Fewer nationwide votes than Hillary Clinton, but a majority of electoral votes cast.
Elections
Donald Trump election results
The certified 2016, 2020 and 2024 figures in one comparison: nationwide votes, vote share, electoral votes, principal opponent and outcome.
Joe Biden received more nationwide votes and more electoral votes.
Trump received more nationwide votes and 312 electoral votes.
Official final results
2016, 2020 and 2024 compared
Nationwide totals and shares: FEC. Electoral votes cast: National Archives.
| Year | Trump votes | Share | Electoral votes | Principal opponent | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 62,984,828 | 46.09% | 304 | Hillary Clinton 65,853,514 · 48.18% · 227 | Won |
| 2020 | 74,223,975 | 46.85% | 232 | Joe Biden 81,283,501 · 51.31% · 306 | Lost |
| 2024 | 77,302,580 | 49.80% | 312 | Kamala Harris 75,017,613 · 48.32% · 226 | Won |
The percentages are each candidate's share of all votes in the FEC nationwide tables. Electoral votes are votes actually cast and counted; that is why this table shows 304 for Trump in 2016 rather than the 306 electors allocated to states he won.
What changed?
Margin against the principal opponent
Calculated from the same final FEC totals; a negative figure means Trump received fewer nationwide votes.
Trump trailed by 2.09 percentage points in the popular vote but won the Electoral College.
The gap against Biden was 4.46 percentage points; Trump also lost the Electoral College.
Trump led Harris by 1.48 percentage points and received 312 electoral votes.
Trump received 11,239,147 more votes in 2020 than in 2016 and another 3,078,605 more in 2024 than in 2020. Those are changes in his own totals; turnout and population context are still needed before interpreting them as equal changes in support.
Two different counts
Popular vote and Electoral College
The popular vote adds votes cast nationwide. The president is legally selected through the Electoral College, in which states appoint electors whose votes are formally counted later.
A candidate can therefore become president without receiving the most votes nationwide, as Trump did in 2016. In 2024 he received both more nationwide votes than his principal opponent and an Electoral College majority.
This page uses final FEC tables and National Archives certificates rather than election-night projections or campaign claims.
Check each election
Direct links to the records
First election
FEC nationwide results (PDF) ↗NARA Electoral College ↗Election against Biden
FEC nationwide results (PDF) ↗NARA Electoral College ↗Return to the White House
FEC nationwide results (PDF) ↗NARA Electoral College ↗Frequently asked questions
Results without definition gaps
How many presidential elections did Donald Trump win?
Donald Trump won the 2016 and 2024 presidential elections through an Electoral College majority. He lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden.
Did Donald Trump win the popular vote?
He did not win the nationwide popular vote in 2016 or 2020. In 2024, the FEC recorded 77,302,580 votes for Trump (49.80%) and 75,017,613 for Kamala Harris (48.32%).
Why do some 2016 results say 306 while the official count says 304?
Trump won states allocated 306 electors, but two electors pledged to him voted for other people. The official Electoral College count therefore recorded 304 votes for Trump.