The US presidential election came to a close in dramatic style this month as Donald Trump took a significant victory over Kamala Harris and the Democrats.
Trump was victorious in a huge 31 states in the presidential vote.
Incredibly, Trump managed a clean sweep of all seven swing states by overturning four results his way from the previous election.
In the senate, the Republicans now have a six-seat majority, gaining four seats from the Democrats.
They successfully flipped a slight Democrat majority after the 2020 elections, where the senate was split 50/50 before runoffs in Georgia later that year.
The House of Representatives is looking no different: as of 26 November, the Republicans lead 219 to 213 with three seats to be called.
This means the Republicans are guaranteed a majority in both the House and the Senate, which will be vital for getting Republican legislation passed.
Therefore, along with a popular vote lead of over 2.5 million, Donald Trump successfully completed his victory across the board over Kamala Harris.
This election result has huge implications for the US and indeed the world with regards to the conflicts such as in the Middle East and Ukraine, economies across the globe and much more, as the Biden administration prepares to give way for Trump’s 2nd term.
Trump has already made several choices for who he wants in his cabinet and in other senior roles and there are a few notable choices:
Firstly, he has nominated Robert Kennedy (JFK’s nephew) to be in charge of the US Department of Health - an agency overseeing areas including drug, vaccines, food safety and medical research.
Kennedy is a long-time vaccine sceptic, who has repeated claims that some vaccines cause autism in children.
He has also suggested that fluoride, a mineral that helps prevent tooth decay, should be removed from drinking water.
Many are shocked by the decision to bring an anti-vaxxer and someone with such outspoken views into such a position.
Nevertheless, Kennedy is very likely to be in the position for the next five years so it will be fascinating to see what happens next.
Trump also appointed the world’s richest man, SpaceX founder and X owner Elon Musk as the co-leader of the newly formed Department of Government efficiency (DOGE).
The department will be in an advisory capacity outside of government and DOGE does not yet exist so it remains to be seen what Musk’s exact role will be in the Trump administration and what kind of impact he will be able to have.
This result will certainly have huge ramifications across the globe, but in what way we don’t yet know. It will be fascinating to see how his second term unfolds.
