US Election 2024
Live Reporting
What links have Trump and his team maintained with oil-rich Gulf states?
Since leaving office in 2021, Donald Trump and some of his key allies have continued to engage with the most powerful and wealthy Gulf countries, forging multi-million dollar business deals and engaging in quiet, behind-the-scenes diplomacy.
In September, Trump hosted Qatar's ruling emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and the UAE president Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at his Mar-a-Lago residence on the sidelines of their respective official U.S. visits.
Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, has held several meetings in recent years with Saudi Arabia's crown prince and de-facto ruler Mohammed bin Salman, known as MBS.
Kushner also attended the 2022 soccer World Cup in Qatar.
Trump's core company, The Trump Organization, has also forged a number of business deals in the Middle East, including in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Oman. In July it teamed up with Saudi real estate developer Dar Global to build a Trump-branded tower in Dubai.
Donald Trump Jr., the president elect's eldest son, traveled to Oman and Dubai in June while another of his sons, Eric Trump, said in July that the Trump Organization wanted to pursue more deals in the Middle East.
'Going to be rough': NATO braces for Donald Trump's return
US allies at NATO scrambled Wednesday to put a brave face on the return of Donald Trump to the White House amid fears the unpredictable Republican could upend European security and pull the plug on Ukraine support.
Trump’s re-election has hit Brussels “like an earthquake”, FRANCE 24’s correspondent Dave Keating said, adding that people are “shell-shocked”.
“For a long time, there has been some denialism here in Brussels about the probability of Trump coming back,” Keating said.
Harris to call Trump to concede election, NBC News reports
US Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to call Donald Trump on Wednesday to concede defeat in the presidential election, NBC News reported on Wednesday, citing two Harris aides.
President Joe Biden also plans to call Trump and will speak publicly about the election results, NBC News reported, citing a White House official.
Mexico girds for tariffs, migrant deportations after Trump win
(AFP) Donald Trump's victory has left Mexico bracing for potential trade tensions, tariffs and mass migrant deportations that experts say could pose a major test of relations between the closely connected neighbours.
On the eve of the election, Trump vowed to impose tariffs of at least 25 percent on goods coming from Mexico unless it stops an "onslaught of criminals and drugs".
The Latin American nation "has to take what Trump says seriously" given his past actions such as building a border fence, said Pamela Starr, an expert on US-Mexican relations at the University of Southern California.
Wall Street stocks surge after Trump wins US presidency
Wall Street stocks surged in early trading on Wednesday after US voters sent Donald Trump back to the White House and delivered him a Republican Senate.
Major indices moved into record territory in a rally that reflected both expectations of growth-oriented policies and relief that the United States avoided a protracted fight over the results.
About 45 minutes into trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average stood at 43,538.34, up 3.1 percent.
The broad-based S&P 500 gained 1.8 percent to 5,888.89, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index also rose 2.1 percent to 18,819.03.
Afghanistan Taliban govt hopes for ‘new chapter’ with Trump election win
Afghanistan’s Taliban government said it hoped for a “new chapter” in relations with the United States after Donald Trump’s presidential election victory, AFP reports.
The government hopes the future Trump administration “will take realistic steps toward concrete progress in relations between the two countries and both nations will be able to open a new chapter of relations”, foreign ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi said in a post on X.
He underscored that during former president Trump’s first term in power, he presided over a peace deal with the Taliban that paved the way for the US withdrawal in 2021 “after which the 20-year occupation ended”.
Two Pakistani-origin candidates secure victory in US elections
Salman Bhojani and Suleman Lalani, two Pakistani-American Democratic candidates, have made history by winning their second consecutive term in the Texas State House elections.
First entering the assembly in 2022, Bhojani has focused on vital issues like healthcare, education, and business development while he has also been a champion of immigrant rights.
His win is seen as a key milestone in South Asian American political representation. His success reflects an increasing trend of South Asian Americans actively participating in shaping US politics, marking a significant shift toward greater diversity in political leadership.
Swing states - swing massively on Trump side
Arizona - Voting continues and so far too close to call
Georgia – Trump wins
Michigan – Too close to call
Nebraska - In the Nebraska presidential election, Donald Trump has won four of the five Electoral College votes, NBC News projects. Harris has won the other.
Nevada - Voting continues
North Carolina – Trump wins
Pennsylvania – Trump wins
Wisconsin – Trump wins
Trump's erratic foreign policy to meet 'a world on fire'
While campaigning to regain the US presidency, Donald Trump said that he would be able to end Russia's war in Ukraine in 24 hours, warned that Israel would be "eradicated" if he lost the election and vowed sweeping new tariffs on Chinese imports.
Now that Trump has claimed victory, many at home and abroad are asking an urgent question: will he make good on his long list of foreign policy threats, promises and pronouncements?
The Republican has offered few foreign policy specifics, but supporters say the force of his personality and his “peace through strength” approach will help bend foreign leaders to his will and calm what Republicans describe as a "world on fire".
Harris voters motivated by democracy, Trump supporters by inflation and immigration
Voters for Kamala Harris and Donald Trump who cast their ballots for Tuesday’s presidential election had vastly different motivations - reflecting a broader national divide on the problems the United States faces.
AP VoteCast, an extensive survey of more than 115,000 voters nationwide, found that the fate of democracy appeared to be a primary driver for Vice President Harris’ supporters. It was a sign that the Democratic nominee’s messaging in her campaign’s closing days accusing Trump of being a fascist may have broken through.
PM Shehbaz Sharif extends congratulations to Donald Trump for comprehensive win in polls
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto congratulates next US President Donald Trump on historic victory
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Global reaction to the US presidential election
Reactions from around the world began trickling in on Wednesday as major news outlets projected that Republican Donald Trumphad won more than the required electoral votes and is well on track to become the US president for the second time.
ISRAELI NATIONAL SECURITY MINISTER
"Yesssss, God bless Trump," Ben-Gvir said on X.
DMITRY MEDVEDEV, FORMER RUSSIAN PRESIDENT
"Trump has one useful quality for us: as a businessman to the core, he mortally dislikes spending money on various hangers–on and stupid hanger-on allies, on bad charity projects and on voracious international organisations," Medvedev, now a senior security official, posted on his official Telegram account.
Famous journalist Mehdi Hasan sees 'bad future' with Trump's comeback in power
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Former Australian PM Scott Morrison extends congratulations for Trump
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Elon Musk says US people want positive change to happen after Trump victory
SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the people of the United States has supported Donald Trump in huge numbers because they want change for good.
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Will fix everything: Trump addresses supporters after winning race to White House for second time
Shortly after he secured more than 270 electoral votes required for the win, the next president Donald Trump thanked his supporters and voters who stood behind his call.
This is the important day in American history as we will all make US great again.
In his speech, Donald Trump declared his campaign’s victory a triumph over formidable and unprecedented obstacles.
"We overcame obstacles that nobody thought possible," Trump stated, reflecting on the challenges his campaign had faced throughout the race.
He continued, emphasising the magnitude of their success. "It’s now clear we’ve achieved the most incredible political thing—look what happened, is this crazy?" Trump noted, framing his victory as an achievement unlike anything seen in US political history.
Donald Trump wins Idaho
Former US president Donald Trump has won Idaho for the third consecutive election, adding four electoral votes to his tally, the Associated Press says.
Idaho is deeply red, and the Republican presidential nominee has carried the state with more than 60pc of the vote for the last several elections, it observes.
Trump says 'very confident' of victory as US vote heads to wire
Donald Trump feels "very confident" about winning back the White House, the Republican said Tuesday after casting his Election Day ballot in Florida in one of the most contentious US elections in decades.
"I feel very confident," Trump told reporters at a voting facility in West Palm Beach, adding he believes he "ran a great campaign" against his Democratic rival Kamala Harris. Opinion polls show the race is a dead heat.
Harris urges Americans to 'get out and vote'
Kamala Harris urged Americans to "get out and vote" on Election Day, particularly in battleground states, as her White House duel with Donald Trump reached its climax Tuesday.
"We've got to get it done. Today is voting day, and people need to get out and be active," she said on Atlanta station WVEE-FM.
Two polling locations in Fulton County, Georgia, briefly evacuated due to false bomb threats
(Reuters) – Two polling locations in Fulton County, Georgia, were briefly evacuated Tuesday morning after they received false bomb threats, county election officials said.
The threats, which were deemed to be non-credible, targeted five polls in total, Fulton County Director of Registration and Elections Nadine Williams told the media.
Of the threats, two places were evacuated for about 30 minutes, but were up and running again by 10 a.m.
The county is seeking a court order to extend the two polling locations’ hours for 30 minutes past the statewide 7 p.m. deadline to compensate for the disruption, officials said.
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger told the media that the threats in Fulton County, which includes Atlanta, originated in Russia but did not elaborate.
“They’re up to mischief, it seems,” he said according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “They don’t want us to have smooth, fair and accurate elections.”
Cambria County has asked to extend its voting hours
(Reuters) – Cambria County's Board of Elections asked a Pennsylvania state court to extend its voting hours from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. due to a software malfunction, a court document showed on Tuesday. The problem had not been fixed at the time of the filing, which was stamped 9:29 a.m.
"The [Electronic Voting System] software malfunction threatens to disenfranchise a significant number of voters," the county board wrote.
"This petition is seeking to ensure all voters are provided an opportunity to vote."
Separately, in Champaign County, Illinois, the clerk's office said on its website it was experiencing "technical difficulties processing voters" and that it was seeking to extend voting hours in response. Reuters was not immediately able to reach the clerk's office for details or an update.
US campaign ends as it began, with voters focused on immigration, abortion
(Reuters) – After months of campaigning, Tuesday's presidential election may have come down to the two signature issues that defined Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump from the start: abortion rights and immigration.
In more than 65 interviews in recent days, voters returned to those themes in explaining their choice for president. For many, personal experiences - as a parent, neighbor or friend - shaped their views on what was the most important.
While the sample was too small to base any hard conclusions, it provides a snapshot of how Americans may have been thinking in the final days of the campaign.
For Trump backers, the need to stem illegal immigration - a core theme of his presidency - was the No. 1 reason for voting Republican, according to those interviewed. Economic concerns and high inflation were often mentioned as other issues that motivated Trump's supporters, even though the U.S. economy continues to grow and the jobless rate remains low.
Melania and Ivanka Trump skip key ‘Women for Trump’ rally as campaign struggles with female support
In the final stretch of the 2024 election, Melania and Ivanka Trump were conspicuous by their absence from a pivotal ‘Women for Trump’.
It has sparked discussions around the campaign’s efforts to attract female voters. As Donald Trump intensifies his focus on swing states, family members such as Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, Lara Trump, and Tiffany Trump have rallied alongside him, while Melania and Ivanka’s absence from this female-focused event has become concern for the Republican side as pollsters highlight a critical gender gap favouring Kamala Harris.
Who is winner of US election according to Thai baby hippo Moo Deng
The polls put the US election on a knife-edge, but as the US citizens go to vote, Thailand’s superstar baby hippo Moo Deng has predicted former president Donald Trump will reclaim the White House.
The chubby chomper took the internet by storm with her adorable tricks at Khao Kheow Open Zoo.
She also made it to the social media memes, inspiring a raft of merchandise.
It's 7 am in US, more polling locations open in these states
It’s 7 am ET and polls have opened across more than 20 states. Here’s the states that have just opened their polls:
Alabama (some polls observe Eastern Time and will open at 7 a.m. ET, however most polls operate in Central Time and will open at 8 am ET).
Delaware
Washington, DC
Florida (polls in Central Time open at 8 am ET)
Georgia
Illinois
Kansas (some polls open at 8 am because of time zones)
Maryland
Massachusetts (cities or towns can choose to open as early as 5:45 am ET)
Michigan (some polls open at 8 am ET because of time zones)
Missouri
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Tennessee (Polling places with a population of more than 120,000 must open by 7 am ET)
Keep calm and trade on: For investors, politics may be best left at the polls
Keep calm and trade on — that’s the mantra many investors are repeating to themselves through one of the most turbulent news weeks of the year.
Tuesday is election day in a tight race to determine the next president of the United States. On Thursday, the Federal Reserve will announce its next interest rate decision, the first since officials cut interest rates by half of a percentage point and since unemployment data revealed a weakening labor market.
Still, investors don’t appear to be letting their jitters get to them - at least not entirely.
Markets were volatile on Monday and ultimately closed lower as traders failed to find solid footing ahead of this week’s news. But that doesn’t mean investors are feeling pessimistic: Market gains year-to-date through October have been the strongest in any election year since the 1950s, when the S&P 500 was first created.
“These gains are supported by an economy that remains resilient and forward earnings that reached yet another record high,” wrote Keith Lerner, chief market strategist at Truist, in a note Monday.
Ivanka Trump shares her life lessons amidst US presidential election
Ivanka Trump, former advisor to US president and the eldest daughter of Republican candidate Donald Trump, shared a powerful message in a post-birthday social media post as she mentions the important lessons she learned in her life.
She recently marked her 43rd birthday celebration on October 30 and took to Instagram to share the life lessons she has learnt so far.
In an Instagram post, she posted a series of photos showing herself and her family on different occasions, while quotes from Dolly Parton, Carl Jung and Marcus Aurelius also featured.
US election day officially starts with tie in Dixville Notch
Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump have tied with three votes each in the tiny New Hampshire township of Dixville Notch, kicking off Election Day in one of the first places in the country to report its presidential preference.
The unincorporated township, located along the US-Canada border in New Hampshire’s northern tip, opened and closed its poll just after midnight ET in a tradition that dates back to 1960. Four Republicans and two undeclared voters participated.
While Dixville Notch isn’t always predictive of the eventual winner – or even the state’s pick – its annual production, despite a dwindling population, is a success story for local leaders and a reason to smile for political junkies eager for an early taste of the day’s events.
Obama urges US voters to think in detail before making any choice
Former US president Barack Obama encouraged voters to “think about what really matters” ahead of votes being cast for the US presidential election.
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Time hangs heavy as US goes to polls for president
The much-awaited day of the US election has finally arrived. Today (on Nov 5), the American voters will decide their leader for the next four years.
It merits mention that even before Nov 5, almost 80 million citizens have voted for their preferred candidate.
As is widely known, to win the presidential race, a candidate has to secure 270 votes out of 538.
As many as 435 members of HoR, 34 senators and 13 governors will be elected during the process.
Republican pick Donald Trump says Muslim should support him for peace in Middle East
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), he said the warmonger cabinet of Kamala Harris tried to start the World war III. Her cabinet, Trump added, would invade the Middle East again and get thousands of Muslims killed. He called upon the Muslim voters to vote for him to secure peace.
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Renowned journalist Mehdi Hasan says Trump may face charges again after losing the election
Famous journalist and host of program head to head Mehdi Hasan hinted at the possibility of Trump facing another charge after losing one of the deadlocked elections in American history.
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Harris closes campaign in Philadelphia, Trump in Michigan on eve of deadlocked election
Donald Trump and Kamala Harris both predicted victory as they campaigned across Pennsylvania and other battleground states on Monday in the final, frantic day of an exceptionally close US presidential election.
The campaign has seen head-spinning twists: two assassination attempts and a felony conviction for Republican former President Trump, and Democratic Vice President Harris' surprise elevation to the top of the ticket after President Joe Biden, 81, dropped his reelection bid under pressure from his own party.
More than $2.6 billion has been spent to sway voters' minds since March, according to AdImpact, an analytics firm.
Elon Musk takes exception to US media coverage of election
Taking to X, the wealthiest person of the planet said the coverage of the US media of the election could not have been more one-sided and partial.
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Trump says his win will give US citizens big paychecks, while Harris will lead to economic depression
Taking to Twitter, former President Donald Trump said his win would mean that the US citizens would receive massive paychecks.
He said, "If Kamala wins, you are 3 days away from the start of a 1929-style economic depression. If I win, you are 3 days away from the best jobs, the biggest paychecks, and the brightest economic future the world has ever seen.
Kamala’s inflation nightmare has cost the typical American family $30,000 dollars in higher prices—and now, she wants to impose the largest tax hike in American history, and raise your taxes by $3,000 dollars a year.
I will massively cut taxes for workers and small businesses—and we will have NO TAX ON TIPS, NO TAX ON OVERTIME, and NO TAX ON SOCIAL SECURITY benefits!"
US vote unlikely to revitalise Turkey ties
The outcome of Tuesday’s knife-edge US election is unlikely to have much of an impact on the tepid ties between Washington and Ankara, although presidential chemistry might help, experts say, AFP reports.
“Today, it looks like both have decided to agree on some issues, disagree on others and look for areas of cooperation,” Soner Cagaptay of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy told AFP.
Such areas include Africa “where Turkey has built influence, and Muslim Eurasia, where Turkey has historic influence, where the two could work together”, he said.
Harris tries to pacify Gaza war critics as Trump intensifies rhetoric
Kamala Harris courted voters angered by the Gaza war while Donald Trump doubled down on violent rhetoric with a comment about journalists being shot as the tense US election campaign headed into its final hours.
The Democratic vice president and the Republican former president frantically blitzed several swing states as they tried to win over the last holdouts with less than 36 hours left until polls open on Election Day.
Trump predicted a "landslide," while Harris told a raucous rally at Michigan State University that "we have momentum -- it's on our side."
How much US election will cost?
The election in the United States, which would have repercussions on not just the world’s most powerful country but across the world, would be held on Nov 5.
According to reports, almost 15.09 billion dollars would be spent in the US election this year.
Lord Jamar criticises Barack Obama for inviting Eminem to Kamala Harris rally
On November 4, 2024, American rapper Lord Jamar appeared on 'The Art of Dialogue YouTube channel', where he criticised former president Barack Obama for inviting famous singer Eminem to speak at a rally.
The event, held in Detroit on October 22, 2024, was held to support Kamala Harris in the upcoming elections.
In tears, John Oliver urges voters to back Kamala Harris
In an emotional monologue on Last Week Tonight, comedian and host John Oliver urged viewers to support Kamala Harris.
He emphasized, in case Harris loses the race, the severe consequences of a second Trump presidency.
Holding back tears, he began by asking, “What am I going to be feeling on Wednesday?” and reflected on the importance of advocating for Harris.
US rivals in last ditch effort to win photo finish
Kamala Harris and Donald Trump began a frantic last push across US swing states on Sunday, with less than 48 hours of campaigning left to secure a decisive edge in a bitterly fought and historically close presidential election.
Over 76 million people have cast early ballots ahead of Tuesday's climax and the battle is down to the wire with more states functionally tied in polls. A final New York Times/Siena poll on Sunday said the results from all seven swing states were within the margin of error.
