Live election updates: Donald Trump wins US presidency
Dozens of European leaders will be assessing a new global outlook during a one-day summit in Hungary's capital on Thursday, with the knowledge that the election of Donald Trump as the next U.S. president could have far-reaching consequences for the continent.
Despite myriad economic problems and two wars in the neighborhood , all eyes will be glued on Washington to see whether Trump's return will cause political strife throughout the continent, much like his first presidency did.
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Donald Trump has promised sweeping action in a second administration.
The former president and now president-elect often skipped over details but through more than a year of policy pronouncements and written statements 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.
Trump's agenda also would scale back federal government efforts on civil rights and expand presidential powers.
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Norwegian Bellona environmental group said that "with the election of Donald Trump, the United States will no longer be a driving force globally to reach the 1.5 Celsius target," referencing the international goal of trying to limit future warming since preindustrial times.
The outcome means the European Union "must take the global leadership role in the climate fight, and to a significantly greater extent ensure the defense of Europe's strategic interests," the group said.
"The EU will now become significantly more important for climate, technology development and restructuring in the next four years," Frederic Hauge, founder of the Oslo-based organization, said in a statement.
Soldiers in a Ukrainian artillery battery on the front lines of the country's east were only vaguely aware of American election results pointing to Donald Trump's victory Wednesday — but firm in their hopes for the next president of the United States.
Their entrenched artillery battery fires on Russian forces daily — and takes fire nearly as often. Just the other day, one of their overhead nets snared a Russian drone.
"I hope that the quantity of weapons, the quantity of guns for our victory will increase," the unit's 39-year-old commander, who goes by the name Mozart, said in the hours before Trump's win was confirmed . "We don't care who is the president, as long as they don't cut us off from help, because we need it."
Though Trump's election throws into doubt American support for Ukraine — and ultimately whether Kyiv can beat back Russia's invasion — the soldiers who use their Starlink connection to the internet sparingly learned of the results from Associated Press journalists.
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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau congratulated Trump in a post on the social platform X and included a picture of the two of them in the White House during the president-elect's first term.
"The friendship between Canada and the U.S. is the envy of the world. I know President Trump and I will work together to create more opportunity, prosperity, and security for both of our nations," Trudeau posted.
Trump as president called Trudeau "weak" and "dishonest" and attacked Canada's vital trade. He threatened tariffs on cars and imposed them on steel. The unprecedented tone against one of Washington's closest allies left a bitter taste, and most Canadians were relieved that Trump was defeated in 2020.
"We respect the choice of American people," Prime Minister Robert Fico said at a news conference on Wednesday.
Fico, who is known for pro-Russian views, said the result of the election is "certainly a defeat of liberal and progressivist ideas because the new American President is a conservative. We think he'll focus on the economy issues in the United States."
Fico said what's of importance is that "everybody is waiting for the first steps in regards of the war in Ukraine."
Fico added that Trump might reduce or halt the military aid for Ukraine or propose an immediate cease-fire to open the way for negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.
Fico ended his state's military aid for Ukraine.
Futures markets in the U.S. surged early Wednesday, with the Dow climbing 2.85% and the S&P 500 rising nearly 2%.
Bitcoin, which many see as a winner under a Trump presidency, hit all-time highs above $75,000.
Tesla, the company run by Trump surrogate Elon Musk, spiked 12% before the opening bell while other electric vehicle makers slumped.
Banking stocks also moved solidly higher, with expectations of a pullback by regulators overseeing markets under Trump.
President Félix Tshisekedi of Congo, the most populous Francophone country in the world, added in a post on the social platform X that he was ready to deepen the strategic partnership between Congo and the United States, which "already maintain good, friendly relations and cooperation."
During his first term in the White House, Trump displayed a dismissive attitude towards Africa, epitomized by his infamous derogatory remarks on why the United States should accept more immigrants from "shithole countries" in Africa.
The International Rescue Committee, a large humanitarian aid organization, urged the Trump administration to "continue America's traditions of humanitarian leadership and care of the most vulnerable."
The New York-based nonprofit also urged the new administration and Congress to "reject policies that demonize immigrants and asylum seekers," and noted that the U.S. program to resettle refugees has saved lives and strengthened the fabric of the United States.
IRC is led by Britain's former top diplomat, David Miliband, and says it provides relief services to people affected by crises in more than 40 countries.
Bitcoin jumped nearly 8% to a record $75,345.00 in early trading on Wednesday, before falling back and was recently trading at around $73,700.00.
Trump was previously a crypto skeptic but changed his mind and embraced cryptocurrencies ahead of the election.
He pledged to make America "the crypto capital of the planet" and create a "strategic reserve" of bitcoin. His campaign accepted donations in cryptocurrency and he courted crypto fans at a bitcoin conference in July.
He also launched World Liberty Financial, a new venture with family members to trade cryptocurrencies.
Trump won an election that will return him to the White House by winning Wisconsin, the same state that put him over the top when he won in 2016. The difference again came in Milwaukee, after nearly every other county in the state had wrapped up their count. The early morning update in Milwaukee cut into Trump's lead, but not by enough that it would provide Harris with a path to victory.
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Despite major losses for Democrats in the Senate and White House, the party's central campaign issue surrounding protecting reproductive rights fared much better across the country as abortion rights advocates won on measures in seven states.
The last state to pass such a measure by early Wednesday was Montana, where abortion rights advocates pushed to enshrine abortion rights until fetal viability into the state constitution as a safeguard against future rollbacks. Though there's no defined time frame, doctors say viability is sometime after 21 weeks.
In three others — Florida, Nebraska and South Dakota — voters rejected measures that would have created a constitutional right to abortion.
Montana voters chose to protect the right to an abortion in their state constitution.
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 6:01 a.m. EST Wednesday.
Some people who lined up before polls closed waited hours in frigid, snowy weather to cast their votes. Roughly 200 people were still in line after midnight at the courthouse in Gallatin, one of the state's largest counties, some four hours after polls closed.
By 3 a.m., about 20 people remained. Election officials did not plan to begin releasing results until every voter had gone through.
"I'm tired," Tatyana Deshields, 22, said after she'd waited in line for more than four hours with some friends. "They had to tap me to tell me to keep moving."
"We will have a great FIFA World Cup and a great FIFA Club World Cup in the United States of America! Football Unites the World" FIFA president Gianni Infantino wrote on his Instagram account in a message of congratulations to Trump.
Infantino had tried to build close ties to the first Trump administration, making at least two visits to the White House and joining then-President Trump at a dinner event in Davos, Switzerland during the World Economic Forum in January 2020.
The United States will host most of the games at the 2026 World Cup in men's soccer.
There was a sense of disappointment in Thulasendrapuram, a tiny village in southern India, where Kamala Harris' mother's family has ancestral ties and where people were rooting for the Democratic nominee for president.
Residents in this village, who were keenly following the election results on their smartphones, were left silent as initial enthusiasm faded, even before the presidential race call, but many said they were proud that she put up a good fight. The villagers were hoping for a Harris victory and had Tuesday held special Hindu prayers for her at a local temple where Harris' name is engraved in a list of donors. Some were also planning to blast off fireworks and distribute sweets had she won.
"We are sad about it. But what can we do? It was in the hands of the voters of that country. They made Trump win. We can only wish Trump well for his victory," said J. Sudhakar.
As results became clearer, a gaggle of reporters that was stationed outside the village temple also quickly scattered away. The village — site of a brief media spectacle and euphoria since Tuesday — became almost deserted.
The Dax rose significantly by 1.5% to 19,544 points in early Xetra trading, German news agency dpa agency reported.
Robert Halver, Head of Capital Market Analysis at Baader Bank said that "since Donald Trump stands for the economy, it can be assumed that stock markets around the world will go up. With one exception: China, because he (Donald Trump) will definitely impose tariffs at least on China. That will certainly make life difficult for the Chinese."
"The nice thing is that European stocks, German stocks and export stocks can also benefit. Because we are still so well positioned in the industrial sector that we are helping America to become big again in the industrial sector, so to speak," he added.
Trump won an election that will return him to the White House by winning Wisconsin, the same state that put him over the top when he won in 2016.
The difference again came in Milwaukee, after nearly every other county in the state had wrapped up their count. The early morning update in Milwaukee cut into Trump's lead, but not by enough that it would provide Harris with a path to victory.
Ahead of the presidential race call, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said he had no information on whether Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to congratulate Donald Trump but emphasized that Moscow views the U.S. as an "unfriendly" country.
Peskov reaffirmed the Kremlin's claim that the U.S. support for Ukraine amounted to its involvement in the conflict, telling reporters: "Let's not forget that we are talking about the unfriendly country that is both directly and indirectly involved in a war against our state."
Asked if Putin's failure to congratulate Trump could hurt ties, Peskov responded that the Russia-U.S. relations already are at the "lowest point in history," adding that it will be up to the new U.S. leadership to change the situation. He noted Putin's statements about Moscow's readiness for a "constructive dialogue based on justice, equality and readiness to take mutual concerns into account."
Peskov noted Trump's campaign statements about his intention to end wars, saying that "those were important statements, but now after the victory, while getting ready to enter the Oval Office or entering the Oval Office, statements could sometimes change."
Donald Trump was elected the 47th president of the United States on Wednesday, an extraordinary comeback for a former president who refused to accept defeat four years ago, sparked a violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, was convicted of felony charges and survived two assassination attempts.
With a win in Wisconsin, Trump cleared the 270 electoral votes needed to clinch the presidency.
The victory validates his bare-knuckle approach to politics. He attacked his Democratic rival, Kamala Harris, in deeply personal — often misogynistic and racist — terms as he pushed an apocalyptic picture of a country overrun by violent migrants.
The coarse rhetoric, paired with an image of hypermasculinity, resonated with angry voters — particularly men — in a deeply polarized nation. As president, he's vowed to pursue an agenda centered on dramatically reshaping the federal government and retribution against his perceived enemies.
Former President 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 5:34 a.m. EST.
Another big update from Wayne County and it's the same story: Harris continues to cut into Trump's lead.
This update of close to 240,000 votes trimmed Trump's advantage to just under 2 points. Smaller updates that followed in a few places pushed it back to more than 2 points. The race for the state's 15 electoral votes is still too early to call.
"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," German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in a post on the social platform X.
Meanwhile, Czech Republic's President Petr Pavel said he valued the country's "partnership with the United States" and was looking forward to "continued cooperation in addressing shared global challenges, including supporting our common allies and upholding European security," Pavel said. "Our Transatlantic bond remains strong."
The European Union's top official says she's looking forward to working with Trump again as the former president is on the cusp of victory in the U.S. presidential race.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the E.U. and U.S. "are more than just allies. We are bound by a true partnership between our people, uniting 800 million citizens."
"Let us work together on a transatlantic partnership that continues to deliver for our citizens. Millions of jobs and billions in trade and investment on each side of the Atlantic depend on the dynamism and stability of our economic relationship," she said in a statement.
The tariffs that Trump slapped on steel and aluminum exports during his last term roiled the bloc's economy.
Voters in Arizona approved a ballot measure that would establish a fundamental right to abortion and prohibit the state from restricting or banning abortion before 24 weeks. It's a major win for abortion-rights supporters in the presidential battleground state who sought to expand access beyond 15 weeks. The Arizona amendment is the sixth measure to protect or expand abortion rights that has passed so far this election. It comes after the Arizona Supreme Court allowed the enforcement of an 1864 law banning nearly all abortions earlier this year, but then the Legislature quickly repealed it.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte says he looks forward to working with Trump "to advance peace through strength" as the former president closes in on the 270 electoral votes needed to win the White House.
"We face a growing number of challenges globally, from a more aggressive Russia, to terrorism, to strategic competition with China, as well the increasing alignment of China, Russia, North Korea and Iran," Rutte said.
"Working together through NATO helps to deter aggression, protect our collective security and support our economies," he added.
Rutte also praised Trump for his work during his first term to persuade U.S. allies in NATO to ramp up defense spending.
He noted that around two-thirds of the 32 NATO allies are due to meet the organization's main defense spending target this year.
Voters in Nebraska rejected a ballot measure to expand abortion rights in the state. The measure would have enshrined in the Nebraska Constitution the right to have an abortion until viability, or later to protect the health of the pregnant woman. It was one of two competing abortion measures to appear on the ballot. The other measure, which passed, instead enshrines the state's current 12-week abortion ban into the state constitution and allows for the possibility of stricter bans.
As the vote count for president continues in Nevada, a ballot measure to enshrine the battleground state's abortion rights in the state constitution received its first nod of approval.
Voters must also approve the ballot question in 2026 in order to amend the state constitution. The political action committee Nevadans for Reproductive Freedom organized the ballot initiative and gathered enough signatures to put the question before voters. Although a 1990 state law makes abortion available up to 24 weeks of pregnancy, supporters in Nevada and elsewhere have been pressing to strengthen abortion access after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.
The AP's current count has Trump three electoral votes shy of winning the White House, though he is leading in key battleground states.
"Congratulations on history's greatest comeback!" wrote Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on X. "Your historic return to the White House offers a new beginning for America and a powerful recommitment to the great alliance between Israel and America."
French President Emmanuel Macron posted on X: "Ready to work together as we were able to do during four years. With your convictions and mine. In respect and ambition. For more peace and prosperity."
Trump, someone whose political career has been defined by division and acrimony, told the audience at his election night party early on Wednesday that it was "time to unite" as a country.
"It's time to put the divisions of the past four years behind us," Trump said. "It's time to unite."
"We have to put our country first for at least a period of time," he added. "We have to fix it."
Addressing his supporters from his Election night watch party in Florida, Donald Trump claimed an "unprecedented and powerful mandate" in the 2024 contest and called on the nation to "unite" and put divisions behind.
South Dakota became the second state to reject a ballot measure that would have restored or protected abortion access since the overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022.
The loss in the deeply red state comes after anti-abortion groups heavily out-fundraised and outspent abortion rights groups in the state and national groups decided to stay out of the effort.
Most of the important people in Trump's personal and political life have joined him on stage in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Former first lady Melania Trump stood near her husband and was joined by Barron, the former president's youngest son. Trump's older children, Don Jr., Eric, Ivanka and Tiffany, all joined their father on stage, too.
Trump's top political minds, including top campaign advisers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita, joined Trump on stage. And his political allies were on stage, too, including House Speaker Mike Johnson.
Trump also celebrated a few celebrities in the audience and on stage. Dana White, the CEO of UFC, was on stage with Trump, and the former president called golfer Bryson DeChambeau on stage. Trump also shouted out Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of X, who has become one of his most high-profile supporters. "We have a new star. A star is born: Elon," Trump said.
