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Paul Sancya

It's official: Donald Trump surpasses 270 votes to formally win US presidency

Today’s vote ensures that the billionaire will become America’s 45th president.

DONALD TRUMP HAS cruised to victory in the US Electoral College, despite thousands of anti-Trump protesters who converged in cities across the country.

Today’s vote ensures that the billionaire will become America’s 45th president.

Texas put the Republican president-elect over the 270-vote threshold.

Electors had been deluged with emails, phone calls and letters urging them not to support Trump.

Two Texas electors cast protest votes against Trump, but in the end he had more than he needed.

What is the Electoral College? 

When US voters cast their ballots on 8 November, they did not directly elect the next president but rather 538 ‘electors’ charged with translating their wishes into reality.

Trump won a clear majority of those electors – 306, with 270 needed for election – despite losing the popular vote to Democrat Hillary Clinton by nearly three million votes.

The number of electors allocated to each state is based on how many representatives it has in the House plus one for each senator.

The District of Columbia gets three, despite the fact that the home to Congress has no vote in Congress.

Earlier today documentary filmmaker Michael Moore issued a personal appeal to Republican electors not to elect Trump.

In a post widely shared on social media, Moore promised to pay any fines incurred by electoral members by voting against Trump.

He called on the electoral college members to “vote with their conscience”.

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129 Comments
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    Mute Sheik Yahbouti
    Favourite Sheik Yahbouti
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    Sep 15th 2014, 4:26 PM

    These people must not have seen AIB’s latest advertising campaign – theme “brave”, as it getting up early, sticking to the task and running your business. It appears AIB have become a river of lending to hard pressed sme’s and the farming community. A most disgraceful and dishonest ad campaign in my opinion.

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    Mute Noel
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    Sep 15th 2014, 4:42 PM

    All of the adds for banks are dishonest. They are all giving mortgages and loans to SMEs but in reality this is a charade. You only have to talk to solicitors who will tell you that clients are being turned down for mortgages for the flimsiest of excuses. The current advertising campaigns are to give the impression that everything is back to normal.

    Makes you feel good that we bailed the banks out,doesn’t it!

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    Mute George Grey
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    Sep 15th 2014, 5:25 PM

    ” Brave ” how are you! You would need to be brave…and foolhardy….If you thought approaching the back might make a difference to your struggling. The economy continues to limp along for all those brave hearts at the bottom of the pile while those with large cash deposits get bigger and richer. Only a fool would believe the spin the government espouse. There is no recovery, there is no trickle down, there are still empty shop units all over the country. And it’s too late for lending, what’s needed are grants, vat and tax breaks, lower rates and a commitment to changing the upwards only rent reviews.

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    Mute James Duffy
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    Sep 15th 2014, 5:30 PM

    I am so glad someone else made reference to that ad! It’s awful condescending Shi*e. the absolute cheek of AIB to put out an ad like that. The voice over is an appalling choice. Completely out of touch with reality.

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    Mute Jack Delaney
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    Sep 15th 2014, 4:40 PM

    This is the sort of evidence out there that shows where our economy is truly at and not the crap that is spun by FG & Labour. You can’t tax the crap out of people to pay debt, run a high spend economy and expect growth.

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    Mute Niall o' Sullivan
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    Sep 15th 2014, 4:58 PM

    If Morgan Kelly’s recent prediction is correct, the outstanding loans to small business, if called in by the banks, is the biggest threat to the economy.

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    Mute Dee4
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    Sep 15th 2014, 4:48 PM

    The gov have been choosing public sector and bondholders over private sector. Every tax hike means a loss of business to a restaurant and most small service businesses out there. Then you have Nama forcing zombie businesses to compete with ligit ones. And if you have survived all that the local council will be gouging the business in return for very little. The Irish Economy seems to be using Atlas Shrugged as a strategic plan.

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    Mute Jack Delaney
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    Sep 15th 2014, 4:40 PM

    This is the sort of evidence out there that shows where our economy is truly at and not the crap that is spun by FG & Labour. You can’t tax the crap out of people to pay debt, run a high spend economy and expect growth.

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    Mute Patrick Jackman
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    Sep 15th 2014, 6:18 PM

    What happened to businesses maintaining proper current ratios and acid test ratios to ensure their short term expenses are covered? The SME sector insisted on maxing out every line of credit they could possibly set their eyes on..and more.

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