What you need to know
• Trump wins: Former President Donald Trump will defeat Vice President Kamala Harris and return to the White House, CNN projects, in a moment of historic consequence for American democracy. His projected win in battleground Wisconsinput the Republican over the top with 276 electoral votes as counting continues in some key states.
• Historic comeback: Trump willreturn to the nation’s highest office four years after losing the 2020 election, attempting to overturn the results, facing two presidential impeachments, a criminal conviction and many other criminal charges.
• Harris set to speak later today: Harris will deliver remarks at 4 p.m. ET at Howard University, a source familiar with the plans tells CNN. She is also expected to call Trump to concede the election, the source said.
Nikki Haley congratulates Trump
Nikki Haley, former Republican presidential candidate and South Carolina governor, congratulated Donald Trump for his projected win.
Haley served as UN ambassador under Trump during his first term.
“The American people have spoken. Congratulations to President Trump on a strong win. Now, it’s time for the American people to come together, pray for our country, and start the process of a peaceful transition. That begins with Kamala Harris conceding. You can’t just talk about unity in a campaign, you have to show it regardless of the outcome,” Haley posted on X.
Harris has reached out to Trump, aides tell CNN, but has yet to connect with him today. It is her intention, aides say, to speak with him before her 4 p.m. ET address.
With Trump poised to be reelected, here’s what we know about the presidential transition so far
With the presidential election called for President-elect Donald Trump, the Biden administration is now preparing for a peaceful transfer of power to its predecessor 76 days from now — even though Trump’s team has actively skipped a series of key deadlines during the initial planning process.
Representatives from Trump’s team met with federal agency transition planners last week to discuss “post-election readiness,” according to a White House official.
But the president-elect still has not signed a pair of critical memoranda of understanding (MOU) with the Biden administration to unlock transition activities that could begin as soon as Wednesday to ensure the next administration can hit the ground running quickly and begin to receive the information needed.
Stier added, “The Biden team undoubtedly will do everything they can to square this circle but there are legal limits to what they can do without the Trump team’s agreement to follow the law.”
Led by the White House Office of Management and Budget and the General Services Administration, planning for a transition began before either the Republican or Democratic Party had selected its 2024 nominee.
CNN has reached out to the OMB and GSA for comment.
Trump’s transition team is chaired by Linda McMahon, who led the Small Business Administration through his first term, and Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick.
Several Biden appointees who also served under former President Barack Obama have suggested their experience preparing the 2016 transition has provided both muscle memory and a cautionary tale: Hours spent preparing memos and briefings could be met by an incoming administration that has no desire or need for them.
Trump has also indicated that he plans to enact sweeping changes for career officials in federal government, including changing thousands of those jobs into politically appointed positions, CNN has reported. Policy experts have warned that federal workers could be fired unless they put loyalty to Trump ahead of serving the public interest.
For Bidenworld, election’s decisive outcome represents a moment of reckoning
In the wake of a decisive victory for a candidate they’ve warned is a threat to democracy, President Joe Biden and his close advisers are in a moment of reckoning and reevaluation.
Among those close to the president, there are two opposing views, according to people involved in the conversations: that Biden should have remained the candidate because he had stronger coalitions in the Blue Wall state, or that Democrats’ steep losses in the executive and the legislative branch are due to his deep unpopularity.
And there is another school of though, which that Biden himself has voiced: that the blame lies with former President Barack Obama and House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi for tossing Biden to the side on two separate occasions.
The outcome also calls into question what Biden’s legacy tour will look like, given the West Wing’s hope that the president could spend his final months in office touting his economic and foreign policy achievements. Foreign leaders, whom Biden will meet face to face later this month at two major summits, are now rushing to posture for a Trump presidency. And voters overwhelmingly suggested they are unhappy with the economy, on which this election became a referendum.
Jeff Bezos congratulates Trump for “extraordinary political comeback and decisive victory”
Jeff Bezos, the Amazon founder and chairman, congratulated Donald Trump on Wednesday for an “extraordinary political comeback and decisive victory” after the former president won re-election, wishing Trump “all success in leading and uniting the America we all love.”
“Big congratulations to our 45th and now 47th President on an extraordinary political comeback and decisive victory. No nation has bigger opportunities,” Bezos posted on X. “Wishing (Donald Trump) all success in leading and uniting the America we all love.”
The reaction comes a week after Bezos, the owner of The Washington Post, defended his decision to withhold his newspaper’s endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris, asserting it created the “perception of bias.”
Bezos, however, acknowledged the “appearance of conflict” of his decision, noting that his ownership of Amazon and space exploration firm Blue Origin has been a “complexifier for the Post.”
News of the vetoed endorsement immediately sparked backlash from Post reporters and readers alike, resulting in the resignation of nearly one-third of the paper’s editorial board and 250,000 readers canceling their subscriptions as current and former staffers accused the Amazon founder of anticipatory obedience.
In the immediate aftermath of the election Tuesday, Amazon’s stock rose Wednesday morning, up nearly 3% in trading.
JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon does not plan to join the Trump administration, source says
JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon has no plans to join president-elect Donald Trump’s administration, a person familiar with the matter told CNN on Wednesday.
Dimon, among the most influential executives in Corporate America, has frequently been floated as a potential Treasury secretary under a Democratic or Republican president. Yet the source told CNN that Dimon does not plan to serve in government at this time.
In July, Trump told Bloomberg Businessweek that Dimon is someone he has “a lot of respect for” and someone he would consider for the prominent role of Treasury secretary. Those comments were a sharp departure from Trump’s previous criticism of Dimon. (Days later, Trump said he didn’t know who said that he would consider Dimon.)
However, Dimon thinks the best way to support the nation right now is by staying at JPMorgan Chase and supporting long-term economic growth, the source said. Reuters previously reported Wednesday that Dimon would stay at JPMorgan Chase.
Dimon, whose wife reportedly knocked on doors in support of Vice President Kamala Harris, recently accelerated his retirement timetable. Dimon, 68, had long joked that stepping down was “five years away” but in May said stepping down is “not five years anymore.”
JPMorgan’s share price spiked 10% on Wednesday in the wake of Trump’s victory.
Harris will implore her supporters to accept election results when she speaks later today, aides say
Vice President Kamala Harris will implore her supporters across the nation to accept the results of the presidential election during an afternoon concession speech at Howard University, aides say, in an address that is intended to strike similar themes to the closing days of her campaign. She’ll also urge the country to work together to find areas of “common ground.”
Harris has reached out to President-elect Donald Trump, aides tell CNN, but has yet to connect with him today. It is her intention, aides say, to speak with him before her 4 p.m. address.
The vice president is working on her concession speech at the Naval Observatory, alongside her lead speechwriter Adam Frankel and other advisers. The remarks are still coming together, aides say, but they expect her to thank her supporters and offer a message aimed at the younger voters she often reached out to on the campaign trail.
The Harris campaign invited supporters to return to the Yard at Howard University, where a night of dancing and jubilation steadily turned into disappointment for thousands of followers as election returns came in. Many stayed past midnight, but began leaving when it became clear Harris would not make an appearance.
Some Democrats — including Harris campaign officials — blame Biden for the loss
In the immediate aftermath of Kamala Harris’ loss to Donald Trump, some Democrats are holding President Joe Biden responsible.
There are a myriad of ways in which party officials are quickly scorching Biden for Trump’s imminent return to the White House. For many, it goes as far back as the president’s decision to seek reelection for a second term, rather than keeping his 2020 campaign pledge to be a “transition” and “bridge” president.
In the scenario where Biden had decided not to seek another four years at the White House, Democrats say, there would have been a robust Democratic primary contest to choose the party’s next nominee — and with it, time for that nominee to set up and run a distinct campaign of their own.
Instead, the president’s decision to stay in the race despite concern from many Democrats — leading to Biden ultimately being forced out of the race just several months out from Election Day — gave Harris no choice but to run an unusually truncated race.
The party also never got an opportunity to decide, the official lamented, on whether vice president was, in fact, the strongest nominee to put forward against Trump.
In the end, Harris’ few-months sprint to Election Day was “the Biden campaign with Harris at the top of the ticket. It was the Biden campaign with new posters,” the official said.
Analysis: What Trump’s win means for the climate crisis
President-elect Donald Trump’s win could have profound consequences for the goal to keep global warming below the critical threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius – above which scientists say the impacts of climate change will start to exceed the ability of humans and ecosystems to adapt.
Trump’s win comes during a year of unprecedented heat, which has contributed to more extreme storms, drought and wildfires, science shows. The US recently suffered back-to-back major hurricanes supercharged by ocean heat, while parts of South America are suffering through punishing drought, shrinking tributaries to the Amazon River.
As a candidate, Trump vowed to once again pull the US out of the landmark Paris climate agreement, in which the 1.5 degree-limit is enshrined. As CNN has previously reported, some former Trump officials floated the idea of pulling the US entirely out of the United Nations treaty to confront climate change. Doing so would end US participation in international negotiations and make it harder for a future US administration to re-enter them.
On Wednesday, several world climate advocates issued statements of concern.
“The US election result is a setback for global climate action, but the Paris Agreement has proven resilient and is stronger than any single country’s policies,” Laurence Tubiana, CEO of European Climate Foundation, said in a statement. “There is powerful economic momentum behind the global transition, which the US has led and gained from, but now risks forfeiting.”
“No cause for concern” over Trump’s victory, Mexico’s President Sheinbaum says
Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum said that she was waiting on confirmation of the result but “there is no cause for concern” if Donald Trump wins the US presidential election, as CNN has projected.
“To our countrymen and countrywomen, to their relatives who are here, there is no cause for concern,” she said in her daily media conference.
Immigration was a fixture throughout Trump’s presidential campaign and the former president frequently attacked Mexico for “letting people come in through our border.” On Monday, in one of the final speeches of the 2024 campaign, Trump said “on day one” he would launch “the largest deportation of criminal program in American history.”
It remains unclear how Trump’s mass deportation plan would work, but analysts have said if he were to follow through with his campaign promise, it would be costly.
China congratulates Trump and says it respects the American people’s choice
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs congratulated Donald Trump on his projected win in a statement released on Wednesday.
“We respect the American people’s choice and offer our congratulations to Mr. Trump for his election.”
Chinese leader Xi Jinping has yet to publicly comment on the election results.
Harris is expected to speak at 4 p.m. ET and will call Trump to concede, source says
Vice President Kamala Harris will deliver remarks at 4 p.m. ET at Howard University following her loss to former President Donald Trump, a source familiar with the plans tells CNN.
Harris is also expected to call Trump to concede the election, the source said.
Why Trump’s return could spark another round of inflation and delay interest rate cuts
Inflation is likely to rise in the United States and around the world if newly elected US President Donald Trump follows through on his campaign promises to cut taxes, crack down on immigration and hike tariffs on all imported goods.
Together with a Republican majority in the US Senate, Trump’s historic reelection, which CNN projected Wednesday, puts the former president in a strong position to implement his potentially radical economic agenda.
US stock markets opened sharply higher, buoyed by Trump’s decisive victory, while the dollar is rallying against major currencies as traders price in higher domestic inflation and therefore fewer interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve. (Higher interest rates tend to boost the value of a currency by attracting more capital from abroad as investors seek bigger returns.)
Trump tariffs: Investors are also acting on expectations that Trump’s plans for higher tariffs will hurt the global economy, increasing demand for dollars, which are considered a safe haven, according to Matthew Ryan, head of market strategy at financial technology firm Ebury.
The stronger dollar reflects expectations that Trump will cut taxes, hike tariffs and clamp down on immigration, which are all inflationary and likely to mean more elevated interest rates in the years to come, according to Susannah Streeter, head of money and markets at investment platform Hargreaves Lansdown.
Former President George W. Bush congratulates Trump
Former President George W. Bush offered his first statement on the 2024 presidential campaign Wednesday, congratulating former President Donald Trump on his victory.
He thanked President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for their service, and highlighted the election’s turnout as “a sign of the health of our republic and the strength of our democratic institutions.”
“Laura and I are grateful to the election officials, poll workers, and volunteers who oversaw a free and fair election. We join our fellow citizens in praying for the success of our new leaders at all levels of government,” he said.
Bush remained notably silent on the 2024 race, declining to endorse a candidate amid calls from Republicans like former Rep. Liz Cheney and former aide Nicolle Wallace to throw his support behind Harris.
His daughter, Barbara Bush, knocked on doors in battleground Pennsylvania on Harris’ behalf.
Trump adviser Jason Miller says winning the popular vote would change “everything”
Trump campaign adviser Jason Miller told CNN on Wednesday that the campaign views former President Donald Trump’s expected win with the popular vote “changes everything,” arguing it gives the president-elect confidence to enact his agenda without fear of alienating a broad swath of the country.
As of Wednesday at 10:24 a.m. ET, CNN has not projected that Trump has won the popular vote.
Miller said, from the campaign’s view, the entire race boiled down to one key issue: the economy. Those close to Trump have acknowledged in recent hours that while they believe that the border and crime, the other top issues they repeatedly prioritized throughout the 2024 cycle, also played a major role in his success, Americans’ concerns about their financial stability is what won them the race.
However, Trump’s current Day One priority is to reinstate his former administration’s border policies and reverse those of President Joe Biden, Miller said.
More on Trump’s victory: Another tactic the campaign believes paid off is the inroads they made with the Arab-American community, particularly in the Blue Wall states of Michigan and Wisconsin, he added, in addition to their success with Black and Latino communities across the battleground states.
Trump and his allies are closely tracking which world leaders reach out
Former President Trump and his allies are keeping close track of who reaches out and when, according to multiple sources.
Trump, who values loyalty as well as flattery, has reveled in the reach outs from foreign leaders leading up to the election and asked privately why certain leaders hadn’t tried to contact him.
World leaders have already begun congratulating the president-elect, including leaders from across Europe and Africa, while a spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry said they hope for “peaceful coexistence” with the United States just before Trump clinched the election.
Earlier this year, when it began to look like the former President would win Iowa, Trump kept tabs on which Republicans backed him and when, which formed some of how he dealt with specific individuals — he has done the same thing when it comes to the world stage.
Europe not surprised by Trump’s win and is no longer the US’ “fragile little sister,” EU diplomat tells CNN
Europe was not surprised by Donald Trump’s election victory and European Union members are prepared to defend their values, an EU diplomat told CNN.
“The feeling is now more than ever that the Union is a respectable lady in her 70’s, and no longer the fragile little sister of the United States,” added the diplomat, who is not permitted to speak on the record about closed door meetings.
They added that the EU is “ready to face the challenges of the world and defend its values, with all its partners and allies. And that remains, whatever the outcome of the elections here or there can be.”
Some context: Europe has strongly supported Ukraine’s fight against Russia, sending billions of euros in aid and weapons. Ahead of the election, the EU has also worked to increase its own defense capabilities outside of the US-led NATO alliance.
Harris world in state of shock and disbelief morning after Election Day
Harris campaign aides and allies are in a state of shock and disbelief the morning after Election Day, reeling from their candidate’s loss to Donald Trump.
“Stomach in knots,” one source close to the campaign said. “Terrible,” another source said, describing how they were feeling.
Until the end, the Harris campaign had maintained that the election was likely to be close, with the outcome potentially to be determined on the margins in a handful of key states. But the scope of Harris’ defeat – even as it was still coming into clearer focus Wednesday morning – was stunning to those who have been working over the past several months to get Harris elected.
“If you’re winning New Jersey by five? There’s something bigger at play here,” they said.
In 2020, Biden had defeated Trump in New Jersey by around 16 percentage points.
In the lead-up to election night, Harris campaign officials had projected confidence about the vice president’s standing, citing conversations with teams on the ground and internal data. But that confidence evaporated early Wednesday.
“It was gloomy,” another source close to the campaign said, describing the mood among Harris campaign officials overnight. “Pennsylvania was the nail in the coffin.”
“The caveats won,” the source said. “She had all the headwinds. All the numbers were headed the wrong way for her.”
For many of Harris’ campaign aides, the processing of the emotions surrounding the election results are also colliding with the practical implications of the end of any presidential campaign. Many are packing bags and getting ready to vacate the temporary homes they had set up in battleground states, as they contemplate what comes next in their careers.
Harris, too, will be preparing to leave the Naval Observatory come January. As of Wednesday morning, she had not yet addressed the American public after ultimately skipping her election night party in DC the previous evening at Howard University.
Vance posts thank-you message: “I will never stop fighting for ALL of you”
Sen. JD Vance posted a message of thanks Wednesday morning after the Trump-Vance ticket won the 2024 presidential election. In the message, Vance said he will “never stop fighting” for “ALL” Americans.
“THANK YOU! To my beautiful wife for making it possible to do this. To President Donald J. Trump, for giving me such an opportunity to serve our country at this level. And to the American people, for their trust. I will never stop fighting for ALL of you,” Vance posted on X.
Vance, 40, will become the first millennial to serve as vice president.
Dow surges by more than 1,300 points as Trump is reelected
US stocks rose sharply Wednesday morning following a decisive and consequential victory for former President Donald Trump in Tuesday’s US presidential election.
The Dow soared 1,334 points, or 3.2% at the market open. The S&P 500 surged 2% higher and the tech-heavy Nasdaq rose by 1.8%. If the Dow maintains its implied gains throughout the trading session, it will mark the sixth-best point gain ever for the index — but nowhere close to a record percentage gain.
Markets were mostly juiced by the fact that the election was decided relatively quickly. The election — and the widely held belief that Trump and his allies could contest the result in courts — has served as a cloud over the US economy and stock market in recent months. Markets, in particular, crave certainty, and the clear path forward will allow companies to adjust their business and hiring plans.
But stocks may also be reacting to Trump’s victory, in particular. Trump flipped several swing states from President Joe Biden’s 2020 victory, and Republicans also took control of the Senate. Several key House races remain undecided. A so-called red wave could usher in an era of deregulation and other pro-business laws and policies that investors believe could benefit the stock market.
Foreign leaders react as Trump wins 2024 U.S. presidential election
With former President Donald Trump set to reprise his role as the commander in chief of the world’s most powerful military and largest economy — and with him wasting no time in claiming victory in the U.S. presidential election — leaders around the world started reacting Wednesday to the reality of a second term in the White House for the businessman-turned politician.
From enthusiasm voiced by Israel’s leader as he wages an expanding, multi-front war to anxiety from some of America’s closest, generations-old European allies, the reaction to Trump’s election performance started rolling in long before the final votes were counted across the U.S.
Below is a look at how some foreign leaders and others around the world have taken the news of the American electorate’s apparent rebuke of Vice President Kamala Harris and the Democratic Party at the polls.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered his congratulations to Trump on Wednesday, calling his election performance “history’s greatest comeback!”
“Your historic return to the White House offers a new beginnig
for America and a powerful recommitment to the great alliance between Israel and America,” Netanyahu said. “This is a huge victory!”
Later Wednesday Netanyahu’s spokesperson said the Israeli prime minister had been among the first foreign leaders to call Trump and offer his congratulations personally.
“The conversation was warm and cordial,” Netanyahu’s office said, adding that the two men had “agreed to work together for Israel’s security” and also discussed “the Iranian threat.”
Despite Trump’s criticism of the Israeli leader’s handling of the ongoing war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Netanyahu was widely believed to favor the former U.S. leader in the U.S. election. Tension between Washington and Tel Aviv has risen sharply over the last year, with President Biden and others criticising Israel’s tactics in its multi-front war with Iranian-backed groups in the Middle East.
The war in Gaza, sparked by Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 terrorist attack that saw the militants kill some 1,200 people and kidnap about 250 others, has now killed more than 43,000 people in the Palestinian territory, according to its Hamas-run health ministry. Israel has also significantly ramped-up its assault on Hezbollah, Hamas’ fellow-Iranian backed allies in Lebanon. The Israeli offensive there has killed more than 3,000 people, according to the Lebanese health ministry.
The Biden administration has continued pushing for cease-fires on both fronts, to no avail, and demanding that Israel do more to mitigate the devastating impact of the wars on civilians.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Ukraine’s war-time President Volodymyr Zelenskyy congratulated Trump Wednesday for what he called an “impressive election victory,” and said he looked forward to “an era of a strong United States of America under President Trump’s decisive leadership.”
“I recall our great meeting with President Trump back in September, when we discussed in detail the Ukraine-U.S. strategic partnership, the Victory Plan, and ways to put an end to Russian aggression against Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said in a social media post, adding that his country was interested “in developing mutually beneficial political and economic cooperation that will benefit both of our nations.”
“I appreciate President Trump’s commitment to the ‘peace through strength’ approach in global affairs,” said the Ukrainian leader. “This is exactly the principle that can practically bring just peace in Ukraine closer. I am hopeful that we will put it into action together.”
Zelenskyy offered no comment on Trump’s repeated vows to “quickly” end the nearly three-year war that began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in early 2022. His government and his commanders on the battlefield have voiced growing concern that Trump could dramatically reduce or even halt the huge American support for Ukraine’s military effort to repel Russia’s invasion.
Zelenskyy has warned that if the resolve of Ukraine’s Western backers crumbles and Russia is allowed to seize Ukrainian territory, the war his country is fighting could spread, with direct implications for Americans.
“This aggression, and Putin’s army, can come to Europe, and then the citizens of the United States, the soldiers of the United States, will have to protect Europe because they’re the NATO members,” he told CBS News early this year.
Hungary’s President Viktor Orbán
One of the first foreign leaders to offer congratulations to Trump on Wednesday was one of the very few who openly backed him long before the final votes were cast in the U.S. Hungary’s far-right President Viktor Orbán, who’s been accused during his decades-long leadership of the eastern European nation of eroding its democratic institutions by giving himself more power and limiting that of the country’s courts and civil society institutions, called Trump’s apparent success “a much needed victory for the World!”
In a message posted on social media, Orbán said Trump had pulled off “the biggest comeback in US political history,” and he congratulated him on his “enormous win.”
Orban has made himself an outsider among European Union leaders by endorsing anti-immigrant policies and maintaining close ties with President Vladimir Putin amid Russia’s ongoing invasion of neighboring Ukraine — all while touting his close ties to Trump.
In a speech over the summer, Orbán suggested he had even helped to craft Trump’s future statecraft, claiming to have “entered the policy-writing system of President Donald Trump’s team,” with “deep involvement there.”
Russia, but not Putin himself
Leonid Slutsky, who heads the Committee on International Affairs in Russia’s State Duma, or parliament, was quoted Wednesday by the country’s state-run RIA Novosti news agency as saying a Trump victory offered “a chance for a more constructive approach to the Ukrainian conflict.”
“Can we expect changes in approaches to the role of the U.S. in the Ukrainian conflict, which has been fueled by the Democratic administration since 2014? Judging by the election rhetoric (if it can still be believed), the Republican team is not going to send more and more American taxpayers’ money into the furnace of a proxy war against Russia,” Slutsky was quoted as saying. “Perhaps there is a chance for a more constructive approach here.”
Slutsky did not comment on Trump’s repeated vows to end the war in Ukraine quickly if reelected — something European and Ukrainian leaders fear he could do by halting America’s vast military support for Kyiv and forcing Ukraine to accept Russia’s takeover of significant Ukrainian territory.
Slutsky did predict, however, that if the next American administration does cut off that support, the U.S.-backed Ukrainian government of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will fall “in a matter of months, if not days.”
There was no immediate reaction from President Vladimir Putin, who never spoke in favor of either candidate during the U.S. election campaign process, but whose leadership Trump has lauded previously.
In remarks later to journalists in Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he was unaware of any plans for Putin to congratulate Trump directly, saying the former U.S. leader had made “quite harsh statements” about Russia during the campaign and calling the U.S. an “unfriendly country that is directly and indirectly involved in a war against our state.”
In a statement issued later, Russia’s Foreign Ministry echoed that stance, saying: “We have no illusions about the elected American President, who is well known in Russia, and the new composition of Congress, where the Republicans, according to preliminary data, are gaining the upper hand. The ruling political elite in the United States, regardless of party affiliation, adheres to anti-Russian attitudes and a line on ‘containing Moscow.’ This line is not subject to fluctuations in the domestic political barometer in the United States.”
The ministry said Russia would “work with the new Administration when it ‘settles’ in the White House, firmly defending Russian national interests and focusing on achieving all the goals of the special military operation.”
In his remarks, however, Peskov left room for any change in the U.S. stance during Trump’s second term, saying: “After victory, preparing to enter the Oval Office, sometimes statements take on a different tone.”
“We will draw conclusions based on concrete steps and concrete words,” he said, adding that it would be “practically impossible” for Trump to damage U.S. relations with Moscow, as they’re “at their lowest point in history.”
China, via the Foreign Ministry
“We will continue to view and handle China-U.S. relations in accordance with the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and cooperation for win-win,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Wednesday. “We respect the choice of the American people and congratulate Mr. Trump on his election as president.”
There was no immediate public reaction from President Xi Jinping. Trump has often described China as a primary U.S. adversary, and he’s has pledged to continue a tit-for-tat tariff feud with the Asian nation.
trUnder President Biden, the U.S. tightened export controls to try to keep some sensitive U.S. technology out of China, and tension between Washington and Beijing has increased in recent years over China’s stance on Taiwan, the democratically ruled island off its east coast that Xi has vowed to bring back under the control of the Chinese government for the first time in about 70 years.
The U.S. is bound by American law to defend Taiwan from any military aggression, but Trump has never committed to doing so in the case of a Chinese invasion.
Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te offered his “sincere congratulations” to Trump on Wednesday, saying he was “confident that the longstanding #Taiwan-#US partnership, built on shared values & interests, will continue to serve as a cornerstone for regional stability & lead to greater prosperity for us all.”
The United States is bound by domestic law to back Taiwan, an island off China’s eastern coast that’s claimed by Beijing as Chinese territory but which has had its own democratic government for decades, if it faces military aggression.
China’s President Xi Jinping has vowed to bring Taiwan back under the rule of his Communist Party, by force if necessary, creating one of the most risky global military standoffs on the planet. Chinese and Taiwanese military vessels and aircraft have regularly entered each others’ territory in recent months, increasing the tension as U.S. vessels continue “freedom of navigation” operations in the region.
During and before the campaign, Trump dodged questions about whether the U.S. would come to the aid of Taiwan if China launched an invasion with him in the White House. In a July interview with The Associated Press, he said Taiwan should pay the U.S. more for helping ensure its defense.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum
President Claudia Sheinbaum said Wednesday that Trump’s reelection was “no cause for concern” for Mexico, despite the president-elect’s recent threat to impose a massive 25% tariff on Mexican imports unless her government halts what he called an “onslaught of criminals and drugs” coming across the southern U.S. border.
“We are a free, independent, sovereign country and there will be good relations with the United States,” Sheinbaum said, adding that she felt it was “prudent to wait” to extend congratulations to the U.S. election winner until the official results were announced.
“For all Mexicans, there is no cause for concern, for our countrymen and women [in the U.S.], for their relatives who are here, for Mexican businesswomen and businessmen, there is no cause for concern,” Sheinbaum said.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer did his best Wednesday, despite a clear delineation between his own policies and those expected of another Trump administration, to maintain the decorum of the storied “special friendship” between the two nations.
In a social media post, Starmer offered his congratulations to Trump “on your historic election victory,” adding that he looks forward to “working with you in the years ahead.”
“As the closest of allies, we stand shoulder to shoulder in defense of our shared values of freedom, democracy and enterprise,” said Starmer, who came to power only months ago as Britain’s left-leaning Labour Party won national elections in a landslide after a decade and a half of Conservative Party rule.
“I know that the US-UK special relationship will continue to prosper on both sides of the Atlantic for years to come,” added Starmer.
French President Emmanuel Macron
“Congratulations, President @realDonaldTrump,” France’s President Emmanuel Macron said in a brief statement posted on social media Wednesday. He declared his administration “ready to work together” again as it did during Trump’s first term in office, “with your convictions and mine. With respect and ambition. For more peace and prosperity.”
But an hour later, the French president issued another statement that hinted at the concerns he and many of his European colleagues are likely to share about Trump’s commitment to the transatlantic NATO alliance, America’s future backing of Ukraine in the war with Russia, and his stance on foreign import tariffs.
In his second tweet, Macron said he had just spoken with German Chancellor Olaf Sholz, and that the leaders of the EU’s two biggest economies had agreed to “work towards a more united, stronger, more sovereign Europe in this new context. By cooperating with the United States of America and defending our interests and our values.”
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte
“I just congratulated @realDonaldTrump on his election as President of the United States,” said NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Wednesday, adding in his social media post that Trump’s “leadership will again be key to keeping our Alliance strong. I look forward to working with him again to advance peace through strength through #NATO.”
Trump has criticized many of the NATO alliance’s European members for failing to commit at least 2% of their national GDPs to their defense budgets.
Trump shocked many of America’s closest allies during and after his first term by openly criticizing their funding commitments, and during the 2024 presidential campaign he said calling on allies to increase their defense spending would be a policy he aggressively pursued if reelected.
In May, Trump campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt said “Trump got our allies to increase their NATO spending by demanding they pay up,” and that if reelected, “he will restore peace and rebuild American strength and deterrence on the world stage.”
Iran’s government and people
Fatemeh Mohajerani, a spokesperson for Iran’s ruling Islamic regime, appeared on the country’s state-run TV network IRIB Wednesday and was quoted as dismissing the potential impact of Trump’s election victory amid her country’s standoff with the West over its support for armed proxy groups across the Middle East and its nuclear program.
“The election of the U.S. President is not relevant to us,” she said according to a translation of her remarks on state media. She said the policies of both the U.S. and Iran were “fixed and do not change with the change of individuals,” and said there would be be no “impact on people’s livelihoods” in Iran regardless of who occupies the White House.
Iran’s economy has been decimated by a huge regime of U.S. and international sanctions imposed initially over its alleged nuclear weapons development — which the country denies — and extended over its support for U.S.-designated terror groups such as Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthi rebels in Yemen.
During Donald Trump’s first term in office, he unilaterally pulled the U.S. out of an international nuclear pact negotiated by his predecessor that was intended to keep Iran’s atomic work in check in exchange for an easing of sanctions. He adopted a hard line instead, re-imposing sanctions to the consternation of America’s European allies who helped broker and co-signed the deal.
Iran has since ramped up its nuclear work, and there has been mounting concern this year that its backing for the so-called proxy groups across the Mideast could lead to a full-scale war with Israel, with the potential to draw in the U.S. as Israel’s closest ally.
Despite the government’s claim that there would be no impact on Iranians, the value of the country’s currency, the rial, slipped on Wednesday to its lowest ever value.
Traders in Tehran told The Associated Press that the rial was trading at 703,000 to the dollar, though there could be further fluctuations over the course of the day.
One resident of Iran’s capital told the AP he had no doubt that Trump “will intensify the sanctions.”
“Things that are not in our favor will be worse,” 22-year-old student Amir Aghaeian told the AP. “Our economy and social situation will surely get worse… I feel the country is going to blow up.”
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, and Gaza residents
Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian Authority that administers the Israeli-occupied West Bank, congratulated Trump on his reelection and wished him success.
In his message, posted Wednesday on the website of the Authority’s news agency WAFA, Abbas expressed hope to work with Trump for peace and security in the region, stressing the Palestinian people’s commitment to the pursuit of “freedom, self-determination and statehood, in accordance with international law.”
“We will remain steadfast in our commitment to peace, and we are confident that the United States will support, under your leadership, the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people,” he said, addressing Trump.
While nearly two-thirds of Israelis polled by the Israel Democracy Institute before election day in the U.S. said they believed Trump would be a better American leader for Israel’s interests, the sentiment in Gaza, where Abbas’ Fatah movement hasn’t held any power in many years, was less focused on who would win, and more on surviving the war.
A woman living amid the rubble in Gaza told CBS News this week that they just want the bombs to stop falling, and many were doubtful that a change in U.S. leadership could precipitate that.
“For me, Republicans or Democrats are the same thing,” Gaza resident Firas Abu Firas said before election day. “They are two faces on the same coin.”
Hamas reacts
Basem Naim, a long-time senior figure in the Hamas regime that ruled over the Palestinian Gaza Strip for almost two decades before the group sparked the ongoing war with Israel with its unprecedented terrorist attack more than a year ago, called Trump’s reelection, “a private matter for the Americans,” but said in a statement Wednesday that “Palestinians look forward to an immediate cessation of the aggression against our people, especially in Gaza, and look for assistance in achieving their legitimate rights of freedom, independence, and the establishment of their independent self sovereign state with Jerusalem as its capital.”
International diplomatic efforts toward a so-called “two-state solution,” which would see an independent state of Palestine created alongside Israel, have all but vanished amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.
U.S. administrations from both sides of the political aisle have pushed for such a solution to the nearly seven-decade crisis in the heart of the Middle East, but with the current Israeli administration firmly opposed to the notion of Palestinian statehood, most Palestinians saw little reason for hope regardless of who won the U.S. election.
European Union’s Ursula von der Leyen
Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Union bloc’s governing body, the European Commission, congratulated Trump on Wednesday and iterated her hope in a brief social media post that the U.S. and EU could “work together on a strong transatlantic agenda that keeps delivering” for citizens on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.
“I warmly congratulate Donald J. Trump. The EU and the US are more than just allies,” Von der Leyen said. “We are bound by a true partnership between our people, uniting 800 million citizens. So let’s work together on a strong transatlantic agenda that keeps delivering for them.”
Italian premier Giorgia Meloni
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni congratulated Trump Wednesday, lauding what she called “unshakeable” ties between the U.S. and Italy.
“Italy and the United States are ‘sister’ nations, linked by an unshakeable alliance, common values and a historic friendship. It is a strategic bond which I am sure we will now strengthen even more,” Italy’s far-right leader wrote in a statement posted to social media.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan congratulated “my friend Donald Trump” Wednesday with a message posted on social media.
The leader of the sometimes contentious NATO ally, who’s taken a strong stance against Israel‘s handling of the ongoing wars with Hamas and Hezbollah, voiced his hope that “Turkey-US relations will strengthen, that regional and global crises and wars, especially the Palestinian issue and the Russia-Ukraine war, will come to an end.”
“I believe that more efforts will be made for a more just world,” said Erdogan. “I hope that the elections will be beneficial for our friendly and allied people in the United States and for all of humanity.”
Trump and Erdogan appeared to get along relatively well during the American’s first term in office.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro
Colombia’s left-wing President Gustavo Petro congratulated Trump on Wednesday and lauded the U.S. democratic process, which he said would be respected, but took the opportunity also to challenge the president-elect’s vows to close the U.S. border to undocumented migrants as unrealistic.
“The only way to seal the boarders is through the prosperity of the communities of the south and the end of blockades,” he said.
Petro also alluded to concerns that Trump will lead the world’s biggest economy further away from goals to address man-made climate change, saying the dialogue between the global north and south continues, “and the reality of the climate collapse will force us to rally around a solution.”
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva
Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, known widely simply as Lula, offered his congratulations to Trump Wednesday “on his election victory and return to the presidency of the United States.”
“Democracy is the voice of the people and must always be respected,” said the Brazilian leader, who is currently serving a third term after returning to office last year in an election that saw him defeat far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro, who was often compared to Trump.
“The world needs dialogue and joint work to achieve greater peace, development and prosperity. I wish the new government luck and success,” da Silva said in his tweet.