Scripps News and Decision Desk HQ have projected that Donald Trump will win the presidential election, marking a return to power for the Republican.
Trump locked up the victory over former Vice President Kamala Harris after Scripps News and Decision Desk HQ projected Pennsylvania going to Trump, giving him 19 more electoral votes, and putting him at the 270 threshold.
Trump has been watching the results come in from the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida. He is expected to speak shortly.
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The victory caps off a remarkable political comeback for Trump, who was impeached in the final days of his presidency in 2021. At the time, Democrats and many Republicans were critical of Trump for his actions prior to the riots at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Trump was indicted this year for his role in the events of Jan. 6. It’s unclear what will happen to the case, which is being prosecuted by the Department of Justice, once Trump returns to the White House.
Trump is also set to be sentenced later this month in a New York hush money case and he still faces charges in Georgia, stemming from the 2020 presidential election.
The criminal cases apparently did little to dissuade voters, many of whom favored Trump on the economy and immigration, centerpieces of his campaign.
The 2024 campaign has been anything but straightforward for Trump. For much of the year, he was favored to beat President Joe Biden in a rematch of the 2020 election. In late June, the pair debated in what would go down as one of the most consequential presidential debates in history. After President Biden struggled to clearly articulate his positions, he faced immediate backlash from his party. It would set the stage for the president to drop out of the race and endorse Harris to lead the Democratic ticket.
In addition to a change in opponent, Trump’s safety on the campaign trail was put into question after an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania in July. Trump was shot in the right ear as he was on stage talking to a large group of supporters.
Several weeks later, investigators say there was another attempt on Trump’s life. A man was spotted pointing a rifle through a fence at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, where the former president was golfing. The man was eventually arrested without getting a shot off. Both assassination attempts were condemned by Republicans and Democrats alike.
The election results still reflect a deeply polarized nation – with many Democrats wondering how a new Trump administration will navigate the challenges ahead. For supporters, however, this marks a moment of renewed hope for economic prosperity and a government led by a man who says he puts America first.