Rabuka looks forward to deepening bilateral ties with the US after Trump victory

Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says Fiji looks forward to deepening bilateral ties with the US and further pursuing our shared aspirations including, promoting peace and economic prosperity in the Pacific and beyond after the election of Donald Trump.

While congratulating President-elect Donald Trump on his electoral victory, Rabuka says it is his sincere hope and prayer that President-elect Trump’s tenure in office will be marked by the delivery of peace, unity, progress and prosperity for all Americans, and the community of nations.

Trump said in Florida that America has given them an unprecedented and powerful mandate.

Voters not only swept Trump into the White House for a second time, but delivered his Republican Party a likely majority in the Senate and a possible one in the house at the election.

On top of that, he won the popular vote: something he had never done before, which — while not essential to victory — added an exclamation point to his performance.

While several swing states were still up for grabs as ballots continued to be counted, Trump was leading his Democratic rival, Vice-President Kamala Harris, in all of them.

His victory was delivered after flipping the crucial battlegrounds of Georgia, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, which took him past the 270 electoral college votes he needed to become president under the US system.

The resounding triumph comes after he questioned — without evidence — the results of the 2020 presidential election, which he lost to Joe Biden.

An angry mob of his supporters subsequently stormed the Capitol building in Washington DC.

Trump and his team have two months before he is inaugurated.

While the Republicans had already won a majority in the Senate after claiming at least two seats off the Democrats, things were less certain in the House of Representatives, where multiple races were yet to be called.

Although as counting continues, a majority is possible there too.

Veteran Republican senator Mitch McConnell, who is the party's leader in the chamber, said the results were "a referendum" on Biden's administration.

The international outlook is set for a major shake-up — and the most dramatic change would be regarding the war in Ukraine.

If the Republicans control both houses of congress, it means Trump would have unfettered ability to enact his agenda, which will likely include seismic foreign policy shifts — he's promised to stop funding Ukraine in its fight against Russia's invasion, for instance.

McConnell said he would do "everything he can to help the new administration be successful".

He thinks this is the most dangerous time since right before World War II.

He said America's adversaries including North Korea, Russia, China and Iran are "all talking to each other".

The 82 year old said they have one thing in common, they hate America, and they want to diminish the role of the US in the world.

Source : abc.net.au