Donald Trump wins US presidential election, Harris concedes

US President-elect Donald Trump has accepted President Joe Biden's invitation to meet at the White House to discuss the presidential transition.

"President Trump looks forward to the meeting, which will take place shortly, and very much appreciated the call," Trump's communication director Steven Cheung said following Biden’s congratulatory call on Wednesday.

Trump lost the 2020 presidential election to Biden and has to date, refused to admit defeat.

Trump stayed away from Biden's swearing-in ceremony, in a break with tradition.

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto expressed "heartfelt congratulations" to Trump on winning another term in office.

"Indonesia and the United States are strategic partners who share a robust and multifaceted relationship," he said. 

"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," Prabowo added. 

Prabowo, a wealthy 73-year-old former general, has been accused of taking parts in human rights violations in East Timor in the 1980s and 1990s. East Timor was under Indonesian occupation from 1975 to 1999. 

Prabowo earlier served as Indonesia's defense minister. He was earlier prohibited from the US due to human rights abuses, but the Trump administration dropped the visa ban on him and left him visit Washington DC in 2020.   

China's leader, Xi Jinping, has congratulated Donald Trump on winning another term as US president, according to Chinese state media. 

The message called for cooperation between the two economic superpowers.

"Xi Jinping pointed out that history has shown that China and the United States benefit from cooperation and suffer from confrontation," Chinese broadcaster CCTV said in the readout of the message. It advocated for a "stable, healthy, and sustainable China-US relationship."

During his first term in office, the Trump administration slapped tariffs on Chinese goods, sparking a trade war between the two countries. Trump also criticized China over a lack of transparency regarding COVID-19, with Trump calling it the "China virus."

On a personal level, Trump has called Xi "brilliant" and called him a "very good friend of mine" while he was in the White House.  

Trump is again expected to impose tariffs on Chinese goods during his second term in office, perhaps sparking another trade war with the massive Asian economy. 

A second 4-year term of Donald Trump will have major consequences for Ukraine, the NATO alliance and Europe as a whole.

US General Ben Hodges gave his assessment on what another Trump presidency will mean for European stability.  

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba told journalists that he spoke with Trump by phone and "in a nutshell, he was very friendly." 

Ishiba said he is trying to meet with Trump as soon as possible.

"I felt that he was very friendly. So from now on, I have the impression that we can talk frankly, without embellishment," Ishiba said.

Ishiba is a member of Japan's conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

During Trump's first term in office from 2017 to 2021, then-PM Shinzo Abe had a close relationship with Trump, despite trade tensions between the two countries. Abe, who was also a member of the LDP, was assassinated in 2022. 

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol also held a call with Trump. Yoon, also a conservative, said he would seek a chance to meet Trump and Japan's Ishiba together.   

Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in an X post that Kamala Harris and Tim Walz "ran a positive, forward-looking campaign to be proud of." 

"The American people have voted and Donald Trump and JD Vance will be the next President and Vice President of the United States. We wish them well and hope they will govern for all of us," the Clintons said.

"We must remember that America is bigger than the results of any one election, and what we as citizens do now will make the difference between a nation that moves forward or one that falls back," the Clintons said. "We need to solve our problems and seize our opportunities together. The future of our country depends on it."

Hillary Clinton was the Democratic nominee in the 2016 presidential election and lost to then-Republican outsider Donald Trump.

Australia's Ambassador to the US, Kevin Rudd, has deleted earlier posts on social media platform X that criticize Donald Trump.

Rudd, a former prime minister, is a member of the center-left Labor Party. 

Among the deleted posts included remarks labeling Trump "the most destructive president in history" and a "traitor to the West."

"Out of respect for the office of President of the United States, and following the election of President Trump, Ambassador Rudd has now removed these past commentaries from his personal website and social media channels," a statement on Rudd's personal website said. 
  

US President Joe Biden praised Kamala Harris after she gave her concession speech.

"What America saw today was the Kamala Harris I know and deeply admire," Biden said. "She's been a tremendous partner and public servant full of integrity, courage and character." 

He lauded Harris's "historic campaign that embodied what's possible when guided by a strong moral compass and a clear vision for a nation that is more free, more just, and full of more opportunities for all Americans."

Biden said choosing Harris as his running mate and vice president "was the best decision I made."

"Her story represents the best of America's story. And as she made clear today, I have no doubt that she'll continue writing that story," Biden added.     

Mike Pence congratulated Donald Trump and JD Vance on winning the White House. 

Pence served as Trump's vice president during his first term, but had refused to endorse Trump during the 2024 election campaign.

As vice president, Pence was tasked with the constitutional task of certifying US President Joe Biden's win over Trump in 2020.

Trump has pressured Pence to send the results back to the states, which Pence refused to do. This caused a rift between the two, with Pence having played no part in Trump's 2024 White House run.  

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had an "excellent call" with President-elect Donald Trump, with the Ukrainian leader saying he congratulated Trump on his "historic landslide victory."

"We agreed to maintain close dialogue and advance our cooperation," Zelenskyy said. "Strong and unwavering US leadership is vital for the world and for a just peace." 

Trump has called for ending military aid to Ukraine and supports negotiations between Ukraine and Russia to end the invasion. 

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said he had his "first phone conversation with President Donald Trump since the elections. We have big plans for the future."

Both Orban and Trump share similar anti-immigration views. Orban is also against more military aid to Ukraine, an opinion Trump has expressed. 

Former Democratic US President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama congratulated Donald Trump and JD Vance on their victory in the US presidential race. 

"This is obviously not the outcome we had hoped for, given our profound disagreements with the Republican ticket on a whole host of issues," the Obamas said in a statement posted on X.

"But living in a democracy is about recognizing that our point of view won't win out, and being willing to accept the peaceful transfer of power."

The Obamas said they were proud of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, describing them as "extraordinary public servants who ran a remarkable campaign." 

Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris  thanked her supporters in a concession speech at Howard University in Washington DC and urged them to "keep fighting."

"While I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign," Harris said, while telling supporters to not "give up" in making the world a better place.   

"The outcome of this election is not what we wanted, not what we fought for, not what we voted for, but 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," she said.   

Harris said she would work with Republican Donald Trump for a peaceful transfer of power in January 2025 "unlike what we saw in 2020."

After Trump lost the 2020 presidential race to Democratic President Joe Biden, he refused to concede. Harris said in her speech that "we will engage in a peaceful transfer of power," an allusion to the 2021 US Capitol Riot which occurred after Trump refused to recognize Biden's electoral victory in 2020.   

Vice President Kamala Harris has called President-elect Donald Trump to congratulate him on winning the election race, merely a couple of hours before she is due to issue an address, media reports suggested.

An unnamed senior aides to Harris said the Democratic candidate had "discussed the importance of a peaceful transfer of power and being a president for all Americans."