On his first day as president-elect, Donald Trump spent Thursday receiving a cascade of congratulatory calls from world leaders, prominent supporters, and President Joe Biden, signaling the beginning of his second term in the White House.
Staying out of the public eye after addressing supporters in Florida early Wednesday, Trump will now move to start the transition process to return to power on January 20, 2025, according to the Associated Press. Having surpassed the required threshold of 270 electoral votes, the Republican ex-president accumulated 295 votes in the electoral college, whilst his Democratic opponent, vice president Harris received 226 votes.
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Following the results declaration, Harris called Trump to concede, acknowledging the results and extending congratulations. Also, President Biden, in a gesture of political courtesy, invited Trump to an Oval Office meeting to discuss the transition and ensure a smooth handover. “President Trump looks forward to the meeting, which will take place shortly, and very much appreciated the call,” said Steven Cheung, Trump’s campaign communications director.
As Biden’s team prepared for the handoff, his chief of staff, Jeff Zients, reached out to Trump’s transition co-chairs Howard Lutnick and Linda McMahon. He emphasised the importance of completing the necessary federal agreements outlined in the Presidential Transition Act, which are crucial for starting an orderly handover. These agreements allow the incoming administration access to federal facilities, documents, and personnel—a process that includes arranging security clearances for Trump’s appointees.
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With transition talks not yet fully underway, Trump reportedly spent the day taking calls from both domestic and international leaders. Prime minister Narendra Modi called Trump on his win. PM Modi dialed the President-elect on his return to the White House for a second term, after Trump’s victory in the US presidential elections. Taking to social media platform X, PM Modi posted, “Had a great conversation with my friend, President @realDonaldTrump, congratulating him on his spectacular victory. Looking forward to working closely together once again to further strengthen India-US relations across technology, defence, energy, space, and several other sectors.”
Among the first to call included Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who congratulated Trump and discussed shared concerns, including the “Iranian threat.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also reached out to Trump, who had previously pledged to reassess the US’s aid to Ukraine.
Chinese President Xi Jinping also extended his congratulations and stressed that US and China should ‘strengthen dialogue and communication’, according to an announcement by Beijing’s state media.
French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman were among the other global figures extending their congratulations.
In US markets, Trump’s victory fueled a wave of optimism on Wall Street, with stocks, banks, and bitcoin all climbing in response to his anticipated economic policies. Tesla shares surged as well, spurred by its CEO and vocal Trump supporter Elon Musk.
Another issue affecting the transition is the fate of federal cases against Trump. According to AP sources, Special Counsel Jack Smith is considering winding down the cases involving Trump’s alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election and his handling of classified documents. The Department of Justice (DOJ) has maintained that sitting presidents are immune from prosecution, which would provide Trump a reprieve from these charges.
As the transition progresses, Trump is expected to announce his inaugural committee and formal transition team in the coming days, signaling the start of what promises to be a historic second term.
