WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Former President Donald Trump took the stage with his family at West Palm Beach County Convention Center early Wednesday morning to the raucous cheers of supporters.
As Trump neared the projected 270 electoral votes needed to win, he declared victory as Vice President Kamala Harris’ path to reach that threshold narrowed following projections for Trump in North Carolina, Georgia and in highly prized Pennsylvania.
At the time News had not yet projected a winner in the overall race, or in the four remaining swing states, as results continued to come in.
“We overcame obstacles that nobody thought possible,” Trump said. “And it is now clear that we’ve achieved the most incredible political — hey, look what happened, isn’t this crazy? But it’s a political victory.”
“It’s a political victory that our country is never seen before, nothing like this,” he added. “I want to thank the American people for the extraordinary honor of being elected your 47th president and your 45th president.”
He did not mention Harris.
Trump told the crowd they ushered in a new “golden age of America.”
“Every citizen, I will fight for you, for your family, and your future,” he said. “Every single day I will be fighting for you, and with every breath in my body.”
Before Trump spoke, his son Eric posted a photo of his father behind the scenes.
Trump left for the convention center shortly after he was projected to win North Carolina. He rode over with members of his family and his top campaign leadership team.
The former president packed the stage as he was joined by House Speaker Mike Johnson, Dana White and his family.
At one point, Trump referenced the assassination attempt against him in Butler, Pennsylvania, in mid-July.
“Many people have told me that God spared my life for a reason,” he said. “And that reason was to save our country and to restore America to greatness, and now we are going to fulfill that mission together.”
Trump’s running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, and his family were also with Trump on stage. Vance delivered brief remarks of his own.
“I think we just witnesses the greatest political comeback in the history of America,” Vance said.
Trump said Vance “turned out to be a good choice” and said he “took a little heat at the beginning” — a reference to Vance’s rocky rollout as the vice presidential nominee — prompting laughter from the audience.
Trump also praised Elon Musk, the world’s richest person who became one of Trump’s most vocal supporters in these final months of the campaign.
“Oh, let me tell you, we have a new star. A star is born,” Trump said of Musk.
The mood at Trump’s watch party began to mirror a campaign rally once North Carolina was called, according to News campaign reporters on the ground in Florida.
The crowd also booed when the screens showed Harris campaign co-chair Cedric Richmond saying Harris would be speaking at her watch party at Howard University. Harris will instead address the nation later Wednesday, Richmond said.
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