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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Helen Sullivan (now); Chris Stein, Sam Levin, Léonie Chao-Fong, Amy Sedghi and Fran Lawther (earlier)

Republicans outline ‘first 100 days’ of Trump presidency – as it happened

Donald Trump Kevin Rudd United States Republican FBI Jimmy Gomez Xi Jinping Yoon Suk Yeol David Kim Kim Taehyo

This blog is closing now, but we’re continuing our coverage of the aftermath of the US presidential election on our new live blog here.

Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau has spoken with Trump in a phone call during which he congratulated the president-elect on his victory and discussed trade and security in the region.

The Canada, US and Mexico trade agreement, which was negotiated in Trump’s first term was among the topics discussed, Trudeau’s office said in a statement, adding they spoke about their “shared interest in secure and reliable supply chains and addressing unfair trading practices in the global economy.”

The pair “agreed to stay in close contact”, the statement said.

Xi Jinping congratulates Trump

Chinese President Xi Jinping has sent a congratulatory message to Trump on his win, according to Chinese state media.

In his message, Xi said China and the US must “get along in the new era” and urged the two countries to strengthen communication and dialogue so as to properly manage their differences.

Xi reiterated that China and the US gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation and that cooperation between the two countries remained a long-term goal, the official Xinhua news agency said.

Updated

South Korean president congratulates Trump

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has congratulated Trump on his “huge win” and discussed strengthening security and economic cooperation between the allies, according to a Seoul presidential official.

Kim Tae-hyo, Yoon’s deputy national security director, said Thursday that Yoon and Trump also discussed the growing threats posed by nuclear-armed North Korea, including its intercontinental ballistic missiles targeting the U.S. mainland, and its reported provision of troops to Russia in support of Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine.

Kim said Trump called for expanding the countries’ cooperation in the shipbuilding industries, highlighting South Korea’s strengths in building warships and vessels, and called for more detailed discussions on improving U.S. competitiveness in ship exports as well as maintenance and repair.

Kim said Yoon and Trump agreed to arrange an in-person meeting soon.

FBI warns of false videos that misuse its name and insignia

The FBI is warning of additional fabricated videos that misuse its name and insignia to undermine confidence in the electoral system.

One of the videos falsely claims that the FBI was made aware that at least 301 electors reported attempted bribery and blackmail by a political party.

Another video falsely claims that the FBI is investigating voter pressure at US military bases overseas, a third claims that a US social media company has seen an increase in the number of separatist groups to include a total audience of more than 40 million people and the fourth falsely claims that the FBI has ordered media to restrict the spread of information about the bribery of electors.

The FBI says each of the videos contains false information.

The Guardian’s Kate Lamb has taken a look at Thursday’s front pages. She writes:

Donald Trump’s sweeping victory in the US presidential election saw the former president securing an unexpected majority in the popular vote, control of the Senate, and at least 295 electoral college votes – defeating vice-president Kamala Harris in a contest that dominated UK front pages on Thursday.

The Guardian led with two words: “American Dread”, a play on the American dream, alongside a close up portrait of the president-elect.

Americans awoke to a “transformed country and a rattled world” as the realisation of Trump’s stunning return to power started to sink in, wrote the Guardian’s Ed Pilkington, summing up the mood:

The Mirror highlighted a question lingering on many minds around the world about what Trump 2.0 might bring, with the headline: “What have they done…Again?

Trump’s victory, it said, had ushered in fears the Republican leader would be even “more divisive and brutal than in his first spell in the White House”:

“A comeback to end Trump all comebacks” ran the Daily Mail, noting that in the end “it wasn’t even close”:

You can see the rest of the headlines here:

Decision Desk HQ, an organisation that uses models to project how the vote count will unfold, is predicting that Trump will win the swing state of Arizona, and its 11 electoral college votes. The Associated Press, which the Guardian relies on to call results, has not yet called the state for Trump.

Trump to choose personnel in days and weeks ahead

US president-elect Donald Trump will select personnel to serve under his leadership and enact policies that “make the life of Americans affordable, safe, and secure” in the days and weeks ahead, his campaign said on Wednesday.

Here is more detail on Australia’s ambassador in Washington, Kevin Rudd, deleting comments he previously made about Donald Trump after the Republican’s election win.

Rudd said on Thursday the comments did not reflect the view of the Australian government.

Rudd, a former prime minister, had previously made the comments about Trump in his capacity as the head of a US-based thinktank, a statement on his personal website said.

Among the deleted comments, Rudd had in 2020 described Trump as “the most destructive president in history”.

“Out of respect for the office of President of the United States, and following the election of President Trump, Ambassador Rudd has now removed these past commentaries from his personal website and social media channels,” the statement said.

Rudd wanted to “eliminate the possibility of such comments being misconstrued as reflecting his positions as Ambassador and, by extension, the views of the Australian Government”, it added.

Japanese prime minister has held phone call with Trump

Japanese prime minister Shigeru Ishiba told reporters on Thursday he had held a phone call with Trump and “in a nutshell, he was very friendly”.

Ishiba said the pair had agreed to organise a face-to-face meeting “as soon as possible”, adding: “I had the impression that he is the kind of person who I will be able to talk to candidly.”

Updated

Back to what may lie ahead for the House if Republicans regain their majority, from Reuters:

For the past two years, members of the House Republicans’ unruly and narrow majority have repeatedly gotten in their own way, voting against bills backed by their leaders and leaving them to rely on Democratic support to approve must-pass bills, Reuters reports.

Even a more disciplined Republican majority will face barriers, including the Senate rule known as the filibuster, which requires 60 of its 100 members to agree to pass most legislation, a threshold the new Senate will not clear with Republican votes alone.

A workaround, known as “budget reconciliation,” allows the Senate to pass budget-related matters with a simple majority. Republicans used this in the first two years of Trump’s first term, as did Democrats during the first two years of President Joe Biden’s term, when they had control of Congress.

Yet budget reconciliation is a limited power. Measures passed with this manoeuvre must be at least plausibly linked to revenues and spending.

In late 2021, the Senate’s parliamentarian rejected a bid by Democrats to use reconciliation to grant work permits to millions of immigrants living in the US illegally.

Should the 60-vote filibuster rule block a Trump priority next year, he could call on Senate leaders to do away with it, as he repeatedly put pressure on them to do early in his first term, and as some Democrats urged early in Biden’s term.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell upheld the filibuster against repeated Trump demands to ditch it during the president-elect’s first term.

McConnell will now step down as leader. While the top two candidates to replace him – John Thune and John Cornyn – have said the rule will stay, they and others who might seek the role have yet to face Trump’s direct pressure.

And McConnell predicted on Wednesday that the filibuster will remain.

Updated

Democratic congressman Jimmy Gomez wins re-election to House

Jimmy Gomez won re-election to a US House seat representing California on Wednesday, the Associated Press reports.

He defeated fellow Democrat and children’s court attorney David Kim, who was running against him for the third time in a row. Gomez was first elected to Congress in 2017.

The district is almost entirely in the city of Los Angeles, and is majority Hispanic with a sizeable Asian American and white population. Roughly 20% live in poverty, and it is one of the poorest districts in the state. The Associated Press declared Gomez the winner at 8.36pm ET.

Updated

House majority leader Steve Scalise, who has said he is running for the position again, told Reuters that Republicans aim to recreate the economic growth experienced early in Trump’s first term, before the Covid pandemic struck in 2020 and sent the economy into a steep decline.

Republicans point to buoyant gains in federal tax receipts since 2017 as proof that Trump’s tax cuts raised revenues, and say his current agenda will bring more of the same.

“History has shown when you reduce the overall tax burden on families, not only do their paychecks go up, but the amount of money coming into the federal government actually increases,” said Scalise.

“As long as you’re controlling spending, that economic growth will actually get you more money to help pay down the deficit.”

But the revenue increase they cite is in nominal receipts driven by inflation and an expanding economy. That turns into a decline when the size of the economy is taken into account, Reuters reports.

“The Trump tax cuts really did cut tax revenue, and what the Republicans are pointing to as phenomenal growth in tax receipts doesn’t actually exist,” said Marc Goldwein, CRFB senior policy director.

Updated

House majority leader, Steve Scalise, outlines plans for Trump's first 100 days

During Trump’s first 100 days in office, Republicans will “lock in the Trump tax cuts”, “unleash American energy” and “surge resources to the southern border”, among other measures, Scalise writes in his letter.

On energy, these policies include mandating lease sales, opening federal lands, including the Arctic national wildlife refuge, “to increased energy exploration and production,” and repealing parts of the Inflation Reduction Act, including what Scalise calls “harmful slush funds”.

On immigration, Scalise says his party will “build the Trump border wall, acquire new detection technologies, bolster our border patrol and stop the flow of illegal immigration”.

Updated

Johnson running for speaker and Scalise running for majority leader

The House speaker, Mike Johnson, is running for re-election, he announced in a letter late on Wednesday, and the House majority leader, Steve Scalise, is running for his position again.

In his letter, Scalise outlined the Republicans’ plans for their first 100 days in government. We will bring the key points to you in a moment.

Updated

Two high-profile Bay Area, California politicians appeared on track for removal from office through controversial recall elections targeting progressives.

Sheng Thao, the mayor of Oakland, Kamala Harris’s birthplace, is facing a recall election funded by wealthy tech and crypto executives and a hedge-fund manager. As of this evening, 65.1% of voters supported removing her while 34.8% have voted against the recall, according to AP results tallied by local news site KQED; only 36% of votes have been counted, however, so the results could still change.

Supporters of the recall have blamed Thao for crime, homelessness and other problems. Her narrow victory in 2022 was seen as a win for progressives. She is the daughter of Hmong refugees from Laos and a domestic violence survivor who promised to fight for the city’s most vulnerable residents, but she faced a recall within 18 months of her tenure. She also faced a mysterious FBI raid on her home, though has not been implicated in wrongdoing.

Pamela Price, the progressive district attorney of Alameda county, which includes Oakland and Berkeley, is also facing a recall and performing poorly in initial results. With 39.1% of votes counted, 64.7% have favored the recall, while 35.2% have opposed it. A former civil rights lawyer, Price ran on a platform of criminal justice reform, part of a wave of progressive district attorneys in the US who have prioritized police accountability and reducing mass incarceration, but she was also quickly blamed for crime and violence.

More background here:

Democrat Sam Liccardo wins House seat

Democrat Sam Liccardo has won election to US House in California’s 16th congressional district, the Associated Press reports.

He defeated state assemblymember Evan Low, another Democrat, in the highly competitive race. Liccardo served as San Jose mayor and council member for 16 years before winning his congressional seat.

Liccardo will succeed Democratic representative Anna Eshoo, who decided to not seek re-election, in the heavily Democratic 16th district. The district includes the southern half of the San Francisco Peninsula and part of San Jose. The Associated Press declared Liccardo the winner at 7.57pm ET.

Updated

Here is the video of Volodymyr Zelenskyy congratulating Trump on his election victory.

The Ukrainian president said he welcomed Trump’s idea of “peace through strength”, arguing that it would bring benefits to the US and the rest of the world. During his election campaign, Trump has threatened both a withdrawal of US commitment to Nato and a possible end to support for Ukraine in its war with Russia:

Australian prime minister has spoken with Trump

Australia’s prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has spoken to Donald Trump and congratulated him on his victory.

Albanese said on X a short while ago that he and Trump, “talked about the importance of the Alliance, and the strength of the Australia-US relationship in security, Aukus, trade and investment”:

Earlier on Thursday, Albanese and the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, responded to the victory by insisting the government is prepared to engaged with him as president, although Wong acknowledged he had campaigned on “change” and he may therefore do things “differently”.

Updated

The US House contests remain a tit-for-tat fight to the finish, the Associated Press reports, with no dominant pathway to the majority for either party. Rarely if ever have the two chambers of Congress flipped in opposite directions.

Republican control of the House – having already won the majority of Senate seats – would usher in a new era of unified GOP governance in Washington.

A few individual seats, or even a single one, will determine the outcome. Final tallies will take a while, likely pushing the decision into next week – or beyond.

Each side is gaining and losing a few seats, including through the redistricting process, which is the routine redrawing of House seat boundary lines. The process reset seats in North Carolina, Louisiana and Alabama.

Much of the outcome hinges on the west, particularly California, where a handful of House seats are being fiercely contested, and mail-in ballots arriving a week after the election will still be counted. Hard-fought races around the “blue dot” in Omaha, Nebraska and also in Alaska are among those being watched.

The Democrats have 190 House members to the Republicans’ 205. Either side needs a majority of 218 to have control of the chamber; 395 of 435 races have been called.

Updated

Philippines president congratulates Trump 'on victory that showed world strength of American values'

In the Philippines, president Ferdinand Marcos Junior, also known as Bongbong, said the American people had “triumphed”.

“President Trump has won, and the American people have triumphed. I congratulate them on their victory in an exercise that showed the world the strength of American values,” he said on X:

Updated

Indonesian president congratulates Trump

The Guardian’s Kate Lamb reports that Prabowo Subianto, president of Indonesia – the world’s third largest democracy – has offered “heartfelt congratulations” to Trump, saying the two countries shared a “robust and multifaceted” relationship:

Updated

Here is more on Eugene Vindman’s win:

The Democrat and former Trump administration official has won his House race against the Republican and former army green beret Derrick Anderson in Virginia’s seventh congressional district, representing a key victory for Democrats as they cling to the last glimmers of hope of regaining a majority in the lower chamber.

When the Associated Press called the race at 6.24pm ET on Wednesday, almost 24 hours after polls closed in Virginia, Vindman led Anderson by two points in the seventh district, which stretches from the exurbs of Washington DC to more rural counties in the western and central parts of the state.

With his victory sealed, Vindman will now go on to replace the Democratic congresswoman Abigail Spanberger, who chose to run for governor rather than seek re-election, when the new House is seated in January. Although the seat does not represent a pick-up for Democrats, Vindman’s defeat may have doomed the party’s broader prospects of winning the House, where Republicans currently hold a narrow majority.

Vindman first gained a national profile after he and his brother, Alexander Vindman, played a central role in Donald Trump’s first impeachment. The Vindman brothers, who both held senior roles on Trump’s national security council, were dismissed after raising concerns about the then president’s alleged efforts to pressure Ukraine into investigating Joe Biden and his son Hunter.

Vindman’s name recognition helped him build a powerful fundraising operation that propelled him to victory in a crowded Democratic primary and ultimately resulted in a win on Wednesday.

In the final instalment of Anywhere but Washington, Oliver Laughland and Tom Silverstone travel to Michigan to watch the final days of the race; as fervent Trump supporters hit the streets, young women mobilise behind Harris, and chaos and despair drive rival election night parties:

Democrat Eugene Vindman, known as a Trump whistleblower, wins competitive Virginia House race

Democrat Eugene Vindman won Virginia’s most competitive congressional race Wednesday, defeating his opponent in a blow to the GOP’s hopes of flipping the open House seat.

In Virginia’s seventh district, Vindman defeated the Republican Derrick Anderson by a close margin after conservatives targeted the House seat. Democrat Abigail Spanberger, the district’s three-term incumbent, has decided to run for governor in 2025 – presenting an opening in the battleground district.

Vindman, despite being a political newcomer, developed a national profile after blowing the whistle alongside his brother during Trump’s first impeachment. The former army officer focused his campaign on abortion rights and the threat of Maga extremism on democracy. Anderson, a fellow veteran and former Green Beret, pitched himself as the more affable candidate, and centered his campaign on the economy.

The election between Vindman and Anderson quickly became one of the most competitive in the country, with Republicans hoping to make gains in districts in which they don’t face an incumbent. The acrimonious race was filled with insults and barbs.

Republicans steadily represented the district for nearly 50 years until Spanberger defeated former Republican congressman Dave Brat in 2018.

Updated

Australian ambassador to US deletes posts critical of Trump

The former Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd, who is now ambassador to the US, has deleted social media posts critical of president-elect Donald Trump to avoid the comments “being misconstrued”, officials confirmed.

An official with Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said a statement from Rudd’s private office account confirmed the “past commentaries” had been removed from his personal website and social media channels “out of respect” for the office of president of the United States and following the election of Trump.

The statement, which was read out, said:

This has been done to eliminate the possibility of such comments being misconstrued as reflecting his positions as ambassador and, by extension, the views of the Australian government. Ambassador Rudd looks forward to working with President Trump and his team to continue strengthening the US-Australia alliance.

This morning, Australia’s prime minister, Anthony Albanese, said Rudd was doing a “terrific job” as ambassador.

“It says a lot about how important we regard the relationship with the United States that we appointed a former prime minister,” he said.

In a now-deleted tweet, Rudd called Trump “the most destructive president in history” and that he “drags America and democracy through the mud”.

In an interview in March, Trump called Rudd “nasty” and claimed he “won’t be there long” as ambassador.

While Donald Trump and the GOP have won the White House and control of the Senate, the Democrats are celebrating several historic wins.

In Delaware, Sarah McBride became the first transgender person elected to Congress. With the Senate wins of Lisa Blunt Rochester in Delaware and Angela Alsobrooks in Maryland, the US will have two Black women serving as senators for the first time in history. And Andy Kim’s win in the New Jersey Senate race made him the first Korean American elected to Congress’s upper chamber.

More here in this video on the historic first:

California leaders say they are 'ready' for Trump

California is expected to be a leader in resisting Donald Trump’s extremist conservative policies, as it was during his first administration, and Democratic leaders in the country’s most populous state are now saying they are “ready” for the Republican’s return to the White House.

After Kamala Harris’s concession speech, California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, released a brief statement that praised the vice president’s campaign and said:

California will seek to work with the incoming president — but let there be no mistake, we intend to stand with states across our nation to defend our Constitution and uphold the rule of law.

Federalism is the cornerstone of our democracy. It’s the United STATES of America.

Karen Bass, the mayor of Los Angeles and a former member of Congress, said Harris had “inspired millions all over the country”, adding in a message to Angelenos:

No matter where you were born, how you came to this country, how you worship, or who you love, Los Angeles will stand with you. This is not a time for despair, this is a time for action. I’ve spoken with leaders across the city, the state and the country. We are ready.

Rob Bonta, the state’s attorney general, who could play a pivotal role in the expected legal battles over Trump’s policies, said in a post: “California will continue to move forward driven by our values and the ongoing pursuit of progress. And I’ll use the full force of the law and the full authority of my office to ensure it. I’ve got your back. I promise.”

Updated

'America is bigger than the results of any one election', Clintons say after Harris's defeat

In a joint statement, Bill and Hillary Clinton wished Donald Trump and JD Vance well after winning the election, and acknowledged the disappointment of those who did not support them:

Hillary Clinton was the first woman nominated for president by a major party, but lost to Trump in 2016, just as Kamala Harris did eight years later.

Updated

New Zealand prime minister Christopher Luxon has congratulated Donald Trump and said he looks forward to closer relations with the incoming administration.

Luxon said the relationship between the US and New Zealand is “strong and enduring” and he hopes the two nations will continue to advance its shared interests: “The US is one of our most important partners, our second largest export destination, and a major source of global innovation and growth. Our long-standing cooperation both bilaterally and in our region has helped ensure our prosperity and security.”

The prime minister also recognised Joe Biden:

“I would like to commend the vibrant relationship between our two countries and the breadth of cooperation we have enjoyed during President Biden’s tenure. I admire his dedication to public service and the American people.”

Trump campaign says White House meeting with Biden 'will take place shortly'

Donald Trump’s campaign said the president-elect had spoken to Joe Biden, and accepted his invitation for a meeting to discuss transitioning between administrations at the White House.

“President Joe Biden called President Donald J Trump to congratulate him on his victory and extended an invitation to the White House to ensure a smooth transition between the current administration and the incoming administration. President Trump looks forward to the meeting, which will take place shortly, and very much appreciated the call,” communications director Steven Cheung said.

Updated

Biden calls Harris 'tremendous partner and public servant' after election loss

Joe Biden, who ended his campaign for a second term in July and endorsed Kamala Harris, only to see her lose to Donald Trump yesterday, paid tribute to his vice-president in a just-released statement.

“What America saw today was the Kamala Harris I know and deeply admire. She’s been a tremendous partner and public servant full of integrity, courage and character,” Biden said, shortly after Harris had publicly conceded the race to Trump in a speech to supporters in Washington DC.

The president signaled that he believed Harris would continue as a champion for the issues she had campaigned on:

Under extraordinary circumstances, she stepped up and led a historic campaign that embodied what’s possible when guided by a strong moral compass and a clear vision for a nation that is more free, more just, and full of more opportunities for all Americans.

As I’ve said before, selecting Kamala was the very first decision I made when I became the nominee for president in 2020. It was the best decision I made. Her story represents the best of America’s story. And as she made clear today, I have no doubt that she’ll continue writing that story.

She will continue the fight with purpose, determination, and joy. She will continue to be a champion for all Americans. Above all, she will continue to be a leader our children will look up to for generations to come as she puts her stamp on America’s future.

Updated

Summary

Here’s where things stand the day after the election as the world processes Donald Trump’s decisive win and imminent return to the White House:

Updated

Donald Trump wins Alaska

Donald Trump has also officially won the state of Alaska, as expected, expanding his electoral college lead by three votes, the Associated Press reports.

As of around 6pm, the Republican had secured 295 electoral college votes, compared to Kamala Harris’s 226.

The key swing states of Arizona and Nevada have yet to be called, as votes are still being processed, but appeared to be leaning toward Trump.

Updated

Elizabeth Warren on Trump's win: 'The far right wants us to feel powerless'

Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren, a progressive Democrat, has released an emotional video response to Donald Trump’s victory, acknowledging the deep pain of this outcome and reminding supporters of the successes of grassroots movements under Trump’s first presidency.

“I will not ask you to look for any silver linings,” she began her video. “I will not ask you to feel anything but grief right now. Donald Trump won the election, and the consequences will be real and devastating.”

Warren said there will be “opportunities to fight back” moving forward:

The far right wants us to feel powerless. Extremists are counting on apathy, cynicism, heartbreak, or all of the above as their rocket fuel. They are counting on us to point fingers at each other and to lose trust in our ability to ever, ever make change. I absolutely refuse to give them that satisfaction.

When Republicans took power eight years ago, she recalled, it seemed the Affordable Care Act was doomed, but “the American people rose up … and saved healthcare for millions of families”. She also recounted Democratic successes in 2018, 2020 and 2021 elections: “Don’t let anyone tell you that those victories didn’t make a real difference.”

She continued, “We need each other. We take care of each other. And please take care of yourself. Take the time you need right now to be angry, hurt, confused. Hold your loved ones close. Find opportunities to be in community with others.”

Her comments come soon after Bernie Sanders, the independent senator and leading progressive voice in Congress, issued a sharp repudiation of the Democratic party, saying the failure to embrace policies that would help average Americans led to the terrible performance on Tuesday.

Updated

The Obamas address supporters: 'Our point of view won’t always win'

Barack and Michelle Obama, who had been rallying for Kamala Harris in the final stretch of the campaign, have issued a statement congratulating Donald Trump and JD Vance on their victory.

The statement says, in part:

This is obviously not the outcome we had hoped for, given our profound disagreements with the Republican ticket on a whole host of issues. But living in a democracy is about recognizing that our point of view won’t always win out, and being willing to accept the peaceful transfer of power …

As I said on the campaign trail, America has been through a lot over the last few years – from a historic pandemic and price hikes resulting from the pandemic, to rapid change and the feeling a lot of folks have that, no matter how hard they work, treading water is the best they can do. Those conditions have created headwinds for democratic incumbents around the world, and last night showed that America is not immune.

The good news is that these problems are solvable – but only if we listen to each other, and only if we abide by the core constitutional principles and democratic norms that made this country great.

Their statement also implored supporters extend “good faith and grace” to people they disagree with, and praised Harris and Tim Walz as “extraordinary public servants who ran a remarkable campaign”.

Their statement comes more than eight years after Trump helped build his political career by spreading the racist “birther” conspiracy theory that Barack Obama was not born in the US.

Updated

Keir Starmer speaks to Donald Trump, offering 'hearty congratulations'

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer told president-elect Donald Trump he looks forward to working closely together “across all areas of the special relationship” as he congratulated him on his election victory, Downing Street said.

A Downing Street spokeswoman said: “The Prime Minister spoke to president-elect Donald Trump this evening to congratulate him on his historic victory.

“The Prime Minister offered his hearty congratulations and said he looked forward to working closely with president-elect Trump across all areas of the special relationship.

“From defence and security to growth and prosperity, the relationship between the UK and US was incredibly strong and would continue to thrive for many years to come, the leaders agreed.

“The Prime Minister also reflected on the situation in the Middle East and underscored the importance of regional stability … The leaders fondly recalled their meeting in September, and president-elect Trump’s close connections and affinity to the United Kingdom and looked forward to working with one another.”

Updated

Former VP Pence congratulates Trump on his election victory

Donald Trump’s former vice-president Mike Pence, who fell out with the then-president after the January 6 insurrection, has congratulated him on his election victory:

Pence made a brief and unsuccessful run for the Republican nomination, where he criticized Trump for his “reckless” conduct on January 6. He later said he would not endorse his former boss, who had shown little concern as a mob of his supporter attacked the Capitol while Pence was inside, but did not rule out voting for him.

Harris just wrapped up her speech by saying that even if the country struggles in the years to come, it will emerge stronger:

There’s an adage an historian once called a law of history, true of every society across the ages. The adage is: only when it is dark enough can you see the stars. I know many people feel like we are entering a dark time, but for the benefit of us all, I hope that is not the case. But here’s the thing, America, if it is, let us fill the sky with the light of a brilliant, brilliant billion of stars.

The light, the light of optimism, of faith, of truth and service … and may that work guide us, even in the face of setbacks, toward the extraordinary promise of the United States of America.

Her husband, Doug Emhoff, then appeared at her side, and the couple waved at the crowd before heading off stage to the sound of Beyoncé’s Freedom, a staple at events in her unsuccessful campaign for president.

Updated

Harris tells supporters: 'Do not despair'

With a nod to future elections that could help Democrats regain political power, Kamala Harris urged her supporters to stay engaged in the democratic process.

“The fight for our freedom will take hard work, but like I always say, we like hard work. Hard work is good work. Hard work can be joyful work. And the fight for our country is always worth it,” Harris said.

She also made a point of addressing young people, who broke for Donald Trump in surprisingly large numbers in the election.

To the young people who are watching, it is OK to feel sad and disappointed, but please know it’s going to be OK. On the campaign, I would often say, ‘When we fight, we win.’ But here’s the thing, here’s the thing, sometimes the fight takes a while. That doesn’t mean we won’t win. That doesn’t mean we won’t win. The important thing is, don’t ever give up.

Many Democrats dread Trump returning to office, but Harris encouraged them not to be overcome by grief:

So, to everyone who is watching, do not despair. This is not a time to throw up our hands. This is a time to roll up our sleeves. This is a time to organize, to mobilize and to stay engaged for the sake of freedom and justice and the future that we all know we can build together.

Updated

Harris concedes election to Trump, vows to keep fighting

Kamala Harris made her concession to Donald Trump official, but vowed to keep fighting for the issues that she campaigned on.

“While I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign,” the vice-president said.

“The fight for freedom, for opportunity, for fairness and the dignity of all people, a fight for the ideals at the heart of our nation, the ideals that reflect America at our best. That is a fight I will never give up.”

Harkening back to some of the promises of her failed campaign, Harris said:

I will never give up the fight for a future where Americans can pursue their dreams, ambitions and aspirations, where the women of America have the freedom to make decisions about their own body and not have their government telling them what to do.

We will never give up the fight to protect our schools and our streets from gun violence and, America, we will never give up the fight for our democracy, for the rule of law, for equal justice and for the sacred idea that every one of us, no matter who we are or where we start out, has certain fundamental rights and freedoms. That must be respected and upheld.

Updated

Harris calls on supporters to accept election result, promises 'peaceful transfer of power'

Kamala Harris said she had spoken to president-elect Donald Trump, and would work with him to peacefully transfer power.

“Now, I know folks are feeling and experiencing a range of emotions right now. I get it, but we must accept the results of this election,” the vice-president said.

“Earlier today, I spoke with president-elect Trump and congratulated him on his victory. I also told him that we will help him and his team with their transition and that we will engage in a peaceful transfer of power.”

That would be a shift from when Trump lost to Joe Biden in 2020, and tried for weeks to block the Democrat from taking office, culminating in the January 6 attack on the US Capitol.

Updated

Harris then thanked everyone who worked for her campaign, which lasted just over three months.

“To my beloved Doug and our family, I love you so very much. To President Biden and Dr Biden, thank you for your faith and support. To Governor Walz and the Walz family, I know your service to our nation will continue, and to my extraordinary team, to the volunteers who gave so much of themselves to the poll workers and the local election officials. I thank you. I thank you all,” Harris said.

Election result 'not what we wanted', Harris says after losing to Trump

Kamala Harris acknowledged the disappointment of her election loss to Donald Trump yesterday, but called on her supporters to “keep fighting”.

“My heart is full today. Full of gratitude for the trust you have placed in me, full of love for our country and full of resolve,” the vice-president said.

“The outcome of this election is not what we wanted, not what we fought for, not what we voted for, but hear me when I say, hear me when I say, the light of America’s promise will always burn bright, as long as we never give up, and as long as we keep fighting.”

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Harris makes concession speech

Kamala Harris has just walked on stage to make her concession speech before a crowd of supporters in Washington DC.

She is speaking at her alma mater, Howard University. Her campaign had its election night party there yesterday, but as it became clear that Donald Trump was winning, Harris canceled a planned address that evening.

She conceded to Trump in a phone call earlier in the day, an aide said.

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Tim Walz and his wife, Gwen, were just spotted in the crowd at Howard University.

The Minnesota governor was Harris’s running mate in her unsuccessful bid for president.

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Independent senator Sanders blames Democrats for election disaster

Bernie Sanders, the independent senator and leading progressive voice in Congress, says Democrats’ failure to embrace policies that would help the average American led to the party’s terrible performance in yesterday’s election.

“It should come as no great surprise that a Democratic party which has abandoned working-class people would find that the working class has abandoned them. First, it was the white working class, and now it is Latino and Black workers as well. While the Democratic leadership defends the status quo, the American people are angry and want change. And they’re right,” said Sanders, who was re-elected to a fourth term representing Vermont yesterday.

Sanders caucuses with Democrats in the Senate and campaigned for Kamala Harris, but has broken with Joe Biden over his support for Israel, and encouraged him to adopt progressive economic policies.

In his statement, Sanders encouraged Democrats to learn lessons from a debacle that saw Donald Trump defeat Harris, and the GOP regain control of the Senate:

Today, despite strong opposition from a majority of Americans, we continue to spend billions funding the extremist Netanyahu government’s all out war against the Palestinian people which has led to the horrific humanitarian disaster of mass malnutrition and the starvation of thousands of children.

Will the big money interests and well-paid consultants who control the Democratic party learn any real lessons from this disastrous campaign? Will they understand the pain and political alienation that tens of millions of Americans are experiencing? Do they have any ideas as to how we can take on the increasingly powerful oligarchy which has so much economic and political power? Probably not.

In the coming weeks and months those of us concerned about grassroots democracy and economic justice need to have some very serious political discussions.

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There’s a large crowd gathered at Howard University to see Kamala Harris speak, and among the group is former House speaker Nancy Pelosi.

She won re-election last night to her heavily Democratic district centered on San Francisco, but has handed leadership of the House Democratic caucus to Hakeem Jeffries of New York, who also won another term yesterday.

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Harris soon to give concession speech to supporters in Washington DC

Kamala Harris is due to acknowledge Donald Trump’s presidential election victory in a speech to supporters at Howard University in Washington DC.

The vice-president should be taking the stage at her alma mater in a few minutes. She has already conceded the election to Trump in a phone call earlier in the day, according to an aide.

Republicans currently control the House, and appear favored to continue holding the majority, Cook Political Report finds.

But it doesn’t look likely that the GOP will expand their already tiny majority by much, and with counting ongoing, there’s still a chance that Democrats claw their way back to control:

California at center of knife-edge race for House control

If there is any good news to be had in an election that saw stinging defeats for Democrats at the presidential level and in the Senate, it may be found in the House of Representatives, and specifically the races that have yet to be called in California.

Just moments after the polls closed in the Golden state, the Democratic stronghold was called for Kamala Harris and the party’s candidate for Senate, Adam Schiff, was declared the winner.

But despite a clear majority of blue votes at the top of the ticket, zooming in on the state’s sprawling list of local races showcased deeper divisions, with many contests remaining too close to call.

Among them are important seats that could help determine which party controls the House:

  • As of Wednesday morning, incumbent Republican Mike Garcia was up just two points over Democratic challenger George Whitesides with 67% of votes reported in the district north of Los Angeles.

  • In the seat left open by Democratic representative Katie Porter after her run for Senate – an area considered “Reagan country” that includes conservative-leaning Huntington Beach – Republican Scott Baugh and Democrat Dave Min are neck and neck with 71% of the vote reporting.

  • Representative Ken Calvert, the longest-serving House Republican from California, is up one point over Democrat Will Rollins with 69% reporting.

  • Incumbent Republican David Valadao has a stronger grip on his seat with 55% to Democrat Rudy Salas’s 45%, with just over half of the votes recorded.

  • The rematch between Republican representative John Duarte and Democrat Adam Gray – whom he narrowly beat in 2022 – is close again with Duarte at 51.4% to Gray’s 48.6% with about half of the Central valley district votes tallied.

  • Republican representative Michelle Steel leads over her challenger, Democrat Derek Tran, with 52.5% to his 47.5%, but the AP hasn’t yet called the race.

There are also a slew of initiatives put to voters in the state that are still being decided. The “no” votes are leading on Prop 6, which prohibits involuntary servitude as forced prison labor, Prop 32, which increases the minimum wage to $18 an hour, and Prop 5, which lowers vote thresholds required to approve bonds for affordable housing and public infrastructure.

The count can take weeks in California, where there’s a strong reliance on mail-in ballots, which are sent out to all registered voters.

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Among those who gathered at Howard for the vice-president’s concession speech was Joanne Howes, a founding member of Emily’s List, an influential fundraising group that supports Democratic female candidates who back abortion rights.

“Terrible,” she said when asked how she was doing. “I’ve been at this a long time and this time I really thought we were going to do it.” At 80, Howes said she was less hopeful now than she had ever been that she would see a female president.

“I am so angry at white women. I thought they were going to get it this time,” said Howes, who is white. “And those white women who voted for those ballot measures and then went to vote for Trump – figure that out.”

After appointing the justices who overturned Roe v Wade, Donald Trump was found liable for sexually abusing E Jean Carroll. Despite a campaign to remind women that their vote was a private matter that did not need to be shared with their husbands, national exit polls showed white women chose Trump by a sizable margin.

“We’re going to feel sad and sorrowful, but then we have to get up again,” she said. “We can’t just accept that our democracy is over.”

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Margins in swing states underscore decisive Trump victory

When he was first elected president in 2016, Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton by less than one percentage point of the vote in the three “blue wall” states: Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.

It was a frustrating result for Democrats, leaving many with the feeling that, if only Clinton had handled her campaign slightly differently, she would have been president.

Democrats are still digesting Kamala Harris’s defeat last night, but it has become clear that voters were decisive in choosing Trump over the vice-president. As the below chart shows, he improved his margins in the blue wall states, and turned back Harris’s efforts to win Georgia, as Joe Biden had in 2020, and North Carolina. We still don’t have the results for Nevada and Arizona yet, but he’s leading the count in those states, too.

The chart is also a good reminder of how strong Democrats once were in the blue wall, and in Nevada. Have a look:

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Democrat Elissa Slotkin wins Senate race in Michigan

Democratic congresswoman Elissa Slotkin will be Michigan’s next senator, the Associated Press reports.

It’s yet another sigh of relief for Democrats in a battleground state that gave its electoral votes to Donald Trump yesterday. Though they have already lost their majority in the Senate, Slotkin’s victory for the open seat being vacated by Democrat Debbie Stabenow means they have fewer seats to retake to gain the majority in future elections.

Make no mistake about it – tens of millions of Americans voted to return Donald Trump to the White House, and are happy he has won.

In the hours since polls closed and his victory was declared, they have celebrated all over the nation. Here’s what that looks like:

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I’ve just returned to Howard University’s campus, where just over 12 hours ago Kamala Harris’s supporters learned that she would not be the next president of the United States.

Students, sorority sisters and supporters have teamed into the venue, once again amassing on the Yard.

But unlike last night, the mood is somber. There is no music playing. There’s a lot of stone-faced supporters and exhausted staff.

Harris is expected to speak here shortly, after her election night defeat to Trump, a somber end to a lightning-fast campaign that many here believed would finally catapult a woman to the White House.

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Biden to address nation on Thursday after Democratic disaster in presidential election

Joe Biden will address the nation tomorrow, the White House said, after Donald Trump won the presidential election and Republicans gained control of the Senate for the first time in four years.

In his speech on Thursday, the president will “discuss the election results and the transition”, the White House said.

If there’s a glimmer of hope for Democrats after an election that counts as one of the party’s biggest disasters in recent years, it’s in the House of Representatives. Though Republicans appear to be holding their own in the races that will decide control of the chamber, counting is ongoing, and Democrats could still seize a majority that will probably be small.

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Biden congratulates Trump, invites him to White House

Joe Biden has called Donald Trump to congratulate him on his election victory and invite him to the White House.

The president “expressed his commitment to ensuring a smooth transition and emphasized the importance of working to bring the country together”, the White House said, adding that the date of the president-elect’s visit will be announced later.

Biden also called Kamala Harris, and “congratulated the vice-president on her historic campaign”.

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Just how exactly did Donald Trump win the White House?

With ballot counting ongoing in many parts of the country, we still do not have a complete picture of which groups broke for Trump, which declined to support Kamala Harris and which decided not to vote at all. But we do have some idea from the results that have been called so far, and FiveThirtyEight has analyzed them to gain some insights into why the vice-president came up short in her bid for the White House.

The toll of inflation played a big role in souring voters on Democrats, the polling site finds:

According to the exit poll, 35 percent of voters nationally rated the ‘state of democracy’ as the most important factor to their vote. Eighty-one percent of these people voted for Harris and just 17 percent for Trump. But the economy was the next-most-influential issue. Among these voters, Trump led 79 percent to 20 percent. In the end, abortion did not rate as highly as Democrats might have hoped; only 14 percent rated it as their biggest concern.

So, too, did the increasing popularity of Republicans among voters of color:

Initial exit poll estimates also suggest Democratic support declined among non-white voters and rose among white voters (especially college-educated ones). The exit poll indicates Trump won white voters by 12 percentage points, 55 percent to Harris’s 43 percent. Compared to the 2020 exit poll, that is a 5-point improvement for Democrats.

…

The Republican’s gains with nonwhites was particularly acute among Hispanic and Latino voters. Democrats’ vote margin with the group fell by 26 points, according to the exit poll, to just a 53-percent-to-45-percent margin. Trump’s vote share with Latinos looks like it could be the best since George W Bush’s 44 percent in 2004. Latino men moved 33 points toward Trump, one of his biggest swings.

Finally, it appears not as many Democrats came out to vote as Harris needed:

So far, around 137 million ballots have been counted for the 2024 presidential race. Predictions of final turnout are hovering somewhere in the neighborhood [of] 152 million votes. That would be a decrease from the 158 million who voted in 2020 and would be equivalent to about 61 percent of eligible voters. That would be a decline from 66 percent in 2020.

It is also likely that the drop in turnout disproportionately affected Democrats. While we can’t be sure until we can review records of who actually voted (states will release those over the next few months), the drop-off in turnout is currently greater in the most Democratic counties across the battleground states. That is something that would uniquely hurt Harris; if you’re a Democrat, then lower turnout in the suburbs is bad, of course, but not so bad as missing the mark in Philadelphia or Milwaukee, where you’re relying on a lot of votes to carry you to victory.

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Trump agreed with Harris 'on the importance of unifying the country' in phone call, campaign says

Donald Trump’s campaign has released details of his phone call with Kamala Harris today, in which the vice-president conceded the presidential election.

“President Donald J Trump and vice-president Kamala Harris spoke by phone earlier today where she congratulated him on his historic victory. President Trump acknowledged vice-president Harris on her strength, professionalism, and tenacity throughout the campaign, and both leaders agreed on the importance of unifying the country,” campaign communications director Steven Cheung said in a statement.

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Trump may become first Republican in 20 years to win popular vote

Donald Trump has already decisively won the electoral college but appears on course for another triumph that no Republican has pulled off in years: victory in the popular vote.

It was something Trump failed to do even when he was first elected in 2016, which heightened complaints among Democrats that the electoral college is an anti-democratic enabler of unpopular candidates. But the dynamic has plagued the GOP for years – the last Republican to win the popular vote is George W Bush in 2004, when he was re-elected after winning only the electoral college four years earlier.

While all ballots nationwide have not yet been counted, Trump currently has a lead in the popular vote over Kamala Harris, defying forecasts that the vice-president would be the choice of a majority of voters, even if she did not ultimately become president.

The Associated Press reports that as of 2.11pm ET, Trump won 71,930,743 votes, or 51% of the popular vote, and Harris 67,086,484 votes, or 47.5%. The totals are expected to change as counting continues, particularly in states with lots of Democratic voters, such as California.

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Macron and Trump agreed on working 'together for the return of peace and stability' – French president's office

Emmanuel Macron and Donald Trump shared a “wish to work together for the return of peace and stability” at a time when the world faces “major ongoing international crises”, the French president’s office said on Wednesday after Macron’s first call with the US president-elect.

The two leaders had a “very good 25-minute discussion”, the Élysée Palace said, in which Macron “highlighted the importance of Europe’s role” and offered to work together on questions including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the Middle East “once (Trump) has taken office” in January.

Macron’s entourage described the call as “warm”, saying the two men had known each other for a long time.

Macron was among the first world leaders to congratulate Trump on Wednesday and among the first to have a phone conversation with him.

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Democratic senator Tammy Baldwin re-elected in Wisconsin

Democratic senator Tammy Baldwin has won re-election in Wisconsin, the Associated Press reports, staving off a total disaster for the party in a swing state that was crucial in returning Donald Trump to the White House.

While Democrats have already lost control of the Senate thanks to Republican victories in West Virginia, Ohio and Montana, Baldwin’s defeat would have made it even harder for them to regain the majority in the future.

That said, things could still get worse for Democrats. Two of their incumbent senators are locked in tight races for re-election in Pennsylvania and Michigan – both swing states that Trump won.

Harris concedes to Trump in phone call

Kamala Harris has called Donald Trump to congratulate him on winning the 2024 presidential election, an aide to the campaign confirmed.

The call formally ends the bitter contest between the vice-president and the former president.

The aide said she emphasized the importance of a peaceful transfer of power and being a president for all Americans.

Harris is expected to deliver her concession speech at Howard later this afternoon.

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The day so far

Americans are digesting Donald Trump’s decisive victory in yesterday’s presidential election, which saw him win every single swing state that has been called so far, make inroads in traditionally Democratic areas, and potentially even become the first Republican in two decades to win the national popular vote. The strength of the former president’s comeback was further confirmed just a few minutes ago, when the Associated Press reported that Trump had won the battleground state of Michigan. Kamala Harris is expected to announce her concession to Trump in a speech at 4pm, after a night that saw her fellow Democrats lose control of the Senate and potentially fail in their attempt to retake the majority in the House of Representatives. Global leaders, from Justin Trudeau in Canada to Cyril Ramaphosa in South Africa, have spent today reaching out to welcome Trump back to power.

Here’s what else has happened so far today:

  • Trump has already spoken to the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who was one of the first world leaders to congratulate him this morning.

  • Jeff Bezos, the Amazon billionaire who owns the Washington Post and blocked it from endorsing Harris, congratulated Trump on his win.

  • Mike Johnson, the Republican speaker of the House, predicts his party will maintain its majority. While the outcome of dozens of elections for seats in Congress’s lower chamber have not been called yet, a GOP majority there and in the Senate would allow Trump to enact his legislative agenda, which may include aspects of Project 2025.

  • US support to Ukraine is newly uncertain now that Trump is heading back to the White House. The soon-to-be-president has repeatedly said he would bring the war with Russia to a swift conclusion, if elected.

  • Nikki Haley, Trump’s former UN ambassador who challenged him unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination, urged Harris to concede.

  • Liz Cheney, a Republican former congresswoman who lost her seat after breaking with Trump and later endorsed Harris, called on Americans to accept the election results “whether we like the outcome or not”.

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In a few short hours, we expect Kamala Harris to concede the election to Donald Trump, a man who embraced some of the country’s ugliest political impulses – racism, misogyny and nativism – and turned them against her, the nation’s first female and first Black vice-president.

Harris’s 2018 memoir, The Truths We Hold, opens with a scene from election night 2016, when California chose her as the state’s next senator as Trump won a shock election against Hillary Clinton.

Harris was at dinner with her family as they awaited the results. During the meal, she said Doug let out a “signature groan”, leaned over and showed her his phone. The New York Times’ probability meter showed Trump with a strong chance of winning.

By the time she arrived at her own election night party, Trump had been declared the victor. Harris said she tossed aside a draft of her acceptance speech.

Instead, she told the crowd: “Do we retreat or do we fight? I say we fight.”

It’s impossible to know what Harris will say in her concession speech. After America returned Trump to power, we will see if Harris still thinks the answer is to fight.

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Trump projected to win Michigan

Donald Trump has won the state of Michigan, reclaiming the battleground state and its 15 electoral votes for the Republican party after Joe Biden flipped it in 2020.

The Associated Press declared Trump the winner at 12.54pm EST. The Guardian relies on the Associated Press to determine the outcomes of elections across the United States.

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Harris expected to concede in afternoon speech

Kamala Harris will deliver a speech at 4pm EST (21.00 GMT) today, the White House has confirmed.

The vice-president is likely to concede the presidential election to Donald Trump, who the Associated Press declared the winner early this morning.

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Netanyahu says he had 'warm and cordial' call with Trump after election win

Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, held a phone call with Donald Trump after his election victory, his office said.

Netanyahu’s office said he was among the first world leaders to call Trump after his victory.

“The conversation was warm and cordial,” the Israeli prime minister’s office said.

“The prime minister congratulated Trump on his election victory, and the two agreed to work together for Israel’s security. The two also discussed the Iranian threat.”

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Democrats across the country were left in disbelief and searching for answers as they confronted the reality of another Donald Trump presidency.

As Kamala Harris’s chances of winning dwindled, the vice-president decided not to address her supporters gathered at Howard University in Washington DC on Tuesday night, instead scheduling an address for 4pm ET on Wednesday.

In the meantime, Democratic operatives and strategists and others filled the void, expressing their disappointment and already beginning to pick apart what went wrong for Harris and the Democratic party.

Former Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley described Donald Trump’s victory as a “great moment for America” on her SiriusXM program this morning,

Haley said Trump had “literally defied gravity” with his win.

“He got through two assassination attempts,” she said. “He got through two impeachments, he got through numerous indictments, and America still elected him because, at the end of the day, they knew what they were getting with Donald Trump. And that’s what they wanted to see.”

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Nikki Haley congratulates Trump and urges Harris to concede

Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor who ran against Donald Trump for the Republican presidential ticket, has congratulated Trump on a “strong win”.

“The American people have spoken,” Haley posted to X this morning. “Now, it’s time for the American people to come together, pray for our country, and start the process of a peaceful transition.”

“That begins with Kamala Harris conceding. You can’t just talk about unity in a campaign, you have to show it regardless of the outcome,” she added.

As we reported earlier, Harris is expected to call Trump and deliver a concession speech later today.

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He was written off as a drag on the presidential ticket, mocked by political opponents as “weird”, falsely rumored to have had sex with a couch, and pilloried as a misogynist for labelling women without children as “childless cat ladies”.

Now JD Vance – the butt of a spate of Democratic and liberal jokes for his awkward stump persona and much else – has turned the tables on his detractors.

Donald Trump’s emphatic election triumph is set to put the 40-year-old Ohio senator just a heartbeat away from the presidency, serving under a chief executive who is 78 and has been the target of two failed assassination attempts.

It is a dizzying rise for a man who was elected to the Senate just two years ago and now finds himself about to become the third-youngest person in US history to hold the office of vice-president.

While Trump’s opponents and many critics dread his return to the Oval Office and the levers of power, Vance waiting in the wings hardly gives them cause to feel reassured.

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Mitch McConnell, the outgoing Republican Senate minority leader, has told reporters it is “certainly a happy day for the GOP”.

McConnell congratulated Donald Trump on his election victory, which he credited the Trump campaign for running a “smarter operation” than when they lost in 2020.

“If you’re looking for a simple answer, I think it was a referendum on the current administration, in part,” he said.

“People were just not happy with this administration and the Democratic nominee was a part of it.”

McConnell also posted to X to say that “one of the most gratifying results” of the election is that “the filibuster will stand”.

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The head of the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has praised the work of state and local election officials and poll workers on election day.

“As we have said repeatedly, our election infrastructure has never been more secure and the election community never better prepared to deliver safe, secure, free, and fair elections for the American people,” Jen Easterly said in a statement, the Associated Press reported.

“This is what we saw yesterday in the peaceful and secure exercise of democracy.”

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Jeff Bezos congratulates Trump on 'extraordinary political comeback'

Jeff Bezos, the multibillionaire founder of Amazon and owner of the Washington Post, has offered his “big congratulations” to Donald Trump on an “extraordinary political comeback and decisive victory”.

“No nation has bigger opportunities,” Bezos wrote in a post on X, adding that he wished Trump “all success in leading and uniting the America we all love”.

Bezos has faced intense criticism in recent weeks after his newspaper prevented its editorial team from publishing an endorsement of Kamala Harris.

The decision not to endorse has rocked the paper and seen newsroom unrest, resignations from its editorial board and the loss of hundreds of thousands of subscribers.

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Kemi Badenoch, the UK Conservative leader, made jibes about Labour’s view of Donald Trump in her first prime minister’s questions as opposition leader on Wednesday.

Badenoch questioned the prime minister, Keir Starmer, on his commitment to protect Britain’s “special relationship” with the US, and asked him about comments made by the foreign secretary, David Lammy, about Trump.

“The prime minister did not distance himself from the remarks made by the foreign secretary, and I’m very sure that President Trump will soon be calling to thank him for sending all of those north London Labour activists to campaign for his opponent,” Badenoch said.

Starmer assured the Commons he would work with Trump on issues of mutual interest, but did not directly answer Badenoch’s questions.

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The UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, has not yet spoken to Donald Trump after his election victory but looks forward to doing so “in due course”, Downing Street said.

Starmer “knows first-hand how busy the first couple of days are after winning an election”, his spokesperson said.

The UK leader “would welcome” a visit by Trump to parliament but parliamentary matters are “for the speaker”, they added.

The newly elected UK Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, called on Starmer to invite Trump to address parliament on his next visit to Britain.

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House speaker Mike Johnson predicts Republicans will keep control of House

Mike Johnson, the Republican House speaker, has predicted that the party will keep its majority in the House, which would give Republicans full control of the government – although that race has not yet been called.

Johnson hailed a “historic” election and said Republicans are “poised to have unified government in the White House, Senate, and House”.

“We will continue to monitor the results and ensure every legal ballot is counted throughout this process,” Johnson wrote.

“I look forward to working with President Trump and a Republican Senate to deliver as Speaker of the House on the mandate entrusted to us by the American people.”

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Ukraine was plunged into gloom and uncertainty after Donald Trump’s victory amid expectations that he is likely to end US military assistance while the Kremlin said its aim of subjugating its neighbor remained unchanged.

The consequences for Ukraine of Trump’s second presidency are likely to be difficult, at a time when Russia is advancing on the battlefield at the quickest rate since 2022.

Without US military assistance, Ukraine stands to lose further ground in Donetsk oblast, the scene of fierce fighting since Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion nearly three years ago, as well as in many other frontline areas.

Trump once boasted he could end the decade-long Russo-Ukrainian war in “24 hours”. His future vice-president, JD Vance, is an outspoken Kyiv sceptic who has said he “does not really care what happens to Ukraine, one way or another”.

Trump’s aides have previously sketched out a possible “peace deal”. It would involve giving Ukraine’s eastern regions to Russia, with the existing frontline frozen, as well as Crimea, seized in 2014. Russia controls about 20% of Ukraine’s territory.

In an interview with the Guardian in May, Zelenskyy made clear that formula was unacceptable. Nor would he be willing to accept a Russian “ultimatum” that forced Ukraine to abandon integration with Europe and future membership of Nato, he said.

Zelenskyy acknowledged that a re-elected Trump could, if he wanted to, impose a military defeat on his country. “Ukraine, barehanded, without weapons, will not be able to fight a multimillion [Russian] army,” he admitted.

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Former president George W Bush congratulates Trump

Former president George W Bush has issued a statement congratulating Donald Trump on his victory.

“I congratulate President Trump on his election as 47th president of the United States of America, as well as vice-president-elect JD Vance and their families,” he said. He also thanked Joe Biden and Kamala Harris for their “service to our country”.

Bush noted that election turnout was “a sign of the health of our republic and the strength of our democratic institutions”.

He said that he and his wife, Laura, “join our fellow citizens in praying for the success of our new leaders at all levels of government”.

Bush remained notably silent on the 2024 race, while his former vice-president, Dick Cheney, and daughter, Barbara Bush, endorsed Harris.

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Harris to give concession speech at 4pm EST - reports

Kamala Harris’s concession speech, originally expected at 6pm EST, will now take place earlier at 4pm EST at Howard University, her alma mater, according to multiple reports.

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As Arizonans are waking up, they’re seeing a mixed picture of results – and still waiting for a big chunk of ballots to be counted that could sway many outstanding races.

In Maricopa county alone, there are an estimated 700,000 ballots left to count.

Donald Trump now leads the state with nearly 52% of the vote, a lead that will probably hold. But Democratic US Senate candidate Ruben Gallego also has the lead over Trump ally Kari Lake, though by a narrower margin of about 61,000 votes.

Two US House seats are within 5,000 votes: incumbent Republican David Schweikert has the edge in congressional district one, while Democratic contender Kirsten Engel is ahead over incumbent Juan Ciscomani in in the sixth district.

And on ballot measures, voters overwhelmingly approved a measure to enshrine access to abortion in the state constitution while also approving a measure to allow the state to police immigration.

Several key legislative races are still very close (one Democratic state senate candidate leads by just 38 votes right now), leaving it possible that Democrats could flip a chamber.

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Reporting from Scranton, Pennsylvania:

In downtown Scranton, two women who declined to give their full names were chatting about the election during a cigarette break Wednesday morning.

One of the women, Suzanne S, said she had voted for Donald Trump but was surprised he had done so well in Scranton because there was heavy support for Kamala Harris in the city.

She voted for Trump, saying he was “bold” and “brazen.” “Does he say things that he shouldn’t say? Absolutely,” she said. “He also says things that a lot of us just say behind closed doors that aren’t being recorded.”

She started to go on before taking a long pause and saying “I don’t know if I should say this.”

“The whole transgender movement and stuff I don’t agree with,” she said. “My daughter has worked very hard to become a level 10 Olympic gymnast. No man should be competing against her. No man should walk into the bathroom that she’s in.”

The other woman, Danielle D, said she wasn’t surprised by the election results. “It’s just the order of things – they’re not ready for a woman president,” she said.

She added that she hoped the fact that America had elected someone with a felony conviction would cause people to rethink broader restrictions on hiring those with felonies for work.

Kamala Harris is expected to call Donald Trump today to concede defeat, NBC News is reporting, citing Harris aides.

In the meantime, Harris is working on her speech, according to one aide.

Joe Biden also plans to call Trump today and to speak publicly about the election results, the outlet reported, citing a White House official.

Timing for both the call and Biden’s remarks is to be determined, it said.

Kamala Harris will deliver a speech conceding defeat in the presidential election to Donald Trump at 6pm EST (23.00 GMT) on Wednesday, Reuters is reporting, citing sources.

As we reported earlier, Harris plans to deliver her speech from Howard University, her alma mater, according to NBC News.

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The Democratic National Committee chair, Jaime Harrison, will reportedly not seek re-nomination when the party holds a leadership vote early next year.

Harrison, who came under criticism for his strong backing to keep Joe Biden in the 2024 presidential race, signaled his plans to leave the position before Tuesday’s election results, Reuters is reporting, citing sources.

The DNC chair is expected to hold an all-staff meeting on Wednesday to discuss the Democrats’ disappointing results and also to discuss a potential timeline for a leadership vote, which is expected to come before April, it said.

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Reporting from Scranton, Pennsylvania:

Rick Carrick, a 69-year-old retiree was walking his dog, Elvis, outside the Lackawanna county courthouse in downtown Scranton as he processed the election results on Wednesday. He said he was ready to move out of the country.

“I just told my daughter, I said guarantee first thing he does when he’s sworn in is he gives everybody from January 6 a full pardon,” said Carrick, who lives on Biden Street in Scranton.

Lackawanna county, home to Scranton, was one of several key areas in Pennsylvania where Donald Trump improved his performance compared with 2020. Joe Biden carried the county by eight points in 2020, and Kamala Harris carried it by about three points this year. The county was once a Democratic stronghold – Barack Obama won it by nearly 28 points in 2012.

Carrick said he had no idea why Trump had been able to do so well in the county.

“I’m just looking at the big picture. OK, maybe Trump is better on the economy, and to be honest with you, the first time he ran I liked a lot of his ideas, like we can’t be the bank for the entire world,” he said.

“But then other things that he does, it’s like he wants to be king.”

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Democratic three-term congresswoman Susan Wild has conceded to her Republican challenger, Ryan Mackenzie, in Pennsylvania’s hotly contested seventh congressional district.

Although the race hasn’t officially yet been called, Wild released a statement this morning describing the result as a “bitterly disappointing outcome”.

“I lost this election, and my opponent won. I congratulate my opponent on winning this seat, and I am going to do everything to ensure a smooth transition, because the people of this district deserve nothing less,” Wild said in a statement.

“This is how democracy works. It’s how we move forward,” she continued. “You cannot only recognize the results of elections you win, no matter how much you may disagree with them.”

Updated

JD Vance thanks Trump for the 'opportunity to serve our country' as vice-president

Donald Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, has thanked him for “giving me such an opportunity to serve our country at this level”.

“THANK YOU!” Vance wrote on X this morning, as he also thanked his “beautiful” wife, Usha, “for making it possible to do this”.

“And to the American people, for their trust. I will never stop fighting for ALL of you,” he added.

Updated

Taiwan’s president, Lai Ching-te, has offered his “sincere” congratulations to Donald Trump on his election victory.

Lai, in a statement posted to X, said he is “confident” that the Taiwan-US partnership “will continue to serve as a cornerstone for regional stability [and] lead to greater prosperity for us all”.

Updated

Here’s a video timeline showing how the night of Donald Trump’s presidential comeback unfolded:

Hours before it became official that Donald Trump will return to the White House, his biggest supporter was already inside the Oval Office.

Elon Musk, who has been a key backer of Trump’s return to the presidency, was in his default wind-up mode as he used his X platform to post a superimposed picture of himself – holding a sink – inside the seat of US power. “Let that sink in,” he wrote.

It was amateurish but Musk’s contribution to Trump’s victory has been serious and will reap benefits for the world’s richest person.

There were immediate signs of a return on that investment on Wednesday morning. Shares in Tesla, the electric car maker, which he leads as CEO and in which he owns a 13% stake, were up about 15% in pre-trading on Wall Street, implying a wealth gain of $15bn. There could be more to come.

Updated

Harris to address the nation from Howard University this afternoon – report

Kamala Harris is expected to address her supporters and the nation from Howard University early on Wednesday afternoon, NBC News is reporting, citing three Harris aides.

Howard University is Harris’s alma mater; she graduated in 1986 with a bachelor’s degree in political science and economics.

Harris launched her first campaign on the university campus when she ran for freshman class representative, and returned in 2019 to announce her presidential run in for the 2020 election cycle. Harris also used the campus as the site to prepare for her August debate against Donald Trump.

Updated

Marco Rubio, the Florida senator, said Donald Trump won the election by “fundamentally remaking” the Republican party.

“What I’m most impressed by is not just the size of the victory, I know the number is still growing, but the way Donald Trump won this election,” Rubio told CNN this morning.

“He won it by fundamentally remaking the Republican party, but I hope also revealing to people that for voters in the United States of America, their primary identity is not their ethnicity. It’s not their race.

“It’s what they do for a living. It’s who’s who they are in their daily lives.”

Updated

Climate activists with the Just Stop Oil environmental group sprayed the US embassy in London with orange paint in protest of “fascism” following Donald Trump’s election victory.

The group posted a video on X showing two men spraying paint on a section of the embassy building in south London, accompanied with the warning that Trump’s win “puts the lives of ordinary people at risk, everywhere”.

London’s Metropolitan police arrested two men, aged 25 and 72, on suspicion of criminal damage, the force said.

“This activity is vandalism purporting as protest and we will continue to have a zero tolerance attitude to actions such as this,” a statement by Met police deputy assistant commissioner Andy Valentine said.

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Liz Cheney urges Americans to accept election results 'whether we like the outcome or not'

Liz Cheney, a former Republican congresswoman and prominent Trump critic, has urged Americans to accept the election results “whether we like the outcome or not”.

Cheney, who campaigned for Kamala Harris, said Americans, the courts, members of the press, and those serving in the federal, state and local governments “must now be the guardrails of democracy”.

“We now have a special responsibility, as citizens of the greatest nation on earth, to do everything we can to support and defend our Constitution, preserve the rule of law, and ensure that our institutions hold over these coming four years,” she wrote.

Updated

Republican Tim Sheehy’s challenge for the Montana Senate seat was considered a referendum on whether Democrats can win in largely rural states, which have moved to Donald Trump’s far-right brand of Republicanism.

The race prompted questions about whether grassroots campaigning – which historically has proved successful in Montana – is at all effective when news coverage and campaign spending have made local politics national.

Montana, which has a population of 1.1 million, saw $280m in campaign ad spending, according to the Associated Press.

Pennsylvania and Ohio, which saw $340m and about $500m in respective spending, have about 10 times the population of the western state, further underscoring its perceived importance to both political parties.

Updated

Republican Tim Sheehy defeats three-term Montana senator Jon Tester

Republican Tim Sheehy is projected to defeat three-term incumbent Montana senator Jon Tester, flipping a closely watched Senate seat and adding to the GOP’s newly won majority in the upper House.

Sheehy, a former Navy SEAL, ran as a Donald Trump-supporting conservative in a state where he is immensely popular.

Tester – a moderate and the Senate’s only working farmer – was considered one of the most vulnerable Democrats on the ballot nationwide. He was the only Democrat holding statewide office in Montana, which has voted for the Republican presidential candidate in every contest since 1992.

The Guardian relies on the Associated Press to determine the outcomes of elections across the United States. The New York-based global news agency has a presence in every US state and a long and authoritative history of determining the winners of elections at the presidential, congressional and state level. Here is more information about their process.

You can keep track of the results from all 50 states as they come in here.

Updated

Canada's Trudeau congratulates Trump on election win

Justin Trudeau, the Canadian prime minister, has congratulated Donald Trump in a post on X accompanied by a photograph of the two of them in the White House during Trump’s first term in office.

“The friendship between Canada and the US is the envy of the world,” Trudeau wrote. “I know President Trump and I will work together to create more opportunity, prosperity, and security for both of our nations.”

Updated

Sometimes fear triumphs over hope. Donald Trump’s shocking victory in the 2016 US presidential election was described as a leap into the political unknown. This time there is no excuse. America knew that he was a convicted criminal, serial liar and racist demagogue who four years ago attempted to overthrow the government. It voted for him anyway.

The result is a catastrophe for the world. It saw Kamala Harris’s competence and expertise, her decency and grace, her potential to be the first female president in America’s 248-year history. It also saw Trump’s venality and vulgarity, his crass insults and crude populism, his dehumanisation of immigrants that echoed Adolf Hitler. And the world asked: how is this race even close?

But elections hold up a mirror to a nation and the nation does not always like what it sees.

Future historians will marvel at how Trump rose from the political dead. When he lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden, people gathered outside the White House to celebrate, brandishing signs that said, “Bon Voyage”, “Democracy wins!”, “You’re fired!”, “Trump is over” and “Loser”. There was a tone of finality, a sense that, after four gruelling years, this particular national nightmare was over.

But Trump could do no wrong in the eyes of his cult-like following, a freakishly resilient appeal that has three main components.

First, there is the celebrity and successful businessman persona, fashioned over years by his book The Art of the Deal and the reality TV show The Apprentice. Harris recruited numerous big-name endorsers such as Taylor Swift and Beyoncé; Trump was star of his own show.

Second, Trump has understood that, whereas Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama resonated in an era of aspiration, this is an age of anxiety. The upper-working class and lower-middle class fear loss of status and yearn for a safety blanket. Young people worry they will be worse off than their parents’ generation and unable to buy homes. Many, wrongly, perceive Trump as an economic populist because he rails against elites and “says it like it is” or “speaks how they feel” or “doesn’t give a fuck”.

Third, there is Trump the culture warrior. For nearly a decade he has tapped into America’s id: a long and painful racial history of progress and backlash, stoked anew by the election of Obama and white Christians finding themselves in the minority. Xenophobia is at the heart of his political identity. In addition, his campaign spent millions on ads fuelling hysteria about transgender rights (“Kamala’s agenda is they/them, not you”).

Together, with a sinister assist from billionaire Elon Musk, it was enough to eke out victory.

International charity ActionAid has warned that Donald Trump’s re-election sends an “existential and dangerous threat to women and girls’ rights across the world”.

Hannah Bond, Co-CEO at ActionAid UK said on Wednesday:

Trump’s election poses an existential and dangerous threat to women and girls rights across the world and to global peace and security.

Millions in America will be waking up to a future where their reproductive rights and freedoms are fundamentally at risk, particularly the most marginalised people.

For women and girls facing crises across the world – whether in Gaza or in Ukraine – this is a devastating result that threatens global peace and security.

With leaders gathering at COP next week, Trump’s plans to pull out of the Paris agreement all but ends the hope of meaningful US climate action.

With the UK committed to ‘standing shoulder to shoulder’ with the new US administration, it must hold the US to account in the fight for gender equality.”

An election that barely mentioned climate could end up being the most consequential for the planet in modern history. Donald Trump is expected to pull the US out of the Paris agreement, joining just three other countries, Iran, Libya and Yemen.

The agreement’s overarching goal is to hold “the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2C above preindustrial levels” and pursue efforts “to limit the temperature increase to 1.5C above preindustrial levels.” Those countries that signed up agreed to taper off their carbon emissions by the middle of this century to achieve this.

He is also expected to cancel many of Biden’s climate policies and, as he said, “drill, baby, drill”, turbocharging oil and gas production.

This will have dire consequences. CarbonBrief has estimated this will cause an additional 4bn tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (GtCO2e) by 2030 emitted from the US. This would negate twice over all of the savings from deploying wind, solar and other clean technologies around the world over the past five years.

Experts believe a second Trump presidency would end all hope of keeping global warming below 1.5C, the limit agreed by scientists which would avoid the worst impacts of climate breakdown. These include extreme, deadly weather events which can wipe out populations and cause mass deaths, as well as temperatures rising to make some parts of the world uninhabitable, as well as climate related severe disruptions to the food supply as fertile lands become desert.

It also has global impacts; when right wing parties falsely claim that lowering emissions and switching to a green economy is expensive, and the US is not participating in this effort, they can plausibly ask why other countries are doing that. This is likely to happen in the UK, where politicians are already falsely claiming the Labour government’s green policies will drive up energy bills and cause rationing. To be clear, this is utterly false, but it is a message that could take hold in difficult times if there is not a proactive effort to make the positive economic case for the green transition.

South Africa's president Ramaphosa congratulates Trump on his election victory

South Africa’s president Cyril Ramaphosa has congratulated Trump on his election victory.

In a post on X, Ramaphosa said he was looking forward to working closely with the US during South Africa’s G20 presidency next year. The US will succeed South Africa as president of the grouping, which includes 19 of the world’s biggest economies and the European and African unions.

South Africa’s head of public diplomacy, Clayson Monyela, deleted an earlier post on X, in which he said:

“I’ll leave it to my seniors but congratulations are in order for the president-elect….

Historically relations between South Africa & the US thrive under a Republican White House.”

Last year, the US ambassador to South Africa accused the country of providing arms to Russia, a claim South Africa’s government furiously denied.

Kamala Harris’s campaign was seen by many of her supporters, and others across the world, as having the potential of saving American democracy from an existential threat and a sign that US politics might be returning to a more normal state of affairs.

With a Donald Trump victory on Wednesday morning, that potential disappeared.

After the shock exit of Joe Biden following his disastrous debate performance raised questions about his mental acuity, Harris and her team ran a campaign that by American standards was incredibly short. Despite having had support by stars like Beyoncé and Taylor Swift, gathering more than a billion dollars in fundraising, and crisscrossing the country in relentless rallies, Harris’s bid to win the White House ended in defeat.

Here are some key moments, issues and events from the campaign:

The Kremlin reacted cautiously on Wednesday after Donald Trump was elected US president, saying the US was still a hostile state and that only time would tell if Trump’s rhetoric on ending the Ukraine war translated into reality, reports Reuters.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Trump had made some important statements about wanting to end the Ukraine war during his campaign, but only time would tell if they led to action.

“Let us not forget that we are talking about an unfriendly country, which is both directly and indirectly involved in a war against our state [in Ukraine],” Peskov told reporters, according to Reuters.

Peskov said he was not aware of any plans by the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, to congratulate Trump on his victory and that relations with Washington were at an historic low.

Peskov said:

We have repeatedly said that the US is able to contribute to the end of this conflict. This cannot be done overnight, but … the US is capable of changing the trajectory of its foreign policy. Will this happen, and if so, how … we will see after [the US president’s inauguration in] January.”

Russian and US diplomats say relations between the world’s two largest nuclear powers have only been worse during the depths of the cold war. According to Reuters, Russian officials from Putin down said ahead of the election that it made no difference to Moscow who won the White House, even as Kremlin-guided state media coverage showed a preference for Trump.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said Moscow had no illusions about Trump, noting that there was what it called a bipartisan anti-Russian position among the US ruling elite designed to try to contain Russia.

“Russia will work with the new administration when it ‘takes up residence’ in the White House, fiercely defending Russian national interests and focusing on achieving all the set objectives of the special military operation (in Ukraine),” the ministry said. “Our conditions are unchanged and are well known in Washington.”

Kirill Dmitriev, the influential head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, struck a softer note, saying a Trump victory could be a chance to repair ties, reports Reuters.

“This opens up new opportunities for resetting relations between Russia and the United States,” added Dmitriev, a former Goldman Sachs banker who has previously had contacts with the Trump team.

The Guardian community team would like to hear people’s thoughts about Donald Trump having decisively won the US presidential election.

They are keen to hear from people who voted for Trump and those who did not about what shaped their vote, what they now make of the election result, and how they may now look back on the polls and the election campaigns of Trump and Kamala Harris.

Please share your story if you are 18 or over, anonymously if you wish by filling out the form at the below link:

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On stage in West Palm Beach in the early hours of Wednesday morning, Donald Trump thanked his supporters, his family and his campaign team as he declared victory in the US presidential race. One group not on the former president’s thank-you cards: the media, whom he referred to as “the enemy camp”.

Introducing his running mate, the Ohio senator JD Vance, Trump said:

I told JD to go into the enemy camp. He just goes: OK. Which one? CNN? MSNBC? He’s like the only guy who looks forward to going on, and then just absolutely obliterates them.”

Trump has had an antagonistic relationship with the US press for years, often labeling them as the “crooked media” and calling them the “enemy of the people”. But as the Republican candidate in recent weeks ramped up his rhetoric against his perceived opponents, he’s intensified his attacks on reporters as well.

The comment during Trump’s victory speech come less than a week after he joked during a campaign rally he would have no concerns about reporters being shot at if there were another assassination attempt against him.

During meandering comments at a rally in Pennsylvania last week, Trump complained about gaps in the bulletproof shields surrounding him after a gunman opened fire on him at a rally in July.

“To get me, somebody would have to shoot through the fake news and I don’t mind that so much,” he said.

The press, he added, were “seriously corrupt people”.

Trump’s communications director later claimed in a statement the comments were supposedly an effort to look out for the welfare of the news media.

Updated

Voters have elected a Republican majority in the Senate. They have also been electing members of the House of Representatives and state governors.

You can keep track of the results from all 50 states as they come in here:

Germany’s Scholz and Italy’s Meloni congratulate Trump on US election win

Olaf Scholz congratulated Donald Trump on Wednesday. In a post on X, the German chancellor said that Germany and the US will continue to work together to “successfully” promote “prosperity and freedom on both sides of the Atlantic”.

Scholz said:

I congratulate Donald Trump on his election as US president. For a long time, Germany and the US have been working together successfully promoting prosperity and freedom on both sides of the Atlantic. We will continue to do so for the wellbeing of our citizens.”

Amid the congratulations, France and Germany arranged a last-minute meeting of their defence ministers on Wednesday to discuss the results of the US elections and its implications for Ukraine and European defence, reports the Associated Press (AP).

The Italian premier, Giorgia Meloni, also offered congratulations to Trump. According to the AP, Meloni said:

Italy and the United States are sister nations, linked by an unshakeable alliance, common values and a historic friendship. It is a strategic bond, which I am sure we will now strengthen even more.”

More a natural ally of Trump than many European leaders, Meloni in 2022 became the head of Italy’s first far-right-led government since the second world war. She has forged alliances with other right-wing leaders in Europe and has made a mark cracking down on migration.

Donald Trump’s shock return to the White House has delighted his tens of millions of supporters in the US but stunned the rest of the country and much of the fearfully watching world.

Few would have imagined such a scenario when Trump left office in disgrace in January 2021, in the wake of the attack on the Capitol in Washington DC and facing a long list of legal travails.

But his campaign has won back the Oval Office. It was possibly one of the most extreme campaigns in recent history, dogged by racist language, violent rhetoric and a profound sense of grievance. But it resonated with enough people in America to carve out a second Trump term and take the US into unexplored political terrain.

Here are some key moments, issues and events from the campaign:

'Major blow to global climate action': climate figures react to Trump re-election

Many climate figures are horrified by the re-election of Donald Trump as president, citing his past denial of climate change and promise to drill for more fossil fuels. But they also say that the progress of cheap, clean energy is now unstoppable, and that action by states, cities and businesses can continue climate action in the US, as during Trump’s first term. The UN climate summit Cop29, starting next week in Azerbaijan, will be attended by Biden officials.

Christiana Figueres, UN climate chief from 2010-2016, who oversaw the landmark Paris agreement said:

The result from this election will be seen as a major blow to global climate action, but it cannot and will not halt the changes under way to decarbonise the economy and meet the goals of the Paris agreement.

Standing with oil and gas is the same as falling behind in a fast moving world. Clean energy technologies will continue to outcompete fossil fuels. There is an antidote to doom and despair. It’s action on the ground, and it’s happening in all corners of the Earth.”

Bill Hare, climate scientist and CEO of Climate Analytics, said:

The election of a climate denier to the US presidency is extremely dangerous for the world. We are already seeing extreme damages, loss of life around the globe due to human induced warming of 1.3C.

President Trump will not be above the laws of physics and nor will the country that he leads. If Trump follows through with his threat to withdraw from the Paris agreement, the biggest loser will be the United States.”

Gina McCarthy, former White House national climate adviser and Environmental Protection Agency administrator, said:

No matter what Trump may say, the shift to clean energy is unstoppable and our country is not turning back. Our coalition is bigger, more bipartisan, better organised, and fully prepared to deliver climate solutions, boost local economies, and drive climate ambition.

We cannot and will not let Trump stand in the way of giving our kids and grandkids the freedom to grow up in safer and healthier communities.”

Mitzi Jonelle Tan, from Youth Advocates for Climate Action Philippines, said:

Countries like the Philippines are already enduring life-shattering climate impacts. While the fossil fuel industry and leaders like Trump cling to a collapsing system, we cannot give in. We must continue to organise and campaign to bring the end of the fossil fuel era.”

Dr Friederike Otto, co-founder of World Weather Attribution at Imperial College London, UK, said:

Climate change doesn’t care about politics or which party is in government. The US will get hit by stronger storms and hotter heatwaves as long as the world burns oil, coal and gas.

Saying climate change isn’t real or dismantling climate policies won’t change that. I hope local governments will be able to step up in many places.”

Updated

Democrat Kristen McDonald Rivet won election to a US House seat representing Michigan on Wednesday, reports the Associated Press (AP).

Her victory means Democrats will retain control of a competitive district after Dan Kildee, who has represented the Flint area for about a decade, decided to retire.

McDonald Rivet currently represents a competitive state Senate district that covers Midland, Saginaw and Bay City. She defeated Republican Paul Junge, who unsuccessfully ran against Kildee in 2022 and had worked in US customs and immigration services during the Trump administration.

The AP declared McDonald Rivet the winner at 6.09am EST.

Updated

Ukraine's Zelenskyy congratulates Trump on an 'impressive election victory'

The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has congratulated Donald Trump on “his impressive election victory”.

Posting on X before the Associated Press had declared Trump the winner, Zelenskyy wrote about his hopes for the US and Ukraine working to put “an end to Russian aggression against Ukraine”.

He wrote:

Congratulations to @realDonaldTrump on his impressive election victory!

I recall our great meeting with President Trump back in September, when we discussed in detail the Ukraine-US strategic partnership, the victory plan, and ways to put an end to Russian aggression against Ukraine.

I appreciate President Trump’s commitment to the “peace through strength” approach in global affairs. This is exactly the principle that can practically bring just peace in Ukraine closer. I am hopeful that we will put it into action together.

We look forward to an era of a strong United States of America under President Trump’s decisive leadership. We rely on continued strong bipartisan support for Ukraine in the United States.

We are interested in developing mutually beneficial political and economic cooperation that will benefit both of our nations. Ukraine, as one of Europe’s strongest military powers, is committed to ensuring long-term peace and security in Europe and the transatlantic community with the support of our allies.

I am looking forward to personally congratulating President Trump and discussing ways to strengthen Ukraine’s strategic partnership with the United States.

Donald Trump has been elected the 47th president of the United States in a stunning political resurrection that sent shock waves through the country and around the world.

Trump becomes the first convicted criminal to win the White House. At 78 he is also the oldest person ever elected to the office.

The result will sound alarm bells in foreign capitals given Trump’s chaotic leadership style and overtures to authoritarians such as Vladimir Putin of Russia and Kim Jong-un of North Korea. He was called a threat to democracy and even a fascist by his opponent, vice-president Kamala Harris, and some of his own former White House officials.

Yet the US electorate proved willing to push such concerns aside and hand the nuclear codes to the property developer turned reality TV star for a second time.

Trump defeated Harris, a Democrat who had been seeking to make history herself as the first woman, first Black woman and first south Asian American to become president in the US’s 248-year history.

At 5.37am ET the Associated Press called Wisconsin for Trump, with the state’s 10 electoral college votes tipping the Trump’s total to 277 – well past the 270 votes that is needed to win the presidency.

Montana voters chose to protect the right to an abortion in their state constitution, reports the Associated Press (AP).

The ballot initiative sought to enshrine a 1999 Montana supreme court ruling that said the constitutional right to privacy protects the right to a pre-viability abortion by a provider of the patient’s choice. Though there’s no defined time frame, doctors say viability is sometime after 21 weeks.

The Associated Press declared the amendment was approved at 6.01am EST on Wednesday.

Dollar soars as markets bet that Trump would win US election

Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election sent the dollar soaring, even before his win was officially announced, towards its biggest one-day rise, while cryptocurrency traders pushed bitcoin to a fresh all-time high.

The likelihood that the Republicans would also grab a majority in the Senate and the House of Representatives, giving Trump sweeping powers to cut taxes and impose tariffs on imported goods, was also judged as a positive for the US currency even before some states had given their verdict.

Trump declared victory on Wednesday morning after taking the key swing state of Pennsylvania. At the time, the Republican led his Democrat rival, Kamala Harris, by 267 electoral votes to her 224, with 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency. The Associated Press declared Trump the winner at 5.34am EST.

The US currency’s climb began after very early indications of a Republican win in Georgia and gathered pace throughout the day.

World leaders congratulate Trump on US election win

Even before the election was called for Donald Trump, world leaders congratulated the former president on his imminent return to office:

  • France’s president Emmanuel Macron became one of the first to tweet his congratulations, writing on X: “Congratulations President Donald Trump. Ready to work together as we have done for four years.”

  • Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also congratulated Donald Trump, sharing a photo of him and his wife, Sara, with the ex-president. Netanyahu wrote: “Your historic return to the White House offers a new beginning for America.”

  • Hungarian prime minister and Trump ally Viktor Orbán has welcomed the US election results. “Good Morning Hungary! On the road to a beautiful victory, it’s in the bag,” he said on his Facebook page earlier on Wednesday.

  • British prime minister Keir Starmer said: “Congratulations president-elect Trump on your historic election victory. I look forward to working with you in the years ahead. As the closest of allies, we stand shoulder to shoulder in defence of our shared values of freedom, democracy and enterprise. From growth and security to innovation and tech, I know that the UK-US special relationship will continue to prosper on both sides of the Atlantic for years to come,” he said.

  • India’s prime minister Narendra Modi offered “hearty congratulations to my friend Donald Trump”, alongside several photos of the two men tightly embracing each other and holding hands. Modi said he was “looking forward to collaboration” between the US and India.

  • Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte has congratulated Trump and said he showed “strong US leadership” in his first term in office that strengthened the alliance. In a statement Rutte said he looked forward to working with Trump “to advance peace through strength through Nato”.

  • Portugal’s prime minister, Luís Montenegro, Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, Greek prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Irish PM Simon Harris, Charles Michel, president of the European Council, also offered their congratulations.

Republicans take Senate majority and eye unified power with Trump

Republicans have recaptured the US Senate, achieving what was billed in advance as the most attainable goal for the party in this year’s elections.

The GOP regained control after it became clear that the Democrats had lost their one-seat majority in Congress’s 100-member upper chamber.

Republicans gained two Senate seats, as Trump-backed businessperson Bernie Moreno defeated three-term Democratic senator Sherrod Brown in Ohio, and Trump loyalist Jim Justice won the seat once held by Joe Manchin in West Virginia.

Republican incumbents also fought off Democratic challengers in Texas, where Ted Cruz defeated Colin Allred, and in Florida, where Rick Scott won out over Debbie Mucarsel-Powell.

Vote counting continues and you can follow the latest presidential results as they come in with our live tracker:

Here are the latest results in the House, Senate and gubernatorial races:

Republicans have taken control of the US Senate and are fighting to keep their majority in the US House, which would produce a full sweep of GOP power in Congress alongside president-elect Donald Trump in the White House, reports the Associated Press (AP).

A unified Republican grip on Washington would set the course for Trump’s agenda. Or if Democrats wrest control of the House, it would provide an almost certain backstop, with veto power over the White House.

Vote counting in some races could go on for days, and control of the House is too early to call, reports the AP.

Donald Trump won the key state of Wisconsin on Wednesday, defeating vice-president Kamala Harris in a critical battleground.

The win delivers 10 electoral college votes to Trump. He narrowly won Wisconsin in 2016, becoming the first Republican since Ronald Reagan to capture the state. He lost it in 2020 to Democrat Joe Biden.

Both Harris and Trump made Wisconsin a central focus of their campaigns. In 2020, Trump attempted to overturn his loss in the state through lawsuits and recounts, but failed.

The Associated Press declared Trump the winner at 5.34am EST.

Donald Trump elected president of the United States

Donald Trump has won the US presidential election, the Associated Press reports, with voters overlooking his divisive speeches, felony convictions and three separate criminal indictments to send the Republican former president back to the White House.

The AP says he has reached the 270-electoral college vote threshold to return to office by winning Wisconsin.

The extraordinary victory will make the 78-year-old New York real estate magnate only the second former president in US history to win the White House after previously losing re-election.

He also becomes the oldest person ever elected to the presidency.

Trump was first elected in 2016, but lost his re-election bid to Joe Biden in 2020, when the Democrat was 77. Trump then spent weeks attempting to prevent his rival from taking office, culminating in the 6 January 2021 insurrection, which saw his supporters attack the US Capitol after Trump addressed them outside the White House.

In the years that followed, prosecutors at the federal level and in the states of Georgia and New York brought felony charges against him, and earlier this year, he was convicted in Manhattan on 34 counts of business fraud, while the other cases have stalled. He was also found liable in a civil court case of sexual abuse.

Trump is bound by term limits, and cannot seek re-election. The only other president to serve two non-consecutive terms was Democrat Grover Cleveland, who was in office from 1885 to 1889, and again from 1893 to 1897.

Updated

Donald Trump on brink of victory after sweeping key battleground states

Donald Trump is poised to win the US presidency after an unexpected sweep through key battleground states.

The former president was set for a return to the White House after a contentious election in which democracy itself had been at stake and which is likely to take the United States into uncharted political waters.

Polls had Trump and Kamala Harris neck and neck for large stretches of the campaign – suggesting a nail-biting election night and potentially days of waiting for a final result. In the end, the Republican nominee took North Carolina surprisingly early, the first battleground state to be called, and later he took Georgia and then Pennsylvania. He was strongly positioned in Arizona and Nevada, other key contests.

As the mood in Kamala Harris’s camp turned to disappointment, a jubilant Trump took to the stage at his Florida watch party around 2am ET to declare “we made history”.

Speaking to chants of “USA! USA!”, Trump told his supporters:

“This was a movement like nobody’s ever seen before, and frankly, this was, I believe, the greatest political movement of all time. There’s never been anything like this in this country, and maybe beyond.

“And now it’s going to reach a new level of importance, because we’re going to help our country. We’ll help our country … we have a country that needs help, and it needs help very badly. We’re going to fix our borders. We’re going to fix everything about our country. And we made history for a reason tonight, and the reason is going to be just that we overcame obstacles that nobody thought possible, and it is now clear that we’ve achieved the most incredible political thing.

“I want to thank the American people for the extraordinary honor of being elected your 47th president and your 45th president, and every citizen, I will fight for you, for your family and your future. Every single day, I will be fighting for you and with every breath in my body, I will not rest until we have delivered the strong, safe and prosperous America that our children deserve and that you deserve. This will truly be the golden age of America.”

Here is a round up of some of the key moments of the US election night:

  • The swing states still to be called are Wisconsin (10 electoral college votes), Nevada (6), Michigan (15) and Arizona (11). The other states still to be called are Alaska and Maine. Alaska is considered a red state, and its three electoral college votes could deliver Trump the presidency.

  • Missouri, Colorado, New York and Maryland all passed measures to protect abortion rights, while in Florida, an effort to roll back a six-week ban fell short.

  • Republicans have retaken the majority in the Senate, the Associated Press reported, after picking up seats in Ohio and West Virginia, and fending off challenges to their candidates in Texas and Nebraska. Republicans will control Congress’s upper chamber for the first time in four years. Donald Trump will be in a position to confirm his supreme court justices, federal judges and appointees to cabinet posts.

  • The House is still in play, but Republicans hold a strong lead, with 190 representatives to the Democrats’ 168.

  • There were decisive victories for Democrats elsewhere in the election. The US will have two Black women serving as senators for the first time in American history, with the election of Lisa Blunt Rochester from Delaware and Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland.

  • Sarah McBride, a Delaware state senator, also made history as the first out transgender person elected to the US House of Representatives. McBride, 34, won Delaware’s at-large House seat in Tuesday’s general election against the Republican candidate John Whalen III, a former Delaware state police officer and businessman. The House seat, Delaware’s only one, has been Democratic since 2010.

  • Trump won in Iowa despite the state’s foremost pollster Ann Selzer on Saturday finding Harris leading by a small amount that was nonetheless within the survey’s margin of error. The finding was viewed as a potential sign of strength for Harris in nearby Wisconsin and Michigan, two swing states that are demographically similar to Iowa. The Trump campaign decried Selzer’s poll as an outlier, which turned out to be the case.

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