Trump claims 'powerful mandate' after Fox News projects he has won US presidency

A woman sits and stretches as she waits to vote as the Italian Heritage Center has had a line over an hour long since 7 am in Maine's 2nd congressional district during the 2024 U.S. presidential election on Election Day in Portland, Maine, U.S., November 5, 2024. REUTERS/Faith Ninivaggi

PALM BEACH, Florida (Reuters) -Republican Donald Trump claimed victory in the 2024 presidential contest after Fox News projected that he had defeated Democrat Kamala Harris, which would cap a stunning political comeback four years after he left the White House.

"America has given us an unprecedented and powerful mandate," he said early on Wednesday to a roaring crowd of supporters at the Palm Beach County Convention Center, flanked by his vice presidential running mate, Senator JD Vance, Republican leaders and members of Trump's family.