Live: Trump picks campaign manager Susie Wiles as his White House chief of staff

Summary:

• Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election after picking up the key battleground states of North Carolina, Georgia, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.
• The current AP tally gives Trump 295 votes in the electoral college, surpassing the threshold of 270 to secure the White House – and well ahead of the 226 votes so far won by Kamala Harris.
• Counting continues in the key swing states of Arizona and Nevada, with Trump leading in both.

08/11/2024 - 09:33

Trump's electoral victory undercuts idea that 'demography is destiny'

08/11/2024 - 08:36

Hungary PM Orban says Europe cannot finance Ukraine war alone

The United States under the presidency of Donald Trump will "quit" the war in Ukraine and Europe cannot finance this war alone, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban told state radio on Friday before an informal summit of EU leaders in Budapest.

"The Americans will quit this war, first of all they will not encourage the war," Orban said. "Europe cannot finance this war alone ... some still want to continue sending enormous amounts of money into this lost war but the number of those who remain silent ... and those who cautiously voice that we should adjust to the new situation, is growing."

08/11/2024 - 06:51

No winners in trade, industrial wars, China's ambassador to US says

There are no winners in tariff or trade wars, nor in wars over science and technology or industrials, the Chinese ambassador to the United States said a day after Donald Trump emerged winner of the US presidential election.

Ambassador Xie Feng welcomed US companies to invest in China, looking forward to strengthening dialogue and cooperation on global challenges such as climate change, artificial intelligence, he said in a speech at a US-China Business Council dinner seen on the embassy website.

08/11/2024 - 06:41

Trump son-in-law Kushner rules out joining next administration, FT says

Jared Kushner, son-in-law of US president-elect Donald Trump, will not return to the White House, the Financial Times reported on Friday.

Kushner could advise on Middle East policy, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter.

08/11/2024 - 06:30

California's Newsom urges special session to protect liberal policies following Trump election

California’s Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom, a fierce critic of former president Donald Trump, on Thursday called for lawmakers to convene a special session ahead of another Trump presidency to safeguard the state’s progressive policies. Meanwhile, attorneys general in blue states across the country announced they were also gearing up for a legal fight.

The move effectively reignited California's resistance campaign against conservative policies that state Democratic leaders started during the first Trump administration.

“The freedoms we hold dear in California are under attack – and we won’t sit idle,” Newsom, who reportedly has ambitions on the national stage, said in a statement.

State Attorney General Rob Bonta said his office spent the past year reviewing more than 120 lawsuits the state filed during Trump’s first term in preparation for new federal actions: “We rejected him. We rejected his values. We rejected his agenda.”

08/11/2024 - 06:24

NAACP condemns 'racist' messages anonymously sent to Black people after election

US rights group NAACP on Thursday condemned "racist text messages" reported to have been sent to Black Americans across the country after Donald Trump's victory in this week's presidential election.

Black people in states including North Carolina, Virginia, Alabama and Pennsylvania reported receiving messages from an unknown source telling them "to report to a plantation to pick cotton," the group said in a statement.

"The unfortunate reality of electing a President who, historically has embraced, and at times encouraged hate, is unfolding before our eyes," said Derrick Johnson, the head of the civil rights group.

08/11/2024 - 06:12
08/11/2024 - 06:09

Trump names Susie Wiles as his chief of staff

President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday announced that Susie Wiles, one of his two campaign managers, will be his White House chief of staff, entrusting a top position to a political operative who helped the Republican win election.

The appointment was the first of what is expected to be a flurry of staffing announcements as Trump girds for a return to the White House on January 20.

The low-key Wiles, 67, will be the first woman to serve as White House chief of staff. A long-time Florida-based political strategist, Wiles is credited with running a more disciplined operation alongside fellow campaign manager Chris LaCivita for Trump’s third presidential bid compared with his past campaigns.

08/11/2024 - 05:47

Welcome to our live blog, where we give you all the latest news on the 2024 US presidential election. To read about yesterday's key developments, click here.

Yesterday's key developments:

• Outgoing US President Joe Biden addressed the nation on Thursday following Trump's victory, saying "setbacks are unavoidable but giving up is unforgiveable".

• Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump indicated that they were ready to hold talks after the Republican tycoon emerged as the victor in the race for the White House.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)