Map Reveals Trump's 2024 Triumph as America Leans Red

By CBS News

In one of the most closely contested elections of recent times, Donald Trump emerged victorious with a lead of approximately three percentage points. This marks a significant turning point, as voter support for Trump expanded across various regions and demographics throughout the country.

A Notable Win for Trump in American Politics

For the first time in his three runs for the presidency, Trump has outpaced his opponent in the popular vote. This victory is particularly noteworthy for the Republican Party, as it’s only the second instance since George H.W. Bush's 1988 win. Although Hillary Clinton secured nearly 66 million votes (48%) compared to Trump’s almost 63 million (46%) in 2016, it was the Electoral College that handed him the presidency back then. In 2020, however, he lost both to Joe Biden, who garnered about 81 million votes (51%) nationwide.

Nationwide Support Fueling 2024 Success

In 2024, Trump's success was fueled by enhanced support across a vast portion of the U.S., with over 90% of counties showing increased backing for him. This support spanned across different environments—urban, suburban, and rural.

Unexpected Shifts in Traditional Democratic Areas

Even in regions where Vice President Kamala Harris typically found favor, such as New Jersey and Trump's own birthplace of New York City, he made substantial inroads. In New Jersey, especially in places like suburban Passaic County, there was a remarkable shift towards Trump, with him securing a slight 3% lead when he had only managed 41% of the vote there in 2020.

Remarkably, in New York City—a place where Trump spent much of his life—he not only surpassed his past performances, but he also garnered a higher vote share than any Republican candidate since Ronald Reagan.

Broader Regional Swings

Further west, in Texas' Maverick County, primarily a Latino community, the shift was stark. Trump gained around 28 percentage points over Biden's 2020 performance, and Vice President Harris performed worse here than Trump did in the previous election cycle.

Insights from Exit Polls

According to CBS News exit polls, Trump's appeal widened to both male and female voters this year. In 2020, he narrowly won the male demographic by 49% to 48%, but in 2024, his appeal to men increased significantly to 55%.

Among women, who represented a demographic heavily targeted by Democrats, Trump also saw improvement. Despite Democratic efforts, his support from women rose slightly, from 43% in 2020 to 45% in 2024.

Trump's Broadened Appeal

Trump saw growth among groups traditionally aligned with Republicans, such as evangelical voters. Surprisingly, he also made strides in demographics typically leaning Democratic, including young and Latino voters in areas like Maverick County and Miami-Dade County, Florida. Notably, Trump captured the latter with approximately 55% of the vote, making him the first Republican to do so since 1988.

2024 Election Coverage

Graham Kates, a journalist focused on criminal justice and privacy issues, contributed to this report. He can be contacted at KatesG@cbsnews.com or grahamkates@protonmail.com.