US election live: Trump to choose personnel in ‘days and weeks ahead’; Harris says ‘do not despair’ in concession speech

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Harris voters mourn loss after sobering concession speech: ‘There’s nothing left’

The mood was calm and sober on the Howard University campus as people waited to hear vice-president Kamala Harris’s concession speech on Wednesday afternoon. An area that is usually the central hub of campus life, the Yard, was mostly filled with Harris campaign staff, media and members of the public.

Harris appeared about 25 minutes after her scheduled time and opened with a message on unity, building community and coalitions. “My heart is full today,” Harris said. “Full of heart for my country, and full of resolve.

“Hear me when I say that the light of America’s promise will always burn bright. As long as we never give up and as long as we keep fighting.”

Harris encouraged young people to acknowledge their power and to believe in the impossible. “At this time, it’s necessary that people not become complacent,” she added, “but to commit to organizing and mobilizing.” Harris encouraged her supporters to embrace “the light of optimism” and of service.

“Hear me when I say that the light of America’s promise will always burn bright. As long as we never give up and as long as we keep fighting.”

Indonesia’s new leader has hailed the “immense potential” of relations with US-president-elect Donald Trump, whose first administration dropped a visa ban imposed on the former general over alleged rights abuses.

Prabowo Subianto was inaugurated last month and committed himself to a longstanding neutral foreign policy that has allowed Indonesia to maintain ties with the United States while reaping large investments from China.

“Indonesia and the United States are strategic partners who share a robust and multifaceted relationship,” he wrote on social media platform X late Wednesday.

“Our strategic partnership holds immense potential for mutual benefit, and I look forward to collaborating closely with you and your administration to further enhance this partnership and for global peace and stability.”

Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto. Photograph: Bay Ismoyo/AFP/Getty Images

The 73-year-old was once barred from the US over rights abuses he allegedly committed under dictator Suharto in the late 1990s.

But the Trump administration dropped him from a visa blacklist and invited him to Washington when he was serving as defence minister in 2020, Agence France-Presse reports.

Prabowo is accused of ordering the abduction of democracy activists, some of whom were never found, but has denied any wrongdoing.

The fiery nationalist said Wednesday that he had an invitation for “an official visit to the United States” as he prepares to embark on his first foreign tour, beginning Friday in China, where he will hold talks with President Xi Jinping.

He did not confirm the dates of the US visit, or if he would meet with President Joe Biden or Trump.

The presidential palace and foreign ministry did not immediately respond to AFP’s request for comment.

Back to China: both Republican Trump and his Democratic rival Kamala Harris had pledged to get tougher on Beijing.

But Trump upped the ante, vowing to slap 60% tariffs on all Chinese goods entering the United States.

That proposal could hit $500bn worth of Chinese exports, asset managers PineBridge Investments have suggested.

In his first message to Trump since the former president secured a second term in office, Chinese leader Xi said he hoped “that both sides will uphold the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation”.

Chinese vice-president Han Zheng also sent a message to vice president-elect JD Vance, CCTV said.

Democrat Raul Ruiz re-elected to House

Democratic Representative Raul Ruiz won reelection to a US House seat representing California on Wednesday. Ruiz was first elected to the House in 2012 when he defeated Republican incumbent Mary Bono.

His district encompasses all of Imperial County and parts of Riverside and San Bernardino counties, including the cities of Indio, Coachella, Calexico, Hemet and Needles. A physician, Ruiz worked in the emergency department at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, California. He defeated Republican Ian Weeks.

US, China must 'get along’, Xi tells Trump

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday said Beijing and Washington must find a way to “get along” in a message to US president-elect Donald Trump, state media said.

Trump’s victory heralds a possible shift in US-China relations, frayed in recent years by tensions over everything from trade to the status of the self-ruled island of Taiwan.

In a congratulatory message to Trump, Xi “pointed out that history has shown that China and the United States benefit from cooperation and suffer from confrontation”, state broadcaster CCTV said.

“A stable, healthy and sustainable China-US relationship is in the common interest of both countries and is in line with the expectations of the international community,” Xi said.

He called for Washington and Beijing to “strengthen dialogue and communication” and “properly manage differences”.

The two countries must “find a correct way … to get along in this new era, to benefit both countries and the world”, Xi said.

Opening summary

Hello and welcome back to our live coverage of the US election.

After decisively winning the presidential election, US president-elect Donald Trump will select personnel to serve under his leadership and enact policies that “make the life of Americans affordable, safe, and secure” in the days and weeks ahead, his campaign said on Wednesday.

Earlier, Kamala Harris conceded the election to Trump, delivering a speech at her alma mater, Howard University, telling supporters not to despair, and saying, “While I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fuelled this campaign.”

Here are the other key recent developments:

• Trump has won every key swing state that has been called – Georgia, Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania. Nevada and Arizona haven’t been called yet but appeared to be leaning Republican.

• Republicans now have a Senate majority, which will give Trump far more leverage to enact his legislative agenda and, crucially, confirm judicial and executive nominees.

• Control of the US House of Representatives remains unclear, with many of the most competitive races still uncalled.

• Joe Biden, who ended his campaign for a second term in July and endorsed Kamala Harris, only to see her lose to Donald Trump yesterday, paid tribute to his vice-president in a just-released statement.

• Donald Trump’s campaign said the president-elect had spoken to Joe Biden, and accepted his invitation for a meeting to discuss transitioning between administrations at the White House.

• Initial analysis suggests that Black women remain the most reliable Democratic voters while Harris suffered significant losses among both Latino women and men.

• Special counsel prosecutors will shut down their criminal cases against Donald Trump before he takes office, according to two people with direct knowledge of the matter.

• Abortion rights supporters celebrated a handful of victories on Tuesday night, as several states voted to enshrine protections for the procedure into their constitutions.

• Trump has received calls and congratulations from across the globe, including from Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron and Benjamin Netanyahu.

• The Obamas, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and other high-profile Democrats and progressives have released statements addressing the stunning loss.

• The former Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd, who is now ambassador to the US, has deleted social media posts critical of president-elect Donald Trump to avoid the comments “being misconstrued”, officials confirmed.

• The House speaker, Mike Johnson, is running for re-election, he announced in a letter late on Wednesday, and the House majority leader, Steve Scalise, is running for his position again. In his own letter, Scalise outlined the Republicans’ plans for their first 100 days in government. The priorities include, “lock in the Trump tax cuts”, “unleash American energy” and “surge resources to the southern border”, among other measures, Scalise writes.