Donald Trump is set to return to the White House, having promised action on issues including immigration, the economy and the war in Ukraine.
He looks likely to enjoy plenty of support for his political agenda in Congress after his Republican party regained control of the Senate.
In his victory speech, Trump vowed: “I will govern by a simple motto: Promises made, promises kept. We’re going to keep our promises.”
But in some cases, he has given little detail of how he might achieve his aims.
Asked in 2023 by Fox News whether he would abuse his power or target political opponents, he replied he would not, “except for day one.”
“No, no, no, other than day one. We’re closing the border, and we’re drilling, drilling, drilling. After that, I’m not a dictator.”
Follow live election day updates as Trump wins
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1) Deport undocumented migrants
While campaigning, Trump promised the biggest mass deportations of undocumented migrants in US history.
He also pledged to complete the building of a wall at the border with Mexico that was started during his first presidency.
The number of crossings at the US southern border hit record levels at the end of last year during the Biden-Harris administration, before falling in 2024.
Experts have told the BBC that deportations on the scale promised by Trump would face huge legal and logistical challenges – and could slow economic growth.
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2) Moves on economy, tax and tariffs
Exit poll data has suggested the economy was a key issue for voters. Trump has promised to “end inflation” – which rose to historic levels under President Joe Biden before falling again. But a president’s power to directly influence prices is limited.
He has also promised sweeping tax cuts, extending his overhaul from 2017. He has proposed making tipped income tax-free, abolishing tax on social security payments and shaving corporation tax.
He has proposed new tariffs of at least 10% on most foreign goods, to cut the trade deficit. Imports from China could bear an additional 60% tariff, he has said. Some economists have warned that such moves could push up prices for consumers.
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3) Pardon some Jan 6 rioters
Trump has said he will “free” some of those convicted of offences during the riot in Washington DC on 6 January 2021, when his supporters stormed the Capitol building in an effort to thwart the 2020 election victory of Joe Biden.
Several deaths were blamed on the violence, which Trump was accused of inciting.
He has worked to downplay the riot’s significance and recast the hundreds of supporters who were convicted as political prisoners.
He continues to say many of them are “wrongfully imprisoned”, though has acknowledged that “a couple of them, probably they got out of control”.
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4) Sack Special Counsel Jack Smith
Trump has vowed to sack “within two seconds” of taking office the veteran prosecutor leading two criminal investigations against him.
Special Counsel Jack Smith has indicted Mr Trump over alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election, and over his alleged mishandling of classified documents.
Trump denies any wrongdoing, and managed to prevent either case coming to trial before the election. He says Mr Smith has subjected him to a “political witch hunt”.
Trump will return to the White House as the first ever president with a criminal conviction, having been found guilty in New York of falsifying business records.
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5) End Ukraine war
Trump has criticised the tens of billions of dollars spent by the US on supporting Ukraine in its war with Russia – and has pledged to end the conflict “within 24 hours” through a negotiated deal.
He has not said what he thinks either side should give up. Democrats say the move would embolden President Vladimir Putin.
Trump wants the US to disentangle itself from foreign conflicts generally. Regarding the war in Gaza – Trump has positioned himself as a staunch supporter of Israel, but has urged the American ally to end its operation. He has also pledged to end the related violence in Lebanon, without giving further detail.
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6) No abortion ban
Against the wishes of some of his supporters, Trump said during the presidential debate with Kamala Harris that he would not sign into law a national abortion ban.
In 2022, the nationwide constitutional right to abortion was overturned by the Supreme Court, which had a majority of conservative judges following Trump’s first presidency.
Reproductive rights became a key campaigning topic for Harris, and several states approved measures to protect or expand abortion rights on polling day.
Trump himself has regularly said states should be free to decide their own laws on abortion, but struggled to find a consistent message of his own.
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7) Cut climate regulations
During his first presidency, Trump rolled back hundreds of environmental protections and made America the first nation to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement.
This time, has again vowed to cut regulations, particularly as a way to help the American car industry. He has constantly attacked electric vehicles, promising to overturn Biden’s targets encouraging the switch to cleaner cars.
He has pledged to increase production of US fossil fuels – vowing to “drill, drill, drill” on day one in favour of renewable energy sources such as wind power.
He wants to open areas such as the Arctic wilderness to oil drilling, which he argues would lower energy costs – though analysts are sceptical.
Donald Trump has won the US presidential election, media said Wednesday, defeating Kamala Harris in a stunning political comeback that will send shock waves across the world.
The polarizing Republican’s victory, following one of the most hostile campaigns in modern US history, was all the more remarkable given an unprecedented criminal conviction, a near-miss assassination attempt, and warnings from a former chief of staff that he is a “fascist.”
“It’s a political victory that our country has never seen before,” Trump told a victory party in Florida.
Vice President Harris, who only entered the race in July after President Joe Biden dropped out, ran a centrist campaign that highlighted Trump’s inflammatory messaging and use of openly racist and sexist tropes.
But his apocalyptic warnings about immigration and championing of isolationism found their mark with voters battered by the post-Covid economy and eager for a change from the Biden years.
The campaign pointed to a nail-bitingly close contest, but the results came surprisingly fast, delivering a crushing victory that included wins in the swing states of Georgia, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.
Trump is the first president in more than a century to win a non-consecutive second term.
He is also the only person to be elected as a convicted felon — he will face sentencing in a New York court for fraud on November 26.
Already 78, Trump is on course to break another record as the oldest-ever sitting president during his four-year term. He will surpass Biden who is set to step down in January at the age of 82.
Impact on foreign policy
The US dollar surged and bitcoin hit a record high while most equity markets advanced, with traders betting on a victory for Trump as the results rolled in.
But turmoil likely lies ahead.
Trump’s victory comes with his promise of radical policy shifts — not just at home but also abroad, where his unrestrained isolationist and nationalist “America First” stance is likely to have enormous consequences.
He has repeatedly suggested he would end the conflict in Ukraine by pressuring Kyiv to make territorial concessions to Russia, and his threat of mass deportations of illegal immigrants has stirred deep concern in Latin America.
He also returns to the White House as a climate change denier, poised to dismantle his predecessor Biden’s green policies and jeopardize global efforts to curb human-caused warming.
Even before Trump’s stunning victory was fully confirmed, foreign leaders rushed to send congratulations.
These included longtime Trump allies, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Also messaging Trump was Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is predicted to see a rapid reduction in US military aid once Biden leaves office. Zelenksy said he hoped the “impressive victory” would help his country find a “just peace.”
NATO’s chief, Mark Rutte, said Trump, who has frequently expressed displeasure with the US-led alliance, would make it “strong.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer joined the stream of well-wishers, while French President Emmanuel Macron vowed to join Trump in working “with respect and ambition.”
Showman’s instinct
For all his dark promises of political revenge against enemies at home and his criticisms of longstanding allies overseas, Trump remains famously unpredictable when it comes to matching words with actions.
His campaign rallies, filled with grievance, insults and misinformation, featured extreme rhetoric.
But he won positive coverage with viral online moments that played on his everyman appeal and his showman’s instinct — like his appearance at a McDonald’s drive-thru and impromptu news conference from a garbage truck.
He campaigned on tax cuts, less regulation and the most significant increase in import tariffs in nearly a century to promote growth and boost manufacturing, despite warnings of trade wars and higher prices for US consumers.
Trump’s more mainstream messaging often became overshadowed by his tendency to lurch into foul language and violent imagery. But that hard-charging style played well with his unfailingly loyal base, which sees him as a Washington outsider.
And he gained traction with his hard-line anti-immigration message and outreach to working-class voters hit by Covid-triggered inflation.
When Harris joined the race in July, replacing Biden, she soon managed to close the yawning gap Trump had opened over the president in opinion polls.
Her message of unity, focus on abortion rights and warnings of the threat Trump posed to democracy appeared to resonate, evidenced by a huge surge in fundraising that swelled her campaign war chest way beyond her rival’s.
Ultimately, however, she fell short of what would have been a historic win as the first Black woman elected to the White House.
