TL/DR: "Trump defied history and created a new, diverse coalition," the political scientist Steve Schier told Newsweek.
The rundown: Donald J. Trump completed the greatest political comeback in modern U.S. history in the early hours of Wednesday, securing major battleground wins and being projected as the winner over Vice President Kamala Harris. Here's how it unfolded.
Why it matters: The president-elect declared victory in a speech from Florida at 2:30 a.m. ET, saying he had masterminded the "greatest political movement of all time." Here's what Newsweek Writers think his win means for America. His return to prominence comes after a tumultuous period marked by violent attack on the Capitol by a mob of his supporters followed, which was then followed by four criminal indictments, a felony conviction on 91 charges, a $354 million judgment in a civil case against him and his business and another jury finding him liable for sexual abuse and defamation. Despite these legal challenges, his campaign's strategy mostly eschewed the mainstream press, focusing instead on appealing to young men and disaffected minority voters with high-profile appearances on popular podcasts, bolstered by influencers that have displaced the traditional media among those voters.
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Donald Trump in Victory Speech Says Win Ushers in New 'Golden Age' for US
What happens now? The president-elect will take office with the wind at his back. Republicans also retook the Senate, meaning his cabinet and judicial appointments will likely face minimal pushback (control of the House remained up in the air as of early Wednesday, and was likely to stay that way for days until all the California races were called). As for Harris, she will be tasked as vice president with the role of presiding over Congress' certification of Trump's victory on January 6 of next year.
TL/DR: Campaign co-chair Cedric Richmond addressed supporters at about 12:30 a.m. and announced that Harris will not be speaking tonight to supporters at her watch party at Howard University in Washington D.C.
The rundown: Kamala Harris' campaign said there are still "votes to count" after she canceled her post-verdict speech at Howard University. Find out what her campaign said.
Why it matters: Harris, who has not conceded the election, was expected to host her election night party at Howard University in Washington DC, a historically Black college where she was an undergraduate. It comes after the Associated Press declared the crucial swing states of North Carolina, Georgia and Pennsylvania for Donald Trump. Trump currently has 267 Electoral College votes to Harris' 224. Kamala Harris's campaign co-chair Cedric Richmond said, "We still have votes to count. We still have states that have not been called yet. We will continue, overnight, to fight to make sure that every vote is counted, that every voice has spoken."
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Video of Kamala Harris Staffer Canceling Election Speech Goes Viral
What happens now? Richmond said, “you won't hear from the vice president tonight, but you will hear from her tomorrow."
TL/DR: The votes in Missouri, Florida, and other states highlight the ongoing intensity of the national abortion debate.
The rundown: In a significant development for abortion rights, Missouri voters approved a constitutional amendment to roll back the state's stringent abortion ban, marking the first time a state may undo an active prohibition since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Here's more on this historic vote.
Why it matters: Missouri's new amendment allows legislators to restrict abortions only after fetal viability, typically around 21 weeks, although existing bans remain until courts can enforce the change. Meanwhile, Florida voters upheld a restrictive abortion measure, maintaining a six-week ban, in a notable setback for abortion rights advocates. The outcome serves as a political victory for Gov. Ron DeSantis, who directed GOP funds toward defeating the amendment. Meanwhile, in Colorado and Maryland, voters passed measures protecting abortion rights, reinforcing both states' status as secure havens for abortion access. New York passed an Equal Rights Amendment prohibiting discrimination based on "pregnancy outcomes," a victory hailed by abortion rights advocates.
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Arizona Voters Enshrine Abortion Access in 2024 Election
What happens now? In a significant win for abortion opponents, Florida voters failed to pass an amendment that would have eased abortion restrictions, making it the first state since the fall of Roe v. Wade to reject such a measure. These contrasting outcomes reflect deep divisions in U.S. abortion policy following the end of federal protections.
TL/DR: Republicans regain control of the Senate.
The rundown: Republican Bernie Moreno won the Ohio Senate seat as the state was also called for former President Donald Trump. Moreno winning his race will give Republicans control of the Senate.
Why it matters: The Ohio Senate contest was seen as one of the toughest for Democrats in the 2024 election, with Democrat Sherrod Brown running for reelection in a red-leaning state that went for Donald Trump by margins of about 8 points in 2016 and 2020. While Brown previously won reelection in 2018 during the Trump era, this was the first election where the Democrat shared the ballot with the former president. Moreno, a Colombia-born Ohio businessman, attempted to portray his Democratic rival as "too liberal" for the increasingly GOP-leaning state.
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Cruz Wins Third Senate Term, Defeats Democrat Colin Allred in Texas
What happens now? In other Senate race news, Republican Tom Barrett flipped the seat held by Rep. Elissa Slotkin in Michigan. History was also made with wins by Democrats Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware and Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland, who become the first two Black women to serve simultaneously. New Jersey Democrat Andy Kim also became the first Korean American elected to the Senate. Control of the House of Representatives is still up for grabs, with many races still not called yet, according to the Associated Press.
TL/DR: U.S. analysts have argued the current arrangement is a net win, as it enables Washington to forward-deploy troops on China's doorstep.
The rundown: Key U.S. partners in East Asia may be bracing for the return of Donald Trump, who is poised to win a second term as president. When Trump takes office in January, it could herald the return of the "America first"-centered foreign policy that characterized his first term. Find out what it means for US allies.
Why it matters: The return of Trump could also mark a shift away from President Joe Biden's "latticework" policy of increasing multilateral engagement in the region to counter an increasingly assertive China and respond to security threats from North Korea. "Trump's apparent landslide win puts U.S.-South Korea ties in flux just as (President) Yoon Suk Yeol, unpopular at home, is all in on the alliance," Sean King, Asia scholar and senior vice president at consultancy Park Strategies, told Newsweek. Park added that Trump would also have little interest in the growing trilateral cooperation between the U.S., Japan, and South Korea and "may again engage North Korea's Kim Jong Un directly." Pyongyang has, however, said the outcome of Tuesday's electoral contest will have no impact on U.S. ties regardless of the winner.
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Zelensky Congratulates Donald Trump on 'Impressive' Victory
What happens now? Lev Nachman, political scientist and assistant professor at National Chengchi University in Taipei, pointed to Trump's frequent praise of Chinese President Xi Jinping. "There is concern that Xi's closeness to Trump could allow China to extract concessions on Taiwan, especially if Trump is unhappy with Taiwan at the moment," he said.
Russia Says Trump's Election Win 'Useful for Us'
Vladimir Putin ally Dmitry Medvedev has suggested the U.S. presidential election result would serve Russia's interests in its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Medvedev served as president between 2008 and 2012 and is now deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council. Over the course of the war in Ukraine, he has pushed anti-Western rhetoric, often issuing threats to Kyiv's allies about Moscow's nuclear capability.
Around the time of Trump's victory speech early Tuesday morning, Medvedev posted on Telegram his response to the election night.
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