Trump wins US presidential election, becomes second to win non-consecutive term: Who was the first?

Donald Trump won the United States elections with a clear majority of 270 seats. He defeated Kamala Harris to get a second term in office after a gap of 4 years.

Donald Trump is set to become the next President of the United States as he defeated Democrat Kamala Harris in a close contest. With this win, Trump has become the second US President to win a non-consecutive White House election.

The first US President to do so was Grover Cleveland, who won his first presidency in 1885 and held the office till 1889. After a gap of 4 years, he again won the election to the White House in 1893 and served till 1897. In 1984, Cleveland was campaigning for presidential elections when he was accused by a Buffalo garment industry supervisor named Maria Halpin of fathering her child. She also claimed that Cleveland used his political influence to have Halpin placed in a psychiatric ward while the child was adopted by another family.

He narrowly defeated his Republican rival, James Blaine. He also became the first Democrat elected after the Civil War, which ended in 1865. Later in 1888, he contested against Republican candidate Benjamin Harrison, grandson of former President William Henry Harrison, but lost.

According to reports, his reelection bid was poorly run as he didn't even have an election manager. He won the popular vote but lost the Electoral College. 

Others who made unsuccessful attempt

Later in 1893, he again contested the election and won. Cleveland was the only one to win a non-consecutive term but was not the only one to make such an attempt. Apart from Cleveland, Martin Van Buren also tried to win a second non-consecutive term. He served as US President from 1837 to 1841. He tried to run in 1848.

Apart from him, Millard Fillmore also ran for a second non-consecutive term in 1856  after serving from 1850 to 1853. Theodore Roosevelt, who left the White House in 1909, ran unsuccessfully for a third term in 1912. 

(With inputs from agencies)