Biden speaks for first time since Harris loss, as Trump and allies eye transition process

On Thursday, President Biden spoke from the White House for the first time since former President Donald Trump was elected to serve, again, as America's 47th president.

Biden congratulated Trump before speaking highly of his Vice President Kamala Harris and her "inspiring" campaign for president.

"You can't love your country only when you win. You can't love your neighbor only when you agree," Biden said. "Let me take this time to say something about our election: It is honest. It is fair, and it is transparent. It can be trusted, win or lose."

Trump made a historic appointment, and the first of his second term, by choosing Susie Wiles as the first female chief of staff.

“Susie Wiles just helped me achieve one of the greatest political victories in American history, and was an integral part of both my 2016 and 2020 successful campaigns,” Trump said in a statement. “Susie is tough, smart, innovative, and is universally admired and respected. Susie will continue to work tirelessly to Make America Great Again. It is a well deserved honor to have Susie as the first-ever female Chief of Staff in United States history. I have no doubt that she will make our country proud.”

Republican Dave McCormick was also declared the winner in Pennsylvania's high-stakes U.S. Senate race, flipping the seat from Democratic incumbent Sen. Bob Casey. Casey has yet to concede the election as of early Friday morning.

Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., who has been outspoken against his own party since Trump's victory on Tuesday, unleashed more criticism against progressive Democrats on X.

Torres wrote that he is not on board with the "popular explanations" for the election results, which "seem to include white supremacy, patriarchy [and] misogyny."

"I am going to state the obvious here: vilifying voters of color as white supremacists will not attract them back to the Democratic Party. It will drive them further into Trump’s camp," he wrote on Wednesday. "The purpose of politics is not to repel but to attract. Condescension is the most powerful repellant in politics. Voters viscerally resent condescension and will punish you for it at the ballot box."

He also accused his party of alienating "historic numbers" of minority voters in a different post on Wednesday. Torres, a vocal supporter of Israel, pointed fingers at pro-Palestinian protests as one of the causes for Vice President Kamala Harris' loss – as well as the movement to defund the police.

The inauguration of the next president of the United States will be on Jan. 20, 2025, in front of the U.S. Capitol.

Among the unofficial traditions of the day is the newly inaugurated president taking a stroll down Pennsylvania Avenue on a parade route cleared between the Capitol and the White House for the historic event. Jimmy Carter was the first president to make the walk in 1977.

Congressional leaders kicked off preparations for next year’s event in September at a quadrennial ceremony, where lawmakers hammer the first nails into the wooden frame that will eventually be the Inauguration Day platform.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., chair of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, noted the platform they started would eventually hold 1,600 people.

“This platform will serve as a stage for a momentous occasion where we will celebrate our democracy and the sacred values that tie us together as a nation,” she said. “These workers will literally set the stage for the peaceful transition of power.”

National Border Patrol Council president Paul Perez joined "America Reports" on Thursday to discuss the expected changes at the border under Trump and the increased support for the president-elect within the Latino community.

While Perez said there is a high possibility of a migrant influx at the border over the next two months, he expects security to return to how it was under Trump's first presidency following the Jan. 20 inauguration.

Trump, who flipped Starr County, Texas, in the GOP's favor for the first time since 1898, saw a 7-point increase in Latino support nationally during the 2024 election when compared to the 2020 election.

Perez said the Latino support for Trump is "not a surprise" to him, especially along the border as many residents felt ignored and forgotten by the Biden Administration.

"It's been ground zero for the influx of criminals, illegal immigrants, coming across, and the people here saw it first hand," Perez said. "They weren't buying what the Biden administration was selling."

Michigan's Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer shared an encouraging message on X on Thursday when congratulating the state's House Speaker-elect, Republican Matt Hall.

"Congratulations to Speaker-elect Matt Hall, Leader-elect Ranjeev Puri, and the incoming members of the Michigan State House," Whitmer wrote. "I look forward to working with my Republican and Democratic partners in the legislature just as I have over the past six years."

The governor advocated for "centering our shared priorities," such as costs, roads, housing and economic development, and making Michigan a "better state to live, work and invest."

"We still have a lot of work to do, so let’s close out the last few months of the year strong and hit the ground running in 2025 to keep growing our economy and delivering on the issues that make a real difference in people’s lives," Whitmer wrote.

Tulsi Gabbard, former Democrat and current co-chair of President-elect Trump's Transition Team, said media elites are "so out-of-touch" from the struggles American people face following reaction to Trump's presidential win.

Her comments came on "The Ingraham Angle" on Thursday in response to a clip from MSNBC showing anchors discussing the increasing cost of butter.

"The reality is that President Trump went out and traveled across the country. He listens, he sees people and he recognizes the challenges they face, and tells them that he will work for them," Gabbard said.

The former Hawaii representative said Trump catered to the concerns of the average American by campaigning on improving the economy and foreign policy.

"They believe him when he says I'm going to bring down the cost of living. They believe him when he says I am committed to preventing World War 3," Gabbard said.

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Penn., is facing backlash on X after he made a post on Thursday stating that the "Green dipsh--s" in Pennsylvania helped elect a Republican senator.

Fetterman was referring to complaints about how long it was taking Pennsylvania to count votes and declare a winner in the Senate race, which was ultimately called Thursday afternoon for Republican Dave McCormick.

"Pennsylvania is going to count every last vote. That’s not controversial—that’s the law," Fetterman wrote. "Also, Green dipsh--s’ votes helping elect the GOP."

McCormick beat incumbent Democrat Sen. Bob Casey by about 35,000 votes. Green Party candidate Leila Hazou received more than 64,100 votes and Libertarian candidate John Thomas received more than 87,700 votes, as of Thursday night.

Various X users responded to Fetterman's post criticizing his rhetoric, including X owner Elon Musk who said, "Calling Green voters 'dipsh--s' is not a great way to win them over."

Republican Daniel Martinez, who ran to represent California's 31st Congressional District in the U.S. House and lost on Tuesday, responded to Fetterman with," Those are your constituents you’re denigrating."

Republican U.S. Rep. Young Kim, of California, won re-election, retaining her House seat on Thursday.

Kim Defeated Democrat Joseph Kerr, a retired firefighter.

Kim, a former state lawmaker, flipped her district in Orange County in 2020, despite President Biden carrying it in the presidential election.

As of Thursday, the Republicans were leading the House race with 210 seats compared to 198 for Democrats.

Democrat Julia Brownley wins reelection to U.S. House in California's 26th Congressional District.

She defeated Republican Michael Koslow.

Brownley, who previously served in the state Assembly for six years, was first elected to the House in 2012. Before entering politics, she worked in marketing and sales.

Her district comprises a small part of Los Angeles County and most of Ventura County, including the cities of Oxnard and Thousand Oaks.

Susie Wiles, President-elect Trump's pick to serve as his White House chief of staff in his second administration, is the best choice to assist him during his second term, a longtime Republican consultant told Fox News.

“If they searched high and low in the entire world, there is not a better choice than Susie Wiles” for White House Chief of Staff, said Jon Brabender, a longtime Republican consultant and a veteran of numerous GOP presidential, Senate, House and gubernatorial campaigns.

When it comes to Wiles, Brabender, who served as a senior member of the 2024 Trump campaign’s strategy, message, and media team, said “nobody’s going to have a better relationship with the president, who understands that she is there to help him however she can and he will respect that.”

“Susie will have no other agenda than helping the president help people,” Brabender emphasized. And he noted that “everybody who works for Susie in the White House will be vetted by Susie which means that they're going to be nothing but the best."

Brabender, who reported directly to Wiles and Chris La Civita, the two co-campaign managers for Trump’s 2024 White House bid, noted that he’s been in the business for years and stressed that “there is nobody I respect more than Susie Wiles.”

Several classes at Harvard University were canceled on Wednesday so students could process the aftermath of President-elect Trump's win.

In some classes, attendance was optional and deadlines for assignments were extended. Economics lecturer Maxim Boycko wrote in a Wednesday email to students in Economics 1010a: “Intermediate Microeconomics” that the course’s typical in-class quizzes would be optional, The Harvard Crimson reported.

“As we recover from the eventful election night and process the implications of Trump’s victory, please know that class will proceed as usual today, except that classroom quizzes will not be for credit,” Boycko wrote. “Feel free to take time off if needed.”

One student, Jack A. Kelly, told the newspaper that he was tempted not to attend classes.

“I had some professors that have been like, ‘If you need to not come to class, that’s understandable',” he said. “This definitely takes a toll on people’s mental wellbeing.”

Some students were shocked by Trump's landslide win over Vice President Kamala Harris.

“Being at Harvard, I was surrounded by a lot of people who were very pro-Harris, so in my mind it was already a decided election,” said Samantha Holtz. “It was a little bit shocking to me.”

CNN host Jake Tapper mocked claims by Democrats that the party suffered losses on Election Day because of issues communicating with voters.

“It's always a comms issue,” Tapper said. “It's never the record. It's always they're just not communicating what they did effectively enough.”

“The truth of the matter is that there was horrific inflation, and people had trouble buying groceries,” he added. “For most Americans, a $400 problem is a big problem.”

Media analysts have said that many voters were concerned with a range of issues, including inflation, the southern border and crime.

DNC Chairman Jaime Harrison on Thursday fired back at Bernie Sanders after the progressive senator from Vermont claimed Democrats had lost the working class.

"It should come as no great surprise that a Democratic Party which has abandoned working class people would find that the working class has abandoned them," wrote Sanders in a Nov. 6 post.

Harrison slammed Sanders, calling it “straight up BS” in a rebuttal post on X.

"Biden was the most-pro worker President of my life time- saved Union pensions, created millions of good paying jobs and even marched in a picket line and some of MVP’s plans would have fundamentally transformed the quality of life and closed the racial wealth gap for working people across this country," wrote Harrison.

"From the child tax credits, to 25k for a down payment for a house to Medicare covering the cost of senior health care in their homes. There are a lot of post election takes and this one ain’t a good one," he concluded. Harrison's post currently has over 18,000 likes.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Thursday vowed to protect vulnerable communities and said the state was prepared for a second Trump presidency.

“Over the years ahead, we’ll do more than just protect against the possible reversion to an agenda that threatens to take us backward," he said during a press conference, Fox 2 Now reported. "We will continue to advance a positive, productive, and inclusive agenda of our own. Despite his threats to health care coverage and educational opportunity and a fair minimum wage, Illinois will continue to invest in the well-being and prosperity of our people.”

Pritzker, a Democrat, said Illinois would protect residents from those who attempt to limit their rights or protections.

“People have often said that I’m a happy warrior, and I’ve always taken seriously my role as a happy warrior on behalf of this state. Even today, when I’m struggling with many of the difficult questions this election poses, my optimism for the future remains undiminished,” he said.

“To anyone who intends to come take away the freedom and opportunity and dignity of Illinoisans, I would remind you that a happy warrior is still a warrior. You come for my people, you come through me.”

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said he's spoken with President-elect Trump about joining his upcoming administration but that his commitment lies with his home state.

Youngkin campaigned for Trump whenever he stopped in the state.

“He [Trump} knows that I am committed and will continue to serve as governor through my full term,” he told WWBT-TV. “And that is so important. I’m only hired for one term, four years, and when I spoke to him about this, he was very supportive of me finishing the job that I am committed to, and I am committed.”

If Youngkin were to step down to join the administration, he would be the first governor to do so in Virginia since the 1800s, the news outlet reported.

President-elect Donald Trump won a majority Hispanic county in Texas for the first time in over 100 years on Tuesday night in a massive swing since losing that same county eight years ago.

Trump defeated VP Harris in Starr County, Texas on Tuesday night by a margin of 57.7% to 41.8% becoming the first Republican to carry the county, which sits along the U.S.-Mexico border, since 1898, Fox 4 Dallas reported.

In 2016, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton defeated Trump by 60 points, a 76-point swing. Census data from 2020 shows that over 90% of residents in Starr County identify as Hispanic or Latino.

Trump's historic performance in Starr County comes in an election where he continued to make inroads with Hispanic voters nationwide.

Trump gained six points of support from Hispanics over 2020, leaving Democrats single-digit favorites among the bloc, according to data compiled by the Financial Times and other outlets.

This is an excerpt from an article by Andrew Mark Miller 

Susie Wiles, a longtime Republican political operative and campaign manager for President-elect Trump, will serve as his White House chief of staff.

Wiles will become the first female chief of staff in history.

“Susie Wiles just helped me achieve one of the greatest political victories in American history, and was an integral part of both my 2016 and 2020 successful campaigns,” Trump said in a statement. “Susie is tough, smart, innovative, and is universally admired and respected. Susie will continue to work tirelessly to Make America Great Again. It is a well deserved honor to have Susie as the first-ever female Chief of Staff in United States history. I have no doubt that she will make our country proud.”

Vice President-elect JD Vance called Wiles a "huge asset" to Trump on the campaign trial "and will be a huge asset in the White House. She's also just a really good person. Onward!"

Trump, during his victory celebration in West Palm Beach, Florida, late Tuesday night, gave special thanks to Wiles for her prominent role throughout the campaign.

"Let me also express my tremendous appreciation for Susie [Wiles] and Chris [LaCivita], the job you did. Susie, come, Susie," Trump said, inviting her up to the microphone, but Wiles refrained from making comments.

"Susie likes to stay sort of in the back, let me tell you. The ice baby. We call her the ice baby. Susie likes to stay in the background. She's not in the background," Trump added. "Thank you, Susie."

Wiles' decades-long political career stretches back to working as former President Reagan's campaign scheduler for his 1980 presidential bid.

Austin Theriault, the Republican challenger to Democratic Maine Congressman Jared Golden, is filing for a re-count, saying only a few thousand votes separate the two.

“This is the closest federal or statewide race in modern Maine political history, so let’s work together to ensure an accurate count and that the final result reflects the will of the people,” Theriault wrote Thursday on X. "Right now, the gap is at about 2,000 votes according to our internal tracking.

“We were significantly outspent, but the closeness of our race against a three-term incumbent is a testament to your hard work and commitment to improving our country,” he added.

Golden's campaign said it was ready for a re-count if necessary.

“Congressman Golden believes our democratic system is the greatest and strongest the world has ever known,” a campaign statement said. "He has trust and faith in the process of determining the victor, and is ready for a recount if one is necessary. He is confident that when all the votes are counted, his victory will be undeniable."

Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Al Schmidt said Thursday that thousands more ballots remain to be counted despite Republican Senate candidate David McCormick being declared the winner over longtime Democrat Sen. Bob Casey.

“Throughout the day, the Department has communicated with counties who continue to conduct a secure election where every eligible vote is counted,” Schmidt staid in a statement posted on X. “We estimate there are at least 100,000 ballots remaining to be adjudicated, including provisional, military, overseas, and Election Day votes. We urge patience as election workers continue to do this important work, especially in contests where the margins are very close.”