Last I heard trump got 49.9% of the popular vote to Harris 48.4%. He did win the Presidency because the US is not a democracy but a representative republic with an uneven influence across the different states, but the polls were correct in that the popular vote was too close to call. Trump did not win any type of majority of rhe popular vote, as you say less than 50%, and his margin over Harris was less than 2% (1.5%), which is well within the margin of error. No “mandate”.
Last I heard trump got 49.9% of the popular vote to Harris 48.4%. He did win the Presidency because the US is not a democracy but a representative republic with an uneven influence across the different states, but the polls were correct in that the popular vote was too close to call. Trump did not win any type of majority of rhe popular vote, as you say less than 50%, and his margin over Harris was less than 2% (1.5%), which is well within the margin of error. No “mandate”.