USA AP and broadcaster: Donald Trump wins US presidential election

Republican Donald Trump has won the presidential election in the USA. This was reported unanimously by the AP news agency and several broadcasters, including Fox News, CNN and NBC, citing surveys and forecasts. They saw the 78-year-old with more than 270 voters and thus an unassailable lead over his Democratic opponent Kamala Harris.

The Republicans also secured a majority in the Senate in the parallel congressional elections. Trump therefore has the prospect of possibly being able to "govern through" - if his party can also defend control of the House of Representatives.

A chaotic first term in office

Trump was already President of the United States between 2017 and 2021. His time in office was characterized by chaos and scandals. He broke with countless political conventions, called decades-old alliances into question and caused various international upheavals. The Republican also pursued a radical domestic agenda, for example in migration policy or with an isolationist "America First" course.

Trump's second term in office also promises a policy of extremes in both domestic and foreign policy. Among other things, the Republican has threatened to end military support for Ukraine.

In the USA, someone can be president for two terms, regardless of whether they are consecutive or not. There has only ever been one president in US history who was re-elected to the White House a second time after an interruption: Grover Cleveland - in the 19th century.

Trump has already made history

Trump has already secured himself an entry in the history books in other ways, including as the first US president against whom two impeachment proceedings were initiated in Congress during his time in office. And as the first ex-president in US history to be charged in several criminal proceedings and convicted in one so far.

Trump also made history in a dark way by never conceding defeat to Democrat Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election, instead trying by all means to reverse the election result and avert his departure from the White House.

A breathless election year

In the election campaign against Harris, he had also repeatedly made headlines in recent months with allegations of electoral fraud, provocations and verbal attacks against his opponents. Harris had only entered the race a few months before the election after the 81-year-old Democratic incumbent Biden had abandoned his re-election campaign under pressure from his party.

Trump was the victim of an assassination attempt in mid-July. He was slightly injured in the ear by a gunshot.

The peculiarities of the electoral system

In the USA, the president is elected indirectly by the people. The votes of the electors decide the composition of the electoral college, which then elects the president in December. Each state has a certain number of votes to cast in the 538-member electoral college. The number of votes depends on the size of each state. To win, a candidate does not need the highest absolute number of votes, but a majority of the 538 electors - i.e. at least 270. Trump has now achieved this.

As there is no central election administration in the USA, large media companies have a special role to play in announcing the results from the individual states - especially the AP news agency. The agency maintains a network of thousands of helpers who collate the results reported by local election workers. The agency is also valued for its independence and accuracy. As soon as AP announces the winner, the election is considered decided.

The shadow of the past

The results from all states must be officially certified at various levels - the final step is certification by the US Congress on January 6. After losing the 2020 election, Trump attempted to sabotage the formal certification of the election result on this occasion too. Trump's supporters violently stormed the US Capitol during the ongoing parliamentary session. The Republican had previously incited his supporters during a speech with his unsubstantiated claims of electoral fraud. Five people died as a result of the riots. The unprecedented attack still has repercussions today.

On January 20, 2025, the new president will be sworn into office.

SDA