AP Photo/Evan Vucci
Former President Donald Trump won a second term in office, overcoming an intense level of political opposition — as well as doubts over his fitness for office — by driving home a message that he would be the best candidate for American pocketbooks.
Fox News and CNN called the race early Wednesday morning. In defeating Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump will return to the White House after voters ousted him from office in the 2020 election.
Trump had basically been running for president since his 2020 loss. He sought to overturn President Joe Biden's victory and was impeached by the US House of Representatives for "incitement of insurrection" for his role on January 6, 2021. (He was later acquitted by the US Senate.)
In November 2022, Trump launched his presidential campaign on the heels of a disappointing night for the GOP, as the party failed to retake the Senate and only barely won back a House majority. But he used the head start to hammer potential GOP primary opponents and over time reaffirmed his standing as the party's leader.
Trump easily dispatched top figures like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former UN ambassador Nikki Haley in the 2024 GOP primaries, which further strengthened his hand as he eyed a general election rematch against Biden.
But Biden's exit from the race — following a disastrous debate against Trump — paved the way for Harris' candidacy. The vice president quickly consolidated Democratic support and attracted the sort of donor base that was able to compete directly with GOP megadonors.
Still, Trump continued to hold an advantage on the economy throughout the general election race, which for many voters overrode concerns over his behavior while in office.
On Election Day, voters concerned about inflation and border security — two of the biggest vulnerabilities for the Democratic Party this year — picked Trump by a wide margin.
And despite Harris' strong start and her robust campaign apparatus, she was still unable to overcome Trump's enduring level of support from his conservative base.
Addressing his supporters in West Palm Beach, Florida, early Wednesday morning, before the race was called, Trump said his election victory would usher in the "golden age of America" and vowed to "help our country heal."
He added: "America has given us an unprecedented and powerful mandate."
Trump's return to the White House is also poised to have profound effects on the judiciary.
Should either Associate Justices Clarence Thomas or Samuel Alito retire from the bench within the next four years, Trump has the potential to name at least one more conservative jurist to the court. And if he is able to appoint two additional justices, it means that a majority of the court would be comprised of his appointees — a stunning level of influence that could have reverberations for generations.
