The Republican candidate has won at least 277 Electoral College votes, per The Associated Press.
Donald Trump has been elected to return to the White House as the 47th United States president.
The vote was called for the Republican candidate by The Associated Press news agency early on Wednesday. His victory has been met by international congratulations but is likely to add further uncertainty to a turbulent geopolitical situation.
Results showed Trump beating Vice President Kamala Harris in a race far less tight than expected as he triumphed in key battleground states.
Victory in Wisconsin after earlier triumphs in Georgia, North Carolina and Pennsylvania saw the former president clear the threshold of the 270 Electoral College votes required to clinch the White House in Tuesday’s election.
Trump’s victory in those swing states currently sees him with 277 electoral votes against 224 for Harris. Polls had predicted a much tighter race, but it appears that anger fuelled the Republican’s remarkable comeback from defeat in 2020 and widespread condemnation of his refusal to accept the result.
That refusal sparked a violent insurrection at the US Capitol, and Trump was also convicted of felony charges and survived two assassination attempts.
However, his campaign, which has seen him demonise his political opponents, immigrants and many minorities, tapped into the frustrations of many voters in a bitterly polarised nation.
Speaking to his supporters as he declared victory, Trump claimed he had won “an unprecedented and powerful mandate”.
Anger and resentment
Scott Lucas, a professor of international politics at the University of Dublin, told Al Jazeera that Trump’s victory stemmed from frustrations that have been bubbling within the US public for years.
“There is anger and resentment in the US, which has been there for quite some time. It’s been a trauma since 9/11. It’s been there with the financial crash in 2008-2009. It was there in 2016 when Trump exploited it, and he exploited it again,” Lucas said, adding that Trump was able to do that because the “political system is damaged”.
Concern over the economy, and inflation in particular, under President Joe Biden was a major focus of the campaign.
That also encouraged opposition to the support Washington is giving to Ukraine in its war against Russia. Meanwhile, the failure to rein in Israel’s wars on Gaza and Lebanon has angered Muslim and liberal voters.
Those complex geopolitical issues will test Trump, who is known for his simplistic claims of being capable of quickly solving such issues.
He has promised to end the war in Ukraine in a day, an idea that has Kyiv wary that it could face pressure to strike a deal to hand over territory to Russia. NATO allies, meanwhile, fear Trump will weaken the alliance’s mutual defence guarantees.
Trump is also a strong supporter of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and has boasted he will end the war with Hamas in Gaza in hours.
“Your historic return to the White House offers a new beginning for America and a powerful recommitment to the great alliance between Israel and America. This is a huge victory!” Netanyahu said in a statement after Trump declared victory.
The enthusiasm in Israel also stems from the incoming president’s hawkish approach to Iran, which he is likely to reassert.
China is also braced for a more confrontational relationship with the US under Trump, who is expected to revive staunchly nationalistic trade policies, putting both allies and rivals on edge.
‘Much more dangerous era’
However, at home, supporters will look to Trump to put the focus on the welfare of US citizens while following through on promises to enact an agenda that would transform nearly every aspect of American government.
That will include plans to launch the largest deportation effort in the nation’s history and use the Department of Justice to punish his enemies.
The result is that “we are going into a much more dangerous era for Americans and for the world because this will not be a coherent US policy for America but one pursued for Trump,” Lucas said.
24 Striking Tattoos That Beat the System
Nobody needs tattoo catalogs in tattoo salons anymore because anyone who wants to get a tattoo has a story that has left a mark on their hearts. In this new article, we have collected tattoos that tell a lot about their owners. And at the end of the article, there is a bonus showing that some people don’t really care what is on their bodies.
We at Bright Side are sure that tattoos are a kind of art and here are 24 examples of original and important pictures on the body that have an interesting story behind them.
An amazing 3D effect
This one is truly hypnotizing
2 hands in one
3rd degree burn scar covered by a phoenix
“The wife and I got tattoos of a diagram depicting the position of the planets as they were at the exact time we were married.”
“My girlfriend’s tattoo of her cat in a shark costume and her actual cat in a shark costume”
A simple explanation of entropy
“I proposed to my girlfriend with this tattoo, she said yes!”
When you treat any situation with humor:
“My mom’s tattoo of her mom’s birth and death date, and heartbeat into a signature. When she passes, I will get the same tattoo (relating to her of course) in her memory.”
“This is my dog and I.”
A tattoo artist from Brazil made a unique tattoo that literally opens when the arm opens.
“Tribute tattoo for my best friend who passed away”
“I found a way to incorporate a scar into something much more.”
“I got this tattoo after my heart transplant.”
Honeybees for a pair of married beekeepers
“My dad passed away 7 years ago, he got this tattoo when he turned 18, and when I turned 18, I got it too.”
“My favorite scene from Spirited Away”
“About a month ago, I lost a friend in a climbing accident. This is my reminder of him as well as a reminder to myself to climb safe.”
“Got my first tattoo done yesterday.”
“After her son passed away, this awesome lady got the image and writing from a card he’d written for her tattooed on her forearm.”
“Moved from Sydney to Ireland when I was 10. I’m 20 now and here’s my first tattoo.”
“Shortly after my mother’s death in Nov 2013, I found a notebook where she had written a random note to my sisters and I that we had never received. This was part of it and I decided to get a tattoo of it.”
Bonus: Her tattoo says “fresh spring rolls” in Thai.
Which tattoo amazed you the most? Do you or any of your relatives have any important tattoos on your body? Tell us in the comment section below.
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