US election LIVE | Xi congratulates Trump, calls for stronger US-China dialogue
Harris calls Trump, discusses importance of a peaceful transfer of power and being a president for all Americans
Four years ago, Donald J Trump was a sullen man after he lost the presidential race to Joe Biden. And when a violent mob, mostly his supporters, stormed the US Capitol weeks later, it appeared an end to the Republican leader's political career. Four years later, 78-year-old Trump made an unprecedented and forceful political comeback in American history by cruising towards a second term in the White House.
With Wisconsin win, Trump cleared the 270 electoral votes. And that too, after being convicted of a felony and surviving two assassination attempts.
In March, Trump received his party's nomination and it was formalised at the Republican National Convention (RNC) in July after remaining in the political wilderness for months following several court cases. In effect, he became the first former president to get the nomination for the top office after being convicted of a felony.
Trump still faces four criminal indictments and it is not immediately clear what will happen to the cases. The former president also survived an impeachment trial in 2021 that concluded with his acquittal.
Trump was shot at during a rally in Pennsylvania in July, just days ahead of the Republican National Convention.
As his victory appeared imminent, Trump addressed his supporters in Florida with a message: "We are going to help our country heal." As he eyed the White House, Trump carefully crafted his campaign messages promising to rebuild the economy and rid the US of illegal immigrants.
From the time he left office after his loss in the 2020 presidential election to his nomination as the Republican candidate in the 2024 race, Trump continued to dominate the American news cycle and the country's psyche.
He is now the oldest person in US history to be elected president.
Also read | On Kamala Harris, Usha Vance and 'childless cat ladies'
Read/watch The Federal's extensive coverage of the US polls here.
Read the updates here.
Live Updates
- 6 Nov 2024 9:11 AM IST
AP Race Call: Donald Trump wins Kansas
Donald Trump has won Kansas and its six electoral votes.Republican candidates have carried Kansas in every presidential election since 1964, and it was the third election in a row that Trump has won the state. Kansas City-area suburbs that once were reliable GOP strongholds started leaning more Democratic after Trump was elected president in 2016, but Trump has retained his strong popularity in much of the state and particularly in rural areas.The Associated Press declared Trump the winner at 10:39 p.m. EST. - 6 Nov 2024 9:10 AM IST
Which way are swing states leaning?
While NYT projections give Trump an edge in all seven swing/battleground states, AP Race Call gives Trump an edge in all but Michigan, with the results for Nevada not yet available. - 6 Nov 2024 8:55 AM IST
AP Race Call: Kamala Harris wins the District of Columbia
Kamala Harris won the District of Columbia on Tuesday, securing the capital’s three electoral votes.Harris’ win in D.C. is no surprise – the District is a longtime Democratic stronghold whose government repeatedly feuded with Republican Donald Trump when he was the president. Trump has described modern-day Washington as a crime-ridden dystopia, and Republican allies in Congress have threatened to strip D.C. of its limited autonomy.The Associated Press declared Harris the winner at 10:20 p.m. EST. - 6 Nov 2024 8:52 AM IST
NYT forecast gives Trump 80% chance of winning
NYT forecast: Electoral college estimateTrump: 296 (235 to 341)Harris: 242 (197 to 303)Trump has an 80% chance of winning - 6 Nov 2024 8:52 AM IST
Go vote, California, says Trump
Republican candidate Donald Trump appealed to California, a blue state, to vote
- 6 Nov 2024 8:50 AM IST
AP Race Call: Trump wins Utah
Donald Trump has won Utah and its six electoral votes, said AP. "The Mountain West state is a rare Republican stronghold that has in past elections only half-heartedly supported Trump, whose brash style and comments about immigrants do not sit right with some members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," said the AP report.
Latter-day Saints, better known as Mormons, make up about half of Utah’s 3.4 million population. Since Lyndon B Johnson in 1964, no Democratic presidential candidate has won in Utah.
The Associated Press declared Trump the winner at 10:00 pm EST.
- 6 Nov 2024 8:47 AM IST
AP Race Call: Harris bags Colorado
Kamala Harris has won Colorado, picking up the state’s 10 electoral votes. Colorado was once a purple state, flipping between Democratic and Republican presidential candidates, but it has shifted blue in the past two decades, said AP.
"The last Republican presidential candidate to snag Colorado’s electoral votes was George W Bush in 2004. Since then, it’s backed Democratic presidential candidates, with Joe Biden winning it handily in 2020. Colorado gained its 10th electoral vote after the 2020 census, attributed to population growth around Denver. The Associated Press declared Harris the winner at 10:08 pm EST," said the AP report.
- 6 Nov 2024 8:44 AM IST
Blue Mirage, Red Mirage and more
Votes cast on election day tend to favour Republicans, while Democrats are historically favored in early voting, causing blue and red “mirages” depending on which types of votes each state counts first, says a Forbes report.
The 'red mirage', a major factor in the 2020 race, could show up again in the 2024 vote counting, says the report, adding that it may be less prominent this time.
"The 'red mirage' refers to early vote totals that favour Republicans as ballots cast in-person on election day are counted, while a 'blue shift' occurs as absentee and provisional ballots are totaled (since Democrats traditionally vote by mail more frequently than Republicans)," the report said.
Some American states now count their mail ballots first, potentially leading to a 'blue mirage' in states like Georgia early in the night, followed by a 'red shift' as GOP-leaning in-person votes are added to the total.
- 6 Nov 2024 8:34 AM IST
Who’s winning where (AP Race Call)
Trump (198):
Florida, Texas, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Minnesota, Louisiana, Wisconsin, New Mexico, Utah, Montana, Georgia, Virginia, Oregon, Arizona
Harris (99)
Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Michigan, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado - 6 Nov 2024 8:29 AM IST
Which way are swing states leaning? (AP Race Call)
Michigan: Leaning Harris
Wisconsin: Leaning Trump
Pennsylvania: Leaning Harris
Nevada: Not available yet
Arizona: Not available yet
North Carolina: Leaning Trump
Georgia: Leaning Trump