His exuberant speech came despite the fact that only Fox News had declared him the winner, with no other US networks having made the call so far.
As jubilant supporters cheered and chanted “USA”, Trump took to the stage at his campaign headquarters in Florida along with his wife Melania and several of his children.
“We are going to help our country heal,” the Republican former president said.”It’s a political victory that our country has never seen before.”
US networks have called the swing states of Pennsylvania, Georgia and North Carolina for the 78-year-old, and he led the Democratic vice president in the others although they have not been called yet. Gloom swiftly descended on Harris’s camp.
“You won’t hear from the vice president tonight but you will hear from her tomorrow,” Cedric Richmond, Harris campaign co-chair, told a watch party in Washington as supporters left.
In a further blow to Democrats, Trump’s Republican Party also seized control of the Senate, flipping two seats to overturn a narrow Democratic majority.
A Trump victory threatens to cause shockwaves around the world, as US allies in Europe and Asia fear a return of his nationalist policies and his praise of autocrats like Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
But the US dollar surged and bitcoin hit a record high while most equity markets advanced as traders bet on a victory for Trump as the results rolled in.
Mood shift
Polls for weeks had shown a knife-edge race between Harris and Trump, who would be the oldest ever president at the time of inauguration, the first felon president and only the second in history to serve non-consecutive terms.
Trump also faces sentencing in a criminal case over hush money payments on Nov 26, while the controversy over his denial of his 2020 election defeat by Joe Biden still persists.
But in the end victory came surprisingly quickly.
The mood shifted sharply at Harris’s watch party in Howard University - her former college and a historically Black university in Washington - as the results came in.
“I am scared,” said Charlyn Anderson. “I am anxious now. I am leaving, my legs can barely move.”
In contrast, the celebrations intensified at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida and the watch party nearby. Tech tycoon Elon Musk, who has backed Trump and stands to lead a government efficiency commission under him, posted a picture of himself with the Republican.
“Game, set and match,” Musk said on X, the social media network he owns along with the Tesla electric vehicle firm and the Space X company.
Millions of Americans had lined up throughout Election Day - and millions more voted early - in a race with momentous consequences for the United States and the world.
They were deciding whether to either hand a historic comeback to Trump or make Harris the first woman in the world’s most powerful job.
In a stark reminder of the tension - and fears of outright violence - dozens of bomb threats were made against polling stations in Georgia and Pennsylvania.
The FBI said the threats appeared to originate in Russia, which is accused by Washington of trying to meddle in the election. The threats were all hoaxes but succeeded in disrupting proceedings.
Dark rhetoric
Harris, 60, was aiming to be only the second Black and first person of South Asian descent to be president.
She made a dramatic entrance into the race when Biden dropped out in July, while Trump - twice impeached while president - has since ridden out two assassination attempts and a criminal conviction.
She hammered home her message that Trump was a threat to democracy and her opposition to Trump-backed abortion bans.
Trump has vowed an unprecedented deportation campaign of millions of undocumented immigrants, in a campaign full of dark rhetoric.
The election is being watched closely around the world including in the war zones of Ukraine and the Middle East. Trump has indicated he will cut aid to Kyiv’s battle against the Russian invasion.
World leaders praise Trump
World leaders raced to praise Trump as he claimed the stunning election victory.
Israel
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it a historic return for the former US leader and a new beginning in the US-Israel alliance.
“Congratulations on history’s greatest comeback! Your historic return to the White House offers a new beginning for America and a powerful recommitment to the great alliance between Israel and America. This is a huge victory!” said Netanyahu in a statement issued by his office.
China
As the results began to go Trump’s way, China said it hoped for “peaceful coexistence” with the United States.
“We will continue to approach and handle China-US relations based on the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told a regular briefing.
“We respect the choice of the American people.”
France
French President Emmanuel Macron congratulated “President Donald Trump”, saying he was ready to work with him “with respect and ambition” like “we managed to do for four years”.
In a post on X, Macron said that the relationship with Trump, who is leading the US presidential vote, would “take account of your convictions, and mine”, adding: “For more peace and prosperity.”
Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky congratulated Donald Trump on his “impressive victory” and said he hoped his presidency would bring “just peace in Ukraine closer.”
“I appreciate President Trump’s commitment to the ‘peace through strength’ approach in global affairs. This is exactly the principle that can practically bring just peace in Ukraine closer,” Zelensky said in a statement on social media.
NATO
NATO chief Mark Rutte congratulated Trump and said his return to power would help keep the alliance “strong”.
“His leadership will again be key to keeping our Alliance strong. I look forward to working with him again to advance peace through strength through NATO,” Rutte said in a statement.
India
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed Trump’s “election victory”.
“Heartiest congratulations my friend @realDonaldTrump on your historic election victory,” Modi wrote on social media platform X. “As you build on the successes of your previous term, I look forward to renewing our collaboration.”
Financial markets
The dollar surged, bitcoin hit a record high and European stocks rallied.
Trump has pledged to make the United States the “bitcoin and cryptocurrency capital of the world” and to put tech billionaire Elon Musk in charge of a wide-ranging audit of governmental waste.
“The markets are scrambling to figure out what happens next, but for the time being, the market is pricing in a higher growth and higher inflation outlook,” said Peter Esho, economist and founder at Esho Capital.