WASHINGTON, November 6. /TASS/. US news media have called the US presidential election in favor of the Republican contender Donald Trump. Even though the vote tally hasn’t officially ended yet, he already declared himself the 47th US president.
House Speaker Mike Johnson has referred to Trump as president-elect. The Republican has already started getting congratulations from foreign leaders.
TASS has put together the highlights.
Tallies by news media
According to NBC News, Trump is winning the election after the victory in Wisconsin allowed him to overcome the threshold of 270 electoral votes. Edison Research said Trump has enough electoral votes to win the election. CNN and the Washington Post announced that Trump already secured 276 votes. The Associated Press and the New York Times reported Trump is winning, as they estimated he already received 277 electoral votes.
The oldest president-elect
When the vote count ends, Trump could become the oldest president-elect in US history. The Republican candidate turned 78 on June 14. He will also probably be the 45th and 47th president, becoming the second American president after Grover Cleveland, a Democrat, to return to the White House following a hiatus.
Trump’s promises
Speaking at his Mar-a-Lago estate after the early voting results emerged, Trump said he had won an "amazing victory for the American people that will allow us to make America great again." His presidency will usher in a "golden age of America," he stated. Trump also pledged to work to "stop the wars."
Lawsuits
The former president has been mired in several lawsuits on charges of tax fraud, misreporting the value of Trump Organization assets, possession of classified documents and sexual harassment.
In August 2023, he was indicted in a case related to the Capitol riot and attempts to interfere in the 2020 election. In May 2024, a jury found him guilty of falsifying financial records. That made Trump the first ex-president in US history that was found guilty of a criminal offense. The verdict in the case is scheduled for November 26. He was still able to carry on with his campaign, as the Constitution does not ban candidates from running if they have a conviction.
Trump blasted the accusations as groundless and called his prosecution a "witch hunt."
Global reaction
Foreign leaders have started congratulating Trump on his victory. The first to do so was El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele. Before the election was called, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban expressed confidence that the Republican candidate would win. Trump was also recognized as the winner by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. Congratulations to the Republican contender were sent by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump was also congratulated by NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Vladimir Zelensky congratulated the Republican on the "impressive victory" and expressed hope for a personal meeting. Politico reported that Ukraine reacted to the voting outcome with a "mix of trepidation and grim resolve."
Russian reaction
Following the US election, Russia will continue to move on according to its objectives, so the United States should catch up, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Radio Sputnik. According to the diplomat, the US voting was a mayhem and a show of absolute lawlessness in every aspect.
Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev commented on the election outcome by saying Moscow could benefit from Trump's dislike of spending money on freeloaders, which include Ukraine.
The Kremlin will draw conclusions about Trump's presidency based on his first statements pertaining to Russia and his specific moves, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.