Donald Trump addressed his supporters at the Palm Beach Convention Center at 2:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning as he won at least 267 electoral votes with battleground states Arizona, Michigan, Nevada remaining to be called.
Trump sauntered on stage to his campaign song “Proud to be an American” and was joined by his children and grandchildren, including Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, who were uninvolved in this campaign.
Trump said God spared his life for a reason, and that reason was to “save our country and to restore America to greatness.”
“And now, we are going to fulfill that mission together,” he said
“This was, I believe, the greatest political movement of all time. There’s ever been anything like this in this country,” Trump began. “And now it’s going to reach a new level of importance, because we’re going to help our country heal. Help our country heal. We have a country that needs help, and it needs help very badly.”
The Trump campaign “made history for a reason tonight” and that’s because they overcame obstacles that nobody thought possible, Trump said.
“And it is now clear that we’ve achieved the most incredible political thing,” he added.
Trump said winning the popular vote was “very nice, very nice.”
“We have a great feeling of love in this very large room with unbelievable people standing by my side. These people have been incredible. They made the journey with me, and we’re going to make you very happy,” he said. “We’re going to make you very proud of your vote. I hope that you’re going to be looking back someday and say that was one of the truly important moments of my life when I voted for this group of people.”
Trump said America has given us an “unprecedented and powerful mandate, we have taken back control of the Senate.”
“And it also looks like we’ll be keeping control of the House of Representatives,” he added.
Trump then turned to his running mate, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance.
“I want to be the first to congratulate our great, now I can say, Vice President-Elect of the United States,” he said.
Vance took to the podium, thanking Trump for trusting him.
“I think that we just witnessed the greatest political comeback in the history of the United States of America,” Vance said to roaring cheers. “And
under President Trump’s leadership, we’re never going to stop fighting for you, for your dreams, for the future of your children.”
And after the greatest political comeback in American history, Vance said, “we’re going to leave the greatest economic comeback in American history under Donald Trump’s leadership.”
“I took a little heat at the beginning, but he was, I knew,” Trump chided about Vance. “I knew the brain was a good one, about as good as it gets. And we love the family, and we’re gonna have a great four years.”
Trump then allowed Dana White, CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship to speak, and Trump acknowledged professional golfer Bryson DeChambeau.
Trump then went on a several minute tangent professing his adoration for Elon Musk, owner of Tesla and SpaceX, and described watching a SpaceX rocket launch.
Trump concluded his speech pivoting back to his scripted remarks.
“We’ve built the biggest, the broadest, the most unified coalition. They’ve never seen anything like it in all of American history,” Trump said. “They’ve never seen young and old men and women, rural and urban. And we had them all helping us tonight.”
Trump said his voters came from all corners, “union, non union, African American, Hispanic American, Asian, American, Arab, American, Muslim, American.”
“We had everybody,” Trump said. “And it was beautiful.”
Trump said his victory is also a massive victory for democracy and for freedom.
“Together, we’re going to unlock America’s glorious destiny. We’re going to achieve the most incredible future for our people,” he said.
Trump said the task before him will not be easy but he will bring every ounce of energy, spirit and fight that he has in his soul to the job that he’s been entrusted with.
“This is a great job. There’s no job like this. This is the most important job in the world. Just as I did in my first term, we had a great first term, a great, great first term. I will govern by a simple motto, promises made. Promises kept. We’re going to keep our promises,” he said.
“Nothing will stop me from keeping my word to you, the people; we will make America safe, strong, prosperous, powerful, and free again. And I’m asking every citizen all across our land to join me in this noble and righteous endeavor,” Trump continued.
Trump said it’s time to put the divisions of the past four years behind us and it’s time to unite and “we’re going to try.”
“Success is going to bring us together, and we are going to start by all putting America first. We have to put our country first for at least a period of time. We have to fix it, because together, we can make America great again for all Americans,” Trump said. “I will not let you down, America. This future will be bigger, better, bolder, richer, safer and stronger than it has ever been before.”
