Donald Trump Elected as President, Defeats Democratic Candidate Kamala Harris
Donald Trump is going back to the White House—this time, with Vice President JD Vance.
The Republican candidate has officially been projected to win the 2024 U.S. presidential election, according to NBC News, beating out his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. He will become the 47th president of the United States. He previously served as the 45th president alongside former Vice President Mike Pence. However, the duo lost to President Joe Biden and Harris during the 2020 election.
“I want to thank the American people for the extraordinary honor of being elected your 47th president and your 45th president,” Trump said at a campaign party Nov. 6, per NBC News. "This was a movement like no one has ever seen before. Frankly, I believe this was the greatest political movement of all time.”
Trump—dad to Donald Trump Jr., 46, Ivanka Trump, 42, and Eric Trump, 40, with his late ex-wife Ivana Trump, as well as Tiffany Trump, 31, with second wife Marla Maples, and son Barron Trump, 18, with the First Lady Melania Trump—was supported by his family as he delivered his speech at Florida's Palm Beach Convention Center.
“Now it is going to reach a new level of importance,” the 78-year-continued. “Because we are going to help our country heal.”
Trump, the third president in American history to ever be impeached by the House of Representatives and the first impeached president to seek re-election, was also joined onstage by VP-elect Vance.
“I appreciate you allowing me to join you on this incredible journey,” Vance told Trump. “I think we just witnessed the greatest political comeback in the history of the United States of America.”
This win for Trump comes after a series of highs and lows for his campaign. Back in July, while on the campaign trail in Butler, Pennsylvania, the former Apprentice host was shot in his ear onstage at his rally after Thomas Matthew Crooks—who was later shot and killed by the Secret Service—opened fire, killing spectator Corey Comperatore and injuring others.
The First Lady also spoke out about the incident.
"When I watched that violent bullet strike my husband, Donald, I realized my life, and Barron’s life, were on the brink of devastating change," she wrote in a letter published on Instagram July 14. "I am grateful to the brave secret service agents and law enforcement officials who risked their own lives to protect my husband."
Days later, Trump announced Ohio senator Vance as his VP pick over the summer, during the Republican National Convention.
"J.D. honorably served our Country in the Marine Corps," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform July 15, "graduated from Ohio State University in two years, Summa Cum Laude, and is a Yale Law School Graduate, where he was Editor of The Yale Law Journal, and President of the Yale Law Veterans Association."
The presidential race got another unexpected shakeup over the summer when Biden ended his campaign and endorsed Harris as the Democratic nominee.
"It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President," the 81-year-old wrote in a statement shared to social media July 21. "And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term."
On Sept. 10, Trump and Harris faced off in a presidential debate, one that included headline-making comments from Trump about immigrants in America.
However, moderator David Muir fact-checked Trump, noting on-air that ABC News reached out to the city manager of Springfield, who denied allegations of people eating pets.
The conversation sparked a social media frenzy, with Flavor Flav even weighing in.
"Pet Shop Boys better stay inside and lock the doors," he wrote X, formerly known as Twitter. "You too Snoop Dogg. And Pitbull."
Following the debate, Taylor Swift endorsed Harris for president in a message to 283 million Instagram followers.
"Recently I was made aware that AI of ‘me’ falsely endorsing Donald Trump’s presidential run was posted to his site," she wrote. "It really conjured up my fears around AI, and the dangers of spreading misinformation. It brought me to the conclusion that I need to be very transparent about my actual plans for this election as a voter. The simplest way to combat misinformation is with the truth."
Swift went on to share why she's supporting the Harris-Walz ticket.
"I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them," the "Blank Space" singer wrote. "I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos. I was so heartened and impressed by her selection of running mate @timwalz, who has been standing up for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a woman’s right to her own body for decades."
"I’ve done my research, and I’ve made my choice," Swift concluded. "Your research is all yours to do, and the choice is yours to make."
The 34-year-old signed off by referring to herself as a "Childless Cat Lady," a reference to Vance's controversial comments.
Following Swift's endorsement of his opponent, Trump told Fox News Sept. 11 that he likes her friend Brittany Mahomes, the wife of NFL star Patrick Mahomes, "much better."
"I think Brittany is great. She's a big MAGA fan," Trump claimed. "She's the one I like much better than Taylor Swift. Wife of the great quarterback. I think she's terrific."
Days later, on Sept. 15, Trump doubled down on his comments, declaring on Truth Social, “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!”
Neither Swift nor the Mahomes family responded to Trump's comments.
And now, his campaign has secured the necessary 270 electoral votes needed to win the 2024 election.
Trump will be inaugurated on January 20, 2025.
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