Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is pushing ahead with criminal cases against Republicans accused of falsely presenting themselves as presidential electors in an effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

The allegations say it was part of a scheme to try to switch Michigan’s 16 electoral votes to Donald Trump even though Joe Biden won the state. The charges allege the false electors sent forged certificates to state and federal authorities.

“The fraudulent certificate of votes was falsely made, forged or counterfeit. First, it was not, as it purported to be, the certificate of electoral votes for Michigan,” says the state’s argument. “The Republican elector nominees for 2020 were not (and never became) the 2020 presidential electors for Michigan.”

The state’s filings, urging a judge to move the cases to trial, take aim at the argument that the false electors were only standing by in case the results of the 2020 presidential election were thrown out by courts. By the time the Michigan’s electors convened at the state Capitol on December 14 that year, there were no legal challenges pending. The filing also relies heavily on recordings and messages shared between the false electors.

The false Trump electors showed up at the state Capitol, where they were turned away. The group also sent signed-but-invalid elector certificates to state and federal officials, which was the basis for the forgery charges.

Messages left with some electors or their attorneys and the Michigan Republican Party were not returned.

This round of motions was filed in the first six cases against a total of 13 defendants, but an Attorney General’s office spokesperson said similar requests should be filed in all the cases before the end of the year. The defendants will also be allowed to file responses to argue why the judge should dismiss the charges.

False electors in other states are also charged with similar crimes. Trump won Michigan in this year’s election. A federal judge has dismissed charges against Trump of attempting to overturn the 2020 election because it would be unconstitutional to prosecute a sitting president.

Now that the election is over, we are in lame duck session. This week on MichMash, Gongwer News Service’s Zach Gorchow sits down with Detroit News reporter Beth LeBlanc. They discuss how Democrats will move forward after losing the majority in the Michigan House. 

Subscribe to MichMash on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

In this episode:

• Defining a lame duck session and how this one will compare to others
• Democrats’ lame duck priorities
• Mike Duggan’s announcement that he will not seek reelection

The Michigan Legislature returned to the Capitol this week to set their agenda for their “lame duck” session.

The term refers to an outgoing politician or, in this case, the period of time between Election Day and the end of a legislative session, which is at the end of December. Michigan Democrats will have a short window of time to cross items off their to-do list before the 2023-24 session wraps up and Republicans take control of the Michigan House in January.

LeBlanc compared this lame duck session to 2018, saying that there are similarities.

“When Gov. [Rick] Snyder was leaving office and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was coming into office, there were some late night sessions that year and a lot of legislation that got through,” LeBlanc said. “I think people are kind of preparing for something similar, but it depends on if Democrats are able to find some consensus within their caucus.”  

LeBlanc and Gorchow also discussed the 2026 Michigan gubernatorial election and the rumors of a potential run for the office by Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, who announced this week he would not seek reelection for mayor next year.

Although there hasn’t been any official announcement, LeBlanc says his chances to run are great.

“I think Duggan has built a name for himself, within Detroit. A lot of the state has looked at what he’s done in Detroit, so I think he has a good chance to get through the primary,” she said. “That has a lot to do with who else is in the primary at that point.

-MPRN’s Rick Pluta contributed to this report.

More from WDET:

• Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan announces he will not seek reelection
• View Michigan’s 2024 general election results
• Two term-limited GOP lawmakers have very different takes on lame duck

Last month, Jeremy Hobson — host of NPR’s The Middle — joined Created Equal to discuss the geographic, economic and political characteristics of the “American middle” and its impact on national politics.

Subscribe to Created Equal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

This week, Hobson returned to Created Equal  — post-election — to continue his discussion with host Stephen Henderson about the American middle and to reflect on how middle-class concerns helped drive the results of the 2024 presidential election.

Hobson believes that many voters were hesitant to vote for the incumbent party because of their economic struggles under the Biden administration. He explained that although states throughout the country moved towards Donald Trump in this election, this shift was most visible in swing states, leading to a heightened sense of political polarization between the middle of America and the coasts. 

Hobson also discussed how the Democratic Party’s focus on abortion rights may have been misplaced, when many states had referendums about abortion rights on their ballots this election or in the past. 

Use the media player above to listen to the full conversation.

Guests:  

• Jeremy Hobson is the host of the NPR call-in show The Middle and the former host of Here and Now and the Marketplace Morning Report.

Listen to Created Equal with host Stephen Henderson weekdays from 9-10 a.m. ET on 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand.

Imam Mustapha Elturk is the president of the Islamic Organization of North America in Warren, Michigan.

He’s also the co-chair of the Imams Council of Michigan. He said he’s content with the election results.

“I was content with the results, not because I like the Republicans or I like the Democrats, but because it’s God’s will, literally,” he said. “I try to let our community understand that no matter who the people vote for, it is in God’s wisdom, we have to accept and be content with the results, even if they did not turn out to our favor.”

Elturk says he encouraged people to get out the vote, regardless of which candidate people chose. But he said the ultimate results are up to God.

“I would remind them that no matter who wins the race, it is God Almighty who chose the outcome,” he said.

He also expressed the need for people to come together in unity, despite political differences.

“I know our community is split into Democrats, Republicans, and many voted for third party… political differences is OK, is healthy, but that should not, you know, all these differences should not lead us to division,” he said.

Elturk said people have to work with local and national leaders, holding them accountable for their positions in power.

He also encourages people to run for office and volunteer locally.

“[An] election is one way of civic engagement, but to unite and work together for the good, greater good of our larger community by volunteering and that what’s going to bring the community together, not only politically, but also engaged, engaged socially, doing something together for the community,” he said.

Michigan set a record in the 2024 election. Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson announced that 79% of eligible voters in the state cast their ballots — the highest turnout in the state’s history. However, turnout in Detroit decreased — and nationwide, nearly 13 million voters stayed home.

Subscribe to Created Equal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

The efforts to expand voter rolls are working, but why aren’t they connecting in places like Detroit? Mario Marrow, political consultant and president of Mario Marrow and Associates, and Brady Baybeck, professor of political science at Wayne State University, joined Created Equal on Wednesday to unpack the story of turnout on Election Day and what it means for our elections going forward. 

Baybeck pointed out that although many people feel compelled to vote because of a sense of civic duty, voting still comes with personal cost for many people. He stressed the importance of candidates inspiring voters to participate and explained that Trump was very effective at inspiring his base to vote, noting that Democratic messaging to voters could have been more widespread. 

Marrow suggested that Harris had difficulty gaining momentum among voters because Biden dropped out late in the campaign, resulting in low turnout in some areas. He also explained that Trump was more successful connecting with his base through his use of TV and social media advertising, whereas the Harris campaign’s focus on knocking on doors and in-person organizing was inefficient at reaching out to an already fatigued voter base. 

“It doesn’t work, you have to move into an area of technology, you have to move into getting to your constituents with an emotional affect,” Marrow said. 

Use the media player above to listen to the full interview.

Guests:

• Mario Marrow is the president of Mario Marrow and Associates.
• Brady Baybeck is a professor of political science at Wayne State University

Listen to Created Equal with host Stephen Henderson weekdays from 9-10 a.m. ET on 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand.

Voters in four of the Grosse Pointes and the city of Harper Woods approved a new millage for senior services on Nov. 5.

It needed to pass in four of the six communities where it was on the ballot. Only Grosse Pointe Shores rejected it.

Krista Siddall supported the millage. She’s the executive director of The Helm at the Boll Life Center, a senior services agency in Grosse Pointe Farms.

Siddall says she’s disappointed it didn’t pass in the Shores and blamed its failure there on misinformation about the millage’s purpose.

“This wasn’t the ‘Helm millage,'” she said. “We were advocating for the need for senior services, which is going to be greater in the future.”

What happens next?

State law authorizes local governments to ask voters for additional taxes to fund senior services. This millage will raise an estimated $1.2 million annually.

Siddall says the five communities that approved the millage will collect the tax revenue starting with the 2025 summer tax levy. They also have an interlocal agreement to form an Active Adult Commission.

“That agency provides transparency and accountability for the millage money,” she said. “The Helm would then enter into a contractual agreement with that agency to provide senior services.”

The commission will distribute tax revenue to The Helm and other senior service providers, such as the Pointe Area Assisted Transportation Service.

Each community that approved the millage will have one member on the commission.

Because Grosse Pointe Shores did not approve the millage, it will not have anyone on the commission. But Siddall stressed that The Helm will continue to serve Shores residents.

More: Voters in Grosse Pointes, Harper Woods will decide senior millage proposal

“We’re never not going to serve you,” she said. “But the cost for their residents will be substantially more than the cost for the rest of the residents in the additional five communities.”

What does The Helm do?

Siddall estimates that The Helm offers about 250 programs monthly, including Meals on Wheels.

“We have programs that help with dementia, early diagnosis for dementia, an Alzheimer’s support group, a Parkinson’s support group,” Siddall said. “Things that are really essential as far as the health and wellness of our community.”

For more metro Detroit election results, visit wdet.org/electionresults.

Democrats were on the blunt end of a very strong message on election day, as Donald Trump flipped many parts of the country and some traditionally Democratic constituencies to win another term in the White House. What’s the lesson for the party going forward? Can it reclaim independents and male voters, who seemed to abandon the party in large numbers? How much is this about issues, and how much of it is about identity?

Debbie Dingell is a U.S. Representative for the 6th District of Michigan, and Jamal Simmons is a political strategist, CNN political commentator and former Communications Director for Vice President Kamala Harris. They joined Created Equal to discuss the future of the Democratic party. 

Subscribe to Created Equal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Dingell discussed that the Harris campaign was likely plagued by a lack of awareness of “kitchen table issues” and immigration issues that were affecting voters, as well as a general lack of compassion for the struggles of the average American. She also explained that the campaign was too focused on fundraising and targeting Republican areas as opposed to speaking directly to Democratic-leaning voters in unscripted environments. 

Simmons agreed that Democrats failed to speak to voters in multicultural and welcoming environments. He explained the importance for future Democratic campaigns to focus on change and be on the side of the disaffected rather than defending institutions, but it’s difficult to sell that image when they’ve been in charge of the government for a long time. 

He also discussed how the Democratic Party’s reliance on polling led to a lack of awareness in how rhetoric from the Trump campaign was affecting voters. 

“Maybe the poll or the focus groups say it’s not really having the impact that we thought, but all the real people say it is. So you have to balance it out,” Simmons said. 

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

Guests: 

• Debbie Dingell is a U.S. Representative for the 6th District of Michigan 
• Jamal Simmons is a longtime political strategist, CNN political commentator and former Communications Director for VP Kamala Harris

Listen to Created Equal with host Stephen Henderson weekdays from 9-10 a.m. ET on 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand.

Democrat Haley Stevens will continue representing Michigan’s 11th Congressional District in Congress for the next two years. The incumbent candidate decisively beat Republican Nick Somberg at the polls this week.

Stevens acknowledges that strong Election Day results for Republicans could make things more difficult for Democrats in Washington. She says Tuesday’s outcome represents a tipping point in U.S. politics.

Listen: Haley Stevens talks Democrat outlook in Washington

“We’re heading into the year 2025,” says Stevens. “It’s a new marker in time, and we have to continue to ensure and embrace American leadership.”

Stevens warns against Capitol Hill losing sight of America’s interests abroad, saying Russia and China are waiting to capitalize on U.S. weakness. She adds that passing legislation to bolster American manufacturing will be one of her top priorities.

“We want to make sure that we have secure supply chains, I want to deliver on that,” Stevens said. “I’m also going to continue working on our education system, standing up for those who are seeking higher education.”

Despite strong election day results for the Republican Party, Stevens says she’s optimistic Democrats can accomplish some of their legislative goals in Congress.

Speaking with WDET on election night, Stevens’ opponent Nick Somberg acknowledged the loss. He says he’ll return to his day job as an attorney — where he is currently defending Meshawn Maddock in the Republican fake electors case — and hopes to run for office again in the future.

Although Michigan has historically been a “blue wall” state, there were several Republican victories in Michigan in the recent election. Democrats may have won the open U.S. Senate seat and increased their majority on the state Supreme Court, but they lost a Congressional seat and control of the Michigan House of Representatives. What does it mean, politically? And what does it mean going forward, in terms of policymaking? 

Zoe Clark, Michigan Public’s Political Director, Colin Jackson, a Capitol reporter for Michigan Public Radio Network (MPRN), and Chad Livengood, a politics editor and columnist at The Detroit News, joined the show to discuss the results of Michigan election races and what they mean for the future of the state. 

Subscribe to Created Equal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Jackson explained that although Democrat Elissa Slotkin won against Mike Rogers in Michigan’s U.S. Senate race, it was a very close race and very expensive for Slotkin. He also explained that Democrats had lost Slotkin’s old position as U.S Representative for Michigan’s 7th District to Republican Tom Barrett. Jackson attributed Democratic losses in Michigan to messaging from state Republicans, framing recent reforms made by the Democrat-controlled state House as overreaches.  

Livengood explained that although Michigan has historically been a part of the “blue wall” for presidential elections, many districts are seeing changes in demographics. This combined with Trump’s focus on low-propensity voters may have given him an advantage in the state. He also discussed Michigan’s recent redistricting and how it made some formerly blue districts harder to defend. 

Clark explained that although Trump won Michigan, the former President has never gotten over 50 percent of the state’s vote. She also explained that the state had a large voter turnout this year — and while this usually translates to sweeping Democratic victories, this election was more split and had much smaller margins. She attributed this to a lack of excitement about Democratic policies across many traditionally Democratic-voting demographics.  

“Whether we’re talking about folks who are concerned about what is happening in Gaza, or whether you’re talking about folks who were pro-Israel, whether you’re talking about union voters, whether you’re talking about Latino men — these groups that used to vote for Democrats are voting for Democrats less,” Clark said. 

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

Guests: 

• Zoe Clark is Michigan Public’s Political Director 
• Colin Jackson is a Capitol reporter for the Michigan Public Radio Network (MPRN) 
• Chad Livengood is a politics editor and a columnist at The Detroit News  

Listen to Created Equal with host Stephen Henderson weekdays from 9-10 a.m. ET on 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand.

President-elect Donald Trump won Michigan this week in what was expected to be a very close presidential election. In this episode of MichMash, Zach Gorchow of Gongwer News Service speaks with Senior Capitol Correspondent Tim Skubick about how the former President defied the experts and secured a victory in Michigan on election night.

Subscribe to MichMash on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

In this episode:

• Why Donald Trump over-performed in Michigan
• The sea change in the Michigan House of Representatives
• What’s to come in Michigan politics in 2026

Trump made a surprising comeback, handily winning 74 ​counties in Michigan despite losing the state in 2020. Skubick says this shift was largely attributed to high turnout among male voters, especially in regions outside of the typical “Trump country.”

“What ​Mr. ​Trump ​was ​able ​to ​do ​is ​he ​defied ​the ​experts ​who ​didn’t ​think ​he ​could ​get ​enough ​of ​those ​couch ​potatoes, ​men ​mostly, ​off ​of ​the ​couch ​and ​into ​the ​polls. ​And ​that’s ​exactly ​what ​he ​did,” he said. “​He ​overperformed ​by ​500,000 ​votes ​compared ​to ​what ​he ​did ​in ​2016. ​I ​mean, ​game ​over.”

Skubick also noted that Vice President Kamala Harris’ late entry into the race and her focus on critiquing Trump rather than promoting her own platform may have hurt her chances significantly.

“Ms. ​Harris, ​I ​think, ​made ​a ​huge ​mistake,” he said. ​”You ​have ​to ​give ​people ​a ​reason ​to ​vote ​for ​you ​rather ​than ​a ​reason ​not ​to ​vote ​for ​the ​other ​guy ​or ​person. ​How ​they ​missed ​that ​is ​incredible.”

More from WDET:

• MichMash: Jemele Hill on the changing dynamics of the Black vote in Michigan
• Created Equal: Examining the future of conservative politics under Trump
• The Metro: Retired UAW member shares why he proudly supported Donald Trump

President-elect Donald Trump won both the electoral college and the popular vote in the presidential election by gaining support from a broad swath of Americans.

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

One notable area of support came from union members. Generally when the leadership of an organization supports a candidate — as United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain did Vice President Kamala Harris — many rank and file members tend to support that candidate as well. Recent polling of UAW members and member households across key battleground states showed strong support for Harris over Trump by 22 points. But for some UAW members, Trump’s messaging resonated more than Harris’.

Brian Pannebecker, a retired auto worker and 25-year UAW member from Macomb County, was one of them. He spoke with The Metro Producer Sam Corey about what drew him to Trump and the difference in views that exist between union members on opposing sides of the presidential race.

Pannebeckers says he left the UAW when “Right to Work” laws came about in Michigan in 2017. He organized the Facebook group “Auto Workers for Trump,” which amassed thousands of followers — including auto workers and auto suppliers. He also spoke at several of Trump’s rallies in Michigan.  

“Trump appeals to the average working man and woman. I mean, that’s who he speaks to. And I know a lot of people find that, you know, sort of unusual to consider,” said Pannebecker. 

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

More headlines from The Metro Nov 7: 

• The 21^st annual Detroit Tree Lighting is set to take place on Friday, Nov. 22 at Campus Martius in Downtown Detroit. Laura Dean, director of parks and public spaces for the Downtown Detroit Partnership, joined The Metro to talk more about this year’s event.
• When President-elect Donald Trump took office in 2016, we started hearing the word “unprecedented” a lot. Trump has obliterated all kinds of norms and fundamentally changed the office of president. To discuss this drastic shift in American politics, professor and historian Jeremi Suri joined the show.
• This election season left some voters feeling seen and heard while others are at a loss and maybe even grieving. No matter who you voted for, anxious feelings leading up to this election were felt from many directions. Now that the election has been called, those feelings have been amplified for some. Dr. Rheeda Walker, a clinical psychologist and co-author of  “Calm in Chaos: A Quick-Relief Guide for Managing Anxiety and Overwhelm in Loud and Uncertain Times,” joined the show to share some advice.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 11 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

A second Trump presidency was not what many conservatives, or even many Republicans, said they wanted. But voters had a different idea on Nov. 5.

What is the Republican Party now, with the many defections that have taken place in the Trump era? What about the authoritarian impulses that Trump indulges? Are they the contours around which a new Republican party is forming?

Subscribe to Created Equal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Today on Created Equal, host Stephen Henderson was joined by three guests to discuss what the future of their politics — as conservatives who opposed Trump — looks like.

Fred Upton, former U.S. Rep from Michigan and a member of the Republican party discussed how MAGA has become ingrained in the culture of the Republican Party. He described how Trump’s Republican Party is marked by an opposition to working with the other side of the political aisle and bridge-building in general, as evidenced by his lack of outreach to primary opponent Nikki Haley. He also discussed how the American primary system, where only a minority of states have ranked choice voting, leads to polarization between the eventual nominees and hurts bipartisan efforts.  

Andrea Bitely, a political and communications strategist at Bitely Communications and former spokesperson for former attorney general Bill Schuette, explained that inflation in grocery prices and other “kitchen table” issues have recently dominated the national consciousness causing longer term national issues to fall to the wayside. Trump’s focus on these issues combined with Harris’ lack of messaging regarding them may have contributed to Trump increasing his votes among blue collar workers and union members this cycle. She also discussed a possible switch from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party by upper-class, educated voters.   

Shikha Dalmia, president of the Institute for the Study of Modern Authoritarianism, discussed how the Republican Party platform has evolved from prioritizing limited government, free markets, and free trade to a form of authoritarianism under Trump. This populist authoritarianism is marked by Trump’s appeal to an “in group” through the scapegoating of an “out group” consisting of several minority groups and his carving away at the guardrails against executive authority.  

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

Guests:  

• Shikha Dalmia is the president of the Institute for the Study of Modern Authoritarianism. She is also the editor-in-chief of the free Substack publication, “The UnPopulist.”
• Andrea Bitely is a political and communications strategist at Bitely Communications, and a former spokesperson for former Attorney General Bill Schuette.
• Fred Upton is a former U.S. Rep from Michigan and a member of the Republican Party. 

Listen to Created Equal with host Stephen Henderson weekdays from 9-10 a.m. ET on 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand.

President Joe Biden is scheduled to deliver remarks to the nation in what will be his first appearance on camera in the aftermath of Donald Trump ’s decisive victory over Kamala Harris.

Control over the U.S. House of Representatives hangs in the balance, teetering between a Republican or Democratic majority with dozens of races left to be called.

The Republicans won control of the U.S. Senate early Wednesday.

Here’s the latest election news from the Associated Press:

Independent Angus King wins reelection to the US Senate from Maine

Independent Sen. Angus King won a third term in the U.S. Senate representing Maine on Thursday, turning back challenges from a former Republican state party chair and a Democratic environmental activist.

The 80-year-old former governor would be the oldest senator from Maine to serve if he completes his term, which ends in 2030, but he wasn’t dogged by questions about his age like President Joe Biden, the former Democratic presidential nominee. King caucuses with Democrats and was first elected to the Senate in 2012. The Associated Press declared King the winner at 10:14 a.m. EST.

Here’s how 5 key demographic groups voted in 2024

Donald Trump won the presidency after holding tight to his core base of voters and slightly expanding his coalition to include several groups that have traditionally been part of the Democratic base. That finding comes from AP VoteCast, a sweeping survey of more than 120,000 voters nationwide that shows what issues mattered to voters in this election.

Trump picked up a small but significant share of Black and Hispanic voters and made narrow gains with men and women. As Trump chipped away at parts of the Democratic coalition, Vice President Kamala Harris wasn’t able to make enough of her own gains.

Trump succeeded in locking down his traditionally older, white base of voters, and he slightly expanded his margins with other groups into a winning coalition.

Read more about how five key demographic groups voted

Many European leaders at summit stress the need for defense self-reliance in wake of Trump’s reelection

Around 50 European leaders on Thursday called for a stronger defense posture across the continent that no longer necessitates a fundamental dependence on Washington as they gave a guarded welcome to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.

The European Political Community summit on Thursday in Hungary’s capital of Budapest reassessed trans-Atlantic relations in the hope that Trump’s second U.S. presidency will avoid the strife of his first administration.

“He was elected by the American people. He will defend the American interests,” French President Emmanuel Macron told the other leaders, adding that it was not the role of European Union leaders to “comment on the election … to wonder if it is good or not.”

“The question is whether we are willing to defend the European interest. It is the only question. It is our priority,” Macron said.

There are concerns, too, that the robust military aid Ukraine has enjoyed under President Joe Biden will be cut under Trump, particularly if Republicans take control of the House.

Read more about how European leaders are responding to Trump’s election

Feds set to cut interest rates again amid post-election uncertainty

Federal Reserve officials are poised Thursday to reduce their key interest rate for a second straight time, responding to a steady slowdown of inflation pressures that exasperated many Americans and contributed to Donald Trump’s presidential election victory.

Yet the Fed’s future moves are now more uncertain in the aftermath of the election, given that Trump’s economic proposals have been widely flagged as potentially inflationary. His election has also raised the specter of meddling by the White House in the Fed’s policy decisions, with Trump having proclaimed that as president he should have a voice in the central bank’s interest rate decisions.

The Fed has long guarded its status as an independent institution able to make difficult decisions about borrowing rates, free from political interference. Yet during his previous term in the White House, Trump publicly attacked Chair Jerome Powell after the Fed raised rates to fight inflation, and he may do so again.

Read more about interest rate cuts

FACT FOCUS: A multimillion-vote gap between 2020 and 2024 fuels false election narratives

Less than 24 hours after Donald Trump was elected the 47th president of the United States, social media users began pushing two conflicting narratives to suggest election fraud, one that revived false claims by Trump that the 2020 vote was stolen from him and the other questioning how Vice President Kamala Harris could have received so many fewer votes in 2024 than President Joe Biden in 2020.

Both narratives hinge on a supposed 20 million vote gap between Harris and Biden.

Here’s a closer look at the facts.

CLAIM: President Joe Biden won approximately 20 million more votes in the 2020 election than Vice President Kamala Harris earned in the 2024 race, proving either that Trump has cheated his way to a second term or that there was widespread fraud four years ago.

THE FACTS: The claims are unfounded. Votes from Tuesday’s presidential election are still being counted, so any comparison with previous races would not be accurate. In addition, election officials and agencies monitoring the vote have reported no significant issues with Tuesday’s election. Claims of widespread fraud in 2020 have been debunked countless times.

Read more on this fact focus

Trump’s return elicits both worry and hope among Iranians

Iranians, like many around the world, are divided on what Donald Trump’s next presidency will bring: Some foresee an all-out war between Tehran and Washington, particularly as other conflicts rage in the region. Others hold out hope that America’s 47th president might engage in unexpected diplomacy as he did with North Korea.

But nearly all believe something will change in the U.S.-Iran relationship.

And while Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has final say on all matters of state, has repeatedly expressed his own disgust with Trump, Iran’s new reformist president has kept the door open to talks with Trump to seek relief from international sanctions to buoy a cratering economy. The Iranian rial, in a free fall for years, hit its lowest value against the dollar on Wednesday before slightly recovering.

Read more about the response in Iran to Trump’s election win

What could US diplomacy look like under Trump?

Trump’s second term could realign U.S. diplomacy away from traditional international alliances and more toward populist, authoritarian politicians, according to both those leaders and outside observers.

Among them are:

1. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán

2. President Vladimir Putin of Russia

3. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi

4. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey

5. President Javier Milei of Argentina

6. Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico

Read more about these leaders and their diplomatic approaches

Bernie Sanders calls for reckoning in Democratic Party following election losses

Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders did not mince words in a scathing statement Wednesday.

“It should come as no great surprise that a Democratic Party which has abandoned working class people would find that the working class has abandoned them,” Sanders, Vermont’s senior senator, said.

“First, it was the white working class, and now it is Latino and Black workers as well,” Sanders said.

Sanders won reelection to a fourth term on Tuesday. He singled out wealth inequality, a slipping standard of living in the U.S., a lack of full health care guarantees and support for Israel’s recent military campaigns as problems Democrats need to focus on. Sanders’s 2016 presidential run was a key factor in pushing the dialogue in the Democratic party to the left. Sanders has built his political career outside — and often criticizing — the Democratic Party, but he caucuses with Democrats in the Senate.

Vatican No. 2: Holy See hopes Trump will help end the wars in Ukraine and Gaza

“At the start of his mandate, we wish him much wisdom because this is the main virtue of rulers according to the Bible,” Cardinal Pietro Parolin said, speaking on the sidelines of a Rome conference on Thursday, according to Vatican News.

While acknowledging no one had a “magic wand” to end wars in Ukraine and Gaza, Parolin said the Holy See hoped Trump “can indeed be an element of détente and pacification in the current conflicts that are bleeding the world.”

Parolin also said he hoped Trump would work to end polarization in the U.S., including over abortion. On migration, he recalled Pope Francis’ call to welcome those fleeing wars, poverty and climate change.

After visiting the U.S.-Mexico border in 2016 and asked about Trump’s call to build a wall, Francis famously said anyone who builds a wall to keep out migrants was “not Christian.”

More recently, Francis recommended U.S. voters choose the “lesser evil” when asked how a U.S. Catholic should vote given Trump’s pledge to deport migrants and Vice President Kamala Harris’ support of abortion rights.

The Dalai Lama congratulates Trump on his election win

“I have long admired the United States of America as the champion of democracy, freedom and the rule of law,” the Tibetan spiritual leader said in a message to Trump from the northern Indian town of Dharamshala where he has lived in exile since fleeing Tibet in 1959.

“The Tibetan people and I have been honored to have received the support of respective U.S. Presidents and the American people, in our endeavor to protect and preserve our ancient Buddhist culture — a culture of peace, non-violence and compassion that has the potential to benefit humanity as a whole,” he said.

Turkey’s president spoke with Trump late on Wednesday

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan conveyed his hopes in a call for strengthened cooperation between their two countries during Trump’s new term in office, according to a statement from the Turkish president’s office.

Trump’s presidential transition starts now. Here’s how it will work

Trump’s impending return to the White House means he’ll want to stand up an entirely new administration from the one that served under President Joe Biden. His team is also pledging that the second won’t look much like the first one Trump established after his 2016 victory.

The president-elect now has a 75-day transition period to build out his team before Inauguration Day arrives on Jan. 20. One top item on the to-do list: filling around 4,000 government positions with political appointees, people who are specifically tapped for their jobs by Trump’s team.

That includes everyone from the secretary of state and other heads of Cabinet departments to those selected to serve part-time on boards and commissions. Around 1,200 of those presidential appointments require Senate confirmation, which should be easier with the Senate now shifting to Republican control.

Read more about Trump’s transition

Neither party has a dominant pathway to House majority

The House contests remain a tit-for-tat fight to the finish, with no dominant pathway to the majority for either party. Rarely, if ever, have the two chambers of Congress flipped in opposite directions.

Each side is gaining and losing a few seats, including through the redistricting process, which is the routine redrawing of House seat boundary lines. The process reset seats in North Carolina, Louisiana and Alabama.

Much of the outcome hinges on the West, particularly in California, where a handful of House seats are being fiercely contested, and mail-in ballots arriving a week after the election will still be counted. Hard-fought races around the “blue dot” in Omaha, Nebraska and in far-flung Alaska are among those being watched.

Updates on the last two presidential races left to be called

With a win in Wisconsin early Wednesday, Trump cleared the 270 electoral votes needed to clinch the presidency. But his exact margin of victory is still unclear — there are two presidential races that the AP has yet to call:

Arizona: Officials in Arizona’s Maricopa County said late Wednesday they’ve got more than 700,000 ballots left to count, which means the races for president and senate were too early to call. In all, AP estimates there are at least a million ballots to be added to the results in Arizona. County election officials are expected to firm up those numbers on Thursday.

Nevada: AP estimated late Wednesday evening that there are more than 200,000 ballots left to count in Nevada — including more than 130,000 in Clark County. Given the narrow margins in the races for president and U.S. Senate, both are too early to call. The AP will further review results released by Nevada election officials on Thursday.

Decision Desk updates on key Senate races

Arizona: Officials in Arizona’s Maricopa County said late Wednesday they’ve got more than 700,000 ballots left to count, which means the races for president and senate were too early to call. In all, AP estimates there are at least a million ballots to be added to the results in Arizona. County election officials are expected to firm up those numbers on Thursday.

Nevada: AP estimated late Wednesday evening that there are more than 200,000 ballots left to count in Nevada — including more than 130,000 in Clark County. Given the narrow margins in the races for president and U.S. Senate, both are too early to call. The AP will further review results released by Nevada election officials on Thursday.

Control of the US House hangs in the balance with enormous implications for Trump’s agenda

The U.S. House majority hung in the balance Wednesday, teetering between Republican control that would usher in a new era of unified GOP governance in Washington or a flip to Democrats as a last line of resistance to a Trump second-term White House agenda.

A few individual seats, or even a single one, will determine the outcome. Final tallies will take a while, likely pushing the decision into next week — or beyond.

After Republicans swept into the majority in the U.S. Senate by picking up seats in West Virginia, Ohio and Montana, House Speaker Mike Johnson predicted his chamber would fall in line next.

“Republicans are poised to have unified government in the White House, Senate and House,” Johnson said Wednesday.

Read more about control of Congress

Biden will deliver a Rose Garden address at 11 a.m. ET

The remarks to the nation will be Biden’s first appearance on camera in the aftermath of Trump’s decisive victory over Harris.

How Trump spent his first day as president-elect

Donald Trump spent his first day as president-elect receiving congratulatory phone calls from his defeated opponent, world leaders and President Joe Biden as he began the process of turning his election victory into a government.

Trump was keeping a low profile, staying out of the public eye after addressing supporters in Florida during the wee hours of Wednesday morning.

Vice President Kamala Harris called Trump to concede the race and to congratulate him, while Biden invited the man he ousted from the White House four years ago to an Oval Office meeting to prepare to return the keys.

Biden’s chief of staff later Wednesday nudged the Trump team to sign the required federal agreements necessary to begin an orderly presidential transition, a White House official said.