Harris promises 'peaceful transfer of power' in speech conceding to Trump's election as president: Live coverage

Harris has concluded her concession speech.

"Only when it is dark enough can we see the stars," Harris said. "I know people feel like we are entering a dark time ... if it is, let us fill the sky with a brilliant billion of stars. The light of optimism, of faith, of truth and service."

"To the young people that are watching, it is okay to feel sad and disappointed, but please know it's going to be okay," Harris said.

"This is not a time to throw up our hands, this is a time to roll up our sleeves. This is a time to organize and mobilize and stay engaged for the sake of freedom and justice."

"We must accept the results of this election," Harris said, adding that she had spoken to Trump following the calling of the election. "I concede to the results of this election but do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign."

"We will engage in a peaceful transfer of power," she said pointedly, likely referring to the storming of the White House in January 2020 by supporters of Trump following a rally Trump gave in which he criticized the results of an election that he lost.

"The results of this election are not what we wanted," Harris said in the opening of her speech, followed by a list of family members, Democratic politicians and campaign managers who she thanked for their support and work.

⚡ Vice President Kamala Harris has begun her concession speech in the wake of President-Elect Donald Trump's surprise landslide victory of 292 electoral votes to 224. She's addressing a crowd of her supporters at Howard University in Washington.

King Salman and his son, Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, congratulated Donald Trump on "his victory in the U.S. presidential election," the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported, citing AFP.

The Saudi leaders sent congratulatory messages to Donald Trump, who had cultivated warm relations with the powerful Gulf monarchy during his first term. King Salman praised the "close relations between the two countries and their friendly peoples," according to the same source.

Despite heavy losses for the Democrats in the Senate and the White House, the central issue of the party's campaign regarding the protection of abortion rights fared much better across the country. Abortion rights advocates won victories on measures in seven states, according to the Associated Press (AP).

The latest state to adopt such a measure, early this morning, was Montana, where abortion rights advocates succeeded in enshrining the right to abortion until fetal viability in the state's constitution as protection against potential regressions. Although no specific timeline is set, doctors estimate this "viability" occurs after 21 weeks.

In three other states — Florida, Nebraska and South Dakota — voters rejected measures that would have created a constitutional right to abortion.

With a second Trump presidency on the horizon, the Middle East braces for potential shifts in U.S. policy across Gaza, Lebanon, and beyond.

Noura Doukhi and Tatiana Krotoff examine what to expect during both the 11-week transition period and once Trump officially takes office in January.

Read more here.

French President Emmanuel Macron has warned Europeans saying “every man for himself” following Donald Trump's victory as U.S. president, pleading for a “coordinated European strategy,” a government spokeswoman was quoted by AFP as saying.

“The temptation (must) not be for every man for himself or for bilateral relations, but for a coordinated European strategy,” the head of state asserted during the Council of Ministers, according to government representative Maud Bregeon, in her report to the press.

In the pivotal state of Michigan, with around 95.1% of votes counted, Trump won 50.2% of the vote and Harris 47.9%, says the Edison Research Center cited by Reuters.

🔴 Donald Trump wins presidential election, U.S. media announce

In response to the U.S. election, Israeli President Isaac Herzog wants to “strengthen the ironclad bond” between Israel and the United States, reports AFP.

The dollar surged, marking its largest single-session gain since March 2020, while Wall Street prepared for a decidedly negative opening as Donald Trump's victory grew more certain.

"The market's response so far aligns with expectations given the outcome," observed Deutsche Bank economist Jim Reid, as Trump claimed victory in the U.S. presidential election.

A Hamas official told AFP that U.S. “blind support” for Israel must “come to an end,” after more than a year of war in Gaza.

“This blind support for the Zionist entity must come to an end, as it comes at the expense of the future of our people and the security and stability of the region,” said Bassem Naim, a member of the political bureau of Hamas.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte congratulated Donald Trump and pledged to keep the Alliance united. "His leadership will once again be a key factor in keeping our Alliance strong. I look forward to working with him again to advance peace by strengthening NATO," he said in a statement.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer congratulated Donald Trump on his "historic electoral victory," according to AFP.

"As closest allies, we stand side by side in defense of our shared values of freedom, democracy, and free enterprise," the Labour leader said in a statement.

Iran's government spokesman says the U.S. elections “are really none of our business” and “will have no impact on citizens' livelihoods,” reports Iran's Revolutionary Guards-affiliated Tasnim agency.

Israel's two far-right ministers, Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir, welcomed Donald Trump's projected victory in the U.S. election on X.

“God bless Israel; God bless America,” Finance Minister Smotrich wrote in English, without explicitly mentioning Trump.

National Security Minister Ben Gvir was more emphatic: he retweeted a message from July in which he wrote: “God bless Trump,” and added: “Yesssss.”

Many analysts are describing how Trump's projected win would mark an astonishing comeback:

- It would be only the second time in history that someone has made it back to the White House after a break of four years.

- Trump would have overcome multiple scandals, and court cases (criminal and civil) to become President again.

- Trump was also the victim of an assassination attempt in July.

French President Emmanuel Macron also congratulated Donald Trump on his victory (which has not yet been officially announced) and expressed his willingness to "work together" with "respect and ambition."

"Congratulations, President Donald Trump. Ready to work together as we did over the past four years. With your convictions and mine. With respect and ambition. For more peace and prosperity," he wrote on X. Macron is the first leader of a major Western country to congratulate Trump, just after he claimed victory in the race for the White House, a claim also reported by Fox News.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated Donald Trump on what he called a "historic return" to the White House, Reuters reports.

"Your historic return to the White House offers a new beginning for America and a powerful recommitment to the great alliance between Israel and America," Netanyahu said on X after Trump claimed victory in the U.S. presidential election.

"It's time to put the divisions of the past four years behind us...We have to put our country first for at least a period of time. We have to fix it. Together we can make America great again for all Americans...I will not let you down," said Donald Trump in his address.

Kamala Harris won Minnesota, extending a 52-year winning streak for Democrats, reports the Associated Press. She won 224 electoral votes.

No Republican presidential candidate has won Minnesota since Richard Nixon in 1972, although Donald Trump came close in 2016, when he fell 1.5 percentage points behind Hillary Clinton.

"We want a strong and powerful military and ideally we don't have to use it. In four years we had no wars, except we defeated ISIS in record time. They said 'he will still start a war,' I'm not going to start a war, I'm going to stop wars," said Donald Trump in his speech ahead of the final results of the election.

"I'm not going to start wars, I'm going to stop wars," said Trump during his speech.

Speaking about his voters, Trump said: "In all of American history they've never seen anything like it. Rural and urban...African-American...Arab-American, Muslim-American... we had everybody. It is a historic realignment uniting citizens of all backgrounds around a common core of common sense."

“We just witnessed the greatest political comeback in the history of the United States of America,” says Vice-President-elect JD Vance, speaking on stage with Donald Trump.

According to Associated Press counts, Donald Trump won 267 electoral votes to Kamala Harris's 214. It takes 270 electors to be elected president.

🔴 Donald Trump speaks at the Palm Beach Convention Center.

“We're going to fix and heal our country,” he launches. “I want to thank the American people for electing me as their 47th president, after electing me 45th.”

The Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Republican Mike Johnson, said, “Donald Trump is now our president-elect,” Reuters reports.

Donald Trump has won the state of Georgia, reports Associated Press (AP).

Former president Donald Trump is projected to win a second battleground state, Georgia, giving him a significant advantage in the battle for the presidency.

Trump now has 247 electoral votes.

The Republicans have won a majority in the Senate for the first time in four years.

At 1 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, Alaska, the last state still accepting new ballots, will close its polling stations.

The results in Alaska are not expected to sway the election with all attention being on the remaining six battleground states.

The state of Hawaii is expected to go to Vice President Kamala Harris, giving her an additional four electoral votes.

Harris now has 209 electoral votes, still behind former president Donald Trump's 230.

Vice President Kamala Harris is projected to win New Mexico and Virginia, bringing her to 205 electoral votes as she continues to trail Trump.

Kamala Harris's campaign is focusing its hopes on the three key states of the "blue wall" in Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, states located in the northeast of the country and in the Great Lakes region.

"We've always known that our clearest path to the 270 electoral votes is through the blue wall states. We're happy with what we're seeing there," said Jen O'Malley Dillon, Harris's campaign manager. "We know this race won't be clear until early morning."

The AP called the battleground state of North Carolina for former president Donald Trump, marking the first swing state to be called in this election and bringing the former president a step closer to the presidency.

With North Carolina's 16 electoral college votes, Trump now stands with 230 electoral votes.

Vice President Kamala Harris is projected to win the state of Oregon and its eight electoral votes, bringing the vice president up to 187 electoral votes.

If you have just joined us for this live coverage of the U.S. presidential election, the results are coming in gradually, but so far there are no surprises with both candidates winning the states they were expected to.

According to AP projections, Donald Trump has so far won 214 electoral votes, with victories in Alabama (9), Arkansas (6), South Carolina (9), North Dakota (3), South Dakota (3), Florida (30), Idaho (4), Indiana (11), Iowa (6), Kansas (6), Kentucky (8), Louisiana (8), Missouri (10), Mississippi (6), Montana (4), Ohio (17), Nebraska (3), Oklahoma (7), Tennessee (11), Texas (40), Utah (6), West Virginia (4) and Wyoming (3).

Kamala Harris has won 179 electoral votes so far, with victories in California (54), Colorado (10), Connecticut (7), Illinois (19), Maine (1), Maryland (10), Massachusetts (11), New York (28), New Jersey (14), Delaware (3), Rhode Island (4), Vermont (3), Washington D.C. (3) and Washington (12).

Only two states still have their polls open with Hawaii closing its polls at midnight Eastern Standard Time.

Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to win her home state of California as well as the state of Washington, giving her a much-needed boost as she trails former president Donald Trump.

Trump is anticipated to win Idaho.

Trump continues to lead the electoral vote with 214 votes to Harris's 179.

Former president Donald Trump is projected to win the states of Kansas and Iowa and their 10 electoral votes, bringing Trump to 210 electoral votes.

Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to win the U.S. capital of Washington D.C. and its three electoral votes.

Harris now stands at 112 electoral votes.

Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to win the state of Colorado and its 10 electoral votes.

Harris now has 109 electoral college votes.

California, Idaho, Washington and Oregon will close their polls at 11 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, putting their 78 electoral votes in play.

The AP projects that former president Donald Trump will win the states of Montana and Utah, giving him an additional 10 electoral votes.

Trump now stands at 198 electoral college votes.

Donald Trump is projected to win the state of Missouri and its 10 electoral votes, bringing the former president to a total of 188 electoral college votes.

Donald Trump is expected to win Nebraska's third district, giving him one more electoral college vote.

Nevada, Montana and Utah will close their polls at 10 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. The three states offer 16 electoral votes.

Former president Donald Trump is projected to win the state of Texas and its 40 electoral votes, bringing the former president to 177 total electoral votes.

Florida is projected to reject a ballot amendment that would allow a woman to get an abortion until around 24 weeks of pregnancy in a blow to abortion activists.

While the amendment leads in the vote with around 57 percent of the vote, according to Florida law, it would need at least 60 percent of the vote to pass.

Florida has some of the strictest abortion laws in the United States.

Former president Donald Trump is expected to win the state of Ohio and its 17 electoral votes.

Ohio is the home state of his running mate JD Vance.

Trump currently leads the election with 137 electoral college votes.

Former president Donald Trump is projected to win North and South Dakota, Wyoming, Louisiana and Nebraska.

Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to win the state of New York.

The former president continues to lead the election with 120 electoral votes to Harris's 99.

According to The New York Times's "Needle," the presidential race remains a "tossup" although it is currently leaning more towards a Donald Trump victory in the electoral college despite Vice President Kamala Harris being more likely to win the popular vote.

In 2016, Hillary Clinton won the popular vote but lost the Electoral College to Donald Trump.

Vice President Kamala Harris is also expected to win the states of Illinois and New Jersey along with the 19 and 14 electoral votes, respectively.

The vice president currently has 71 electoral votes.

Vice President Kamala Harris is projected to win the state of Deleware and its three electoral college votes, bringing her to 38 total electoral votes.

Arizona, Wisconsin, Michigan, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming will be the next 15 states to close their polls, with 163 electoral college votes up for grabs, at 9 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

Michigan, Wisconsin and Arizona are two key swing states that both Trump and Harris are vying to win.

The AP is projecting that former president Donald Trump will carry the state of Arkansas and its six electoral college votes.

Trump is leading Harris in the election with 101 electoral votes to 35.

At 8:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Arkansas will be the sole state to close its polls. Arkansas constitutes six electoral college votes.

The AP is projecting that former president Donald Trump will win Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Tennessee.

Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to win Rhode Island, Maryland, Massachusetts and Connecticut.

Trump continues to lead the election with 95 electoral college votes to Harris's 35.

An estimated 31,000 ballots in Milwaukee, WI will be retabulated after election officials discovered that the doors on the ballot tabulators were not properly secured, The Washington Post reported, adding that officials said that they saw no signs of tampering.

No estimate was given as to how long of a delay this would cause.

“There is no higher priority than the accuracy of Milwaukee’s election results,” the Milwaukee Election Commission said in a statement.

Republicans regain a Senate seat in West Virginia thanks to Jim Justice's victory. This seat had been held by independent Joe Manchin, an ally of the Democrats. Thie Republican victory was largely expected.

The next polls to close in the U.S. presidential election are in Alabama, Connecticut, Washington D.C., Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Tennessee, totaling 171 electoral college votes, at 8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

Currently, Trump leads the election with 23 electoral college votes to Harris's three.

Former President Donald Trump has won West Virginia, reports the AP. The victory adds four electoral votes to the former president's tally. No Democrat has won the presidential election in West Virginia since Bill Clinton in 1996.

Donald Trump, seeking a political comeback after being convicted in court on 34 counts, said he was “very confident” of victory after casting his ballot in West Palm Beach, near his residence. The 78-year-old former president pledged to concede defeat “if the election is fair.”

“So far, I think it's been fair,” he had said.

The next polls to close will be in the states of North Carolina, Ohio and West Virginia at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time with the three states totalling 37 electoral college votes.

Ohio is the home state for former president Donald Trump's running mate JD Vance.

As the first polls close in the U.S. presidential election, former president Donald Trump is expected to carry the states of Indiana and Kentucky while Vice President Kamala Harris is anticipated to win the state of Vermont.

The current electoral college count has Trump with 19 electoral college votes and Harris with three.

“There are a lot of rumors about massive fraud in Philadelphia,” Donald Trump stated without providing any evidence to these accusations.

Philadelphia authorities strongly disputed these accusations.

“There is absolutely no basis for this claim,” said Seth Bluestein, a city official, on X.

“This is yet another example of misinformation,” he denounced, assuring that voting operations in Philadelphia had proceeded "in complete safety."

A judge in Georgia's Fulton County Superior Court said that five polling centers throughout the county could have extended hours after false threats were made, forcing several of the centers to be evacuated.

The extended times range from 7:10 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. as voting continues to be underway in the state.

The first polls are set to close at 7 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time) in the states of Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, South Carolina, Vermont and Virgina. 60 electoral collage votes are at states in these six states. 

Georgia is one of the seven swing states that could help decide the election. Results in Georgia are not expected to come out immediately after the polls close as votes are tallied.

In the lead-up to the election, former president Trump has sought to cast doubt on the results should he lose in the end by stating that the Democrats are attempting to steal and fix the election in Vice President Harris's favor. These claims are unfounded with multiple reports noting that they are completely false.

Trump has refused to say if he would accept the election results if he lost.

Here is a possible outcome for a Trump victory:

- If the former president were to win Georgia, North Carolina and Pennslyvania, he would have exactly 270 electoral votes.

- Trump could also win Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina and at least one additional northern state. This would secure him a second term in office but is also largely viewed as being one of the harder routes for the former president to take.

Given the reliance on swing states to win the election, this leaves Harris and Trump with only a few avenues to secure the presidency.

Here is a possible outcome for a Harris victory:

Assuming current polls are accurate, if Harris wins in Michigan, Pennsylvania Wisconsin and Nebraska's second district (which offers one electoral vote), the vice president would narrowly win with exactly 270 electoral votes.

The wars in Gaza and Lebanon are the first things on the minds of Arab Americans, many of whom have become disillusioned by the two candidates. Both the Trump and Harris campaigns have sought to court the Arab vote in the United States to various degrees of success.

Romy Abu-Fadel looked at Lebanese Americans and how their vote has become divided because of these wars.

This election comes at a fraught time in the Middle East with wars raging between Hamas and Israel in Gaza and Hezbollah and Israel in Lebanon. Whoever wins this election could have a lasting effect on these wars and the region.

Find out what U.S. policy could look like after the election here.

This election is expected to come down to the seven swing states. So how are Trump and Harris seeking to tip the scales in these states to secure the election?

Find their respective strategies here.

At a Pennslyvania polling station, one of the most important swing states in this election that could be the deciding state in the election, L'Orient Today journalist Nour Braidy spoke with voters who were casting their ballots.

Find out what they had to say here.

Early voting saw over 80 million ballots cast with tens of millions of others casting their ballots in person on Nov. 5.

Candidates Harris and Trump are competing to win at least 270 of the 538 electoral collage votes to be elected as the next President of the United States.

The latest polls going into the election have Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican candidate former president Donald Trump neck and neck.

It is widely expected that, out of the 50 states, it will come down to seven swing states – Georgia, North Carolina, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Nevada and Arizona – that will ultimately decide the election.

Welcome to L'Orient Today's live coverage of the 2024 elections in the United States.

Here you will find the latest updates in the election that will decide who will be the next leader of the U.S,