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By Kendall Westgate, WestgateK@Findlay.edu
For the third presidential election in a row, the University of Findlay community predicted the winner during Rock the Mock. With 292 electoral votes, former President Donald Trump (R) won the 2024 presidential election; while Vice President Kamala Harris (D) came in with 224 electoral votes.
During Rock the Mock – a mock election hosted by Pulse Media Club – Trump won with 226 votes with Harris at 175 votes.
This election came down to seven battleground states, which could swing either republican or democratic. Those states include: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Trump was the projected winner in North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan. However, the winner of Arizona and Nevada has yet to be projected.
Harris called Trump on Wednesday to congratulate him on winning the presidential election, according to CBS News. Harris forgoed her planned event at Howard University on Election Night with plans to address her supporters on Wednesday afternoon.
Trump, alongside his running mate Senator JD Vance (R-Ohio), declared a victory in a speech to supporters on Wednesday morning.
“I want to thank the American people for the extraordinary honor of being elected your 47th president and your 45th president,” Trump said at his election headquarters in Florida. “And every citizen, I will fight for you, for your family and for your future. Every single day, I will be fighting for you with every breath in my body.”
Trump focused his campaign on several key policies, including immigration, trade and the economy. He aims to carry out the largest domestic deportation operation in American history, build more border walls, end birthright citizenship, and restore the travel ban on certain countries, according to PolitiFact.
Moving into the economy, Trump plans to extend the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, to continue cutting taxes for corporations and small businesses, according to ABC News.
Another large policy he wants to put into place is national security. He plans to increase military spending and strengthen security at the U.S. border, according to ABC News.
Trump will be sworn into office at his inauguration, which takes place on Jan. 20. He will then move into the White House after the inauguration ceremony.
During this ceremony, Vance will recite his oath of office and be sworn in first. Following Vance, Trump will then recite his own oath of office to be sworn in, according to CBS News. After the recitation, Trump will give his inaugural address, which will outline his vision and goals for their term.
