
The 2024 election has finally ended. What happens now?
There’s a 2½-month period between Election Day and Inauguration Day. It’s commonly known as the “lame-duck” period, when the outgoing president still holds official power but their successor has been chosen and is waiting to take the reins. Donald Trump is constitutionally barred from a third term in office by the 22nd Amendment, so he will be a lame duck from his first day in office, though his successor will not be known until 2028.