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Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump attends a town hall meeting moderated by Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders at the Dort Financial Center in Flint, Michigan, on September 17, 2024. (Photo by JEFF KOWALSKY / AFP)
Donald Trump has won the US presidential election, media reported on Wednesday, defeating Kamala Harris in a stunning political comeback that is set to send shockwaves around the world.
The polarising Republican’s victory, following one of the most hostile campaigns in modern US history, was particularly remarkable given an unprecedented criminal conviction, a near-miss assassination attempt, and warnings from a former chief of staff labelling him a “fascist.”
“It’s a political victory like our country has never seen before,” Trump told a victory party in Florida.
Vice President Harris, who entered the race in July after President Joe Biden stepped down, ran a centrist campaign that highlighted Trump’s inflammatory messaging and use of openly racist and sexist tropes.
However, Trump’s apocalyptic warnings on immigration and advocacy for isolationism resonated with voters worn down by the post-Covid economy and eager for a change from the Biden years.
While the campaign appeared set for a closely fought contest, the results came in surprisingly quickly, delivering a decisive victory that included wins in the swing states of Georgia, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.
Trump is the first president in more than a century to win a non-consecutive second term.
He is also the only person to be elected as a convicted felon — he faces sentencing in a New York court for fraud on November 26.
Now 78, Trump is on course to break another record as the oldest-ever sitting president during his term, surpassing Biden, who will step down in January at 82.
Impact on Foreign Policy –
The US dollar surged, and bitcoin hit a record high, while most equity markets advanced, with traders betting on a Trump victory as the results rolled in.
But turmoil may lie ahead.
Trump’s victory comes with promises of radical policy shifts — not just domestically but also abroad, where his unrestrained isolationist and nationalist “America First” stance is likely to have substantial consequences.
He has repeatedly suggested he would end the conflict in Ukraine by pressuring Kyiv to make territorial concessions to Russia, while his threats of mass deportations of illegal immigrants have caused deep concern across Latin America.
Trump also returns to the White House as a climate change sceptic, poised to dismantle Biden’s green policies and potentially jeopardise global efforts to curb human-caused warming.
Even before Trump’s victory was fully confirmed, foreign leaders rushed to offer their congratulations.
These included long-time Trump allies, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also messaged Trump, noting hopes that the “impressive victory” might help his country find a “just peace,” despite an expected reduction in US military aid after Biden’s departure. NATO’s Secretary General, Mark Rutte, expressed hope that Trump, who has often criticised the US-led alliance, would help make it “stronger.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer joined the stream of well-wishers, while French President Emmanuel Macron pledged to work with Trump “with respect and ambition.”
Showman’s Instinct –
Despite dark promises of political retribution against enemies at home and criticisms of long-time allies abroad, Trump remains famously unpredictable when it comes to aligning words with actions.
His campaign rallies, filled with grievance, insults, and misinformation, featured extreme rhetoric.
Yet he gained positive coverage with viral online moments playing to his everyman appeal and showman’s instinct — such as his appearance at a McDonald’s drive-thru and an impromptu news conference from a garbage truck.
He campaigned on tax cuts, deregulation, and the largest increase in import tariffs in nearly a century to encourage growth and boost manufacturing, despite warnings of potential trade wars and higher prices for US consumers.
Trump’s mainstream messaging was often overshadowed by his penchant for foul language and violent imagery. But his combative style resonated with his unwavering base, who view him as a Washington outsider.
He also found traction with his hard-line anti-immigration stance and outreach to working-class voters affected by Covid-triggered inflation.
When Harris joined the race in July to replace Biden, she initially managed to close the considerable gap Trump had opened over the president in the polls.
Her message of unity, focus on abortion rights, and warnings about the threat Trump posed to democracy appeared to resonate, as evidenced by a huge surge in fundraising that outpaced her rival’s war chest.
Ultimately, however, she fell short of achieving a historic win as the first Black woman elected to the White House.
AFP
