WASHINGTON

US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump early Wednesday thanked Americans for the apparent “honor of being elected” to the nation’s highest office.

"I want to thank the American people for the extraordinary honor of being elected your 47th president and your 45th president," Trump told supporters in Palm Beach, Florida, referring to his earlier term in office, in 2017-2021, before Joe Biden won four years as the 46th US president.

According to Fox News projections, Trump ensured victory after defeating his Democratic rival Vice President Kamala Harris in Tuesday's presidential election.

"This is a magnificent victory for the American people that will allow us to make America great again," Trump added.

Pledging to fight for every citizen, he said: "We're going to help our country heal."

The win would make Trump only the second US president to serve non-consecutive terms, following Grover Cleveland, who served two separate terms in the late 1800s, with President Benjamin Harrison in between.

'America has given us an unprecedented and powerful mandate'

Winning the vote was "very nice," said Trump.

"America has given us an unprecedented and powerful mandate. We have taken back control of the Senate,” he added.

Turning to border security, an issue he pressed on the campaign trail, he promised to "fix" the borders.

"We're gonna have to seal up those borders ... We want people to come back in, but we have to let them come back in, but they have to come in legally," Trump said.

Stressing security, he said: "We want to have security. We want to have things be good safe ... We want a strong and powerful military, and ideally we don't have to use it."

Trump says he is 'working to stop wars,' not start them

During his first term, the US had no wars for four years, except for the defeat of terrorist group Daesh/ISIS, Trump said.

"We defeated ISIS in record time but we had no wars. They said: 'He will start a war.' I'm not going to start (one), (I’m) working to stop wars. But this is also a massive victory for democracy and for freedom," he added.

Stressing that being the US president is "the most important job" in the world, Trump claimed that he had a "great" first term.

"Nothing will stop me from keeping my word to you, the people. We will make America safe, strong, prosperous, powerful and free again.

"And I'm asking every citizen all across our land to join me in this noble and righteous endeavor. That's what it is. It's time to put the divisions of the past four years behind us. It's time to unite.”

Trump's address saw the attendance of family members, allies, and close advisers, including tech billionaire Elon Musk.

"We have a new star. A star is born," he said, referring to Musk, who endorsed Trump and is expected to play a role in his administration.

Separately, his running mate JD Vance thanked Trump for the trust he placed in him.

"I think that we just witnessed the greatest political comeback in the history of the United States of America," Vance said in a short address to supporters.