Donald Trump has officially won the presidency, securing a second term nearly four years after he left Washington under intense scrutiny and with an uncertain political future. Decision Desk HQ made the call after Trump was declared the projected winner of Pennsylvania and Alaska, giving him the exact 270 electoral votes needed to reclaim the White House. This victory makes Trump the first president since Grover Cleveland in 1892 to serve nonconsecutive terms.
Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in an election marked by unexpected events, including a criminal trial involving Trump, two assassination attempts against him, and President Biden’s late withdrawal from the race. Trump’s campaign leveraged voter frustrations over inflation, border issues, and global tensions to make a case for returning to his policies. He and his running mate, Senator JD Vance, highlighted a platform focused on economic revival and stringent immigration policies, appealing to a broad base of support across demographics.
In addition to flipping key battleground states like Georgia and reinforcing support in rural areas, Trump made significant gains among Latino and young male voters. His campaign’s strategy involved collaborations with outside groups to target battleground states, successfully competing against the more traditional infrastructure of the Harris campaign. At 78, Trump now becomes the oldest elected U.S. president, joining Cleveland as one of only two presidents to serve nonconsecutive terms, though he will be ineligible for reelection in 2028 due to term limits.
