C T Online Desk: WASHINGTON, Nov 6, 2024 (AFP) – Donald Trump won a sweeping victory in the US presidential election on Wednesday, defeating Kamala Harris in a stunning political comeback that sent shock waves across the world.
The polarizing Republican’s win, following one of the most hostile campaigns in modern US history, was all the more remarkable given an unprecedented criminal conviction, a near-miss assassination attempt, and warnings from a former chief of staff that he is a “fascist.”
“It’s a political victory that our country has never seen before,” Trump told a victory party in Florida.
As supporters chanted “USA!”, the 78-year-old added that his “magnificent” win would “allow us to make America great again.”
World leaders swiftly pledged to work with Trump, led by Israel and Ukraine where the course of raging conflicts could depend on the new president and his isolationist “America First” foreign policy.
Vice President Harris, who only entered the race in July after President Joe Biden dropped out, ran a centrist campaign that highlighted Trump’s inflammatory messaging and use of openly racist and sexist tropes.
But his apocalyptic warnings about immigration and championing of isolationism found their mark with voters battered by the post-Covid economy and eager for a change from the Biden years.
The campaign pointed to a nail-bitingly close contest, but the results came surprisingly fast, delivering a crushing victory that included wins in the swing states of Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
Gloom descended on her campaign and Harris cut short a planned watch party and canceled a speech. She is now due to speak later Wednesday.
