Republican candidate Donald Trump won the US presidential election with 276 electoral votes, effectively declaring victory. Presidential election: Trump's victory was announced just before 3:30pm on the 6th, Japan time, or just before 1:30am Eastern Time. CNN: "Trump has won Pennsylvania. It's a huge, huge victory. He's won all 19 electoral votes in one go, and is on his way to regaining the presidency." Then, just after 3pm on the 6th, Japan time, FOX News declared Trump's victory. Trump made the de facto victory declaration at a rally in Florida. Republican Trump: "Thank you. I want to thank you all. This has been an incredible movement. You've never seen anything like it. This is the greatest political movement in history, never before seen in America, let alone the world. Our work will become even more important because it will heal the wounds of our nation. This country needs a helping hand. We have created the most incredible political... Look at this result, isn't it amazing? Has this country ever had a political victory like this? I want to thank the people for the honor of electing me as the 47th President. I will continue to fight every day from now on. I will not rest until we have a strong, safe and prosperous America for our children and for you. This is going to be a golden age for America. You have won a spectacular victory for the people, and we can make America great again. I also want to thank my wife, Melania, the First Lady. By the way, her book is the best-selling in the nation." The presidential election is a battle for the 538 electoral votes allocated to the 50 states and the capital, Washington. Polling stations in the east are closing one after another, and the counting and tallying of votes will begin immediately. There are said to be more than 82 million early votes, and it was unknown how the vote count would turn out. After the polls closed, the first results in two states were announced just after 9:00 a.m. on the 6th, Japan time. CNN: "CNN predicts that Trump will win Kentucky and gain 8 electoral votes. Harris will also win Vermont and gain 3 electoral votes." The vote counting continued smoothly after that. CNN: "As expected, Trump won Florida and gained 30 electoral votes. He is also likely to win Tennessee, which has 11 electoral votes, and Missouri, which has 10 electoral votes. Harris also won Massachusetts and gained 11 electoral votes. She is expected to gain 10 electoral votes in Maryland and 3 in Washington DC." However, after 1:30 p.m. on the 6th, Japan time, the situation started to move at a rapid pace. CNN "This is a major victory prediction. CNN predicts that Trump will win in North Carolina. It looks like Trump will win, the first victory prediction in the seven battleground states. This brings the number of electoral votes to 227." North Carolina is one of the battleground states. Due to the damage caused by the hurricane, it was impossible to predict how the voters would vote, but the voters' decision was "NO" to the current administration. After that, the information that came in one after another was all "Trump has the advantage in the battleground states." In 2016, Trump won most of the eight battleground states where the number of Democratic and Republican supporters was almost equal and independent voters determined the outcome, and he was elected president for the first time. On the other hand, in 2020, Biden will win the battleground states and succeed in taking power. This time, Ohio has become Trump's kingdom, so there are now seven battleground states. The current situation is that Trump is likely to win all seven of those states. ■ Headwinds continue for Democrats in battleground states The three Rust Belt states were the final barrier that the Democrats had focused their election campaign on as the "blue wall." However, the impression given during advance interviews was undeniable: Trump had the advantage. These are the opinions of people who would not be surprised to support the Democrats. For example, an Arab person said this: Arab person (Michigan): "(Q: You say that many Arab Americans support the Democratic Party, but that this has changed recently. Is that true?) Looking back, there was no war when Trump was president." Arab person (Michigan): "Personally, I will vote for Trump. I will 100%." ​​A low-income person receiving free food also said: Food delivery recipient (Pennsylvania): "If it was between those two, I would choose Trump. (Q: Why?) Because he gets results." Car dealership owner (Ohio): "(Q: The reason I can't trust the Democratic Party, especially Harris) It's not that I don't trust them, but rather that we have different values. I've worked more than 60 hours a week. I paid a lot of taxes, paid my bills on time, and saved up to buy a house. But Harris says she'll give about 3.8 million yen to first-time home buyers. When I think that the source of that money is my own taxes, it makes me mad." Supporters from Harris' camp were leaving the venue one after another. Harris' supporter: "I'm glad that she's become an example of how far we've come. From tomorrow, Trump is the next president, and Harris can't become president, but I'll never forget her." The Republicans also regained the majority in the Senate elections held at the same time as the presidential election. If they maintain their majority in the House of Representatives, Washington will be "triple red." Republican Trump: "America has given us unprecedented power. We have taken back the majority in the Senate. 'God saved my life for a reason,' I often hear people say. The reason is to save this country and make America great again. We will do that together. It will not be an easy task, but I will fight with all my heart and soul to live up to the trust placed in me. It is time to move away from the divisions of the past four years and move towards unity. We must try, and we will be able to unite. We have already seen it. During my first term, people were united. Success will unite us." ■ Looking again at the seven battleground states that were the focus of attention in the US media's "factors of victory and defeat," Trump won in North Carolina and Georgia. Both states suffered severe hurricane damage and have a large number of black voters. It is said that voters were "turning away from Harris" due to the economic hardship. Trump also won in Pennsylvania, which was said to be the most battleground state. Trump also won in Wisconsin, confirming his victory. (Q: What ultimately pushed Trump forward?) Professor Kazuhiro Maejima of Sophia University: "Looking at the results, the margin was small, and it wasn't a landslide victory. The polls were pretty much tied, and Trump came out on top. I think he exploited Harris' weaknesses in a few areas. I shouldn't call them weaknesses, but to put it very simply, it was Harris herself. By using the phrase, 'Should a woman be president?', he solidified those who think that macho and masculine things are good. Also, Harris is black and Asian, but Trump purposely said to a meeting of black journalists, 'She's suddenly become black, isn't she?' Some people think that Harris is not black, but half-Japanese, which makes them hesitate to vote for her. He divided Hispanics by using phrases like, 'We're supposed to be working together in the Biden administration, but you haven't done anything about it. Should we treat you the same as illegal immigrants?' It's a small difference, but I think it became huge as it accumulated." (Q: Trump won in Georgia, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, states which the Democrats took in the last election. When you were reporting on the ground, did you sense anything that would overturn the results?) Anchorman Okoshi Kensuke: "It's true that many of the interviewers said, 'This time it's Trump.' However, when I went to the venue where Trump was giving his speech, some people left halfway through because the content was personal criticism of Harris and blatant harsh remarks about the Democrats. Because of this, I thought we wouldn't know the outcome until the end, but as Professor Maejima says, it's probably the accumulation of subtle differences that led to the outcome of this election." (Q: I think there were many well-behaved Republicans who harbored unpleasant feelings towards Trump. After reporting this time, do you think such people would vote for Trump?) Sophia University Professor Maejima Kazuhiro: "There's a lot of support for Trump. If you ask what Trump's eight years have been about, he has become mainstream conservative. During his administration he worked hard on small government and tax cuts. While keeping Christian evangelicals in mind, he appointed a lot of conservative judges. For the first time in 49 years, abortion rights have been left to the states to decide. He's truly a hero for evangelicals. And he's also said to have solidified the support of some angry white people. "Biden is a big part of the party, with its small government and evangelical elements that are mainstream conservative, so even people who thought of him as a mainstream Republican probably thought, 'I can't vote for Biden.'" (Q: Was there any dissatisfaction with the economy, such as rising prices, directed at the current administration?) Professor Maejima Kazuhiro, Sophia University: "That must be true. There's a term called 'Bidenflation.' The inflation created by Biden. The inflation was caused by COVID, which caused the collapse of supply chains, and then the Ukraine war, which made energy prices higher, but it got worse during Biden's term. Of course, the Biden administration provided generous support in various ways, so you can't deny that it's not 100% Bidenflation, but that's an exaggeration. 'Inflation occurred during the Biden administration. Now is the time for hardship. Harris, who supported the Biden administration, must also be responsible.' This statement is overwhelmingly strong, especially among Republican supporters." (Q: During the election, even if there was a fight, once it was over, it was all over, but this time it feels like the division is deep. What do you think?) Sophia University Professor Kazuhiro Maejima: "Trump will first take measures against immigration and expel illegal immigrants. Furthermore, he plans to pardon all those arrested in the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Trump himself has been indicted, but he may pardon him. He has also said he will denounce those who have cornered Trump and his supporters, so I think it will be difficult to call it a no-side." 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