Donald Trump will return to the White House after being elected the 47th president of the United States on Wednesday, an extraordinary comeback for a former president who refused to accept defeat four years ago.
The Republican candidate has managed to defeat his Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris, in the polls on 5 November 2024, and to achieve something that only one other man – Grover Cleveland in 1893 – has managed: to return to power after losing a re-election campaign four years earlier.
“I want to thank the American people for the extraordinary honour of being elected your 47th president and your 45th president,”
Former President & President Elect Donald Trump
In state after state, Trump outperformed what he did in the 2020 election while Harris failed to do as well as Joe Biden did in winning the presidency four years ago. Upon taking office again, Trump also will work with a Senate that will now be in Republican hands, while control of the House hadn’t been determined.
Prime Minister Albanese congratulates Donald Trump
Anthony Albanese has had his first conversation with US President-elect Donald Trump since the recent election results. The Australian Prime Minister confirmed the call on Thursday, saying, “It was good to speak this morning with President Trump to personally congratulate him on his election victory.”
Albanese added that they discussed the importance of the Australia-US alliance and the strength of their relationship in areas such as security, AUKUS, trade, and investment. “I look forward to working together in the interests of both our countries,” he said.
Earlier this week resurfaced 2017 footage of Mr Albanese saying Mr Trump “scares the s**t out of me” prompted renewed concerns about Labor’s ability to maintain the US alliance in the event of a Republican victory.
The call came as Kevin Rudd, Australia’s Ambassador to the US, removed previous anti-Trump remarks from his social media, where he had referred to the President-elect as “the most destructive president in history.”
Peter Dutton and the Greens
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton also extended his congratulations to the US president-elect, praising the United States as an “overwhelming force for good in the world.”
“When our close ally is strong and at its best, the world is at its best,” Dutton said.
In contrast, Greens Leader Adam Bandt described Trump’s presidential victory as a “bad day” for Australia, the US, and the world. Bandt warned that Trump would pose a “threat to democracy and to progress,” and urged Prime Minister Albanese to “urgently cancel AUKUS” and reassess Australia’s relationship with the United States.
“Australia should be able to make its own decisions, including on defence and foreign policy, and not be dictated to by Trump,” he added.
A disappointed Jacinta Allan
Premier Jacinta Allan has congratulated US President-elect Donald Trump on his election victory, though she expressed disappointment with the result.
“I congratulate incoming President Donald Trump on his election result. However, I want to make it clear that while I’m disappointed, I respect the outcome and the democratic process that led to it,” Allan said.
She acknowledged that political contests often reflect different views and values, but emphasized the importance of professionalism and respect for democracy.
“When there’s a political contest, it comes with different views and values. I’ve made my values clear to the Victorian community, but that doesn’t impact our relationship. At the end of the day, we are all professionals who respect the democratic process,” she explained.
Allan stressed the importance of upholding democratic values and the significance of maintaining strong international ties. “Democracy is vital—respecting the process and the outcome is crucial. We will continue to support that important relationship.”
She also reassured that her comments would not affect the diplomatic relations between the US and Victoria, which are built on a solid foundation of trade and investment. The US is Victoria’s largest source of foreign direct investment, valued at $3.34 billion, and its second-largest trading partner. In 2022-23, two-way merchandise trade with the US reached $17.3 billion.
“We already have a really strong trade and investment relationship with the United States,” Allan said. “We have several offices based in the US, and we maintain strong trading relationships with American companies. Those ties will continue to strengthen going forward.”
Trump to visit the White House
Outgoing US President Joe Biden is to address the nation. Biden’s address will take place at 2am tomorrow morning, Australian time.
President Joe Biden called President-elect Donald Trump yesterday to congratulate him on his election victory and invite him to the White House to discuss the transition. Donald Trump accepted Biden’s offer.
President Biden will address the nation on the election results, which will have a strong impact on his legacy. Biden also spoke with Vice President Harris to congratulate her on her campaign.
In addition to the crowd of foreign leaders who congratulated Mr Trump on his sweeping victory, former President Barack Obama also sent congratulations.
Meanwhile, in her first speech since her crushing defeat to Donald Trump, Kamala Harris on Wednesday night publicly congratulated Donald Trump on his victory and assured that she would ensure an orderly transfer of powers. She stressed that she would never give up “the fight for a future where Americans can pursue their dreams and ambitions, where the women of America have the freedom to make decisions about their bodies, not have their government tell them what to do.”
