Rowan Bridge
North America correspondent, reporting from Washington DC
The Republicans now control the presidency and both chambers of Congress – the House and the Senate – which means they will hold all the elected levers of power.
On the campaign trail, Donald Trump promised to take the country in a very different direction.
Now he’s poised to implement his ideas with the backing of the political leadership in Congress.
Earlier, Trump met Joe Biden at the White House, a symbol of the changing of the guard that will happen in January.
Trump is moving quickly to nominate his team, but they’ll have to be confirmed by the Senate.
His pick for defence secretary is Pete Hegseth, a former Fox News host, who has previously said that women should not be in combat roles.
Trump’s choice for attorney general, the chief legal office of the US, is no less controversial. Matt Gaetz was investigated for child sex trafficking, but never prosecuted.
But Gaetz is something that Trump holds dear. A loyal follower of the president’s agenda, Gaetz voted to overturn the 2020 election result and will have the power to end the federal prosecutions of Trump.
The president-elect is choosing people in his own ideological image.
From January, America will be taking a hard turn right – and Trump’s picks reflect the new direction the US will be taking.
