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Trump speaks to supporters in West Palm Beach
Donald Trump speaks to supporters gathered in West Palm Beach, Florida. Trump has claimed victory in the 2024 presidential election, though several swing states remain undecided. Key states like Michigan, Wisconsin, and Arizona continue counting high volumes of mail-in ballots. Early results favor Trump, but Democrats hope remaining counts in urban areas could tip the scales.
PALM BEACH, Fla. - Donald Trump was elected as the 47th U.S. president early Wednesday in a historic comeback, according to Associated Press projections, and wasted no time declaring victory in a speech in which he promised to "fix everything about our country."
Trump earned 277 electoral votes, based on race calls by the Associated Press – sending the former Republican president back to the Oval Office.
Trump, 78, will begin his second term early next year after losing his first reelection bid to President Joe Biden back in 2020. It was an extraordinary return to power for Trump, who refused to accept defeat four years ago and sparked the U.S. Capitol riot, was convicted of felony charges, and survived two assassination attempts.
Early Wednesday, Trump appeared before a cheering crowd at his Mar-a-Lago election watch party in Florida, following FOX News' projection of his win. Trump told the crowd: "Every citizen, I will fight for you, for your family and your future."
"Every single day, I will be fighting for you," Trump said. "And with every breath in my body, I will not rest until we have delivered the strong, safe and prosperous America that our children deserve and that you deserve."
"This will truly be the golden age of America," he continued. "This is a magnificent victory for the American people that will allow us to make America great again."
The electoral vote count
Based on race calls by the Associated Press, Trump earned 277 electoral votes after winning critical swing states like Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Georgia, and North Carolina.
Only 270 votes are needed to win the presidency.
Harris had earned 224 electoral votes by Wednesday morning, with swing state results in Michigan, Nevada, and Arizona still outstanding.
Has Kamala Harris conceded?
Harris had no immediate comment early Wednesday, and there was no word that she had made a call to concede the race yet.
Prior to the Associated Press' call for Trump as the winner, the co-chair of Harris' campaign announced that she would not be appearing at her Howard University watch party, noting that they still had votes to count.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump arrives to speak during an election night event at the Palm Beach Convention Center on November 6, 2024 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
But Trump did not appear to be troubled by the lack of a concession. He spoke for nearly a half hour, calling for unity, thanking supporters by name, and laying out his vision for the next four years.
"I want to thank the American people for the extraordinary honor of being elected your 47th president and your 45th president," Trump said.