President Donald Trump arrives at Haneda Airport before switching his ride to Marine One in Tokyo, Japan, Monday, Oct. 27, 2025, following his visit at the ASEAN summit in Malaysia.
| Photo Credit: AP

Washington, United States:

It is not a job that she would have had on her bucket list, but a gracious Kamala Harris put on a brave face — and even a broad grin — on Monday as she presided over the certification of her defeat to Donald Trump in November’s presidential election.

The US Constitution requires that vice presidents — in their secondary role as president of the Senate — run the show when Congress holds its joint session to formally tally electoral college votes and name the new president.

The task can be more painful and unpleasant, though, for those statesmen and women such as Harris who end up having to officiate at the confirmation of their own electoral failure.

But Harris’s magnanimity could not have been in sharper contrast to Trump’s reaction to his defeat to Joe Biden in 2020.

She beamed as she received a standing ovation on reading out her vote total, before declaring that the official count “shall be deemed a sufficient declaration” for Trump to take his oath of office on January 20.

Harris had accepted defeat in November in a timely manner, unlike Trump in 2020, when he pressured government officials and members of Congress to reverse his defeat — earning himself impeachment and federal indictment.

His claims spurred his supporters to storm the Capitol on January 6, 2021, in a violent bid to stop lawmakers from certifying his loss two months earlier to Joe Biden.

Harris, a former prosecutor, did not indulge in the baseless claims of voter fraud that Trump repeats to this day and launched no legal claims echoing the dozens of frivolous lawsuits that Trump’s allies filed in 2020.

During the ceremony itself she exchanged polite small talk with Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and, afterwards, hosted a press conference to argue for the peaceful transfer of power as a fundamental principle of US democracy.

“I do believe very strongly that America’s democracy is only as strong as our willingness to fight for — every single person, their willingness to fight for — and respect the importance of our democracy,” Harris told reporters.

“Otherwise, it is very fragile, and it will not be able to withstand moments of crisis. And today, America’s democracy stood.”

Harris lost all the swing states to Trump but was beaten in the popular vote by less than 1.5 percent, making it one of the closest elections in US history.

She has not revealed what she plans next, but has been pressed by allies to run again in 2028 or seek the governorship of her home state, California.

Harris is not the first vice president to have to preside over the certification of her own election defeat.

Richard Nixon in 1960 and Al Gore in 2000 faced the same difficult task after close, contentious elections and approached their duty with the same grace as Harris, generating standing ovations from members of both parties.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Servicemen of Rosguardia (National Guard) guard an area near Red Square prior to celebrating the New Year’s Day, in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

The United States has imposed sanctions on two groups linked to Iranian and Russian efforts to target American voters with disinformation ahead of this year’s election.

Treasury officials announced the sanctions Tuesday, alleging that the two organizations sought to stoke divisions among Americans before November’s vote. U.S. intelligence has accused both governments of spreading disinformation, including fake videos, news stories and social media posts, designed to manipulate voters and undermine trust in U.S. elections.

“The governments of Iran and Russia have targeted our election processes and institutions and sought to divide the American people through targeted disinformation campaigns,” Bradley T. Smith, Treasury’s acting undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said in a statement.

Authorities said the Russian group, the Moscow-based Center for Geopolitical Expertise, oversaw the creation, financing and dissemination of disinformation about American candidates, including deepfake videos created using artificial intelligence.

In addition to the group itself, the new sanctions apply to its director, who authorities say worked closely with Russian military intelligence agents also overseeing cyberattacks and sabotage against the West.

Authorities say the centre used AI to quickly manufacture fake videos about American candidates created scores of fake news websites designed to look legitimate and even paid U.S. web companies to create pro-Russian content.

The Iranian group, the Cognitive Design Production Center, is a subsidiary of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, U.S. officials said, which the United States has designated a foreign terrorist organization. Officials say the center worked since at least 2023 to incite political tensions in the United States.

U.S. intelligence agencies have blamed the Iranian government for seeking to encourage protests in the U.S. over Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. Iran also has been accused of hacking into the accounts of several top current and former U.S. officials, including senior members of Donald Trump’s campaign.

In the months ahead of the election, U.S. intelligence officials said Russia, Iran and China all sought to undermine confidence in U.S. democracy. They also concluded that Russia sought to prop up the ultimate victor Trump, who has praised Russian President Vladimir Putin, suggested cutting funds to Ukraine and repeatedly criticized the NATO military alliance.

Iran, meanwhile, sought to oppose Trump’s candidacy, officials said. The president-elect’s first administration ended a nuclear deal with Iran, reimposed sanctions and ordered the killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, an act prompting Iran’s leaders to vow revenge.

Russian and Iranian officials have rejected claims that they sought to influence the outcome of the 2024 election.

“Russia has not and does not interfere with the internal affairs of other countries,” a spokesperson for Russia’s embassy in Washington wrote in an email Tuesday.

A message left with officials from Iran was not immediately returned Tuesday.

FBI Director Christopher Wray speaks during a meeting of the Department of Justice’s Election Threats Task Force at the Justice Department in Washington, U.S., September 4, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

FBI Director Christopher Wray announced on Wednesday (December 11, 2024) that he will resign in January before President-elect Donald Trump takes office.

“After weeks of careful thought, I’ve decided the right thing for the bureau is for me to serve until the end of the current administration in January and then step down,” Wray told bureau employees in remarks released by the FBI.

Trump, who is to be sworn in as president on January 20, has announced the nomination of staunch loyalist Kash Patel to replace Wray as the head of the top US law enforcement agency and he welcomed the FBI chief’s resignation.

Wray was named by Trump in 2017 to head the 38,000-strong Federal Bureau of Intelligence but the incoming president has since soured on his choice.

Wray had three more years remaining in his 10-year term as FBI director but faced potentially being fired by Trump.

“The resignation of Christopher Wray is a great day for America as it will end the Weaponization of what has become known as the United States Department of Injustice,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

“Under the leadership of Christopher Wray, the FBI illegally raided my home, without cause, worked diligently on illegally impeaching and indicting me, and has done everything else to interfere with the success and future of America,” Trump said.

The FBI raided Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home in August 2022 to recover top secret documents taken without authorization from the White House.

Trump was indicted for mishandling classified documents and obstruction of justice but the case was dismissed by a Trump-appointed judge.

‘Above partisanship and politics’

Wray, in his remarks to the FBI workforce, said stepping down “is the best way to avoid dragging the bureau deeper into the fray, while reinforcing the values and principles that are so important to how we do our work.”

“In terms of how we do the work, we’ve got to maintain our independence and objectivity — staying above partisanship and politics,” he said. “That’s what the American people expect of us and that’s what they deserve.”

Patel, a former Trump advisor and Pentagon official, has been critical of the FBI and is known for his controversial views.

A fierce defender of the incoming president, Patel supports the Republican hardliner notion of an anti-Trump “deep state” of allegedly biased government bureaucrats working to stifle Trump from behind the scenes, even having written a book on the subject.

A son of Indian immigrants, Patel served in several high-level posts during Trump’s first term including as a national security advisor and as chief of staff to the acting defense secretary.

Trump, in his Truth Social post, accused law enforcement officials of using “their vast powers to threaten and destroy many innocent Americans, some of which will never be able to recover from what has been done to them.”

“Kash Patel is the most qualified Nominee to lead the FBI in the Agency’s History, and is committed to helping ensure that Law, Order, and Justice will be brought back to our Country again, and soon,” he said.

“I look forward to Kash Patel’s confirmation, so that the process of Making the FBI Great Again can begin.”

Attorney General Merrick Garland praised Wray’s “principled leadership” of the FBI, saying he had served “honorably and with integrity.”

“The director of the FBI is responsible for protecting the independence of the FBI from inappropriate influence in its criminal investigations,” Garland said in a statement. “That independence is central to preserving the rule of law and to protecting the freedoms we as Americans hold dear.”

Donors poured a staggering $4.7 billion into the campaigns of Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, and their supporting groups during the 2024 US presidential election. The amount was revealed through final campaign finance reports released on December 5. 

The figure represents contributions from October 17 to November 25, as detailed in the latest filings, combined with earlier reports. The data highlights a stark financial divide between the parties, with Democrats and their affiliated groups raising approximately $2.9 billion compared to the Republicans’ $1.8 billion.

Donald Trump and the Republican National Committee (RNC) raised $1.2 billion from November 2022 – when he launched his campaign – till election day. His key super PACs, including MAGA Inc, Right for America, Turnout for America, America PAC, and Preserve America, added another $849 million.

The Biden-Harris campaign benefitted from an early start, avoiding a competitive primary and signing a joint fundraising agreement with the Democratic National Committee (DNC) well ahead of their rivals. This enabled the Democrats to secure larger contributions. From April 2023, when Biden announced his re-election bid, till election day, the campaign raised around $2 billion. Their main allies super PACs, Future Forward and American Bridge, contributed an additional $652 million.

The overall $4.7 billion total includes funds raised during the Republican primary, much of which Trump’s campaign used against other Republican challengers.

Dark money significantly influenced the final weeks of the election. Both Trump’s and Harris’s main super PACs relied heavily on contributions from affiliated dark-money groups. These funds, often termed “grey money,” raise transparency concerns as the origins of the donations remain undisclosed.

MAGA Inc, Trump’s primary super PAC, collected $78 million during the closing weeks, with $53 million originating from Securing American Greatness, its affiliated dark-money group. Similarly, Future Forward, the super PAC backing Harris, raised nearly $164 million during the same period, over $128 million of which came from its dark-money nonprofit, Future Forward USA Action.

Future Forward USA Action reportedly raised more than $900 million during the election cycle, including $58 million in 2023, according to a recent tax filing. This dark money later funded the super PAC in 2024, showcasing the blurred lines between transparency and influence.

Managing campaign finances post-election remains a delicate balance. Overspending can lead to debt, while underspending raises questions about unutilised resources.

The Trump campaign reported $11.4 million in unpaid bills as of November 25 but also held $10 million in cash and was owed $4.7 million. The Harris campaign faced criticism for being $20 million in debt post-election but ended the race with no outstanding debts and $2 million on hand.

Elon Musk emerged as a major financial player, donating $277 million through his entities to federal groups supporting Trump. This included $238.7 million funnelled into America PAC, a super PAC Musk established discreetly in 2024. Musk also made headlines as the sole donor to RBG PAC, a super PAC created to align Trump with the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on abortion issues. Elon Musk contributed $20 million to the group in October 2024.

Washington:

US President-elect Donald Trump tapped Pam Bondi, a staunch ally who helped defend the ex-leader against impeachment, as US attorney general on Thursday following firebrand Matt Gaetz’s withdrawal from the running.

Gaetz’s retreat amid sexual misconduct allegations signaled limits to Trump’s power, even as the president-elect prepares to retake the White House with his Republican Party also in control of both chambers of Congress.

The nomination of Bondi, a former Florida attorney general who served as a surrogate during the 2024 campaign and pushed to de-legitimize vote counting in swing state Pennsylvania in 2020, could be seen as a useful tool for Trump in his attempt to settle personal grievances.

“For too long, the partisan Department of Justice has been weaponized against me and other Republicans — Not anymore,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social network in announcing Bondi’s nomination.

Bondi, 59, was a member of Trump’s legal team during his first Senate impeachment trial, in which he was alleged to have pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, using aid as leverage, to hand over political dirt on Biden.

“Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting Crime, and Making America Safe Again,” Trump wrote, adding that she is “smart and tough, and is an AMERICA FIRST Fighter.”

Trump has made several eye-catching selections for top roles, including Fox News host Pete Hegseth as defense secretary, vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health secretary and billionaire Elon Musk to head a government cost-cutting unit.

The exit of Gaetz, 42, was the first setback for Trump and Vice-president elect JD Vance in placing key allies in top positions, but his confirmation by the Senate was widely seen as doomed due to lack of support from fellow Republicans.

Ethics probe

A congressional panel has been investigating alleged illegal activity by Gaetz, including sexual contact with a 17-year-old girl — which he denies — as well as drug use and misappropriating campaign funds.

“I had excellent meetings with Senators yesterday,” Gaetz said on X.

“While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition.”

Gaetz was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2016 and won reelection recently, but he resigned as a congressman shortly after Trump picked him to be attorney general.

“Matt has a wonderful future, and I look forward to watching all of the great things he will do,” Trump said in response to his withdrawal.

The ethics probe into Gaetz, a deeply polarizing Florida congressman, was effectively ended after he resigned from the House.

Gaetz is known as a political disruptor who earned the enmity of some House colleagues, including by engineering the ouster of fellow Republican Kevin McCarthy as speaker last year.

The latest transition upheaval ahead of Trump’s inauguration on January 20 came as new lurid details emerged about defense secretary nominee Hegseth.

He was investigated for sexual assault after a complaint from an unnamed woman at a 2017 conference in California.

The New York Times reported details from the police investigation, which was closed without Hegseth being charged.

The married woman told officers that her memory of the episode was hazy and thought her drink might have been spiked, while Hegseth said the encounter was consensual.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New York, United States:

Elon Musk, the tech billionaire closely allied with US President-elect Donald Trump, met Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations in a bid to defuse tensions between Tehran and Washington, The New York Times reported Thursday.

The newspaper quoted anonymous Iranian sources as describing the meeting between the world’s richest person and Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani as “positive.”

The two met for more than an hour at a secret location on Monday, the newspaper said.

Neither the Trump transition team nor Iran’s mission to the United Nations immediately confirmed the encounter, with the Iranian mission saying it had no comment.

The meeting, if confirmed, could offer an early indication that Trump is serious about diplomacy with Iran and not choosing the more hawkish approach favored by many conservatives in his Republican Party as well as Israel.

It would also show again the extraordinary influence of Musk, the owner of Tesla and X who has been a near constant presence at Trump’s side, reportedly joining him on telephone calls with world leaders.

Trump in his last term in office tore up a deal on Iran’s nuclear program negotiated under his predecessor Barack Obama, instead pursuing a policy of “maximum pressure” that included working to force other nations not to buy Iran’s oil.

But Trump has cast himself as a great dealmaker and during his latest campaign has voiced an openness to diplomacy, despite his avowed support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has ordered military strikes on Iran in tandem with Israel’s war on Hamas.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, considered a moderate within the clerical state, on Thursday told the visiting head of the UN nuclear watchdog that Tehran wanted to clear up doubts about the country’s “peaceful” nuclear program.

Iran’s ambassador also urged Musk in their meeting to seek US sanctions exemptions and conduct business in Tehran, the Times said, citing an Iranian Foreign Ministry official.

Along with foreign policy, Trump has put Musk and another wealthy entrepreneur, former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, in charge of a new “Department of Government Efficiency” tasked with overhauling the federal bureaucracy.

The new initiative has raised questions about conflicts of interest given the extensive interactions between Musk’s businesses and the government.

An account for the program has been created on X, formerly Twitter, where it asked applicants to apply through a direct message.

“We need super high-IQ small-government revolutionaries willing to work 80+ hours per week on unglamorous cost-cutting,” said a post on X, adding that “Elon & Vivek will review the top 1% of applicants.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Donald Trump, who is set to return to the White House after his victory over Kamala Harris in the November 5 US presidential elections, has appointed anti-vaccine activist Robert F Kennedy Jr as his secretary of the health department. “Kennedy will restore these agencies to the traditions of gold standard scientific research, and beacons of transparency, to end the chronic disease epidemic, and to Make America Great and Healthy Again!” Trump said.

Moving quickly since his election last week, Trump has begun rolling out his administration – some of whom include a TV news anchor at the helm of the Pentagon.

The 78-year-old leader has secured all seven swing states, including Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, North Carolina, and Nevada.

Donald Trump, who is set to return to the White House after his victory over Kamala Harris in the November 5 US presidential elections, has appointed former Democrat Tulsi Gabbard as his US Intelligence Chief. The 78-year-old leader has secured all seven swing states, including Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, North Carolina, and Nevada.

On Wednesday evening (IST), Trump met President Joe Biden in the Oval Office of the White House where Biden welcomed Trump and congratulated him following his victory, saying that he looks forward to a smooth transition.”Congratulations, looking forward to having a, like we said, smooth transition — do everything we can to make sure you’re accommodated, and what you need. And we’re going to get a chance to talk about some of that today,” Biden said in the meeting with Trump.

Here are live updates on Donald Trump’s return to White House:

US President-elect Donald Trump announced that Elon Musk will lead the ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ – a position Trump hinted at during his campaign trail. Musk will head the department alongside Indian-American entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.

“Together, these two wonderful Americans will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies – Essential to the ‘Save America’ Movement,” Trump said in a statement.

“I look forward to Elon and Vivek making changes to the Federal Bureaucracy with an eye on efficiency and, at the same time, making life better for all Americans,” he added.

According to Trump, they will drive out the “massive waste and fraud” from the government.

Donald Trump won the presidential elections last week, defeating Democratic rival Kamala Harris by 69 electoral votes.

During his victory speech, Trump praised Musk and described him as an “amazing and super genius guy”. He also mentioned that the billionaire spent two weeks in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania campaigning with him.

“We have a new star, a star is born: Elon. He’s an amazing guy. We were sitting together tonight. You know, he spent two weeks in Philadelphia, in different parts of Pennsylvania, campaigning,” Trump told his supporters.

Musk, who has been a staunch supporter of Trump, was a key part of the Republican’s Presidential campaign. The Tesla CEO donated over 100 million dollars to Trump’s re-election battle and campaigned aggressively using his social media platform X (formerly Twitter).

On November 9, Trump made it even more evident that Musk would be a part of his administration after he reportedly asked him to join a call with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky. According to a Ukrainian official, Zelensky thanked Musk for the Starlinks and they talked briefly, however, the main conversation was with Trump, reported news agency AFP.