Working-class whites fuelled Trump win

Republican Donald Trump won the presidency fuelled by a surge of working-class whites across a band of Midwestern states.

Those are the kind of voters who had helped anchor Democratic presidential victories for a generation.

Trump won states such as Pennsylvania and Iowa that had twice backed Barack Obama.

Exit polls and unofficial returns reflect deep racial, gender, economic and cultural divides across the region and nationally.

Trump's support on Tuesday skewed older, more male and overwhelmingly white.

His supporters said they are deeply dissatisfied with the federal government and eager for change. That's according to the exit polls conducted by Edison Research for national media outlets.

Democrat Hillary Clinton's support was anchored in cities, but it wasn't enough to overcome Trump's advantages in small towns, rural areas and many suburbs.