2024 US Election Results Live Updates: Trump names immigration hawk Stephen Miller as deputy chief of staff

For the past few years, over and over, voters have told pollsters and pundits that they're hopping mad about inflation. Well, we just elected a president who, if he follows through on two of his central campaign promises -- across-the-board tariffs and mass deportation of immigrants lacking permanent legal status -- will probably cause soaring inflation, New York Times reported.

Miller served as a senior policy adviser in the White House during Trump’s presidency from 2017 to 2021 and was a key architect of the Republican administration's aggressive immigration policies. These included building a wall along the US-Mexico border, implementing travel bans targeting citizens from several Muslim-majority countries, and the controversial 2018 policy that resulted in the separation of thousands of migrant families at the border.

Donald Trump’s appeal to over 75 million Americans lies in his unfiltered, unpredictable style that challenges political norms. He’s the “Chosen One” for many in the culture wars, unapologetically saying what others only think. His coalition spans tech bros, the religious, and working-class folks, frustrated with the “woke” status quo. Despite Hollywood’s disdain and Democratic cash, Trump’s antics, from joking about his nuclear button to turning a mugshot into memorabilia, resonate deeply. He’s a modern-day Shakespearean fool, mixing charisma and defiance, leaving Democrats puzzled as he wins with a coalition they just don’t see coming.

Russia Monday denied a reported call between President Vladimir Putin and US President-elect Donald Trump on the Ukraine conflict and said it saw no signs the West was ready for talks.

The Washington Post said on Sunday that Trump had spoken by phone on Thursday with Putin, telling him not to inflame the conflict.

Trump's election to the White House has the potential to upend the almost three-year conflict and has thrown into question Washington's multi-billion dollar support for Kyiv, crucial to its defence.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied the report, telling journalists it was "false"

President-elect Donald Trump announced late Sunday that he has selected Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik to serve as the US ambassador to the United Nations. In a statement to the New York Post, Trump said, "I am honored to nominate Chairwoman Elise Stefanik to serve in my Cabinet as US Ambassador to the United Nations. Elise is an incredibly strong, tough, and smart America First fighter." Stefanik, known for her conservative stance and leadership in the GOP, is expected to play a key role in Trump’s Cabinet.

US President-elect Donald Trump announced on Sunday that former Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Tom Homan would return as “Border Czar” in his incoming administration, overseeing the largest deportation operation in US history. Trump, who won the November 5 election after a polarising campaign, has repeatedly used severe rhetoric against undocumented immigrants, warning of a supposed “invasion” and claiming they endanger Americans.

Homan, known for his tough stance on border control, will be responsible for deporting undocumented immigrants, a priority Trump has vowed to enforce from his first day back in office. Trump’s controversial campaign also included a proposed use of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to target migrant gangs, under an initiative he named “Operation Aurora.” Despite claims by Trump about migrant-related crime, data shows violent crime has decreased under President Joe Biden, and studies indicate migrants commit fewer crimes than US-born citizens.

US President-elect Donald Trump urged Republican senators on Monday to endorse recess appointments for key government positions, highlighting delays in the confirmation process. In a post on X, Trump said, “Any Republican Senator seeking the coveted LEADERSHIP position in the United States Senate must agree to Recess Appointments... without which we will not be able to get people confirmed in a timely manner.” He added that it can take "two years, or more" to confirm nominees, stressing the need to fill roles “IMMEDIATELY.”

Trump also warned against approving any judges during this period, saying, “The Democrats are looking to ram through their Judges as the Republicans fight over Leadership. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE.”

US President-elect Donald Trump advised Russian President Vladimir Putin against escalating the Ukraine conflict during a phone call on Thursday, according to The Washington Post. This conversation followed Trump’s call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who had not been informed of the Trump-Putin dialogue beforehand, per Ukraine's foreign ministry. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan reaffirmed President Biden's commitment to Ukraine, noting Biden's intention to encourage ongoing U.S. support. Meanwhile, the Kremlin confirmed Putin’s willingness to discuss Ukraine but maintained its demands, including Ukraine’s withdrawal from NATO aspirations, which Kyiv has rejected in favour of Zelensky's “victory plan” for Western military backing.

The White House will spend its remaining $6 billion of Ukraine funding before Donald Trump's presidential inauguration in January, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Sunday, warning of the global risks of ending US support for Kyiv.

Sullivan said President Joe Biden is expected to go over top foreign policy issues when he meets with President-elect Trump Wednesday in the Oval Office.

"The president will have the chance to explain to President Trump how he sees things, where they stand, and talk to President Trump about how President Trump is thinking about taking on these issues when he takes office," Sullivan said on CBS's "Face the Nation."

Biden has led an international coalition in support of Ukraine as it fights off invasion by Moscow, an effort at a crucial point following Russian military gains and an increasingly dire shortage of Ukrainian manpower.

Trump meantime has insisted that he could end the war in "a day," possibly even before taking office, presumably as part of a deal that would require Kyiv to cede some of its lost territory to Moscow.

The Ukrainians and European NATO members have been scrambling to reach out to Trump while making their own plans for a world in which the US president appears far less supportive of Kyiv and of NATO, and more friendly to Russia.

Sullivan said a prime goal of the Biden administration in its remaining months, will be "to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position on the battlefield so that it is ultimately in the strongest possible position at the negotiating table."

Russian President Vladimir Putin has demanded that Ukraine cede large swaths of territory as a precondition to peace talks, while Kyiv has adamantly refused to do so.

US President Joe Biden will go through the top priorities for US domestic and foreign policy with President-elect Donald Trump when the two meet at the White House on Wednesday, US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Sunday.

In an interview on CBS's "Face the Nation" show, Sullivan said Biden's top message will be his commitment to ensure a peaceful transfer of power, and he will also talk to Trump about what's happening in Europe, in Asia and the Middle East.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday he has spoken with US President-elect Donald Trump three times in the past few days aimed at tightening the strong alliance between Israel and the United States.

"These were good and very important conversations," Netanyahu said in a statement. "We see eye to eye on the Iranian threat in all its components, and the danger posed by it. We also see the great opportunities before Israel, in the field of peace and its expansion, and in other fields."

Republicans on Saturday appeared close to clinching control of the US House of Representatives, a critical element for President-elect Donald Trump to advance his agenda when he returns to the White House in January.

With votes still being counted from the Nov. 5 general election, Republicans had won 212 seats in the 435-member House, according to projections by Edison Research, which projected on Friday night that Republican Jeff Hurd had enough votes to keep Republican control of Colorado's 3rd congressional district.

Republicans now need to win six more seats to keep control of the House and they already have enough victories to wrest control of the US Senate from Democrats, though Edison Research projected late on Friday that Democratic US Senator Jacky Rosen won reelection in Nevada.

With Trump's victory in the presidential election and Republican control of the Senate already decided, keeping hold of the House would give Republicans sweeping powers to potentially ram through a broad agenda of tax and spending cuts, energy deregulation and border security controls.

Results of 19 House races remain unclear, mostly in competitive districts in Western states where the pace of vote counting is typically slower than in the rest of the country.

Ten of the seats are currently held by Republicans and nine by Democrats. Fourteen of seats were widely seen as competitive ahead of the election.

The Kremlin said Sunday that it saw "positive signals" from US president-elect Donald Trump's position on Ukraine, while warning it was hard to predict how he would behave in office.
"The signals are positive. Trump during his election talked about how he perceives everything through deals, that he can make a deal that can lead to peace," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview with state media published Sunday.

But Peskov said it was hard to predict "to what extent he's going to stick to statements that he made on the campaign trail

A British minister said on Sunday that the government is unlikely to ask the Reform party leader Nigel Farage to act as an intermediary to deal with US President-elect Donald Trump.
Farage, the Brexit-campaigner and self-described troublemaker, is a friend of Trump and was at his election victory party in Florida.

He has offered to act as an interlocutor between the British government and the Trump administration, which takes power in January.

The Treasury minister Darren Jones said on Sunday that the government would likely reject that offer.

"I think that's probably unlikely," he told Sky News, saying Farage, who is a member of parliament, should probably spend his time with his constituents rather than in the United States.

Governments around the world are trying to figure out how to deal with Trump, who has promised to increase tariffs and whose first four-year term was characterised by a protectionist trade policy and isolationist rhetoric, including threats to withdraw from Nato.

Police reported on Sunday that supporters of Bangladesh's former leader were arrested for protesting with Donald Trump placards, following her directives. Authorities accused them of attempting to damage relations with the United States.

The 77-year-old former prime minister Sheikh Hasina departed to India via helicopter on August 5, after prolonged student demonstrations turned violent.

A transitional administration, headed by Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus, has since assumed control, with responsibilities including democratic reform implementation and election organisation.

Police apprehended 10 demonstrators on Saturday evening, labelling them "conspirators" and alleging they sought to create instability in the South Asian nation of approximately 170 million inhabitants.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police representative Muhammad Talebur Rahman stated, "We are assessing their crimes in order to file charges."

The small demonstration occurred before a planned Awami League rally on Sunday, which the provisional government prohibited, describing the organisation as "fascist".
Student groups announced plans for a rival demonstration at the same location in central Dhaka.

Republicans are nearing control of the US House of Representatives, a crucial component for President-elect Donald Trump's policy implementation upon his White House return in January.

Edison Research reported that Republicans had secured 213 seats in the 435-member House, with ongoing vote counts from the Nov. 5 election. The organisation confirmed Representative Dan Newhouse's victory, maintaining Republican control of Colorado's 3rd congressional district.

To maintain House control, Republicans require five additional seats. They have already secured enough victories to take the US Senate from Democrats, despite Edison Research's Friday night projection of Democratic US Senator Jacky Rosen's re-election in Nevada.

According to Edison Research, Democrats have secured 205 seats, including Representative Greg Stanton's re-election victory in Arizona announced on Saturday. Democrats would need to secure 13 of the remaining 17 seats to gain control.

Republican control of the House, combined with Trump's presidential victory and Senate control, would grant Republicans comprehensive authority to potentially implement extensive tax and spending reductions, energy deregulation and border security measures.

The remaining 17 House races are predominantly in competitive Western state districts, where vote counting traditionally proceeds at a slower pace compared to other regions.

Of these seats, Republicans currently hold nine and Democrats hold eight. Prior to the election, fourteen seats were considered competitive.

Senate Republicans will select their 2025 party leader next week, with John Thune, John Cornyn and Rick Scott competing for the position. Senators Bill Hagerty and Rand Paul endorsed Scott on Saturday, challenging the perceived favourites, Thune and Cornyn.

Donald Trump has triumphed in Arizona, flipping the state back to the Republican column after it was narrowly won by Joe Biden in 2020. This victory, alongside wins in all seven battleground states—Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and North Carolina—has boosted Trump’s Electoral College count to 312, compared to Kamala Harris' 226. His success reflects strong support among conservative and working-class voters, including a significant Hispanic share in states like Arizona.

Republicans have also regained control of the Senate, securing 52 seats, and the House is expected to remain GOP-controlled. As Trump prepares for a second term, he has appointed Susie Wiles as White House Chief of Staff and is considering new figures like Ric Grenell and Marco Rubio for key roles.

A potential second term for Donald Trump as US president could challenge the autonomy of the Federal Reserve, possibly hindering its independent efforts to control inflation and manage employment levels.

The Federal Reserve operates with Congressional authority to independently address both inflation and employment rates, primarily through its control of interest rates.
Any compromise to the Federal Reserve's autonomy could create uncertainty in financial markets, raising doubts about its effectiveness in controlling inflation.

"The prevailing view for the past 30 years, with the exception of the first Trump administration, has been that it's best to give the Fed the widest possible latitude to conduct monetary policy," David Wilcox, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE), told AFP.

"Monetary policy is complicated enough even without having to take that additional consideration," added Wilcox, who previously served as a senior advisor to three Fed chairs and currently works as Bloomberg's director of US economic research.

Donald Trump secured Arizona's 11 electoral votes on March 16, marking the state's return to Republican control following Joe Biden's 2020 triumph. This represents Trump's second Arizona victory since 2016, defeating Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris.

Trump's campaign emphasised border security and economic issues, linking Harris to increased inflation and unprecedented illegal border crossings during the Biden administration. The Republican victory has dampened Arizona Democrats' momentum, which had begun with their capture of a long-held Republican Senate seat in 2018 and continued through 2020 and 2022.
Biden had been only the second Democrat to claim Arizona in seven decades.

Democracy emerged as a crucial concern alongside inflation and immigration in this year's presidential election, with half of all voters citing it as their primary voting motivation. This surpassed other significant issues including inflation, border concerns, abortion rights and free speech, as revealed in AP VoteCast's comprehensive survey of over 120,000 voters across the nation.
Supporters of Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican President-elect Donald Trump viewed democratic concerns from contrasting angles.

Approximately two-thirds of Harris's supporters identified democracy's future as their chief voting consideration, outweighing other significant matters such as economic pressures, abortion rights, free speech, or the prospect of electing the first female president. Harris intensified this message during her campaign's final phase, explicitly labelling Trump as a threat to fundamental American principles and describing him as a fascist.

This position received backing from former Trump administration officials who expressed concerns about his suitability for office. Trump's actions included refusing to accept the peaceful transition of power whilst making false claims about his defeat to Democrat Joe Biden in the 2020 election. Additionally, on Jan. 6, 2021, after telling his supporters to "fight like hell," Trump directed them towards the Capitol. (AP)

President Joe Biden is scheduled to meet President-elect Donald Trump at the White House on Wednesday, following Biden's commitment to ensure a smooth transition of power to the Republican who defeated him four years after their previous electoral contest.

Trump, who had refused to acknowledge his defeat in 2020, achieved a significant electoral victory on November 5, establishing what appears to be an extended period of American politics influenced by his conservative ideology.

Such transitional meetings between departing and incoming presidents were traditionally observed, but Trump had declined to host Biden following the 2020 election, amid unfounded allegations of electoral misconduct that led to the Capitol incident on January 6, 2021.

Whilst Trump had previously avoided Biden's inauguration ceremony, the White House has confirmed Biden's intention to attend the upcoming installation.

The White House announced on Saturday that the Biden-Trump meeting will be held in the Oval Office, as the transition period progresses towards the former president's return to office.

Come January, Biden will become one of the few US presidents to transfer power back to their predecessor, with the only previous occurrence being President Benjamin Harrison's handover to Grover Cleveland in the 1800s.

Trump, aged 78 and formerly a television personality, secured a broader victory margin despite his legal troubles, including a criminal conviction and two impeachments during his presidency, and despite warnings from his former chief of staff regarding his "fascist" tendencies.

Electoral analysis revealed that voters were primarily concerned with economic issues and inflation rates that increased during Biden's term following the Covid pandemic.

Biden, aged 81, who withdrew from the presidential race in July due to concerns regarding his age and health condition, telephoned Trump on Wednesday to offer congratulations on his electoral success.

Iran's foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has rejected US allegations regarding Iran's involvement in a plot to assassinate US President-elect Donald Trump, describing it as untrue.
Speaking on Saturday, Araghchi denied Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons whilst challenging the American position.

"Now, with another election, a new scenario is fabricated with the same goal: as a killer does not exist in reality, scriptwriters are brought in to manufacture a third-rate comedy. Who can in their right mind believe that a supposed assassin SITS IN IRAN and talks online to the FBI?!" he stated in response to US Department of Justice's assertions.

The US Department of Justice announced on Friday that they had filed charges against an Iranian national allegedly recruited by Iran to orchestrate Donald Trump's assassination before the presidential election.

According to the United States Department of Justice statement, Farhad Shakeri, aged 51, from Iran was indicted as an operative of the Iranian government, allegedly instructed to manage a criminal network advancing Iran's assassination schemes against selected targets, including President-elect Donald Trump.

Addressing the July 31 death of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, Araghchi wrote on X: "Remember the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran right after our President's inauguration? Everyone knows who did it and why."

Both Iran and Hamas point to Israel as responsible for Haniyeh's death. Israel, currently engaged in conflict with Hamas in Gaza, maintains silence regarding its involvement in Haniyeh's death.
Araghchi indicated Iran's acceptance of the American public's selection of Trump, noting that future relations with Iran remain subject to choice.

The US President-elect Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he would not be bringing back two prominent officials from his previous administration - former secretary of state Mike Pompeo and former UN ambassador Nikki Haley.

Through a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump declared his decision against including either of them in his administration, amidst ongoing discussions about his future team composition.
In July, Pompeo had proposed an aggressive strategy for Ukraine, advocating increased weapons support and stringent measures against Russia's energy industry. Analysts observed on Saturday that this stance contradicted Trump's campaign positions.

Throughout his campaign, Trump has consistently claimed his ability to resolve the Ukraine conflict within his first day in office and has questioned American support to Kyiv in its conflict with Russia.

Despite later endorsing Trump, Haley, who competed against him in the Republican primary this year, had occasionally provided direct feedback, including her August statement asking him to "quit whining" about Democrat candidate Kamala Harris.

"I very much appreciated working with them previously and would like to thank them for their service to our country," Trump stated on Saturday.

Thus far, Trump has made one cabinet appointment, selecting his campaign manager Susie Wiles - whom he refers to as "ice baby" due to her reportedly calm demeanour - as White House chief of staff.

This appointment marks the first time a woman has been selected for this crucial White House position.