Donald Trump is looking to head back to the White House for another four years if he wins the 2024 US presidential election.

And with such a victory, we could see the return of the former The Apprentice presenter’s famous call button that brought him a very particular drink whenever he wanted it.

But before he can think about reinstalling the button, Trump will have to beat Vice President Kamala Harris in the election, which takes place today (5 November).

It is the closest presidential race in living memory and could go any which way due to the margin of error involved in polling, which has regularly tied Trump and Harris in the key states they need to win in order to secure the presidency.

Given a few thousand ballots could decide the future of US politics, it may take some time to get a result. And even then, it’ll be months before either Trump or Harris officially become the new president of the United States (POTUS).

And while the winner of the election is given official access to the ‘nuclear football’ and its ‘biscuit’, on the less serious side of the presidential spectrum is the ability to get what they want, when they want it.

From 2017 until 2021, Trump – who is now 78 – was able to request staff in the White House to bring him his most favourite drink, whether it was 2am or 2pm.

The red button, which is reportedly built in to a stained-wood box with a golden seal around it (talk about fancy), was used by Trump to quench his thirst.

In particular, if he ever pressed it, an ice cold Diet Coke would be brought to him by a member of the White House staff.

The button is in fact a permanent fixture in the Oval Office’s Resolute Desk but has been used by presidents for different functions in different terms in office.

Back in the 1960s, President Lyndon B. Johnson had for buttons in the office: one for coffee, tea, Coca-Cola and Fresca.

Reports from Trump’s presidency say he used the button to pull pranks on guests, with some being worried it was a nuclear button. Trump even told one reporter that people ‘get a little nervous when I press it’.

When Joe Biden beat Trump in the 2020 general election, one of his first acts as president after his inauguration in January 2021 was to remove the famous Diet Coke button.

Trump behind the Oval Office desk, with the call button visible (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

British journalist Tom Newton Dunn shared an image from his interview with Trump in 2019 compared to the desk once Biden sat behind it, with the red call button nowhere to be seen.

“I interviewed Donald Trump in 2019, we became fascinated by what the little red button did. Eventually Trump pressed it, and a butler swiftly brought in a Diet Coke on a silver platter. It’s gone now,” Newton Dunn posted to X (formerly Twitter).

Biden eventually brought the button back but without revealing what its function was under his administration.

It remains to be seen if Trump would bring it back if he wins again. But given how much he clearly loves the tipple, we’d be shocked if it doesn’t return with the MAGA frontman.

The 2024 US presidential election is finally here. But, as with every White House newcomer, whoever wins won’t enter the Oval Office for quite some time yet.

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump fought it out for the most powerful job in the world, with both of them confident of beating the other as millions of US citizens vote in the 2024 election taking place on Tuesday (5 November).

The reality of the situation is that it was a complete toss-up, with the polls too close to confidently say whether the Democrats or Republicans will definitely triumph.

But as the polls closed, it became clear within hours that Trump was destined to return to Washington DC; although he will not sit behind the desk of the Oval Office on Wednesday.

When will Trump be announced as the new president?

Voters in the USA took to the polls on Tuesday to usher Donald Trump back in to the White House.

Millions of votes have been cast early this time around, with recounts mentioned as a possibility due to how close the result could be.

Legal challenges were also mentioned, especially if Trump lost, given that he still maintains the 2020 presidential election was ‘rigged’ and ‘fraudulent’.

But as with Barack Obama and Trump’s victories in 2012 and 2016, respectively, the result was known within hours.

What happens after they’ve been announced as president?

Once the result looked confirmed, Trump addressed his campaign teams and a live audience in a televised announcement.

From here, the work continues in the background.

All US states must verify their results by 11 December under the Electoral Count Act. In the window up until this date, any issues or controversies can be filed – such as contesting a result, as Trump did in 2020 – before results are rubber-stamped.

On 17 December, electors from each state will meet to formally put forward their local results for president and vice president.

The vote will be incredibly close (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

So, when do they become president?

Once the votes are ratified and sent to Washington, home of the USA’s political powerhouse, movement will start to bring in the new president.

This takes place after the US Congress meets to count the electoral votes on 6 January, overseen by the current vice president, which itself might be controversial to some voters, due to that person currently being Harris herself.

It was during this meeting in 2021 that the US Capitol building – where Congress sits – was stormed by people who didn’t agree with the result showing a Biden win.

Then, on 20 January, it will be Inauguration Day, where Joe Biden will officially hand over power to Trump, who will take the presidential oath of office alongside the same oath for the new vice president.

The 2024 US presidential election has a winner, with Donald Trump claiming the keys to the Oval Office following a nail-biting campaign for both Republicans and Democrats.

It is projected he has won the swing state of Wisconsin and with that, he is now projected to have won the presidency.

Heading into polling day (5 November), nobody could call a winner with the final polls saying that the result could have gone either way with both Kamala Harris and Trump within the margins of error in the key swing states needed to win the race for the White House.

But as election night went on, it became pretty clear pretty soon that the former US president would be taking up the position once again.

Trump actually declared victory himself before it was officially called, telling supporters at his campaign’s watch party in Florida it had been the ‘greatest ever political movement’.

The 47th president of the United States (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

The former 45th and now 47th US president said it’s going to be the ‘golden age’ for America while also talking about Elon Musk being a ‘new star’ and promising Americans to ‘help our country heal’.

Joined on stage by JD Vance, Dana White, his wife Melania Trump, family and campaign staff, the Republican said he’s excited to ‘make America great again’.

“We have taken back control of the Senate,” he said. “Wow, that’s good.”

Trump called being president the ‘most important job in the world’ as he said he’ll run his government on the motto: “Promises made, promises kept.”

Our prime minister, Keir Starmer, congratulated Trump on the ‘historic election victory’ as he said he looks ‘forward to working with him in the years ahead’.

“As the closest of allies, we stand shoulder to shoulder in defence of our shared values of freedom, democracy and enterprise,” he added.

“From growth and security to innovation and tech, I know that the UK-US special relationship will continue to prosper on both sides of the Atlantic for years to come.”

Millions cast their vote for this year’s 2024 presidential election (JEFF KOWALSKY/AFP via Getty Images)

Leading US polling forecaster, Nate Silver, published his final prediction heading into polling day, and out of 80,000 simulations run by him and his team, Harris won 40,012.

Both camps had been confident, with Trump’s team more vocal in the final week of campaigning while Harris’ team grew more and more optimistic as momentum seemed to grow ahead of the time to cast millions of ballots across the US.

Harris spent the final night of the campaign in Pennsylvania, a state both candidates desperately wanted to win in order to secure the presidency but was ultimately won by Trump.

But after voting closed, exit polls were released and results were verified, it was the Republican’s team that popped champagne corks as the final result looked more and more certain.