Trump becomes first Republican to win popular vote in 20 years
Donald Trump has become the first Republican in two decades to secure the popular vote in the US presidential elections.
The former president has reclaimed the White House, potentially becoming the first Republican to secure the popular vote since George W Bush in 2004, reports NDTV.
In the 2004 US Presidential elections, Bush won 62,040,610 votes and 286 electoral votes compared to Democratic nominee John Kerry who secured 59,028,444 votes and 251 electoral votes.
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According to election voter data of the past 20 years, Barack Obama achieved the largest popular vote victory with 69.5 million votes (52.9%) and a substantial 365 electoral votes in 2008. His second term in 2012, while still a decisive victory, saw a slight decline in popular vote percentage to 51.1% and in electoral votes to 332.
Contrastingly, the 2016 election saw an unusual outcome with Donald Trump winning the presidency with 304 electoral votes but only 46.1% of the popular vote, while Hillary Clinton won 48.2% of the popular vote - a 2.1% margin higher than Trump's and yet insufficient for victory.
In 2020, Joe Biden secured both a clear popular and electoral majority, winning 51.3% of the popular vote and 306 electoral votes. In comparison, Trump won 74,223,975 votes and his electoral votes stood at 232.
Trump gained early leads in crucial swing states, including North Carolina and Georgia. But the biggest prize of all was winning the crucial battleground state of Pennsylvania. With 19 electoral votes, Pennsylvania victory puts Trump closer to the White House.
These wins, combined with his strong showing in traditionally Republican strongholds like Texas and Florida, gave Trump a critical advantage in the electoral vote count.
