Donald Trump Projected Victor in Arizona, Securing All Seven Battleground States

Donald Trump is projected as the winner in Arizona’s US presidential election, completing a sweep of all seven swing states. This victory in the southwestern state, the last to announce its outcome following several days of vote tabulation, awarded Trump the remaining 11 electoral college votes available. This brings his total to 312, while Vice-President Kamala Harris secured 226. A total of 270 electoral votes are required to secure the presidency. The Republican Party has already secured control of the Senate, the upper legislative body of the US Congress, but the contest for the House of Representatives continues. Trump has not yet issued a statement regarding the Arizona update, which was announced late on Saturday. Arizona had historically been a Republican stronghold, consistently voting for the party for over two decades until Trump lost the state to outgoing President Joe Biden in the 2020 election. The margin between the two candidates was just over 10,000 votes. Throughout this year’s campaign, the president-elect committed to large-scale deportations of undocumented migrants residing in the US and vowed to secure the border. He also stated his intention to finish building a wall between the US and Mexico, a project initiated during his initial presidential term. Arizona shares hundreds of miles of its border with Mexico. Both Trump and Vice-President Harris made multiple visits to the state; Trump’s focus was primarily on deportation, while Harris emphasized stricter border security and routes to US citizenship. Crossings at the US southern border reached unprecedented levels at the close of last year, under the Biden-Harris administration, before decreasing in 2024. An estimated 12 million undocumented migrants reside in the US, with many having lived and worked in the nation for decades. According to experts who spoke to the BBC, deportations of the magnitude Trump has pledged would encounter significant obstacles and impede economic growth. He also promised to “end inflation.” Leading up to US election day, polls indicated a very close election; however, Trump’s share of the vote ultimately increased among crucial demographic groups. Earlier on Saturday, Trump declared that Nikki Haley and Mike Pompeo, both of whom served in the president-elect’s prior administration, would not be extended new roles upon his return to the White House in January. In a social media post, he stated that he “very much enjoyed working with them previously” and expressed gratitude for their service. Certain close allies of Trump have accused Haley and Pompeo of being “deep state moles,” alleging they would conspire to undermine his ‘America First’ agenda. Former South Carolina Governor Haley served as Trump’s primary challenger for the Republican presidential nomination. During the primaries, she sharply criticized her former boss, describing him as “unhinged.” She ultimately endorsed Trump, although he did not enlist her assistance for his campaign during the election’s final phase. While Haley’s exclusion from consideration for a role was not unexpected, former CIA director Pompeo had been widely regarded as a potential candidate for secretary of defense. The former Kansas congressman spearheaded Trump’s diplomatic initiatives in the Middle East and frequently engaged in contentious exchanges with the press to defend his superior. However, influential figures within Trump’s circle have actively campaigned against Pompeo and Haley. Among them is veteran political strategist Roger Stone, who stated on his website on Friday that Trump should be wary of “neocons” who could constitute “a sinister fifth column” within his upcoming administration. Stone specifically named Haley and Pompeo. Additionally, it was announced over the weekend that Biden is scheduled to host the president-elect in the Oval Office on Wednesday. This meeting will unite two fierce rivals in a demonstration of national unity, following one of the most acrimonious American election campaigns in recent memory. Such encounters are customary between outgoing and incoming presidents; however, when Trump lost his re-election campaign in 2020 during the Covid pandemic, he did not extend an invitation to Biden. He also did not attend his successor’s inauguration, contrary to tradition. Incoming First Lady Melania Trump has also received an invitation to the White House to meet Jill Biden, according to an East Wing official who spoke to CNN, although the timing of this meeting remains uncertain.