Donald Trump is close to a major win over Kamala Harris in the 2024 U.S. presidential election, which could be one of the biggest comebacks in American politics.
Early Wednesday, Fox News announced Trump as the winner, becoming the only network to do so. Key states like Pennsylvania, Georgia, and North Carolina had already been declared in Trump’s favour, and he was leading Harris in other important states.
In Florida, Trump’s supporters gathered in excitement, waiting to hear him speak. Meanwhile, at Kamala Harris’s watch party, the atmosphere turned somber as her team announced she would not be speaking that night.
“You won’t hear from the vice president tonight but you will hear from her tomorrow,” said Cedric Richmond, Harris’s campaign co-chair, at Howard University in Washington, D.C.
Adding to the Democrats’ challenges, Trump’s Republican Party regained control of the Senate, flipping two Democratic seats.
A Trump win could impact global politics significantly, as allies in Europe and Asia are concerned about a potential return to his nationalist policies and his praise for leaders like Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
Meanwhile, financial markets responded strongly— the U.S. dollar rose, bitcoin hit a new high, and stocks climbed as traders reacted to Trump’s lead.
At Harris’s watch party at Howard University, a historically Black university, the mood shifted from excitement to worry as the results were announced. “I am scared, I am anxious now. I am leaving, my legs can barely move,” said attendee Charlyn Anderson.
At Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, celebrations grew. Elon Musk, who has supported Trump, posted a photo with him, saying, “Game, set and match,” on X, the social media platform Musk owns along with his Tesla and SpaceX companies.
Millions of Americans cast their votes on Election Day and in early voting, facing a choice between giving Trump a historic return or electing Harris as the first woman president of the United States.
Tensions were high, with several bomb threats reported at polling stations in Georgia and Pennsylvania, underscoring fears of potential unrest.
