CNN projects Trump will secure a second term, making a historic comeback after his loss four years ago

CNN projects Trump will secure a second term, making a historic comeback after his loss four years ago.

CNN projected Wednesday that Donald Trump will become America's 47th president, completing one of the most remarkable comebacks in political history. His victory will grant him enormous, disruptive power both domestically and internationally, sending ripples across the globe.

Just four years after leaving Washington as a disgraced figure, following his failed attempt to overturn the 2020 election, Trump triumphed despite two assassination attempts, two impeachments, his criminal conviction, and numerous other charges.

In a speech from his Mar-a-Lago resort early Wednesday, Trump promised to "heal" the nation, secure its borders, and restore a strong, thriving economy. His victory was fueled by millions of voters frustrated with rising food and housing costs, many of whom supported his plans for a tougher stance on illegal immigration.

“I want to thank the American people for the extraordinary honor of being elected your 47th president and your 45th president,” Trump said, becoming only the second president in history to win a nonconsecutive term. “This will truly be the golden age of America.”

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Trump’s newfound mandate is likely to stoke concerns that he intends to wield presidential power in ways that could challenge democratic norms. Throughout his campaign, he expressed a belief that presidents should have near-unlimited authority and vowed to use his second term for “retribution” against his political opponents. He has openly discussed leveraging America’s institutions—potentially including the military—to punish those who stand in his way. A mass deportation of undocumented, and possibly even some legal, immigrants could trigger a confrontation with the courts.

Trump’s victory was cemented when Wisconsin’s results pushed him over the top, securing the 270 electoral votes needed to reclaim the presidency. His win marked the end of the Democrats' desperate efforts to prevent his return, which had included a rushed elevation of Vice President Kamala Harris to the party’s nomination after President Joe Biden’s poor performance in the June CNN debate against Trump.

In a remarkable turnaround, Trump outperformed his showing in 2020, flipping key states like Georgia and Pennsylvania back into the GOP column, and holding onto North Carolina—states that Democrats had targeted as crucial to Harris’s path to the White House.

Trump’s rhetoric during the campaign leaned heavily on authoritarian-style language and false claims that American cities were under “occupation” by foreign criminals and gangs. But he also tapped into a deep frustration with the lingering effects of inflation and promised a new direction that would avoid a potential descent into global conflict. He warned voters that only he could prevent the nation from spiraling toward World War III amid ongoing foreign crises.

A central tenet of his campaign was the promise to build the "greatest economy in the world" and make life more affordable for working Americans, particularly those who form the populist base of the Republican Party he has reshaped. For his supporters, Trump’s blunt and often divisive rhetoric—sometimes vulgar and racially charged—has positioned him as a champion against political correctness. But the final days of the campaign were marked by widespread debate about whether Trump’s leadership style veered into fascism, reflecting the deep fears among many Americans about the authoritarian tendencies he may bring to the Oval Office. With half the electorate firmly opposed, there is palpable anxiety about his potential to upend democratic principles and norms in the years ahead.

Trump's victory is almost certain to lead to the dismissal of special counsel Jack Smith, and it means that the president-elect will face no electoral consequences for his attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election—an effort that culminated in the violent January 6 Capitol attack by his supporters.

At 78, Trump has become the oldest person ever elected president, a fact that will likely draw heightened scrutiny of his every move and statement as commander-in-chief, with particular focus on any signs of age-related decline or cognitive issues.

Given the combative nature of his campaign, Trump's election could signal a period of both domestic and international instability. He has pledged to use his second term to exact "retribution" on his political enemies and has openly suggested using the military to confront what he called “the enemy from within.” On the global stage, U.S. allies are bracing for the return of the unpredictability that characterized Trump's first term in office. Concerns are also mounting over his commitment to uphold NATO’s foundational principle of mutual defense, further raising questions about the future direction of U.S. foreign policy.

Trump’s victory, built on his unparalleled control of the GOP, solidifies his status as one of the most consequential political figures in U.S. history. It underscores that his 2016 win was not a fluke, but rather the start of a major realignment in both domestic politics and America’s role on the global stage. For President Biden, this outcome means that his legacy will no longer be defined by his triumph in ousting Trump from office in 2020. Instead, it will be overshadowed by the hubris of pursuing a second term that would have made him 86 upon its conclusion, inadvertently paving the way for Trump’s return.

Trump’s victory marks a second time he has thwarted the hopes of millions of Americans who sought a female president. Just as he defeated Hillary Clinton in 2016, his victory over Kamala Harris now prevents the breaking of what Clinton once called “the highest, hardest glass ceiling” in American politics.

Central to Trump’s return to power was his false narrative that he was unfairly removed from office in 2020, a claim that millions of Americans embraced, buying into his alternate reality. His defiance and ability to turn legal challenges into political assets were on full display when he famously turned his mug shot—taken in a Georgia jail after an indictment over election interference—into a rallying cry. The photo became a symbol for a primary campaign that had struggled to gain momentum, and his mounting legal troubles—including a criminal conviction in Manhattan related to a hush money case—only fueled his base. He portrayed himself as a victim of political persecution, galvanizing support by insisting that the charges against him were politically motivated.

Trump's sense of invincibility—and the almost messianic fervor it inspires in many of his followers—was solidified when he narrowly survived an assassination attempt during a Pennsylvania rally. With blood dripping from his ear and his fist raised in defiance, he told his supporters to “fight, fight, fight,” further cementing his image as a man on a mission, seemingly untouchable by forces that would bring others down.

Former President Donald Trump, blood on his face, raised his fist to the crowd as Secret Service agents surrounded him at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. [Evan Vucci/AP]

Trump's promises on the campaign trail have left many Americans bracing for one of the most disruptive and divisive periods in modern U.S. history. He has vowed to launch the largest deportation operation in U.S. history on Day 1 of his presidency, targeting undocumented immigrants and legal Haitian refugees, whom he falsely accused of eating the pets of Ohio residents. The president-elect has also pledged to overhaul the U.S. economic system, with plans to impose sweeping tariffs on foreign imports—especially steep hikes on Chinese goods—that are expected to send shockwaves through global markets.

CNN’s projection that Republicans have already regained control of the Senate means Trump will have significant leverage to reshape the judiciary, further entrenching conservative legal dominance for decades to come. While the race for the House of Representatives remains undecided, if Republicans hold on to their narrow majority, Trump will face minimal opposition in his pursuit of sweeping changes in Washington.

A presidency without constraints?

Trump and his supporters have made it clear that they believe his true instincts were stifled during his first term by entrenched Washington elites. In response, he and his allies have put forward plans to dismantle key government agencies, replacing career civil servants with political loyalists who will carry out his most extreme political agenda. Trump has also pledged to remove senior personnel at the Justice Department and intelligence agencies, whom he views as biased against him, and replace them with individuals who align more closely with his vision.

Trump’s plans are almost certain to spark a constitutional showdown over the scope of presidential powers, pitting the White House against the courts. His efforts to use government institutions to advance his personal and political agendas, as well as to punish his opponents, could put the rule of law to a significant test. However, Trump has been clear about his intention to fully leverage this summer’s Supreme Court ruling, which granted presidents broad immunity for official acts and reinforced his already controversial belief that the president holds near-unchecked power.

Trump’s return to power will also likely put an end to the federal prosecutions stemming from his attempts to overturn the 2020 election. His new attorney general will have the authority to halt Special Counsel Jack Smith's case on election interference, as well as his appeal to revive the trial over Trump’s handling of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago. The fate of the state prosecution in Georgia, which involves Trump's efforts to reverse Biden's victory there, remains uncertain, but it is expected to lead to a legal battle over whether a state can put a sitting president on trial. Meanwhile, Trump has made it clear he is open to pardoning his supporters convicted and imprisoned for their roles in the Capitol insurrection.

Police clash with pro-Trump rioters who breached the Capitol, marking the first time the building had been attacked since the British burned it in August 1814 during the War of 1812. It took several hours for authorities to regain control and secure the Capitol.  

Mostafa Bassim/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Abroad, Trump is likely to once again make the United States one of the world’s greatest sources of unpredictability. His mercurial foreign policy, reflecting his volatile character, is expected to further undermine Washington’s role as the leader of a rules-based, Western democratic order. Trump has pledged to end the war in Ukraine shortly after taking office, and his admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin—whom he called a “genius” on the campaign trail—raises concerns about a potential resolution that could validate Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. Such a move would raise serious questions about America’s willingness to appease foreign autocrats and its longstanding commitment to protecting the territorial integrity of its allies in Europe and the Pacific, including NATO members and Taiwan.

Trump has consistently argued that American allies have been freeloading off U.S. security guarantees for decades and is likely to push them hard to take greater responsibility for their own defense. Some analysts credit his first term with pressuring NATO countries to increase military spending, and his return to power is expected to be welcomed by Israel as it continues its conflicts with Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, as well as by some Gulf states that supported his hardline approach to Iran. Trump’s supporters believe he will restore America’s strength abroad, especially after the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan under President Biden.

A new challenge for a shaken national psyche.

If Trump completes his second term, he will become the oldest sitting president in U.S. history—a milestone that will carry a sense of irony, given his relentless attacks on Biden’s age and mental fitness, which paved the way for his predecessor’s exit from the political stage.

Throughout the campaign, Trump’s own mental lapses and erratic behavior fueled speculation about his health and cognitive abilities—a theme likely to persist throughout his second presidency. His ongoing tendency to insert himself into every cultural and political debate, combined with his unyielding desire to spark conflicts with both political and personal foes, promises to provide another psychological test for the nation.

Trump will enter the White House with Vice President-elect JD Vance, the Ohio senator who has emerged as a key figure in the Trumpist movement, fiercely defending his new boss on the campaign trail. Meanwhile, Trump’s first vice president, Mike Pence, has become persona non grata in the Republican Party after his refusal to comply with Trump’s demands to overturn the 2020 election results during the certification process.

Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) introduces former President Donald Trump at a rally at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud, Minnesota, on July 27, 2024. [Stephen Maturen/Getty Images]

Trump’s return to the Oval Office makes him only the second president since Grover Cleveland in 1892 to win a second term after losing reelection.

His supporters will eagerly await his second inaugural address, while millions of other Americans will watch with trepidation, as he delivers a new version of the "American carnage" speech he gave in 2017. In January, Trump will raise his hand to pledge to "preserve, protect, and defend" the Constitution once again, but this time, the nation’s reaction will be far from uniform.

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