Welcome to the online version of From the policy deskevening bulletin that brings you the latest reporting and analysis from the campaign trail, the White House and Capitol Hill from the NBC News Politics team.
In today’s edition, we examine how Republicans are looking to retain their current majority in the House and expand their majority in the new Senate following Donald Trump’s victory. Moreover, Kamala Harris accepts and promises a peaceful transition of power.
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Domestic battles take center stage as Trump’s party takes full control of Washington
By Scott Wong, Sahil Kapoor and Kyle Stewart
Republicans have regained control of the White House and the Senate. All eyes are now on the House, which Democrats see as the last line of defense to stop President-elect Donald Trump and his agenda.
The fight for the majority comes with high stakes.
Will Trump use the Republican trifecta expected to support his agenda and demands? Or will he face a Democratic-controlled House that acts as a check on his legislative agenda and has subpoena power to scrutinize his administration?
With many competitive races yet to be called, NBC News has yet to predict Which party will control the House? In 2025. But given Trump’s decisive victory over Vice President Kamala Harris, House Republicans are desperate about their chances of retaining their slim majority.
Speaking from West Palm Beach, Fla., where he spent time with Trump and his team, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., predicted he and his party would retain power in the lower house.
“Republicans were successful in securing critical changes in swing states, including Pennsylvania and Michigan, while our battle-tested incumbents secured re-election from coast to coast,” Johnson said in a statement. “Recent data and trends show that when all the votes are tabulated, even if we end up with a map with 18 seats won by Biden, the Republicans will have a majority.”
Democrats in Congress are relatively quiet as they process Trump’s stunning victory, but they’re not throwing in the towel. Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., struck an upbeat note Wednesday afternoon, pointing to a few bright spots. He said Democrats held open seats in Virginia and Michigan, won Alabama and Louisiana due to redistricting and targeted four GOP seats in New York.
“The house remains very much in the game,” Jeffries said in a statement. “The path to retrieving the majority is now too close to call in Arizona, Oregon and Iowa — along with several Democratic-leaning districts in Southern California and the Central Valley. The party that will gain the majority in the House of Representatives in January 2025 has not yet been determined. We have to count every vote.”
Meanwhile, the question on the other side of the Capitol is whether the GOP can extend their newfound majority in the upper house.
Republican Tim Sheehy defeated Democrat Sen. John Tester in MontanaNBC News projected Wednesday morning, giving the GOP 52 Senate seats.
But the Democrats managed to take two seats in the battleground carried by Trump at the presidential level. NBC News also predicted on Wednesday that Democrat Sen. Tammy Baldwin fended off a challenge from Republican Eric Hovden. in WisconsinAnd while Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin defeated former GOP Rep. Mike Rogers In Michigan.
That leaves three key Senate races uncalled as of Wednesday afternoon. In Arizona, Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego leads Republican Kari Lake in the vote count, but it’s too early to call the race. The races are close in Nevada between Democrat Sen. Jackie Rosen and Republican Sam Brown, and in Pennsylvania between Democratic Sen. Bob Casey and GOP challenger Dave McCormick.
NBC News has yet to call the presidential primary in Arizona and Nevada, predicting Trump will win Pennsylvania.
Read more about uninvited races here →
Harris confesses to an emotional crowd at his alma mater
By Natasha Korecki
Vice President Kamala Harris tried to shake off frustration and offer words of empowerment to hundreds of supporters as she accepted the presidential nomination on Wednesday, as some of her supporters wiped away tears as she spoke.
“The outcome of this election is not what we wanted, not what we fought for, not what we voted for, but hear me when I say … the light of America’s promise will always shine bright,” Harris said. alma mater Howard University.
Harris offered to console Democrats over the loss of former President Donald Trump, admitting they are “feeling and going through a range of emotions right now.”
However, he stressed that in order to protect democracy, the democrats should accept the results of the election. Harris, who won Tuesday’s race, did something Trump never did.
“This morning I spoke with President-elect Trump and congratulated him on his victory. I also told him and his team that we will help him in his transition and we will deal with the peaceful transfer of power,” he said to applause from the crowd.
🗞️ The best stories of the day
- 📊 According to numbers: Here’s how Trump won, according to the NBC News Exit Poll. More →
- 📈 Changing coalitions: Trump’s record gains among Latino voters largely boiled down to their top issue: the economy. More →
- ⚖️ Legal result: Employees of the Ministry of Justice have evaluated How to drop two federal criminal cases against Trump before he takes office, following a longstanding department policy that a sitting president cannot be prosecuted. In the meantime, state criminal cases against him may be frozen at least until he leaves office. More →
- 🩺 Future ‘White House Health Czar’?: Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who could play a key role in overseeing public health issues in a second Trump administration, has said people will not get vaccinated. More →
- 📝 Diary: Here it is overview of policies Trump is expected to be the center of attention when he is inaugurated on January 20. What could his return to the White House mean? for the economy and taxes.
- 🌎 World view: Celebrations erupted in Israel, while Ukrainian officials now face an even more uncertain future after Trump’s victory. More →
- 🗳️ Polling Battles: Constitutional amendments to protect or expand abortion rights passed Tuesday in seven of the 10 states that appeared on the ballot, NBC News projects. Findings from Roe v. Wade’s downfall ended a streak of uninterrupted ballot victories for reproductive rights advocates. More →
- Follow along with live election updates →
That’s all for the Policy Desk for now. If you have feedback – like it or not – send us an email politicsnewsletter@nbcuni.com
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