Donald Trump claimed victory and pledged to "heal" the country Wednesday as results put him on the verge of beating Kamala Harris in a stunning White House comeback.
His exuberant speech came despite the fact that only Fox News had declared him the winner, with no other US networks having made the call so far.
As jubilant supporters cheered and chanted "USA", Trump took to the stage at his campaign headquarters in Florida along with his wife Melania and several of his children.
"We are going to help our country heal," the Republican former president said.
"It's a political victory that our country has never seen before."
US networks have called the swing states of Pennsylvania, Georgia and North Carolina for the 78-year-old, and he led the Democratic vice president in the others although they have not been called yet.
A Trump victory threatens to cause shockwaves around the world, as US allies in Europe and Asia fear a return of his nationalist policies and his praise of autocrats like Russia's Vladimir Putin.
But the US dollar surged and bitcoin hit a record high while most equity markets advanced as traders bet on a victory for Trump as the results rolled in.