US President-elect Donald Trump vowed to lead the "golden age of America" after he emerged victorious in the contested election, defeating Vice President Kamala Harris in Tuesday's polls.
Addressing a crowd of supporters early Wednesday morning after earning more than 270 electoral votes, the former president said, "This was, I believe, the greatest political movement of all time. There's never been anything like this in this country and maybe beyond. And now it will reach a new level of importance because we will help our country heal."
"We're going to help our country heal. We have a country that needs help, and it needs help very badly. We're going to fix our borders. We're going to fix everything about our country, and we've made history for a reason tonight. And the reason is going to be just that. We overcame obstacles nobody thought possible," he added to cheers from the crowd.
He noted that this was a magnificent victory for the American people, which would allow the citizens to make America great again.
Throughout the election cycle, Pennsylvania was seen as the state that would likely determine the overall outcome, as both campaigns repeatedly travelled throughout the Keystone State to build support. Georgia was another hard-fought state for both campaigns, and Trump was ultimately projected victorious on Tuesday evening.
Vice President-elect JD Vance addressed the crowds on Wednesday morning, thanking Trump for an "incredible journey."
"I appreciate you allowing me to join you on this incredible journey. I thank you for the trust and the place for me. I think that we have just witnessed the greatest political comeback in the history of the United States of America. Okay. And under President Trump's leadership, we'll never stop fighting for you, your dreams, and your children's future. And after the greatest political comeback in American history, we will lead the greatest economic comeback. Under Donald Trump's leadership," he said.
...What Trump's Victory Could Mean For The World - Wechie
International Affairs expert Livingstone Wechie has said that Donald Trump's win will have far-reaching implications because of America's strategic significance in the global economy and international politics.
He told LEADERSHIP in an interview on Wednesday that Trump faces a myriad of challenges around the world and that he must find solutions to these problems, especially in conflict zones in the Middle East and Ukraine.
Speaking on Ukraine, the expert said it would be a watershed to see what Trump will achieve if a deal can be reached to scale down the war with Russia, stressing that the continuous tilting of the Apple Cart has caused more global economic downturn than necessary.
"The strategy of a deal will most likely apply to the Israel/Hamas and Hezbollah war in Gaza, which has shifted into an almost total regional conflict. It may be suggested that some conflicts have continued because of a lack of clarity of grounds to tone down hostility due to vested interests. If Trump can review America's interests in some of these conflicts, chances are that an end may be in sight," Wechie said.
He emphasised that Africa may need to tighten up and not expect to be spoon-fed with Donald Trump as America's 47th President. He warned African leaders that Trump would focus more on profit for America and would not be at the expense of the United States but based on the options for the US to take a big brother's lead.
"The option for Africa may be to leverage America's desperate bid to unseat Russia and China in Africa. Trump may hinge his negotiations on causing Africa to look in the US's direction, away from whatever the duo of Russia and China may be offering. Sadly, Africa contributes, as of today, less than 3% of the global economy. The implication is that under Trump's tenure, Africa must sit up", he added.
Recall that during his last tenure, Trump did unveil a 'new Africa Strategy' to advance US trade and commercial ties with African nations. But it had surreptitious underpinning to counter the influence of America's adversaries like China and Russia on the continent.
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Wechie lamented that Nigeria's leadership in Africa is shrinking and may be further subordinated by Trump because of the trend of policy somersault in Nigeria, which may negatively impact the opportunities at stake.
"Trump's first administration began drafting a Free Trade Agreement with Kenya until President Joe Biden came in and set it aside in favour of the Strategic Trade and Investment Partnership. Trump did unveil a 'new Africa Strategy' to advance US trade and commercial ties with African nations aimed at dismantling Russian and Chinese dominance. However, Africa has been unable to create a vantage for itself, making the region highly vulnerable.
"Africa must buckle up under a Trump administration that will be more rigid in its immigration policies. It must devise an organic economic growth system to allow the region to negotiate trade options," he said.
