BBC News : Donald Trump will become the 45th US president after a stunning victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton.The Republican nominee defied pre-election polling to claim swing states, winning the key battlegrounds of Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Hillary Clinton will “deliver remarks” at 15:30 GMT in New York – her first public statement since conceding to Mr Trump in a telephone call.
Outgoing President Barack Obama has congratulated his successor by phone.
Mr Obama invited Mr Trump to a meeting at the White House on Thursday to discuss the transition.
The president-elect told cheering supporters that Americans must now unite and “bind the wounds of division”, after a gruelling, acrimonious campaign.
Global markets fell sharply at the news, but later recovered somewhat.
Around the world, leaders and the media have been reacting to America’s election upset:
- Germany’s foreign minister said the outcome would make things “more difficult’, with US foreign policy “less predictable”
- Russian President Vladimir Putin – for whom Mr Trump has voiced support but who Democrats accused of election meddling – said he hoped ties could improve from their current “critical condition”
- The European Union said close co-operation with the US was the only way to deal with “unprecedented challenges” around the world
‘United people’
As poll counting continued late into the night, it was Mr. Trump’s shocking victory in Wisconsin that pushed him past the crucial threshold of 270 out of 538 electoral college votes required to secure the presidency.
Within minutes of Mrs. Clinton’s concession call, the president-elect, accompanied by his family, took to the stage at a victory rally held in a New York hotel ballroom, where he expressed his admiration for his opponent.
“Hillary has dedicated immense effort and time to serving our country, and we owe her a significant debt of gratitude,” he acknowledged.
Furthermore, he urged Americans to “unite as one cohesive nation” and committed to being a president “for all Americans,” even though his campaign witnessed him targeting Muslims, Hispanics, and other minority groups.
The real estate tycoon, former reality TV star and political newcomer, who was universally ridiculed when he declared his candidacy in June last year, said the work of his “great movement” was just beginning.
“It’s a movement comprised of Americans from all races, religions, backgrounds and beliefs, who want and expect our government to serve the people.”
‘Popular revolution’: By Anthony Zurcher, BBC News, Washington
Donald Trump defied all expectations from the very start of his presidential campaign more than a year ago.
Very few people thought he would actually run. He did. They thought he wouldn’t climb in the polls. He did. They said he wouldn’t win any primaries. He did. They said he could never overcome resistance from the Republican establishment and win his party’s nomination. He did.
Finally, they said there was no way he could compete for, let alone win, a general election match-up with Hillary Clinton. Now he’s President-elect Trump.
Despite counsel from both within his own party and outside, advising moderation and a pivot to positions deemed more acceptable to mainstream voters, he staged the most unconventional of campaigns, relying on gut instinct and his trademark bombast.
He stayed true to the methods and tactics that got him to the cusp of the presidency, and in the end he was rewarded for it.
Down the stretch Mr Trump boasted that he was leading a movement, riding the crest of a popular revolution that would change the face of American politics. He was right.
Mr Trump has so far won 28 US states. Mrs Clinton, 69, has only notched up victories in 18 US states and the District of Columbia.
New Hampshire and Michigan remained too close to call as of Wednesday morning.
Mr Trump held solidly Republican territory, despite vigorous Democrat campaigning in states such as Georgia, Arizona and Utah, and achieved major upsets in swing states, winning Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, states that have not supported a Republican presidential candidate since 1988 and 1984 respectively.
How Donald Trump won the presidency (Trump beats Clinton)
Mrs. Clinton, who had envisioned herself as the first female US president, did not make an appearance at what was originally intended to be her victory rally in Manhattan.
On the other hand, Mr. Trump, aged 70, is set to assume office in January, accompanied by a Republican-dominated Congress, as the Democrats failed to seize control of the Senate during Tuesday’s general election.
Throughout his campaign, the populist billionaire stirred controversy with his remarks about women, Muslims, and his proposal to construct a wall along the US-Mexican border.
However, he managed to successfully garner support from white, working-class American voters who harbored frustration towards the established political order in Washington and felt neglected amidst globalization.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Clinton, who maintained a slight lead in opinion polls leading up to the election, faced persistent scrutiny due to FBI investigations into her use of a private email server during her tenure as US secretary of state. Moreover, the FBI once again cleared her of any criminal wrongdoing just last Sunday.
According to polls, she secured substantial backing from female, African American, and Hispanic voters. In contrast, Mr. Trump resonated well with male and white voters.
In a separate development, the states of Massachusetts, Nevada, and California voted in favor of legalizing recreational marijuana, potentially paving the way for the largest marijuana market in the United States.