President Barack Obama is seeking to assure United States allies that President-elect Donald Trump will honor the country’s international alliances when he takes office in January.
He told reporters that Donald Trump had “expressed a great interest” in maintaining the US commitment to NATO.
During the campaign, Donald Trump said he might abandon a guarantee of protection for fellow NATO countries.
The Republican candidate’s statements alarmed the Baltic states, which fear Russian aggression.
Article 5 of the NATO treaty commits allies to come to the aid of a member state under attack.
In July, the Republican candidate said the US would only come to the aid of allies if they have “fulfilled their obligations to us”.
The US has long been pressing its European allies to spend more on defense.
President Obama was speaking hours before his arrival in Greece, on his final official overseas trip.
He will later travel on to Germany and then to Peru.
Security has been stepped up in the Greek capital Athens, where anti-US protests are planned.
Barack Obama is expected to use his final foreign visit to calm nerves over the forthcoming administration of Donald Trump.
Donald Trump’s surprise election victory has raised concern among some world leaders after a string of controversial statements he made during his campaign.
At a White House news conference on November 14, President Obama said Donald Trump had “expressed a great interest in maintaining our core strategic relationships”.
He said this included “strong and robust NATO” partnerships, which he said would convey “enormous continuity” to the world.
The president said that in last week’s White House meeting with his successor, he had urged Donald Trump to send “some signals of unity… and to reach out to minority groups or women or others that were concerned about the tenor of the campaign”.
President Obama said he “absolutely” had concerns about Donald Trump but urged his fellow Democrats to accept the result and “recognize that that is how democracy works”.
On November 15, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg expressed confidence about the Western alliance’s future.
“President-elect Donald Trump stated during the election campaign that he is a big fan of NATO, and I am certain that he will be a president… who will live up to all the commitments of the United States in the alliance,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin said on November 14 that President Vladimir Putin had spoken by phone to Donald Trump and agreed to work with him towards improving US-Russia relations.
Donald Trump has repeatedly praised Vladimir Putin, describing him as a stronger leader than Barack Obama.
Greek minister of state Nikos Pappas said there was surprise in Greece as elsewhere at the election result, but added: “Everybody would be expecting the US government to continue to be on our side.”
“The mood of Greek people for this political change is <<wait and see>>,” he said.
High on the agenda in talks between Barack Obama and PM Alexis Tsipras on November 15 will be Greece’s crippling debt problems.
The US and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have urged restructuring of the debt but face resistance from EU states, particularly Germany.
As preparations for Barack Obama’s visit went ahead, Greek anarchist and left-wing groups announced they were planning protest marches “against the representative of imperialist powers”.
Police banned public gatherings in central Athens and near the city’s international airport until after Barack Obama’s departure. Extra officers are also being deployed.
The last official visit to Greece of a sitting US president – by Bill Clinton in 1999 – was marked by extensive violent protests.
Donald Trump’s new chief of staff, Reince Priebus, has defended the choice of right-wing media man Stephen Bannon as chief strategist, calling him a “force for good”.
A number of critics have denounced Stephen Bannon as supporting white supremacism.
Reince Priebus said this was “not the Steve Bannon that I know”, adding he was a “very, very smart person”.
His appointment is seen as an attempt by Donald Trump to improve links to the Republican establishment.
Donald Trump himself said he fought the election as the “ultimate outsider”, and it would fall to Reince Priebus, the current chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC), to act as a conduit both to the party and to Congress.
One of Reince Priebus’ first tasks was to defend the appointment of Stephen Bannon, who had stepped aside from his role as chief executive of the Breitbart News Network – a combative conservative site with an anti-establishment agenda – to act as Donald Trump’s election campaign chief.
Adam Jentleson, a spokesman for Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid, said of Stephen Bannon: “It is easy to see why the KKK views Trump as their champion when Trump appoints one of the foremost peddlers of White Supremacist themes and rhetoric as his top aide.”
Jonathan Greenblat, of the Anti-Defamation League civil rights group, said: “It is a sad day when a man who presided over the premier website of the <<alt-right>> – a loose-knit group of white nationalists and unabashed anti-Semites and racists – is slated to be a senior staff member in the <<people’s house>>.”
The Southern Poverty Law Center group said: “Stephen Bannon was the main driver behind Breitbart becoming a white ethno-nationalist propaganda mill… Bannon should go.”
However, Reince Priebus told Good Morning America: “I don’t know where they’re coming from… that’s not the Steve Bannon that I know.”
On November 13, Stephen Bannon on thanked Donald Trump for his appointment, saying: “We had a very successful partnership on the campaign, one that led to victory. We will have that same partnership in working to help President-elect Trump achieve his agenda.”
In a statement released by his campaign, Donald Trump described Reince Priebus and Stephen Bannon as “highly qualified leaders who worked well together on our campaign and led us to a historic victory”.
Donald Trump has made his first picks for his incoming team.
The president-elect has named Reince Priebus, chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC), as his chief of staff.
In this role, Reince Priebus, 44, will set the tone for the new White House and act as a conduit to Congress and the government.
Stephen Bannon, from the Breitbart News Network, will serve as Donald Trump’s chief strategist.
The 62-year-old stepped aside as executive chairman of Breitbart – a combative conservative site with an anti-establishment agenda that critics accuse of xenophobia and misogyny – to act as Donald Trump’s campaign chief.
In a statement released by his campaign, Donald Trump described Reince Priebus and Stephen Bannon as “highly qualified leaders who worked well together on our campaign and led us to a historic victory”.
Image source Flickr
Reince Priebus acted as a bridge between Donald Trump and the Republican party establishment during the campaign.
He is close to House Speaker Paul Ryan, a fellow Wisconsinite, who could be instrumental in steering the new administration’s legislative agenda.
During the election race, Stephen Bannon saw it as his aim to “bolster the business-like approach of Mr. Trump’s campaign”.
A former naval officer, investment banker and Hollywood producer, Stephen Bannon took over at Breitbart in 2012, when he promised to make it the “Huffington Post of the right”.
Breitbart is linked to the alternative right movement – or alt-right – which tends to reject both left-wing ideology and mainstream conservatism.
The movement often emphasizes free speech and the right to offend. Opponents call it racist, anti-Semitic and sexist.
Stephen Bannon said on November 13: “I want to thank President-elect Trump for the opportunity to work with Reince in driving the agenda of the Trump administration.
“We had a very successful partnership on the campaign, one that led to victory. We will have that same partnership in working to help President-elect Trump achieve his agenda.”
Democrat Congressman Adam Schiff called Stephen Bannon’s appointment “unsurprising but alarming”.
Adam Schiff tweeted: “His alt-right, anti-Semitic & misogynistic views don’t belong in WH.”
Elected chairman of the RNC in 2011, Reince Priebus has acted as the party’s spokesman and chief fundraiser. He said it was “truly an honor” to join Donald Trump in the White House as chief of staff.
“I am very grateful to the president-elect for this opportunity to serve him and this nation as we work to create an economy that works for everyone, secure our borders, repeal and replace ObamaCare and destroy radical Islamic terrorism,” he added.
Correspondents say one of the big challenges of the new administration will be reconciling Donald Trump with the mainstream GOP, where sharp divisions emerged during the primaries.
Both houses of Congress are under Republican control.
Donald Trump will take over at the White House on January 20, when President Barack Obama steps down after two terms in office. He defeated Hillary Clinton in last week’s presidential vote.
On November 13, Donald Trump spoke to Chinese President Xi Jinping. The two agreed to meet at “an early date”, Chinese state media said.
In his first extensive post-election interview on 60 Minutes that will be aired on November 13 at 7 p.m. ET/PT, President-elect Donald Trump has said he will deport or jail up to three million illegal immigrants initially.
Those targeted would be immigrants with criminal records, such as gang members and drug dealers, Donald Trump said.
The president-elect also confirmed that another election promise, to build a wall with Mexico, still stood but could include fencing.
Photo AP
Donald Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton in November 8 presidential vote.
His victory shocked many who had expected Hillary Clinton to win following favorable opinion polls.
Donald Trump is due to take over at the White House on January 20, when President Barack Obama steps down after two terms in office.
Both houses of Congress are also under Republican control.
Asked about his plans for the Mexican border, Donald Trump said “a wall is more appropriate” in some parts but “there could be some fencing”,
Other undocumented immigrants would be assessed once the border was secured, Donald Trump added.
However, Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan said earlier that border security was a greater priority than mass deportation.
“We are not planning on erecting a deportation force,” he told CNN’s State of the Union program.
“I think we should put people’s minds at ease.”
Forcing Mexico to pay for a border wall became a rallying cry among Donald Trump supporters during the campaign.
Donald Trump caused outrage by suggesting Mexicans were exporting “their rapists” to the US, along with drugs and other crime.
Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton has blamed her surprise election loss on interventions by the FBI director, James Comey.
James Comey had revived the inquiry into her use of email while secretary of state shortly before Election Day had stopped her campaign’s momentum, Hillary Clinton said.
She was speaking to top party donors in a phone call, which was leaked to the media.
Protests are continuing against Donald Trump’s win.
In New York, about 2,000 marchers headed for the skyscraper where the president-elect lives, shouting “not my president”.
Anti-Trump activists have held daily protests in US cities since his election victory was confirmed on Wednesday.
Donald Trump seems to be rowing back on some of his campaign pledges. Having promised to scrap President Barack Obama’s Affordable Act – ObamaCare – he now says he is open to leaving intact key parts of the act.
The Republican is due to be sworn in on January 20, taking over from President Obama, who will have completed two terms in office.
Hillary Clinton, who served as Barack Obama’s secretary of state from 2009 to 2013, has been keeping a low profile since conceding victory.
On October 28, James Comey informed Congress that the FBI was examining newly discovered emails sent or received by Hillary Clinton, thus reviving an investigation which had been completed in July.
Then, on November 6, two days before the election, James Comey announced in a second letter that he was standing by his original assessment – that Hillary Clinton should not face criminal charges.
“There are lots of reasons why an election like this is not successful,” Hillary Clinton told the donors on a farewell conference call on November 12.
“But our analysis is that Comey’s letter raising doubts that were groundless, baseless, proven to be, stopped our momentum. We dropped, and we had to keep really pushing ahead to regain our advantage.”
Hillary Clinton added that James Comey’s later recommendation that she should face no charges had energized Donald Trump’s supporters.
Her campaign team said that despite Hillary Clinton being cleared of criminal behavior, the move only revived Donald Trump’s claim that the Democratic candidate was being protected by a rigged system.
Ferrazzano, where Robert De Niro’s great-grandparents lived, has offered the actor refuge, after he said he would move there if Donald Trump won the presidency.
Antonio Cerio, the mayor of the Italian town, told local media: “We are ready to welcome him with open arms.”
Robert De Niro has used strong language to describe Donald Trump, saying he would like “to punch him in the face”.
The actor’s ancestors emigrated from Ferrazzano in 1890.
Nowadays Ferrazzano is home to 3,000 residents, and appears ready to welcome one more.
“If after the disappointment of Trump, he wants to take refuge here, we are ready to welcome him,” said Antonio Cerio.
“Naturally it would be an honor and give us great pleasure.”
The local emigration association has suggested making Robert De Niro president of Molise – the region where Ferrazzano lies – if only for a day.
The association noted that the Oscar-winning actor “is tied to his Molise origins and even speaks a good Italian-Molise dialect, even if he doesn’t like to flaunt it”.
Robert De Niro has both American and Italian citizenship.
“I’m going to probably have to move there,” he joked on the day of the election result.
Speaking on Jimmy Kimmel Live! show, Robert De Niro conceded that knocking Donald Trump out was now off the table.
“I can’t [punch Donald Trump] now, he’s the president. And I have to respect that position,” Robert De Niro said.
Donald Trump has said he is open to keep key parts of President Barack Obama’s healthcare bill, the ObamaCare.
The president-elect, who has pledged to repeal the 2010 law, said he will keep the ban on insurers denying coverage for pre-existing conditions.
Donald Trump told the Wall Street Journal that he also favored allowing young adults to be insured on their parents’ policies.
“I like those very much,” he said of the two pillars of the bill.
Photo AP
It was his meeting with President Obama on November 10 that had made him reconsider his calls for an all-out replacement of the Affordable Care Act, he told the newspaper.
Asked whether he would implement a campaign promise to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate Hillary Clinton over her use of a private email server while secretary of state, Donald Trump said: “It’s not something I’ve given a lot of thought, because I want to solve healthcare, jobs, border control, tax reform.”
Meanwhile, protesters angered by Donald Trump’s election gathered in several cities for a third night on November 11. Thousands took to the streets of Miami, Atlanta, Philadelphia, New York, San Francisco and Portland, Oregon, voicing anger at the president-elect’s comments about immigrants, Muslims and women.
In a separate interview with CBS, Donald Trump said the parts of ObamaCare he was “going to try to keep” were “the strongest assets”.
He said that while the bill would be repealed and replaced, the changes would provide Americans with “great healthcare for much less money”.
Donald Trump made the statement during an interview with the 60 Minutes program, which is due to air on November 13.
Also on November 11, Donald Trump put Vice-President-elect Mike Pence in charge of his transition team, replacing New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.
Donald Trump has praised protesters’ “passion” after a new night of demonstrations against his election victory that included rioting in Portland, Oregon.
The president-elect tweeted: “Love the fact that the small groups of protesters last night have passion for our great country.
“We will all come together and be proud!”
Donald Trump had previously blamed the unrest on “professional protesters”.
He is in New York, believed to be discussing his future cabinet.
“Busy day planned in New York,” he tweeted.
Image source U.S. Marine Corps
“Will soon be making some very important decisions on the people who will be running our government.”
Donald Trump is due to be inaugurated on January 20, taking over the White House from Democrat Barack Obama, who served two terms.
President Barack Obama, one of Donald Trump’s most withering critics during the election campaign, said his priority was to “facilitate a transition that ensures our president-elect is successful”.
However, Harry Reid, the Democrats’ outgoing leader in the Senate, said Donald Trump’s victory had “emboldened the forces of hate and bigotry”. It “does not feel like America”, he added.
Protests have taken place across the US on both nights since the result of the election, which Hillary Clinton lost for the Democrats despite enjoying a lead in most opinion polls.
Only on November 10, Donald Trump had tweeted: “Just had a very open and successful presidential election. Now professional protesters, incited by the media, are protesting. Very unfair!”
About 4,000 demonstrators gathered in the centre of Portland, the largest city in Oregon, which voted in favor of Hillary Clinton.
Some protesters smashed shop and car windows, threw firecrackers and set rubbish alight. Objects were thrown at the police, who responded with pepper spray and rubber baton rounds.
Police declared a riot and made 26 arrests.
In Oakland, California, police made 11 arrests after anti-Trump protesters lit fires on streets and in rubbish bins, smashed windows and sprayed graffiti.
Anti-Trump protests have been held in several cities for a second night, but with smaller crowds.
They were mainly young people saying a Trump presidency would create deep divisions along racial and gender lines.
However, police in Portland said they were dealing with vandalism and aggressive behaviour.
In response, President-elect Donald Trump tweeted that the protests were “very unfair”.
Image source Daily Pakistan
Earlier, Donald Trump met President Barack Obama at the White House and described him as a good man.
However, despite their cordiality, Donald Trump is intent on dismantling much of President Obama’s legacy. That includes ObamaCare, the act extending medical insurance to more Americans than ever before.
Crowds of protesters gathered in cities across the country on November 10.
Police in Portland, Oregon said the protest there should be considered a riot, with shop windows being broken, some demonstrators carrying bats and others arming themselves with rocks.
There were no reports of violence at the other protests, although demonstrators in Minneapolis briefly blocked an interstate highway in both directions.
In Philadelphia, crowds gathered near City Hall holding placards bearing slogans such as “Not Our President”, “Trans Against Trump” and “Make America Safe For All”.
In Baltimore, police said a peaceful crowd of 600 people marched through the city, blocking traffic. In San Francisco, high school students waved rainbow banners and Mexican flags.
A small crowd also gathered outside Trump Tower in Chicago, a day after thousands marched through the city centre. Some passers-by cheered them but at least one driver shouted that they should “shut up and accept democracy”, the AP reported.
Protesters also returned to Trump Tower in New York for a second night.
In his tweet, Donald Trump described them as “professional protesters” and said they had been “incited by the media”.
Meanwhile Mexico’s President Enrique Pena Nieto said he was optimistic his country could have a positive relationship with the US under President Donald Trump, despite his anti-Mexican rhetoric during the campaign.
Enrique Pena Nieto said he and Donald Trump had agreed to meet, possibly during the transition period before President Trump’s inauguration in January.
In Russia, President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman said Donald Trump and the Russian president were “very much alike” in how they see the world.
Dmitry Peskov said Russian experts had been in contact with some members of Donald Trump’s staff during the campaign.
However, he said the Russian government had nothing to do with the theft of emails from the Democratic campaign that were later published by WikiLeaks.
Mexican government says it is willing to discuss the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with President-elect Donald Trump.
The NAFTA came into effect between the US, Canada and Mexico in 1994 when Bill Clinton was president.
The pact created one of the world’s largest free trade zones by reducing or eliminating tariffs on most products.
It was meant to benefit small businesses by lowering costs and reducing bureaucracy to facilitate buying and selling abroad.
Mexican Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo said his country would try to explain the “strategic importance” of the deal for the region to Donald Trump, who has heavily criticized it.
Image source Wikimedia
Canadian PM Justin Trudeau also said he was open to talks.
Donald Trump has called the pact as the worst trade deal the US has ever signed.
His strong protectionist sentiments on the campaign trail helped to win support in areas that were formerly manufacturing centers. Donald Trump has pledged to bring back US jobs lost to globalization.
Mexico and Canada fear losing access to the US market, on which they heavily depend.
The Mexican peso hit a record low following Donald Trump’s unexpected election victory and fell again on November 10 after recovering slightly.
Foreign Minister Claudia Ruiz Massieu said Mexico was willing to aim to “modernize” NAFTA with a Trump government and Canada, but also ruled out renegotiation.
Justin Trudeau said it was important to be open to discussion on trade deals.
No date has been set for talks but Mexico’s President Enrique Pena Nieto has said he and Donald Trump have agreed to meet, possibly before the latter’s inauguration in January.
Aside from attacking NAFTA, Donald Trump has also heavily criticized the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a hugely ambitious deal signed between 12 countries that Mexico hoped to use to modernize NAFTA and expand its trade with Asia.
Ildefonso Guajardo said that in the event the TPP is not ratified by the US Congress, signatories should consider trying to implement the rest of the agreement without it.
President-elect Donald Trump has also angered Mexico by saying he would make it pay for a wall he wants to build on the shared border in order to keep out illegal migrants.
President-elect Donald Trump meets President Barack Obama at the White House for what could prove to be awkward transition talks.
Donald Trump has questioned Barack Obama’s US citizenship and vowed to dismantle his legacy.
During the campaign President Obama called Donald Trump “uniquely unqualified”, but now says he is “rooting” for him after his shock defeat of Hillary Clinton.
Thousands have taken to the streets of major cities denouncing Donald Trump.
Donald Trump flew from New York on his private jet and landed at Reagan National Airport, just outside the nation’s capital.
The two men are expected to appear together for the cameras in the Oval Office after a behind-closed-doors meeting.
Donald Trump is being accompanied by his wife, Melania, who will have a meeting with First Lady Michelle Obama.
On November 9, Barack Obama – who campaigned against Donald Trump – urged all Americans to accept the result of the presidential election.
“We are now all rooting for his success in uniting and leading the country,” the president said.
The defeated Hillary Clinton also told supporters Donald Trump had to be given a “chance to lead”.
Despite their calls, protesters gathered in several cities across the country on November 9. Many chanted: “Not my president.”
In his victory speech, Donald Trump vowed to “bind the wounds of division”, after an acrimonious election contest, and to be “president for all Americans”.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest has insisted President Obama is sincere about ensuring a smooth handover when he meets Donald Trump, although he added: “I’m not saying it’s going to be an easy meeting.”
With the Republicans holding a majority in both chambers of the Congress Donald Trump has an easier path to pass his laws and scrap key Obama initiatives like his healthcare reforms.
Donald Trump is edging closer to the White House after a string of shock swing state victories over Hillary Clinton.
The republican won Florida, Ohio, Iowa and North Carolina, while Hillary Clinton took Virginia and Nevada, ABC projects. Pennsylvania is too close to call.
New Hampshire, Michigan and Wisconsin – which were meant to be part of the Clinton firewall – are deadlocked, too.
Markets lurched as Hillary Clinton’s path to victory began to narrow.
The US dollar and Mexican peso plummeted while the Dow futures dropped 800 points.
Donald Trump’s Ohio win was a big boost to him, as no Republican has ever taken the White House without winning the Midwestern bellwether.
Iowa last voted for a Republican in 2004.
The mood is dark at Hillary Clinton’s election night party in New York City.
Supporters were crying and staring stony-faced at the big screens showing election results.
At Trump headquarters across town, his fans were cheering and chanting about Hillary Clinton: “Lock her up!”
Donald Trump earlier racked up wins in the Midwest and South, while Hillary Clinton swept the Northeast, ABC News projects.
As expected, Donald Trump was victorious in the Republican strongholds of Utah, Alabama, Kentucky, South Carolina, Nebraska, Indiana, West Virginia, Mississippi, Tennessee, Oklahoma and Texas, ABC projects.
He also took Georgia, Missouri, Montana, Louisiana, Arkansas, Kansas, North Dakota, South Dakota, Idaho and Wyoming – all solidly conservative states.
Hillary Clinton won the Democratic heartlands of California, Oregon, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, Vermont, Delaware, Illinois, Rhode Island, Hawaii, Washington and District of Columbia, as well as New Mexico and Colorado.
A candidate must secure 270 of the 538 electoral college votes to declare victory.
Asian markets have tumbled after results from the American presidential polls suggested a victory for Donald Trump looked increasingly likely.
All major markets in the region are now lower, with money flowing into safe haven stocks, gold and currencies including the yen.
Meanwhile the Mexican Peso has hit an all-time low against the dollar.
As traders had expected a comfortable Hillary Clinton win, even a tight race is enough to spark volatility.
Image source Flickr
Japan’s Nikkei 225 is down by 5.2% while the Hang Seng in Hong Kong is 3.8% lower and the Shanghai Composite has lost 1.6%.
Australia’s ASX 200 dropped by 2.1% while the Kospi in South Korea is 3.1% lower.
Earlier, American and European markets closed higher – but US stock futures fell sharply with the Dow Jones index expected to lose more than 4% – 800 points – when trading resumes on Wall Street on November 9.
The Mexican peso has seen some of the most notable fluctuations, falling more than 10% against the dollar.
The peso’s movements are seen by many as a good indicator of the election’s likely outcome, with an upward movement suggesting Hillary Clinton is ahead.
Mexico is expected to suffer if Donald Trump was elected because of his pledges to build a wall along the US border with the country and renegotiate their trade agreement.
Meanwhile the Japanese yen is viewed as a safe haven currency in situations of international volatility, so a strengthening yen suggests traders see a Hillary Clinton victory as less likely.
All the 50 states and Washington DC voted across six different time zones to elect the 45th US president.
Many of the polling stations have closed. So far:
Image source U.S. Marine Corps
Donald Trump has projected wins in Ohio, Texas, Indiana, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Mississippi, West Virginia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Kansas, N Dakota, S Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Arkansas, Montana, Louisiana, Missouri, North Carolina, Florida.
Hillary Clinton has New York, Connecticut, Vermont, DC, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Delaware, Illinois, Rhode Island, New Mexico, Colorado, California.
Ohio is a bellwether swing state that has backed the winner at every presidential contest except one since World War Two.
Donald Trump spent much of the end of his campaign claiming the election would be rigged – but at the moment, the New York Times is predicting he has a better chance of winning than his rival.
It also suggests Donald Trump could win enough electoral college votes to become president but lose the popular vote.
Republican candidate Donald Trump cast his vote at a polling station in Manhattan, New York City.
Donald Trump greeted voters before casting his vote in the presidential election.
Image source Flickr
He was accompanied by his wife, Melania, and daughter, Ivanka, who also cast their ballots.
Speaking earlier by phone to Fox News, Donald Trump said: “I see so many hopes and so many dreams out there that didn’t happen, that could have happened, with leadership, with proper leadership. And people are hurt so badly.”
American voters are heading to the polls to choose a new president after one of the most rancorous election campaigns the US has seen.
Voting has begun on the East Coast at 06:00 EST , though some villages in New Hampshire have already polled.
Both candidates criss-crossed America in a hectic last-minute campaign push for votes.
Results should begin emerging late on Tuesday night.
Photo Getty Images
Hillary Clinton urged voters to back a “hopeful, inclusive, big-hearted America” while Donald Trump told supporters they had a “magnificent chance to beat the corrupt system”.
Polls give Hillary Clinton a four-point lead over Donald Trump.
A record number of Americans – more than 46 million – have voted early by post or at polling stations.
There are signs of a high turnout among Hispanic voters, which is believed to favor Hillary Clinton.
The candidates held the final rallies of their campaigns after midnight – Donald Trump in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Hillary Clinton in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Election Day follows a bitter campaign during which the candidates have traded insults and become mired in a series of scandals.
At a star-studded event in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Hillary Clinton was joined on stage by celebrities Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi as well as her husband Bill, President Barack Obama and the First Lady.
At his rally in Scranton in the same state, Donald Trump insisted the momentum was with his campaign.
He described Hillary Clinton as the “most corrupt person ever to seek the presidency”, referring to an FBI investigation into Clinton’s use of a private email server while she was serving as secretary of state between 2009 and 2013.
Election Day voting began just after midnight in the small New Hampshire village of Dixville Notch, where seven votes were cast – four for Hillary Clinton, two for Donald Trump and one for the libertarian Gary Johnson.
Results are expected sometime after 23:00 EST once voting ends on the West Coast. State projections will not be available until polling ends – in most states between 19:00 EST and 20:00 EST.
On the final day before the vote, both candidates will visit several key battleground states.
Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton will be in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, before traveling to Allendale, Michigan, later in the day.
She will then return to Philadelphia, also in Pennsylvania, for a rally with President Barack Obama and the First Lady, Bill and Chelsea Clinton and a few more special guests, including Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi.
It had been touted as Hillary Clinton’s final rally, but she is now also scheduled to hold a midnight “get out the vote” event in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Donald Trump will once again be dashing across five states in one day as he seeks a route to the presidency.
The Republican candidate will appear in Sarasota, Florida, before traveling to Raleigh and then Philadelphia.
Donald Trump will then travel to New Hampshire, before a final rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, close to midnight.
FBI Director James Comey says the bureau has found no evidence of criminality in a new batch of Hillary Clinton emails.
In a letter to congressmen, he said the agency had finished its review and found nothing to alter its original conclusion.
In July, James Comey said Hillary Clinton had been careless but not criminal in handling sensitive material on her private email server while secretary of state.
The issue flared up again with the discovery of new “pertinent” emails.
They were reportedly found on the laptop of Anthony Weiner, the estranged husband of one of the Democratic presidential candidate’s closest advisers.
James Comey’s original letter late last month to lawmakers, revealing the bureau’s inquiry into Hillary Clinton’s emails had been revived, shook up the White House race and reinvigorated the campaign of Republican nominee Donald Trump.
Photo Getty Images
He had announced that the agency would investigate if the newly discovered messages contained classified information.
In a follow-up on November 6, James Comey wrote: “Since my letter, the FBI investigative team has been working around the clock to process and review a large volume of emails from a device obtained in connection with an unrelated criminal investigation.
“During that process, we reviewed all of the communications that were to or from Hillary Clinton while she was Secretary of State.
“Based on our review, we have not changed our conclusions that we expressed in July with respect to Secretary Clinton.”
On board Hillary Clinton’s campaign airplane, her team said they were always confident of the outcome.
Communications director Jennifer Palmieri told media: “We’re glad this matter has been resolved.”
However, the Trump team cried foul.
Donald Trump’s adviser Newt Gingrich tweeted: “Comey must be under enormous political pressure to cave like this and announce something he cant [sic] possibly know.”
His campaign manager Kellyanne Conway also tweeted: “If FBI conclusions remain unchanged, that means she still was reckless & careless, still lied about classified info, lied re: # of devices.”
Campaigning in Minnesota on November 6, Donald Trump made no mention of James Comey’s findings.
However, he did say Hillary Clinton “will be under investigation for a long, long time, likely concluding in a criminal trial”.
Donald Trump also renewed his claims that the Democrat was being “protected by a rigged system”.
The FBI has already established Hillary Clinton had classified information on a private email server that was run out of her upstate New York home.
James Comey said in July that her handling of sensitive material during her 2009-2013 tenure as secretary of state was “extremely careless”, but cleared her of criminal wrongdoing.
The revelation that Hillary Clinton handled sensitive information while breaking federal rules by running her own email server has dogged her campaign since last year.
A new NBC/Wall Street Journal opinion poll on November 6 before news broke of the FBI letter suggested a four-point lead for Hillary Clinton.
The latest Washington Post/ABC tracking poll put Hillary Clinton lead at five points.
Today’s campaign stops take Hillary Clinton to Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania and New Hampshire.
Also on Donald Trump’s itinerary were Iowa, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
Republican nominee Donald Trump was rushed off the stage by Secret Service during a rally in Reno, Nevada, when a man appeared to rush the stage.
Donald Trump noticed a protestor in the crowd and told event security to remove him.
Security personnel ran to the stage and grabbed him by the shoulders and rushed him behind the curtain.
Images emerged on social media of armed guards encircling someone on the ground.
Security led a bald man out of the convention hall as the crowd cheered and also booed the protestor. Moments later, a rally speaker took to the stage to tell the unsettled crowd that “nobody is going to stop this movement”.
Image source CNN
Donald Trump returned to the stage moments later to continue his speech.
The incident took place about 35 minutes into his speech and he spoke for another 10 minutes after returning to the stage.
The Republican candidate, who didn’t appear unsettled, briefly addressed the incident before jumping back into his speech: “Nobody said it was going to be easy for us, but we will never be stopped. Never ever be stopped.
“I want to thank the Secret Service. These guys are fantastic – they don’t get enough credit.”
A few minutes later, he paused to thank his supporters for helping to protect him as the man rushed the stage.
“I want to thank all these people,” Donald Trump said, pointing to the area where the man was stopped.
“I saw what you were doing – that’s a tough group of people right there. I saw that, that was pretty amazing. Nobody messes with our people,” he added.
No weapon was found on the man, according to ABC News. However, shouts from the crowd about a gun elevated the Secret Service’s response.
Donald Trump’s campaign released a brief statement that echoed his appreciation for Secret Service, but did not provide any additional information as to what had occurred.
The incident came during a slew of Donald Trump rallies three days before the election, as the Republican presidential nominee and his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton criss-cross the country before Election Day.
Donald Trump has announced he is going to target states seen as Democratic strongholds in the last two days before the Election Day.
The Republican nominee will visit Pennsylvania, Michigan and also Minnesota, which has not gone Republican since 1972.
Donald Trump started off a four-state swing on November 5 in Florida, where rival Hillary Clinton also campaigned.
Hillary Clinton unveiled an advert to run in nearly a dozen states, set to the Katy Perry song, Roar.
Katy Perry will appear with Hillary Clinton later on Saturday at a rally in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Image source Flickr
Opinion polls suggest Hillary Clinton is still ahead in key states.
However, the Democratic nominee has seen her lead slip following last week’s FBI announcement that it was looking into emails that may be connected to her use of a private email server while she was secretary of state.
A nationwide McClatchy-Marist opinion poll on November 5 gave Hillary Clinton a one point lead, compared to six in September.
A YouGov polling estimate on the same day gave the Democratic nominee a three-point lead.
Some 37 million early voters have already cast their ballots. Reports suggest many more Latino voters are turning out early in key states including Florida, Arizona and Nevada compared to past elections.
Analysts in Nevada say the Democrats appear to have taken a significant lead there because of the early ballots.
Donald Trump told a rally in Tampa, Florida: “We’re going into what they used to call Democrat strongholds, where we’re now either tied or leading. We’re going to Minnesota, which traditionally has not been Republican at all.”
Pennsylvania and Michigan are also both on Donald Trump’s agenda and they too have been tough states for Republicans. Republicans have not won them since 1988.
After Tampa, Donald Trump headed to Wilmington in North Carolina, where he was introduced by his wife, Melania.
Donald Trump turned his fire on the Affordable Care Act, also known as ObamaCare.
“Real change begins with immediately repealing and replacing Obamacare,” he said.
Hillary Clinton addressed a rally in a hoarse voice in Pembroke Pines in Florida, telling supporters: “I don’t think I need to tell you all of the wrong things about Donald Trump,” before cutting the speech short amid a downpour of rain.
Florida is an important state, particularly for Donald Trump, with many seeing it as a must-win. Candidates need 270 electoral college votes to win the presidency. Florida is worth 29.
Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are both campaigning in Florida, a key battleground state that could tip November 8 presidential election.
Florida is the largest swing state and is seen as a must-win for Donald Trump.
Donald Trump will later fly to North Carolina before heading west to Nevada.
Opinion polls in recent days have suggested Donald Trump is gaining support but he still remains behind Hillary Clinton in most surveys.
Photo Getty Images
In Florida, the contest appears to be tight. According to Real Clear Politics’ poll average, Hillary Clinton is ahead, but poll analysis website FiveThirtyEight says Donald Trump has a 52.6% chance of winning the state.
Barack Obama won Florida in 2012 by a margin of just 0.9% over Mitt Romney.
A presidential candidate needs 270 electoral college votes to win the presidency. Florida is worth 29.
Some 37 million early voters have already cast their ballots. Reports suggest many more Latino voters are turning out early in key states including Florida, Arizona and Nevada compared to past elections.
Florida has a significant Latino population, including many Cubans.
Donald Trump told a rally in Tampa: “I say to the Hispanic community living in the inner city, to the African-American community, I say: what the hell do you have to lose?”
He said Cubans supported him. He said he would provide jobs and solve crime for inner-city communities.
After campaigning in South Florida, Hillary Clinton will make an appearance in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, alongside Katy Perry.
Hispanics make up 16% of registered voters in Florida this election, the Associated Press reports, up from 13.5% in 2012.
American Hispanics mostly vote Democrat but Florida’s large Cuban population – which make up 31% of the state’s Hispanic vote – have traditionally voted Republican.
Donald Trump recently began to speak out against the US lifting its economic embargo on Cuba in a play for older voters, analysts say.
However, they also point out that as more younger Cubans have settled in Miami, support for warming US-Cuba relations – which Hillary Clinton backs – is growing among the community. Polls now suggest that more Miami Cubans are against the embargo than for it.
Donald Trump’s divisive and insulting comments about immigrants from Mexico and elsewhere have also angered many Latinos.
Both candidates held rallies in Ohio and Pennsylvania on November 4.
In Cleveland, Hillary Clinton ended the day’s campaigning at a concert, where she was joined by Beyonce and Jay-Z.
The Clinton campaign is putting on several events with high-profile figures from the entertainment world as it tries to energize young and minority voters.
Jon Bon Jovi will later appear with Democratic vice-presidential candidate Tim Kaine in St Petersburg, Florida.
On November 4, Donald Trump told supporters in Hershey, Pennsylvania, that he “didn’t have to bring J-Lo or Jay-Z” to draw crowds.
“I am here all by myself. Just me. No guitar, no piano, no nothing,” Donald Trump said.
Donald Trump’s momentum in latest opinion polls forced Hillary Clinton to campaign in states that had been considered safe for the Democrats.
Both teams are now concentrating more on getting their supporters to vote, rather than swaying those undecided.
Thirty-seven million early ballots have already been cast.
Meanwhile, authorities say they are assessing the credibility of information on a possible al-Qaeda terror attack.
New York, Texas and Virginia are believed to be the potential targets mentioned in connection with a possible attack before Election Day on November 8, but a police spokesman said the information “lacks specificity”.
Officials say they regularly assess all possible threats before major events.
Photo CBS News
News of a possible attack came as both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump made final pushes for support in battleground states across the US.
They both held rallies in Ohio and Pennsylvania on November 4, two states that may prove crucial on the Election Day.
Both candidates are due to campaign in Florida on November 5. Florida is seen as a key contest that could tip the election.
In Cleveland, Ohio, Hillary Clinton ended the day’s campaigning at a concert, where she was joined by Beyonce and Jay-Z.
“We have unfinished work to do, more barriers to break, and with your help, a glass ceiling to crack once and for all,” Hillary Clinton said.
Addressing the crowd, Jay-Z explained his support for Hillary Clinton. The rapper said that though he did not have any “ill will” towards Donald Trump, the Republican’s conversation was “divisive”.
“That’s not an evolved soul to me, so he cannot be my president. He cannot be our president,” the rapper said.
The free concert was part of a series of events put on by Hilalry Clinton’s campaign as she aims to encourage greater African-American participation in the election.
Donald Trump, meanwhile, told a crowd of supporters in New Hampshire that his rival wants a “550% increase” on Syrian refugees allowed into the US.
“Her plan would mean generations of terrorism, extremism, and radicalism spreading into our schools and communities,” the Republican nominee said.
Earlier, at a rally in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Hillary Clinton said that her opponent was “unfit” for office because of his temperament and disparaging comments about women and minorities.
Donald Trump is currently ahead in Ohio, according to a state polling average by Real Clear Politics (RCP), while Hillary Clinton leads by a small margin in Pennsylvania.
In Florida, RCP’s poll average puts Hillary Clinton ahead, but poll analysis website FiveThirtyEight says Donald Trump has a 52.4% chance of winning the state’s 29 electoral votes.
National polls have suggested that Donald Trump has gained substantial ground on his rival in the last week or so. That momentum also appears to have helped Donald Trump in several key battleground states.
Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have reiterated attacks on each other’s fitness for office as polls suggest the race for the White House is tightening.
The Democratic candidate – who has seen her national opinion poll lead shrink in recent days – targeted her Republican rival’s temperament and attitude to women.
Donald Trump said Hillary Clinton would be followed into the White House by criminal investigations.
The New York billionaire has gained ground on Hillary Clinton in some swing states, polls suggest.
On November 3, Melania Trump made a rare campaign appearance in the Philadelphia suburbs.
In her first speech since the GOP convention in July, Melania Trump spoke about being an immigrant and a mother and said her husband would “make America fair”.
Donald Trump’s wife also vowed to lead a campaign against cyber-bullying if she becomes first lady, and to combat a culture that has “gotten too mean and too rough”.
Melania Trump made no reference to her husband’s record of name-calling on social media.
Donald Trump has gained ground on Hillary Clinton in a number of swing states, including Florida and North Carolina, according to polls. Some national tracker polls are now suggesting the two candidates are neck-and-neck.
According to the Reuters/Ipsos States of the Nation project, Hillary Clinton’s odds of winning the necessary 270 Electoral College votes on November 1 at about 90%, down from 95% last week.
The momentum appears to be with Donald Trump, who has joked about having to stay on message, as the final weekend of campaigning approaches.
The Republican candidate has capitalized on a new FBI investigation into a Hillary Clinton aide’s emails.
At a rally in Jacksonville, Florida, Donald Trump’s fourth appearance in the state, he said: “Here we go again with the Clintons – you remember the impeachment and the problems.
“That’s not what we need in our country, folks. We need someone who is ready to go to work.”
Later, at a night-time rally in North Carolina, Donald Trump delivered a speech on defense in which he said he could not imagine Hillary Clinton as commander-in-chief.
Hillary Clinton continued to focus on Donald Trump’s character, telling a rally in North Carolina: “He has spent this entire campaign offering a dog whistle to his most hateful supporters.
“This has never happened to a nominee of a major party.”
The democratic candidate added: “If Donald Trump were to win this election we would have a commander-in-chief who is completely out of his depth and whose ideas are incredibly dangerous.”
President Barack Obama has been working almost as hard as Hillary Clinton, as he attempts to rally support among young voters and African Americans.
Analysis of early voting returns suggests black voters may not be turning out in the kinds of numbers they did for Barack Obama in 2012.
Alluding to Donald Trump’s past as a reality TV show host, Barack Obama told students at Florida International University in Miami: “This isn’t a joke. This isn’t Survivor. This isn’t The Bachelorette. This counts.”
Hillary Clinton also got a boost from her one-time rival for the Democratic nomination, Bernie Sanders. He appeared alongside her at a rally in North Carolina on November 3, praising her commitment to increasing the minimum wage and tackling inequality.
Pharrell Williams was also at the event, hailing Hillary Clinton’s record on women’s rights.
Melania Trump gave her first campaign speech since the Republican Convention.
The aspiring First Lady talked about her appreciation of America, her early days in Slovenia and her husband, Donald Trump.
If Donald Trump wins the presidency, Melania will be the first foreign-born first lady in 187 years.
She spoke in Berwyn, a Philadelphia suburb.
She was introduced by Karen Pence, wife of Donald Trump’s running mate, who said: “She is so strong, she is also very accomplished, working her way up through the fashion industry… her love for America is boundless, just like her husband.”
Image source Facebook
Wearing a powder-pink blouse and white skirt, Melania Trump glides on stage flashing a V-sign to the strains of Fifth Dimension’s Aquarius.
In her still-sharp Slovenian accent, Donald Trump’s wife started by remarking it’s been more than 500 days since her husband announced his candidacy: “This is not an ordinary campaign. It is a movement. A movement in which people feel included inspired and involved.
“He will make a fantastic president of these United States.”
Melania Trump remembered her life in Slovenia, saying: “I grew up in a small town in Slovenia near a beautiful river and forest. A small country that back then was under communist rule.
“Of course we always knew about the incredible place called America. America meant if you could dream it, you could become it.”
Melania Trump said about becoming an US citizen: “After a 10-year process which included many visas and a green card, in 2006 I studied for the test and became a US citizen. It is the greatest privilege in the world. I’m an immigrant and let me tell you no one values the freedom and opportunity more than me, both as an independent woman and someone that emigrated to America.”
She has been accused of working as a model in the US illegally in the past, but she has denied this.
Melania talked about how much her husband loves his country: “He loves this country and he knows how to get things done. He certainly knows how to shake things up, doesn’t he? He knows how to make real change.
“Donald knew he could not sit by anymore and watch what is happening in this country.
“What kind of country do we want? Do we want a country that is safe with secure borders? Yes? Do we want a country where everyone gets a fair shot?”
“Do we want a country that honors our constitution?” she continued.
As a future First Lady, she said: “It will be my honor and privilege to serve this country. I will be an advocate for women and for children.
“I’m a full-time mother to our [10-year-old] son Barron, an incredible boy.”
Melania Trump talked about her experience discussing politics with her young son, and how she wants him to know how lucky he is to be born an American.
“I want my little boy to know that he is blessed to have been born in a country that values individual freedom.”
“Our culture has gotten too mean and too rough, especially for children and teenagers,” says Melania Trump about childhood bullying and online trolling.
“We have to find a better way to talk to each other to disagree with each other, to respect each other.”
She said that anti-bullying efforts will be one of her issues if she is to become first lady.
It’s “absolutely unacceptable”, Melania Trump added, when children are mocked, bullied and attacked online anonymously.
To some, Melania Trump’s remarks seemed at odds with her husband’s long history of using Twitter to insult people.
Melania Trump finished her remarks by promising her husband will “make America great again”.
“We must win on November 8th. And we must come together as Americans. We must treat each other with respect and kindness even when we disagree. I will be there to support my husband’s efforts to support all Americans when he is president,” she said.
“Donald Trump will make America fair. He will make America safe. He will make America prosperous. He will make America proud.”
Melania Trump walked off stage to the sound of Living in America by James Brown.
Ivanka Trump, the eldest daughter of Republican candidate Donald Trump, has appeared for the first time in New Hampshire to support her father.
Image source Flickr
The businesswoman said few issues are unique to women: “Women’s issues are jobs, women’s issues are security, women’s issues are the major issues affecting this country.”
Ivanka Trump has become a popular model for women seeking to alter their appearance, a Houston surgeon tells ABC’s Nightline program.
She said the passion and enthusiasm of Donald Trump’ fans is the “fuel” that keeps the Republican nominee going.
Ivanka Trump’s visit to New Hampshire comes as her father makes an aggressive last-minute play for New Hampshire’s four Electoral College votes.
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