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 for him in an astonishing night for Republicans and devastating evening for Kamala Harris.
‘We made history for a reason tonight, and the reason is that we overcame obstacles that nobody thought possible,’ he said. ‘And it is now clear that we’ve achieved the most incredible political thing.’
The moment of truth came when Fox News called Pennsylvania, the biggest of the battleground prizes, followed by Wisconsin and then the entire race in his favor.
The Associated Press had still not called the election for Trump by 3am, but he claimed victory onstage nonetheless alongside wife Melania, 18-year-old son Barron and his most loyal staff and supporters.
Former President Donald Trump took the stage and declared victory in the early hours of Wednesday morning, cementing an extraordinary political comeback
‘It’s real,’ screamed one young supporter who raced to the front of the crowd as if it were a mosh pit, high fiving friends and strangers.
Trump was joined on stage by family – including daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner who had been absent from the campaign – aides and political supporters.
He thanked his supporters and promised a golden age for the nation.
When he invited is running mate to the microphone, Sen. J.D. Vance said the result marked a remarkable turnaround in political fortunes.
‘I thank you for the trust that you placed in me,’ he said, ‘and I think that we just witnessed the greatest political comeback in the history of the United States of America.’
Sealed with a kiss: Trump embraces his beaming wife Melania at his rally at the Palm Beach Convention Center
Trump holds hands with wife Melania and stands alongside 18-year-old son Barron before delcaring victory
Trump went on to paint a positive vision for the next four years under his control
Trump was joined on stage by family – including daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner who had been absent from the campaign – aides and political supporters
Trump thanked his ‘beautiful’ wife and again promoted her book in his jubilant remarks at 2am on Wednesday morning
Ivanka Trump and husband Jared Kushner watch as Trump vowed to bring the U.S. back to greatness
Trump raises his fist in the air to the roaring MAGA crowd as he braced for a return to the White House
Four years ago, Trump was a defeated man. Within months he had left Washington D.C. under a cloud after his supporters ransacked the U.S. Capitol.
Allies deserted him and he headed for exile at Mar-a-Lago.
On Tuesday night, he was surrounded by supporters, friends and family at his Florida home as he regained his crown.
He led them out on stage at the Palm Beach County Convention Center where he delivered his victory speech in front of hundreds more supporters who had waited hours to see him.
‘Most of all, I want to thank the millions of hard working Americans across the nation who have always been the heart and soul of this really great movement,’ he said.
‘We’ve been through so much together, and today, you showed up in record numbers to deliver a victory like really … probably … like no other. This was something special.’
The first big call was broadcast in the hall at 11:25pm, when North Carolina went to Trump.
The crowd’s energy went quickly from nervously excited to joy mingled with relief.
Trump, wife Melania and son Barron walk out on stage as he prepares for his remarks after an astonishing election night
Kamala Harris’ victory party at Howard University in Washington D.C. was deserted by midnight on Tuesday
Harris supporters look on in despair as the results start to go away from the Democratic candidate
All that was left at Howard University was trash as the outlook for Harris started to look bleak
Harris supporters look on in despair as the historic night for Trump unfolds
The contrast was clear at Trump’s victory party as supporters in red MAGA hats went wild
Melania Trump walks out onto the stage at her husband’s rally and watches as he thanks the crowd
‘This was something special’, Trump told the crowd as he declared victory in the election
And for supporters called ‘garbage’ and ‘deplorables,’ who had stuck with the candidate through election defeat, court cases, impeachments and the fall-out from the Jan. 6 riot, it carried a dose of political redemption.
Trump used his speech to promise a positive vision.
‘Together we’re going to unlock America’s glorious destiny and we’re going to achieve the most incredible future for our people.’
‘It’s time to put the divisions of the past four years behind us, it is time to unite. And we’re going to try, we have to try, and we’re going to be successful at bringing us together… Success is going to bring us together, and we are going to start by putting America first.’
Hours before polls closed, Trump claimed on his Truth Social site without evidence that there was ‘a lot of talk about massive CHEATING’ in Philadelphia, a Democratic stronghold.
It echoed his 2020 claims of election fraud in Democratic-controlled cities.
Barron watches as his parents share a touching moment on stage at his rally
Nervous excitement gave way to joy at the Trump watching party as Tuesday evening turned to morning
Supporters of former US president and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump cheers near his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach
And it led to worries 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 U.S. Capitol.
‘If I lose an election, if it’s a fair election, I’m gonna be the first one to acknowledge it,’ Trump told reporters after voting on Tuesday.
Allies said he may try to claim victory on election night even with millions of ballots to be counted and states to be called, as he did at the White House four days ago.
But as the evening wore on it appeared that Democratic hopes of undecideds breaking their way evaporated, as result after result suggested Trump
Roger Stone, longtime Republican provocateur and Trump ally, said he was on course for an extraordinary comeback, fueled by four criminal indictments.
Trump leans in for a kiss with wife Melania after telling reporters: ‘Together we’re going to unlock America’s glorious destiny and we’re going to achieve the most incredible future for our people’
Ivanka and Jared beam as they watch the former president urge Americans to put the ‘last four years of division behind us’
UFC CEO Dana White made a surprise appearance on stage after Trump thanked him for his support during the campaign
NEVADA: Guests at a party for Democrats in Nevada can’t contain their emotions as Harris’ grim prospects materialize
Folding chairs and discarded bottles lay on the ground at Howard University, where Harris had planned to hold a victory party
‘It’s a story of perseverance. It’s a story of resilience and just grit,’ he told DailyMail.com. ‘I mean, just grinding it out’.
Kamala Harris’ victory party meanwhile was completely deserted by midnight.
The campaign first told staff to go home and then top Harris advisor Cedric Richmond came out and confirmed the vice president would not be speaking.
As of 3.45am on Wednesday morning the Harris camp hadn’t reacted to the results as the Associated Press waited to make the final call.
The reaction was swift from the network TV pundits who called it a ‘shellacking’ for the Democrats.