A Decision Desk update on Nevada
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
AP estimated late Wednesday evening that there are more than 200,000 ballots left to count in Nevada – including more than 130,000 in Clark County. Given the narrow margins in the races for president and U.S. Senate, both are too early to call. The AP will further review results released by Nevada election officials on Thursday.
A Decision Desk update on Arizona
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Officials in Arizona’s Maricopa County said late Wednesday they’ve got more than 700,000 ballots left to count, which means races for president and U.S. Senate in the state will remain too early to call for another day. In all, AP estimates there are at least a million ballots to be added to the results in Arizona. County election officials are expected to firm up those numbers on Thursday.
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 U.S. 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.
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.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office said Trudeau congratulated Trump in a phone call. “The two leaders discussed the enduring and successful partnership between Canada and the United States,” the statement said.
CLAIM: President Joe Biden won approximately 20 million more votes in the 2020 election than Vice President Kamala Harris earned in the 2024 race, proving either that Trump has cheated his way to a second term or that there was widespread fraud four years ago.
President Biden will address the nation Thursday at 11 a.m. EST. The remarks to the nation will be Biden’s first appearance on camera in the aftermath of Donald Trump’s decisive victory over Kamala Harris.
Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr spoke about the election ahead of a game against the Boston Celtics. “I believe in democracy, and I think the American people have spoken and voted for Trump, and I want him to do well the next four years. I want our country to do well.”
“It’s a complex world. We’ve got a lot of interesting stuff between wars abroad, a global economy that has shifted everything in terms of what it means for our citizens and their day-to-day lives,” he said. “I want what’s best for us. I hope Trump can deliver.”
Donald Trump ran a campaign centered on hypermasculinity, actively courting young men in particular with interviews on popular male-centric podcasts. In the closing weeks of the campaign, the former president and many of his surrogates leaned into sexist remarks and jokes about Vice President Kamala Harris. Some of his supporters, including former presidential rival Nikki Haley, warned that the former president risked exacerbating his persistent gender gap with Harris. Prominent surrogates from billionaire Elon Musk to Charlie Kirk, founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point, called on men to vote in large numbers to counter Harris’ expected strength among women. In the end, the gender voting gap was unremarkable by recent historical standards.
Trump has already appointed three Supreme Court justices. In his second term, he could well have a chance to name two more, creating a high court with a Trump-appointed majority that could serve for decades. The decisive outcome spares the court from having to wade into election disputes. It also seems likely to change the tenor of cases that come before the justices, including on abortion and immigration.
The two eldest justices — Clarence Thomas, 76, and Samuel Alito, 74 — could consider stepping down knowing that Trump, a Republican, would nominate replacements who might be three decades younger and ensure conservative domination of the court through the middle of the century, or beyond.
Former President Bill Clinton and former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton wished Trump and running mate JD Vance well on Wednesday, writing that they “hope they will govern for all of us.” The Clintons had been some of the most outspoken Democratic critics of Trump. The two commended Harris and Walz for running “a positive, forward-looking campaign to be proud of.” They urged unity among Americans and that together they can solve national challenges.
Trump’s campaign says he has accepted President Biden’s invitation to meet at the White House to discuss the presidential transition. No date has been announced yet but Steven Cheung, Trump’s communications director, said it would “take place shortly.” Cheung said Trump “very much appreciated” Biden’s congratulatory call on Wednesday.
Biden, in a White House-issued statement, praised Harris as “a tremendous partner and public servant full of integrity, courage, and character.” It was Biden’s first public comment in the aftermath of Trump’s victory.
Biden added that Harris “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.”
A disaffected electorate wanted former President Donald Trump to return to the White House, a blatant rejection of Vice President Kamala Harris and her nearly four years with President Joe Biden. The Republican’s victory came from a public so put off by America’s trajectory that they welcomed his brash and disruptive approach. About 3 in 10 voters said they wanted total upheaval in how the country is run, according to AP VoteCast, a sweeping survey of more than 120,000 voters nationwide. Even if they weren’t looking for something that dramatic, more than half of voters overall said they wanted to see substantial change.
Both nationwide and in key battleground states, the Republicans won over voters who were alarmed about the economy and prioritized more aggressive enforcement of immigration laws. Those issues largely overshadowed many voters’ focus on the future of democracy and abortion protections — key priorities for Harris’ voters, but not enough to turn the election in her favor.
As Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz was leaving after his running mate’s concession speech, a reporter asked him: “What’s next?” “Minnesota,” he answered.
Melania Trump marked her husband’s win in the 2025 election by saying a “majority of Americans have entrusted us with this important responsibility.” The former — and future — first lady was an infrequent figure on the campaign trail with the Republican candidate. “We will safeguard the heart of our republic – freedom,” Melania Trump wrote. “I anticipate the citizens of our nation rejoining in commitment to each other.”
For all the concerns about a tumultuous process that could leave Americans waiting for days to learn who its next president would be, news outlets instead experienced an election night that hewed close to tradition. Fox News Channel declared Trump had reclaimed the presidency at 1:47 a.m. on Wednesday. Broadcast networks and The Associated Press had Trump on the precipice of returning to the presidency when he took the stage in Florida at 2:25 a.m. to declare victory.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a statement late Wednesday, saying that “we all pray for America’s success under the next administration,” but did not make mention of Trump by name. “The peaceful transfer of power is the cornerstone of our democracy,” Pelosi said. “After every election, we all have a responsibility to come together and find common ground.”
Former Vice President Mike Pence congratulated Trump for winning a second term in office, writing yet another awkward chapter in the relationship between the president-elect and his former running mate. “The American people have spoken and Karen and I send our sincere congratulations to President-Elect Donald Trump and his family on his election as 47th President of the United States,” Pence wrote on behalf of him and his wife. Pence’s relationship with Trump fractured after the former vice president declined to follow the Republican president’s wishes.
American presidential elections are a moment when the nation holds up a mirror to look at itself. They are a reflection of values and dreams, of grievances and scores to be settled. The results say much about a country’s character, future and core beliefs. On Tuesday, America looked into that mirror and more voters saw former president Donald Trump.
Even as Trump prevailed, most voters said they were very or somewhat concerned that electing Trump would bring the U.S. closer to being an authoritarian country, where a single leader has unchecked power, according to the AP VoteCast survey.
On Tuesday, Trump led the Republican ticket to a sweeping national victory. He was on track to improve upon his 2020 vote performance in 48 states. This included bringing back into the fold the five states that had abandoned him for Democratic Joe Biden four years ago.
The election of Donald Trump as president for a second time and the Republican takeback of the U.S. Senate could undo many of the national climate policies that are most reducing planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions, according to climate solutions experts. When they list measures that are making the most difference, it lines up with policies Trump has said he’ll target.
In a statement issued Wednesday, former President Barack Obama, along with former first lady Michelle Obama, said the election’s result “is obviously not the outcome we had hoped for” but noted that “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.”
The White House is encouraging Trump to enter into the required agreements necessary to begin an orderly presidential transition.
Shortly after Harris’ concession speech, a series of Democratic lawmakers issued their first statements in response to the election results and promised to ensure a “peaceful” transition for the incoming Republican administration.
Transition talks have not yet begun in earnest, according to a person with knowledge of the Trump campaign. Instead, the president-elect was busy taking calls from leaders, domestic and international, donors and key supporters.
Nevada resumed counting votes on Wednesday afternoon, adding almost 21,000 votes including 9,000 from Clark County. Trump’s lead in the state is about 560,000 votes, and the race is too early to call. Clark, home to Las Vegas, has the greatest number of ballots left to be counted.
The hype music ahead of Harris’ remarks has been an eclectic mix of rap and R&B, including a nod toward what Harris would have been — America’s second Black president. Ahead of her walk on to Beyoncé’s “Freedom,” a mix included Jeezy’s “My President,” which includes the lyric, “My president is Black.”
Beyoncé’s “Freedom” became a mainstay of Harris’ presidential campaign, and some of the artist’s other music is providing the soundtrack of the event expected to include her concession speech.
Biden watched Harris’ concession speech from the West Wing, the White House said.
Harris told supporters gathered at Howard University that she had lost her race against Trump, conceding to the Republican president who is now empowered by a sweeping mandate.
“The outcome of this election is not what we wanted, not what we fought for, not what we voted for,” Harris said. “But hear me when I say, the light of America’s promise will always burn bright.”
Harris may have been ending her campaign against Trump, but her concession outlined the contours of future fights against the president-elect.
“We will continue to wage this fight in the voting booth, in the courts and in the public square,” Harris said, a nod to the work Democrats are poised to do in the next four years.
Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., arrives ahead of Vice President Kamala Harris delivering a concession speech for the 2024 presidential election, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, on the campus of Howard University in Washington. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Voters in Missouri cleared the way to undo one of the nation’s most restrictive abortion bans in one of seven victories for abortion rights advocates, while Florida, Nebraska and South Dakota defeated similar constitutional amendments, leaving bans in place. Abortion rights amendments also passed in Arizona, Colorado, Maryland and Montana.
Harris has left the vice president’s residence and is traveling to Howard University, her alma mater, to publicly concede the election to President-elect Trump. Harris has already spoken to Trump by telephone to congratulate him on winning, according to one of the VP’s aides. Second gentleman Doug Emhoff will join Harris at Howard.
Jordan’s King Abdullah II is urging Trump to boost international efforts to protect regional and global stability. The Jordanian Royal Court posted on X that the king called Trump to congratulate him on winning the presidential election.
The former president and now president-elect often skipped over details but through more than a year of policy pronouncements outlined a wide-ranging agenda that blends traditional conservative approaches to taxes, regulation and cultural issues with a more populist bent on trade and a shift in America’s international role.
Belarus’ authoritarian leader President Alexander Lukashenko has congratulated Donald Trump on winning the U.S. presidential election, despite tensions between the countries. “You did it first and foremost in the name of America and its citizens.”
When will US election results be announced 2024
Called for unity and collaboration among all Americans, alluding to the importance of working together to overcome challenges facing the nation. She emphasized the significance of the elections not just as a political contest but as a means to reflect the collective will of the people.
As speakers reflected on the election results, many emphasized the concerns surrounding democracy and the potential threats posed by a Trump presidency. There was a palpable tension regarding the implications of his return to power, especially among groups who championed causes like abortion rights and immigration reform. Democratic leaders expressed hope for progress and resilience, vowing to fight against policies they believed would undermine hard-won social justice achievements.
The political landscape had shifted, with Republicans invigorated by their electoral wins, while Democrats were urged to regroup and strategize for the future. The importance of grassroots efforts and engaging with the electorate was a recurring theme, as many recognized that understanding voter concerns would be essential for the upcoming midterm elections and beyond.
Both sides of the political spectrum prepared for a period of adjustment, with Democrats contemplating the lessons learned from the election loss, while Republicans celebrated their successes and discussed their policy ambitions with renewed fervor. Amidst the electoral discourse, voices from all quarters of society echoed calls for healing, collaboration, and a commitment to upholding the democratic process, regardless of partisan differences.
In the aftermath of the election, commentators began to analyze the broader implications, including the role of social media, fundraising tactics, and the shifting demographics of the voter base. As the dust settled, it was clear that the conversation around the future of American politics was just beginning, with both optimism and trepidation marking the path ahead.
