Donald Trump is returning to the White House, with a landslide victory that bounced back from announcements that this US presidential election would be one of the most uncertain ever.
Republicans are celebrating a triple victory. They, quite expectedly, took over the majority in the Senate, but also unexpectedly had a great advantage over the Democrats in seats won in the House of Representatives.

Trump, according to projections, has won 277 delegates in the electoral college, seven more than the required majority, but also leads convincingly in four of the remaining five federal states in which a winner has not yet been declared. With the results of the projections officially certified, which is usually just a formality, Trump would have won 312 Electoral College delegates, compared to 226 for Democratic nominee Kamala Harris. The Republican, according to incomplete results, won 5 million more votes than Harris.

- America has given us a powerful mandate - said Trump in his triumphal speech even before his victory was confirmed.

He appeared smiling in front of supporters at the Palm Beach Convention Center in Florida, flanked by incoming Vice President JD Vance, family and Republican leaders.

The atmosphere in the headquarters of the Democrats was diametrically opposite. Reporters reported that supporters of Kamala Harris began leaving as early results were announced, which indicated that Trump had won far more votes than expected.

Harris did not make a public statement until midnight US time. One of the heads of her campaign, Cedric Richmond, announced that Harris would address the day.

- There are still votes to be counted - said Richmond.

Better than both 2016 and 2020

Trump actually did better in this election than even in 2016, when he defeated then-opponent Hillary Clinton by 304 to 227 delegates in the college and was elected president for the first time. In the 2020 showdown with Joe Biden, Trump won only 232 delegates, compared to 306 for the incumbent president.

For the first time, Trump won more votes, not just delegates. In 2016, although he won, he won 63 million votes, 3 million less than Clinton, and in 2020 he won 74 million, 7 million less than Biden. In this election, with incomplete results, Trump had already received 70,2 million votes, in contrast to Harris who won 65,2 million.

And while even before the election it was known that Democrats and Republicans would surely win in the states that they consider their strongholds, Trump managed to win a majority of votes in all seven states that were considered "swing" and "uncertain". Compared to 2020, the Republican "grabbed" the Democrats' victories in Nevada, Arizona, Wisconsin, Michigan, Georgia and Pennsylvania. The electoral map of this election is almost identical to that of 2016, with the exception of Nevada, which was then won by Hillary Clinton.

People are fed up and fed up

The results show that Trump, compared to 2020, won more votes in all areas, both urban and rural, among higher- and lower-income residents. He made the biggest change among Latin Americans, of whom even 45 percent voted for him, 13 percent more compared to the previous elections.

Initial analyzes indicate that Democrats have underestimated how important the issue of the economy is to voters. Almost a third of the voters covered by the research indicated that the most important topic for them is the economy, and of them as many as 80 percent voted for Trump. The 45 percent of voters who voted for Trump in such a large majority said that their family's financial situation is worse today than it was four years ago.

– It sounds simple to explain so much, but people are fed up. They are being ripped off by companies, the prices of everything are going up, cars, college and retirement are out of reach. A $20 burger. Is it Biden and Harris' fault? Probably not, but they felt the impact. Trump was the "middle finger candidate" in 2016 and now again - Reuters reporter James Oliphant assessed.

Trump also broke a series of other records. At age 78, he is the oldest president to win a presidential election, the first president to survive two impeachments, the first to be criminally indicted, and the first in more than a century to return to the White House "skipping" a term.

Majority in Congress

The Republicans quite expectedly took over the majority in the Senate, in which 34 new senators were elected, one third of the composition. Even before the winners of the battles for all the seats were announced, the Republicans already had 51 senators, and they expect to win five more.

Republican candidates are also in the lead in the race for seats in the House of Representatives, where the Democrats were expected to reach the majority. The confirmed ratio is 196 to 179 in favor of the Republicans, but their candidates were leading in most of the remaining constituencies and are expected to exceed the required majority of 218 delegates.

In the gubernatorial elections of 11 federal states, Republican candidates won in eight and Democrats in only three. The new ratio of governors is now 27 Republicans and 23 Democrats.

It was a consolation for the Democrats to win the majority in referendums on the right to abortion in a number of federal states. Voters in Missouri voted to repeal one of the most restrictive abortion laws, but in Florida a majority voted to keep the law banning abortion after the first six weeks of pregnancy. Amendments to increase abortion rights were passed in Colorado and Maryland, and discrimination based on "pregnancy outcome" was overruled in New York.

Referendums, on the other hand, do not automatically change the laws, but are a basis for requesting the courts to adapt the laws to the expressed will of the majority.

With the announcement of the unofficial victory, the first congratulations to Trump began to arrive.

Congratulations from Zelenski

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed hope for cooperation with Trump, noting that the European Union and the United States are "more than allies."

- We are bound by a true partnership between nations, uniting 800 million citizens. Let's work together on a transatlantic partnership that works for our citizens. Millions of jobs and billions in trade and investment on both sides of the Atlantic depend on the dynamics and stability of our economic relations - Von der Leyen said.

Trump in the previous term burdened trade by introducing tariffs on steel and aluminum exports.

Among the first, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sent a message to Washington, whose country can hardly wage war against Russia without the help of America. During the campaign, Trump advocated reducing military aid to Ukraine and repeatedly claimed that as president "in just a few days, he will end the war." Zelensky said that he "appreciates Trump's commitment to achieve peace through force."

– I remember our excellent meeting with President Trump in September, when we discussed in detail the Ukrainian-American strategic partnership, the Victory Plan and ways to end Russian aggression against Ukraine. We hope for an era of strong America under the determined leadership of President Trump - said Zelenski.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, however, yesterday refrained from congratulating Trump on his victory, because the US is an "enemy country".

- Let's not forget that we are talking about an enemy country, which is directly and indirectly involved in a war against our country. Relations between Russia and the United States are already at an all-time low. It depends on the new leadership of America whether the situation will change - said the spokesman of the Kremlin, Dmitry Peskov.

He reiterated the position that Moscow is "ready for a constructive dialogue based on justice, equality and willingness to accept common concerns."

A new star is born: Elon!

In his welcoming speech, Trump did not forget to mention his new, extravagant and loudest ally, billionaire Elon Musk, who in the last weeks of the campaign spared no energy and 120 million to call his followers to vote for the Republican candidate.

– A new star is born, Elon! - said Trump.

He has already announced that he will appoint Musk to the head of a new commission "for the efficiency of the administration".