BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Dozens of European leaders will be gingerly seeking ways to address common challenges together during a one-day summit in Hungary's capital on Thursday. Yet despite myriad economic problems and two wars in the neighborhood, all eyes will be glued on Washington to see whether the pivotal U.S. election will cause a political rift throughout the continent.
The trans-Atlantic relationship will doubtless change after the vote, leaders and experts have said. But the question is whether that change might be seismic under Donald Trump, who is on the verge of clinching the presidency.
Trump has 267 of the 270 electoral votes needed to win the Oval Office. A win in Alaska or any of the outstanding battleground states — Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona or Nevada — would send the Republican former president back to the Oval Office.
For summit host and ardent Trump fan, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, things were already crystal clear even as votes were still being counted. “Good morning, Hungary! On the way to a beautiful victory. It’s already in the bag!”
And European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen congratulated Trump, and said that the EU and U.S. “are more than just allies. We are bound by a true partnership between our people, uniting 800 million citizens.”
“Let us work together on a transatlantic partnership that continues to deliver for our citizens. Millions of jobs and billions in trade and investment on each side of the Atlantic depend on the dynamism and stability of our economic relationship,” she said.
Economic relations were anything but stable during Trump's last presidency.
His administration slapped taxes on EU steel and aluminum in 2018 on the claim that foreign products produced by American allies were a threat to U.S. national security. Europeans and other allies reacted with duties on U.S.-made motorcycles, bourbon, peanut butter and jeans, among other items.
The impact of the U.S. election result could be felt in Europe for years to come, on issues including the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as migration or climate change.
“All this is putting peace, stability and prosperity at risk in our region,” said the invitation letter to the leaders of the European Political Community, which unites almost 50 nations across Europe, barring Russia and Belarus.
Among the leaders likely to attend on Thursday is Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is expected to make another plea for more aid as his country fends off Moscow's invasion. The timing is laden with significance as Trump has vowed to end the war “within 24 hours” of being elected — something leaders in Kyiv interpret as an impending evaporation of U.S. support should Trump win.
Not so long ago, such a meeting — which is also expected to include leaders from non-EU countries like Turkey, Serbia and the United Kingdom — would end with praise for European unity and a common political direction. Yet with Orbán as the host of the summit, friction is as good as assured.
Orbán, who has openly thrown his weight behind Trump and argued that the former president is a “man of peace,” predicted a Trump victory and suggested that civil and criminal cases against him were the result of a politically motivated U.S. Justice Department — a common Trump refrain.
Having played the obstructionist for years within the 27-nation EU, Orbán now holds the bloc's rotating presidency, giving him a more prominent platform and making him the host of Thursday's EPC summit, as well as another gathering of EU leaders on Friday.
The presidency under Orbán caused turmoil from day one, when he declared “Make Europe Great Again” the motto of his six months in charge. It was a strikingly clear reference to his affection for Trump, which he followed up with unannounced visits to Moscow and Beijing, angering EU leaders who said he wasn't acting on their behalf.
In response to Orbán's self-styled “peace mission,” many EU countries began boycotting presidency meetings in Budapest, or sending only lower-level bureaucrats rather than ministers. However, no boycotts are expected for this week's summits.
While Orbán has cast the result of U.S. elections as pivotal for Europe's future — he's even delayed passing Hungary's 2025 national budget until after a new president is elected — not all EU leaders are comfortable with the bloc's fate being so tightly bound up with the movements of American politics.
Donald Tusk, the center-right prime minister of Poland, said that Europe must forge a more independent path that is less sensitive to changes across the Atlantic.
"Some claim that the future of Europe depends on the American elections, while it depends first and foremost on us, on the condition that Europe finally grows up and believes in its own strength," Tusk said in the days before the summit. “Whatever the outcome, the era of geopolitical outsourcing is over.”
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, rear left, and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, rear right, attend a meeting with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov at Yntymak Ordo State Residence in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Vladimir Voronin)
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban speaks during a meeting with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov at Yntymak Ordo State Residence in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Vladimir Voronin)
Republican Donald Trump has won Pennsylvania, Georgia and North Carolina, capturing three of the seven heavily contested battlegrounds and coming within a few electoral votes of winning the presidency. Republicans reclaimed control of the Senate, picking up seats in West Virginia and Ohio. Top House races are focused in New York and California, where Democrats are trying to claw back some of the 10 or so seats where Republicans have made surprising gains in recent years.
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Republicans have flipped a House seat that was previously held by Democrats, giving them a valuable pickup in a frenzied race for House control.
At this point, practically every seat matters when it comes to building a House majority. In Michigan’s 7th district, Republican Tom Barrett picked up a seat that Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin vacated to run for U.S. Senate. Barrett, a former state senator, defeated another former state lawmaker, Democrat Curtis Hertel.
On the campaign trail, Barrett didn’t back away from his record of supporting abortion restrictions in the statehouse, but he also described abortion access as a settled issue in Michigan.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he appreciates Trump’s commitment to “peace through strength” as the Republican presidential nominee closes in on the electoral votes needed to win the White House.
“I recall our great meeting with President Trump back in September, when we discussed in detail the Ukraine-U.S. strategic partnership, the Victory Plan, and ways to put an end to Russian aggression against Ukraine,” said Zelenskyy on X. Zelenskyy said that Ukraine is interested “in developing mutually beneficial political and economic cooperation that will benefit both of our nations.”
“We look forward to an era of a strong United States of America under President Trump’s decisive leadership,” said Zelenskyy.
“I appreciate President Trump’s commitment to the ‘peace through strength’ approach in global affairs. This is exactly the principle that can practically bring just peace in Ukraine closer. I am hopeful that we will put it into action together,” he said.
The European Union’s top official says she’s looking forward to working with Trump again as the former president is on the cusp of victory in the U.S. presidential race.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the E.U. and U.S. “are more than just allies. We are bound by a true partnership between our people, uniting 800 million citizens.”
“Let us work together on a transatlantic partnership that continues to deliver for our citizens. Millions of jobs and billions in trade and investment on each side of the Atlantic depend on the dynamism and stability of our economic relationship,” she said in a statement.
The tariffs that Trump slapped on steel and aluminum exports during his last term roiled the bloc’s economy.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte says he looks forward to working with Trump “to advance peace through strength” as the former president closes in on the 270 electoral votes needed to win the White House.
“We face a growing number of challenges globally, from a more aggressive Russia, to terrorism, to strategic competition with China, as well the increasing alignment of China, Russia, North Korea and Iran,” Rutte said.
“Working together through NATO helps to deter aggression, protect our collective security and support our economies,” he added.
Rutte also praised Trump for his work during his first term to persuade U.S. allies in NATO to ramp up defense spending.
He noted that around two-thirds of the 32 NATO allies are due to meet the organization’s main defense spending target this year.
The AP’s current count has Trump three electoral votes shy of winning the White House, though he is leading in key battleground states.
“Congratulations on history’s greatest comeback!” wrote Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on X. “Your historic return to the White House offers a new beginning for America and a powerful recommitment to the great alliance between Israel and America.”
French President Emmanuel Macron posted on X: “Ready to work together as we were able to do during four years. With your convictions and mine. In respect and ambition. For more peace and prosperity.”
Trump, someone whose political career has been defined by division and acrimony, told the audience at his election night party early on Wednesday that it was “time to unite” as a country.
“It’s time to put the divisions of the past four years behind us,” Trump said. “It’s time to unite.”
“We have to put our country first for at least a period of time,” he added. “We have to fix it.”
Most of the important people in Trump’s personal and political life have joined him on stage in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Former first lady Melania Trump stood near her husband and was joined by Barron, the former president’s youngest son. Trump’s older children, Don Jr., Eric, Ivanka and Tiffany, all joined their father on stage, too.
Trump’s top political minds, including top campaign advisers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita, joined Trump on stage. And his political allies were on stage, too, including House Speaker Mike Johnson.
Trump also celebrated a few celebrities in the audience and on stage. Dana White, the CEO of UFC, was on stage with Trump, and the former president called golfer Bryson DeChambeau on stage. Trump also shouted out Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of X, who has become one of his most high-profile supporters. “We have a new star. A star is born: Elon,” Trump said.
Donald Trump made sure to recognize GOP wins in down ballot races in his speech in the early morning Wednesday.
“The number of victories in the senate was absolutely incredible,” Trump said.
Republicans have so far won 51 seats, giving them a majority. But Montana, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Nevada have not been called, and it’s possible Republicans could pick up more seats.
Trump also said he expected Republicans to hold the House and complimented House Speaker Mike Johnson. The House, however, is still up for grabs.
There are over 70 House races across the country that have not been called, and neither party has a convincing edge in the tally of House races.
He promised that he would “not rest until we have delivered the strong safe and prosperous America.”
“Every single day,” Trump said, “I will be fighting for you with every breath in my body.”
The AP’s current count has him at 267 of the 270 electoral votes he needs to win the White House. He is leading in key races left to be called, including Michigan and Wisconsin.
Trump’s victory in Pennsylvania has put him three electoral votes short of winning the presidency. He could win the White House by capturing Alaska or any remaining swing state.
Trump supporters gathered at his election night watch party were hugging one another, making calls, jumping up and down, and throwing their MAGA hats in the air every chance they got to celebrate as results continued to trickle in.
Guests are still arriving at the convention center in West Palm Beach.
The pickups for House Democrats have mostly come from New York so far as the party flipped its second seat in the state.
Democrat Josh Riley defeated Republican Rep. Mark Molinaro in a district that spans across the center of the state. Democrats earlier flipped a seat held by Rep. Brandon Williams.
While a House majority is still up for grabs, the victories will buoy Democrats’ hopes, especially in House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ home state.
Polls closed in Nevada nearly three hours late after voters waited in long lines to cast ballots, the state’s top election official said, and initial election results began to be posted just before 10 p.m. PST.
Polls had been scheduled to close at 7 p.m., but state law allows anyone in line at that time to cast a ballot.
Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar acknowledged Nevada’s position as an electoral battleground and promised to keep updating results as the counties receive “and cure” additional ballots.
Mailed ballots are accepted and counted until Saturday, and thousands of voters whose ballots were set aside to allow for signature verification, or “curing,” have until 5 p.m. Nov. 12 to validate their vote with election officials.
Aguilar, a Democrat, called Nevada’s elections “safe, secure and transparent” and said he was proud of reports of high voter turnout.
The former presidential candidate has arrived at the Palm Beach Convention Center, entering and walking briskly as he made his way near the stage among crowds of supporters.
Trump has said he will play a role when it comes to health policy but has not specified what that would be. Kennedy, who launched his own presidential bid as an independent before dropping out of the race and endorsing Trump, joined him at several rallies in the last stretch of the campaign.
As the election stretched into the early hours of Wednesday, Republicans — seeing a map trending positively for their party — began to point to a shift in demographic support among key voting groups who often lean Democrat.
Preliminary AP VoteCast data suggested a shift among Black and Latino voters, who appeared slightly less likely to support Harris than they were to back Biden four years ago. About 8 in 10 Black voters backed Harris, down from the roughly 9 in 10 who backed Biden. More than half of Hispanic voters supported Harris, but that was down slightly from the roughly 6 in 10 who backed Biden in 2020. Trump’s support among those groups appeared to rise slightly compared to 2020.
Republican Sen. Marco Rubio told AP at Trump’s election watch party in West Palm Beach, Florida, that he’s excited for the exit polling in states like Pennsylvania and Georgia, where Republicans are already seeing overperformance compared to this time in the election in 2020.
“I’m just really excited not just because I think it’s going to be a victory but about how we won,” the Florida lawmaker said.
Forgive Democrats if they are having a bit of déjà vu.
There are noticeable similarities between then-Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton’s election night in 2016 and the one that Harris had planned for tonight at Howard University.
Neither Clinton nor Harris, appeared at their election night party, despite both heading into Election Day believing they were about to defeat Donald Trump.
Both sent top aides to inform the demoralized audience that the woman would not speak. And there were noticeable similarities between what each man said.
“We still have votes to count. We still have states that have not been called yet. We will continue overnight to fight to make sure that every vote is counted,” Cedric Richmond, Harris’ campaign co-chair, told the audience Tuesday. “So you won’t hear from the vice president tonight, but you will hear from her tomorrow.”
“We’re still counting votes,” John Podesta, Clinton’s campaign chairman, said in 2016. “And every vote should count. Several states are too close to call. So we’re not going to have anything more to say tonight.”
Even the mood of the events — and the trajectory they took over the course of the night — was similar. The vibe at Clinton’s event at Javits Center started jubilantly, with people dancing, smiling and eager to make history — the campaign had even planned to launch reflective confetti in the air when Clinton won to resemble a glass ceiling shattering. The same was true for Harris, with the event resembling a dance party on the campus of the Democrat’s alma mater.
By the time Podesta and Richmond had taken the stage, the party had stopped, people had left, and those who remained looked forlorn.
Harris still has a path to the White House through the Northern battleground states, but the map is getting less forgiving.
Harris’ campaign has long said her surest way to 270 electoral votes was through Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, states Trump won in 2016 and Biden captured narrowly in 2020.
Harris cannot lose Pennsylvania and reach 270 electoral votes. However, she can lose pieces of the blue wall — so named for its longtime reputation as a Democratic firewall — and still reach 270.
If she loses Michigan, she can make it up by winning Arizona and Nevada. She can lose Wisconsin and make up for it with Arizona.
But the map has surely shrunk for Harris, who cannot lose more than one in the three-state northern arc.
A Trump campaign spokesperson is weighing in as the mood has shifted over at Harris’ watch party.
“Sounds like the joy has left the building,” posted Karoline Leavitt, a campaign spokeswoman on X.
The Harris campaign turned off its projected CNN broadcasts at its election night watch party at Howard University as midnight approached. And some Harris supporters began leaving the event.
As midnight approached on the East Coast, the Harris campaign turned off its projected broadcasts of CNN at its election night watch party at Howard University. Instead, various high-energy remixes blared from speakers alongside floodlights flickering in tempo to hype the crowd.
The cheers in the crowd had become less frequent as more results came in from battleground states showing a tight race or victories for Trump.
Some attendees began leaving the event though the vast majority of rallygoers remained. It is unclear if Harris will make an appearance at her alma mater.
“Voted for the first time - for his dad,” she shared on X.
Barron Trump turned 18 years old in March and began his freshman year at New York University this fall.
The GOP has won control of the Senate as Sen. Deb Fischer secures reelection in Nebraska.
With at least 51 Senate seats secured, Republicans will retake control of the chamber for the first time in four years. It gives the party a major power center in Washington and important power in confirming the next president’s Cabinet, as well as any Supreme Court justice if there is a vacancy.
With a handful of battleground races yet to be decided, Republicans still have an opportunity to grow their majority.
GOP senators have already been looking at ways to extend tax cuts that were passed during Donald Trump’s first term, as well as sending funding towards toughened border security measures.
However, the extent of Republicans’ power in Washington will also be determined by the results of the presidential and House races.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., the only Palestinian American in Congress, has won a fourth term in the House.
Tlaib represents a district with a large Arab-American population. She has been highly critical of Israel in its war against Hamas, describing its actions in Gaza as genocide.
But her comments have also evoked outrage from many of her colleagues. The Republican-led House voted last year to censure her for her statements regarding the war.
Tlaib said her criticism was directed toward Israel’s government and its leadership under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and vowed she “will not be silenced.”
Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas says he considers his reelection victory over Democratic U.S. Rep. Colin Allred a mandate for stronger enforcement along the U.S.-Mexico border.
During a victory speech in front of supporters in his hometown of Houston, Cruz praised strong support from Hispanic voters. He singled out South Texas, where Cruz was performing much better in large border counties than he did during a narrow victory in 2018 over Beto O’Rourke.
“Tonight we are witnessing incredible results, especially with Hispanics across the state of Texas,” Cruz told the crowd. “And we are seeing tonight generational change in South Texas. The results tonight, this decisive victory should shake the Democratic establishment to its core.”
Polls will close at midnight EST in Alaska and Hawaii.
Bernie Moreno will be the first Latino that Ohio has sent to the U.S. Senate, thanks to his victory over Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown.
Moreno was born in Bogota, Colombia. He moved with his family to the United States at age 5 and became an American citizen when he was 18.
He built his fortune as a luxury car dealer and blockchain entrepreneur and will come to the Senate as one of its wealthiest members.
The daughter of late Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee won a special election Tuesday night to finish her mother’s congressional term.
Erica Lee Carter defeated two Republican challengers in the race for the Houston-area district where her mother served for almost 30 years.
Jackson Lee died in July at age 74 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Her funeral was filled with high profile mourners, including Vice President Harris who gave Jackson Lee’s eulogy just days after declaring her candidacy for president.
The GOP’s victory in the Ohio Senate race puts them on track to gain a Senate majority as long as they keep their seats in Texas and Nebraska.
In Ohio, Republican Bernie Moreno defeated three-term Sen. Sherrod Brown.
The long-serving Ohio Democrat had tried to appeal to working-class voters and make access to abortion a top priority, but Moreno, a Cleveland businessman, cast Brown as too liberal for the conservative state, tying the long-serving Ohio Democrat to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
As long as Republican Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Deb Fischer of Nebraska secure reelection, the GOP will have the Senate in hand.
By winning North Carolina, Trump maintains options to reach the 270 electoral vote threshold.
Trump can reach the magic number by carrying Georgia and Pennsylvania or by carrying Georgia, Michigan and Wisconsin. He also can win by carrying Wisconsin and Arizona, as well as other combinations involving Nevada.
But that would require him to crack the blue wall of northern states Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
Trump blitzed North Carolina in the final days of the campaign, stopping in four cities over four days and finishing his North Carolina campaign in Raleigh on Monday.
The mood at Harris’ election night party at Howard University shifted from electric to anxious as race calls began rolling in. The musical performances and triumphant speeches on display earlier in the evening have been replaced by occasional DJ mixes and broadcast race calls.
Anxious faces and hushed talk spread through the crowd as the night stretched on and the tightness of the race became apparent.
The still-packed crowd periodically went quiet as attendees watched returns come in on a giant projection of CNN. Rallygoers cheered and waved American flags as solidly blue states like Harris’ native California were called in her favor.
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump points to the crowd at an election night watch party, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, left, speaks with Ike Irby, senior advisor to the vice president, and Kirsten Allen, communications director to the vice president, shortly before taking the stage for Harris' final campaign rally, Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump is pictured at an election night watch party, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
FILE - Lights shine inside the U.S. Capitol Building as night falls on Jan. 21, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/J. David Ake, File)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign rally outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump waves as he departs a campaign rally at Van Andel Arena, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in Grand Rapids, Mich. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
John Farnsworth sets up voting machines at the Hynes Charter School in New Orleans on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
The Latest: Trump wins North Carolina and Georgia, GOP reclaims Senate majority
People arrive at polling place to vote, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in Springfield, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
The Latest: Trump wins North Carolina and Georgia, GOP reclaims Senate majority
