Donald Trump wins presidency, defeats Kamala Harris
He appeared on track to win the popular vote too - the first time he has done so in three presidential runs.
Donald Trump was elected the 47th president of the United States on Wednesday (Nov 6), an extraordinary comeback for a former president who refused to accept defeat four years ago, sparked a violent insurrection at the US Capitol, was convicted of felony charges and survived two assassination attempts.
With a win in Wisconsin, Trump cleared the 270 electoral votes needed to clinch the presidency.
"It's a political victory that our country has never seen before," Trump told a victory party in Florida.
Supporters chanted "USA!" as the 78-year-old added that his "magnificent" win would "allow us to make America great again".
World leaders swiftly pledged to work with Trump, led by Israel and Ukraine where the course of raging conflicts could depend on the new president and his isolationist "America First" foreign policy.
Vice President Kamala Harris, who only entered the race in July after President Joe Biden dropped out, ran a centrist campaign that highlighted Trump's inflammatory messaging and use of openly racist and sexist tropes.
But his apocalyptic warnings about immigration found their mark with voters battered by the post-COVID economy and eager for change after the Biden years.
Hispanic and Black Americans were seen as crucial voting blocs for Harris, but exit polls showed they tilted toward Trump in numbers far greater than in 2020.
Opinion polls predicted a nail-bitingly close contest - yet the results came surprisingly fast, including Trump's flipping of swing states Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin that Biden won four years ago.
Trump captured enough states to secure the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the presidency. By early Wednesday the count stood at 277 for him and 224 for Harris, with five states yet to be called.
He appeared on track to win the popular vote too - the first time he has done so in three presidential runs.
