Former President Donald Trump is projected to win the 2024 U.S. presidential election, securing a second term nearly four years after his departure from the White House, according to Decision Desk HQ (DDHQ).

Trump reached the 270 electoral votes needed for victory after being declared the winner in Pennsylvania and Alaska. This marks a historic return to power for Trump, who became the first president in over 120 years to lose re-election and then reclaim the presidency, a feat last achieved by President Grover Cleveland in 1892.

Trump's victory came after a tumultuous campaign that included a criminal trial, two assassination attempts against him, and a shift in the Democratic ticket following President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the race. He defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in a tightly contested race, with polling showing little separation between the two candidates in several key battleground states up until Election Day.

The former president capitalized on voter dissatisfaction with rising costs, migration at the southern border, and international instability under the Biden administration. Trump’s running mate, Senator JD Vance (R-Ohio), helped secure support for a return to Trump’s policies, contributing to his narrow win in the popular vote, which he had failed to secure in 2016.

Trump’s campaign flipped Georgia back to Republican control, held onto North Carolina, and made inroads in traditionally Democratic strongholds, while shattering the “blue wall” in key states. (ILKHA)