Donald Trump defied polling projections winning crucial battleground states such as Pennsylvania and Florida and in the end, securing the White House.
Donald Trump is to become the 45th President of the United States following a heated election race against former secretary of state, Hillary Clinton. Donald Trump ultimately secured 278 electoral votes against Clinton’s 218 after a series of strong performances in various battleground swing states. Under the US’ complex electoral system, 270 electoral votes in total are necessary to secure the presidency.
Donald Trump stated in his acceptance speech: “I will be a president for all Americans” reiterating the populist message that has characterized his campaign. Despite his rallying cry for America “to come together again” it remains to be seen whether this includes the Hispanic and Muslim communities that he has repeatedly targeted through-out his campaign.
Whilst various controversies have persistently surrounded the presidential candidate, Mr Trump ultimately was victorious in a historically tight presidential race. Nevertheless, despite the various sexual assault allegations that plagued his campaign and following the release of a video exposing his controversial remarks regarding women, somewhat surprisingly he performed well among white women alongside the predicted strong turnout from white male voters. Moreover, Trump performed strongly in the majority of crucial swing states including Ohio, Florida and Pennsylvania.
Despite collective outrage from the media, political establishment and even fellow Republican’s over his divisive campaign, Trump ultimately emerged curiously unscathed when America came to vote. It is this phenomenon that led the BBC to brand Trump, as “Teflon Trump” as no scandal seemed to stick. His democratic opposition Clinton on the other hand, failed to convince the electorate of her capabilities as the FBI investigation into her mishandling of emails and involvement with Benghazi overshadowed her candidacy, in what ultimately marked a disappointing night for Democrats. Despite becoming the first ever women presidential candidate in US history, Clinton ultimately failed to overcome the final hurdle and break the most significant glass ceiling. Mrs Clinton has yet to come forward with her concession speech, but she has extended her congratulations to the President-elect.
Many have already made comparisons with the UK’s decision to leave the EU, as disillusioned individuals across the US and UK protest against the establishment and the political elite. Whilst it is rare for a party to keep control of the white house for two consecutive presidencies, initial projections did not anticipate how strongly the Trump populist message resonated with an american public, which previously selected and re-elected Barack Obama based upon his progressive liberal platform for change.
As US election results began to reveal a clear path towards a Trump victory, global markets were volatile. The FTSE 100 index initially fell by 1.4 percent before rebounding to a mere 0.3 percent loss on the day. Similarly, Asian markets saw losses amid Wednesday trading. Japan’s Nikkei 225 closed down by 5.4 percent, and the Hang Seng in Hong Kong closed at 2.2 percent lower. The Dow Jones is expected to also experience falls upon opening.