Donald Trump now also wins Arizona – and with it all swing states

Donald Trump has further expanded his triumph in the US presidential election: four days after the vote, the television channels CNN and NBC reported on Saturday (local time) Trump’s victory against the Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris in the southwestern state of Arizona, whose eleven voters won Trump recorded. Trump ultimately prevailed against Harris in all seven states that were particularly hotly contested this time. Meanwhile, Trump announced that he would forego two well-known Republican politicians for his government cabinet.

Seven states were considered decisive in this year’s US presidential election: Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Georgia, Nevada and Arizona. Four years ago, the then Democratic candidate Joe Biden won these states with the exception of North Carolina.

The conquest of all so-called swing states is another component of Trump’s electoral success across the board. According to the available figures, the 78-year-old is likely to win the majority of votes cast nationwide (popular vote), something that a Republican candidate has not achieved since 2004.

His Republican Party also won a majority in the Senate in the congressional elections that took place at the same time. In addition, the party has a good chance of defending its majority in the House of Representatives. According to recent data released by CNN, Democrats have secured 205 seats in the House of Congress and Republicans have secured 213 – two shy of their majority of 218. Democratic officials continue to believe their candidates have a chance of winning in several of the remaining districts and thus secure a narrow majority for the party.

With both chambers of Congress on his side and a conservative-dominated Supreme Court behind him, Trump would have a level of power like few US presidents before him.

Meanwhile, Trump announced that he did not want to appoint two politicians who were considered possible members of his government cabinet. Trump said on Saturday (local time) in his online network Truth Social that he would not “invite” former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo or former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley to his cabinet. However, he “really appreciated working with them” and thanked both of them for their service to the country.

Pompeo and Haley were key members of Trump’s administration during his first term in office from 2017 to 2021. Haley initially ran as Trump’s most promising opponent in the Republican presidential primaries – but expressed her support for Trump after her withdrawal.

Pompeo had been considered for the post of defense secretary. Last summer, the former CIA chief presented a plan for military support for Ukraine against Russia’s war of aggression. Among other things, this provided for more arms exports and tough measures against the Russian energy sector. Pompeo’s ideas were in clear contrast to Trump’s statements during the election campaign, who had repeatedly expressed criticism of arms deliveries to Ukraine.

Trump has so far only announced one personnel decision for his new cabinet: his campaign manager Susie Wiles is to become the first woman in history to become chief of staff in the White House. Trump is expected to announce the filling of the most important positions in his government team by the time he takes office on January 20th.

Outgoing US President Biden is scheduled to receive Trump at the White House on Wednesday. After Trump’s election victory was confirmed, Biden announced a “peaceful and orderly” handover of office and extended an invitation to his successor.

Biden will leave office on January 20th, the same day Trump will become the 47th President of the United States when he is sworn in in front of the Capitol, after being the 45th President and Biden’s immediate predecessor from 2017 to 2021. In the USA, there is traditionally a transition phase between the election and the swearing-in, in which the outgoing president provides assistance to his successor.

However, after his election defeat against Biden in November 2020, Trump refused an orderly transition. In a break with tradition, he also did not attend Biden’s swearing-in. The right-wing populist made unsubstantiated allegations of election fraud at the time, which he still sticks to today.