Trump starts his transition as Democrats turn inward to question strategy

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

This comes as the Democratic blame game begins, with ex-speaker Nancy Pelosi appearing to regret that Democrats didn’t have an open primary to select its nominee after President Joe Biden dropped out.

“Had the president gotten out sooner, there may have been other candidates in the race,” the former speaker told The New York Times. “The anticipation was that, if the president were to step aside, that there would be an open primary.”

The Republicans are expected to retain control of the House, likely handing the GOP a trifecta as they’re set to take back the Senate, possibly handing Trump full control of the levers of power in Washington.

Trump and President Joe Biden both had a trifecta for their first two years in office.

Wiles spearheaded Trump’s 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.

Key Points

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

• Trump returns to Truth Social to cheer election win

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

• Racist text messages sent to people across several states after election

• FBI thwarts Iranian murder-for-hire plan targeting Donald Trump

• Republicans expected to retain House control as counting continues

VOICES: Could Trump’s China policy trigger a fall-out with his ‘friend’, president Xi?

22:00 , Michael Sheridan

Donald Trump used to call Xi Jinping “my friend”. But the Chinese leader doesn’t do “friends”. His formal congratulations to America’s president-elect were notably lacking in warmth.

Xi’s brutal realism when Covid-19 broke out told its own story. Then he sat and watched as wars tested American resolve. Now these two men in their seventies are fated to run the most important relationship in the world.

Both are the sons of privilege. Trump was born into wealth, Xi into power. But if Trump was spoiled by life, Xi was hardened by it. While a young Trump was hitting the party scene in Manhattan, Xi toiled in the mountains and lived in a cave for years after his father was purged from the Communist Party. As a teenager, he was beaten, imprisoned and threatened with death.

Could Trump’s China policy trigger a fall-out with president Xi?

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

21:40 , Lydia Spencer-Elliott

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.

The slogan “my body, my choice” was originally popularised by feminists defending reproductive choices as rights in the Sixties. However, the phrase has now been co-opted for the adverse effect.

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

Walz speaks after election loss: ‘Get back in this fight when you are ready’

21:28 , Gustaf Kilander

Kamala Harris’s former running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, spoke in his home state on Friday, saying that “if you are feeling deflated, discouraged today, I get it. Take some time. Take care of yourselves.”

He added: “And get back in this fight when you are ready. And know that whenever you are ready to get back in that fight, I will be standing right here, ready to fight with you.”

Walz went on to bash the Trump campaign for its “hateful agenda.”

“The other side spent a lot of time promising that they would leave things up to the states. I’m willing to take them at their word for that,” he said. “The moment they try to bring a hateful agenda to this state, I’m ready to stand up and fight for the way we do things here.”

Walz went on to pledge to protect abortion and immigrant rights.

“As long as I am governor of Minnesota, we will protect a woman’s right to make her own health care decisions,” he told the crowd in Eagan, Minnesota. “As long as I am governor of Minnesota, we will welcome immigrants with gratitude for their contributions to our community.”

Joe Rogan sends warning to President-elect Donald Trump after endorsing campaign

21:20 , Holly Patrick

Joe Rogan sent a warning to Donald Trump after endorsing the Republican in the 2024 election.

The podcast host, 57, encouraged the president-elect to unite the country as he approaches his second term in the White House.

Speaking on Thursday’s (7 November) edition of his eponymous show, Rogam told guest Dave Smith: “There’s a real chance to make real tangible change that’s gonna be for the good of everybody.

“He’s gotta unite people. He’s gotta not attack the left, not attack everybody. Let them all talk their s***, but unite.”

Pelosi suggests open primary could have led to better outcome for Democrats

21:15 , Gustaf Kilander

In an interview with The New York Times, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi indicated that she thinks it would have been better for Biden to exit the race sooner and for the Democrats to have an open primary.

It was reported at the time Biden dropped out that Pelosi had anticipated an open primary, and not for Kamala Harris to quickly pick up the nomination.

“Had the president gotten out sooner, there may have been other candidates in the race,” the former speaker told the paper. “The anticipation was that, if the president were to step aside, that there would be an open primary.”

“And as I say, Kamala may have, I think she would have done well in that and been stronger going forward. But we don’t know that. That didn’t happen. We live with what happened,” she added. “And because the president endorsed Kamala Harris immediately, that really made it almost impossible to have a primary at that time. If it had been much earlier, it would have been different.”

Trump promised voters their incomes and net worth will soar. Economists are not convinced

21:00 , Rhian Lubin

Inside a Pennsylvania arena, President-elect Donald Trump promised voters their incomes and net worth “would soar.”

The economy was among the top concerns for voters in the 2024 presidential election and the Trump campaign’s messaging cut through. As of this morning, more than 73 million Americans have voted for him to return to the White House.

They turned to him for a solution after finding themselves unable to afford the necessities for their families in a cost-of-living crisis, but concerns have already been raised the Republican billionaire won’t deliver.

Trump promised voters incomes and net worth will soar. Economists are not convinced

What Donald Trump’s presidency could mean for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle amid US visa row

20:40 , Athena Stavrou

As Donald Trump secured his second term as US president, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle may have had cause for concern about their new life in Montecito.

Trump took to the stage in Florida in the early hours of Wednesday morning to address the nation, celebrating his “unprecedented and powerful mandate” after sweeping through key swing states, including North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan.

His victory coincides with a precarious visa battle for the Sussexes, which may be complicated by their strained relationship with the president.

What Trump’s presidency could mean for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle amid visa row

Tim Scott running to head Republican Senate campaign arm

20:20 , Gustaf Kilander

Trump could offer trade lane to UK over ‘Brexit sympathy’, Democrat says

20:00 , Nina Lloyd

Donald Trump could offer the UK a “lane” easing trade with the US, a senior Democrat has suggested amid concerns that the president-elect’s desire for tariffs could damage Britain’s economy.

New Jersey governor Phil Murphy, who knows Mr Trump personally, said he believed the Republican politician would have “sympathy” for the decision to leave the EU and show more leniency towards Britain than with Brussels or Nato.

Speaking to journalists on a visit to London at the US Embassy, Mr Murphy said the the president-elect’s victory at the polls had been “very sobering”, with the loss of both the House and the Senate “particularly troubling” for Democrats.

Trump could offer trade lane to UK over ‘Brexit sympathy’, Democrat says

Republican Rep says it’s ‘absolutely’ time for GOP to be louder about anti-abortion beliefs

19:40 , Gustaf Kilander

Republican Representative Mike Kelly told Notus that it’s “absolutely” time for the party to be louder about their anti-abortion beliefs.

Kelly is not in a competitive district and has introduced several bills to federally ban abortion after six weeks.

“I don’t believe you should let a political, what some people think is a political advantage, be that way,” Kelly told Notus. “I am always going to vote for life.”

More than 5,000 requests for abortion pills made in 12 hours after Trump’s win as Americans stockpile

19:20 , Katie Hawkinson

The top abortion pill supplier in the US received more than 5,000 requests for medication in the first 12 hours after Donald Trump was projected to win the 2024 presidential election.

Rebecca Gomperts, founder of the supplier Aid Access, told The Guardian the 5,000 requests over 12 hours even surpasses the orders they received in June 2022 after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade, which guaranteed the right to an abortion nationwide.

“We have an extremely streamlined process and we are capable of dealing with all the requests really fast,” Gomperts told The Guardian. “But it’s much more [than usual]. And I think the reason is people are now much more aware – people are aware of the possibility of the abortion pill and aware of the threat it will be taken off the market.”

More than 5,000 requests for abortion pills made in 12 hours after Trump’s win

Musk joins Trump call with Zelensky

19:01 , Gustaf Kilander

Donald Trump put Elon Musk on a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, but it remains unclear what they discussed.

Trump handed the phone to Musk during the call on Wednesday, according to The New York Times.

The tone of the call, which took place at Mar-a-Lago, was described as positive.

The call was reported earlier by Axios.

WATCH: Trump’s unpredictable policies could alter the course of war in Ukraine

19:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Madonna has two-word message for Trump after he wins election

18:40 , Jacob Stolworthy

Madonna shared a forceful message to Donald Trump after he won the US election.

Trump’s presidency has led to a strong reaction from the world of celebrity, with famous Kamala Harris supporters, including several late-night hosts, making no secret of their upset over the result.

Days before election day, which took place on Tuesday (5 November), Madonna shared her endorsement for Democratic nominee Harris, revealing that she had returned home from a trip Paris, France so she could cast her vote.

Madonna has two-word message for Trump after he wins election

Republicans expected to retain House control as counting continues

18:40 , Gustaf Kilander

The Republicans appear to be on track to retain control of the House as counting continues in close races.

So far, the Republicans have gained two seats, winning 211 seats so far, according to the AP.

The Democrats, meanwhile, have secured 199 seats, having lost two.

For a majority, 218 seats are needed.

Robert Lighthizer asked to return as Trump trade representative: Report

18:30 , Gustaf Kilander

Robert Lighthizer has been asked to come back in his role as US Trade Representative in Donald Trump’s next administration, according to the Financial Times.

Lighthizer is a believer in tariffs was was one of the top people in Trump’s trade war with China during his first term in the White House.

He was also part of the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), with Mexico and Canada, Reuters noted.

VOICES: Believe it or not, there are worse ideas than ‘Ambassador Farage’

18:20 , John Rentoul

John Rentoul writes:

I assume that speculation about Nigel Farage becoming Britain’s ambassador to the United States is based on little more than putting two and two together: that Farage is a friend of Donald Trump’s and that Keir Starmer will need help in managing his relationship with the next president.

In fact, the Clacton MP and leader of Reform UK ruled himself out of consideration two weeks ago, saying: “Clearly, I’ve decided to get back into elected politics, so I’m off the table.”

He could of course rule himself back in again. Two days ago, he wrote an article for the Daily Telegraph offering his services in an informal role: “If I can be helpful in any way when it comes to bridging the divide that exists between Starmer’s government and Trump, I will be glad to assist.”

Believe it or not, there are worse ideas than ‘Ambassador Farage’

Voters misinformed about major issues more likely to vote Republican, pre-election poll shows

18:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Dean Baker, a senior economist at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, took to X to point to a survey from before the election, showing that those who are misinformed about major issues are more likely to vote Republican.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted in early October found that those who falsely believed that violent crime is at an all-time high in most major Americans were significantly more likely to back the GOP.

Racist text messages sent to people across several states after election

17:50 , Gustaf Kilander

Racist text messages have been sent to people across several states stating that they’ve been “selected to pick cotton at the nearest plantation.”

People in North and South Carolina received the messages, which identified individuals by their name and stated that they would be forced into slavery, according to WCNC. The texts came a day after Election Day.

The office of New York Attorney General Letitia James said people in the Empire State were also targeteted.

“The racist text messages targeting New Yorkers, including middle school, high school, and college students, are disgusting and unacceptable,” she said in a statement. “I unequivocally condemn any attempt to intimidate or threaten New Yorkers and their families. I encourage anyone in New York who has received an anonymous, threatening text message to report it to my office.”

Special Counsel to decide on how to proceed with Capitol riot case

17:45 , Gustaf Kilander

Special Counsel Jack Smith told a federal judge on Friday that he may have a decision by December 2 on how to resolve the criminal case looking at Trump’s role in the Capitol riot.

Smith requested that Judge Tanya Chutkan remove all upcoming deadlines to allow his office to look at how to progress as Trump’s prepares to retake the White House in January.

The prosecutors wrote in a filing that “As a result of the election held on November 5, 2024, the defendant is expected to be certified as President-elect on January 6, 2025, and inaugurated on January 20, 2025.”

They added: “The Government respectfully requests that the Court vacate the remaining deadlines in the pretrial schedule to afford the Government time to assess this unprecedented circumstance and determine the appropriate course going forward consistent with Department of Justice policy.”

“By December 2, 2024, the Government will file a status report or otherwise inform the Court of the result of its deliberations,” they said.

Fox News hosts joke that Trump prosecutors should ‘face death penalty’

17:40 , James Liddell

Fox News hosts Dana Perino and Greg Gutfeld joked that prosecutors in Donald Trump’s criminal cases should get the death penalty.

With the Justice Department in talks with special counsel Jack Smith about dropping two of the federal cases he is overseeing against Trump, The Five panelists had some back-and-forth about what should happen to those who sought the president-elect behind bars.

“Dana… 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 Perino on Thursday’s show.

Fox News hosts joke that Trump prosecutors should ‘face death penalty’

FBI thwarts Iranian murder-for-hire plan targeting Donald Trump

17:26 , AP

The Justice Department unsealed criminal charges Friday in a thwarted Iranian plot to kill President-elect Donald Trump before this week’s presidential election.

A criminal complaint filed in federal court in Manhattan alleges that an unnamed official in Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard instructed a contact this past September to put together a plan to surveil and ultimately kill Trump.

If the man, identified as Farjad Shakeri, was unable to create a plan by then, the complaint said, the official told him Iran would pause its plan until after the presidential election because the official believed Trump would lose and it would be easier to assassinate him then, the complaint said.

Shakeri told the FBI he didn’t plan to propose a plan to murder Trump within the seven days the official had requested, according to the complaint.

The plot, with the charges unsealed just days after Trump’s defeat of Democrat Kamala Harris, reflects what federal officials have described as ongoing efforts by Iran to target U.S. government officials, including Trump, on U.S. soil.

Bernie Sanders argues Republicans ‘split up’ the electorate to win elections in resurfaced video

17:20 , Gustaf Kilander

Trump says he has ‘no intention’ of selling shares in Truth Social

17:10 , Gustaf Kilander

Trump took to Truth Social on Friday to say that he has “no intention” of selling shares in his social media company.

“There are fake, untrue, and probably illegal rumors and/or statements made by, perhaps, market manipulators or short sellers, that I am interested in selling shares of Truth,” he wrote. “THOSE RUMORS OR STATEMENTS ARE FALSE. I HAVE NO INTENTION OF SELLING!”

He added: “I hereby request that the people who have set off these fake rumors or statements, and who may have done so in the past, be immediately investigated by the appropriate authorities. Truth is an important part of our historic win, and I deeply believe in it. Thank you for your attention to this matter. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

Tim Walz’s daughter sends angry message to Trump after father and Harris’ failed election bid

17:00 , Lucy Leeson

Tim Walz’s daughter expressed her anger over her father and Kamala Harris’ failed bid for the White House.

Hope Walz stated America “does not deserve Kamala Harris” as she shared her thoughts on President-elect Donald Trump’s historic win.

In a video posted on TikTok on Thursday (7 November), she said: “That woman should go live her best life wherever she wants, doing whatever she wants, because we don’t deserve her at this point.

“These people have to live in their own skin, as in JD Vance and Donald Trump have to be JD Vance and Donald Trump and that is not a punishment I’d wish upon anybody but those two individuals.”

Why celebrity endorsements don’t work as Clooney, Taylor, Beyonce and Oprah fail to win it for Harris

16:40 , Gustaf Kilander

The combined support of celebrities such as George Clooney, Taylor Swift, Beyonce and more couldn’t help Kamala Harris secure the presidency in Tuesday’s election.

A stream of A-listers from Hollywood and the music world all threw their weight behind the Democrat during the bitterly-fought campaign, in the hope that their millions of supporters and followers would move the needle.

But not even the endorsement of Swift seemed to make any difference. Nor did the backing of Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, or Ariana Grande. Harrison Ford warned of the threat to democracy to no avail.

Why celebrity endorsements don’t work as A-Listers fail to win it for Harris

Money in politics research nonprofit lays off employees because of financial difficulties

16:20 , Gustaf Kilander

Republican lawsuit challenging Philadelphia provisional ballots thrown out

16:00 , Alex Woodward

The lawsuit of Republican Pennsylvania Senate candidate Dave McCormick challenging provisional ballots in Philadelphia has been thrown out.

It’s a win for incumbent Democrat Bob Casey as he tries to catch up to McCormick.

The Associated Press has called the race for the Republican but Casey hasn’t conceded while he waits for thousands of ballots to be counted, including military/overseas and contested provisional ballots.

WATCH: Democrats are a ‘smarty-pants, suburban, college-educated party’ says Obama senior adviser

15:40 , Gustaf Kilander

He may be capable of random cruelty and stupidity, but Trump is no Nazi dictator

15:20 , Stephen Marche

The election of Donald Trump was, despite everything, a sign of the health of the American democratic process. The Electoral College did not differ from the popular vote in any substantial way. The outcome will be the first since 2012 that won’t be disputed.

Everybody knows who won. The result clearly and unambiguously represented the will of the American people. Unfortunately, the American people have clearly and unambiguously chosen antagonism. They have voted for their own division. While Trump won the popular vote and the electoral college there is still a large part of the country who is appalled by their choice.

He may be capable of random cruelty and stupidity, but Trump is no Nazi dictator

MTG insists Trump victory proves she’s not a fringe extremist: ‘I am ‘mainstream America’

15:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Far-right Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene has insisted that Donald Trump’s victory proves that she’s not a “fringe extremist” but instead part of “mainstream America.”

Elected to the House in 2020, Greene has made a name for herself as a conspiracy theorist backing the QAnon movement and farcically claiming that wildfires in California were caused by a “Jewish space laser.”

More recently, she has been lambasted for tweeting “Yes, they can control the weather … Anyone who says they don’t, or makes fun of this, is lying to you.”

MTG insists Trump win proves she’s not a fringe extremist: ‘I am ‘mainstream America’

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

14:40 , Joe Sommerlad

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

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 survey of voting intentions in the Hawkeye State.

Josh Marcus has the story.

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

The Handmaid’s Tale soars 400 places to third on bestseller charts after Trump win

14:20 , Joe Sommerlad

Margaret Atwood’s novel from 1985, recently filmed as a prestige TV series with Elisabeth Moss, presents a near-future dystopian society in which women are reared for the sole purpose of bearing children.

Sales of the book are now reportedly spiking in response to Trump’s election, as copies of George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four were said to have done in reaction to his first term.

Maira Butt has more.

Handmaid’s Tale soars 400 places to third place on bestseller charts after Trump win

Oddsmakers call JD Vance and Gavin Newsom the 2028 frontrunners

14:00 , Joe Sommerlad

The bookmakers are already looking ahead to the next presidential election and see Trump’s running mate as his natural heir on the Republican ticket.

Perhaps less obviously, the consensus suggests that California Governor Gavin Newsom will be the man to mount the fightback next time around.

Kelly Rissman reports.

Oddsmakers call JD Vance the 2028 frontrunner – but Aaron Rodgers make the list

Watch: CBS anchor chokes up discussing how he will explain Trump’s victory to his children

13:40 , Joe Sommerlad

CBS anchor chokes up discussing how he will explain Trump’s victory to his children

Vladimir Putin congratulates ‘brave man’ Trump on his election victory

13:20 , Joe Sommerlad

The Russian president has congratulated Donald Trump on his election victory, praising his “brave” response to the attempt on his life in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13 but admitting that even he has “no idea” what a second term will look like given Trump’s impulsive nature.

Kelly Rissman has more.

Putin congratulates ‘brave man’ Trump on his election victory

Joe Rogan calls on Trump ‘to unite everybody’ as president

13:00 , Joe Sommerlad

The podcaster who interviewed both Trump and JD Vance but not Kamala Harris (her campaign was in talks with him but the two sides failed to agree a time) has already been credited by the likes of Elon Musk and Dana White with helping the Republican to victory with his last-minute endorsement.

He has since urged the president-elect against attacking his enemies, commenting on his popular show: “He’s got to unite people. He’s got to not attack the left, not attack everybody, let them all talk their s***, but unite.

“Now it’s time to unite everybody.”

Here’s Josh Marcus on the Democratic hunt for its own influencer kingmaker.

Why some Democrats want to create their own Joe Rogan after Trump’s win

Ted Cruz’s daughter grimaces and says ‘don’t clap’ for Trump win

12:40 , Joe Sommerlad

Here’s a nice little moment you might have missed amid this week’s seismic events: Caroline Cruz, 16, showing up her dad at his victory party after he saw off a challenge to his Senate seat from Democrat Colin Allred.

James Liddell has the story.

Ted Cruz’s daughter winces and tells mom not to clap as senator praises Trump

Mass racist text messages sent to Black people across America spark investigations

12:20 , Joe Sommerlad

A deluge of racist text messages invoking slavery raised alarm across the US this week after they were sent to Black men, women and students, including middle schoolers, prompting inquiries by the FBI and other agencies.

The messages, sent anonymously, were reported in several states, including New York, Alabama, California, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.

They generally used a similar tone but varied in wording.

Some instructed the recipient to show up at an address at a particular time “with your belongings,” while others didn’t include a location.

Some of them mentioned the incoming presidential administration.

It isn’t yet clear who is behind the messages and there was no comprehensive list of where they were sent but high school and college students were among the recipients.

The FBI said it was in touch with the Justice Department on the messages and the Federal Communications Commission said it was investigating the texts “alongside federal and state law enforcement”.

The Ohio Attorney General’s office also said it was looking into the matter.

Mass racist text messages sent to Black people spark investigations

David Axelrod blames Democrats for becoming ‘smarty-pants, suburban, college-educated party’

12:00 , Joe Sommerlad

The former senior adviser to Barack Obama has criticized the Democratic Party for snobbery and for disillusionment among working-class voters following its US election rout.

In an excoriating takedown of his own party, David Axelrod highlighted the Democrat failure to reach blue collar voters and large parts of the electorate who hadn’t gone to college.

In an interview with CNN on Thursday night, Axelrod said the Democrats had become an increasingly “smarty-pants, suburban, college-educated party”, suggesting that they failed to appeal to people from lower-class and non-college educated backgrounds.

“The only group that Democrats gained within the election on Tuesday was White college graduates, and among working-class voters, there was a significant decline,” he added.

Madeline Sherratt reports.

David Axelrod accuses Democrats of becoming ‘a smarty-pants, college-educated party’