Kamala Harris calls Trump to concede defeat
President Bola Tinubu has congratulated the United States’ President-elect, Donald Trump over his re-election, hoping his return to White House will bring development partnerships between Africa and the United States.
This was contained in a release on Wednesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, adding Tinubu trusts that Trump will bring the world closer to peace and prosperity.
The release noted, “President Bola Tinubu extends his heartfelt congratulations to President Donald Trump on his re-election as the 47th President of the United States of America.
“President Tinubu looks forward to strengthening the ties between Nigeria and the United States amid the complex challenges and opportunities of the contemporary world.
President Tinubu says, “Together, we can foster economic cooperation, promote peace, and address global challenges that affect our citizens.”
According to President Tinubu, Trump’s victory reflects the trust and confidence the American people have placed in his leadership. He congratulates them on their commitment to democracy.
President Tinubu believes that, given President Trump’s experience as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021, his return to the White House as the 47th president will usher in an era of earnest, beneficial, and reciprocal economic and development partnerships between Africa and the United States.
Acknowledging the United States’ influence, power, and position in determining the trend and course of global events, the Nigerian leader trusts that President Trump will bring the world closer to peace and prosperity.
.Netanyahu, Starmer lead congratulations to Trump
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the UK’s Keir Starmer are among the many world leaders who have congratulated Donald Trump on winning the US presidential election.
The election of a new president is not just a big deal for the US – a new leader in the White House can transform the country’s foreign policy and its position towards its friends and foes internationally.
Netanyahu – who has had a difficult relationship with President Joe Biden – said it was “history’s greatest comeback”.
Sir Keir said he looked forward to “working with Trump in the years ahead” and that the UK-US “special relationship will continue to prosper on both sides of the Atlantic”.
Here is how some leaders and others around the globe have reacted so far.
Ukraine, Russia and NATO
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said he appreciates President Trump’s “commitment to the ‘peace through strength’ approach in global affairs”.
He added that he hoped for “further strong bipartisan support” for Kyiv’s war effort. Many observers have questioned whether US support for Ukraine will last, given Trump’s scepticism about military aid to the country.
In Russia, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said he was “not aware of the president’s plans to congratulate Trump on the election,” adding that Russia would judge Trump on his actions.
Trump has also been critical of NATO, accusing European allies of not paying enough on defence.
NATO secretary general Mark Rutte said he was looking forward to “working with him again to advance peace through strength through NATO”.
European leaders cordial but cautious
European leaders’ congratulations messages to Trump on his election victory did little to mask a sense of nervousness over what repercussions his second term would mean for trade, global security and support for Ukraine.
Last month, Trump warned that the European Union would have to “pay a big price” for not buying enough US exports if he won the election.
The EU’s President Ursula von der Leyen stressed in her congratulations message that “millions of jobs and billions in trade and investment on each side of the Atlantic” depend on the trade relationship between the US and EU.
French President Emmanuel Macron said he was ready to work together with Trump “with respect and ambition”. But he said he had held talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz about creating a “more united, stronger Europe”.
In his own statement, Scholz stressed Germany and the US’s shared history of upholding democratic values.
Hungary’s Viktor Orban – who, unlike other EU leaders, publicly endorsed Trump’s re-election bid – said the result was “a much-needed victory for the world”.
Meanwhile, Italy’s leader, Georgia Meloni, stressed Italy’s “unshakable alliance” with the US.
Other leaders who congratulated Trump as results continued to roll in on Wednesday included India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who described Trump as a friend, Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who expressed hope that the election would lead to the end of the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, and Argentina’s Javier Milei.
The government of Iran, one of the US’s most steadfast foes, insisted Iranians’ livelihood would not be affected by the US election, the semi-official news agency Tasnim reported.
Trump has promised to impose massive tariffs on all Chinese goods. But in a routine press briefing, China’s ministry of foreign affairs said Beijing respected “the American people’s choice”.
Speaking to reporters, a senior Taiwanese official expressed hope that Trump would continue US policy of defending the island from a potential Chinese invasion.
There has been no official statement from North Korea, but analysts believe Kim Jong Un is invested in the US electoral outcome, because it could reopen the possibility of talks.
Kim held three historic meetings with Trump when he was president. In the run-up to the first summit, he announced that Pyongyang would be halting missile and nuclear tests.
Since the failure of those talks, the reclusive country has continued expanding its nuclear weapons programme, despite UN sanctions.
Leaders from across the African continent have also congratulated Trump, with South African President Cyril Rhamaphosa saying: “I look forward to continuing the close and mutually beneficial partnership between our two nations.”
During his first term, Trump did not visit Africa, drawing criticism for his limited engagement with the continent.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he would “work together” with Trump “to create more opportunity, prosperity and security for both of our nations”.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who had expressed his support for Harris, wished “luck and success” to Trump, adding that “the world needs dialogue and joint work for more peace, development and prosperity”.
Kamala Harris calls Donald Trump to concede defeat in US election
Kamala Harris has called Donald Trump to concede defeat in the US presidential election.
A senior adviser to the vice president said she talked about “the importance of a peaceful transfer of power” and “being a president for all Americans”.
Ms Harris is due to deliver a concession speech at 4pm local (9pm UK time).
President Joe Biden also called Mr Trump to congratulate him on his election win and invited him to the White House for a transition meeting.
“President Biden expressed his commitment to ensuring a smooth transition and emphasized the importance of working to bring the country together,” the White House said.
Mr Biden phoned Ms Harris too to congratulate her on her “historic campaign”.
Mr Trump won a decisive victory – comfortably clearing the 270 electoral votes needed to clinch the presidency.
He said he had won “an unprecedented and powerful mandate”.
Declaring victory earlier in Palm Beach, Florida, Mr Trump told his supporters: “We’re going to help our country heal.
“We have a country that needs help, and it needs help very badly. We’re going to fix our borders. We’re going to fix everything about our country and we’ve made history for a reason tonight.”
He doubled down on his promise to crack down on illegal immigration and promised a “golden age of America”.
He added: “This is a magnificent victory for the American people that will allow us to ‘make America great again’.”
The president-elect briefly paused his speech as the crowd chanted “USA, USA, USA!”.
After the Republican Party also took control of the Senate from the Democrats, Mr Trump said: “America has given us an unprecedented and powerful mandate. We have taken back control of the Senate. Wow.
“Wow. That’s great.”
Mr Trump picked up his first battleground state of the night after he was declared the winner of North Carolina.
Around an hour later, he was declared the victor in Georgia, taking the state he narrowly lost to Mr Biden in 2020.
Shortly afterwards, he was projected as the winner of Pennsylvania, which was considered the most pivotal of the seven battleground states.
Mr Trump’s return to the White House was confirmed after he won Wisconsin, pushing him over the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the presidency.
