November 8, 2024 - US election news

Our live coverage of the 2024 US election has ended for the day. Follow the latest updates or read through the posts below.

Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Pérez speaks during a Washington 3rd District debate at KATU studios on Monday, October 7 in Portland, Oregon.

Democratic Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez will win a rematch against Donald Trump-backed Republican Joe Kent in Washington’s 3rd Congressional District, CNN projects.

Gluesenkamp Perez, a freshman lawmaker, previously defeated Kent in 2022 by less than 1 percentage point. She was vulnerable in this race and has voted in favor of controversial GOP-led legislation, including a defense bill last year that prohibited the Defense Department from paying for or reimbursing service members’ expenses relating to abortion services and barring a health care program from covering treatments for transgender service members.

Elon Musk speaks at a campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York, on Sunday, October 27.

Elon Musk’s influence is on display amid President-elect Donald Trump’s fast-moving transition.

When Trump was connected with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky the day after he won the 2024 election, there was another voice in the room that the wartime leader is quite familiar with: Musk, whose Starlink satellite communications have been vital for his Ukrainian forces on the battlefield.

While it was notable for the world’s richest man to join one of the president-elect’s calls, several sources tell CNN that it was not the only one Musk has joined since Trump’s victory.

Musk, who has been spotted in and out of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club several times since Tuesday, has also been on other calls the president-elect has held — and has joined conversations where Trump has mulled staff decisions, showcasing how influential Musk could be during the incoming administration.

Sources have described Trump as enamored with Musk.

“We have to protect our geniuses, we don’t have that many of them,” Trump said during his victory speech early Wednesday morning.

Sen. Jacky Rosen takes questions from reporters after a debate with Republican senatorial candidate Sam Brown on October 17 in Las Vegas.

First-term Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen will win reelection in Nevada, fending off a challenge from Republican Sam Brown, CNN projects.

Rosen, a former synagogue president, was first elected in 2018 when she ousted former Republican Sen. Dean Heller.

The seat was also a top pickup opportunity for Republicans, who nominated Brown, a West Point graduate and Army veteran.

Rosen focused much of her attacks on Brown on his stance on abortion. Brown said that he does not support federal funding for abortions or late-term abortions but has also said he would not support a federal abortion ban and supports exceptions for victims of rape or incest. But during a campaign for a Texas legislative seat a decade ago, Brown backed a 20-week ban in the state that would not have made exceptions for rape or incest.

CNN has reached out to over a dozen historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) inquiring if their students received racist text messages similar to those received by children, college students and working professionals across the country from unrecognized phone numbers in the wake of the presidential election.

CNN has not heard back from all the universities, but here are the responses we’ve gotten so far:

Remember: Some of the racist text messages referenced “slave catchers” and “picking cotton,” reminiscent of the country’s painful and bigoted past, and are being investigated by authorities across the US.

This post has been updated with additional information from Claflin University.

Tech tycoon Elon Musk joined a call between US President-elect Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky the day after the presidential election, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.

Trump was with Musk at Mar-a-Lago when Zelensky called to congratulate Trump for what a source briefed on the call described as a positive and cordial conversation.

The source spoke to CNN on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the conversation.

Trump put the call on speaker and Zelensky thanked Musk for his help with providing communications through Starlink to Ukraine in the ongoing war with a Russia.

The source said the call was roughly seven minutes long and no policy was discussed.

Zelensky previously said on X that he called Trump on Wednesday and “congratulated him on his historic landslide victory.”

“We agreed to maintain close dialogue and advance our cooperation. Strong and unwavering US leadership is vital for the world and for a just peace,” Zelensky wrote at the time.

CNN is reaching out to Musk and Trump’s teams about the call, which was first reported by Axios.

Some background: Trump’s victory comes at a precarious moment in the conflict for Kyiv as Russia makes gains in the eastern Donbas region, which Russian President Vladimir Putin aims to capture in full.

Throughout his presidential campaign, Trump cast doubt on continued US commitment to Kyiv more than two and half years after Russian forces invaded. He has also made comments that suggest the US could pressure Ukraine into an uneasy truce with Russia.

Musk – whose pro-Trump super PAC spent more than $118 million in the 2024 campaign – has pitched himself to lead a broad effort to slash spending inside the federal government. He also has benefitted from billions of dollars worth of federal contracts, including from NASA, the military and other US government agencies.

The billionaire’s inclusion on Trump’s call with Zelensky raises questions about what his influence will look like in the incoming administration.

This post was updated with background on the conflict and Musk’s role in the Trump campaign.

CNN’s Kristen Holmes contributed reporting.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in an email to members of the State Department workforce Friday that he will make clear to the incoming Trump administration that “you are all patriots.”

The message, obtained by CNN, acknowledged that “transitions can be periods of uncertainty that raise questions about what comes next for our work around the world, for the State Department itself, and for its people.”

It is a seemingly pointed message. The State Department saw some of its top career officials targeted as part of Donald Trump’s first impeachment and there was a significant departure of career diplomats during the first Trump administration.

It also comes amid the specter of the president-elect potentially reinstating “Schedule F,” which make a huge category of nonpolitical, career federal employees across the US government more easily fireable. The “Project 2025” roadmap for the State Department calls “as many political appointees as possible should be in place at the start of a new Administration,” including in positions typically held by career officials.

Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally in Reading, Pennsylvania, on November 4.

A day after naming his White House chief of staff, President-elect Donald Trump and his transition team are working on filling other key roles in his new administration.

Additional positions could be announced soon, two sources said.

Meanwhile, Gov. Tim Walz, on his return home to Minnesota, thanked Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday as disappointed Democrats tried to figure out what went wrong on Election Day.

Here’s what to know:

Donald Trump’s transition team has begun preparing a series of executive orders and presidential proclamations related to energy and climate, two sources familiar with the plans told CNN.

They include withdrawing the US from the Paris Climate agreement — something Trump first announced in June 2017 and promised to do once again throughout his 2024 campaign — slashing government jobs and offices dedicated to cutting pollution in poor communities, and downsizing national monuments in order to increasing drilling on public lands, the sources said.

The New York Times first reported on the plans.

CNN previously reported Trump’s team had begun preparing executive orders related to energy exploration, including removing caps and provisions that prevent companies from drilling. They are also plotting cuts to energy regulations.

From an aerial view the Mexican and American flags fly over the Rio Grande at the US-Mexico border on September 18, 2024 in El Paso, Texas.

Frustrated swing-district House Democrats say they have warned for years that the party was at risk of losing working-class voters thanks, in large part, to GOP attacks on the border.

But they say they were ignored by others in their party — and now the dam has broken with Donald Trump’s second White House win.

“It just busted this year,” said Rep. Henry Cuellar, a South Texas Democrat who overperformed Vice President Kamala Harris by double digits in key parts of his district. “Democrats have lost the working class,” he told CNN.

The Texas Democrat has personally warned members of his party that they were headed for big losses if the party didn’t fix its message to working people, including on immigration and the economy.

And he wasn’t the only one: Senior House Democrats, including Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, had urged Biden-Harris administration advisers for months to come up with a stronger economic message, according to two people familiar with the discussions.

Cuellar and others feel that their pleas — particularly on the border, but also about how to address skyrocketing costs and cultural issues with voters — have gone unanswered, according to interviews with nearly two dozen Democratic lawmakers and senior aides.

To be clear, most House Democrats remain loyal to their party’s legislative priorities. Besides the border, there were few areas Democrats who spoke with CNN were willing to call policy failures. Instead, they said it was a failure to communicate their wins and prioritize the issues that voters cared about the most.

Read what congressional Democrats and others are saying about what went wrong.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum is under consideration for a role as energy czar in a second Trump term, according to a person familiar with the current discussions.

While Trump has long pushed for Burgum to take a role as the secretary of the Department of Energy, Burgum has maintained he is not interested in that position.

What the role of an “energy czar” would look like remains to be seen. Trump, who has promised to “drill, baby, drill,” has focused heavily on what how his energy agenda will be implemented as soon as he takes office.

He’s considering bringing back figures from his first administration like Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt and EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. And he has prepared reversals of environmental regulations that he plans to sign within days of taking the oath of office, a separate source said.

Burgum and Trump have developed a close relationship on the campaign trail and speak often. Burgum has been spotted at Mar-a-Lago this week.

President-elect Donald Trump’s social media stock had been sinking fast after a short-lived, post-election-victory surge this week. Then, with a single post on Truth Social, he helped boost the stock again – and added a half billion dollars to his net worth as a result.

At Friday’s market open, in what was likely a classic “buy the rumor and sell the news” trade, shares of Trump Media and Technology Group had fallen 42% since their recent peak shortly after Wednesday’s open. Traders often buy a stock in anticipation of a positive event for a company – and when it happens, they sell to take their share of their profitable bet.

Immediately, the stock surged, rising nearly 15% Friday. Trump is the company’s single largest shareholder, and his 114.75 million shares are now worth about $3.7 billion. That’s up from $3.2 billion at Friday’s market open.

Friday’s jump helped the stock land in the green for the week – but not by much. Trump media rose just 4.4% over the past five days.

Read more about Truth Social’s stock price

Peter Navarro talks to the media in Miami, Florida, on March 19.

Peter Navarro, a former trade adviser to Trump, visited Mar-a-Lago this week to advocate for a job in the new administration, according to two sources familiar with the visit.

During conversations with the president’s team, Navarro has expressed a desire to lead the National Economic Council, the prime position for crafting and executing the president-elect’s economic platform, according to the sources. His second choice, they said: running the Office of Presidential Personnel, which recruits, vets and nominates individuals to serve across thousands of federal government positions.

“President-Elect Trump will begin making decisions on who will serve in his second Administration soon. Those decisions will be announced when they are made,” said Karoline Leavitt, Trump-Vance transition spokesperson.

During Trump’s last term, Navarro ran a bespoke trade and manufacturing portfolio seen as the most hawkish of the “America First” contingent. Often the bull in the proverbial China shop, Navarro found himself at odds with Trump’s more mainstream aides or, as Navarro termed them, “globalists.” While those aides often tried to maneuver around Navarro to advance their goals, Trump maintained a seat at the table for a loyal adviser he affectionately called “My Peter.”

What remains unclear, eight years later, is how much leverage Navarro now wields with Trump, who now has a deeper bench of economic advisers, many of whom could be willing to challenge Navarro for the job.

In an orbit that rewards loyalty to the chief, Navarro could argue he paid the ultimate price for Trump: Serving a four-month prison sentence for his refusal to comply with a subpoena from the House Select Committee that investigated the January 6, 2021, US Capitol attack.

US stocks closed at record highs on Friday, notching their best week all year after Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election.

The S&P 500 rose 0.38% on Friday, briefly crossing 6,000 points for the first time ever, before closing at about 5,996. The Dow rose about 260 points, or 0.59%, surpassing a record 44,000 points before closing at 43,989. Both the S&P and the Dow had their best week in a year.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq climbed by about 0.09% Friday after topping 19,000 points on Wednesday for the first time ever. The US dollar gained slightly after a week-long rally, and Treasury yields dipped.

Markets had a milestone week as investors adjusted to Trump’s victory and started to evaluate the policies touted by his campaign, such as his proposal to lower the corporate tax rate.

Markets are rallying off the clarity provided by Trump’s swift victory in the presidential election. Investors piled into US stocks as Trump’s reelection gave markets a boost of clarity sooner than expected.

Markets hate volatility. When there is uncertainty, such as waiting for election results, investors can get spooked and slow down trading.

Previously, concern that Trump and his allies might contest the election results had put a cloud over investor sentiment. Initial market consensus included uncertainty over when the presidential election might be called, said Keith Lerner, co-chief investment officer and chief market strategist at Truist Advisory Services.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz promised to defend his state against a “hateful agenda” that could be coming from the incoming Donald Trump administration.

“We know what’s coming down the pike, we know it because they told us and we’re going to have to be ready to defend the progress that we’ve made here in Minnesota,” Walz said Friday in remarks in his home state.

The Democratic Party’s vice presidential candidate pledged that as long as he’s governor, the state would take actions to defend reproductive rights, immigration and developing clean energy initiatives to fight climate change.

In the wake of Trump’s victory and upcoming return to the White House, some blue states with Democratic leaders – including California, New York and Illinois – are pledging to protect certain rights they feel could be threatened over the next four years.

Gov. Tim Walz acknowledged this week’s the election defeat during a speech in his home state of Minnesota.

He also acknowledged that there may be some voters feeling disappointed with the result, but encouraged them to take some time and get back when they are ready.

“So if you’re feeling deflated, discouraged today, I get it. Take some time, take care of yourselves, take care of your loved ones, take care of your community. There’s a million ways to make a positive difference. And get back in this fight when you’re ready. And know when you’re ready to get back in that fight, I’ll be standing right here ready to fight the fight with you,” he told supporters.

While he said he hasn’t had a lot of time to “process” the defeat, he said he’s “never felt more inspired.”

“Even in the face of defeat and deep disappointment, I’ve never felt more inspired. I’ve never felt more motivated. I’ve never felt more fired up of what’s possible in this country,” he added.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz at Howard University in Washington, DC, on Wednesday, November 6.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz thanked Vice President Kamala Harris in remarks back in his home state on Friday after an election defeat this week.

“I don’t know about you, but I’ve had a week,” Walz said when he came on stage to laughs from the crowd.

The former Democratic vice presidential candidate thanked Harris for the “faith she placed in me, but more importantly for the powerful and joyful campaign that she ran.”

Harris gave her concession speech on Wednesday afternoon. Walz did not speak at that event.

Walz also thanked supporters in the room and “single person who stood with us in this fight,” saying that it is “an honor of a lifetime to have your support.”

Walz is back in Minnesota to serve out the rest of his second term as governor. He still has two years left in his term.

First Lady Gwen Walz introduced her husband and also thanked supporters: “From our family to yours, thank you,” she said.

Gwen Walz said that Harris is a “remarkable leader and she would have been a remarkable president.” She told the crowd that “losing stings” and said that “it’s OK to feel sad” and to “grieve what could have been.”

Talaya Jones recieved the text on Wednesday, November 6.

Whoever is sending the racist text messages to Black Americans in at least 24 states is using anonymizing software to obscure their location, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill told CNN on Friday.

At least some of the text messages were sent using an email service that routed traffic through Poland, but that does not mean that’s where the sender resides, Murrill said.

“They could be coming from Napoleonville, Louisiana, for all we know. We don’t know where they are originating from,” she told CNN.

The Louisiana Bureau of Investigation and the FBI, she added, are “still trying to trace where everything is actually originating from.”

Murrill herself, who is White, received one of the racist messages to her personal email account this morning, she said.

“It’s racist and divisive,” Murrill said. “I think it’s just intended to try and create division. We condemn it.”

Some more context: Authorities across the United States are investigating after racist text messages – some with references to “slave catchers” and “picking cotton” reminiscent of the country’s painful and bigoted past – have been received by children, college students and working professionals from unrecognized phone numbers in the wake of the presidential election.

Read more about the racist texts.

Taiwan’s government delivered a letter to President-elect Donald Trump this week by sharing it with a former Trump administration official over a private lunch, according to two sources familiar with the matter. The quiet delivery serves as a stark contrast to the controversial phone call between then-president-elect Trump and Taiwan’s president after the 2016 elections, which sent shockwaves globally as the conversation broke decades of standing US policy towards Taiwan.

Both instances had similar goals: congratulating the incoming president. But the divergent approaches demonstrate how Taiwan, and other many countries, are now reaching out to Trump in different ways than they had in the past as they seek to develop a warn dynamic with the incoming president in the early days following his election victory.

But the contrasting engagements also show how the Trump transition team is being more deliberate about Trump’s conversations with world leaders during this transition period, former Trump officials said.

Since winning the presidential election earlier this week Trump has – so far – not had communications directly with Taiwan’s government, said sources familiar with his conversations in recent days. But a call between the leader of Taiwan and Trump could still potentially happen during the transition period, former Trump officials added.

Robert O’Brien, Trump’s National Security adviser during his first term, met with Taiwan’s representative to the US Alexander Yui and Rep. Chris Stewart for lunch in Salt Lake City on Thursday, according to three source familiar with the matter. During that lunch the letter was passed along, and then shared with Trump, two of the sources said.

O’Brien declined to comment on the lunch. The Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States – the country’s de-facto embassy in Washington – said they had no comment on the matter.

This post has been updated with additional background.

Sen. Angus King speaks to reporters after on May 29 in Augusta, Maine.

Independent Sen. Angus King will win reelection in Maine, CNN projects, defeating opponents Democrat David Costello, Republican Demi Kouzounas and independent Jason Cherry.

King was first elected to the Senate in 2012. He served as governor of Maine from 1995 to 2003.

He is one of two independents – the other is Vermont’s Bernie Sanders – who caucus with Democrats in the chamber and were running for reelection.