What Idaho Republicans (and one Democrat) say means Trump’s triumph

Idaho officials congratulated former President Donald Trump on his decisive victory Wednesday and vowed to get to work on their vision for America.

Trump, comfortably surpassing the 270 Electoral College votes needed to defeat Vice President Kamala Harris, addressed his supporters after midnight on Tuesday in a speech in which he said he would “put our country first.” and usher in a “golden age,” the Associated Press reported .

The state’s unofficial results show he has gained more support in Idaho than ever before in this presidential election. Trump won Idaho by wide margins in 2016 and again in 2020, and his support in the Gem State appears to have only grown stronger since then. In 2016, Trump won 59% of the total vote in Idaho, rising to 63% in 2020 and 67% in this election.

“The people of Idaho have made it clear: They want to secure the border, cut taxes, rein in government spending and save the American economy,” wrote Gov. Brad Little on the social network X. In a follow-up post Wednesday morning, Little added that he wants to do so again work with Trump to deliver “results” for Idaho and the rest of the country.

Other Republican leaders in Idaho praised Trump for the historic victory. Attorney General Raul Labrador wrote on social media: “Now let’s drain the swamp!” followed by a hashtag with Trump’s campaign slogan “Make America Great Again.”

According to the Washington Post, Trump is the first president in over a century to retake the White House after losing it. He is also the first president to be impeached twice and the first former president to be convicted of crimes, the Post reported.

U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson, who won a 14th term representing Idaho’s 2nd Congressional District, congratulated Trump on the “hard-fought victory.”

“He is a proven leader with an unwavering commitment to making America safer, wealthier and stronger,” Simpson said wrote on X. “I am confident that he will continue to create opportunity and security for all Americans, and I look forward to working with him to advance policies that benefit Idaho and strengthen our nation.”

U.S. Rep. Russ Fulcher, who won his fourth term representing Idaho’s 1st Congressional District, also offered congratulations, citing a “stark difference” between Trump’s time in office and Harris’.

“I think we’re in the biggest conflict we’ve had since the Civil War,” Fulcher said at a GOP watch party Tuesday night. “…But today in the elections I hear Americans answering the question, ‘Are we better off today than we were four years ago?’ And I think what we’re hearing across the country is “No.” But I believe that thanks to you and Republicans across the country, we will get help soon.”

US Senator Mike Crapo acknowledged that votes are still being counted in some congressional elections. Republicans have taken control of the Senate and are poised to retain their majority in the House, although results are expected to be close and it could take days or weeks to count enough votes to determine which party won, the reported New York Times.

“If we get them, we will change America quickly,” Crapo said at the watch party.

US Senator Jim Risch said in a post on X that the Trump-Vance administration would bring conservative values ​​back to the White House.

“Together with President Trump, Vice President Vance, and my Senate colleagues, we will secure the border, cut red tape, curb inflation, and end the vigilance agenda in everything from education to natural resources,” Risch wrote.

Other conservatives in Idaho also cheered Trump’s triumph.

“Donald Trump will be president again and buy us a little more time to save our state and our country,” Eagle resident Brian Almon wrote in his Gem State Chronicle blog on Substack. “Congratulations, America.”

Boise Mayor Lauren McLean, a Democrat, offered one opinion Wednesday about the election, noting that “a lot of people were nervous about the result.”

“This moment offers us an opportunity to come together again, with renewed purpose and optimism for our city and, yes, for our country,” McLean said in a news release on X. “We have a shared vision of creating a city for everyone. To achieve this vision, we must all work together, here at home and alongside our neighbors, on behalf of the community we love so much.”

Reporter Ian Max Stevenson contributed.

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