How Donald Trump Pulled Off the Greatest Comeback in Political History

Donald J. Trump completed the greatest political comeback in modern U.S. history in the early hours of Wednesday, claiming enough electoral votes to defeat Vice President Kamala Harris and return to the White House for a second term.

The president-elect declared victory in a speech from Florida at 2:30 a.m. ET, saying he had masterminded the "greatest political movement of all time" and pledging to "help our country heal," after vowing during the campaign to exact "retribution" on his political enemies. It was a nearly unthinkable coda to what can now be considered an intermission to the Trump era, which began with his refusal to concede defeat four years ago.

A violent attack on the Capitol by a mob of his supporters followed, which was then followed by four criminal indictments, a felony conviction on 91 charges, a $354 million judgment in a civil case against him and his business and another jury finding him liable for sexual abuse and defamation.