Barack Obama’s former campaign manager says the Democratic Party got their “butts kicked” last night.

Jim Messina, who managed Obama’s 2012 campaign, told MSNBC that the party has a communication problem with several groups, including younger voters and Latinos, “that we thought we had a better message to”.

He added that these groups “no longer feel seen by the Democratic Party”.

“I hope we all take some time and look at all these things, do a comprehensive report and talk about how to move forward, because we got our butts kicked tonight, and we got to figure out how to move forward in a way that gets us back to being majority party we used to be,” Mr Messina said.

Donald Trump’s claims that he will end wars across the world very soon into his presidency will be put to the test now, a senior Hamas official has said.

The official told the Reuters news agency that Trump should “learn” from the “mistakes” of Joe Biden, who has supported Israel in its war against Hamas.

The official also said the Democrat’s apparent crushing loss this morning is the natural price for their leadership’s “criminal stance” in Gaza.

Palestinians burn pictures of Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu in Gaza in 2020Reuters

It’s 9am and it’s been a busy night. Here’s what you need to know in five short bullet points:

• Donald Trump is on the verge of a stunning victory, with three of the seven key swing states declaring for him so far;
• He needs just four electoral college votes to formally win the presidency;
• Trump himself declared he had won in front of supporters in Florida, promising a “golden age” for America;
• Spokespeople for Kamala Harris sent supporters away from her watch party at Howard University in Washington DC, with the vice president retiring to her home for the night – though she hasn’t formally conceded;
• World leaders have begun to congratulate the soon-to-be president-elect.

Donald Trump’s victory now looks all-but-certain – we’re just waiting for formal confirmation from a few remaining states.

Wisconsin, one of the only remaining battlegrounds, has counted 94%.

Just under 200,000 votes still need to be counted, but Trump holds a strong lead of 120,903. With the state counting for 10 electoral votes, a victory there would secure him the White House.

Interestingly, 141,000 of the remaining 197,000 votes are in Milwaukee.

Both candidates spent considerable time in the city and Kamala Harris currently leads Mr Trump 65% to 34%.

There are still four areas of Milwaukee City where votes were delayed and are yet to be counted – and history suggests they could fall even more for Democrats than the current split.

If they don’t, Donald Trump will take the state as he leads in all other counties with votes left.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, who travelled to Florida to show support for Donald Trump over election night, has hailed what he calls “the most incredible political comeback of our lifetime”.

Posting a picture of Trump covered in blood after he was shot in July, Mr Farage said: “He’s done it again.”

Trump described the Clacton MP as his “friend” as he shouted him out during a rally on his final day of campaigning.

The US dollar has surged against a basket of currencies as Donald Trump looks set for a return to the White House.

Investors returned to making “Trump trades” on the belief that he would hike tariffs on foreign imports to protect domestic industries, pushing up prices of imported goods and with it inflation, while also increasing borrowing and government debt at home.

US Treasury yields – essentially the rate of interest that the US government pays on it debt – also rose in response to these pressures, with investors now betting that the US Federal Reserve, which makes its next decision on interest rates on Thursday, will take a more cautious approach to cutting rates in the months ahead.

US stock markets are expected to open up later today, while in Asia, stocks on the Hang Seng were lower over fears Trump could put 60% tariffs on Chinese goods.

Meanwhile, Bitcoin surged to a record high of $75,060 as crypto investors were buoyed by the expectation of having an ally of the currency in the White House and with it a calmer or even positive regulatory environment for digital assets.

The oil price has also eased to less than $75 a barrel over expectations that a Trump administration will encourage crude flows in the US.

As Donald Trump walked on stage in Florida to declare himself president, Kamala Harris’s aides pivoted from hoping for her win to how best to deal with a Trump presidency.

An aide told our US partner network NBC News: “While Trump’s policies will have tremendous domestic and international ramifications, I’ll try to remind myself and others of a larger picture around values that I hold – and share with a broader group of people.”

They said the “hardest part” will be to “embody love” to the half of America’s voters who feel drawn to Trump.

“That will be the hardest part: to practise love toward someone who is drawn to such hateful rhetoric and tribal tendencies,” the aide said.

Harris has not conceded but is expected to speak later today.

Elon Musk, who spent election night with Donald Trump in Florida, has shared a flurry of posts online.

In one to his social media platform X, he said: “You are the media now.”

In another, he said that Mr Trump had a “crystal clear” mandate from the American people.

Here was a post just before Mr Trump came out to declare victory in front of his supporters in Florida – a speech in which he said “a star is born, Elon”…

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian president, has congratulated Donald Trump on an “impressive” election “victory”.

Mr Zelenskyy said he appreciated Trump’s “commitment to the ‘peace through strength’ approach” to global affairs and that the principle could “bring just peace in Ukraine closer”.

“I am hopeful that we will put it into action together. We look forward to an era of a strong United States of America under President Trump’s decisive leadership,” he said.

Mr Trump is expected to chart a new course on major conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. He has previously claimed that he would end Russia’s war in Ukraine should he return to the White House.

Our US partner network NBC News has not yet projected a winner in the race – though Trump is all but nailed on with only four electoral votes to reach 270.

We’ve had some reaction from Sir Keir Starmer now, who has congratulated Donald Trump on his looming election victory.

“Congratulations president-elect Trump on your historic election victory. I look forward to working with you in the years ahead,” he said.

“As the closest of allies, we stand shoulder-to-shoulder in defence of our shared values of freedom, democracy and enterprise.

“From growth and security to innovation and tech, I know that the UK-US special relationship will continue to prosper on both sides of the Atlantic for years to come.”

By Jess Sharp, live news reporter in Bucks County, Pennsylvania

Flags in the air, chanting USA, Donald Trump’s supporters in Bucks County are overwhelmed with joy.

Some cry as the 78-year-old’s victory speech plays on the big screen.

“Hallelujah,” a woman shouts.

“Trump that bitch,” says a man in the crowd.

Many people have cleared out of this watch party now, but the ones that remain are cheering loud and proud.

They’re pleased to hear from JD Vance as well, chanting his name, some of them while pumping their fists in the air.

It’s clear that this is a group that believes their efforts to elect Mr Trump have paid off.

But he hasn’t 100% won yet – he still needs four electoral college votes.

Nebraska is one of only two states that splits its Electoral College votes based on the preferences of its different districts.

Our US partner network NBC News projects that Kamala Harris is on track to win Nebraska’s 2nd congressional district – worth one vote.

Donald Trump looks set to sweep the other four.

They call it “Agenda 47”, an eyebrow-raising blueprint for the 47th presidency.

It could be entitled “Back to the Future”.

Donald Trump’s base yearn for “the golden era”, an America they believe has been lost.

He’s on a mission to find it for them.

The New York tycoon stands on the precipice of power beyond his wildest imagination.

Young men, black men, Latino men have bought into Trump 2.0.

The pollsters predicted a tight race. In the end, he’s probably won by something resembling a landslide – Republicans flipping the Senate.

If they retain the House of Representatives too, it will be an unchecked power – Trump holding the keys to the White House and Congress.

Reuters

Thousands of words could be written about Project 2025, the conservative Heritage Foundation’s plan for the radical reform of federal government.

But the pledge to “Make America Great Again” again goes deeper and it is a campaign that has recruited the most unlikely of poster boys.

Elon Musk, the billionaire tech mogul and world’s richest man, is on board and could soon take charge of the Department of Government Efficiency.

Robert F Kennedy Jr, who’s estranged from the rest of his political dynasty, suspended his own run for the White House to back Trump.

RFK is renowned for questioning the safety of drinking water and vaccines.

The likely president-elect has not ruled out giving him responsibility for health.

Trump and Robert F Kennedy JrReuters

In election campaign speeches, Trump has laid out his plans to invest in flying cars and build “freedom cities” – free from government regulations.

On immigration, he promised the biggest mass deportation of illegal migrants in US history, to finish building the wall and enforce strict border control.

Donald Trump has vowed to relocate rough sleepers from city centres to tented camps until their “problems can be identified”.

But it’s the culture war-mongering that will cause most alarm – no constitutional right to abortion; teachers required to “embrace patriotic values”.

Trump has an isolationist policy and seeks to detangle America from global conflicts, not least in Ukraine and the Middle East.

He has pledged to cut “hundreds of billions” of dollars in international aid, end the war in Ukraine, and potentially withdraw America from NATO.

He had already made history – the first president to become a convicted felon. Only one other has won two non-consecutive terms.

The unconventional, unfiltered 45th president of the United States will be the 47th president and the rest of the world holds its breath.

French leader Emmanuel Macron has congratulated Donald Trump on his apparent victory.

“Congratulations President Donald Trump,” he said in French on X.

“Ready to work together as we have done for four years.

“With your convictions and with mine. With respect and ambition.

“For more peace and prosperity.”

Our US partner NBC News projects victories for Kamala Harris in Minnesota and New Jersey.

Both were considered safe Democrat seats ahead of the election.

New Jersey is worth 14 electoral college votes, while Minnesota brings her 10.

That being said, the path to victory is all but blocked now, with Donald Trump sweeping key states including Georgia, North Carolina and (on course) to take Pennsylvania.

Donald Trump is on course for record wins in the states of Pennsylvania, Florida, Iowa and Ohio, NBC News is projecting.

Mr Trump’s home state, Florida, has counted 99% of the votes cast and he’s won 56%.

If that holds, it would be the biggest proportion for a Republican since 1988 when George W Bush got 50.7%.

In Pennsylvania, the key swing state, 95% of the vote has been counted and Trump is on 50.8%.

If that holds, it would be the highest for a Republican since either 1988 when George HW Bush got 50.7% or 1984 when Ronald Reagan won 53.3%

In Iowa, 97% of the vote has been counted, with Mr Trump on 56%.

If that holds, it will be the highest share for a Republican – or any candidate for that matter – in the state since 1972.

In Ohio, 96% of the vote has been counted, with Mr Trump on 55%.

If that holds, it would be the highest share of the vote in the state for any candidate since 1988.

So much for that Iowa poll that had a shock Kamala Harris lead….

Viktor Orban, the outspoken Hungarian prime minister, is one of the first world leaders to congratulate his friend Donald Trump, who has just claimed victory in front of supporters in Florida.

Not far behind him was Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister…

Donald Trump’s “victory” speech has ended and the crowd erupts into applause as the Village People’s YMCA is played.

Some wave MAGA hats as Trump stays on stage for several minutes, jigging and and waving to his supporters.

“Thank you very much,” he mouths as he then walks away holding hands with his wife Melania.

Here are the key moments from Trump’s appearance at West Palm Beach, as he looks on course to win the election:

• Trump kicked off his speech by effectively claiming the win, saying it was a “magnificent victory for the American people” and the “golden age for America”;
• He paid tribute to his “beautiful” wife Melania and “amazing children”;
• The former president also praised one of his biggest supporters, tech mogul Elon Musk, saying “a new star is born”. “I love you, Elon,” he said;
• Trump called the Republican Party the “party of common sense” and said he was going to “stop wars”;
• Running mate JD Vance also took the stage briefly, hailing what he described as “the greatest political comeback in the history of the United States of America”.

Continuing his speech, Donald Trump declares that he is going to “stop wars”.

He says the Republicans are the “party of common sense”.

Referring to his previous presidency, he claims: “We had no wars, for four years we had no wars. Except we defeated ISIS.

“We defeated ISIS in record time, but we had no wars.

“They said ‘he will start a war’. I’m not going to start a war, I’m going to stop the wars.”

Trump claims this is a huge victory for “democracy” and “freedom”: “We are going to unlock America’s glorious destiny, we’re going to achieve the most incredible future for our people.”

Trump says he will make the US “better than it ever has been”, adding he has been told “God spared my life for a reason” after an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania in July.

“That reason is to save our country and to return America to greatness,” he says.

“And now we are going to fulfil that mission.”

Trump adds: “It’s time to put the divisions of the last four years behind us, it’s time to unite, and we’re going to try – we have to try – and it’s going to happen.

“Success will bring us together.”

He concludes his speech with a simple send-off: “God bless you, and God bless America.”

After Dana White’s short speech, Donald Trump picks back up.

“I want to thank the millions of hardworking Americans across the nation who have always been the heart and soul of this really great movement,” he says.

“This will forever be remembered as the day the American people regained control of their country,” he adds.

He also teases a potential high-profile role for Robert F Kennedy Jr, who he says will “make America healthy again”.