By Aliyah Siddiqui
Nation & World Editor
Former President Donald Trump won the 2024 Presidential Election over Vice President Kamala Harris, setting him to become the 47th president of the United States. Only needing 270 electoral votes to become president, as of Nov. 6, Trump obtained 292 electoral votes as compared to Harris’ 226, according to the Associated Press.
In addition to winning the electoral votes, Trump is also set to become the first Republican president to win the popular vote in 20 years.
In his victory speech at his campaign’s election night watch party in Florida, Trump thanked his supporters and promised to fight for Americans.
“And every citizen, I will fight for you, for your family and your future, every single day I will be fighting for you with every breath in my body,” Trump said. “I will not rest until we have delivered the strong, safe and prosperous America that our children deserve and that you deserve.”
The College’s president, Michael Bernstein, said in a statement to The Signal that he was “proud of our community for its participation in Tuesday’s election.”
“Regardless of political affiliation or feelings about the outcome of the vote, I’d encourage everyone to remain engaged,” Bernstein said. “A democracy requires the active participation of its citizens. That is a collective responsibility and privilege.”
The president also addressed how the results of the election may impact the national higher education environment.
“There was a lot of rhetoric during the campaign about higher education,” Bernstein noted. “It’s too early to speculate on what the new administration may prioritize in its policy agenda. We will certainly be paying close attention and will be engaged as appropriate.”
According to NPR, going into the election, both campaigns focused on key battleground states, including Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. Democrats were hoping that Harris would win the “Blue Wall” states of Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania as well as some of the other Sun Belt states.
In 2020, President Joe Biden was able to gain victory by winning the electoral votes from the “Blue Wall” states as well as Nevada, Arizona and Georgia. However, in the 2024 election, Trump won Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Michigan and Georgia and is currently leading Harris in Arizona and Nevada, as reported by the Associated Press.
While polls predicted close races in each of the swing states, there were unexpected results across the nation, according to political analysts. For example, The Guardian reports that Trump gained a larger number of votes than expected cities, including New York, Miami and Chicago, reducing the advantage Democrats typically have in these urban areas. Trump also gained voters in counties with college-educated voters, which typically vote for Democrats.
The Guardian also reports majority Black and Latino counties also shifted to supporting Trump. Exit polls showed that in 2020, Biden won Black votes by a 92%-8% margin over Trump, and Latino voters 65%-32%. However, in 2024, Harris only won Black voters by a 86%-12% margin and Latino voters by a 53%-45% margin.
While Harris did not respond to Trump’s victory during her campaign’s watch party at Howard University, Harris called Trump to concede on Nov. 6, making a speech later in the day where she thanked her supporters and encouraged them to “not despair.” She also promised to continue to fight for democracy and freedom.
“And America, we will never give up the fight for our democracy, for the rule of law, for equal justice,” Harris said, “and for the sacred idea that every one of us, no matter who we are or where we start out, has certain fundamental rights and freedoms that must be respected and upheld.”
According to ABC, various world leaders have also responded to the election results, congratulating Trump on his win and expressing commitments to the relationship between the U.S. and their countries.
“The EU and the U.S. are more than just allies,” Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, said in a social media post. “We are bound by a true partnership between our people, uniting 800 million citizens. So let's work together on a strong transatlantic agenda that keeps delivering for them.”
Other leaders, such as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have also congratulated Trump for his victory.
While Russian President Vladimir Putin has not released an official statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that it would “work with the new administration when it 'settles' in the White House, firmly defending Russia's national interests and focusing on achieving all the goals of the special military operation.”
According to the Associated Press, Trump’s victory comes alongside Republicans gaining control of the Senate. As of Nov. 6, Republicans have 52 Senate seats, three of them having been switched, while Democrats have 44. Four Senate seats remain to be determined. This is the first time Republicans gained control of the chamber in four years.
Results for the House of Representatives election are still being determined, with Republicans having 201 seats and Democrats having 186, with 48 seats remaining to be called. If the Republicans gain control of the House, they will be in a similar political position as they were in 2016 when Trump first became president.
While Trump has revealed a number of plans for his first 100 days in office, the new Congress will have to work with Trump to address the nation's debt limit and confirm Trump’s judicial and Cabinet nominees.
According to NBC, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson reported plans for Republicans to reform the Affordable Care Act. They also hope to close the U.S.-Mexico border, repeal climate subsidies, enact mass deportations and reclassify federal staff members. According to NPR, Johnson has promised that Republicans would work “aggressively” to support Trump’s agenda.
“As I told President Trump, I said, Mr. President, you could be the most consequential president of the modern era because we have to fix almost everything,” Johnson said. “And it begins first with securing the border, which the American people demand and deserve. Right after that, we get straight to the economy.”
Update 11/7: This story has been updated with a statement from President Bernstein on the election results.
