US election 2024 Donald Trump wins presidency, defeats Kamala Harris
2024 US Election Results Live: Trump’s criminal cases didn’t deter millions of voters, suggesting legal woes may have boosted support
Despite facing multiple criminal convictions and pending indictments, Donald Trump secured enough votes to reclaim the presidency, with early returns showing that his legal challenges did not dissuade millions from supporting him. AP VoteCast data revealed that around 40% of voters considered Trump to have the moral character necessary for the presidency, compared to slightly over half who said the same of Kamala Harris. Yet, Trump’s base appears largely unmoved by his legal controversies, with some analysts suggesting his defiant stance on these issues may have bolstered his appeal.
Trump’s legal troubles span multiple cases, with a conviction in New York on 34 counts of business fraud still awaiting sentencing later this month. He has faced, but sidestepped, further legal scrutiny: a federal indictment in Florida related to national security secrets was recently dismissed, and he has expressed intentions to halt federal prosecutions against him concerning his involvement in the January 6 Capitol attack.
While a Georgia racketeering case remains active, experts suggest Trump’s legal challenges may have played a role in galvanizing his base. “Trump has long leveraged his outsider status, and these legal battles may reinforce that image,” said a political analyst. For Trump’s supporters, the possibility of legal peril seemed secondary to his promises of a renewed America, helping him mount what has become one of the most historic comebacks in U.S. politics
Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, is projected to have secured at least the 270 Electoral College votes he needs to return to the White House for a second time after his 2017-2021 term, The Associated Press says.
Trump, 78, has defeated his Democratic rival, Kamala Harris, 60, after a hard-fought campaign, according to the projection.
Trump earlier declared victory over Harris after being projected to win the key battleground states of Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Georgia. AP later called Wisconsin for Trump.
The Republican Party is also projected by AP to win back control of the Senate.