WASHINGTON (AP) — The House is expected to try next week to pass a Social Security-related bill to ensure benefits for workers who are also eligible for other pensions despite a surprise move by hard-right Freedom Caucus leaders to derail the effort.

It’s a quick turnaround to salvage what had been a bipartisan effort to pass the bill during what’s now the lame-duck post-election period of the Congress.

Here’s what’s going on:

WHAT DOES THE BILL DO?

The measure that would repeal the so-called “government pensions offset” has been gaining support in the House — a robust 300 lawmakers, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, have signed on to it.

The bill summary says the government pensions offset “in various instances reduces Social Security benefits for spouses, widows, and widowers who also receive government pensions of their own.”

The bill would repeal that provision and reinstate full Social Security benefits.

HOW WAS THE BILL ADVANCING?

To force the legislation forward, the sponsors of the bill, Republican Rep. Garrett Graves of Louisiana and Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia used a rarely successful process called a discharge petition.

They collected the minimum 218 signatures needed from House lawmakers to dislodge the bill from committee and send it to the floor for a vote.

The move is often seem as an affront to House leaders, particularly the House speaker and the majority leader who determine the floor schedule.

But Spanberger and Graves — who both did not seek reelection — had little to lose. Besides, Johnson backed the bill before becoming speaker.

HOW DID CONSERVATIVES BLOCK IT?

Two leaders of the conservative House Freedom Caucus intervened when the rest of Congress was away from Capitol Hill, mostly in home states for Election Day.

The Freedom Caucus chairman Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., and former chair Rep. Bob Goode, R-Va., used a routine pro forma session of the House on Tuesday to swiftly table part of the measure.

The Freedom Caucus tends to block new spending. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated the bill would add some $196 billion to the federal deficit over a decade.

Graves said that’s the amount people are missing out on without reinstating full Social Security benefits.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

In tabling the legislation the conservatives actually set back its procedural rule, but not the bill itself.

The legislation is expected to move forward with a House vote anyway, possibly in the week ahead.

That said, passage will now be tougher, requiring a supermajority threshold rather than a simple majority as had been planned under the rule that the Freedom Caucus leaders turned back.

WHO WOULD BENEFIT IF THE BILL PASSES?

The summary says the legislation, if approved, would repeal the provisions that reduce Social Security benefits for individuals who receive other benefits, such as a pension from a state or local government.

It says the bill also eliminates the so-called “windfall elimination provision” that “in some instances reduces Social Security benefits for individuals who also receive a pension or disability benefit from an employer that did not withhold Social Security taxes.”

If it passes the House, it’s unclear if the bill has enough support to clear the Senate. But the wide margin in the House indicates potentially broad support.

It would then go to President Joe Biden’s desk. If signed into law, the summary says the changes are effective for benefits payable after December 2023.

By ZEKE MILLER and WILL WEISSERT

WASHINGTON (AP) — A good-governance group is warning of severe consequences if President-elect Donald Trump continues to steer clear of formal transition planning with the Biden administration — inaction that it says is already limiting the federal government’s ability to provide security clearances and briefings to the incoming administration.

Without the planning, says Max Stier, president and CEO of the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service, “it would not be possible” to “be ready to govern on day one.”

The president-elect’s transition is being led by Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick and Linda McMahon, the former wrestling executive who led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s first term. They said last month that they expected to sign agreements beginning the formal transition process with the Biden White House and the General Services Administration, which acts essentially as the federal government’s landlord.

But those agreements are still unsigned, and the pressure is beginning to mount.

The delay is holding up the federal government’s ability to begin processing security clearances for potentially hundreds of Trump administration national security appointees. That could limit the staff who could work on sensitive information by Inauguration Day on Jan. 20.

It also means Trump appointees can’t yet access federal facilities, documents and personnel to prepare for taking office.

The agreements are required by the Presidential Transition Act, which was enacted in 2022. They mandate that the president-elect’s team agree to an ethics plan and to limit and disclose private donations.

In that act, Congress set deadlines of Sept. 1 for the GSA agreement and Oct. 1 for the White House agreement, in an effort to ensure that incoming administrations are prepared to govern when they enter office. Both deadlines have long since come and gone.

Stier, whose organization works with candidates and incumbents on transitions, said on a call with reporters on Friday that a new administration “walks in with the responsibility of taking over the most complex operation on the planet.”

“In order to do that effectively, they absolutely need to have done a lot of prework,” he said, adding that Trump’s team “has approached this in a, frankly, different way than any other prior transition has.”

“They have, up until now, walked past all of the tradition and, we believe, vital agreements with the federal government,” Stier said.

In a statement this week, Lutnick and McMahon said Trump was “selecting personnel to serve our nation under his leadership and enact policies that make the life of Americans affordable, safe, and secure.” They didn’t mention signing agreements to begin the transition.

A person familiar with the matter said that the congressionally mandated ethics disclosures and contribution limits were factors in the hesitance to sign the agreements.

Trump transition spokesperson Brian Hughes said Friday that the team’s “lawyers continue to constructively engage with the Biden-Harris Administration lawyers regarding all agreements contemplated by the Presidential Transition Act.”

“We will update you once a decision is made,” Hughes said.

The Trump team’s reluctance has persisted despite Biden’s White House chief of staff, Jeff Zients, reaching out to Lutnick and McMahon to reiterate the important role the agreements with the Biden administration and GSA play in beginning a presidential transition.

“We’re here to assist. We want to have a peaceful transition of power,” said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. “We want to make sure they have what they need.”

The unorthodox approach to the presidential transition process recalls the period immediately after Trump’s Election Day victory in 2016. Days later, the president-elect fired the head of his transition team, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and tossed out a transition playbook he’d been compiling.

But Stier said that, even then, Trump’s team had signed the initial agreements that allowed the transition to get started — something that hasn’t happened this time.

“The story’s not finished. But they’re late,” he said. “And even if they manage to get these agreements in now, they’re late in getting those done.”

By TERRY SPENCER

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A Chinese national was ordered held Friday on trespassing charges after police say he tried to enter President-elect Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in violation of a court order that he stay away following previous attempts.

Zijie Li, 39, is being held without bond at the Palm Beach County Jail after being arrested Thursday when he arrived at Mar-a-Lago’s entrance gate in an Uber, the latest in series of contacts he’s had with police and Secret Service agents at or near the estate since July.

Li, who lives in suburban Los Angeles on a student visa, had just been released from a mental hospital, where he had been placed in late October after police found him found near the estate. He is now facing two counts of misdemeanor trespassing.

Li’s arrest comes after a sniper nearly killed Trump at a July rally in Pennsylvania and an alleged would-be assassin stalked him in September at his Palm Beach County golf course. On Friday, the U.S. Justice Department announced it had broken up an Iranian plot to kill Trump.

During Trump’s term as president, there were numerous illegal incursions at Mar-a-Lago, including two by Chinese nationals, but none were attempts to harm him.

According to Town of Palm Beach police reports, Li first tried to enter Mar-a-Lago in July, telling Secret Service agents he had information tying China to the Pennsylvania assassination attempt. He was told to leave and not return.

He was arrested the following week after police say he twice tried to enter Mar-a-Lago. He was charged with misdemeanor trespassing and released on bail, with the judge ordering him to stay away from Mar-a-Lago and Trump.

Then Li last week approached a homeowner near Mar-a-Lago who had placed a Trump campaign sign in her yard, records show. He asked the woman if she was a member of Mar-a-Lago and if she would take him inside. She called police, who took him to a mental hospital for observation.

He was released from the hospital on Thursday, shortly before he returned to Mar-a-Lago, police said. He was arrested again on a misdemeanor trespassing charge. Bail for his previous arrest was revoked.

The Palm Beach County Public Defender’s Office, which is representing Li, declined to comment. It does not typically comment on pending cases.

Mar-a-Lago was the scene of at least five intrusions during Trump’s first term as president, including the two by Chinese nationals.

In August 2020, three teenagers fleeing police while carrying a semiautomatic gun in a backpack jumped a wall at Mar-a-Lago. They were arrested immediately, and police said they did not believe the teens knew where they were. Trump was not at the estate.

In January 2020, two Palm Beach sheriff’s deputies opened fire on a Connecticut opera singer who sped through a checkpoint outside Mar-a-Lago while having a mental breakdown. She was not hit and was arrested nearby. She was later found not guilty by reason of insanity. She had been charged with aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, fleeing arrest and resisting an officer without violence.

In March 2019, Chinese national Yujing Zhang gained access to Mar-a-Lago while carrying a laptop, phones and other electronic gear. That led to initial speculation that the Shanghai businesswoman might be a spy, but she was never charged with espionage. Text messages she exchanged with a trip organizer indicated she was a fan of the president and wanted to meet him or his family to discuss possible deals. She was found guilty of trespassing and deported.

In December 2019, the club’s security officers confronted another Chinese national, Jing Lu, then 56, for trespassing and told her to leave, but she returned to take photos. Lu was charged with loitering and resisting an officer without violence. She was later acquitted of trespassing but found guilty of resisting arrest.

On Thanksgiving weekend 2018, a University of Wisconsin student visiting the area with his parents walked into Mar-a-Lago by mingling with a group that was entering. He was arrested and pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor.

By HANNA ARHIROVA, ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON and ZEKE MILLER, Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump put billionaire Elon Musk on the line with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy when the Ukrainian leader called to congratulate the incoming U.S. president, according to a Ukrainian official with direct knowledge of the phone call.

The person, who was not authorized to comment on the matter publicly, confirmed that Zelenskyy and Musk spoke during the call with Trump, but that Musk did not appear to be on the line for the entire conversation on Wednesday. Trump seemingly handed his phone over to Musk, the person said, and the Ukrainian president thanked the SpaceX owner for assisting his country with access to the Starlink satellite internet platform.

The presence of Musk on the call highlights his influence in the president-elect’s circle. Trump has mused that Musk could have a formal role in his administration that focuses on government efficiency, raising questions about potential conflicts of interest given SpaceX’s lucrative government contracts.

Trump’s interactions with Zelenskyy are being closely watched as he prepares to take over the presidency on Jan. 20 and has signaled a shift in Washington’s steadfast support for Ukraine against Russia’s nearly three-year-old invasion.

Trump has promised to swiftly end the war and suggested that Kyiv should agree to cede some territory to Moscow in return for peace, a condition Zelenskyy has rejected.

It was under Trump that the United States first sent weapons to Ukraine in its fight against Russia, in 2017. Those Javelin anti-tank missiles were crucial to Ukraine’s initial ability to fend off the full-scale invasion in 2022.

President Joe Biden’s administration has sent tens of billions of dollars in military and economic assistance to Ukraine, drawing criticism from Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance, who are wary of U.S. involvement in foreign conflicts and suggested the money could better be spent domestically.

Trump has promoted his good relationship with President Vladimir Putin and called the Russian leader “pretty smart” for invading Ukraine. He characterized Zelenskyy as “the greatest salesman on earth” for winning U.S. aid.

Zelenskyy is one of dozens of world leaders, business executives and political leaders to speak with Trump, who has been at his private club and residence in Florida, in the days since he won the White House.

The Trump transition said it would not comment on private meetings.

Axios was first to report on Musk’s presence on the Trump-Zelenskyy call.

---

Gomez Licon reported from West Palm Beach, Fla. and Miller reported from Washington.

By CHEYANNE MUMPHREY

Savannah Britt owes about $27,000 on loans she took out to attend college at Rutgers University, a debt she was hoping to see reduced by President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness efforts.

Her payments are currently on hold while courts untangle challenges to the loan forgiveness program. But as the weeks tick down on Biden’s time in office, she could soon face a monthly payment of up to $250.

“With this new administration, the dream is gone. It’s shot,” said Britt, 30, who runs her own communications agency. “I was hopeful before Tuesday. I was waiting out the process. Even my mom has a loan that she took out to support me. She owes about $18,000, and she was in the process of it being forgiven, but it’s at a standstill.”

President-elect Donald Trump and his fellow Republicans have criticized Biden’s loan forgiveness efforts, and lawsuits by GOP-led states have held up plans for widespread debt cancellation. Trump has not said what he would do on loan forgiveness, leaving millions of borrowers facing uncertainty over their personal finances.

The economy was an important issue in the election, helping to propel Trump to victory. But for borrowers, concerns about their finances extend beyond inflation to include their student debt, said Persis Yu, managing counsel for the Student Borrower Protection Center.

“That’s a big part of what is making life unaffordable for them is this burden of expenses that they can’t seem to get out from under,” Yu said.

Student loan cancellation was not a focus of the campaign for either Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris, who steered clear of the issue at her political events. The issue came up just once in the September presidential debate, when Trump hammered Harris and Biden for failing to deliver their promise of widespread forgiveness. Trump called it a “total catastrophe” that “taunted young people.”

Biden promised the student loan cancellation program during his run for the presidency. From its launch, Biden’s loan forgiveness faced relentless pushback from opponents who said it heaped advantage on elites and came at the expense of those who repaid their loans or did not attend college.

Biden’s first plan to cancel up to $20,000 for millions of people was blocked by the Supreme Court last year. A second, narrower plan has been halted by a federal judge after Republican-led states sued. A separate policy intended to lower loan payments for struggling borrowers has been paused by a judge, also after Republican-controlled states challenged it.

Bob Eitel, who served during the first Trump administration as a senior counselor to the education secretary, said he expects the president-elect will move to rescind the loan cancellations.

“The Trump administration may pursue different avenues of loan relief, but it will not be the mass blanket types of forgiveness that the current administration has pursued,” said Eitel, president and co-founder of the Defense of Freedom Institute for Policy Studies.

Overall, Biden’s efforts were relatively unpopular, even among those with student loans. Three in 10 U.S. adults said they approved of how Biden had handled student loan debt, according to a poll this spring from the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Four in 10 disapproved. The others were neutral or didn’t know enough to say.

Project 2025, the blueprint for a hard-right turn in American government that aligns with some Trump priorities, calls for getting the federal government out of the student loan business and doing away with repayment plans that pre-date the Biden administration.

Even without directly addressing student loans, Trump has made promises that would affect them. He has pledged to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education, which manages the $1.6 trillion federal student loan portfolio. It’s unclear which entity would take that responsibility if the department were eliminated, which would require approval from Congress.

“The American people re-elected President Trump by a resounding margin giving him a mandate to implement the promises he made on the campaign trail. He will deliver,” said Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for the Trump-Vance transition.

Yu noted the Biden administration managed to cancel student loans for about 5 million borrowers, even though the signature forgiveness effort has been blocked. The administration did it by leaning into loan cancellation programs already in effect. For example, an existing student loan forgiveness program for public service workers has granted relief to more than 1 million Americans, up from just 7,000 who were approved before it was updated by the Biden administration two years ago.

“A lot of the cancellation that we saw in the last couple of years was because the Biden administration was committed to making the programs that are actually enshrined in law work for people,” Yu said.

Sabrina Calazans, 27, owes about $30,000 on federal student loans from her college days at Arcadia University in Pennsylvania. Her payments also have been on hold, but she could soon face a monthly payment of over $300.

“As a first-generation American, I live at home with my family, I contribute to our household finances, and that payment is a lot for me and so many others like me,” said Calazans, who is originally from Brazil.

In her role as managing director for Student Debt Crisis Center, Calazans said she has been telling people to stay up to date on developments by using the loan simulator on the Federal Student Aid website and reading updated information on forgiveness qualifications and repayment programs.

“There’s a lot of confusion about student loans,” Calazans said, and not just among young people. “We’re seeing a lot of parents take out more debt for their children to be able to go to school. We’re seeing older folks go back to school and having to take out loans as well.”

Associated Press education writer Collin Binkley in Washington, D.C.. contributed to this report.

HOUSTON (AP) — Jared Goff is aware that many around the NFL are high on the Detroit Lions as they bring a six-game winning streak into Sunday’s prime-time matchup with the Houston Texans.

And that doesn’t matter one bit to the veteran quarterback.

“Who cares (about) who thinks we’re any good right now?” Goff said. “It doesn’t matter. You’re just trying to find a way to stack W’s and I think you get caught up in sometimes not only the bad stuff but the good stuff at times.

“It can be dangerous.”

At 7-1, the NFC North-leading Lions are off to their best start since 1956 and their winning streak is their longest since 1995.

Now they’ll face a Houston team, which leads the AFC South, but is trying to regroup after a disappointing loss to the New York Jets last week.

Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud is also ignoring what outsiders are saying about his team this week after Houston was roundly criticized for its subpar performance against the Jets.

“We are a really good football team,” Stroud said. “There is no time to hang our heads down. It ain’t that bad. We are going to figure it out, for sure.”

The main thing the Texans (6-3) need to solve is how to better protect Stroud after he was sacked a season-high eight times by the Jets. Stroud has been sacked 30 times this season, which is second-most in the league behind Cleveland’s Deshaun Watson, who is out for the season.

Coach DeMeco Ryans wouldn’t provide any details on how they hope to fix the problem. But he believes they have the right players in place and that they simply need to perform better as a group.

“For us, we just have to go out and execute our offense the right way,” he said.

Houston’s offense could get a huge boost this week with star receiver Nico Collins eligible to come off the injured reserve list after missing the last four games with a hamstring injury.

Ryans said Collins is “doing good,” but wouldn’t say if he’ll play. His return would certainly help take some of the pressure off Stroud after he relied almost entirely on Tank Dell last week in the first game since Stefon Diggs’ season-ending knee injury.

Collins remains Houston’s leading receiver with 567 yards and eight touchdowns despite his extended absence.

The Lions are also looking forward to the return of one of their top receivers, with Jameson Williams back after serving a two-game suspension for violating the league’s performance-enhancing substance policy. He ranks second on the team with 361 yards receiving.

“He’s a weapon and we know that and teams around the league know that,” Goff said. “So, he’s a guy that they’ll certainly be planning for and will help us in a ton of ways, not just catching the ball but with blocking and all the other stuff that he can do.”

Never that player

The Lions acquired defensive end Ze’Darius Smith in a trade with the Cleveland Browns this week to help make up for the loss of star Aidan Hutchinson who’s out for the season.

But Detroit coach Dan Campbell isn’t thinking of Smith, a three-time Pro Bowler, as the one player who can put the Lions over the top because in the NFL, the odds are too high for an injury.

He also joked it was never pressure he dealt with as a player.

“I’m sure you want to know if I was ever a team’s ‘one player away,’ and the answer is absolutely not,” the former tight end said.

Mixon’s impact

Running back Joe Mixon’s impact on the field in his first year in Houston after a trade from Cincinnati has been clear as he has boosted a running game that struggled for years.

He has rushed for at least 100 yards and a touchdown in four straight games since returning from an ankle injury and ranks third in the NFL by averaging 101.5 yards rushing a game.

But perhaps just as important as his play has been the leadership and accountability he has provided.

“One thing I love about Joe is Joe will call you out,” Stroud said. “Joe will call me out, Joe will call his linemen out, Joe will call coaches out, he doesn’t care. Ultimately, that is what you want because at the end of the day we all came here for one common goal and that is to win.”

Like looking in a mirror

Campbell acknowledged he sees a lot of the same traits in his Lions and Ryan’s Texans.

“They’ve got a lot of young players that they’ve hit on, and it’s funny, because most of those players are the same kind of players that we rely on, so I do think there are a lot of similarities,” Campbell said. “You can see how hard they play, they’ve drafted well, and DeMeco has done a hell of a job.”

— By KRISTIE RIEKEN, Associated Press

The post Watch Live: Biden deliver remarks following Trump’s win appeared first on WDET 101.9 FM.

By AAMER MADHANI

WASHINGTON (AP) — Joe Biden’s name wasn’t on the ballot, but history will likely remember Kamala Harris’ resounding defeat as his loss too.

As Democrats pick up the pieces after President-elect Donald Trump’s decisive victory, some of the vice president’s backers are expressing frustration that Biden’s decision to seek reelection until this summer — despite long-standing voter concerns about his age and unease about post-pandemic inflation as well as the U.S.-Mexico border — all but sealed his party’s surrender of the White House.

“The biggest onus of this loss is on President Biden,” said Andrew Yang, who ran against Biden in 2020 for the Democratic nomination and endorsed Harris’ unsuccessful run. “If he had stepped down in January instead of July, we may be in a very different place.”

Biden will leave office after leading the United States out of the worst pandemic in a century, galvanizing international support for Ukraine after Russia’s invasion and passing a $1 trillion infrastructure bill that will affect communities for years to come.

But having run four years ago against Trump to “restore the soul of the country,” Biden will make way after just one term for his immediate predecessor, who overcame two impeachments, a felony conviction and an insurrection launched by his supporters. Trump has pledged to radically reshape the federal government and roll back many of Biden’s priorities.

“Maybe in 20 or 30 years, history will remember Biden for some of these achievements,” said Thom Reilly, co-director of the Center for an Independent and Sustainable Democracy at Arizona State University. “But in the shorter term, I don’t know he escapes the legacy of being the president who beat Donald Trump only to usher in another Donald Trump administration four years later.”

The president on Wednesday stayed out of sight for the second straight day, making congratulatory calls to Democratic lawmakers who won downballot races and to Trump. Biden invited Trump for a White House meeting, and the president-elect accepted.

Biden is set to deliver a Rose Garden address Thursday about the election. He issued a statement shortly after Harris delivered her concession speech Wednesday, praising Harris for running an “historic campaign” under “extraordinary circumstances.”

Some high-ranking Democrats, including three advisers to the Harris campaign, expressed deep frustration with Biden for failing to recognize earlier in the election cycle that he was not up to the challenge. The advisers spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly.

Biden, 81, ended his reelection campaign in July, weeks after an abysmal debate performance sent his party into a spiral and raised questions about whether he still had the mental acuity and stamina to serve as a credible nominee.

But polling long beforehand showed that many Americans worried about his age. Some 77% of Americans said in August 2023 that Biden was too old to be effective for four more years, according to a poll by the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs.

The president bowed out on July 21 after getting not-so-subtle nudges from Democratic Party powers, including former President Barack Obama and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California. Biden endorsed Harris and handed over his campaign operation to her.

Yang argued that Democratic Party leaders also deserve blame for taking too long to push out Biden. With few exceptions, most notably Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips, Democrats shied away talking publicly about Biden’s age.

“Why was this not coming from any Democratic leaders?” Yang said. “It’s a lack of courage and independence and an excess of careerism, if I just keep my mouth shut, we’ll just keep on trucking along.”

The campaign was also saddled by anger among some Arab American and young voters over its approach to Israel’s conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon. Sen. Bernie Sanders, an ally of Biden and Harris, said in a statement that Democrats lost the thread on working class Americans’ concerns.

“Will the big money interests and well-paid consultants who control the Democratic Party learn any real lessons from this disastrous campaign?” the Vermont independent said. “Will they understand the pain and political alienation that tens of millions of Americans are experiencing?”

Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison took to social media Thursday to push back on Sanders’ critique, saying that Biden was “the most-pro worker President of my life time.”

Harris managed to spur far greater enthusiasm than Biden was generating from the party’s base. But she struggled to distinguish how her administration would differ from Biden’s.

Appearing on ABC’s “The View” in September, Harris was not able to identify a decision where she would have separated herself from Biden. “There is not a thing that comes to mind,” Harris said, giving the Trump campaign a sound bite it replayed through Election Day.

The strategists advising the Harris campaign said the compressed campaign timetable made it even more difficult for Harris to differentiate herself from the president.

Had Biden stepped aside early in the year, they said, it would have given Democrats enough time to hold a primary. Going through the paces of an intraparty contest would have forced Harris or another eventual nominee to more aggressively stake out differences with Biden.

The strategists acknowledged that overcoming broad dissatisfaction among the American electorate about rising costs in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic and broad concerns about the U.S. immigration system weighed heavy on the minds of voters in key states.

Still, they said that Biden had left Democrats in an untenable place.

Harris senior adviser David Plouffe in a posting on X called it a “devastating loss.” Plouffe did not assign blame and said the Harris campaign “dug out of a deep hole but not enough.” The post was later deleted.

At the vice president’s concession speech on Wednesday, some Harris supporters said they wished the vice president had had more time to make her pitch to American voters.

“I think that would have made a huge difference,” said Jerushatalla Pallay, a Howard University student who attended the speech at the center of her campus.

Republicans are poised to control the White House and Senate. Control of the House has yet to be determined.

Matt Bennett, executive vice president at the Democratic-aligned group Third Way, said this moment was the most devastating the party has faced in his lifetime.

“Harris was dealt a really bad hand. Some of it was Biden’s making and some maybe not,” said Bennett, who served as an aide to Vice President Al Gore during the Clinton administration. “Would Democrats fare better if Biden had stepped back earlier? I don’t know if we can say for certain, but it’s a question we’ll be asking ourselves for some time.”

Associated Press writer Matt Brown contributed to this report.

One of the nitpicks about the first College Football Playoff rankings was that the committee undervalued Indiana.

The Hoosiers’ No. 8 ranking — they’re in the same spot in the Associated Press Top 25 poll — puts them fourth among Big Ten teams behind No. 1 Oregon, No. 2 Ohio State and No. 6 Penn State.

If the season ended today, Indiana would be in the 12-team bracket as the No. 9 seed. The Hoosier faithful would argue they merit a higher seed.

Indiana is unbeaten, and the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions each have a loss. The Hoosiers have won all nine of their games by at least 14 points and they’ve outscored their opponents by a combined 419-123.

The knock against them is their schedule, ranked 103rd strongest by ESPN. They’ve played no teams in the AP Top 25. Six of their nine opponents went into this week with losing records, one is 4-4 and two are 5-4.

First-year coach Curt Cignetti, in comments before the CFP rankings were released, seemed OK biding his time.

The Hoosiers host Michigan, another of those 5-4 teams, on Saturday. Then, after a week off, they go to Ohio State for what would be one of the season’s most anticipated games if they get past the Wolverines.

“Every week presents its own new set of circumstances and so there’s a lot of that going on this week,” Cignetti said of the noise around his program. “I’m aware of it. But to get kind of caught up on that and lose your focus would be the kiss of death.”

The picks, with Associated Press poll rankings and lines from BetMGM Sportsbook:

Maryland at No. 1 Oregon (minus 25 1/2)

No one except Ohio State has come within three touchdowns of the Ducks since the first week of September. Maryland is playing a regular-season game on the West Coast for the first time in 15 years.

Pick: Oregon 48-20.

No. 2 Georgia at No. 16 Mississippi (plus 2 1/2)

QB Jaxson Dart has the hot hand, and disruptive LB Suntarine Perkins leads an Ole Miss pass rush that’s racked up an FBS-best 41 sacks. Since Week 5, no FBS quarterback has thrown more interceptions than the Bulldogs’ Carson Beck (8).

Pick: Mississippi 31-28.

Purdue at No. 3 Ohio State (minus 37 1/2)

Buckeyes have scored 20 and 21 points in their last two games and are due to break out. They’ve outscored Purdue 100-38 in two meetings since they were upset in West Lafayette in 2018.

Pick: Ohio State 49-10.

No. 4 Miami (minus 11 1/2) at Georgia Tech

Hurricanes have lost three of their last five against the Yellow Jackets, but those teams didn’t have Cam Ward. The Georgia Tech offense is coming off its worst two games of the season.

Pick: Miami 33-21.

Florida (plus 21 1/2) at No. 5 Texas

Florida freshman QB DJ Lagway left last week’s game against Georgia with a hamstring injury, leaving his status uncertain for his return to his home state. Texas is coming off an open date.

Pick: Texas 35-17.

Washington at No. 6 Penn State (minus 13 1/2)

The Nittany Lions have some pent-up frustration to release after losing another one to Ohio State. This is Washington’s fourth road game, and third in the Eastern time zone, since Sept. 27.

Pick: Penn State 42-24.

Mississippi State at No. 7 Tennessee (minus 23 1/2)

The Vols’ Nico Iamaleava played his best game in weeks against Kentucky, and the stage is set for him to put up some huge numbers against a defense that’s allowed SEC opponents to complete 78% of their passes for 318 yards per game.

Pick: Tennessee 38-10.

Michigan (plus 14 1/2) at No. 8 Indiana

Indiana’s Kurtis Rourke was sharp in his return from thumb surgery, and the Wolverines just don’t have enough offense. Hoosiers should be 10-0 when they go to Ohio State.

Pick: Indiana 30-20.

No. 9 BYU (minus 4) at Utah

Cougars lost nine in a row in this rivalry before winning 26-17 at home last year. They haven’t won in Salt Lake City since 2006.

Pick: BYU 27-16.

Florida State at No. 10 Notre Dame (minus 25 1/2)

The last time these teams met, in 2021, FSU backup QB McKenzie Milton put a scare into the ninth-ranked Irish, who squandered an 18-point lead before winning 41-38 in overtime. Don’t expect the Seminoles to put up the same fight this time.

Pick: Notre Dame 37-10.

No. 11 Alabama at No. 14 LSU (plus 3)

These are two teams battling for spots on the playoff bracket. Alabama would be in it now; LSU would be close. Both are coming off open dates. Tigers get the edge in a night game in Death Valley.

Pick: LSU 28-27.

Nevada at No. 12 Boise State (minus 24 1/2)

National rushing leader Ashton Jeanty of Boise State averaged 4.3 yards per carry his last two games, about half his season average. This is an opportunity to jump-start his fading Heisman Trophy campaign.

Pick: Boise State 49-21.

No. 17 Iowa State (minus 3) vs. Kansas

The Cyclones have gotten off to slow starts in their past four games, and it caught up to them last week when Texas Tech handed them their first loss. Kansas has won last two meetings. This one’s at Arrowhead Stadium.

Pick: Iowa State 31-24.

No. 18 Army (minus 5 1/2) at North Texas

Army QB Bryson Daily, who missed last week’s win over Air Force because of an undisclosed injury, is trending toward a return. The Mean Green average 41 points per game.

Pick: Army 42-27.

No. 19 Clemson at Virginia Tech (plus 6 1/2)

The Tigers lost control of their destiny in the ACC with last week’s home loss to Louisville. They’ve won six straight against the Hokies since 2007, but Virginia Tech has proved to be a tough out this season.

Pick: Clemson 28-24.

Utah State at No. 20 Washington State (minus 20 1/2)

Cougars have won three straight, and dual-threat John Mateer is the best under-the-radar quarterback in the country. Utah State ranks 133rd out of 134 FBS teams in scoring defense.

Pick: Washington State 45-21.

No. 21 Colorado at Texas Tech (plus 3 1/2)

Buffaloes come out of their open date having won five of six, bowl eligible and in the thick of the Big 12 race. The Red Raiders showed moxie last week, driving for the winning touchdown against Iowa State after losing the lead with just over 2 minutes left.

Pick: Colorado 35-34.

Virginia at No. 23 Pittsburgh (minus 7 1/2)

Pittsburgh got embarrassed at SMU in its first loss and looks to rebound. Virginia is in the meat of its schedule and has lost three in a row.

Pick: Pittsburgh 34-24.

South Carolina (minus 3 1/2) at No. 24 Vanderbilt

Gamecocks are better than their 5-3 record indicates, and they’ve got momentum from a 24-point win over what was a top-10 Texas A&M team. Vanderbilt plays everybody close.

Pick: South Carolina 27-21.

AP predictions scorecard

Last week: Straight-up — 12-3; Against spread — 8-7.

Season: Straight-up — 151-39; Against spread — 98-91.

— By ERIC OLSON, Associated Press

Six teams are road favorites and two more are slight underdogs in Week 10.

The 49ers, Bills, Vikings, Falcons, Eagles and Lions each are favorites on the road. The Jets and Dolphins both are only 1-point underdogs on the road, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.

The Broncos-Chiefs matchup is the only one of four division games featuring both teams with a winning record.

An AFC North matchup kicks off the week with the Cincinnati Bengals taking on the Baltimore Ravens.

Pro Picks expects a close one.

Cincinnati (4-5) at Baltimore (6-3)

Line: Ravens minus 6 1/2

Lamar Jackson and the Ravens are seeking their second straight season sweep of Joe Burrow and the Bengals in an important AFC North matchup on Thursday night. Baltimore beat Cincinnati 41-38 in overtime on Oct. 6. The Bengals are 4-2 against the spread in their past six games overall, but 0-5 ATS in the past five vs. the Ravens and 2-8 ATS in their past 10 games vs. division opponents.

RAVENS: 31-27

Atlanta (6-3) at New Orleans (2-7)

Line: Falcons minus 3 1/2

Kirk Cousins has helped the Falcons reach first place in the NFC South and Atlanta isn’t looking back. Meanwhile, the Saints have collapsed after a promising 2-0 start. New Orleans fired Dennis Allen and promoted special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi, who makes his coaching debut in this one. The Falcons have lost 13 of the previous 18 games in New Orleans. But these are two teams heading in opposite directions. The Falcons are 4-1 against the spread in their past five games overall while the Saints are 0-5 ATS in that span.

BEST BET: FALCONS: 27-17

Pittsburgh (6-2) at Washington (7-2)

Line: Commanders minus 2 1/2

Russell Wilson has ignited Pittsburgh’s offense and the Steelers are coming off a bye rested and improved following the additions of wide receiver Mike Williams and edge rusher Preston Smith at the trade deadline. The surprising NFC East-leading Commanders, led by Jayden Daniels, made the biggest splash, adding four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Marshon Lattimore. The Steelers are 9-3 against the spread in their past 12 games overall. Washington is 7-2 ATS this season.

UPSET SPECIAL: STEELERS: 23-20

New York Giants (2-7) vs. Carolina (2-7), in Munich, Germany

Line: Giants minus 6

Fans in Germany are seeing the worst of the NFL. The Giants have difficulty scoring, averaging a league-low 15.4 points per game. Bryce Young led the Panthers to a win last week against the Saints and will get another opportunity for a team that needs to find out if he has a future in Carolina.

GIANTS: 19-17

New England (2-7) at Chicago (4-4)

Line: Bears minus 6

No. 1 pick Caleb Williams lost to No. 2 pick Daniels on a Hail Mary two weeks ago. Now, Williams and the Bears face No. 3 pick Drake Maye and the Patriots. Williams is much better at home than on the road — 105.1 vs. 67.2 passer rating home/away. The Bears have won eight straight games overall at Soldier Field, including three this season. Maye has shown playmaking ability that should give New England fans hope.

BEARS: 24-16

Buffalo (7-2) at Indianapolis (4-5)

Line: Bills minus 4

Josh Allen is playing outstanding, mistake-free ball and the Bills are running away with the AFC East. They’ve beat softer teams on their schedule but have tougher challenges ahead, including this one against Joe Flacco and the Colts on the road. All nine of Indianapolis’ games this season have been decided by one possession. The Colts are 6-1 against the spread in their past seven games overall and 6-0 ATS in their past six games vs. AFC opponents.

BILLS: 26-23

Denver (5-4) at Kansas City (8-0)

Line: Chiefs minus 8 1/2

The unbeaten two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs are starting to hit their stride on offense as Patrick Mahomes and De’Andre Hopkins have made a quick connection. The Chiefs have owned the Broncos, winning 16 of the previous 17 games. But this is a different Denver team. The Broncos are on the rise behind coach Sean Payton and rookie QB Bo Nix. They’re 5-2 against the spread in their past seven games overall and 4-1 ATS in their past five games vs. Kansas City. The Chiefs are 10-3-1 ATS in their past 14 games overall.

CHIEFS: 26-20

San Francisco (4-4) at Tampa Bay (4-5)

Line: 49ers minus 5 1/2

The injury-depleted Bucs have to rebound on a short week after a disappointing finish Monday night when they nearly handed the Chiefs their first loss. Baker Mayfield and the offense keep putting up points even without Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. But the defense is allowing 27 points per game. The refreshed 49ers are coming off a bye and could see the return of Christian McCaffrey. San Francisco has used strong second halves to make deep playoff runs each of the past two seasons. With upcoming road games against Green Bay and Buffalo and tough home games against Seattle, Chicago, the Rams, the 49ers can’t afford to slip up in this one.

49ERS: 27-20

Minnesota (6-2) at Jacksonville (2-7)

Line: Vikings minus 4 1/2

The Vikings kick off a stretch of three consecutive road games. They found a way to win last week despite three turnovers by Sam Darnold. The Jaguars had a chance to complete a stunning comeback win after trailing Philadelphia 22-0, but Trevor Lawrence’s interception on a poor throw on first down from the 14 cost Jacksonville. The Jaguars have lost five games by five points or fewer.

VIKINGS: 26-23

Tennessee (2-6) at Los Angeles Chargers (5-3)

Line: Chargers minus 7 1/2

The Chargers have won consecutive games by at least 17 points and start a stretch of three straight home games. The passing game has opened up behind Justin Herbert and J.K. Dobbins is third in the AFC in yards rushing with 620. Maybe Will Levis can return and spark the Titans, who are already looking ahead to next year.

CHARGERS: 24-13

Philadelphia (6-2) at Dallas (3-5)

Line: Eagles minus 7 1/2

No Dak Prescott means no chance for Dallas. The Cowboys were already in trouble before Prescott sustained a hamstring injury that will force him to miss multiple games. Jalen Hurts is back to playing like the 2022 MVP runner-up and the Eagles are rolling with four straight wins. Saquon Barkley has been a major addition for Philadelphia, which has the No. 3 defense in the league.

EAGLES: 30-16

New York Jets (3-6) at Arizona (5-4)

Line: Cardinals minus 1

Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams and Garrett Wilson showed what they can do together last week. Now, the Jets have to stack wins to have any chance of climbing into the playoff race. The Cardinals are surprise leaders in the NFC West and have already surpassed their win total in each of the past two seasons.

JETS: 23-20

Detroit (7-1) at Houston (6-3)

Line: Lions minus 3 1/2

Jared Goff is playing at an MVP level and the high-powered Lions have won six in a row. They added three-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Za’Darius Smith to bolster the defense and are primed to push for the NFC’s No. 1 seed. The Texans need to protect C.J. Stroud better or they won’t go anywhere in January. Relying on Joe Mixon running the ball will help.

LIONS: 24-22

Miami (2-6) at Los Angeles Rams (4-4)

Line: Rams minus 1

After an impressive road win, the Rams find themselves slight favorites at home vs. a two-win team. It’s a strange line. Clearly, oddsmakers are giving the Dolphins a ton of respect. Tua Tagovailoa is 0-2 since returning from a concussion but has played superb. He has completed 80.3% of his passes with three touchdowns and no interceptions. With Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua back from injuries, Matthew Stafford and L.A.’s offense is on track. The Rams have won three in a row.

DOLPHINS: 27-26

Last week: Straight up: 11-4. Against spread: 7-8.

Overall: Straight up: 94-44. Against spread: 72-64-2.

Prime-time: Straight up: 21-10. Against spread: 14-16-1.

Best Bet: Straight up: 7-2. Against spread: 6-3.

Upset Special: Straight up: 6-3. Against spread: 6-3.

——————

— By ROB MAADDI, Associated Press

 

DETROIT (AP) Michigan Democrats will lose their historic trifecta after Republicans gained a majority in the state House of Representatives.

Democrats still hold the majority in the Senate, which was not up for reelection this year, meaning that House Republicans will at most stall Gov. Gretchen Whitmer s agenda in the final two years of her term.

After Democrats obtained control in both chambers and the governors office in 2022, they passed sweeping progressive legislation from gun control to union rights.

Republicans campaigned largely on the economy and cost of living this cycle, convincing voters that Democratic control in Lansing was bad for their pocketbooks and for public safety.

The GOP only needed to gain two seats in order to obtain a majority. A handful of races remained too early to call Wednesday afternoon, but the Associated Press had called more than half of the state House districts for Republican candidates.

House Republican Leader Matt Hall said the victory reaffirms that Michigan residents want leaders who put them first, uphold the rule of law, and advocate for accountability at every level of government.

With a Republican majority, Michigan will have a stronger voice fighting for the values of hardworking families and addressing the issues that matter most safe schools and neighborhoods, an affordable economy, and a government that provides value for dollars," Hall said in a statement.

Democratic House Speaker Joe Tate said in a statement that the results are an opportunity to regroup.

Come January, we will look for every opportunity to work with our Republican colleagues in a bipartisan manner to put the people of Michigan first," he said in a statement.

Related election information Check if you're registered to vote in Michigan Find your polling location How to get an absentee ballot  View your sample ballot  More information about early voting

The post Democrat Elissa Slotkin wins Michigan’s open Senate seat, defeating the GOP’s Mike Rogers appeared first on WDET 101.9 FM.

WASHINGTON (AP) —

DETROIT (AP) — Democratic U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin has won Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat, giving Democrats a bittersweet victory in a swing state that also backed Republican President-elect Donald Trump in his successful bid to return to the White House.

Slotkin, a third-term representative, defeated former Republican congressman Mike Rogers. Democrats have held both Senate seats in Michigan for decades, but were left without retiring incumbent Sen. Debbie Stabenow this year.
Michigan’s was among a handful of Senate races Democrats struggled to defend. They lost their U.S. Senate majority despite Slotkin’s narrow win.

The race was incredibly close. Just minutes before it was called for Slotkin, she addressed supporters in Detroit, acknowledging that many voters may have cast their ballots for her while also supporting Trump, who won the state’s electoral votes over Democrat Kamala Harris.

“It’s my responsibility to get things done for Michiganders. No matter who’s in office, just as I did in President Trump’s first term,” said Slotkin. “I’m a problem solver and I will work with anyone who is actually here to work.”

Slotkin’s win provides some solace for Democrats in the state, many of whom entered Election Day with high confidence following sweeping victories in the 2022 midterms. Democrat Gov. Gretchen Whitmer still controls the executive branch and Democrats held onto the Senate, but Republicans won a majority of state House seats this election.

And Republicans also captured a mid-Michigan seat vacated by Slotkin, considered one of the most competitive races in the country.

The presidential race at the top of the ticket was expected to heavily influence the outcome, but Slotkin became the second Democrat to win a U.S. Senate race in a battleground state that also backed Trump for president, following Wisconsin incumbent Sen. Tammy Baldwin earlier Wednesday.

Trump won Michigan in 2016 by just over 10,000 votes, marking the first time a Republican presidential candidate had secured the state in nearly three decades. This time, he expanded that margin to about 80,000 votes.

Slotkin, a former CIA analyst, launched her Senate campaign shortly after Stabenow announced her retirement in early 2023. With a largely uncontested primary, Slotkin built a significant fundraising advantage and poured it into advertising. Her high-profile supporters included former President Barack Obama and Stabenow, who helped her on the campaign trail.

On the Republican side, Rogers faced multiple challengers for the party’s nomination, including former Reps. Justin Amash and Peter Meijer, the latter of whom withdrew before the Aug. 6 primary. Rogers served in the U.S. House from 2001 to 2015 and chaired the House Intelligence Committee.

Rogers called Slotkin to concede soon after The Associated Press called the race, both campaigns confirmed.

“Congratulations to Congresswoman Slotkin on her victory, I wish her the best as she serves the people of Michigan in the Senate,” Rogers said in a statement.

Slotkin’s victory extends the Republicans’ losing streak in Michigan U.S. Senate races, where no GOP candidate has won since 1994. Michigan’s other Democratic senator, Gary Peters, is serving a term that ends in 2027.

Slotkin and other Michigan Democrats focused much of their campaigns on reproductive rights, arguing that Republican opponents would back a national abortion ban, although Rogers said he wouldn’t. How effectively the issue motivated voting in a state where reproductive rights were enshrined in the constitution by Michigan voters in 2022 remained to be seen.

About 4 in 10 Michigan voters said the economy and jobs is the top issue facing the country, according to AP VoteCast, a sweeping survey of more than 110,000 voters nationally, including about 3,700 voters in Michigan. About 2 in 10 Michigan voters said immigration is the most pressing issue, and roughly 1 in 10 named abortion.

Slotkin used her funding advantage to establish her narrative early, aiming to connect both with her base and disillusioned Republicans.

“We all know that it’s been a tough election season,” Slotkin said Wednesday in Detroit. “I believe in my bones that America is at its best when we have two healthy parties that push and pull and debate on issues of policy and substance and make our laws better.”

She added, “That’s what our founding fathers intended, and it’s what makes our country great.”

DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Lions didn’t acquire Za’Darius Smith to win just any game.

They got him to win a Super Bowl.

That’s why, in an unusual move, they welcomed their new defensive end to town by sending him home. Smith won’t report to the Lions until Friday and coach Dan Campbell isn’t sure if he will play on Sunday night against the Houston Texans.

“He’s been in the league for a while and (the Browns) were actually going on their bye this week,” Campbell said Wednesday. “He got the call from us, everything got done, and now we will let him do what he needs to do, get refreshed and get back here on Friday.”

Of course, it helps that Smith knows what he’s going to be doing for the Lions defense — rushing the passer. That’s the reason the Lions gave up a fifth-round pick in 2025 and swapped a 2026 sixth-round choice for one in the seventh.

“It is hard, especially during the season, to get someone who can rush the passer,” Campbell said. “Teams don’t want to give those guys up, which is smart.”

The obvious reason for going after Smith was losing star pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson to a broken left leg in mid-October. Hutchinson is still tied for fifth place in the league with 7 1/2 sacks and tied for second with 17 quarterback hits, even though he has played four fewer games.

If that were the only injury, though, the Lions would have tried to replace his production with the players they already have. The issue is that their other starting defensive end, Marcus Davenport, is out for the season with an arm injury and linebacker Derrick Barnes and defensive end John Cominsky are on injured reserve with knee injuries. Defensive end Josh Paschal, who dealt with cancer during his college career, has missed the past two games after having a benign growth removed.

“We got hit in one position — we really lost our starters and our depth,” Campbell said. “That’s why we wanted to try to add someone, but it is tough at that position. It isn’t like getting a receiver or a running back.”

Paschal is expected to return against the Texans, and Campbell thinks there is a good chance Smith will get some snaps.

“We’ll see how many packages and how much of the playbook we can give to him, but we will certainly have a place to use him,” he said. “We’ll just see how it looks when he gets here on Friday.”

The Lions will also get wide receiver Jameson Williams back after his two-game suspension.

“I’ve learned to be smarter and move smarter in certain situations,” he said. “It’s big to know how much faith Coach has in me.”

— By DAVE HOGG, Associated Press

By ALI SWENSON

WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump and his Republican allies had spent months seeding doubt in the integrity of American voting systems and priming supporters to expect a 2024 election riddled with massive and inevitable fraud.

The former president continued laying that groundwork even during a mostly smooth day of voting Tuesday, making unsubstantiated claims related to Philadelphia and Detroit and highlighting concerns about election operations in Milwaukee. Shortly before polls began closing, he took to his social media platform to announce, without providing details, “A lot of talk about massive CHEATING in Philadelphia.” The declaration produced immediate denials from city leaders who said there was zero evidence of any wrongdoing.

Yet Trump’s grim warnings abruptly ended in the later hours of the evening as early returns began tipping in his favor. During his election night speech, the president-elect touted a “magnificent victory” as he claimed ownership for the favorable results and expressed love for the same states he’d questioned hours earlier.

The messaging pivot was part of a Trump playbook that many in his party have adopted: To preemptively defy a loss with claims of widespread cheating but be ready to quickly disregard them in the event of a win.

In 2020, when he lost to Joe Biden, Trump carried out the other side of that strategy — spending the following four years doubling down on the false notion that the election was stolen, straining to convince supporters he was the rightful winner. The campaign was successful in changing minds: Polls show that more than half of Republicans still believe Biden was not legitimately elected in 2020.

In the weeks and months leading up to Tuesday’s election, many Trump supporters propped up supposed evidence of fraud that they abandoned when it became clear Trump was in the lead.

Several Republicans in Congress had also fought to require proof of citizenship for voter registration and argued there was no way the election could be fair without that extra layer of security. Yet the biggest proponents of the legislation congratulated Trump overnight without repeating those concerns.

It’s become a common trope to see candidates only focus on claims of potential fraud if they’ve lost or believe they will lose, said David Becker, a former U.S. Justice Department lawyer who serves as executive director of the Center for Election Innovation and Research.

“I think it’s somewhat telling that we’ve seen fewer fraud claims in the aftermath of an election in which former President and future President Trump won,” Becker said Wednesday.

The strategy sets a problematic precedent that “if your preferred candidate doesn’t win, it must mean that the entire system is illegitimate,” said Leah Wright Rigueur, a history professor at the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University.

As Republicans have often pointed out, it’s not only their party that has refused to accept races they’ve lost. They often highlight the example of Democratic activist and former Georgia state Rep. Stacey Abrams, who ended her 2018 campaign for governor without explicitly conceding defeat to her Republican opponent, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp.

Still, Trump is the only American president who has taken steps to try to overturn the results of an election he squarely lost. The part he played in the violent Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, after he urged his supporters to “fight like hell,” has been condemned by democracy advocates in both political parties.

Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris called Trump on Wednesday to congratulate him on his election victory. Some widely shared left-leaning posts on the social platform X had encouraged her not to concede or called for a 2024 recount, raising unsubstantiated suspicion in the results.

And for some right-leaning election skeptics, even their candidate’s decisive win didn’t prove that the election was aboveboard.

“They rigged 2020. We weren’t ready. They tried to rig 2024. We were ready,” David Clements, a former public prosecutor and conservative public speaker, wrote in a social media post.

It remains to be seen exactly how the next Trump administration might seek to reform U.S. elections. MyPillow founder and election denier Mike Lindell sent an email to supporters Wednesday saying he had discussed with Trump plans to discard machines and go “back to paper ballots, hand-counted.”

Nearly every ballot cast in American elections already has a paper record, and election officials warn that hand-counting all ballots would be costlier, more prone to error and far more time-intensive than machine counting.

Becker said even though the absence of fraud allegations in Trump’s victory speech showed his hand, it was a positive development.

“If we can get to the point now where President Trump and his supporters believe in the integrity of our elections … I will take it,” Becker said. “We wake up this morning with less likelihood that election officials around the country are going to be targeted – by name in many cases – for potential violence, and that’s a good thing.”

Associated Press writer Gary Fields in Washington contributed to this report.

The Associated Press receives support from several private foundations to enhance its explanatory coverage of elections and democracy. See more about AP’s democracy initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

By MARYCLAIRE DALE and JOCELYN NOVECK, Associated Press

Voters had the chance this election to break the highest glass ceiling in American politics by electing Kamala Harris the nation’s first female president. Instead, they returned Donald Trump to the White House, a comeback that relied on significant — even somewhat improved – support among women.

Some female voters on Wednesday mourned the missed opportunity to send a woman to the Oval Office and wondered when, if ever, it might happen.

“I am just aghast,” said Precious Brady-Davis, a Black transgender woman who’d just won a two-year term on a Chicago-area water management board — but her joy in that was tempered. “I am disappointed in my fellow Americans that, once again, we did not elect a qualified woman to the presidency.”

Those who supported Trump — like Katherine Mickelson, a 20-year-old college student from Sioux Falls, South Dakota — said the race came down to values and to issues like the economy, not gender. Even Harris herself sought her place in history without dwelling on her gender.

“While I think a lot of women would like to see a female president, myself included,” Mickelson said, “we aren’t just going to blindly vote for a woman.”

Despite the history-making potential of Harris’ campaign, she wasn’t able to expand on President Joe Biden’s 2020 support among women to cement a win, according to AP VoteCast, a sweeping survey of more than 120,000 voters nationwide. Fifty-three percent of women supported Harris, compared with 46% for Trump — slightly narrower than Biden’s advantage among them in 2020.

The prospect of electing the first female president didn’t rank high as a motivator for voters. Only about 1 in 10 voters said the fact that Harris would be the first woman was the single most important factor for their vote, while about one-quarter said it was an important driver, but not the most important.

Denise Martin in Georgia had a grim view: “I really feel like the majority of Americans still aren’t ready for a woman. They are so short-sighted.” That included, she said, some fellow female voters.

Women were more likely than men to say electing the first female president was at least a factor in their vote, VoteCast showed, though few said it was the main driver and about 4 in 10 women said it wasn’t a factor.

Black women were especially motivated by the potential for the first female president — about a third said it was the most important factor.

Maya Davis theorized that Harris’ identity as a Black and South Asian woman “absolutely” played a role in her defeat. As a Black woman herself, the 27-year-old North Carolina attorney said she’s constantly forced to prove herself.

“I don’t think there’s anything she could have done differently unfortunately,” she said of Harris. “Maybe not be a woman.”

Female supporters of Trump, 78 — who adopted a hypermasculine campaign style, used sexist tropes and vowed to protect women “whether they like it or not” — said they found his rhetoric perhaps unfortunate or hyperbolic, but less troubling than concerns about the economy, immigration and abortion.

Krissy Bunner of Greenville, South Carolina, called Trump a “promoter of women” and said the future is “so much brighter” for them because Trump was elected.

“He does so much, you know, for us,” the 56-year-old said. She described women who favored Harris as misled by the media, and said Trump’s stringent border policies and stance on barring transgender athletes from women’s sports would benefit all women.

Virginia King, 19, of Dallas, spoke about Trump’s unscripted nature. “He’s just kind of outspoken about what he thinks and what he does, whereas other people hide it,” she said. “It’s probably not ideal, but it doesn’t make me not support him.”

Other women found the former president’s bombast ominous and feared a second Trump term would further threaten their rights two years after his Supreme Court appointees helped overturn the right to abortion.

“All of women’s protections are going to go away if you don’t protect the basic fundamental issue of democracy to begin with,” said retired teacher Mary Ellen Brown, 66, of Newtown, Pennsylvania. Brown said she dressed in black Wednesday and feared her family was losing faith in their country.

After Harris stepped into the race in July, Trump doubled down on banter that many found paternalistic – and worse — as he tried to close the gender gap. He also offended many by calling Harris “stupid” or “lazy.” His running mate, JD Vance, called the vice president “trash.”

The discourse didn’t bother Nina Christina, a North Carolina nurse more worried about feeding her children. Christina, 35, voted for Trump and said she just hopes to avoid being “underwater.”

“It shouldn’t be this difficult to survive in everyday life,” said Christina, adding that Harris already had a chance to fix the economy.

Harris, 60, bypassed the suffragist white worn by Hillary Clinton in 2016 and rarely spoke about the glass ceiling during a frenzy of energetic campaign stops since becoming the Democratic nominee in July.

Her supporters welcomed the upbeat mood after what they saw as a series of setbacks for women’s progress in recent years: a workload surge during the pandemic, when children were sent home from school in 2020; the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022; and the steady drumbeat of #MeToo cases, some lodged against Trump.

In Minneapolis, 90-year-old Audrey Wesley — who’s voted in more presidential elections than she can count off the top of her head — said she’d been hoping a Harris victory would usher in a bipartisan resurgence.

“I can’t believe a man that has done this much against the law can even be running for president,” Wesley said, referring to the litany of legal battles, including sexual assault allegations, Trump brings to the office. “Our system is broken.”

Relatively few voters said Trump’s legal cases were a major factor in their decision-making this election, according to AP VoteCast. Only about a quarter of Trump voters said the legal cases involving Trump were at least an important factor, but about 8 in 10 Harris voters did.

Some women voters experienced the gender gap within their own homes or families — women like Dee Bertino, 55, of Moorestown, New Jersey, who spent her first date with her husband arguing about trickle-down economics. Twenty-five years and two sons later, she mailed in a ballot for Harris while her husband voted for Trump.

Bertino said her top concern was women’s rights, but she also bemoaned the lack of civility she felt Trump had unleashed. Her husband, Bob, 58, with whom she runs a sexual health company, also supported abortion rights, she said, but felt the economy, immigration and other issues were more important.

Having a woman president is “not that big” for me, Bertino said. “But I truly believe that our democracy is facing its largest threat in history, and Trump must be stopped.”

Bertino and her husband hotly debate politics and the election. That’s not true for Martin, in Peachtree City, Georgia,

Martin, 61, is a flight attendant. Her partner is a pilot. He voted for Trump, for the third time. She voted for Harris. Speaking about politics is fraught and painful, and they know to avoid it.

When Clinton lost in 2016, Martin said, she was beside herself and couldn’t talk to her partner for days. This year, Martin had hoped to privately celebrate the ascension of the first female president, a woman she supported not because she was a woman, but because she was the right candidate: “so thoughtful, so smart, so well-spoken.”

But the news did not seem good, so she went to bed. She awoke to see the race called for Trump, and grew tearful. Among her chief concerns: the future of democracy; health care, especially reproductive care for young women; respect for science; climate policy; and the United States’ standing in the world.

As Clinton herself has said, Harris didn’t need to emphasize the gender issue, because the public has grown more accustomed to seeing female candidates. Seven women, representing three political parties, ran for president in 2020.

”We now don’t just have one image of a person who happens to be a woman who ran for president – namely me,” she told the AP in September. “Now we have a much better opportunity for women candidates, starting with Kamala, to be viewed in a way that just takes for granted the fact that, yes, guess what? She’s a woman.”

Trump voter Elizabeth Herbert, a retired homeschool teacher from Wake Forest, North Carolina, saw Trump as a strong leader and family man. She would still like to see a woman president. She just didn’t embrace Harris.

“I think a woman could do a great job as president,” she said. “I don’t think she is the right woman.”

Some women who’d voted for Harris told AP they were too stunned to speak about the news. “I’m devastated,” texted one; “I’ll need a little time,” another wrote. Others said they were forcing themselves to move forward.

“We’ll get through today and then get some rest,” Martin said, looking forward to playing trivia with her friends later.

“The world is going to change, but we have to find our way in it. We can’t let this ruin us.”

Associated Press reporters Hannah Schoenbaum in Salt Lake City; Makiya Seminera in Raleigh, North Carolina; Sophia Tareen in Chicago; Leah Willingham in Charleston, West Virginia; and Michael Goldberg in Minneapolis contributed.

By ERIC TUCKER and ALANNA DURKIN RICHER

WASHINGTON (AP) — Special counsel Jack Smith is evaluating how to wind down the two federal cases against Donald Trump before the president-elect takes office in light of longstanding Justice Department policy that says sitting presidents cannot be prosecuted, a person familiar with the matter said Wednesday.

Smith charged Trump last year with plotting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and illegally hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. But Trump’s election defeat of Kamala Harris means that the Justice Department believes he can no longer face prosecution in accordance with department legal opinions meant to shield presidents from criminal charges while in office.

The person familiar with Smith’s plans was not authorized to discuss the matter by name and spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press.

By moving to wind down the cases before the inauguration in January, Smith and the Justice Department would be averting a potential showdown with Trump, who said as recently as last month that he would fire Smith “within two seconds” of taking office. It would also mean Trump would enter the White House without the legal cloud of federal criminal prosecutions that once carried the potential for felony convictions and prison sentences.

NBC News first reported Smith’s plans.

Smith’s two cases charge Trump in a conspiracy to undo the election results in the run-up to the Capitol riot, and with retaining top secret records at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida and obstructing FBI efforts to recover them. He was appointed to the position in November 2022 by Attorney General Merrick Garland.

The classified documents case has been stalled since July when a Trump-appointed judge, Aileen Cannon, dismissed it on grounds that Smith was illegally appointed. Smith has appealed to the Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, where the request to revive the case is pending. Even as Smith looks to withdraw the documents case against Trump, he would seem likely to continue to challenge Cannon’s ruling on the legality of his appointment given the precedent such a ruling would create.

In the 2020 election interference case, Trump was scheduled to stand trial in March in Washington, where more than 1,000 of his supporters have been convicted of charges for their roles in the Capitol riot. But the case was halted as Trump pursued his sweeping claims of immunity from prosecution that ultimately landed before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Trump could be emboldened by the Supreme Court’s ruling in July, which granted former presidents expansive immunity from prosecution for acts taken in the White House and explicitly put off-limits any alleged conduct involving Trump’s discussions with the Justice Department. That included his efforts to use the Justice Department to conduct sham election fraud investigations as part of his bid to stay in power.

The conservative-majority Supreme Court sent the case back to U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan to determine which of the other allegations in the indictment, if any, could move forward to trial.

In response, Smith’s team last month filed a 165-page brief laying out new evidence to persuade the judge that the actions alleged in the indictment were taken in Trump’s private capacity as a candidate — not as commander-in-chief — and therefore can remain part of the case. Trump’s lawyers are scheduled to file their response later this month.

In New York, meanwhile, Trump is fighting to overturn his felony conviction and stave off a potential prison sentence for falsifying business records related to a $130,000 hush money payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels just before the 2016 election. It is the only one of his criminal cases to go to trial.

A judge is expected to rule next week on whether to uphold or toss the verdict in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s July ruling that presidents have broad protections from prosecution.

Judge Juan M. Merchan has said he will issue a ruling on Trump’s dismissal request on Nov. 12, one week after Election Day. The judge has penciled in Nov. 26 for sentencing, “if necessary.” Punishments range from a fine or probation to up to four years in prison.

Though Trump technically has no authority as president to shut down a state-level prosecution like the one in New York, his victory nonetheless calls into question that case as well as a separate pending case in Fulton County, Georgia charging him with plotting to subvert that state’s election in 2020.

Donald Trump’s election victory was history-making in several respects, even as his defeat of Vice President Kamala Harris prevented other firsts. She would have been the nation’s first Black and South Asian woman to be president.

He’s the oldest to be elected

At 78, Trump is the oldest person elected to the U.S. presidency. When sworn in on Jan. 20, 2025, he will be a few months older than Joe Biden was at his inauguration in 2020. Trump’s running mate, 40-year-old JD Vance, will be the third-youngest vice president.

It’s the second time someone has won two non-consecutive terms

Several U.S. presidents have served more than one term, and Trump joins the group. He was the 45th president and now will be the 47th. But only one other president did it the way Trump will — with a gap between terms. That was Grover Cleveland, who served as the 22nd president after the 1884 election, and as the 24th president after the campaign of 1892.

He’s been convicted of felony crimes

Trump is in line to become the first U.S. president with a felony conviction. In May, New York jury found him guilty of all 34 charges in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through a hush money payment to a porn actor who said the two had sex.

He’s been impeached (twice)

Trump already is the only president in U.S. history to face impeachment proceedings twice while in office. In each case, he was acquitted by the Senate on all counts.

By COLLEEN LONG

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump’s presidential win is going to be certified in Congress in January by the candidate he beat, Vice President Kamala Harris.

Under the Constitution, the vice president is the head of the Senate, and it’s the role of the Senate president to declare the result of a White House election.

That happens Jan. 6.

Under normal circumstances, the vote-tallying procedure performed by the vice president is a mere formality and it’s the final step in the complicated technical process of electing a new administration.

For example, in 2000, after the grueling 36-day Florida recount battle, Democrat Al Gore conceded the presidency on Dec. 13 to Republican George W. Bush.

Gore, too, was the vice president, and he certified Bush’s win.

“The whole number of the electors appointed to vote for president of the United States is 538,” Gore said from the rostrum, going on to read off his own loss to Congress. “George W. Bush of the state of Texas has received for president of the United States 271 votes. Al Gore of the state of Tennessee has received 266 votes.”

But this nearly didn’t happen four years ago.

Trump refused to accept defeat and sparked a violent insurrection at the Capitol, when then-Vice President Mike Pence was to certify Democrat Joe Biden’s win. Trump’s supporters chanted “Hang Mike Pence” as they ransacked Capitol offices.

Trump had wanted Pence to “do the right thing” and declare Trump the winner. Trump and his allies spent days in a futile bid trying to convince Pence that the vice president had the power to reject electors from battleground states that voted for Biden, even though the Constitution makes clear the vice president’s role in the joint session is largely ceremonial, much like a master of ceremonies.

Pence acknowledged that reality in a lengthy statement to Congress. He laid out his conclusion that a vice president cannot claim “unilateral authority” to reject states’ electoral votes. He gaveled in the joint session of Congress on Jan. 7, 2021, to certify for Biden.