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.
Man Spends $70K To Tattoo His Full Body And Eyeballs, Reveals What He Looked Like Before
Quest Gulliford, a TikTok sensation and cancer survivor with a large tattoo collection, is causing waves with his viral video that exposes his bold dyed eyeballs in addition to his full body tattooing. It’s an astounding exhibition of individualism.
Successfully overcoming Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Gulliford has spent an incredible $70,000 on tattoos since starting his adventure in 2009. In his most recent TikTok video, he describes going through an eyeball tattoo, an experience that needed a great deal of mental preparation. It takes viewers on a visceral journey.
Gulliford stated, “It was definitely high risk, high reward, especially since I’ve wanted it done for so long,” in reference to the procedure’s high stakes. and after three years, I’m still really pleased with it.
He has spent over $70,000 on his distinctive style of self-expression, of which $10,000 is devoted to the modification of his eyes alone.
Gulliford acknowledged, “It took me a long time actually on the day once I walked into the shop to even psych myself up to get it done,” when describing the mental toughness needed on the day of the eyeball tattoo in Houston, Texas. In this non-traditional process, which is more like an injection or alteration than a normal skin tattoo, a needle is inserted into each side of the eyeball.
Unexpectedly, Gulliford disclosed that he intends to see the same tattoo artist the following month to improve his eye ink, demonstrating his dedication to pushing the limits of personal expression.
Among the many tattoos that cover his body, Gulliford proudly sports one that represents his successful fight against cancer. Every tattoo he has, from his first, a cross with the words “God First” on his chest, to his moving purple cancer ribbon commemorating his battle with Hodgkins lymphoma in seventh grade, narrates a tale of perseverance.
Gulliford recalled his health struggle that culminated in his tattoos, saying, “I had a big lymph node growing.” I didn’t give it much thought. It was chemotherapy for around half a year. After that, I felt as though I had superhuman strength.
In a 2019 interview with Inked, Gulliford revealed that when he first started getting facial tattoos at the age of 18, his mother wasn’t happy about it. Even though she finally came around to smaller face tattoos, her qualms were aroused as ink spread onto a larger canvas, leading her to intervene at tattoo parlors to try and discourage artists from doing larger facial tattoos.
Quest Gulliford’s unabashedly honest path of self-expression, characterized by victory over hardship, never fails to enthrall audiences, demonstrating that sometimes the most amazing tales are etched on our flesh.
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