Trump wins Arizona, completing sweep of swing states
Will meet Biden in the Oval Office Wednesday
Monday, 11 November 2024
WASHINGTON, Nov 10 (AFP/AP): Donald Trump won the state of Arizona in this week's US presidential election, US TV networks projected on Saturday, completing the Republican's sweep of all seven swing states.
After four days of counting in the southwest state with a large Hispanic population, CNN and NBC projected Trump had obtained its 11 electoral votes.
Arizona swung red in the final result of the US presidential election, bringing president-elect Donald Trump to 312 electoral votes, well past the 270 needed for victory, while Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris lagged behind at 226, US networks said. Outgoing President Joe Biden scored a narrow but crucial victory in Arizona in 2020 during his victory that condemned Trump to defeat after his first term in office.
The scale and strength of Trump's comeback, which also saw the real estate tycoon win the popular vote by a margin of around four million votes, has sent shockwaves through the defeated Democratic Party.
The Republicans have already regained control of the Senate and look well set to retain a majority in the House of Representatives thanks to support from white working class voters and a large share of Hispanics.
CNN has called Republican victories for 213 seats in the House, with 218 needed for a majority in the lower chamber.
The networks figures show Democrats on 205 seats, although senior party figures are still hoping they can pull off a slim victory that would significantly curtail Trump's powers.
NBC sees the Republicans with 212 seats so far, and 204 for the Democrats.
The other six swing states won by Trump in the presidential race are Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, North Carolina, Nevada and Georgia.
Another report adds: President Joe Biden will host President-elect Donald Trump for a traditional postelection meeting in the Oval Office on Wednesday, the White House said Saturday.
Such a meeting is customary between the outgoing president and the incoming president, and is meant partly to mark the start of a peaceful transfer of power under America's democracy.