America’s 45th President, Donald J. Trump, won the 2024 presidential election this week and will return to Washington as the nation’s 47th president.
In perhaps the greatest comeback in American political history, President-elect Trump has won nearly every swing state, including Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia, and North Carolina. He lost nearly all of these states in the 2020 presidential election, winning just North Carolina that year. As of this writing, Nevada and Arizona are still counting votes and are too close to call, but Trump has secured the presidency with 295 Electoral College votes. Some news outlets are calling both of those states’ races, but it is not a clear consensus. He leads in both states. He is also expected to win the popular vote, something no Republican presidential candidate has done in 20 years. As of now, he has just over 74 million votes.
Vice President Kamala Harris has received 226 Electoral College votes but trails in the two remaining battleground states, Nevada and Arizona.
Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) will now be elevated to the vice presidency and Ohio Governor Mike DeWine (R-OH) must appoint a replacement to fill the remaining four years of Vance’s term.
The transition from the Biden administration to the second Trump administration has already begun with President-elect Trump naming his campaign manager Susie Wiles as the White House chief of staff. She is the first woman to ever hold that title.
Trump will now be tasked with filling out his cabinet positions and a vast number of appointees to various government positions. Typically, once the results of a presidential election are clear, a series of actions in the transition occur based on presidential transition law, including:
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On the day following a concession of all but one eligible candidate, or the determination of a sole apparent successful candidate, General Services Administration (GSA) continues to provide office space and support services to the President-elect and Vice President-elect, with support continuing up to 60 days after inauguration
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A classified summary regarding national security is given to the president-elect as soon as possible after the election
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Training and orientation activities commence for prospective presidential appointees (typically funded by Congress for the fiscal year in which the transition falls)
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30 days before the expiration of the term, GSA begins support to outgoing president and vice president, with support continuing for seven months total
