'No dream too big, no challenge too great': Trump calls for unity as he becomes 45th US President

Donald Trump has been elected the 45th President of the United States in a shocking surprise victory that has stunned the world.

Emerging to greet his supporters to chants of "USA, USA" President-Elect Trump thanked the "forgotten people" who had helped him defy the polls, experts and political pundits to sweep to power with a commanding victory.

"I just received a call from secretary Clinton," Trump told a crowd at his campaign HQ in New York. "She congratulated us on our victory and I congratulated her and her family on a very, very hard fought campaign."

"This was not a campaign but rather an incredible and great movement. Made up of millions of people who love our great country and want a better future for themselves and this great country.

"The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer."

The latest CNN poll had Trump on 288 votes, surpassing the 270 votes required to claim the presidency. Clinton trails the president-elect with 215 votes.

The news came less than an hour after Clinton campaign chairman, John Podesta, told her supporters the Democrat candidate would have nothing to say tonight about the state of race.

"Several states are too close to call, so we are not going to have anything more to say tonight," Podesta said. "Every vote should count."

Despite telling Clinton she should "be in jail" and promising to open an investigation into a scandal involving her emails during one of their presidential debates Trump told his supporters they should thank her for her contribution to the country.

"Hillary has worked very long and very hard over a long period of time and we owe her a major debt of gratitude for her service to this country," he said.

He promised the crowd he would "rebuild" America.

"There is no dream too big, no challenge too great," Trump said. "We will have the strongest economy anywhere in the world."

"America will no longer settle for anything less than the best. We will reclaim our country's destiny.

"We are going to dream of things for our country, and beautiful things, and successful things."

The billionaire and president elect overcame monumental setbacks including ongoing sexual assault allegations to deny Hillary Clinton her dream of becoming the United States’ first female president.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has congratulated Donald Trump on being elected the next president of the United States.

Mr Turnbull said it had been a long and hard-fought campaign that was described by Mr Trump himself as nasty at times.

"I understand that Australians have been confronted by the intensity of the political battle in the US," he said.

Mr Turnbull said the US is a "great nation" had the capacity to come together and it would behind Mr Trump.

"Now, we have no stronger relationship whether it's on the battlefield or in commerce, than we have with the United States."

"They're a great and powerful nation, they're a great and powerful friend."

American political activist Anthony “Van” Jones held back tears as CNN experts discussed the prospect of a Trump victory.

“I have Muslim friends that are texting me tonight saying ‘Should I leave the country?’ I have families of immigrants that are terrified tonight,” an emotional Mr Jones said.

“We haven’t talked about race. This was a white lash against a changing country, it was a white lash against a black president in part.”

In the moments before Trump gained the final votes required to become the 45th president of the United States, Clinton's New York based camp announced that they would not be speaking until the morning.

Trump gained the all-important swing state of Florida, earning him the state’s 29 electoral votes and a commanding lead over Clinton. From there, there was no looking back.

Word of Trump’s stranglehold rippled across the globe, as the unlikely outcome of a Clinton loss quickly became a real possibility. Trump’s growing lead also raised great concerns on Wall Street, with the Dow Jones dropping as much as 800 points.

Despite Trump’s crucial victories in Ohio, Georgia and North Carolina, pollsters maintained that the election was Clinton’s to lose, even when the New York Times presidential forecast gave the much-maligned republican nominee a 95 per cent chance of victory.

The former Secretary of State’s hopes of a comeback rested on claiming both Michigan and Pennsylvania, however that was quashed when Trump claimed Pennsylvania.

Expected wins in Texas and South Carolina helped Trump maintain a strong lead over Clinton, while as Nebraska residents voted for their next president, they also voted for the death penalty to return to their state. Capital punishment was abolished there last year, but the results from today’s vote will see the penalty reinstated.

More locally, Australians held their breath as the election race came to a gripping close, while our own politicians shared their thoughts about the drama in the United States.

A controversial politician in her own right, Pauline Hanson gave Donald Trump her tick of approval.

“Mr President my door will always be open. Congrats on behalf of Pauline Hanson’s One Nation Party of OZ,” Ms Hanson tweeted during the election.

Current foreign Minister Julie Bishop played a much straighter bat when she learned that Trump was likely to become the next president.

"Donald Trump has made statements that would indicate he’s a classic isolatist ... but I point out should Donald Trump win the presidency, it is likely he would win a majority. We must see the opportunities for Australia.”

Bob Carr, who once held the same mantle as Ms Bishop could not echo her thoughts

"Trump has worsened the divisions in American society and that's a terrible legacy,” former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr told reporters at a US consulate election party event in Sydney.

"And today is his reckoning for voters he has gone out to attack."

While it was confirmed that both Trump and Clinton prepared two speeches, it remained uncertain whether Trump would have followed tradition and cast a gracious figure in defeat.

Trump claimed wins in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming

Clinton's victories came from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and the District of Columbia.