Trump, allies eye transition process as GOP hopes to control House as well as Senate, White House

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin acknowledged President-elect Trump's victory on Thursday and said the Pentagon will ensure a "calm, orderly" transition toward the new administration.

Austin made the announcement in a letter to all U.S. military members on Thursday.

"Our fellow citizens have elected the next President of the United States. The Department will make a calm, orderly, and professional transition to the incoming Trump administration. As it always has, the U.S. military will stand ready to carry out the policy choices of its next Commander in Chief, and to obey all lawful orders from its civilian chain of command," Austin wrote.

"The U.S. military will continue, in the words of our Constitution, to 'provide for the common Defense.' The U.S. military will also continue to stand apart from the political arena; to stand guard over our republic with principle and professionalism; and to stand together with the valued allies and partners who deepen our security. America's Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Guardians swear an oath to 'support and defend the Constitution of the United States'-and that is precisely what you will continue to do," he added.

Fox News’ Bryan Llenas spoke to Philadelphia Democratic Party Chairman Bob Brady, who blames Vice President Kamala Harris and her campaign for not providing them with enough resources and scolded them for "blaming" Biden for the Pennsylvania loss.

"They had no respect, they had no coordination. I never even had a conversation with the lady," Brady said of Harris campaign chief Jennifer O'Malley Dillon. "They didn't do the right thing as far as giving us the resources we need, and they want to blame us? And now I understand someone in her camp was blaming [President] Joe Biden? Can you imagine? Blaming Joe Biden for her loss? She lost. He didn't lose."

Brady went on to say that his experience with the national Harris campaign is likely similar to the rest of the country.

The Harris campaign lashed out against the comments, saying the organized to knock on roughly 2 million doors in Pennsylvania ahead of Election Day.

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., has requested that his name be withdrawn from consideration for a post within President-elect Trump's upcoming administration.

Cotton had been widely seen as a front-runner for a top cabinet position in the next Trump administration, but a source close to the senator told Fox News on Thursday that he asked that his name be pulled from consideration

Cotton has two boys under the age of 10 and wants to remain close to them and not upend their lives.  He also feels "confident" about securing the No. 3 position in the new GOP Senate majority, the Republican Conference chair when the election is held next week.

The source said Trump understands Cotton's decision and knows "he is with him all the way in the Senate."

Fox News' Lucas Tomlinson contributed to this report

Trump 2024 campaign senior adviser Danielle Alvarez joined "Fox & Friends First" to discuss President-elect Trump's plan for day one during the next administration and her reaction to his historic gains with various voting blocs.

Alvarez highlighted Trump's overperformance in the election across demographics, including women, Latino and Black voters. She also says Trump is already working to flesh out his transition team.

"His day one agenda is going to be unleashing American energy, unleashing American works, securing that border like he did in his first term, and of course as he said, before he enters office he is going to work on brokering peace through strength and restoring our position on the global stage," Alvarez said.

Late night host Jimmy Kimmel fought back tears on Wednesday while discussing President-elect Donald Trump's victory, which he described as a "terrible night."

"Let's be honest, it was a terrible night for women, for children, for the hundreds of thousands of hardworking immigrants who make this country grow," Kimmel said, his voice faltering. "For healthcare, for our climate, for science, for journalism, for justice, for free speech."

"It was a terrible night for poor people, for the middle class, for seniors who rely on social security, for our allies in Ukraine, for NATO, for the truth, and democracy and decency. It was a terrible night for everyone who voted against him, and guess what it was a bad night for everyone who voted for him too, you just don't realize it yet," he said.

Those who endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris tried their best to get their candidate votes, but the vice president came up short.

President-elect Donald Trump has been elected as the 47th president of the United States, becoming the first person to win the election following a loss since former President Grover Cleveland.

However, ESPN pundit Stephen A. Smith was not fond of the tactics of some of Harris' supporters.

"In the end, celebrities, who are worth hundreds of millions, if not billions, who most American citizens feel are incredibly detached from their way of life and their quality of life, were not going to get away and guilt them into doing something different than what their experience says is going on and what they should do about it," Smith said on a recent edition of his "Stephen A. Smith Show."

He then played a clip of Oprah Winfrey saying a victory for Trump could mean they would never vote again.

"This is the kind of stuff that alienates an electorate, alienates a voter," Smith said. "Because the freedom that you tell them you have, you try to confiscate morally by letting them know, you ain’t worth a damn unless you vote the way we say you should vote. Who’s going to go for that in a general election? With an economy rife with inflation, with over 12 million people crossing the border … the value of their dollars dissipating before our very eyes."

Smith then went against a clip of former first lady Michelle Obama saying Black men voting for Trump was a vote against "us."

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Ryan Morik

California Gov. Gavin Newsom shared his remarks on X Wednesday following Vice President Kamala Harris' loss in the 2024 presidential election.

Newsom expressed that a second Trump presidency is "not the outcome we wanted," but the "fight for freedom and opportunity endures."

".@KamalaHarris set out to fight to defend our fundamental freedoms and build a country that works for everyone. She stood up for working families, decency, and opportunity," Newsom wrote. "California will seek to work with the incoming president -- but let there be no mistake, we intend to stand with states across our nation to defend our Constitution and uphold the rule of law."

He continued: "Federalism is the cornerstone of our democracy. It’s the United STATES of America."