Donald Trump has been elected the 45th President of the United States. 

After a divisive campaign which lasted nearly 18-months, the Republican candidate emerged victorious over his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.  

Trump took an early lead in terms of Electoral College votes on the night, winning some of the states which closed their polls earlier in the evening, including Kentucky, South Carolina, Indiana and West Virginia. 

He added to those gains throughout the evening with wins in Texas, while a tight race in Florida eventually went his way, crucially for the outcome of the race. 

Close races in a number of other states also fell to Trump, including the key battleground state of Ohio, as well as North Carolina. 

The Republican candidate's campaign was dogged by controversy from the start, after he made a number of comments about immigration from Mexico, stating that those who were crossing the border were "bringing drugs and crime," and were "rapists."

Trump also faced key figures from the Republican Party withdrawing their support following the release of a recording from 2005 in which he bragged about women letting him kiss and grope them: "I just start kissing them," Trump said in the recording, "and when you're a star they let you do it."

Despite that, attendances at his rallies remained high throughout the entirety of his campaign as his 'Make America Great Again' message resonated with voters across the United States, with high turnout among his base enough to see him claim the Presidency.

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