Donald Trump flips swing state in historic win passing 300 votes as details of Iranian ‘assassination’ plot revealed

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• US Senator hopes Trump will deport ‘every single’ illegal immigrant

  Indiana GOP Senator-elect Jim Banks hopes Donald Trump will be able to deport all undocumented immigrants who came to the US under Joe Biden.

  The outspoken political figure told CNN: “It’s my hope that we deport every single one of them that we can.

  “It starts with deporting violent criminals who are in the United States who came here illegally who have committed violent crimes.

  “And I think once you do that, President Trump is committed to making that his first and top priority when it comes to mass deportation.”

  Trump said yesterday that “there is no price tag” when it comes to mass deportations.

• Trump set to fill in more White House positions today

  President-elect Donald Trump is expected to make more decisions on his top team as he gears up for his White House return.

  Team Trump are believed to working to fill in vacancies, two sources close to Washington told CNN.

  They added that some critical positions could be announced as early as today.

  Trump has already announced his campaign co-manager Susie Wiles as his new White House chief of staff.

• Iranian ‘murder-for-hire plot to assassinate Donald Trump’ thwarted

  The Department of Justice has unsealed federal charges against an Iranian official in connection with a thwarted plot to kill President-elect Donald Trump.

  The alleged assassination plot against Trump was placed in the hands of a hitman in late September with plans to take out the president-elect before the November 5 election, according to a criminal complaint.

  An unnamed official with Iran‘s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard contacted the man, identified as Farhad Shakeri, in December 2023.

  The conversation saw the pair speak on arranging a plan to assassinate a US citizen, US federal officials said.

  The American was of Iranian origin, but resided in Brooklyn and was outspoken about the regime.

  Shakeri, a career criminal who previously served 14 years in a US prison for a robbery conviction, allegedly used his criminal network to tap two New York City residents to conduct surveillance and assassination operations on behalf of the Iranian government.

  Read more here

  

• Musk joins Trump’s call with Zelensky

  Donald Trump’s phone call with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky was joined by Elon Musk, two sources with knowledge of the call told Axios.

  It goes on to show the potential rise of Elon Musk in the world of politics, and how influential he could become in Trump’s second administration, where the Tesla Boss has been offered a seat.

  Experts previously told The Sun how Musk could be looking to capitalise on Trump’s win after splashing almost $120million into his campaign to help him win.

  Not only has he become a mega-donor for the Republican nominee, pumping millions of dollars into the GOP campaign, but also a social media strategist and a PR expert who has been working to promote Trump’s MAGA agenda.

  But this unlikely bromance could be a stepping stone for Musk, 53, to become the most powerful person on the planet.

  Read about the story here.

  

  

• An Israeli settlement named after Trump

  Israelis branded a remote settlement in the Golan Heights as Trump Heights to thank the former president for recognising Israel’s control of the Golan.

  During his first presidency, Trump was the first foreign leader to do so after Israel seized the area from Syria in the 1967 Mideast war.

  Trump’s election has inspired hope in the community that it will attract more members and also more funding for security improvements.

  Locals are hoping that Donald Trump’s return to the US presidency will breathe new life into this tiny settlement.

  Trump Heights is only about seven miles from Lebanon and Syria.

  Alerts for incoming fire give residents about 30 seconds’ head start to get to a bomb shelter.

  

  

  

• Trump slams rumors about selling media company shares, calls them false

  Donald Trump said on Friday he will not sell his shares in the company that owns his Truth Social platform.

  Addressing the rumors that he is interested in selling the shares, Trump wrote: “There are fake, untrue, and probably illegal rumors and/or statements made by, perhaps, market manipulators or short sellers, that I am interested in selling shares of Truth.

  “I have no intention of selling [the shares] an these statements are false.

  “I hereby request that the people who have set off these fake rumors or statements, and who may have done so in the past, be immediately investigated by the appropriate authorities.”

  Shares of Trump Media & Technology Group surged as much as 30 per cent after the comments he made today on Truth.

  Trump owns about 57 per cent of Trump Media, which saw its shares fall sharply after his one and only televised debate with Democratic rival Vice President Kamala Harris.

  Rumors that Trump will cash his shares out began circulating around the internet after the company’s share prices surged today following key events in the election.

• Could Trump help in sending people to Mars?

  Donald Trump’s right-hand man Elon Musk has been desperate to send people to Mars on his Starship rocket, and the new President-elect could help him with that, experts claim.

  Musk has been a key figure in Trump’s attempt at a second White House term, with the tech billionaire joining the presidential nominee at several campaign stops before November 5.

  The X owner, who voiced his support for Trump’s candidacy following the July 13 attempted assassination in Butler, Pennsylvania, has also invested over $119 million in his super PAC backing the former president.

  Now a space expert claims a “more realistic Mars plan” is to be created “at a minimum” under Trump who will set the red planet “as an objective”.

  SpaceX, Musk and the Trump campaign are yet to comment on this and a NASA spokeswoman said it “wouldn’t be appropriate to speculate on any changes with the new administration.” 

  

• Watch BTS footage inside Trump’s victorious election campaign

  Here is a rare inside look at the dramatic campaign that made Trump the 47th president of the US.

  With a bottle of Coke in his hands and some golden chicken nuggets kept near his table to munch on, Trump can be seen carefully listening to Harris’ speech with his entire team.

  Sitting around a giant table, his team members can be seen taking notes as they prepare for fightback at the next election rally.

  Watch unprecedented behind-the-scenes vid from winning Trump campaign as Don sips Coke & dictates fiery posts on Harris

• Almost half of the young voters in the US backed Trump for the presidency

  A substantial swift was seen in the voting trends this year with almost half of the young voters leaning to the Right to support Trump as their presidential candidate.

  Among voters aged between 18 to 29, Trump increased his share of the vote to 46 per cent, up from 36 per cent in the last election,  according to AP VoteCast.

  Meanwhile, an increase in the vote share also came from young Latino men and black male voters who supported the Democratic party in the previous elections.

  Before the elections, an expert pollster told The Sun how pro-Democratic Black Americans would ditch their support for Kamala Harris and vote for Donald Trump because of issues like the economy.

  According to an NAACP poll, over one-quarter of younger Black men say they would support Republican candidate Donald Trump in this year’s U.S. presidential election (survey done before the elections).

• Madonna ‘stuffs her face’ with ‘f*** Trump’ cake

  Queen of pop Madonna said on Instagram that she “stuffed her face with cake” after Trump’s crushing victory in the election.

  She wrote: “This one is for the ladies if [you’re] feeling blue. Don’t give up hope.”

  In a separate post, she added: “Trying to get my head around why a convicted felon, rapist, bigot was chosen to lead our country.”

  

  

• Trump’s return to White House will not change Russian war goals – Kremlin

  Vladimir Putin is ready to speak to Trump about Ukraine but that does not mean the Russian is willing to alter war goals, the Kremlin said today in a statement.

  Putin’s microphone Dmitry Peskov said that Russia’s demands in Ukraine remain unchanged.

  On Thursday, Putin congratulated “real man” Donald Trump after the Republican’s seismic election win.

  The 72-year-old dictator said: “I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate him on his election as president of the United States of America.”

  He commended the future American leader for his bravery in light of the near-death experience.

  They are his first comments on the US election since Trump was announced as the victor as she swept aside Kamala Harris at the polls.

  

• Donald Trump makes historical first White House appointment

  Trump has named Republican presidential campaign boss Susie Wiles as White House chief-of-staff.

  Wiles will become the first-ever woman to hold the highly-powerful and influential position in American history.

  She is known for her excellent and courageous role as Donald Trump‘s campaign manager in his successful 2024 election run.

  The senior advisor to Trump masterminded many of his pivotal moments from the campaign – and helped him dominate against the Democrats when America took to the polls.

  She was among the list of people Trump first thanked before his win was even officially announced.

  He said: “Susie likes to stay in the back, let me tell you … We call her the ice maiden.”

  Wiles’ appointment was the first of what is expected to be a flurry of staffing announcements as Trump prepares for a return to the White House on January 20.

  The weeks between now and January 20, when Trump settles inside the White House, will be crucial for crafting his administration staff.

  Some 4,000 government positions need to be filled – including a slew of top cabinet roles and the next secretary of state.

  Read who else could be a part of the Trump 2.0 administration.

  

• Trump will not want to ‘embolden’ Putin, says Lammy

  Donald Trump won’t want Vladimir Putin to gain confidence to start more wars in Europe, foreign secretary David Lammy has said.

  “That is the starting point. Donald Trump will not want a situation where the US troops that he’s got in Europe rise substantially because of further war or threats in Europe,” he told the BBC.

  “He will not want Putin to leave emboldened from this war, Lammy added.

  He said Trump’s view on conducting the US foreign policy is about “pace through strength”.

  Lammy previously congratulated Donald Trump on his sweeping election victory – despite previously blasting him as a “Nazi”.

  He said: “Congratulations to Donald Trump on your victory.

  “The UK has no greater friend than the US, with the special relationship being cherished on both sides of the Atlantic for more than 80 years.

  “We look forward to working with you and JD Vance in the years ahead.”

  

  

• Who is winning the race to the US House of Representatives?

  The Republicans are currently leading the US House race with 211 seats – seven short of the 218 needed for a majority.

  While the Democrats are expected to take 199 seats.

  Counting is continuing for the 25 seats left to be called.

• Trump on verge of historic election clean sweep

  Donald Trump is the first candidate in 40 years to have pulled off an incredible electoral map that captures all the seven swing states.

  He has already won Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Georgia and North Carolina so far in the race.

  And is projected to win the Arizona, Nevada.

  He will become the first candidate from either party to do so since Ronald Reagan won a landslide victory against Democratic rival Walter Mondale in the 1984 reelection.

  

• Google searches for emigration from the US hit an all-time high

  A stark rise was seen in Google search trends for emigration just 24 hours after the polls closed on the US East Coast.

  Data released by the company shows that searches for “move to Canada” surged 1,270 per cent, a record for the country.

  Similar searches about moving to New Zealand shot up by nearly 2,000 per cent, while it was 820 per cent for those planning to move to Australia.

  “Every half hour there is a new email enquiry,” said Evan Green, managing partner at Canada’s oldest immigration law firm, Green and Spiegel, according to The Telegraph.

• Nigel Farage says Trump’s son ‘played a big part in his father’s victory’

  Nigel Farage has hailed Donald Trump’s Barron son as “very bright” in a post on X.

  The Reform UK leader said the 18-year-old “played a big part in his father’s stunning victory”.

  He shared the remark alongside a photo of the pair posing together.

  Farage – who flew to Florida to support Trump as votes were counted – called the Republican’s victory “the greatest political comeback of our lifetime”.

  

• Trump returns to Truth Social

  Donald Trump has shared victory posts on Truth Social in his first posts since his stunning election win.

  The president-elect posted newspaper front pages of his triumph and also shared an image of himself with the words “get ready for the golden age” over the top.

  In a speech on Wednesday, Trump vowed to “heal” America and usher in a “Golden Age”.

  The victorious Republican called the campaign “the greatest political movement of all time” after defeating Democrat rival Kamala Harris.

• Tim Walz mopes with his cat

  Kamala Harris’ running mate Tim Walz has been pictured with his cat by his side after their election loss.

  Walz’s daughter Hope shared a snap of the failed vice presidential candidate sitting in an armchair at his Minnesota house with his ginger and white feline.

  She wrote in the caption: “The earth keeps spinning, and we live to fight another day.”

  Walz was last seen holding back tears as Harris gave her her first speech after their defeat on Wednesday.

  

• Control of House still hangs in balance

  Control of the House of Representatives – the lower house of the US Congress – is still hanging in the balance.

  Donald Trump’s Republican party is projected to win 211 seats – seven short of the 218 needed for a majority.

  The Democrats are expected to take 199 seats.

  Counting is continuing for the 25 seats left to be called.

• Inside the key dates as Trump gears up for White House return

  As Joe Biden sees out his last days left in office, President-elect Donald Trump is putting together his new team.

  And while the US won’t see policies put in place for some time, there are two key dates to keep in mind.

  On 6 January 2025, Congress will certify the election.

  This will be presided over by Vice President Kamala Harris.

  And on 20 January 2025, Trump and his running mate JD Vance will take the oath of office at their inauguration.

  This is the key moment power will be formally passed to the victorious Republican.

• Use The Sun’s interactive map to see the latest results and which states are still up for grabs

  So far 48 out of the 50 electoral states have declared a winner leaving just two left to release an official count.

  Donald Trump has already commanded an unassailable 69 point lead over Kamala Harris with her sat on just 226 votes.

  Still up for contention is Arizona, worth 11 votes, and Nevada, worth six, – both swing states meaning they could go either way.

  But Trump is leading the pair at the moment meaning he could end up on 312 – more than Biden achieved in 2020 and more than Trump himself managed in 2016.

• The world’s 10 richest people got $64 billion richer from Trump’s election victory

  The wealth of the top 10 richest people worldwide soared by a record amount after Trump’s seismic win, according to Bloomberg’s Billionaire Index.

  Unsurprisingly the biggest gainer was Trump’s right-hand man Elon Musk – already the world’s richest person.

  The Tesla tycoon’s wealth soared by an eye-watering $26.5 billion on Wednesday, Bloomberg claims.

  And Amazon founder Jeff Bezos‘ wealth grew exponentially by $7.1 billion.

  Last week he defended his decision to withhold the Washington Post’s endorsement of Kamala Harris.

  Oracle co-founder and Trump supporter Larry Ellison saw his net worth rise by $5.5 billion on Wednesday.

  Other gainers include former Microsoft exec’s Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer, former Google exec Larry Page and Sergey Brin and Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett.

  None of those billionaires endorsed a candidate this year, but they have favoured Democratic candidates previously.

  Altogether the top 10 richest people gained an unbelievable $64 billion.

  

• Has Harris killed the celeb endorsement again after ‘offensive’ parade backfires?

  Kamala Harris has ruined the power of celebrity endorsements after her embarrassing defeat to Donald Trump, an expert claims.

  Foreign politics ace Alan Mendoza told The Sun that voters are starting to see the parading around of A-list stars as “offensive” and “ridiculous.”

  The Democrats seemed to call in as many celebrity endorsements as they could for the 2024 election.

  But they still fell miserably short of the 270 electoral college votes as they lost their grip on the White House.

  Mendoza told The Sun that Americans may have ultimately become tired of being lectured by billionaires and the ultra-wealthy.

  He said: “I think, in general, the concept of celebrity endorsements is quite ridiculous. 

  “And the idea that we’re having Hollywood superstars or multi-billionaires telling us who should we vote for I think most ordinary people regard that as being actually offensive.”

  Read more here

  

• What is still left to win in the US elections?

  Donald Trump has already been confirmed as the next president of the United States but there are still several key decisions undecided.

  The popular vote

  One of the biggest results yet to be announced is who won the popular vote.

  Trump has already staked claim to the accolade but not all of the votes have been counted yet.

  As of writing Trump has 72,888,923 votes to his name compared to Harris’ 68,330,221 – over a 4.5 million difference.

  If Trump was to win it he would become the first Republican to do so in 20 years.

  The House

  The House is still up for grabs despite the Republicans edging closer each day.

  Some races are still yet to be called with Republicans currently holding 210 seats compared to the Democrats 196.

  Either party requires 218 seats to claim a majority with experts predicting it could still take over a week to find a winner.

  Trump’s overall victory

  So far 48 out of the 50 electoral states have declared a winner leaving just two left to release an official count.

  Trump has already commanded an unassailable 69 point lead over Harris with her sat on just 226 votes.

  Still up for contention is Arizona, worth 11 votes, and Nevada, worth six, – both swing states meaning they could go either way.

  But Trump is leading the pair at the moment meaning he could end up on 312 – more than Biden achieved in 2020 and more than Trump himself managed in 2016.