Trump wins U.S. presidential election, foreshadows policy shift

Republican flag-bearer Donald Trump has won the U.S. presidential election, voting results showed Wednesday, amid expectations that his victory could reorient America’s approach to the alliance with South Korea, North Korea’s military threats, trade and other key policy issues.

Former President Trump crossed the Electoral College threshold of 270 votes as he clinched victories in key battleground states, including Pennsylvania, Georgia and North Carolina, in Tuesday’s general election showdown against Vice President Kamala Harris.

As of 1:40 p.m., EST, he garnered 292 electoral votes, compared with Harris’ 224, according to the Associated Press. Trump was also on track to prevail in the popular vote with 51 percent of the vote versus Harris’ 47.5 percent.

The Republican Party secured 52 of the 100 Senate seats, reclaiming control of the upper house of Congress.

Voter turnout stood tentatively at 64.52, slightly down from the 2020 record of 66.3 percent, according to the University of Florida’s Election Lab.

His triumph marked a stunning political comeback that followed two attempts on his life, a felony conviction in a “hush money” trial, nagging questions over his alleged link to the Jan. 6 attack on Capitol Hill and a defeat in the Oval Office race four years ago.

Trump emerged victorious after he and Harris had been caught in an extremely tight race that highlighted the United States’ deep national polarization. Trump and his vice presidential running mate J.D. Vance are to take office on Jan. 20.

Shortly before the race was called for him, Trump declared a “magnificent” victory in the election and called for national unity.

“It’s a political victory that our country has never seen before, nothing like this,” he told a cheering crowd of supporters. “I want to thank the American people for the extraordinary honor of being elected your 47th president and your 45th president.”

He also stressed that he will be fighting for Americans and will not rest until a “strong, safe and prosperous” America is delivered.

“This will truly be the golden age of America,” he said.

He stressed the need for people to be united after a bruising campaign period.

“It’s time to put the divisions of the past four years behind us. It’s time to unite,” he said, claiming that America’s future will be “bigger, better, bolder, richer, safer and stronger.”

On Wednesday, Harris called Trump to congratulate him on his victory, a senior Harris aide told the Associated Press. Harris discussed the importance of a peaceful transfer of power with Trump ahead of her concession speech slated for 4 p.m.

Trump will be only the second president to serve non-consecutive terms after Grover Cleveland, a Democrat who was elected president in 1884, defeated by Republican rival Benjamin Harrison in 1888 and reelected four years later.

During his campaign, he tied Harris to unpopular aspects of President Joe Biden’s policy, tapping into public anxieties about still-high prices, illegal immigrants and a series of geopolitical and security challenges, including Russia’s war in Ukraine, North Korea’s nuclear threats and deepening instability in the Middle East.

His much-trumpeted slogan of “Make America Great Again” had resonated through his rallies in key battleground states, while his pledge to bring factories back to the United States under his “manufacturing renaissance” vision also struck a chord with American workers.

South Korea has been carefully watching developments in the U.S. election as a new occupant of the White House could bring a shift in America’s foreign policy that affects the Seoul-Washington alliance as well as the way Washington handles Pyongyang’s evolving nuclear and missile threats.

Once back into the Oval Office, Trump is expected to highlight his “America First” credo that is expected to put pressure on allies and partners to take greater responsibilities for their own security and curtail America’s costly involvement overseas.

Concerns have persisted that when he returns to the White House, he could call for renegotiation of a recent defense cost-sharing deal between Seoul and Washington. During his campaign, Trump called South Korea a “money machine” and a “wealthy country” in an apparent call for Seoul to raise its financial contributions for the stationing of the 28,500-strong U.S. Forces Korea.

On North Korea, expectations are high that Trump could revive his personal diplomacy with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to put a coda to the unfinished business of addressing the recalcitrant regime’s nuclear quandary.

Patrick Cronin, the chair for Asia-Pacific Security at the Hudson Institute said that one challenge for South Korea is that Trump’s direct negotiations with strongmen will create unintended consequences and perceptions of ally abandonment.

“The best way to minimize those risks will be for Seoul to maintain close relations with President Trump and senior members of his team as they enter office,” he told Yonhap News Agency via email.

“Establishing a close rapport with Congressional leaders will also be essential, given that changes in military, trade, and technology policy usually relate to policy and funding decisions made by lawmakers.”

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol offered a congratulatory message to Trump, voicing hopes that he will work closely together with the president-elect.

“Under your strong leadership, the future of the ROK-U.S. alliance and America will shine brighter. Look forward to working closely with you,” Yoon wrote on X, referring to South Korea’s official name, the Republic of Korea.

Also in the general election, Rep. Andy Kim, a third-term congressman, won a Senate seat for New Jersey, becoming the first Korean American elected to the chamber.

This year’s election cycle has been marked by a raft of unprecedented events, including assassination attempts against Trump, President Joe Biden’s surprise exit from the White House race and Harris’ bid to become the nation’s first female and first Asian American to occupy the Oval Office.