Former President Donald Trump is heading back to the White House -- he's just been declared the winner of the 2024 election, and will become the 47th President of the United States.

FOX News was first to call Trump's victory over Vice President Kamala Harris shortly before midnight on the West Coast as it projected him going over the necessary threshold of 270 electoral votes.

Even before it was official, though, Trump was onstage -- along with his VP J.D. Vance -- in West Palm Beach speaking about his next term as POTUS.

He vowed to help the nation heal after a nasty campaign season, and gloated about winning not only in the electoral college, but also the popular vote ... and the fact the GOP now controls both houses of Congress.

Trump thanked his wife Melania, who was there by his side, and also Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Dana White, Elon Musk and even U.S. Open golf champ Bryson DeChambeau.

It's an historic victory for Trump ... he joins Grover Cleveland as the only presidents to leave the White House and return for a second term 4 years later ... with Cleveland doing so more than 130 years ago, in the 1890s.

He's also the first convicted felon ever to be elected president. Although his sentencing in New York state had been scheduled for later this month ... that will be put on ice, now that he's won the campaign.

The race was called Tuesday night as Trump piled up victories in several swing states ... including Georgia and North Carolina.

As of midnight on the West Coast, VP Harris had not officially conceded the race.