Trump wins Arizona, secures sweep of battleground states; GOP nears house control

Donald Trump has won the 2024 presidential election in Arizona, securing all seven battleground states. His victory in Arizona was projected on Saturday by major media outlets, including The Associated Press and Edison Research. This win helped Trump secure a final total of 312 Electoral College votes, far surpassing the 270 needed to win the presidency.

Trump’s win over Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris is a big deal, giving him a clear victory in the Electoral College. Harris, with 226 votes, won’t be able to catch up. With this win, Trump has effectively completed his sweep of all the critical swing states in the election.

Republicans Close to Controlling the U.S. House

In addition to his presidential win, Republicans are also close to taking control of the U.S. House of Representatives. This would be an important win for Trump as it would give him the support needed to pass his policies when he returns to the White House in January.

As of Saturday, Republicans have won 213 out of the 435 seats in the House, according to Edison Research. They need just five more seats to secure control. On the other hand, Democrats have won 205 seats, but they would need to win 13 of the remaining 17 seats to take control of the House.

Republicans have already made significant gains in the Senate, where they will have the majority after winning key seats in the election. This gives the Republican Party a strong position in both the Senate and House, setting the stage for Trump to push his agenda forward in the next term.

Trump Forms His Administration: Haley and Pompeo Not Invited

As President-elect, Donald Trump is already starting to form his new administration. On Saturday, he announced that two prominent Republicans, former U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, will not be joining his team.

Trump made this announcement on social media, saying that while he greatly appreciated working with both of them in the past, neither Haley nor Pompeo would be invited to serve in his administration. He thanked them for their service to the country but made it clear that he was moving forward with other plans for his team.

Nikki Haley, the former governor of South Carolina, had served as Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations during his first term. Despite some past criticism of Trump when she ran for president in the party’s primaries, she later endorsed him for re-election.

Mike Pompeo, who had served as the director of the Central Intelligence Agency and later as Secretary of State under Trump, was rumored to be in consideration for a position such as Defense Secretary. However, Trump has now ruled out both Pompeo and Haley for roles in his new government.

This move signals that Trump is beginning to set the direction for his second term, although he has not yet revealed all the members of his incoming team.