor only when you agree.”
Trump secured electoral votes from battleground states Georgia, North Carolina and Pennsylvania, which ultimately won him the presidency. He is also projected to win in Arizona and Nevada, according to Decision Desk.
Trump campaigned on sealing the U.S. and Mexico border to stop a “migrant invasion” and restricting transgender athletes’ participation in college athletics. He promised to carry out a mass deportation operation, end inflation and deport “pro-Hamas radicals,” referencing pro-Palestine protesters on college campuses last spring.
His campaign platform promises to cut federal funding for schools teaching “critical race theory” and “other inappropriate racial, sexual or political content.”
During his last term, Trump appointed three Supreme Court justices, withdrew from the Paris Climate Agreement and temporarily passed a travel ban for immigrants from several Muslim-majority countries. Trump also previously took credit for the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022.
In May, Trump was found guilty of 34 felony charges involving falsified business records. During his 2024 campaign, he experienced two assassination attempts. A bullet struck his ear during the first attempt at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.
Sen. JD Vance will be Trump’s vice president. Vance previously served in the United States Marine Corps and wrote the bestselling book “Hillbilly Elegy.” He was sworn into office as a senator in 2023.
Trump and Vance will be sworn in on Jan. 20, 2025.
