Trump officially confirmed as next US president
December 20, 2016
President-elect Donald Trump has been formally voted the next president of the United States by the Electoral College.
In order to win the presidential election a candidate must receive at least 270 electoral votes. Electors from Texas put Trump over the 270 threshold, according to reports, bringing his tally to 304. Clinton received 228 votes.
Trump called it a "historic electoral landslide victory" even though his Electoral College margin ranks 46th among 58 US presidential elections.
"The official votes cast by the Electoral College exceeded the 270 required to secure the presidency by a very large margin, far greater than ever anticipated by the media," he said in a statement.
The vote did not come without protests, as demonstrators took to the streets in state capitals across the country. Hundreds of demonstrators in Pennsylvania's capital, Harrisburg, chanted "No treason, no Trump!" and "No Trump, no KKK, no fascist USA!"
But Trump also had plenty of support, including from the former Republican candidate and current Ohio governor John Kasich, who said it was time to get behind the president-elect.
"We want unity, we want love," Kasich told electors during proceedings in the state capital, Columbus.
Kasich did not endorse Trump after dropping out during the primaries and did not vote for Trump during the election.
After hearing of the result, Trump vowed to "work hard to unite our country and be the president of all Americans."
Not all in line
The Electoral College vote is seen as a modern formality, as electors are expected to vote in line with their respective state's wishes. But six electors ended up not voting for Trump or Clinton.
Four voters in Washington state, which supported Clinton, did not select the Democratic nominee. Three voted for former Secretary of State Colin Powell and one voted for Native American tribal leader Faith Spotted Eagle.
Two voters in Texas, which supported Trump, did not vote for the Republican candidate. One voted for Kasich and the other selected former Texas Representative Ron Paul.
kbd/cmk (AP, dpa, Reuters)