Trump makes Susie Wiles chief of staff as he celebrates in first Truth Social posts

President-elect Donald Trump has begun preparing for the Oval Office by naming Susie Wiles as his new White House chief of staff.

Wiles spearheaded his successful 2024 campaign and is the first of many appointees who will help to push his agenda, which includes the mass deportation of illegal immigrants, more trade tariffs and extended tax cuts.

The Republican shared a number of late-night election victory posts on Truth Social on Thursday – his first since his return to power was confirmed early on Wednesday morning.

The wave of posts included an Electoral College map, newspaper front pages recounting his triumph over Democrat Kamala Harris and a photo of a MAGA cap-clad Trump with the caption: “Get ready for the Golden Age.”

On Thursday, President Joe Biden assured Americans there will be a “peaceful and orderly” transition.

“Yesterday, I spoke with President-elect Trump to congratulate him on his victory, and I assured him, I will direct my entire administration work with his team to ensure a peaceful and orderly transition,” he said.

Biden also praised Harris, declaring: “She gave her whole heart and effort, and she and her entire team should be proud of the campaign they ran.”

Key Points

• Donald Trump picks Susie Wiles for White House chief of staff in first cabinet appointment

• President-elect returns to Truth Social to cheer election win

• Joe Biden promises ‘peaceful and orderly’ transfer of power and praises Kamala Harris

• Trump says his mass deportation plan has ‘no price tag’

• Five of the most shocking results from the 2024 election

Democrats cling to false hopes of huge ‘vote gap’ between Biden and Harris

10:20 , Joe Sommerlad

Less than 24 hours after Trump was elected the 47th president of the United States, social media users began pushing two conflicting narratives to suggest election fraud.

One revived false claims by the Republican that the 2020 vote was stolen from him and the other questioned how Vice President Kamala Harris could have received so many fewer votes in 2024 than President Joe Biden in 2020.

Both narratives hinge on a supposed 20 million vote gap between Harris and Biden.

Here’s a closer look at the facts.

Where are the ‘20m missing votes’? Democrats cling to false hopes of Biden-Harris gap

Jubilant Trump allies joke prosecutors ‘need’ death penalty and threaten Letita James

10:00 , Joe Sommerlad

Shocking stuff on Fox News’s The Five yesterday, when the following exchange took place between co-hosts Greg Gutfeld and Dana Perino as they basked in the glow of Trump’s win and wondered how the “lawfare” prosecutors who indicted the Republican in 2023 are coping.

“A lot of the people that were on this and wanted it so badly, how are they going to survive? Do you think they need therapy?” Gutfeld asked.

“Yes, they definitely need therapy, and maybe also the death penalty,” Perino responded.

“Yes, I think the death penalty,” the former agreed.

Meanwhile, appearing on Benny Johnson’s online talk show, Mike Davis, reportedly a candidate to be America’s next attorney general, issued the following nasty threat against New York Attorney General Letitia James.

“I dare you to try to continue your lawfare against President Trump in his second term. Because listen here, sweetheart: We’re not messing around this time, and we will put your fat a** in prison for conspiracy against rights, and I promise you that.

“So, think long and hard before you want to violate President Trump‘s constitutional rights, or any other American’s constitutional rights. It’s not going to happen again.”

Here he is during the same interview declaring the mass deportation of illegal immigrants will be “glorious”.

That came a day after Davis said he would like to drag Democrats’ “political dead bodies through the streets and burn them”, another disturbing statement on which Rhian Lubin has more below.

Trump AG hopeful ‘wants to drag Democrats’ political dead bodies through streets’

Joe Biden promises ‘peaceful and orderly’ transfer of power and praises Kamala Harris

09:40 , Joe Sommerlad

Speaking from the White House Rose Garden yesterday, the president assured Americans there will be a “peaceful and orderly” transition to the new Trump administration.

“Yesterday, I spoke with President-elect Trump to congratulate him on his victory, and I assured him, I will direct my entire administration work with his team to ensure a peaceful and orderly transition,” he said.

Biden also praised Harris, declaring: “She gave her whole heart and effort, and she and her entire team should be proud of the campaign they ran.”

Here’s Andrew Feinberg’s report.

Biden promises ‘peaceful and orderly’ transition to Trump

Trump returns to Truth Social to cheer election win

09:20 , Joe Sommerlad

The Republican shared a number of late-night election victory posts on Truth Social on Thursday – his first since his return to power was confirmed early on Wednesday morning.

The wave of posts included an Electoral College map, newspaper front pages recounting his triumph over Democrat Kamala Harris and a photo of a MAGA cap-clad Trump with the caption: “Get ready for the Golden Age.”

Donald Trump picks Susie Wiles for White House chief of staff in first cabinet appointment

09:00 , Joe Sommerlad

Good morning!

President-elect Donald Trump has begun preparing for the Oval Office by naming Susie Wiles as his new White House chief of staff.

Wiles spearheaded his successful 2024 campaign and is the first of many appointees who will help to push his agenda, which includes the mass deportation of illegal immigrants, more trade tariffs and extended tax cuts.

Here’s Alex Hannaford with an introduction to the “Ice Maidan”.

Meet Susie Wiles, the ‘ice maiden’ behind Trump’s win – and his new chief of staff

Elon Musk: King of the MAGA media universe

08:40 , Oliver O’Connell

Elon Musk is now unquestionably the king of MAGA media.

Tech journalist Charlie Warzel once named it “the new media Upside Down”, riffing on Stranger Things. Sean Illing at Vox referred to it as “the fantasy-industrial complex”. Wikipedia simply calls it the “right-wing alternative media”.

To Musk, a born-again MAGA crusader who has spent the last two years reshaping one of the world’s major social networks in his image, this parallel universe of algorithm-aided disinformation is simply “citizen journalism” — even if his description does sound a lot like traditional journalism.

And after Donald Trump’s victory this week, the MAGA media universe might just be the new mainstream media.

Io Dodds reports from San Francisco.

Elon Musk is now king of the MAGA media universe

Trump’s win teaches Joe Rogan that voting works

08:10 , Oliver O’Connell

Joe Rogan elevated an election integrity conspiracy theory while celebrating Donald Trump’s presidential win, suggesting if the former president had not won the election, it may have been “rigged”.

“So, turns out voting works. It’s real,” Rogan said with delight on Thursday’s episode of The Joe Rogan Experience.

Ariana Baio reports.

Joe Rogan now realizes voting works – but only because Trump won

Major abortion rights victories on Election Day still under threat from Trump and his allies

07:10 , Oliver O’Connell

Alex Woodward and Bel Trew write:

Two years after the Supreme Court revoked a constitutional right to abortion, millions of voters across the country directly weighed in on the future of reproductive healthcare access in their states.

Voters in seven of 10 states with abortion rights measures on their ballots have agreed to expand protections or enshrine a right to abortion in their own state’s constitutions, effectively redrawing the map for abortion access.

But those victories — from Arizona to Colorado, Missouri, Montana and elsewhere — were followed by warnings from abortion rights advocates that president-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration, and an emboldened Republican-dominated Congress, could soon upend hard-fought, newly enshrined protections.

Continue reading…

Abortion rights win major victories on Election Day. Trump could threaten them

Who is on Trump’s enemies list?

06:10 , Oliver O’Connell

For years, Donald Trump has threatened to go after countless political rivals who he claims have wronged him.

In speeches to supporters and rants on his Truth Social platform, he has on multiple occasions vowed to seek “retribution” and called his political opponents the “enemies from within.”

During an interview with Dr Phil in June, he issued an especially ominous threat. “Well, revenge does take time. I will say that. And sometimes revenge can be justified,” he said.

Here’s Rhian Lubin with a brief rundown of who might make the cut…

Trump’s enemies list: political rivals and organizations he threatened to go after

Online misogyny spikes after Trump victory with shocking ‘your body, my choice’ posts

04:40 , Oliver O’Connell

Women are facing a barrage of deeply misogynistic comments online following Donald Trump’s US presidential election victory.

The Republican candidate defeated Kamala Harris following a chaotic campaign dogged by anger, insults and division, winning 51 percent of the popular vote on Wednesday, 6 November.

In the wake of the former president’s shocking political comeback, women have reported men are writing “your body, my choice” on their social media posts, among other troubling reproductive rights remarks.

Lydia Spencer-Elliott reports.

‘Your body, my choice’: Women report rise in online misogyny following Trump victory

ANALYSIS: Conservatives hate Mitch McConnell. But he’s the architect of the Trump comeback

04:10 , Oliver O’Connell

Eric Garcia explains that while MAGA may hate Mitch McConnell, a decision he made in February 2021 sowed the seeds that allowed the movement to grow and thrive and return Trump to the Oval Office.

Mitch McConnell was the true architect of Trump’s second term

‘Nostradamus’ pollster bashes rival after both election predictions flopped

03:40 , Oliver O’Connell

With Donald Trump heading back to the White House, it’s not just the Democrats who face a reckoning, but pollsters as well.

Multiple high-profile polling gurus failed to accurately predict what ended up being a decisive victory for the former president on Tuesday, and now some of the experts are taking pot-shots at each other.

Political pollster and historian Allan Lichtman took a swipe at fellow elections forecaster Nate Silver on Wednesday, saying that ‘unlike his rival’ he will admit he was wrong about the 2024 result.

Ariana Baio has the story.

‘Nostradamus’ of polling bashes rival after both election predictions flopped

Why Trump will likely never see the inside of a prison cell — or be sentenced at all

02:40 , Oliver O’Connell

In theory, the next President of the United States is supposed to face sentencing for his New York criminal trial conviction at the end of the month.

But following his election win this week it is looking increasingly likely that won’t happen and Donald Trump will once again evade repercussions for his actions.

Ariana Baio reports.

Why Trump will likely never see the inside of a prison cell — or be sentenced at all

EDITORIAL: Europe cannot rely on Trump’s protection – it must take the lead on defence

01:40 , Oliver O’Connell

As the US takes its isolationist turn and pivots its own defence efforts towards the Indo-Pacific and China, it is vital that Europe, including Britain, looks to its own resources.

Europe cannot rely on Trump’s protection – it must take the lead on defence

After being busted for allegedly sexting a minor, a local Michigan official just got re-elected

00:40 , Oliver O’Connell

Ken Fletcher, a Michigan Democrat, was re-elected on Tuesday – months after police arrested him for allegedly sexting a minor.

The Delta Township supervisor is facing charges of accosting a child for immoral purposes and using a computer to commit a crime. Officials arrested him in September and he resigned from his post.

Michelle Del Rey has the story.

A Michigan official was re-elected after allegedly sexting a minor

Defamation case judge slams Giuliani’s ‘farcical’ excuses for failing to turn over property

00:10 , Oliver O’Connell

Donald Trump’s former attorney Rudy Giuliani could be held in contempt of court if he fails to turn over property to election workers he defamed in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election.

The cash-strapped former New York City mayor was ordered to a federal court hearing in Manhattan on Thursday after attorneys for a mother-daughter pair of election workers accused him of moving around and hiding a long list of valuables he has been court-ordered to turn over.

Alex Woodward has been closely following the case.

Judge slams Giuliani’s ‘farcical’ excuses in election workers defamation case

Full story: Trump says his mass deportation plan has ‘no price tag’ as he prepares to boot millions from the country

Thursday 7 November 2024 23:50 , Oliver O’Connell

Donald Trump has repeatedly promised to carry out the “largest deportation operation in American history,” deploying federal, state and local law enforcement to arrest, jail and deport potentially millions of people living in the country without legal permission.

A militarized operation would depend on detention camps to hold people marked for removal, and would invoke a centuries-old law previously used to detain Japanese Americans during the Second World War.

President-elect Trump told NBC News on Thursday, two days after defeating his Democratic rival Kamala Harris, that he has “no choice” but to implement large-scale deportations when he takes office in January.

Alex Woodward reports.

Trump says his mass deportation plan has ‘no price tag’

Election night ratings drop sharply from 2020 and 2016

Thursday 7 November 2024 23:30 , AP

The idea of grabbing some popcorn and watching television to see who America has chosen for its next president was far less appealing this year than in the past.

The Nielsen company said that 42.3 million people watched election night returns between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump pour in Tuesday night. That’s down sharply from the 56.9 million who watched in 2020, when Trump competed against Joe Biden, and the 71.4 million who tuned in on election night 2016, Nielsen said.

Election night is often known as the Super Bowl for TV news, but this year even the NFL’s conference championship games were watched by more people.

Continue reading…

Election night television viewership drops sharply from 2020 and 2016

Full story: Trump makes first key administration pick and moves campaign head into top White House post

Thursday 7 November 2024 23:15 , Oliver O’Connell

Donald Trump has made the first key appointment of his upcoming administration, announcing that campaign manager Susie Wiles will become his White House Chief of Staff.

In a statement, the Trump-Vance transition team said: “Susie Wiles just helped me achieve one of the greatest political victories in American history, and was an integral part of both my 2016 and 2020 successful campaigns.”

Mike Bedigan reports.

Trump plans to appoint campaign head as White House chief of staff

Major abortion rights victories on Election Day still under threat from Trump and his allies

Thursday 7 November 2024 23:10 , Oliver O’Connell

Alex Woodward and Bel Trew write:

Two years after the Supreme Court revoked a constitutional right to abortion, millions of voters across the country directly weighed in on the future of reproductive healthcare access in their states.

Voters in seven of 10 states with abortion rights measures on their ballots have agreed to expand protections or enshrine a right to abortion in their own state’s constitutions, effectively redrawing the map for abortion access.

But those victories — from Arizona to Colorado, Missouri, Montana and elsewhere — were followed by warnings from abortion rights advocates that president-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration, and an emboldened Republican-dominated Congress, could soon upend hard-fought, newly enshrined protections.

Continue reading…

Abortion rights win major victories on Election Day. Trump could threaten them

After years of Trump bashing it, Republicans now praise early voting

Thursday 7 November 2024 22:55 , Oliver O’Connell

Prominent Republicans are praising early voting after Donald Trump’s win over Kamala Harris, despite years of the president-elect and his allies baselessly bashing the practice as fraudulent.

Former Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel told NewsNation on Wednesday that an increase in early voting must be the “norm going forward” for the GOP.

“It was so critical that President Trump, he spoke out on this. I mean, there’s no better person that’s going to get voters to change their habits, to believe in it than President Trump,” she said.

Josh Marcus reports.

Changing their tune: GOP now promoting early voting after Trump’s win

BREAKING: Trump names camaign co-chair Susie Wiles as chief of staff

Thursday 7 November 2024 22:48 , Oliver O’Connell

President-elect Donald Trump has named campaign chief Susie Wiles as his White House chief of staff. She will be the first woman to hold the role when he takes office on January 20, 2025.

“Susie Wiles just helped me achieve one of the greatest political victories in American history, and was an integral part of both my 2016 and 2020 successful campaigns,” President-elect Trump said. “Susie is tough, smart, innovative, and is universally admired and respected. Susie will continue to work tirelessly to Make America Great Again. It is a well deserved honor to have Susie as the first-ever female Chief of Staff in United States history. I have no doubt that she will make our country proud.”

A look back at our (mostly correct) Senate predictions after Trump’s big win

Thursday 7 November 2024 22:30 , Oliver O’Connell

A week ago, The Independent made a list of predictions for the US Senate, thinking it unlikely but possible that Democrats would hold the chamber. After a surprisingly powerful performance by Donald Trump on election night, it’s clear that won’t be happening.

John Bowden looks at what we got right and what we got wrong…

A look back at our election predictions after Trump’s big win

Democrat at heart of Trump impeachment wins Virginia seat against ‘fake family’ Republican

Thursday 7 November 2024 22:25 , Oliver O’Connell

A Democrat, who was partly responsible for kickstarting Donald Trump’s first impeachment, has won a congressional seat in Virginia against a Republican candidate accused of parading a “fake family.”

Yevgeny “Eugene” Vindman defeated Derrick Anderson on Tuesday to win the competitive seat in Central and Northern Virginia, according to The Associated Press.

His victory kept the seventh district, which is one of the state’s most purple, in Democratic hands, and put him in line to succeed Abigail Spanberger – a former intelligence officer who vacated the seat to run for governor.

Mike Bedigan reports.

Democrat at heart of Trump impeachment wins seat against ‘fake family’ Republican

Five of the most shocking results from the 2024 election

Thursday 7 November 2024 22:10 , Oliver O’Connell

The 2024 presidential election completely upended many people’s expectations. After Democrats booted Joe Biden from the top of their ticket to put Kamala Harris in place, she lost all seven of the major battleground states.

And now, as Republicans plan to drag Democrats’ “political dead bodies through the streets and burn them,” and Democrats deal with a reckoning, a few trends have emerged that continue to baffle some onlookers.

Here are five major shocks of the 2024 presidential election — and why they might have happened:

The five most shocking results from the election

Trump attorney’s phone tapped by Chinese hackers, report says

Thursday 7 November 2024 22:05 , Oliver O’Connell

One of President-elect Donald Trump’s attorneys has been told by the FBI that his cellphone was tapped by Chinese hackers, CNN reports. The network cites three sources familiar with the matter.

Tapping the phone of Todd Blanche, who represented Trump in his hush money criminal trial, was part of a wide-ranging operation targeting top Republicans and Democrats in US politics that has been underway for months.

Per CNN:

The FBI informed the attorney, Todd Blanche, last week that the hackers were able to obtain some voice recordings and text messages from his phone, but that none of the information was related to Trump, one of the sources said. The FBI provided Blanche, who has had to start using a different number after the breach, what the hackers obtained, including communications with family, the source said.

Blanche is the second of two Trump attorneys believed to be targeted by foreign hackers.

In August, CNN reported that attorney Lindsey Halligan was targeted as part of a separate Iranian hacking effort.

Putin congratulates Trump on his election victory

Thursday 7 November 2024 21:56 , AP

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday congratulated Donald Trump on his election victory in his first public comment on the U.S. vote, and he praised the president-elect’s courage during the July assassination attempt.

“His behavior at the moment of an attempt on his life left an impression on me. He turned out to be a brave man,” Putin said at an international forum following a speech in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.

“He manifested himself in the very correct way, bravely as a man,” he added.

Putin also said that what Trump has said “about the desire to restore relations with Russia, to help end the Ukrainian crisis, in my opinion, deserves attention at least.”

The Kremlin earlier welcomed Trump’s claim that he could negotiate an end to the conflict in Ukraine “in 24 hours” but emphasized that it will wait for concrete policy steps.

″I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate him on his election as president of the United States of America,” Putin said in a question-and-answer session at the conference.

As to what he expects from a second Trump administration, Putin said, “I don’t know what will happen now. I have no idea.”

“For him, this is still his last presidential term. What he will do is his matter,” added Putin, who this year began a fifth term that will keep him in power until 2030 and could seek six more years in office after that.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday the Kremlin is not ruling out the possibility of contact between Putin and Trump before the inauguration, given that Trump “said he would call Putin before the inauguration.”

Peskov has emphasized that Moscow views the U.S. as an “unfriendly” country that is directly involved in the Ukrainian conflict. He dismissed arguments that Putin’s failure to reach out quickly to Trump could hurt future ties, saying that Moscow’s relations with Washington already are at the “lowest point in history” and arguing that it will be up to the new U.S. leadership to change the situation.

The Kremlin’s cautious stand reflected its view of the U.S. vote as a choice between two unappealing possibilities. While Trump is known for his admiration of Putin, the Russian leader has repeatedly noted that during Trump’s first term, there were “so many restrictions and sanctions against Russia like no other president has ever introduced before him.”

‘I’m going to destroy you’: Inside the war between Trump’s new and former campaign managers

Thursday 7 November 2024 21:50 , Oliver O’Connell

As Donald Trump’s victory became increasingly apparent on Tuesday night, tensions behind the scenes were reportedly already ramping up between those vying for influence in the president-elect’s future administration.

Specifically, Trump’s 2024 campaign chief Chris LaCivita and Corey Lewandowski, who ran his 2016 campaign, were said to be at each other’s throats.

Mike Bedigan has the story.

Inside the war between Trump’s new and former campaign managers

‘You can’t love your country only when you win’

Thursday 7 November 2024 21:48 , Oliver O’Connell

ANALYSIS: I reported from across Pennsylvania through the election. The key to Trump’s victory was staring us right in the face

Thursday 7 November 2024 21:40 , Oliver O’Connell

Richard Hall writes:

In the college town of Indiana, at the country fair in Bloomsburg, and in the former industrial boomtown of Scranton, the message was the same: working-class Pennsylvanians were struggling to get by.

As I traveled throughout the state during this presidential campaign, from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia and the rural stretches in between, inflation and pessimism about the economy were at the forefront of people’s minds.

It would prove to be the deciding factor in the crucial swing state — and across the country.

Continue reading…

I reported from across Pennsylvania throughout the election. This is how Trump won

Judge denies Jan 6 defendant attempt to hold off sentencing in hope of Trump pardon

Thursday 7 November 2024 21:33 , Oliver O’Connell

A judge has denied a January 6 defendant’s bid to stave off sentencing in the hope of receiving a pardon from Donald Trump when he takes office in January 2020.

“The potential future exercise of discretionary pardon power … is irrelevant to the court’s obligation to carry out the [court’s] legal responsibilities.”

What can Biden still do before he leaves office?

Thursday 7 November 2024 21:30 , Gustaf Kilander

In two and a half months, President-Elect Donald Trump will enter the Oval Office as the 47th president of the US.

The Biden Administration is now in a mad dash to Trump-proof their accomplishments and enact any reforms they may wish to make a reality.

But how much can Joe Biden realistically achieve in this short window, particularly when his successor is likely to make sweeping changes to government when he returns to the White House? s

Below we look at some of the subjects Biden could tackle before his time is up:

What lame duck president Joe Biden can still do before he leaves office

Democrats turn their rage on one man after crushing election defeat: Joe Biden

Thursday 7 November 2024 21:20 , Oliver O’Connell

The blame game for Kamala Harris’ loss is in full flow, with top Democratic staffers in Washington reportedly placing the blame at President Joe Biden’s feet.

Their reactions, as reported by Politico, come two days after Harris lost her bid for the White House some five months after unexpectedly joining the race.

Katie Hawkinson reports.

Democrats turn their rage on one man after crushing election defeat: Joe Biden

GOP picks up Pennsylvania Senate seat

Thursday 7 November 2024 21:15 , Oliver O’Connell

The Associated Press has called the US Senate race in Pennsylvania for Republican Dave McCormick.

He beat incumbent Democrat Bob Casey.

Anne Selzer explains why her Iowa poll might have helped Trump

Thursday 7 November 2024 21:10 , Oliver O’Connell

Ann Selzer’s much-watch Iowa poll, which showed Kamala Harris heading into Election Day with a surprise three-point lead, was one of numerous election forecasts that ultimately failed to predict the result in 2024.

Trump, who openly mocked the poll during late rallies, appears to have won the state by more than 10 percent with 95 percent of the votes counted.

In a post-mortem on Thursday, Selzer explained how she’s thinking through the discrepancy between what actually happened and what was forecast in the Des Moines Register / Mediacom Iowa poll.

Josh Marcus reports.

Ann Selzer explains why her very wrong Iowa poll may have helped Trump

‘No price tag’ to mass deportation plan says Trump

Thursday 7 November 2024 20:59 , Oliver O’Connell

President-elect Donald Trump has told NBC News that there is “no price tag” to his plan to begin mass deportations of undocumented immigrants in the US illegally, reiterating that his first priority upon taking office would be to make the border “strong and powerful”.

Per NBC News:

“We obviously have to make the border strong and powerful and, and we have to — at the same time, we want people to come into our country,” he said. “And you know, I’m not somebody that says, ‘No, you can’t come in.’ We want people to come in.”

As a candidate, Trump had repeatedly vowed to carry out the “largest deportation effort in American history.” Asked about the cost of his plan, he said, “It’s not a question of a price tag. It’s not — really, we have no choice. When people have killed and murdered, when drug lords have destroyed countries, and now they’re going to go back to those countries because they’re not staying here. There is no price tag.”

Any mass deportation plan would be a huge logistical and financial challenge requiring the involvement of a number of federal agencies.

The president-elect partially credits his win in the election as being down to his message on the border and immigration.

EU leaders tell Trump to stand up to ‘bully’ Putin

Thursday 7 November 2024 20:50 , Oliver O’Connell

Keir Starmer and fellow European leaders have urged Donald Trump to stand up to the “bully” Vladimir Putin as they digest the potential consequences of the historic Republican election victory.

Volodymyr Zelensky made a desperate appeal at the European Political Community (EPC) summit in Budapest for leaders to continue their support Ukraine’s war amid fears that Mr Trump will try to force a deal involving concessions.

It came as Sir Keir faces increasing pressure to prioritise a new post-Brexit defence pact with the EU, with concerns growing that Mr Trump may also dilute support for Nato and focus US military objectives elsewhere.

The Independent’s political editor David Maddox reports from London.

EU leaders tell Trump: stand up to ‘bully’ Putin

ANALYSIS: Conservatives hate Mitch McConnell. But he’s the architect of the Trump comeback

Thursday 7 November 2024 20:30 , Oliver O’Connell

Eric Garcia explains that while MAGA may hate Mitch McConnell, a decision he made in February 2021 sowed the seeds that allowed the movement to grow and thrive and return Trump to the Oval Office.

Mitch McConnell was the true architect of Trump’s second term

Watch: Fed chair says he wouldn’t leave job even if Trump asked him to resign

Thursday 7 November 2024 20:15 , Oliver O’Connell

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell says he wouldn’t leave his job even if Donald Trump asked him to resign when he takes office.

When asked if the president has the power to fire or demote him, Powell reminded reporters that was “not permitted under the law”.

Punisher logo with Trump’s hair projected on water tower, sparking outrage

Thursday 7 November 2024 20:10 , Oliver O’Connell

A MAGA supporter has sparked outrage in a Massachusetts town for projecting an edited version of The Punisher skull logo wearing Donald Trump’s hair.

The day after the Republican nominee triumphed in the 2024 election, an image associated with the popular comic book character topped with the president-elect’s well-known hairstyle was displayed on a water tower in the Town of Hanson.

Inga Parkel has the story.

MAGA fan sparks outrage for projecting Punisher logo with Trump’s hair on water tower

Watch: Karine Jean-Pierre says Biden will not pardon Hunter in final weeks of presidency

Thursday 7 November 2024 20:00 , Oliver O’Connell

Democratic Wisconsin governor vows to always fight for better future after Trump takes state

Thursday 7 November 2024 19:56 , Oliver O’Connell

Wisconsin’s Democratic Governor Tony Evers has released a statement on the 2024 election and Trump’s win in the Badger State: “Wisconsin is a purple state. For many Wisconsinites, the presidential election results were a victory, and for nearly as many Wisconsinites, a loss to grieve.”

The governor noted that a record number of people in the state had voted (3.4 million) and had done so for the first time in more than a decade no longer under “some of the most undemocratic, gerrymandered legislative maps in America”.

While Evers reiterates that he will be a governor for all Wisconsinites and will “do the right thing when it matters most”, he also tried to soothe the fears of those hoping for a Kamala Harris victory.

To the Wisconsinites worried about what the future may bring, let me be clear: I will always fight to protect our LGBTQ families and kids, especially our trans and nonbinary kids. I will always fight for women, access to affordable healthcare, and reproductive freedom. I will always fight to reverse the climate crisis and to leave our kids and grandkids with a more sustainable, better world than the one we inherited. I will always fight to defend democracy and the basic institutions on which our country was built. And I will always — always — fight for our kids and for the better future they deserve.

Calls to LGBT+ crisis hotlines surge amid Trump election win

Thursday 7 November 2024 19:50 , Oliver O’Connell

LGBT+ crisis hotlines have been inundated with phone calls from young people distressed by Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 US presidential election, according to reports.

The Trevor Project, a nonprofit collective dedicated to supporting queer youths and preventing suicide, revealed it had experienced a nearly 200 percent increase in conversations with election-related keywords such as “election” and “rights.”

Meredith Clark reports from New York.

LGBT+ crisis hotlines reported a month’s worth of calls amid Trump election win