Republican Donald Trump, 78, claimed victory in the 2024 presidential election on Wednesday after Fox News projected he had defeated Democrat Kamala Harris, though other media outlets have yet to do the same.
“America has given us an unprecedented and powerful mandate,” he said in a victory speech from Florida, surrounded by members of his family, campaign team, Republican leaders and vice-president candidate J.D. Vance. He noted that not only had he won the election, but the Republicans had also retaken control of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
“We overcame obstacles that nobody thought possible,” he said. “It’s now clear we’ve achieved the most incredible political thing—look what happened, is this crazy?” he said, referring to the unprecedented nature of his victory, having lost the previous election as an incumbent president.
Vowing to fight for his supporters’ families and the country’s prosperity, he said the time had come to look to the future. “I will not rest until we have delivered the strong, safe, and prosperous America,” he said, adding that it was time for illegal immigrants to go back home and return “legally.”
He also praised Elon Musk, who reportedly backed Trump’s campaign with around $120 million, maintaining he would appoint Musk to lead a government efficiency commission. Describing him as a genius, he said the U.S. must protect its “geniuses” as it “does not have a lot of them.” He also pointed to one-time opponent Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., saying he was a “good man.”
Other news outlets had yet to call the race for Trump, but he appeared on the verge of winning after capturing the battleground states of Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Georgia and holding leads in the other four.
Contrary to Trump’s speech, Harris’ camp said she would not speak to her supporters tonight. In a statement, they said the counting of votes was still pending.
According to exit polls, Trump’s victory was motivated by support from minorities, with the Republican leader winning 45% of Hispanic voters nationwide and also praising Muslim Americans in his speech. A key issue, according to exit polls, was the economy, with some 45% of voters nationwide saying their family’s financial situation was worse off today than four years ago.
Trump, once his victory is confirmed, would become the first president to win non-consecutive terms in more than a century and would be the oldest presidential candidate ever elected.
In a statement on Twitter, former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari congratulated Trump on his victory. “Congratulations to [Donald Trump] on his election and historic comeback. The people of America have given him and his team [J.D. Vance, Elon Musk, RFK Jr., Tulsi Gabbard and the Republican Party] a resounding victory. This is an anti-war victory. An anti war mandate. We hope the new administration will prioritize peace and help end the cycle of perpetual global conflict,” he wrote.