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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Claire Phipps (now) and Scott Bixby, Tom McCarthy and Amber Jamieson (earlier)

US elections: protests held against president-elect – as it happened

Protests across US after Donald Trump elected president

Follow live updates in our new blog as Obama prepares to host Trump:

Here is our latest news story:

Updated

Summary

Politics as (un)unusual

  • Barack Obama will host president-elect Donald Trump at the Oval Office on Thursday. The two will meet at the White House at 11am ET, as will (separately) the current and future first ladies, Michelle Obama and Melania Trump.
  • Hillary Clinton looks set to become the second nominee (hi, Al Gore!) to win the popular vote yet lose the electoral college in the past five presidential elections.
  • And Bernie Sanders has issued a statement about Trump’s win:

Donald Trump tapped into the anger of a declining middle class that is sick and tired of establishment economics, establishment politics and the establishment media.

People are tired of working longer hours for lower wages, of seeing decent paying jobs go to China and other low-wage countries, of billionaires not paying any federal income taxes and of not being able to afford a college education for their kids – all while the rich become very much richer.

To the degree that Mr Trump is serious about pursuing policies that improve the lives of working families in this country, I and other progressives are prepared to work with him.

To the degree that he pursues racist, sexist, xenophobic and anti-environment policies, we will vigorously oppose him.

Thousands of anti-Donald Trump protesters shut down 5th Avenue in front of Trump Tower.
Thousands of anti-Donald Trump protesters shut down 5th Avenue in front of Trump Tower. Photograph: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Protests in US cities

  • There were peaceful demonstrations on Wednesday night against the Trump victory and the rhetoric employed by the now president-elect during the campaign. Most protesters dispersed in the early hours of Thursday.
  • In New York city, several thousand people marched from Union Square to Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue, blocking streets and prompting police to assemble hasty barricades. At least four arrests were made when marchers were moved on to Trump International Hotel and Tower on Central Park West.
  • In downtown Chicago, several thousand people marched to that city’s Trump Tower, chanting “Not my president!” and “Our bodies, our choice!”.
  • Thousands of demonstrators were also reported in Boston, heading from Boston Common to the Massachusetts statehouse.
  • Other demonstrations have been taking place in Philadelphia, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Oakland, Seattle, Portland and Washington DC, where a crowd massed outside a newly opened Trump hotel and others gathered outside the White House.
  • Smaller marches were reported in St Paul, Minnesota; Richmond, Virginia; Kansas City; Omaha, Nebraska; and Austin, Texas.

Globally

And you should know

  • Reports that Donald Trump’s website no longer carries his statement promising a ban on Muslims entering the US are correct – but not as intriguing as they might seem. A glitch discovered by social media users on polling day that allowed anyone to create their own banners on the press releases page was swiftly shut down by Trump techs, but the fix seems to have been taking down the whole page. So: no Muslim ban press release. But no press releases at all.
  • And yes, the Simpsons did predict President Trump. But those widely circulated pictures of cartoon Trump at the presidential podium? Not from 16 years ago, but from last year, after he announced his candidacy.
President Donald Trump meets Homer Simpson in 2015.
President Donald Trump meets Homer Simpson in 2015. Photograph: Fox Animation

As president-elect, Trump will see the daily intelligence briefings that are sent to President Obama.

Former US secretary of state Madeleine Albright has been talking to the BBC Today programme about what happens now:

It is my hope that when he is given his full intelligence briefings and sits in the Oval Office and listens to people with foreign policy background, then he will understand that statements such as the ones that he made are dangerous for the United States; and that he will see that the world is not a zero-sum world and that we have to, and will need to, cooperate with others.

When America talked about America First before, it did not lead to the best results. And so my hope is that he is a smart man and that he will absorb the information when he sees it …

The main thing for the president of the United States is to remember that he is president of the United States and that our interests vis a vis what the Russians are doing are very important, and that our friends and allies in central and eastern Europe have been our friends and allies for a very, very long time.

Protests are quietening now, as parts of the US tick over into Thursday.

In New York, crowds have pretty much disappeared.

The marchers in Chicago have dispersed, with just a small group remaining of the several thousands earlier reported.

Demonstrations in Oakland – it’s still not 11pm there – are still going.

We’ve had no more reports of arrests.

A lot will be written about how Trump’s victory represents a backlash of rage from the white working classes, writes Hadley Freeman:

Here’s an alternative take: we’ve heard enough of white rage now. Oh sure, listen to the grievances of enraged voters. But understanding them is different from indulging them, and the media and politicians – in the US and UK – have for too long conflated the two, encouraging the white victim narrative and stoking precisely the kind of nasty, race-baiting campaigns that led to Brexit and Trump (as the voter demographics have proved, the linking factor in Trump voters is not class but race).

Both campaigns promised to turn the clock back to a time when white men were in the ascendence, and both were fronted by privately educated false prophets such as Nigel Farage and Trump, absurdly privileged buccaneers who style themselves as friends of the working classes while pushing policies that work against them. They have bleached language of meaning, boasting that they aren’t “career politicians” (now a negative thing as opposed to someone who has devoted their life to public service), and they scorn “experts” (who are now apparently the biggest threat to democracy).

To call out voters for falling for damagingly racist and sexist messages is viewed by politicians as a vote-killer and dangerously snobby by the media, as though working-class people are precious toddlers who must be humoured and can’t possibly be held responsible for any flawed thinking.

There is no doubt the white working classes in the west have suffered in recent decades, yet no other demographic that has endured similarly straitened circumstances is indulged in this way. For decades, American politicians have demonised the black working classes who suffered far worse structural inequalities and for far longer – and Trump continues to do so today.

Trump's new Twitter account

Given the Twitter silence – 18 hours and counting – since the last tweet from @realDonaldTrump, it’s fair to guess that the president-elect hasn’t regained control of his account since aides relieved him of tweeting duties ahead of polling day.

But here comes a new account for Trump news: @transition2017, which will deliver updates on the transition to a Trump administration. So far it’s just this:

The account follows one person: @realDonaldTrump. (Not even a look-in for @mike_pence.)

Of course, come January 2017, Trump will also inherit the @POTUS account and its 11.6 million followers – a step down from his own 14.1 million.

After a Trump victory, what next for the left, in the US and beyond, asks Owen Jones:

Centrists have an easy retort. OK, smug radical, if we’re not the answer, let’s hear you list the flourishing leftwing governments, describe how the left bridges its divide? And, of course, they have a point. The style and culture of the radical left is often shaped by university-educated young people (a group that includes me). They are a growing and diverse group; often they hail from modest backgrounds. But their priorities, their rhetoric and their outlook is often radically different to older working-class voters in small town England, France or the US. Both groups are critical to building a victorious electoral coalition, and yet they are, indeed, divided.

That must change. Unless the left is rooted in working-class communities – from the diverse boroughs of London to the ex-mill towns of the north – unless it speaks a language that resonates with those it once saw as its natural constituency, shorn of contempt for working-class values or priorities, then it has no political future.

Trump will meet the Japanese prime minister, Shinzo Abe, in New York next week.

A Japanese foreign ministry official told AFP news agency the two would meet on 17 November, having spoken on the phone for about 20 minutes following Trump’s election win.

Abe will travel via New York to Peru for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.

AFP reports:

On the phone, Abe “talked about the importance of the bilateral relationship and the Japan-US alliance”, which he stressed underpins the peace and stability of the Asia-Pacific region, the foreign ministry official said.

In response, Trump said he hoped to strengthen the US-Japan relationship further, the official said.

Trump also said he appreciated Abe’s economic policy and looked forward to working with him, she said.

She declined to elaborate on what else they discussed.

Protests summary

In cities across the US, protesters have gathered on Wednesday night for peaceful demonstrations against the Trump victory and the rhetoric employed by the now president-elect during the campaign.

  • In New York city, several thousand people marched from Union Square to Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue, blocking streets and prompting police to assemble hasty barricades. At least four arrests were made when marchers were moved on to Trump International Hotel and Tower, Trump’s property on Central Park West.
  • In downtown Chicago, several thousand people marched through the Loop to that city’s Trump Tower, chanting “Not my president!” and “Our bodies, our choice!”.
Demonstrators outside Trump Tower in Chicago.
Demonstrators outside Trump Tower in Chicago. Photograph: John Gress/Getty Images
  • Thousands of demonstrators were also reported in Boston, heading from Boston Common to the Massachusetts statehouse.
  • Other demonstrations have been taking place in Philadelphia, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Oakland, Seattle, Portland and Washington DC, where a crowd massed outside a newly opened Trump hotel and others gathered outside the White House.
  • Smaller marches were reported in St Paul, Minnesota; Richmond, Virginia; Kansas City; Omaha, Nebraska; and Austin, Texas.

Updated

The financial markets might be cheering up, but how have the world’s newspapers reacted to Trump’s win?

France’s Libération sees the dark side:

The UK Daily Telegraph is A BIT SHOUTY:

And British tabloids opt for variations on a “whaaaat?” theme:

Markets bounce back

Meanwhile, in the financial world, the stock markets have proceeded magisterially today despite a background of major tectonic shifts in the financial landscape.

Here are the main points:

Readers have been sending in their photos of signs and placards at the anti-Trump protests in New York and Chicago.

Unlike Trump, I stand with: women, POC and all minorities, immigrants, Muslims and all religions, LGBTQ + people, the disabled and youth. Trump won but I do not stand with him!

This protester was one of hundreds outside the Trump Tower in Chicago this evening. Mike Pence, the new Vice President, has advocated conversion therapies to "cure" gay people.

The hundreds of protesters at the Chicago Trump Tower were countered by 10 on the other side, behind a barricade. Police stood between the two camps.

Protestors in New York carry a sign with an illustration of Donald Trump with a pigs snout.

Updated

At least four arrests have been made at the New York protest; many demonstrators have now cleared the area where police had started to act.

Arrests at New York protest

Scott Bixby, at the scene of the protest in New York, says a number of people have been arrested; the precise number and details aren’t yet clear:

It might have been accidental, but it appears Cher (not a fan of Trump) has joined the New York protest:

Yes, here she is:

The police have now shifted the barricades to prevent more people from joining the protest outside Trump Tower in New York. Some people are shrugging their shoulders and going home. Others are marching to another Trump property at Columbus Circle to continue the protest despite the fact that Trump does not, in fact, live there.

At Trump International Hotel and Tower, Donald Trump’s property on Central Park West has become a new locus for protesters who have been prevented from joining the protest at Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue.

The building’s guests and residents could be seen observing the several thousand protesters congregated at its base, which the NYPD – either not anticipating protests here, or more concerned with protecting the president-elect’s Fifth Avenue residence – did not cordon off with more than a single cursory barricade.

Standing astride a plastic barrier for pedestrians across the street, a young man dressed in black performed a call-and-response monologue, echoed by nearly five dozen protesters standing side-by-side on the wall.

“I am a native New Yorker! I have lived here for 32 years! I grew up here! And we are putting you on notice! For your racism! For your fascism! For your heterosexism! And for your classism!” the man shouted, echoed after each sentence by a friend with a bullhorn.

Reports that Donald Trump’s website no longer carries his statement promising a ban on Muslims entering the US are correct – but it’s not simply that pledge that has disappeared.

The whole archive of press releases previously at https://www.donaldjtrump.com/press-releases has gone, with that url now directing visitors back to the homepage (where they are asked to contribute cash to the campaign).

Deliberate move or technical hiccup? The latter is the less enthralling but perhaps more likely answer.

A glitch discovered by gleeful social media users on polling day that allowed anyone to create their own banners on the page usually reserved for press releases was swiftly shut down by Trump techs BUT the fix seems to have been made by taking down the whole page. So: no Muslim ban press release. But no press releases at all.

Updated

We’ve been hearing from readers taking part in anti-Trump demonstrations across the country.

Elliot Casey got in touch to say he’s part of a peaceful protest in Winston-Salem, North Carolina: “The crowd is marching through to downtown Winston Salem chanting: ‘Not my president’.”

We’ve also heard from protesters in Richmond, VA; Chicago, Boston and Seattle:

Ten Thousand young people march chanting "Queer lives Matter" "Trump must go" "my body, my choice" "not my president" today in Boston common, marching to Copley square, and the state house.

He's saying what we're all thinking

Anti Trump Rally marching from Seattle City Hall to Westlake Park about an hour ago.

Protests where you are? Share your stories with us.

The election of Donald Trump has the potential to radically redraw the geopolitical landscape in Asia, experts have told the Guardian.

From threatened tariffs on Chinese imports to a potential withdrawal of 47,000 US troops from Japan, from South China Sea disputes to nuclear deterrence, the implications of a Trump presidency could be felt in many ways on this side of the Pacific.

Our correspondents across the region look at what President Trump could mean for China, Japan, Korea – North and South – India, the Philippines and beyond.

As the protesters who had marched all the way from Union Square – some 35 blocks downtown – continued past Trump Tower, a comparatively smaller crowd still numbering in the thousands congregated in front of the president-elect’s building.

“Fuck your tower! Fuck your wall!” the crowd chanted at Trump Tower’s brass-escutcheoned facade, as scores of NYPD officers manned hastily-erected barricades, behind which stood eight department of sanitation trucks filled with dirt.

Nina, a forty-something actor who lives in Manhattan, told the Guardian that the protest felt less like a call-to-arms than a vigil for the promise of America.

“I’m distraught at the decision,” said Nina, who declined to share her surname for professional reasons. “He’s a dangerous man – he’s a hothead, a megalomaniac.

“It just feels like he’s doesn’t truly have our best wishes at heart.”

She was too stunned by the election results to even muster anger, she said. “I never thought it was possible; it truly didn’t seem possible. I’m embarrassed for America.”

Asked by the Guardian what she wanted out of tonight’s protest, Nina said: “I’d like them to reverse the frikken’ decision! But that’s obviously not going to happen … The compunction was just to lend my voice, lend my body.

“I just felt helpless. He’s a horrible, horrible man, not the leader of the America I live in. Or the America I thought I lived in.”

Nina said that Trump, who is as part of the cultural fabric of New York as street meat and subway rats, is an affront to the spirit and soul of the most diverse city in the world.

“I like humanity, I like mankind – it’s why I like being a New Yorker,” she said. “Are we really going back to where we thought there were people who were lesser or better? That just feels tragic – for us and for them and for the world.”

The election of Donald Trump has resulted in a rush of interest from Americans in emigrating to New Zealand.

In the past 24 hours, the website of Immigration New Zealand (INZ) received 56,300 visits from the US – a huge rise on its daily average of 2,300. Within the same period, more than 7,000 Americans registered interest in moving to New Zealand, more than double the monthly average.

Similar spikes of interest in New Zealand were noted by INZ from Britons in the months after Brexit, with New Zealand seen as an ideal resettlement nation due to its shared cultural history with Britain.

The New Zealand Now website – which contains detailed information on living, working, studying and investing in New Zealand – received 70,500 visits from the US in the past 24 hours, or 69,000 more than its daily average.

Here are some of the latest images from demonstrations in cities – Democratic-leaning cities – around the US.

New York

Thousands of anti-Donald Trump protesters shut down 5th Avenue in front of Trump Tower.
Thousands of anti-Donald Trump protesters shut down 5th Avenue in front of Trump Tower. Photograph: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Chicago

Protests against the president-elect in Chicago, Illinois.
Protests against the president-elect in Chicago, Illinois. Photograph: Paul Beaty/AFP/Getty Images

Oakland

Protesters in Oakland, California. The sign reads: ‘He is not my president.’
Protesters in Oakland, California. The sign reads: ‘He is not my president.’ Photograph: Noah Berger/Reuters

Philadelphia

Demonstrators in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Demonstrators in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Photograph: Mark Makela/Reuters

Seattle

Marchers on 2nd Avenue in Seattle, Washington.
Marchers on 2nd Avenue in Seattle, Washington. Photograph: Karen Ducey/Getty Images

Meanwhile, in Chicago, Zach Stafford reports:

Protesters have moved onto Michigan Avenue stopping all traffic. Police have been surprisingly supportive of their march everywhere.

Chicago Trump protesters are now focusing their march on shutting down Lake Shore Drive and don’t seem to be stopping soon.

CPD officer just told me they’ve blocked off LSD up to Fullerton Avenue – 3.5 miles (5.6km) from Grant Park. Traffic is at a standstill.

‘It’s just beginning! We can do this! It’s just getting started,’ a woman yells outside of her car as other honk in support.

The New York protesters are being moved to march north up Fifth Avenue, away from Trump Tower and on to the most expensive stretch of residential real estate on Earth, Scott Bixby reports from the scene:

As the temperature dropped and the crowds at the Trump Tower barricades grew tighter, the rapport between protesters and the NYPD officers manning the scene grew commensurately chilly.

In the early part of the protests, the mood was downright chummy – protesters helped officers over the barricades, who then joked “OK, you next!”

But when officers with plastic handcuffs were seen assembling at the barricades, the crowd grew suspicious.

“Yo, what do you plan on doing with those cuffs? We’re not doing anything!” a protester shouted at a stonefaced officer, who declined to speak with the Guardian.

“We don’t talk to protesters,” the officer said.

On a street corner home to storefronts for Bulgaria, Prada, Tiffany & Co, Bergdorf Goodman and, of course, president-elect Donald Trump’s triplex penthouse, protester Joe Gordon saw the election of Trump as a watershed moment for left-wing politics and activism.

“It’s an awareness-shift,” Gordon said. Had Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton won the election, “it likely would have been more of the same”, but Trump’s election “will make people wake up”.

Are you taking part in the protests?

If you’re protesting against the election of Donald Trump, do tell us why.

Updated

One young man has scaled the traffic light on the northwest corner of East 57th Street and Fifth Avenue, kitty-corner to Trump Tower, to cheers from nearby protesters.

“No democracy, no peace!” he shouted.

When that proved unpopular, a chant of “Fuck Donald Trump!” sparked waves of the chants up and down the street.

Joe Gordon, a 19-year-old from Brooklyn, protesting against the election of Donald Trump as president in New York City on 9 November 2016.
Joe Gordon, a 19-year-old from Brooklyn, protesting against the election of Donald Trump as president in New York City on 9 November 2016. Photograph: Scott Bixby for the Guardian

Joe Gordon, a 19-year-old from Brooklyn, told the Guardian that he, along with other protesters, “despise” Trump, who “represents hatred, corruption and intolerance”.

“The entire political system is set up” to protect the elite over minorities, Gordon said, and at the apex of that broken system is the president-elect.

Updated

You can read our latest roundup from the protests here. A snapshot:

Donald Trump’s unexpected win ignited massive protests that continued on the day after a long election night, with thousands of demonstrators shutting down major streets and surrounding the real estate mogul’s buildings in cities across America.

As US voters and international leaders began to come to terms with the reality of a Republican presidency led by the former reality television star, anti-Trump activists launched impromptu protests criticizing the racism, sexism and xenophobia that they say the president-elect has made mainstream.

The demonstrations – including in New York City, Chicago and San Francisco – swelled and drew large police responses as election tallies on Wednesday signaled that Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton appeared to have won the popular vote, despite losing the electoral college and presidential race.

Updated

A brief diversion from ongoing protests to ask another big question of the day: did the Simpsons predict the Trump presidency?

Well, yes, as Esther Addley explains:

In 2000, Bart to the Future, an episode of the Simpsons in which Bart imagines his coming years, showed Lisa Simpson taking over as “America’s first straight female president” from an outgoing President Trump. “As you know,” she tells her team in the Oval Office, “we’ve inherited quite a budget crunch from President Trump.”

She asks how bad things have got, to be told the country is broke, as the previous regime invested in the nation’s children but “created a generation of ultra-strong super-criminals”.

President Donald Trump meets Homer Simpson in 2015.
President Donald Trump meets Homer Simpson in 2015. Photograph: Fox Animation

(Those widely-circulated images of Trump at the presidential podium, though, weren’t quite so prescient; they come from a special episode put together after the reality TV star announced his candidacy in 2015.)

Updated

Waving homemade signs with messages like “United Against Hate”, “Women Against Trump” and “Impeach the Fascist”, tens of thousands of protestors – mostly college-aged – swarmed from all directions to the corner of Fifth Avenue and East 56th Street, the home of president-elect Donald Trump and his eponymous Tower.

Anti-Trump protest at Trump Tower, NYC.

Chanting “Not my president!” and “We! Reject! The president-elect!”, the protestors were met with scores of NYPD officers at each corner of the Midtown Manhattan block on which Trump Tower is located, and were quickly corralled by interlocking fences to form an angry (but as yet non-violent) perimeter.

“Do you have any idea what Mike Pence did to the public-sector unions in Indiana?” one male protestor, who declined to be identified, shouted at nearby NYPD officers watching the barricades. “You’re not even gonna have a fucking union!”

“They’re just doing their jobs!” another protestor shouted back.

“The Germans did their fucking jobs, all the way to the concentration camp,” he responded.

Protests are spreading: CNN is reporting that there are demonstrations taking place in at least seven cities right now.

Here are some images of marchers in San Francisco:

In Washington DC:

In Seattle:

Thousands of Chicagoans took to the streets Wednesday evening as shock permeated through a democratic city that supported Clinton almost completely in the exit polls.

Calling it an “Emergency Trump Protest”, people from an array of communities and social movements virtually shut down the city during rush hour traffic and yelled “Trump is not my president” through the city streets.

While Chicago has become known for these types of demonstrations over recent years due to a committed Black Lives Matter network fighting to end police violence, this demonstration drew people from all walks of life to demonstrate, with their anger being their focus.

Protesters against president-elect Donald Trump in Chicago.
Protesters against president-elect Donald Trump in Chicago. Photograph: Kamil Krzaczynski/Reuters

“I’m incredibly upset. I’m angry,” said Parker Smith as she held a sign stating “My Body, My Choice” outside the president-elect’s Chicago hotel tower. “This has been just a lot to deal with and I’m very worried for the next four years.”

As protesters massed for hours outside the luxury building, the chants moved from black lives to gay rights to women’s health.

But even with so much anxiety about the future pulsing through the demonstration, many saw this coming together of people of varying ethnicities, religions and sexualities as hope.

“This is the America I identify with,” said Nicole Endenova, a young woman of color, as she stared at the crowds.

Updated

Meanwhile, on a trip to New Zealand (from where he’ll go on to Antarctica on a pre-planned visit), US secretary of state John Kerry says he has told state department officials “to be as helpful as possible” to the incoming administration:

One of the beautiful things of democracy – and we particularly pride ourselves in the United States – is that we have this amazing peaceful transfer of power.

And we will do everything in our power, as I have instructed our team, to work with the incoming administration as fully and openly as possible, to be as helpful as possible, so that the transfer of power will be as smooth as it possibly can without missing a beat on the important issues before us.

Reports from the New York city protests say roads have been blocked as protesters mass between Union Square and Trump Tower.

My colleague Scott Bixby is heading to the scene: you can keep up with him @scottbix.

Anti-Trump protests

There are anti-Trump protests in Chicago, too, with reports that hundreds have gathered, chanting: “Trump’s not my president!”

An anti-Trump protest has been taking place in New York City. Protesters gathered in Union Square, with the intention to march to Trump Tower.

Organised by the New York chapter of Socialist Alternative, the march has been promoted via an event page on Facebook, which says the rally is to help “build a movement to fight racism, sexism, and Islamophobia”.

One attendee, a postgraduate student who wished to remain anonymous, said:

The crowd was energetic, loud, and focused. Most people were in their 20s, but not exclusively – there were school kids and people in their 50s too. Chants included ‘black lives matter’, ‘deport Donald Trump’, ‘fuck Donald Trump’, ‘no fascist USA’, ‘Trump, you’re fired’, ‘trans rights are human rights’, ‘women’s rights are human rights’, and ‘my body my choice’.

Updated

Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell held a press conference this evening to congratulate president-elect Donald Trump.

Mitch McConnell congratulates Trump, says border security is a priority

McConnell identified the appointment of a new supreme court justice and border security as key priorities for the party, but also said repealing Obamacare would be “high on the agenda.”

The surprise of Trump’s win looked like leading to market meltdown across the world. But it didn’t, thanks in part it seems to Trump’s conciliatory speech, proving that investors hate uncertainty more than anything. The promise of a smooth handover of power, a united Congress, tax cuts and a huge infrastructure spending boost was enough to turn red screens green.

A screen shows the Dow Jones Industrial Average at the close of trading on the floor of the NYSE.
A screen shows the Dow Jones Industrial Average at the close of trading on the floor of the NYSE. Photograph: Brendan Mcdermid/Reuters

Trump has already had words with a few world leaders, including Mexican president Enrique Peña Nieto, who said he’d had a “friendly and respectful conversation” with his new neighbour.

He didn’t say if Mexico would pay for the wall …

Mexico president congratulates Trump during ‘friendly conversation’

Bernie Sanders statement

Sanders has just issued a statement on the presidential result:

Donald Trump tapped into the anger of a declining middle class that is sick and tired of establishment economics, establishment politics and the establishment media.

People are tired of working longer hours for lower wages, of seeing decent paying jobs go to China and other low-wage countries, of billionaires not paying any federal income taxes and of not being able to afford a college education for their kids – all while the rich become very much richer.

To the degree that Mr Trump is serious about pursuing policies that improve the lives of working families in this country, I and other progressives are prepared to work with him.

To the degree that he pursues racist, sexist, xenophobic and anti-environment policies, we will vigorously oppose him.

Updated

What does the transition from an Obama presidency to a Trump presidency look like?

The president-elect has the right to see the intelligence briefings Obama receives daily; as Associated Press reports:

that includes information on US covert operations, information gleaned about world leaders and other data gathered by America’s 17 intelligence agencies.

Who’s in Trump’s transition team?

It’s chaired by Chris Christie; Mike Pence, RNC chairman Reince Priebus and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner are also round the table.

According to AP:

The team is putting a premium on quickly filling key national security posts, according to people familiar with the conversations but not authorized to discuss them publicly.

“It’s something that’s got to be pretty close held until the president-elect is ready to begin to announce appointments,” said Bill Hagerty, Trump’s director of presidential appointments, who declined to offer any details on a timeline for Trump’s first personnel moves. A chief of staff is traditionally appointed in the initial weeks after an election.

Haggerty said the transition from one administration to another “in essence, is a $2tn takeover when you think about it”.

A small transition team has been meeting since early August to discuss legislative priorities and plans for taking over agencies. While Christie provided Trump with weekly updates, until now, the campaign and transition operations functioned as relatively distinct entities and in different cities Trump’s campaign in New York and the transition team in Washington.

An organizational chart for the transition team obtained by The Associated Press confirms that some familiar names are playing senior roles in the formation of a Trump administration.

National security planning was being led by former Michigan Rep. Mike Rogers, who previously worked for the FBI. Joseph “Keith” Kellogg, a retired Army lieutenant general, was heading defense planning. For domestic issues, the Trump transition team was relying on the leadership of Ken Blackwell, a former Cincinnati mayor and Ohio secretary of state.

Trump to visit Obama on Thursday

The president will host his successor in the Oval Office tomorrow, it’s confirmed:

And the first and next-first ladies will also meet:

Updated

Hillary Clinton is set to win the popular vote despite losing the presidential race

If current projections hold, Hillary Clinton will soon become the second presidential nominee to win the popular vote yet lose the electoral college – and thus the White House – in the past five US presidential elections.

Hillary Clinton concession speech: ‘I know it’s painful’

Clinton, who gave a speech this morning conceding to her victorious Republican opponent Donald Trump, is poised to lose the electoral college tally by a decisive 74 votes (nearly 14% of the total available) while carrying a slim majority of the overall votes cast. As of Wednesday afternoon Clinton led by more than 200,000 votes, with 47.7% to Trump’s 47.5%. It would be the fifth time in the nation’s history that such a split has occurred and may be a boon to advocates of reform of the two-century-old system.

“We’re hoping that this will bring further attention when we start lobbying state legislatures next term,” said John Koza, a professor and author who originated legislation to replace the system that is now on the books in 11 states and could eventually bring down the electoral college.

The electoral college is a constitutional relic of a fundamentally different nation, one with 13 states and a potential electorate of 2.5 million citizens, slashed dramatically by restrictions that limited the franchise to white, land-owning Protestant men. A variety of arguments have been raised for its value, but typically it is understood by political science and history scholars as a constitutional firewall from certain kinds of potentially “undemocratic” election outcomes.

Senator Tom Cotton, a possible secretary of defense pick, to CNN:

Waterboarding isn’t torture... Donald Trump is a pretty tough guy and he’s ready to make those tough calls

Kelly Ayotte concedes senate race in New Hampshire

The New Hampshire Union-Leader reports that US Senator Kelly Ayotte has conceded her unfathomably close race for reelection to Democratic rival Maggie Hassan, giving the Republicans a likely 52-48 majority in the upper chamber of Congress.

Did Latinos tip Trump over the edge? Experts dispute what happened

Polls and punditry predicted a Latino surge would clinch Hillary Clinton’s election but now the question is whether Latinos helped put Donald Trump in the White House.

Members of the Culinary Workers Union Local 226, cheer during a rally under a Donald Trump pinata in Las Vegas.
Members of the Culinary Workers Union Local 226, cheer during a rally under a Donald Trump pinata in Las Vegas. Photograph: Russell Contreras/AP

Exit polls suggest 29% voted for the Republican – a higher margin than Mitt Romney won in 2012 and perhaps enough to have tipped the scales in battleground states.

That possibility sent analysts scrambling on Wednesday to plumb the numbers and ponder the psyche of an ethnic minority which Trump was deemed to have insulted and provoked.

CNN’s exit poll found that 65% of Latinos voted for Clinton while 29% cast their votes for Trump. In 2012 Barack Obama won 71% of the Latino vote and Romney won 27%.

The number crunching site FiveThirtyEight said this may have tilted Florida’s 29 electoral college votes into the column of a candidate who called Mexican immigrants “rapists” and vowed to deport millions of undocumented people. “Trump’s margin among Latino voters in Florida, though thinner than it has been for Republican candidates in past races, likely helped him win that critical state.”

However Latino Decisions, a leader in Latino political opinion research, disputes CNN’s exit poll and thinks a Latino surge did in fact happen.

The firm’s analysis of actual voting results in 12 states suggested Latinos voted in record numbers and gave Clinton a thumping majority.

“We think it was 79% for Clinton and 18% for Trump,” Matt Barreto, the firm’s co-founder, told the Guardian. “We think there’s a 0% chance that Trump did better than Romney in 2012. His negative numbers were through the roof. It was very strong for Clinton and turnout was higher.”

These results, if confirmed, would broadly match pre-election polls by Latino Decisions, NBC, Univision, Telemundo and the Washington Post.

Austin, Texas, is the site of the latest anti-Trump protest:

The only precinct in all of Manhattan to vote for Donald Trump is in Times Square:

Russian president Vladimir Putin called for a new era of “fully fledged relations” between his country and the US yesterday after a surprise victory which was applauded in the Russian parliament and prompted speculation that US-imposed sanctions could be lifted.

Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a glass during a ceremony of receiving diplomatic credentials from foreign ambassadors in the Kremlin.
Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a glass during a ceremony of receiving diplomatic credentials from foreign ambassadors in the Kremlin. Photograph: Sergei Karpukhin/AP

After an election campaign in which Russia was openly accused of interfering in favour of Donald Trump, Putin congratulated the president-elect on his victory and said Russia was ready to work for better ties.

“We understand that it will not be an easy path given the current state of degradation in the relations,” he said, speaking in the Kremlin.

“And as I have repeatedly said, it’s not our fault that Russian-American relations are in such a poor state. But Russia wants and is ready to restore fully fledged relations with the United States.”

Earlier, Putin became one of the first world leaders to congratulate Trump, sending him a telegram expressing hope for an era of positive ties. Many Russian politicians welcomed the news, both because Trump has spoken of his admiration for Putin and because he represents a blow against the US “establishment”.

Back in August, I recorded a pilot for a TV show back in the UK. Here’s what I had to say about what would happen in the 2016 presidential election:

Unsurprisingly, I still believe the polls are hugely inaccurate. But I’d add a few caveats to what I said in August about the poorest voters. Exit polls (which are still polling data - therefore suffer from plenty of inaccuracy of their own) suggest that American voters with a household income under $30,000, and those with an income $30,000 - $49,999 actually chose Hillary Clinton. But the data isn’t broken down by race and income, so it’s still possible that the poorest white voters didn’t tell pollsters that they planned on voting for Trump.

The Susan B. Anthony List, an anti-abortion Super Pac that heavily campaigned on behalf of president-elect Donald Trump, has declared victory with Trump’s election to the presidency and the maintenance of a solid Republican majority in the US Senate.

“Both the presidential race and the control of the Senate came down to tens of thousands of votes in Florida, Ohio, and North Carolina,” said Susan B. Anthony List president Marjorie Dannenfelser, who lauded the groups outreach to 1.6 million anti-abortion.

“Persuadable Democratic and Hispanic voters in these three states sealed victory both for Donald Trump and the pro-life Senate candidates,” Dannenfelser said. “This is an historic moment for the pro-life movement. There are four critical pro-life goals now within our reach: end painful late-term abortions, codify the Hyde Amendment, defund Planned Parenthood, and appoint pro-life Supreme Court Justices.”

Australia has woken up to president-elect Donald Trump:

Etch-a-Sketch? Trump has removed his campaign news releases from his web site:

Here’s Thursday’s Libération cover:

How do I tell my daughter that America elected a racist, sexist bully?

Last night, seated between my 68-year-old mother and six-year-old daughter, I expected to watch the first woman get elected president of the United States. We bought champagne and cake, and promised Layla that she could stay up as late as she wanted to watch. My daughter fell asleep on the couch, still wearing a shirt emblazoned with the word “feminist” and an “I voted” sticker.

This morning, I’ll have to tell Layla that Hillary Clinton lost, that a woman won’t be president. Even more difficult, I’ll have to tell her that Donald Trump won. The man she knows as a bully who says terrible things about women, people with disabilities and immigrants – the man who brags about hurting people and separating families – will lead her nation.

Last night my heart broke for my country, this morning it breaks for her.

She woke up in a changed America today – one where a liar and a racist, a xenophobe and a serial harasser of women, will lead us. She woke up in a place that flatly rejected progress, a country where a man can admit to sexually assaulting women and win millions of votes because, not in spite, of it.

I have always been worried about the things I will pass down to my daughter; the burdens she inherits simply by living in a sexist world are the things I fear the most.

How will I explain to her about how many women have been hurt, badly, because of the sexism that surrounds them? How I will I keep her from being afraid that her fate to suffer the same is inevitable?

Read further:

The AP hasn’t called the New Hampshire senate race yet, but it appears that Republican incumbent Kelly Ayotte may have lost her seat. That’s according to a first count concluding with a very thin margin, with a recount probable.

Actually, the three Republican senate candidates who lost were in states where Trump lost – Illinois, Nevada and New Hampshire, if Ayotte’s loss holds. Republican candidates won in states Trump won: Wisconsin, Indiana, North Carolina, Missouri, Florida, Arizona (if Trump’s win holds...).

Talking to kids about Trump's victory

By Adam Gopnik in the New Yorker:

Someone asked me this morning to say something about talking to kids in this time of crisis. Indeed, Van Jones, speaking last night on CNN, as our own Brexitish disaster was unfolding, spoke passionately about the perils of this Wednesday morning’s breakfast: What do you say to kids when a man whom they have been (rightly) brought up to regard as a monstrous figure is suddenly the figure, the President we have? I have been unstinting in my own view of the perils of Trumpism, and will remain so. But I also believe that the comings and goings of politics and political actions in our lives must not be allowed to dominate our daily existence—and that if we struggle to emphasize to our children the necessities of community, ongoing life, daily pleasures, and shared enterprises, although we may not defeat the ogres of history, we can hope to remain who we are in their face.

Read further.

Deep breath:

National security

Trump now has control over the vast US security apparatus, with all its power to kill, surveil and influence. Trump, whose command of policy specifics is minimal, has made no secret of his inclination to unleash it. Now he faces early tests of how far he will go.

Barack Obama will leave office with Guantánamo Bay still in operation as a detention facility. Trump’s election ensures the infamous wartime prison escapes closure, but it will probably cross a constitutional Rubicon. The president-elect has pledged to increase the Guantánamo population, a reversal of Obama’s approach, “with some bad dudes”. Among those “bad dudes”, Trump told the Miami Herald, could be American citizens. His pledge to bring back “worse than waterboarding” threatens to undo the shaky coalition against torture, especially in a GOP Congress, of the late Bush and Obama administrations.

The move would be illegal if Trump meant to try Americans in military commissions, and almost sure to be found unconstitutional if Trump meant holding Americans in indefinite detention. In the same interview, Trump also signaled a departure from both Obama and George W Bush in expressing opposition to using the criminal justice system for terrorism cases. [...]

Updated

Video : Paul Ryan hails Trump’s ‘incredible political feat’

Paul Ryan: Donald Trump pulled off ‘incredible political feat’

Reader reactions

Clever, Populist and Incapable

I personally believe that Donald Trump was clever, in the sense of seizing the opportunity he was provided with. He understood the fears and worries of, apparently, many American people and structured his pre-election arguments accordingly. Yet, I also believe that he is a populist. In other words, he said things just for the sake of being elected. No, he will not build a wall; he will not deport illegal immigrants and he will not do a number of things he promised to do, because he is incapable of doing them. He wanted to draw attention, but I doubt that he will be able to carry the burden of being the US President and he will undoubtedly let his supporters down in the next few months.

-DSkrimizeas

This is Not Good

So how are we going to Make American Great Again? Trump is going to unite the country and rebuild the working class? Not for a second. Divide and conquer has been his method, and now that he has secured the win, the gloves are really going to come off. He’s going to take down corrupt Washington, elites, and the rigged system? No fucking way. He’s going to be the system, reap all the benefits he can for himself, and indulge in his power. Get ready for change, but not the sort that is going to help you, your family, or the nation. The insanity has just begun.

-bw9009

The fear & resentment are real

From my perspective as a man of Hispanic/Mexican descent, I feel angry that Trump’s first remarks (re: rapists, murderers, etc.) were not met by any true reprimands. It has only reinforced in my mind what I have seen just below the surface of society, that in an area of the world where we have existed for about 500 years, we have been, and are still seen as second-class citizens. Trump’s victory only crystallizes what many of us have known, but the majority, white culture simply pretended that we were all equal when it has never been about that. It has only ever been the ability to keep and not redistribute wealth as well as solidifying our social and legal structures that continually discriminate against minorities and communities of color.

-William Mosqueda

It’s not the fact that it’s him. It’s that people voted for him.

What made me saddest watching the election results play out was not so much Donald Trump being elected as what his election represents. It represents an America, one of the most powerful states in the world, that is willing to support open racism, open sexism, open Islamophobia. It’s disquieting and has made me a little bit more daunted at the prospect of entering into an adult world governed by such values. However, as disheartening as this election is, I think of the words of Edmund Burke: -”The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

-sineadkeeley

Video: Obama plans for ‘successful transition’

Obama invites Donald Trump to White House following win

McConnell declines to discuss immigration

What do you say to undocumented immigrants?

McConnell: “I’m not going to discuss the immigration issue today. We’ll be discussing it internally... in the coming months.”

McConnell is asked about Clinton apparently winning the popular vote.

“The American people understand that if you get 270 electoral votes that means you’re president,” he says.

“The election is over. We know who won. And we’re going to move on from there, and do the best we can for the American people.”

McConnell on working with likely minority leader Chuck Schumer:

“I respect him, I think he’s very smart, and I think we’ll be fine.”

On Pence:

“We all really like Mike Pence.. everybody likes him. We all thought it was a great choice that president-elect Trump made in picking him.”

McConnell mentions how vice president Dick Cheney always came to policy lunches, and that he hopes Pence will do that, “kind of be our liaison” to the White House.

McConnell leery of 'overreaching'

“I think it’s always a mistake to misread your mandate,” McConnell says... “And so, I don’t think we should act as if we’re going to be in the majority forever.

“I think what the American people are looking for is results.

“We are going to be looking for bipartisan support, and I think overreaching after the election is a mistake.”

McConnell says “I don’t think so” when asked if he’ll revisit a ban on earmarks.

Updated

Does McConnell support Nato withdrawal?

“I want to look forward,” McConnell says. Then he says that Nato is as important as ever, Article 5 is important and “I want the Russians to understand that fully.”

McConnell says Obamacare “is a pretty high item on the agenda, as you know. I would be shocked if we didn’t move forward to make good on our promise to the American people.”

That promise, ICYMI, is to repeal the Affordable Care and Patient Protection Act. (Or maybe just the unpopular bits.)

Updated

McConnell talks tax reform, supreme court

Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell is speaking.

“The American people have spoken and president Trump will send us a nominee I assume early next year.”

McConnell says “the new president will fill the vacancy and i expect it to be handled in the way these court appointments are typically handled and I would not anticipate any particular strategies...” on the part of Democrats.

Legislative priorities?

Tax reform “is really important,” McConnell says.

“The current president was not interested in making it revenue-neutral for the government... the goal ought to be when revenue is produced by the elimination of preferences, use that to buy down the rates.”

McConnell says he’d like to see comprehensive tax reform, including corporate tax reform.

“There were plenty of Democrats onboard” in the eighties, he says.

McConnell is asked about his own legacy.

“We haven’t even started the next Congress yet. There’ll be plenty of time to talk legacies later.”

On funding the government, which comes up next month, during the lame duck session. McConnell says that and a medical measures bill are on the immediate agenda, he’s spoken about that with Obama.

McConnell is asked about his past expressions of concerns about Trump’s remarks about Mexicans.

McConnell says let’s “Look forward and not backward.

“We’re going to be talking to the president about his agenda. I think border security is important.. I want to try to achieve border security in whatever way is most effective.”

Reading.

The New Yorker’s David Remnick:

The election of Donald Trump to the Presidency is nothing less than a tragedy for the American republic, a tragedy for the Constitution, and a triumph for the forces, at home and abroad, of nativism, authoritarianism, misogyny, and racism. Trump’s shocking victory, his ascension to the Presidency, is a sickening event in the history of the United States and liberal democracy. On January 20, 2017, we will bid farewell to the first African-American President—a man of integrity, dignity, and generous spirit—and witness the inauguration of a con who did little to spurn endorsement by forces of xenophobia and white supremacy. It is impossible to react to this moment with anything less than revulsion and profound anxiety. [...]

It is all a dismal picture. Late last night, as the results were coming in from the last states, a friend called me full of sadness, full of anxiety about conflict, about war. Why not leave the country? But despair is no answer. To combat authoritarianism, to call out lies, to struggle honorably and fiercely in the name of American ideals—that is what is left to do. That is all there is to do.

Video: Hillary Clinton concession

Hillary Clinton concession speech: ‘I know it’s painful’

'They're in charge of everything now'

Wheeling a case of wine and a 12-pack of beer out of the Total Wine and Spirits liquor superstore in Natick, Massachusetts, Maureen ( an older woman who declined to give her last name) called it “a sad day.”

“They’re in charge of everything now,” she said of Republicans with a heavy Boston accent as she loaded her purchases into her Subaru SUV.

“The House, the Senate, the Supreme Court justices. They never let Obama pass a thing and now it’s theirs.”

Of Trump, she said, “He’s like a little spoiled brat, things don’t go his way, he’s nasty to everyone.”

“I had some friends who were for him and I couldn’t understand it, the way he talks about people” she added.

Inside the store, a staff member recognized a regular customer. “Back already?” he called out cheerfully. “Saw the results and had to come back for more?”

The White House press secretary goes where the president and Clinton dared not, mentioning Clinton’s lead in the popular vote:

Johnson sends Trump best wishes

Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson has released a statement with running mate Bill Weld, who came out in the final days of the election and pleaded with people to whatever they did not vote for Trump:

“It is a rare privilege to play a part in shaping the future of a great nation. By offering Americans an honorable, principled choice in this election, and being joined by thousands of supporters and volunteers to make a credible third party ticket part of the national conversation, we took significant steps toward reshaping the political landscape. For that, I am both proud and grateful. [...]

“Today is a day to wish the President-elect our best wishes, and a sincere hope that, together, we can get about the business of addressing the challenges this great nation faces.”

Iowa representative Steve King, who supported Trump early and often, tips his hat to newly reelected Iowa senator Chuck Grassley, the chairman of the judiciary committee who declined to hold hearings on Barack Obama’s supreme court nominee, Merrick Garland.

Trump will now nominate a supreme court justice whom the Republican-controlled senate may confirm. He may get to nominate more than one... if Republicans can keep the senate through the midterms... The question is, what does “saving the Constitution” mean, for those now with their hands on the levers of power?

Does the media posture on Trump change now? Here’s an early entry from the world of celeb media:

Reader reactions

Shocked but still believe in it

I’m living in the Middle East, Iraqi Kurdistan. I was really shocked by the news and my mind can barely believe in this, but I have to convince myself with the result. Mr.Trump, you won the election then I hope you do the change you are planning to do. Mr.Trump you have accused Obama and Clinton by bringing ISIS to excite then put you plan you an action and let us see what you can do. Stand with Peace, Love, Justice and respect :)

-Haseeb Ah-Hassan

We need to embrace democracy.

I was backing Hillary Clinton to win as I felt she was the most qualified candidate for the Presidency that anyone has ever seen. However, alike the Brexit vote, I was sceptical about the UK leaving Europe and I have since embraced this and outlined the optimism in the mandate. I am now going to try and embrace Donald Trump’s win of the election and see the advantages of his role in the White House. After all, the UK and US are democratic countries and the people have spoken, therefore we should embrace this and look to the future. Even if we are becoming an anti-establishment society, democracy shows that people want change.

Watching President Trump (I literally shudder while typing this..) give his acceptance speech has made me despair for my future, my children’s future and my children’s future.

-Lewis Ormston

Think I’m being dramatic? Think again...

His behavior during the campaign has now legitimized what and how future generations of young men will be taught on how to treat women, how women will be forever seen as second class to men and finally how anyone who is not the whitest of white can ever truly be hold a position of power in any role.

This win is a middle finger to a black man being president and a woman daring to stand up and ask to be considered equal to a man.

-Petal23

If only Bernie...

I believe that apart from lack of trust issues Trump won because those with the most to lose did not make the effort to vote. If only Bernie had begun his campaign two months earlier. If only...If only..If only.....

-fourthplinth

This is a disaster

Millions of Americans rose up to cast a vote for bigotry, misogyny, and dumb, cruel-hearted ignorance. This is a disaster.

-NickNormal

Overt post-Brexit-style racism, without ever having been absent in the United States, now more overt, as in this scene:

Has the reality settled in yet?

Arizona senator Jeff Flake was one of Trump’s most vocal Republican detractors:

Hispanic readers: tell us how you feel about the US election result

In an unexpected win, Donald Trump rode the wave of anti-establishment sentiment to become the next president-elect of the US.

If you’re Hispanic we’d like to hear from you: what do you make of the results? How are you feeling? Share your reactions with us by filling in the form below. We’ll feature a selection of responses in our live coverage.

Get in touch here:

Barack Obama has just suffered a devastating blow to his legacy. He failed to hand off the White House to a member of his party, despite his personal popularity. His namesake health care legislation is on the chopping block. Same with his actions on emissions caps, other environmental regulations, immigration reform and more... With a Republican-controlled Congress and White House, no piece of Obama’s legislative or executive legacy would seem to be safe.

So that was a gracious speech, too, under the circumstances.

Updated

Obama:

“A lot of our fellow Americans are exulted today. A lot are less so. But that’s the nature of campaigns, that’s the nature of democracy.

“To the young people who got into politics for the first time and may be discouraged by the results, I want you to know, you have to stay encouraged... don’t get cynical. Fighting for what is right is important..

“I’ve lost elections before. Joe hasn’t.. [Biden lost the 2008 primary to Obama]

Biden: “you beat me badly.”

Obama: “we lick our wounds, we brush ourselves off, we get back in the arena... we move forward.. that presumption of good faith is essential to a vibrant... democracy.”

“That’s how we have come this far... I’m confident that this incredible journey that we’re on will go on.”

Obama says he is going to do everything he can to hand off smoothly to Trump. It’s a relay race, he says. “Ultimately, we’re all on the same team,” he says.

He’s done.

Obama: 'we are now all rooting for his success'

Here’s Obama. With the vice president.

“Yesterday, before votes were tallied, I shot a video... in which I said to the American people.. the sun would come up in the morning and that is one bit of prognosticating that actually came true.

“I know everybody had a long night. I did as well.”

Obama said he spoke with “president-elect Trump” at 3.30am.

“It is no secret that the president-elect and I have some pretty significant differences. But remember that eight years ago, President Bush and I had some pretty significant differences..

“The presidency and vice presidency is bigger than any of us.

“We are now all rooting for his success in uniting and leading this country. The peaceful transfer of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy.”

On Clinton:

“I could not be prouder of her... I am proud of her. A lot of Americans look up to her... Her candidacy and nomination was historic..

“Everybody is sad when their side loses their election. But the day after, we have to remember that we’re actually all on the same team.... we’re patriots first.

“That’s what I heard when I spoke to [Trump] directly, and I was heartened by that. That’s what our country needs. ... I hope that he maintains that spirit throughout this transition and I certainly hope that’s how his presidency has a chance to begin.”

Obama to speak

A two-minute warning has been issued.

Trump wins Alaska, the AP says. 279-228 Trump. He tops 300 if he keeps ahold of Arizona and Michigan.

Next up: president Barack Obama. Here’s a live stream:

Trump camp welcomes Clinton speech: 'very classy'

Trump spokesman Jason Miller:

George W Bush congratulates Trump

“Laura and I wish the President-elect, Melania, and the entire Trump family all our very best...”

Good point here. Clinton didn’t mention she’s ahead... in the popular vote.

House minority leader Nancy Pelosi says she’s ready to work on an infrastructure spending bill, too:

Clinton says she is “incredibly honored and grateful to have had this chance.”

“May god bless you and may god bless the United States of America.”

She hugs everyone onstage and walks off.

There goes Clinton.

Clinton:

“And to all the women.. who put their faith in this campaign and me... I want you to know that nothing has made me prouder than to be your champion.”

“I know we have still not shattered that highest and hardest glass ceiling, but I know someday someone will, and hopefully sooner than we might think right now.

“And to all the little girls who are watching this, never doubt that you are valuable, powerful, and deserving of every opportunity in the world and every chance to pursue your own dreams.”

Updated

Clinton: 'This loss hurts' but don't stop believing

Clinton thanks Kaine and Holton and says she’s comforted to know Kaine is going back to the senate.

“To Barack and Michelle Obama. Our country owes you an enormous debt of gratitude. We thank you for your graceful determined leadership that has meant so much...

“And to Bill and Chelsea, Mark Charlotte Aidan.. my love for you means more than I can ever express. You criss-crossed this country on my behalf and lifted me up when I needed it most.

She thanks the “talent and dedicated” staff. Any names?

“You poured your hearts into this campaign... you were the best campaign that anybody could have ever expected or wanted.

“And to the millions of volunteers, community leaders, activists and union organizers...I want everybody coming out... and make sure your voices are heard going forward.

She thanks donors. She thanks “the young people in particular.” And tells them she’s had “successes and setbacks,” “Sometimes really painful.”

“You will have successes and setbacks too. This loss hurts. But please never stop believing that fighting for what’s right is worth it.”

Updated

Clinton says that in addition to respecting the election “we must defend” the values of non-discrimination and the rule of law and equality before the law.

That’s applauded.

She calls on supporters to advance the values “we hold most dear.”

“We’ve spent a year-and-a-half bringing together millions of people...

“We believe the American dream is big enough for everyone.”

She says men, women, LGBT, people with disabilites - “for everyone.”

“Our responsibility as citizens is to continue to do our part to build that better stronger fairer America that we all seek.”

Clinton: 'We must accept this result'

The crowd is clapping too much for Clinton to begin.

“Thank you all very much,” she says.

They clap and clap and clap.

“Thank you, thank you. And I love you all, too.”

“Last night I congratulated Donald Trump and offered to work with him on behalf of our country. I hope that he will be a president for all of our country...

“I’m sorry that we did not win this election for the values we all share...

“You represent the best of America, and being your candidate has been one of the greatest honors of my life. I know how disappointed you feel, because I feel it too....

This is painful, and it will be for a long time. But I want you to remember this. Our campaign was never about one person... it was about building a country that we love... We have seen that our country was more deeply divided than we ever thought...

We must accept this result... Donald Trump is going to be our president... we owe him an open mind and a chance to lead.

Here comes Clinton. She steps to the stage smiling. Chelsea and husband Mark and Bill Clinton with her.

“Thank you,” she begins, to applause.

You can watch the Clinton/Kaine live stream atop the blog there. Kaine is recounting a Biblical parable. He says that Clinton’s team is defined by its loyalty which is inspiring.

“And finally I’m proud of Hillary because she loves this country. Nobody had to wonder of Hillary Clinton whether she would accept the outcome of an election.”

That’s a dig at Trump, not by name, a damnation by comparison.

“I want to thank Hillary for asking me and Anne if we would join this wild ride.”

Kaine quotes Faulkner. “They kilt us, but they ain’t whupped us yet.”

Clinton to speak

Tim Kaine and wife Anne Holton take the stage at the New Yorker ballroom.

Kaine says “I’m proud of Hillary Clinton because she has been and is a great history-maker.”

Huma Abedin and other aides have entered the room at the New Yorker hotel. They’re applauded.

British prime minister congratulates Trump

Prime Minister Theresa May gave a statement after Donald Trump was elected the next President of the United States.

Prime Minister Theresa May said:

“I would like to congratulate Donald Trump on being elected the next President of the United States, following a hard-fought campaign.

“Britain and the United States have an enduring and special relationship based on the values of freedom, democracy and enterprise.

“We are, and will remain, strong and close partners on trade, security and defence.

“I look forward to working with President-elect Donald Trump, building on these ties to ensure the security and prosperity of our nations in the years ahead.”

Ryan is done. He struck an upbeat tone, praising Trump for delivering a unified Republican government, admiring Trump’s political feat, identifying an opportunity “to go big and to go bold” with Republican legislative priorities and declaring “this is good for our country.”

Ryan: “one of the biggest for this race is the constitution itself... we believe in the constitution. We have an agenda to get people back to work. We want the federal government to respect the states. This is exciting.

“He set the right tone with his speech, which is to be magnanimous, to be presidential and bring people together.”

Ryan says “Donald and I have had fantastic conversations.” He’s also spoken with his good friend Mike Pence.

“How do we make sure that when his hand comes off the Bible, when he’s sworn in as president, that we are hitting the ground running?

Ryan: 'the opportunity is to go big and go bold'

“The opportunity is now here, and the opportunity is to go big and go bold,” Ryan says. “What I see here is great potential... the opportunity to get back to work for the American people. Donald Trump pulled off an amazing political feat.”

Ryan: 'this is good for our country'

Ryan is asked about Trump’s remarks about women and Latinos. Ryan says he tells Wisconsinites, think of all that a united Republican government can do.

Ryan praises Trump for delivering Wisconsin for the first time since 1984.

Ryan is asked about Obamacare. Ryan says it’s not popular and is “collapsing under its own weight.”

“Now we have president Trump coming who is asking us to fix this... there are so many things I’m excited about... there is relief coming. This is good for our country. This means we can list the repressive weight of the regulatory state... think of the ... judges. This is very exciting. “

Ryan says Trump 'just earned a mandate'

“I think our relationship’s fine, I’ve spoken with Donald twice in the last 18 hours.

I think we’re going to hit the ground running... I think what Donald Trump just pulled off is an enormous political feat... he just earned a mandate. And we now just had a unified Republican government.

“That’s why I’m excited about where we are.

“We had great conversations about how we’ll work together.”

Here’s Paul Ryan, right on time:

Tim Kaine’s is certainly a hard mood to dampen, isn’t it...

Updated

Hillary Clinton wins Minnesota, the Associated Press projects. A tight 1.4-point win. The electoral tally climbs to Trump 276 Clinton 228.

The party doesn’t decide ... and don’t trust the polls. Basically, throw all the old metrics out the window. State-level ground games run by the campaign (not the national party), too – those don’t matter anymore, either. Apparently.

Out with the old, in with the new:

Here’s video of Clinton’s motorcade carrying her toward her speech:

Trump will begin receiving full presidential briefings today, CNN reports.

Tim Kaine arrives at the New Yorker hotel. Last night was the first election the former mayor and governor and current senator had ever lost. He’s now 8-1.

Clinton is expected to speak soon. We’ve just added a live video stream to the top of the blog and here it is for good measure:

Clinton’s motorcade is now moving out of the Peninsula, headed for the New Yorker hotel where she will speak.

It’s a quiet morning at Trump Tower. In fact the media pool representative there has just described himself as “the only person sitting on the metal benches just across from the elevator bay... NYPD and Secret Service has completely locked down the area, no one is milling about in the lobby, the Starbucks on the second floor is closed.”

Trump is in the tower, a spokesperson says. Nothing further at this time.

Clinton delayed

Hillary Clinton has yet to leave her hotel for her speech scheduled to begin 20 minutes ago, originally scheduled to begin 80 minutes ago.

The world is still waiting to hear and see Clinton for the first time since her loss.

The popular vote count isn’t totally settled. But Trump trails both Obama and Romney from the 2012 election – and Clinton from this election:

Those popular vote totals are why this 2012 tweet is so widely shared today:

Updated

George HW Bush sends best wishes, prayer

The Bush dynasty has been beaten... for now.

George P, the Texas land commissioner, is Jeb’s oldest son. Neither George W Bush nor Laura Bush cast a ballot in the presidential election, according to a spokesperson. George HW Bush was quoted earlier this year as saying he would vote for Clint.

Here’s Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway talking this morning about whether Trump still thinks the election was rigged.

She spouts spokespeak, “he certainly would say the system is rigged... when he said the system was rigged.. he couldn’t believe he wasn’t winning.”

Why does this quotidian tweet have hundreds of likes and retweets?

The results continue to trickle in... the AP calls Nebraska’s second congressional district for the challenger, a Republican, who ends the brief Washington career of Brad Ashford, the Democratic incumbent. The Republican romp continues.

Video: Trump's victory speech

Donald Trump’s victory speech in full – video

Obama to speak at midday

It’s a full lineup:

A reminder that we’re due to hear from House speaker Paul Ryan at around 11.15pm – potentially directly after Clinton’s address.

Merkel appeals to 'shared values'

German chancellor Angela Merkel has offered “cooperation” to “the next president of the United States,” emphasizing shared values including “the dignity of man, independent of origin, skin color, religion, gender, sexual orientation or political views”:

Romney sends 'best wishes'

Here’s Mitt Romney, the 2012 nominee, who by the current count garnered a two million more popular votes in that election than Trump got last night - but lost. Romney did.

Updated

Yes, the election polls were wrong. Here's why

The polls were wrong. And because we are obsessed with predicting opinions rather than listening to them, we didn’t see it coming. So, the world woke up believing that Republican candidate Donald Trump had a 15% chance of winning based on polling predictions – roughly the same chance of rolling a total of six if you have two dice. Despite those odds, the next US president will be Donald Trump.

I have a few ideas about what went wrong. In the four years I’ve spent as a data journalist, I’ve been concerned by how much faith the public has placed in polling. Just like you’d check the weather before getting dressed, many people checked presidential polling numbers before heading out to vote. That’s understandable. Politics can feel as unpredictable as the weather, and who wouldn’t want to eliminate uncertainty? The world is a scary and confusing place right now.

But those are two very different kinds of forecasts. One is based on natural science, the other on social science. People are different to planets – they can change their minds, they can decide to not share their opinions or they can flat out lie. And that’s before you even get to some of the statistical issues that make polling inaccurate.

That’s not new information. Polling analysts like me knew the numbers were inaccurate before Brexit happened. Despite that, the polling predictions kept coming. Why?

Definitely read further:

Political polls are bad for democracy: here’s why

The Clinton camera is trying to get an eye on her leaving the Peninsula hotel for the New Yorker hotel’s grand ballroom, where she’s scheduled to speak. No sighting yet.

Margaret Sullivan, media commentator at the Washington Post, wrote this morning about how the media failed American voters by completely misunderstanding the election - and taking Trump’s criticisms personally.

To put it bluntly, the media missed the story. In the end, a huge number of American voters wanted something different. And although these voters shouted and screamed it, most journalists just weren’t listening. They didn’t get it.

They didn’t get that the huge, enthusiastic crowds at Donald Trump’s rallies would really translate into that many votes. They couldn’t believe that the America they knew could embrace someone who mocked a disabled man, bragged about sexually assaulting women, and spouted misogyny, racism and anti-Semitism.

She highlights something that Trump backer, billionaire Peter Thiel, pointed out last week.

“The media is always taking Trump literally. It never takes him seriously, but it always takes him literally,” Thiel said. Journalists wanted to know exactly how he would deport that many undocumented immigrants, or exactly how Trump would rid the world of ISIS. We wanted details.

But a lot of voters think the opposite way: They take Trump seriously but not literally.

They realize, Thiel said, that Trump doesn’t really plan to build a wall. “What they hear is, ‘We’re going to have a saner, more sensible immigration policy.’ ”

Hilary supporter Fatima Hozien, 28 , of New Jersey, responds as election results come in at the Hilary Clinton election party at the Jacob Javits Convention Center, NYC.
Hilary supporter Fatima Hozien, 28 , of New Jersey, responds as election results come in at the Hilary Clinton election party at the Jacob Javits Convention Center, NYC. Photograph: Ali Smith for the Guardian/Photograph by Ali Smith

After a controversial campaign that included contentious remarks about Muslims, and other ethnic minorities, readers share their reaction to Trump’s win.

Anonymous: “I feel extremely disappointed that America elected an outright racist man as President.

“This country will not come together but will be even be more divided. And to the people who say that President Obama was the worst President in history, should really go and check their facts.

“And for the people who voted for Trump, don’t believe he is going to do anything for you. You are foolish and you will see. Give it sometime. Yes, we all want change. But, not all change is good change.

“Donald Trump will take away every right that was fought for this country. Say goodbye to womens’ right to choose, say goodbye to equality, and say goodbye to democracy. What’s the purpose of the Statue of Liberty, when all your liberties will be taken away? America has ushered in a new era of hate, inequality, and injustices.

Sara: “As a queer Jewish woman it’s devastating to feel that a majority of my nation does not support my rights - let alone the rights of others which I work to support and uphold and believe in with the core of my being.

“But after the initial shock and depression has sunk in, I am channeling my emotions as fuel. This is an opportunity to step up, become much more active, and work towards organizing collective action to change the political status quo.”

Matanda Mondoa: “I think many of us thought Hillary Clinton got the election on solid ground. But when the results showed otherwise, things suddenly turned too real. I’m worried for my friends and family, the immigrant and undocumented communities, LGBT community, and Muslim & Arab American communities.

“While Democrats still have a hold in my home state, the fact that it’s the contrary everywhere else will have me look out for people’s safety & peace of mind.”

Updated

This is a weirdly paparazzi-style video, but it’s monitoring Hillary Clinton as she leaves her Manhattan hotel this morning to give a speech to supporters. So far just a waiting car is visible.

Clinton’s 10:30am speech will be less a concession to Trump and more a thank you to supporters, says CNN’s Dan Merica.

Opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange has just been rung, now it’s eyes on the market to see how it will react to the election of Trump as president.

Asian markets and the US dollar dropped yesterday following initial news of his presidency.

Environmental activists hold a banner during a protest against President-elect Donald Trump at the Climate Conference, known as COP22, in Marrakech, Morocco, Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2016.
Environmental activists hold a banner during a protest against President-elect Donald Trump at the Climate Conference, known as COP22, in Marrakech, Morocco, Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2016. Photograph: Mosa'ab Elshamy/AP

What will happen to world climate change agreements in light of the election of Donald Trump?

As John Vidal reports:

Just days after the historic Paris agreement officially came into force, climate denier Donald Trump’s victory has thrown the global deal into uncertainty and raised fears that the US will reverse the ambitious environmental course charted under Barack Obama.

International environmental groups meeting at the UN climate talks in Morocco said it would be a catastrophe if Trump acted on his pledge to withdraw the US from the deal, which took 20 years to negotiate, and to increase federal spending on oil, gas and coal.

They urged the president-elect, as the leader of the second greatest greenhouse gas emitter, to act in the interests of all the world.

“The new president must protect the people he serves from climate chaos. No personal belief or political affiliation can change the stark truth that every new oil well and pipeline pushes us all closer to catastrophe. The administration has moral and legal obligations to meet international commitments,” said May Boeve, head of climate campaign group 350.org.

Read the rest here.

Interesting insight from Politico’s Annie Karni, a member of the Clinton campaign’s traveling press:

Polls show it was white working class voters who won the election for Trump.

Cuba to launch military exercises to prepare for ‘range of enemy actions’

From the Associated Press:

Cuba has announced the launch of five days of nationwide military exercises to prepare troops to confront what the government calls “a range of enemy actions”.

The government did not link the exercises to Donald Trump’s US presidential victory but the announcement of maneuvers and tactical exercises across the country came nearly simultaneously with Trump’s surprise win.

It is the seventh time Cuba has held what it calls the “Bastion Strategic Exercise”, often in response to points of high tension with the United States.

The first exercise was launched in 1980 after the election of Ronald Reagan as US president, according to an official history.

Trump has promised to reverse Barack Obama’s re-establishment of diplomatic relations with Cuba and the ongoing normalization of the relationship between the two countries.

An announcement by Cuba’s Revolutionary Armed Forces in red ink across the top of the front page of the country’s main newspaper said the army, interior ministry and other forces would be conducting maneuvers and different types of tactical exercises from 16 to 20 November.

Read the rest here.

Mexico’s President Enrique Pena Nieto, Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and U.S. President Barack Obama shake hands at the North American Leaders’ Summit in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, June 29, 2016.
Mexico’s President Enrique Pena Nieto, Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and U.S. President Barack Obama shake hands at the North American Leaders’ Summit in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, June 29, 2016. Photograph: Chris Wattie/Reuters

Justin Trudeau, Canada’s prime minister, has just send out a statement congratulating Donald Trump.

The US accounted for 60% of Canada’s global trade in 2014, a relationship underpinned by Nafta. Trump, who has described the agreement as “the worst trade deal in history”, has vowed to renegotiate the terms and would move to withdraw the US from the deal if Canada and Mexico refuse. According to the Canadian government, nearly 400,000 people a day cross the shared border between Canada and the US.

Below is the statement in full:

***

“On behalf of the Government of Canada, I would like to congratulate Donald J. Trump on his election as the next President of the United States.

“Canada has no closer friend, partner, and ally than the United States. We look forward to working very closely with President-elect Trump, his administration, and with the United States Congress in the years ahead, including on issues such as trade, investment, and international peace and security.

“The relationship between our two countries serves as a model for the world. Our shared values, deep cultural ties, and strong integrated economies will continue to provide the basis for advancing our strong and prosperous partnership.”

Updated

A relevant message from Pope Francis this morning:

Hillary Clinton’s speech has been pushed back to 10:30am ET this morning (doors will open at 9:30am).

Meanwhile, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin), who has never been a strong Donald Trump supporter, will speak in a “post election press briefing” this morning at 11:15am ET.

Mexican president Enrique Peña Nieto, who met with Donald Trump during the presidential election in September, tweeted his congratulations to the United States - not Donald Trump - this morning.

“I congratulate the USA on its electoral process and I reiterate to Donald Trump our willingness to work together in support of bilateral relations,” said Peña Nieto.

“Mexico and the USA are friends, partners and allies that must continue collaborating for the competitiveness and the development of North America,” said Peña Nieto.

“I trust that Mexico and the United States continue to strengthen their bonds of cooperation and mutual respect,” he said.

Updated

White voters gave victory to Donald Trump, exit polls show

It was all supposed to hinge on the surging turnout of Latino voters for Hillary Clinton and whether or not the Democratic nominee could persuade enough African American voters to emulate them.

In the end, according to exit polls, the election result seems to have been more about the remarkable degree of backing from America’s white voters for Donald Trump – including white college-educated voters and white female voters.

Clinton’s lead among non-white voters was substantial, but not enough to make up the difference. It was also less than many anticipated – and less than Barack Obama’s four years previously.

Data from CNN’s Edison national election poll, based on a sample of 24,537 respondents at 350 polling stations, is not definitive – the US census board will provide that – and has contained errors in the past.

The polling guru Nate Silver, editor of FiveThirtyEight, said exit polls had done an “awfully bad job” on Tuesday night, initially predicting a Clinton landslide.

But on the poll’s evidence, although the disaffected, economically insecure white blue-collar voters to whom Trump was always going to appeal certainly helped him win in rustbelt states such as Michigan, they cannot explain the new Republican president’s performance nationwide.

What appears to have made the biggest difference on the night was the turnout for Trump of white voters across the board – of both sexes and almost all ages and education levels.

Read the rest here.

Construction workers begin assembly of the reviewing stand for President Elect Donald Trump’s inauguration outside the White House in Washington, DC, on 9 November.
Construction workers begin assembly of the reviewing stand for President Elect Donald Trump’s inauguration outside the White House in Washington, DC, on 9 November. Photograph: Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA

Readers have been trying to make sense of what happened overnight too - here are some of their thoughts.

PapaDiablo: “Donald Trump as President and the Brexit vote are both natural reactions to a people who believe they have had their futures taken away and no longer have a voice. We currently live in a world where opinions are buried and “tolerance” is pushed on people without an attempt to educate them. I was against both but not surprised that both were victorious.

When you demand people accept something they refuse and that breeds anger and hate. So when people who will say the things that dwell in your mind but can’t say arrive, you gravitate towards them regardless of the fact they may not have the all the same opinions as you. As a society we created this by expecting generations to accept a new world without fully helping them understand it. This new world is for the lost, scared and hateful and to some degree we all those three things.

WILL D: “Clinton and the ‘Establishment’s’ arrogance and complacency lost her the election. Just like Brexit, the establishment assumed that electing Trump as president was just a wild fantasy and would never ever happen in a million years! And therein lies the problem. The false sense of security, the gross misunderstanding of the mood of the people, the conceited belief that they were far superior to Trump and that when it came to actually voting, few people would actually vote for him.

How wrong they were … There is this ever increasing loss of connection with the mood of the people, and ever increasing sense of being able to manipulate the people to believe they were the ‘good guys’. Democracy purports to be ‘government by the people, for the people’. But it hasn’t been like that - ever. It probably won’t under Trump either, but he represents a change of direction, and time will tell whether he will be as bad as the establishment and media fear.

Anonymous: “Although the progressive side of politics couldn’t believe a Trump victory was possible, it has been obvious to some of us for a long time that the dispossessed would eventually rise up against both the educated elites and the power elite. This has been their day. Those without a voice have been ignored by the approved avenues of discourse, which have until now simply shouted down and shut out the voices of the losers in our technocratic imperium. We have been told that in a meritocracy, losers have only themselves to blame and that there has been only one game in town which everyone must play. But the losers still have the vote — for now.

You can share your pictures, videos and perspectives on the election result by clicking on the blue ‘Contribute’ button at the top and bottom of the live blog or by using the form here.

There’s a lot of people who’ve fought with Donald Trump over the years, never expecting that he would one day become the next US president.

A dispatch from The Guardian’s Africa correspondent Jason Burke.

Across Africa, commentators and the public expressed concern and shock at Donald Trump’s election.
Elisabeth Mokone, 46, a businesswoman in north Johannesburg, South Africa, said she was scared.

“I just don’t know what is going to happen,” Mokone said. “We in Africa need US aid and we need the trade. That’s all going to stop. But more than that, it is like the world is falling apart. Maybe Africa is the only hope now.”

Ferial Haffajee, a prominent South African editor and journalist, said she was “very sad”.

“Eight years ago we were all up watching a truly profound and historic moment [when Obama won]. It felt like a victory for black people and was really appreciated here. To see the pendulum swing so far so quickly makes me question the whole idea of progressive politics,” Haffajee said.

Sam Mpofu, 56, a handyman in the poor Johannesburg neighborhood of Alexandra, said he was surprised that someone who “said so many bad things about people” had been elected.

“What were they thinking of? Maybe they were just frightened by all the bad things in the world. Maybe they are racist people. I don’t know,” Mpofu said.

In Nigeria, Africa’s most populous state, there was dismay.

JJ Omojuwa, one of Nigeria’s most influential bloggers, said that the decision of the American people had to be respected, but expressed his fears for the future.

“It is democracy. The majority has decided. We can only hope he doesn’t shift the foreign policy or the treatment of minorities in a way that means the US is no longer the beacon of democracy it has been for 200 years,” Omojuwa, speaking from Abuja, the Nigerian capital, said.

As local leaders rushed to congratulate Trump, experts said agreements giving African companies tariff-free access to US markets might now be threatened.

Local media are scrutinizing Trump’s previous speeches for clues about his likely policy towards African nations.

“Africa is going to be way down the agenda. The guy barely knows where Africa is on a map. The only interest will be in terrorism and security,” said Mondli Makhanya, a senior South African journalist.

Somalia, in the middle of its own election, congratulated Trump on his victory “at time of great change, challenges and opportunities around the world.”

Uhuru Kenyatta, the president of Kenya, congratulated Trump for his” victorious campaign” and Clinton for her ‘valiant effort’. Kenyatta reminded Trump that the “ties that bind Kenya and the United States of America are old, and based in the values that we hold dear: in democracy, in the rule of law, and in the equality of peoples.”

“These values remain dear to the peoples of both nations, and so our friendship will endure,” a statement issued on Wednesday said.

Lucy Sibanda, a cleaner from Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, said she did not understand why Obama did not”do what African leaders do”, and cancel the elections.
“He could have just stopped it when he saw it was not going the right way,” Sibanda, 34, said.

Updated

Trump’s campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, just explained how the conceding phone call between the Clinton and Trump camps took place.

Conway just said on CNN that she received a phone call from top Clinton aide Huma Abedin laat night while watching the results come in. She “had a nice exchange with Huma,” before Abedin said that Clinton wanted to speak with Trump and the phone was passed over.

“They had maybe a one minute conversation, very gracious very warm, he commended her for being smart and tough and running a hard fought campaign,” said Conway.

Clinton to give concession speech at 9.30am

Hillary Clinton will “deliver remarks to her staff and supporters” at 9.30 ET this morning at the New Yorker Hotel in Manhattan, according to a statement from her campaign.

It will be the first time she’s addressed the public since last night’s election loss.

Anti-Trump protests in the Bay Area seem to have quietened for the evening, with protesters making plans for future events.

East Bay Times reporter George Kelly captured the moment a protester threw a rock through the newsroom window:

There’s been numerous protest fires burning around Oakland:

And a flag burning in Portland, Oregon:

More anti-Trump protests are likely in coming days.

Clinton ahead in national popular vote

Hillary Clinton may have lost the presidency, but she still remains ahead in the national popular vote.

As NPR reports:

As of 7.20 am ET, Clinton had amassed 59,059,121 votes nationally, to Trump’s 58,935,231 — a margin of 123,890 that puts Clinton on track to become the fifth U.S. presidential candidate to win the popular vote but lose the election.

The last person to win the popular vote but not the presidency was Al Gore in the 2000 election.

Updated

Video: how election night unfolded

How the 2016 US election night unfolded

Updated

The missed opportunity for the US to have its first female president is being felt by women all over the world.

LG Godwin from Virginia feels that despite her issues with Clinton she voted for her with pride. Regardless of her flaws she should go down in history alongside the greatest heroines of the suffrage movement:

I have had a man treat me the way our president elect says he can treat women and I feel like that man is threatening me again. I have spent the night reassuring friends of color and in the LGBTQ community that I have their back even as I, as a woman and an academic, fear for my own future. I have spent the evening wanting to apologize to friends around the world for the harm that will inevitably come to them, and their children, from this presidency.

I have had my issues with Clinton, not least on the subject of the Iraq War and general neoliberalism, but I voted for her, proudly, with tears of joy in my eyes yesterday. And I feel for her now. No one has a ‘right’ to the presidency, but for the most qualified candidate in history, and one manifestly more suited to the moment/addressing the very issues Trump voters said they wanted addressed, to lose to such an appalling excuse for a human is incomprehensible.

I am sorry, world. I am ashamed. For anyone reassuring their children today, please know that there ARE Americans who reject hate and selfishness.”

Rahel from Switzerland says she would have loved her younger siblings to have been able to see a capable and smart woman run such an important country:

To see a woman as president would have meant so much to me. I would have been so glad to live in a world where this was possible. This election makes me feel insecure about being a woman, it makes me think that women, after all, can not do anything. I know of course, deep down, that this is not true, that there are so many amazing women and men out there who do such wonderful work for equality of all genders, races and lifestyles, but I also know that this horrible feeling is going to stay with me for a long time.

I feel so bad for Mrs Clinton, she has thrown herself into this election with all her heart, with such good preparation and experience and she has now been rejected for the worst possible alternative. I know she will find the strength to come back from this, but I am afraid that she too, will be stuck with this sick feeling of being so powerless in the face of depravity and hate.

FeministGirl from Norway says the women of the world are in despair today:

I’m not a fan of Clinton, however, how can the people of the US vote against a president who wanted more accessible college education, better health care coverage, an increase in minimum pay and aims to represent women all over the world? How can they, instead, vote for two angry little men who are abnormally obsessed with women’s vaginas?!

Updated

The Prime Minister of Slovenia – the First Lady-elect (is that a term?) Melania Trump’s country of birth – offers his congratulations to Trump.

Updated

Obama calls Trump to offer congrats; promises smooth transition

President Obama called Donald Trump to congratulate him on his win and to invite him to the White House on Thursday, according to a statement from the White House.

“Ensuring a smooth transition of power is one of the top priorities the president identified at the beginning of the year and a meeting with the president-elect is the next step,” reads the statement from the White House press secretary.

Obama also phoned Secretary Clinton to express his “admiration for the strong campaign she waged.” Obama and the First Lady were highly involved in Clinton’s campaign, hosting rallies and making speeches on her behalf for months.

President Obama will address the public today on how the country can “come together” after this bitter election.

Here’s the full statement:

Updated

Donald Trump is getting an early start to his day, tweeting this morning:

Trump victory to affect climate change talks

Donald Trump’s victory will loom large over the UN climate talks underway in Marrakech this week.

The president elect has previously said he does not believe in climate change science, and has promised to pull the US out of the Paris climate change agreement, which came into force last Friday.

Withdrawing from Paris is something he has promised to do in his first 100 days, though experts believe it would take at least four years to unpick it because the accord is now law.

Campaigners warned that the US risked being left behind on the economic opportunities of switching to clean energy. Here’s a wrap of reaction to his win.

May Boeve, executive director of climate group 350.org, said: “Trump’s election is a disaster, but it cannot be the end of the international climate process. We’re not giving up the fight and neither should the international community. Trump will try and slam the brakes on climate action, which means we need to throw all of our weight on the accelerator.

Kelly Stone, policy analyst at development NGO ActionAid, said: “The US has joined the Paris Agreement and must continue to meet its climate obligations. Leaving this important international agreement will damage our credibility with important overseas partners and would be a major setback in the fight against climate change.”

Mohamed Adow, international climate campaigner at the UK-based Christian Aid, said: “Last year’s Paris Agreement showed the world was united in its concern about climate change and its commitment to decarbonising the global economy. The rest of the world will not risk a global climate catastrophe because of one man’s opposition.”

For those in desperate need of cheering up this morning, check out our “How to cope with the new world order (with kittens)” blog, which has plenty of videos of cute baby animals.

The United States is waking up to a new president, after Donald Trump won the general election in a shock victory overnight.

At 2.30am ET, the Associated Press called the election for Trump, after a projected win in Wisconsin ensured he’d reach the magic 270 electoral college figure. Shortly afterwards, Hillary Clinton called Trump to concede the election.

“Now it’s time for America to bind the wounds of division ... I says it is time for us to come together as one united people,” said president-elect Trump at his election party in New York.

“I pledge to every citizen of our land that I will be president for all Americans, and this is so important for me,” said Trump.

Clinton did not speak at her event last night – instead her campaign manager John Podesta told the crowd to head home. “Get some sleep. We’ll have more to say tomorrow,” he said.

Her social media has not been updated since the polls closed. A concession speech is expected from Clinton this morning, although exact details remain unknown.

The Republicans won big all round – maintaining and strengthening its control of the Senate 51-47 after wins in Florida, Pennsylvania and Indiana. Democrats gained just one win: double amputee Iraq war veteran Tammy Duckworth in Illinois.

Congress also remains Republican controlled 236-191, after Democrats failed to win contests it had hoped for.

Right now we’re keeping our eyes on global markets - Asian stocks and the US dollar dropped after news of a likely Trump win, anti-Trump protests (Oakland, New York, Los Angeles and Washington DC have seen protests overnight) and international leaders responding to the election results. Please join us in the comments.

Updated

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