Trump wins historic comeback after 2020 loss, indictments and bruising campaign

Donald J. Trump's projected triumph complete Kamala Harris successful nan 2024 presidential election marks a historical and improbable comeback for nan erstwhile president, who near agency successful 2021 aft failing to overturn nan 2020 predetermination results. Afterward, he became nan first erstwhile president to beryllium charged pinch either authorities aliases national crimes, pinch four abstracted indictments, 1 of which resulted successful conviction. 

"We overcame obstacles that cipher ever thought we could," he said connected predetermination nighttime aft a bitter, bruising campaign. He vowed to conflict for each family and for their futures. "This will genuinely beryllium nan aureate property of America," he vowed.

Trump was projected by CBS News to person won nan battleground states of North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — surpassing nan electoral ballot period of 270 by 6 votes pinch a full of 276. Votes were still being counted successful nan different battleground states of Michigan, Nevada and Arizona erstwhile Trump secured nan presidency. 

Former President Donald Trump pinch erstwhile first woman Melania Trump and boy Barron Trump during an predetermination nighttime arena connected Nov. 6, 2024 successful West Palm Beach, Florida.  Joe Raedle/Getty Images / Getty Images

Exit polling shows Trump won overwhelmingly among White voters without a assemblage acquisition and made inroads pinch Black and Latino men.

Throughout his two-year campaign, Trump hammered President Biden, and later Harris, connected ostentation and nan economy. It's a connection that resonated pinch voters, whose views connected nan system are much antagonistic now than they were successful 2020, contempt nan pandemic that brought nan system to a halt during his presidency. Nationally and crossed nan battleground states, connected nan mobility of whether voters are amended disconnected now than they were 4 years ago, much voters said they are financially worse off.

In Georgia, independent voters collapsed for Trump successful Georgia, 54% to 43%, according to CBS News exit polls. This is simply a group that backed Mr. Biden successful 2020 by 9 points. The system was their apical issue. 

Harris and Trump attracted adjacent support from independents successful North Carolina, but that meant nan vice president was winning a smaller stock than Mr. Biden did successful 2020. Even pinch that edge, North Carolina was nan lone battleground authorities Trump won that year.

Trump besides ran difficult connected migration — arsenic he has for astir a decade — and vowed astatine astir each run arena that he'd transportation retired wide deportations if he's reelected. Exit polling showed that voters besides believed Trump would do a amended occupation of confronting forbidden migration astatine nan confederate border. 

Trump has had an unshakeable guidelines of voters, and successful this election, he was capable to pull new  voters who were undecided — low-propensity, young antheral voters —  turned retired for him. 

Trump is nan first convicted felon to triumph nan presidency. Sentencing for his national condemnation successful nan New York "hush money" proceedings is group for Nov. 26 and raises questions astir really a president-elect would beryllium punished nether nan law. He besides faces criminal charges successful three different cases whose futures are now successful doubt.

At 78, Trump is nan oldest personification to beryllium elected president — breaking nan grounds held by President Biden, who withdrew from nan 2024 statesmanlike title successful July amid questions astir his property and competency. Mr. Biden was besides 78 erstwhile he took agency successful 2021, but connected Inauguration Day, Trump will beryllium respective months older than Mr. Biden was erstwhile he was sworn in.

On his way to nan presidency, Trump besides survived 2 assassination attempts, 1 during a rally successful Butler, Pennsylvania, connected July 13, erstwhile a gunman's slug grazed his ear, and a abstracted incident astatine his West Palm Beach play nine connected Sept. 15 erstwhile a suspect fled aft nan Secret Service opened fire. 

Launched 2024 run 2 years ago

Trump launched his 2024 run successful November 2022, astatine his location successful Florida, soon aft Republicans fell short of their expectations of a "red wave" successful nan midterm elections. He built his run connected retribution, anti-immigrant rhetoric and a continued populist displacement successful his economical and societal policies.

He held his first rally successful Waco, Texas, months later, connected March 24, 2023 — nan 30th day of nan standoff location betwixt national agents and Branch Davidian cult led by David Koresh that led to nan decease of 82 members. Trump characterized his ain title arsenic nan "final battle" and promised vengeance against perceived governmental enemies.

"I americium your warrior, I americium your justice," Trump said, flanked by "witch hunt" signs surrounding nan stage. "For those who person been wronged and betrayed … I americium your retribution."

United States v. Donald J. Trump

Trump's 2024 run was for a fewer months dominated by nan 4 indictments against him. In March 2023, he was indicted by nan Manhattan territory lawyer connected fraud charges stemming from his domiciled successful hush money payments made to an big movie prima earlier nan 2016 election. 

In summation to nan New York case, Trump was indicted successful 2 abstracted national cases revenge by typical counsel Jack Smith. He  faced charges successful Florida of mishandling classified documents he tried to support astatine his location aft his presidency astatine his home. That lawsuit was dismissed by a judge who ruled that Smith's assignment arsenic typical counsel was unconstitutional. Smith is appealing that decision. 

In Washington, D.C., he faces charges complete his alleged efforts to subvert nan serene transportation of powerfulness aft nan 2020 election. The judge successful this case. The judge successful this lawsuit has yet to group a day for nan proceedings arsenic nan parties stay successful litigation complete what classified worldly tin beryllium included, aft nan U.S. Supreme Court ruled that presidents person immoderate immunity from prosecution for charismatic actions taken while successful office.

In Georgia, he was indicted pinch complete a twelve others connected charges stemming from efforts to overturn nan results of nan 2020 predetermination successful Georgia. That lawsuit has been connected clasp by an appeals tribunal since June.

Trump pleaded not blameworthy successful each of nan cases against him.

Trump's first indictment and only condemnation successful nan New York hush money proceedings only bolstered his canvass numbers and his fundraising, solidifying his power complete nan Republican Party successful nan early stages of nan superior campaign. Within 24 hours of his conviction, he raised over $52.8 million. 

Republican primaries 

Trump faced a number of superior opponents, including 2 who served successful his administration, erstwhile Vice President Mike Pence and erstwhile U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley. At nan outset, Trump's biggest threat appeared to beryllium Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a blimpish politician whose authorities had nan strongest showing for Republicans successful nan midterm elections. But DeSantis grounded to summation traction pinch GOP voters and dropped his bid successful January aft finishing 30 points down Trump successful nan Iowa caucuses. 

Haley, Trump's remaining superior opponent, won only 2 contests —  Vermont and Washington, D.C. Trump ne'er participated successful a superior debate. 

Once Trump clinched nan nomination, he installed loyalists wrong nan Republican National Committee, naming North Carolina GOP president Michael Whatley and his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, arsenic nan party's co-chairs. The brace focused connected "election integrity" successful battleground states, filing lawsuits complete elector rolls and early-voting laws while they worked to person conservatives that nan early voting strategy Trump disparaged for years was basal for him to win.

Trump continued to formed uncertainty connected early voting, which he saw arsenic a instrumentality for Democrats to effort to bargain nan 2024 predetermination from him.

A caller title — and an assassination attempt

After Trump and Mr. Biden clinched their respective nominations, their debate, hosted by CNN, was scheduled for June 27. It became nan astir consequential statement successful U.S. history erstwhile Mr. Biden's performance, marred by gaffes, unfinished sentences and mumbling, caused Democratic leaders and voters to mobility his expertise to service different word because of his age.

Trump did not run for 10 days pursuing nan debate, arsenic a increasing database of Democrats called connected Mr. Biden's cognitive expertise to proceed his reelection bid. 

Mid-July was a turning constituent successful nan 2024 race, upending nan statesmanlike campaign.  

On July 13, Trump survived an assassination attempt successful Butler, Pennsylvania, erstwhile his receptor was  grazed by a slug aft a gunman fired respective times astatine him during a rally conscionable earlier nan Republican convention. 

A time and a half later, Trump tapped Ohio GOP Sen. JD Vance, a first-term legislator and bestselling writer of "Hillbilly Elegy,"  to beryllium his moving mate.

Days later he accepted nan Republican Party information for nan 3rd time, making him nan first Republican to unafraid nan statement information 3 times since Richard Nixon. 

A fewer days later, Mr. Biden exited nan title and backed Harris for nan Democratic nomination.

Just 2 months aft nan effort connected his life successful Butler, Trump's life was put successful threat again aft an attempted gunman, equipped pinch a rifle, was spotted astatine his play people successful West Palm Beach connected Sept. 15. Trump returned to Butler connected Oct. 5 for a rally pinch Elon Musk. 

Focus connected Harris successful last days of campaign

With Mr. Biden retired of nan race, Trump trained their attraction onto Harris, whom he disparaged arsenic "low IQ" and "stupid." 

The Trump run branded Harris "border czar" – a reference to her duty by Mr. Biden to reside nan guidelines causes of migration into nan U.S. from cardinal American countries – and many times attacked her connected immigration. He profanely disparaged her, calling Harris a "sh** vice president" and claiming she was "importing forbidden alien rapists and murderers."

Immigration was a changeless successful each of 3 of Trump's bids for nan White House. He promised mass deportations for migrants and promised to found nan decease punishment for immoderate migrant who kills a U.S. citizen. 

In nan last week earlier nan election, his run was embroiled successful controversy. His rally astatine New York's Madison Square Garden was overshadowed by comments made by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who referred to Puerto Rico arsenic a "floating land of garbage," among different racist jokes. 

During an question and reply pinch Tucker Carlson, he called erstwhile Rep. Liz Cheney, 1 of his astir vocal critics, a "war hawk" and suggested she'd person a different sentiment connected overseas wars if she had guns pointed astatine her. 

Trump besides ramped up his rhetoric against nan media, telling supporters 2 days earlier nan predetermination that he wouldn't mind if personification tried to sprout done nan media riser to assassinate him, arsenic he complained astir nan bulletproof solid positioned astir him. 

In his closing connection connected nan way successful Georgia, Trump promised greatness if he won.

"After each we person been done together, we guidelines connected nan verge of nan 4 top years successful American history," Trump said. "You watch, it's going to beryllium truthful good, it's going to beryllium truthful overmuch fun. It'll beryllium nasty a small spot astatine times, and possibly astatine nan beginning, successful particular, but it's going to beryllium something."

In:
• Donald Trump
• 2024 Elections