Welcome to the online version of From the Political Bureauan evening newsletter featuring the latest reporting and analysis from the NBC News Politics team from the campaign trail, the White House and Capitol Hill.
In today’s edition, we examine how Republicans want to maintain their current majority in the House of Representatives and expand their new majority in the Senate after Donald Trump’s victory. Moreover, Kamala Harris relents and promises a peaceful transfer of power.
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The battle for the House of Representatives is taking center stage as Trump’s party seeks full control of Washington
By Scott Wong, Sahil Kapur and Kyle Stewart
Republicans have regained control of the White House and Senate. Now all eyes are on the House of Representatives, which Democrats see as their last line of defense to stop newly-elected President Donald Trump and his agenda.
The struggle for the majority involves enormous stakes.
Will Trump wield a Republican trifecta that is expected to support his agenda and his demands? Or will he face a House led by Democrats, who would serve as a check on his legislative agenda and wield the power to investigate his administration?
With many competitive races still called, NBC News has not yet predicted which party will control the House of Representatives in 2025. But given Trump’s decisive victory over Vice President Kamala Harris, Republicans in the House of Representatives are optimistic about their chances of maintaining their slim majority.
In a statement 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 control of the House.
“Republicans in the House of Representatives have been successful in securing critical changes 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 votes are tabulated, Republicans will have had our majority, even though we faced a map with 18 seats won by Biden.”
Democrats in Congress have been relatively quiet as they come to terms with Trump’s stunning victory, but are not throwing in the towel. Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., sounded optimistic Wednesday afternoon and pointed to several bright spots. He said Democrats had filled open seats in Virginia and Michigan, won victories in Alabama and Louisiana over redistricting and were targeting four Republican seats in New York.
“The House remains very much in the game,” Jeffries said in a statement. “The path to regaining 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. Which party will have the majority in the House of Representatives in January 2025 has yet to be determined. We must count every vote.”
Read more →
Meanwhile, the question on the other side of the Capitol is whether the Republican Party can further expand their newly acquired majority in the Senate.
Republican Tim Sheehy defeated Democratic Sen. Jon Tester in Montana, NBC News predicted Wednesday morning, giving the GOP 52 seats in the Senate.
But Democrats managed to keep two seats in the battleground states that Trump held at the presidential level. NBC News also predicted Wednesday that Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin fended off a challenge from Republican Eric Hovde in Wisconsin, while Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin the former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers in Michigan defeated.
That leaves three key Senate races that will no longer take place as of late Wednesday afternoon. In Arizona, Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego tops Republican Kari Lake in vote counting, 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 not yet called presidential contests in Arizona and Nevada, while projecting Trump to win Pennsylvania.
Read more about the uncalled races here →
Harris concedes in front of an emotional crowd at her alma mater
By Natasha Korecki
Vice President Kamala Harris sought to ease disappointment and offer words of strength to hundreds of supporters as she conceded the presidential election on Wednesday, with some of her supporters wiping 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 burn bright,” Harris said in a speech to her. alma mater Howard University.
Harris offered to console Democrats over the loss of former President Donald Trump, acknowledging that they were “feeling and experiencing a range of emotions right now.”
But she emphasized that Democrats had to accept the outcome of the election to preserve democracy. By conceding the race Wednesday, Harris did something Trump never did.
“Earlier today I spoke with President-elect Trump and congratulated him on his victory. I also told him that we will assist him and his team in their transition, and that we will achieve a peaceful transition of power,” she said, drawing cheers from the crowd.
Read more →
🗞️Today’s top stories
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📊 According to 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 largely came down to their top issue: the economy. Read more →
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⚖️ Legal consequences: Justice Department officials have been evaluating how to conclude the two federal criminal cases against Trump before he takes office, to comply with the department’s longstanding policy that a sitting president cannot be prosecuted. Meanwhile, state criminal cases against him could at 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 in overseeing public health issues in a second Trump administration, said he would not take away people’s vaccines. Read more →
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📝 The agenda: Here’s a look at the policies expected to be at the top of Trump’s agenda when he is inaugurated on January 20. And here’s what his return to the White House could mean for the economy and taxes.
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🌎 Worldview: There were celebrations in Israel, while Ukrainian officials now face an even more uncertain future after Trump’s victory. 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, according to NBC News Projects. The results ended an unbroken string of victories for reproductive rights advocates after the fall of Roe v. Wade. Read more →
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For now, that all comes from the Political Bureau. If you have any feedback – like it or not – please email us at politicsnieuwsbrief@nbcuni.com
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This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
