Welcome to the online version of From the Politics Desk, an evening newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team’s latest reporting and analysis from the campaign trail, the White House and Capitol Hill.
In today’s edition, we explore how Republicans are eyeing maintaining their current House majority and expanding their newfound Senate majority after Donald Trump’s victory. Plus, Kamala Harris concedes and pledges a peaceful transition of power.
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House battle takes center stage as Trump’s party pursues full control of Washington
By Scott Wong, Sahil Kapur and Kyle Stewart
Republicans have reclaimed control of the White House and the Senate. Now all eyes are turning to the House of Representatives, which Democrats see as their last line of defense to stop President-elect Donald Trump and his agenda.
The fight for the majority comes with enormous stakes.
Will Trump wield a Republican trifecta that’s expected to support his agenda and his demands? Or will he face a House run by Democrats who would serve as a check on his legislative agenda and wield subpoena power to investigate his administration?
With many competitive races still not called, NBC News has not yet projected which party will control the House in 2025. But given Trump’s decisive victory over Vice President Kamala Harris, House Republicans are feeling bullish about their chances of preserving their slim majority.
In a statement from West Palm Beach, Florida, where he was spending time with Trump and his team, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., predicted that he and his party would hold on to power in the lower chamber.
“House Republicans have been successful in securing critical flips in swing states including Pennsylvania and Michigan, while our battle-tested incumbents have secured re-election from coast to coast,” Johnson said in the statement. “The latest data and trends indicate that when all the votes are tabulated, Republicans will have held our majority, even though we faced a map with 18 Biden-won seats.”
Congressional Democrats have been relatively quiet as they process Trump’s stunning win but are not throwing in the towel. Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., sounded an optimistic note Wednesday afternoon, pointing to several bright spots. He said Democrats had held open seats in Virginia and Michigan, scored wins in Alabama and Louisiana due to redistricting and were targeting four GOP seats in New York.
The “House remains very much in play,” Jeffries said in a statement. “The path to take back the majority now runs through too close to call pick-up opportunities in Arizona, Oregon and Iowa — along with several Democratic-leaning districts in Southern California and the Central Valley. The party that will hold the majority in the House of Representatives in January 2025 has yet to be determined. We must count every vote.”
Meanwhile, the question on the other side of the Capitol is whether the GOP can further expand their newly won majority in the upper chamber.
Republican Tim Sheehy defeated Democratic Sen. Jon Tester in Montana, NBC News projected Wednesday morning, giving the GOP 52 Senate seats.
But Democrats managed to hold on to two seats in battleground states Trump carried at the presidential level. NBC News also projected Wednesday that Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin fended off a challenge from Republican Eric Hovde in Wisconsin, while Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin defeated GOP former Rep. Mike Rogers in Michigan.
That leaves three key Senate races that are uncalled as of late Wednesday afternoon. In Arizona, Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego is leading Republican Kari Lake in the vote count, but the race is still too early to call. And the races in Nevada between Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen and Republican Sam Brown and in Pennsylvania between Democratic Sen. Bob Casey and GOP challenger Dave McCormick are too close to call.
NBC News has yet to make a call in presidential contests in Arizona and Nevada, while projecting Trump will win Pennsylvania.
Read more on the uncalled races here →
Harris concedes before an emotional crowd at her alma mater
By Natasha Korecki
Vice President Kamala Harris attempted to allay disappointment and offer words of empowerment to hundreds of supporters as she conceded the presidential election Wednesday, as some of her backers wiped away tears while 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 burn bright,” Harris said in remarks at her alma mater Howard University.
Harris offered to console Democrats over the loss to former President Donald Trump, acknowledging they were “feeling and experiencing a range of emotions right now.”
But she stressed that Democrats had to accept the results of the election to preserve democracy. In conceding the race Wednesday, Harris did something Trump never has.
“Earlier today, I spoke with President-elect Trump and congratulated him on his victory. I also told him that we will help him and his team with their transition, and that we will engage in a peaceful transfer of power,” she said, earning a cheer from the crowd.
🗞️ Today’s top stories
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📊 By the numbers: Here’s how Trump won, according to the NBC News Exit Poll. Read more →
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📈 Shifting coalitions: Trump’s record gains among Latino voters mainly boiled down to their top issue: the economy. Read more →
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⚖️ Legal fallout: Justice Department officials have been evaluating how to wind down the two federal criminal cases against Trump before he takes office to comply with long-standing department policy that a sitting president can’t be prosecuted. Meanwhile, the state criminal cases against him could at the least be frozen until after he leaves office. Read more →
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🩺 Future ‘White House health czar’?: Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who may play a key role overseeing public health issues in a second Trump administration, said he wouldn’t take away people’s vaccines. Read more →
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📝 The agenda: Here’s an overview of the policies that are expected to be top of mind for Trump when he is set to be inaugurated on Jan. 20. And here’s what his return to the White House could mean for the economy and taxes.
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🌎 World view: Celebrations rang out in Israel while Ukrainian officials now face an even more uncertain future in the wake of Trump’s win. Read more →
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🗳️ Ballot measure battles: Constitutional amendments to protect or expand abortion rights passed in seven of the 10 states where they appeared on the ballot Tuesday, NBC News projects. The results ended an unbroken ballot measure winning streak for reproductive rights advocates after the fall of Roe v. Wade. Read more →
That’s all from the Politics Desk for now. If you have feedback — likes or dislikes — email us at politicsnewsletter@nbcuni.com
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This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
