On Wednesday, Donald Trump made a stunning return to the political scene by being elected as the 47th president of the United States.
This comeback is remarkable for someone who previously faced defeat four years ago, incited a violent uprising at the Capitol, was convicted on felony charges, and even survived two assassination attempts. By winning Wisconsin, he secured the 270 electoral votes necessary to take back the presidency.
His victory underscores his aggressive style in politics. Throughout his campaign, he launched personal attacks against his Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris, often using misogynistic and racist language while painting a bleak picture of a nation overwhelmed by violent immigrants.
This brash rhetoric and hypermasculine image struck a chord with frustrated voters—especially men—in an increasingly divided country.
Trump expressed his gratitude to supporters in Florida before his win was officially confirmed, saying, I want to thank the American people for this extraordinary honor of being elected your 47th president and your 45th president.
In many states, he performed better than during the 2020 election while Harris fell short compared to Joe Biden’s previous success.
As Trump steps back into office on January 20th, he’ll be working with a Republican-controlled Senate while control of the House remains undecided.
He acknowledged the support from voters: We’ve been through so much together, and today you showed up in record numbers to deliver this victory. He promised that this win was special and that he’d repay their trust.
Looking ahead to his second term, Trump aims to fundamentally reshape federal governance and seek revenge against those he sees as adversaries. This election cycle has been incredibly chaotic and competitive—marked by two assassination attempts on Trump himself—and it saw Democrats switching candidates just weeks before their convention due to concerns over Biden’s age.
With Harris making history as the first woman of color at the top of a major party ticket after Biden dropped out of contention due to worries about aging issues, Trump’s win against her marks another instance where he’s bested a female opponent in national elections.
Despite an initial wave of enthusiasm surrounding her campaign after she took over as vice president when Biden exited the race, she struggled under pressure to convince disenchanted voters that she could lead differently from an unpopular administration.
Since losing her bid for presidency after it was called for Trump, Harris hasn’t spoken publicly yet; however, her campaign co-chair Cedric Richmond mentioned she’d address supporters soon: She will be back here tomorrow.
Trump has made history by becoming the first former president to reclaim the White House since Grover Cleveland did it back in 1892. He’s also breaking new ground as the first person ever convicted of a felony to be elected president, and at 78, he holds the record for being the oldest individual to take on this role.
His running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, who’s just 40, will now be the highest-ranking millennial in U.S. government. Even before Trump officially won, world leaders were already sending their congratulations.
When Trump moves back into the White House, he’ll face far fewer checks on his power. He’s got big plans to roll out an ambitious agenda that could change nearly every facet of American governance.
Most of his GOP critics in Congress have either been defeated or have stepped aside, and federal courts are packed with judges he appointed himself. The Supreme Court now includes three justices chosen by Trump and has recently ruled that presidents enjoy broad immunity from legal challenges.
During his campaign, Trump’s rhetoric raised alarms among Democrats and even some Republicans about potential threats to democracy if he were to return to power. He frequently lauded authoritarian leaders, hinted at using military force against political adversaries whom he labeled as enemies within, threatened news outlets for negative coverage, and even suggested suspending parts of the Constitution.
Some former aides from his first term—like Vice President Mike Pence and John Kelly—either chose not to support him or publicly warned against his comeback.
While Vice President Kamala Harris emphasized joy in her messaging, Trump tapped into a strong wave of anger and resentment among voters. He capitalized on concerns over rising prices along with fears about crime and illegal immigration during Biden’s presidency. He pointed fingers at ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to portray Democrats as overseeing a chaotic world.
This strategy isn’t new for Trump; it’s something he mastered back in 2016 when he presented himself as the sole solution to America’s issues while often echoing authoritarian language. In March 2023, he declared: “I am your warrior. I am your justice.” For those feeling wronged or betrayed? “I am your retribution.”
His campaign sometimes took bizarre turns too—like when he spread odd rumors about migrants allegedly stealing pets in an Ohio town or kicked off a rally with an unusual story praising legendary golfer Arnold Palmer’s anatomy!
The turning point really seemed to hit in July when a shooter opened fire at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. A bullet barely missed Trump’s ear and tragically took the life of one of his supporters.
With blood on his face, Trump stood tall, raising his fist and shouting Fight! Fight! Fight! Just weeks later, another assassination attempt was narrowly avoided when a Secret Service agent spotted a gun barrel peeking through the bushes while Trump was out golfing.
When he left Washington in early 2021, it looked pretty unlikely that he’d make it back to the White House anytime soon. He was leaving as a diminished figure whose false claims about losing the election led to a violent riot at the Capitol. It was such an isolating moment that hardly anyone outside his family showed up for the send-off he arranged at Andrews Air Force Base, which featured a 21-gun salute.
The Democrats quickly moved to impeach him over his role in that insurrection, making him the only president to be impeached twice. Although he was acquitted by the Senate—where many Republicans argued he wasn’t much of a threat anymore since he had already left office—Trump didn’t just fade away. From his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, he worked with some Republican allies to keep himself relevant.
Shortly after leaving office, Rep. Kevin McCarthy from California paid him a visit, essentially giving Trump’s ongoing influence within the party a nod of approval. As we approached the 2022 midterm elections, Trump flexed his endorsement power and positioned himself as the clear leader of the GOP.
Most of his chosen candidates won their primaries; however, some faced defeats in races that Republicans thought they could easily win. Part of this disappointment stemmed from backlash against the Supreme Court’s decision to strip away women’s constitutional rights regarding abortion—a ruling supported by justices appointed by Trump.
The midterm results raised eyebrows within GOP circles about whether Trump should still be their leader. But everything shifted again for him in 2023 when he found himself facing multiple state and federal indictments related to January 6th events, mishandling classified information, and election interference.
He turned those charges into part of his narrative as someone being victimized by an overreaching government—a message that resonated with a Republican base increasingly distrustful or even hostile toward established institutions.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who was running against Trump for the Republican nomination, expressed frustration over how these indictments overshadowed this year’s GOP primary race. In any case, Trump managed to secure his party’s nomination without ever stepping into a debate against DeSantis or any other GOP contenders.
With Trump leading the pack in the Republican race, a jury in New York found him guilty in May on 34 felony counts linked to a scheme aimed at swaying the 2016 election by making hush money payments to a porn star who claimed they had an affair.
He’s set for sentencing later this month, but his potential victory raises some serious doubts about whether he’ll actually face any consequences. On top of that, he’s been deemed liable in two other civil cases in New York: one for exaggerating his wealth and another for sexually assaulting advice columnist E. Jean Carroll back in 1996.
Trump is also facing more criminal charges related to election interference in Georgia, which has hit some roadblocks. At the federal level, he’s been indicted for trying to overturn the 2020 election results and mishandling classified documents. If he takes office again on January 20, he could appoint an attorney general who might wipe those federal charges away.
As he gears up for another stint at the White House, Trump has promised to push through a bold agenda that would change nearly every facet of American governance. This includes plans for what would be the largest deportation campaign ever, using the Justice Department against his opponents, ramping up tariffs significantly, and adopting a zero-sum foreign policy approach that could disrupt long-standing international alliances like NATO.
Back when he first came to Washington in 2017, Trump wasn’t very familiar with how federal power worked. His plans were often blocked by Congress and courts and even by some of his own senior staff who acted as checks on him.
But this time around, Trump insists he’ll have loyal supporters ready to implement his agenda without hesitation—all while bringing along stacks of draft executive orders, legislative ideas, and detailed policy papers ready to go.