Maldives’ leader congratulates Trump; looks forward to strengthening cooperation

Maldivian President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has congratulated Republican candidate Donald Trump, who is projected to win the United States presidential election.

Millions of Americans headed to polls on Tuesday. While vote counting is not yet over, Trump has claimed victory over his Democratic rival and incumbent American vice president Kamala Harris, after several battleground states called in his favor.

In a post on X on Wednesday afternoon, President Muizzu joined other world leaders in congratulating Trump on making an apparent stunning political comeback, four years after he left the White House.

In his message, President Muizzu said that the Maldives and the US share a strong partnership based on mutual respect, goodwill and understanding.

“I look forward to strengthening our cooperation, address mutual challenges and work towards advancing global peace and prosperity,” he said.

The US uses a unique system to elect presidents - Electoral College.

The Electoral College is a 538-member body that elects a president. Each state’s electors vote for the candidate who won the popular vote in that state. The runner-up gets nothing — except in Nebraska and Maine where elector votes are awarded based on congressional district and statewide results. To win the presidency, a candidate must secure 270 electoral votes — a majority of the 538 possible votes.

Trump has so far secured 267 electoral votes, while Harris has won 224.