Former President Donald Trump delivered a victory speech from West Palm Beach, Florida, just after midnight on Wednesday, celebrating what he called the dawn of a "golden age for America." By that time, Trump had been declared the winner of key battleground states, including Georgia, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania, according to CNN. Though states like Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, and Wisconsin remained too close to call, Trump held leads in all of them.
“This was a movement unlike anything anyone has ever seen, and honestly, I believe it’s the greatest political movement of all time,” Trump declared. “There’s never been anything like this in our country, and maybe not even beyond our borders. And now it will reach a new level of significance because we’re going to help this country heal.”
Trump praised the victory as a "political triumph like the country has never experienced" and declared that it would usher in the "golden age" of America. He celebrated his diverse voter base, calling it “the most unified coalition,” and emphasized his gains among Black and Hispanic voters. “America has given us an unprecedented and powerful mandate,” Trump proclaimed. “We have taken back control of the Senate.”
Republicans were on track to secure a majority in the Senate, with key wins in Ohio and Montana, where Bernie Moreno and Tim Sheehy, respectively, ousted Democratic Senators Sherrod Brown and Jon Tester.
Ohio Senator J.D. Vance also spoke at the event, praising Trump's performance as "the greatest political comeback in American history."
Trump’s victory speech came after a fiercely contested campaign with Vice President Kamala Harris, where the two sparred over critical issues such as the economy, immigration, and the preservation of democracy. In the final stretch, Harris had warned that Trump posed a threat to democracy.
Vance, referring to Trump's win, said, “After the greatest political comeback in American history, we’re about to lead the greatest economic comeback in American history under Donald Trump.”
Though Trump took the stage shortly before 2:30 a.m., Harris had not addressed the public yet. Her campaign confirmed 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, a co-chair of Harris’s campaign, speaking from Howard University.
Exit polls indicated that the economy and the protection of democracy were key motivators for voters, while also showing Trump making gains among Hispanic voters in key states. Harris and her campaign are hoping that gains among white suburban voters in remaining battleground states will balance out these shifts.
Leading up to the election, polls indicated a tight race. FiveThirtyEight’s polling average had Harris ahead by just 1.2 percentage points on Election Day.
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