Donald Trump upstaged all election predictions to win the White House on Tuesday, as Republicans also advanced to have majorities in both chambers on the Capitol Hill.
By 2 : 4o a.m. on Wednesday, Trump had routed Hillary Clinton in a series of swing states including Florida, Ohio, North Carolina and Pennsylvania and also had Michigan to his credit.
He had 276 electoral votes to his credit – six more than the magic target of 270 count.
Trump will be the 45th president of the United States, having won the Oval office after a long, bitter and polarizing campaign.
Appearing before an excited gathering of his supporters, Trump, 70, vowed to rebuild American infrastructure and said the United States would settle on nothing but the best.
He revealed that Hillary Clinton called her to congratulate him on the victory and striking a conciliatory tone told the crowd that she deserves appreciation for her long service to the country.
He also pledged to be fair to all people and countries. Trump said as president of the United States he will seek common ground not conflict.
“We will get along with all other nations willing to get along with us. We will deal fairly with everyone. We will seek common ground, partnership not conflict.
“America will no longer settle for anything less than the best. We must reclaim our destiny.”
The result clearly indicated that Trump’s slogan to “Make America Great Again” and to improve economic prospects for Americans resonated with the White voters in battleground states.
He also turned upside down election forecasts that had almost written him off. Trump had been rubbishing the media commentaries that saw a narrowing path for him in the race.
America and the world will be anxiously waiting to see how Trump begins about his business as leader of the free world, particularly his approach to the issue of immigration, place for Muslims in America and Washington’s commitment to allies in Europe under the umbrella of NATO alliance.
Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, was at a disadvantage as she looked like a status quo candidate in defending policies of White House.
Another key factor in the Clinton campaign was her inability to enthuse enought African American voters. Although Latinos voted in much higher number than in the previous elections.
