Trump is back. What’s next?

Good morning and welcome to the inaugural edition of White House Watch. I'm Steff Chávez, the FT's Washington reporter.

The results are in: Donald Trump will be back in the Oval Office after knocking down the Democrats’ “blue wall”. You can find the latest updates on our live blog . As the US and the world digest the results, let’s get right into it.

Americans have lurched sharply rightward , embracing Trump’s demagoguery, strongman style and nationalist agenda [free to read].

Trump has pulled off a remarkable White House comeback , ushering in a new era for the US and the world. He’s expected to push American democracy, US alliances and global markets into upheaval.

Compared with his performance in 2020, the president-elect gained ground in 48 of the country’s 50 states. His new rightwing coalition — built on strong support from men and non-college educated voters, along with gains from minority voters — shrugged off his violent rhetoric, misogyny and xenophobia.

Trump is on track to win the popular vote, the first time a Republican president has done so since George W Bush in 2004. He shrunk Democratic margins in heavily blue states such as New York, Connecticut and New Jersey, and flipped Miami-Dade County in Florida. He boosted his vote share in almost 90 per cent of the country’s counties.

It also turned out that abortion rights were not the rallying cry Democrats were banking on and failed to secure the blue wall for Harris. Trump cracked it by winning Pennsylvania — the biggest battleground prize — and then reduced it to rubble by flipping Wisconsin, clinching the presidency.

“America has given us an unprecedented and powerful mandate,” Trump said during his victory speech in West Palm Beach, Florida, near his Mar-a-Lago resort.

With the Republicans’ lock on the White House and Senate, Trump can press ahead with his controversial plans: high tariffs on a vast swath of imports, more confrontational relationships with traditional US allies and a massive crackdown on illegal immigration. The House has yet to be called but the GOP looks set to retain its majority, which would create a governing trifecta.

The president-elect’s next order of business is staffing his cabinet. . . . Register for the FT to keep reading the newsletter for free .