Former President Donald Trump took the stage and declared victory in the early hours of Wednesday morning, cementing an extraordinary political comeback.
Minutes earlier, news organizations called the 2024 presidential race in his favor.
“Tonight we made history for a reason, and the reason is that we overcame obstacles that no one thought possible,” he said.
“And now it is clear that we have achieved the most incredible political achievement.”
The moment of truth came earlier, when Fox News called Pennsylvania, the biggest of the battleground prizes, followed by Wisconsin and then the entire race in its favor.
The Associated Press had not yet called the election for Trump, but he claimed victory on stage anyway.
“Tonight we made history for a reason, and the reason is that we overcame obstacles that no one thought possible,” Trump said.
It meant that Trump had won three of the key states, making victory inevitable.
“It’s real,” shouted a young fan who ran to the front of the crowd like it was a mosh pit, high-fiving friends and strangers.
Trump was joined on stage by family members, including his daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner, who had been absent from the campaign, aides and political supporters.
He thanked his followers and promised a golden era for the nation.
His running mate, JD Vance, spoke for many when he said the result marked a notable change in political fortunes.
“I thank you for the trust you placed in me,” he said, “and I believe we have just witnessed the greatest political comeback in the history of the United States of America.”
The first big call aired in the room at 11:25 p.m., when North Carolina went to Trump.
The energy of the crowd quickly went from nervous excitement to joy mixed with relief.
The energy of the crowd quickly went from nervous excitement to joy mixed with relief.
And for the so-called “trash” and “deplorable” supporters, who had stood by the candidate through the electoral defeat, the court proceedings, the impeachments and the aftermath of the January 6 riots, it carried a dose of political redemption.
Hours before the polls closed, Trump claimed on his Truth Social site without evidence that there was “a lot of talk about massive DECEPTION” in Philadelphia, a Democratic stronghold.
He echoed his claims of 2020 voter fraud in Democratic-controlled cities.
Nervous excitement gave way to joy at Trump’s viewing party as Tuesday night gave way to morning.
Supporters of former US president and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump applaud near his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach.
And it raised concerns that he and his team could be preparing for a repeat of the legal and political challenges that ended with hundreds of his supporters storming the US Capitol.
“If I lose an election, if it’s a fair election, I’ll be the first to admit it,” Trump told reporters after voting Tuesday.
Allies said he could try to claim victory on election night even with millions of votes to be counted and states to be called, as he did at the White House four days ago.
But as the night wore on, it seemed that Democratic hopes that the undecided would break through were evaporating, as result after Trump result suggested.
Roger Stone, a longtime Republican provocateur and Trump ally, said he was on the path to an extraordinary comeback, fueled by four criminal indictments.
‘It’s a story of perseverance. It’s a story of resilience and determination,” he told DailyMail.com. ‘I mean, just grinding it out.’
