The complete presidential election results are not yet out, but one thing is certain- Trump has won.
As of 13:15 on the 6th of November 2024, the current Electorate College votes on each side is 277 to Trump and 224 to Kamala Harris, although these numbers will rise in the following days and hours as more states complete the vote counting.
To become president in America, 270 Electorate Votes are needed.
This makes Trump the elected President of America for the next 4-year term.
America is 7000km away from us, so should we care about the election result?
The answer is certainly yes.
The US is an extremely influential country, and any policies or events in America have strong impacts on global politics.
Regardless of your own political beliefs and your personal opinion on who should’ve been elected, Trump has been elected and in the following months everyone will be watching to see his actions as president, and we should definitely care.
What factors will affect the UK?
Foreign relations:
During the campaigning period in America, many labour officials travelled to America and campaigned for the democrats.
Following this, Trump accused the party of ‘blatant foreign interference’, and many have now feared strained relationships between the two countries in the future.
On the flipside, Sir Keir Starmer has assured that him and Trump have ‘established a good relationship’ and that the relationship with Trump has not been jeopardized.
Climate Change:
Trump has taken a more economical stance in regards to energy, rather than a more sustainable green approach.
He has vowed to boost oil and gas extraction, and ship more fossil fuels abroad, as well as planning to pull the US out of the Paris Agreement- a pledge to try and halt rising temperatures.
In a world where the impacts of climate change are severe and dangerous, Trump’s future policies in regards to sustainability will be important to watch out for.
Increased climate change could affect the UK too, with flooding, heat waves, and storms potentially becoming more serious issues.
Trade:
Trump has threatened new tariffs on goods from foreign countries.
This tariff would impact extremely negatively on the UK’s economy, raising inflation and decreasing economic growth.
Considering our current cost of living crisis, if Trump goes ahead with his threats, we may see even higher prices than the current day situation.