The race to 270 electoral votes ended with Donald J. Trump elected as the United States’s 47th president over current Vice President Kamala Harris. What does that mean? Former President Trump, will not officially be in office until Inauguration Day, which will occur on Jan 20, 2025. This is also Martin Luther King Junior Day, which is already making the occasion even more historic.
How did he win?
In key battleground states, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, and Arizona were heavily influential in determining who would take office. These are states “swinging” between Democratic and Republican for the past two presidential elections. These states were influential in the election results, and Trump’s winning most of them pushed him over the edge to secure his victory.
To win the presidency in the United States, a candidate must receive 270 electoral votes out of 538. Each state has a specific number of electors who vow to consider the popular vote when selecting which candidate will receive their electoral vote. The number of electors a state has is based on population. According to the Associated Press, Donald Trump secured his victory with 277 electoral votes with Kamala Harris ending the night with 224 votes.
What can be expected from his second presidency?
President-elect Trump’s policies mainly focus on the economy and immigration, which were main focuses during his campaign.
He plans to continue the rebuild of the American economy that he began during his first presidential term by decreasing unemployment rates in minority groups therefore increasing the workforce. He also plans to tackle inflation, which he stated in his 20 core policies on his campaign website and said to “end inflation and make America affordable again.” Trump plans to expand domestic energy production by opening areas such as the Arctic to oil drilling, which he says will lower energy costs.
As far as taxes are concerned, he plans to extend the tax cuts that he enacted in 2017, during his first term, promoting growth and investment. He also plans to continue taking percentages off of corporation tax continuing the theme of the largest tax cuts for businesses. He has also called for the abolishment of the tax on Social Security payments, which has been met with controversy from both parties.
His immigration policies remain as strong as they were in 2016, if not stronger. President-elect Trump’s plans to seal the border by increasing the amount of law enforcement surrounding it. He has vowed to carry out the largest mass deportation of undocumented migrants ever recorded in US history. Under another Trump policy, the children of undocumented immigrants would no longer be able to receive citizenship which will create legal obstacles.
Other major issues that surround President-elect Trump’s plans are unleashing energy dominance, rejecting globalism and embracing patriotism, and better healthcare choices at lower costs. For more information on policies visit his campaign page here.
