On the brink of a landslide win in the US election, Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump thanked his supporters today and described it as a “magnificent victory for the American people”. He also referred to the July 13 assassination attempt and said “God spared my life for a reason”. 

The 78-year-old is currently projected to win 267 electoral college votes, three short of the magic figure of 270. The opponent, incumbent Vice President Kamala Harris is trailing at 214.

Describing the Republican campaign as the “greatest political movement of all time”, Trump said, “We are going to help our country heal, fix our borders, we made history for a reason tonight. We have achieved the most incredible political win. I want to thank the American people. I will fight for you and your family with every breath in my body.”

Trump said the Democrats are now looking at a massive electoral votes score of 315.

A massive factor in Trump’s victory was the Republican sweep in seven swing or battleground states. From a 6-1 score in favour of Democrats in the 2020 polls, these seven states swung to a 7-0 advantage for Trump. The Republican leader has already won three swing states — Georgia, Pennsylvania and North Carolina — and is leading in Arizona, Wisconsin, Michigan and Nevada.

What makes the Republican victory bigger is the fact that they have also taken control of the Senate and are leading in the election for the House of Representatives.

In his victory speech, Trump thanked his supporters, running mate JD Vance, wife Melanie Trump and his children for their support in what has been a challenging campaign. He also gave a shoutout to Tesla CEO and X boss Elon Musk, who has been voicing support for Trump.