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President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday predicted the GOP could win liberal states like California and New York in the next election — and mused about running a fourth time. 

“I suspect I won’t be running again unless you do something else, unless you say he’s so good we’ve got to figure something out,” he told a gathering of House Republicans ahead of their closed-door leadership elections in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday. 

“It’s nice to win. It’s always nice to win. A lot of good friends in this room. So, you know, we had, like, historic kind of numbers, especially for the president,” Trump said. “But the House did very well, and I think we’re responsible for helping you.”

REPUBLICANS 2 SEATS AWAY FROM HOUSE MAJORITY, GIVING TRUMP LEEWAY TO IMPLEMENT AGENDA

Trump’s appearance came as lawmakers returned to Washington for a lame duck session before the next term. Republicans are poised to keep their narrow majority in the House, and have won control of the Senate, granting them far greater ease next term at getting conservative legislation to the president’s desk.

Trump went on: “We won, which is great because Republicans aren’t supposed to be winning the majority.” 

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“We won it every way — all seven swing states by a lot … New Jersey is right, just a few points. It’s got them very worried because they said, well, next time if we go up even a fraction of what we went up, you’re going to win New York, you’re going to win new Jersey, you’re going to win places that weren’t winnable. California too.” 

EXCLUSIVE: President-elect Donald Trump is expected to soon appoint a Ukrainian peace envoy to lead negotiations on ending the war with Russia, multiple sources told Fox News Digital. 

“You’re going to see a very senior special envoy, someone with a lot of credibility, who will be given a task to find a resolution, to get to a peace settlement,” one of the sources said. 

“You’re going to see that in short order.” 

The job is not expected to be a salaried role – from 2017 to 2019, Kurt Volker had served as special representative to Ukrainian negotiations on a volunteer basis. 

TRUMP’S FIRST CABINET PICKS DECIDEDLY NOT ISOLATIONISTS: UKRAINE, ISRAEL BREATHE A SIGH OF RELIEF

Trump has been rolling out appointee names at lightning pace of those he wants to fill his Cabinet and advise him on top issues. 

He picked Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., to serve as his national security advisor and sources have told Fox News he’s settled on Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., to lead the State Department. 

Trump has designated Steven Witkoff to be his special envoy to the Middle East. 

Trump has long insisted he could negotiate an end to the war with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Few details have been given about how he would do this. 

A report last week by the Wall Street Journal suggested Vice President-elect Vance’s controversial suggestions from the campaign trail are now being pushed by multiple advisers close to the president-elect.

TRUMP TEAM REACTS TO REPORT PRESIDENT-ELECT TOLD RUSSIA’S PUTIN NOT TO ESCALATE WAR WITH UKRAINE

Some advisers are reportedly encouraging Trump to push Kyiv to agree to terms that would freeze the frontlines by creating an 800-mile-long demilitarized zone and allow Russia to keep the land it has illegally seized, which amounts to roughly 20% of Ukraine.

It has also been suggested that Kyiv should agree not to pursue NATO membership for 20 years, a stipulation that critics of this plan argue kowtows to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

A Washington Post report on Sunday also claimed Trump had spoken with Putin, where the president-elect told the Russian leader not to escalate the war. Trump’s transition team would not confirm or deny the call. 

Fox News’ Caitlin McFall contributed to this report. 

The incoming Senate Republican Conference will meet to hold secret ballot elections for several leadership positions on Wednesday morning, including the successor of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who will lead the Republican majority next year.

At 9:30 a.m., the conference for the 119th Congress will select a new leader, Republican whip, conference chair, Republican policy committee chair, vice conference chair and National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRS) chair.

Those vying for the coveted leader role are Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., and Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Rick Scott, R-Fla. 

On Tuesday, 42 GOP senators gathered for a leader candidate forum led by Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah. Several of the lawmakers expressed satisfaction with how the discussion went, and Scott ended the evening by adding two additional endorsements. 

According to Lee, the Republicans discussed a range of issues, some procedural, some substantive, and some policy-oriented. 

President-elect Donald Trump notably has not made an endorsement in the Senate leader race. Scott’s race, however, has gained the support of high-profile Trump allies like Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and X owner Elon Musk.

TRUMP ALLIES BACK RICK SCOTT IN GOP SENATE LEADER RACE AS THEY LOOK TO INFLUENCE SECRET BALLOT

Senate Republican conference Chairman John Barrasso, R-Wyo., is running unopposed for whip, while Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., is running unopposed for vice conference chair. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., is unopposed in her bid for Republican policy committee chair and Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., is running unopposed for NRSC chair.

Sens. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and Tom Cotton, R-Ark., will face off for the No. 3 GOP role of conference chair.

The Wednesday morning elections will take place in the old Senate chamber in the Capitol. Before each race, each candidate will have two nominating speeches from other senators. Then they’ll make their own case. There may be some discussion before senators vote, and the secret ballot will remain private unless individual senators decide to disclose who they chose. Even then, there is no way to verify.

SCHUMER WON’T ALLOW DAVE MCCORMICK AT SENATE ORIENTATION, CITING OUTSTANDING PA BALLOTS

The elections could last for hours, with the 2022 elections lasting until 1 p.m. after Scott challenged McConnell in the leader race.

In order to be elected, a candidate must receive a majority vote from the 53-member conference. This means they must garner 27 votes.

Senators will not assume the new roles until the new Congress begins in January.

Supporters of the Second Amendment will have a strong ally in the White House with President-elect Donald Trump following years of pressure from the Biden administration, firearms rights advocates say. 

Organizations including the Gun Owners of America and the National Rifle Association tell Fox News Digital they are looking forward to working with Trump when he returns to the White House in January, despite gun control groups such as Everytown for Gun Safety vowing to stand strong against the president-elect’s “extremist agenda.” 

“I think the Second Amendment was on the ballot and the Second Amendment won. The American people clearly elected a pro-gun presidential ticket,” Aidan Johnston, the director of federal affairs for Gun Owners of America, told Fox News Digital.  

“With President-elect Trump, gun owners across the country will once again have a strong advocate for their Second Amendment rights in the White House,” said Randy Kozuch, executive director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action. 

US JUDGE TOSSES ILLINOIS’ BAN ON SEMIAUTOMATIC WEAPONS, GOVERNOR PLEDGES SWIFT APPEAL 

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Johnston said the Second Amendment has been “under assault for the last four years” of the Biden administration. He referenced measures including the crackdown on homemade firearm kits and the closures of gun stores under the administration’s “so-called zero tolerance policy,” which the White House says is aimed at revoking federal licenses for “rogue gun dealers violating our laws.” 

“President Trump promised on the campaign trail that he would sign national concealed carry reciprocity. And so I think that Congress has got to deliver that for the president,” Johnston said. “If you have a concealed carry license, it should be valid in all 50 states, just like your driver’s license.” 

“The American people have clearly given the president a mandate. He was elected on a pro-Second Amendment platform and Congress needs to deliver for the American people,” Johnston added. 

NEW YORK GUN CONTROL REGIME HANDED DEFEAT IN COURT 

Kozuch told Fox News Digital in a statement that when Trump “addressed NRA members last May, [he] pledged to roll back every attack from the Biden-Harris Administration on law-abiding gun owners and install an ATF Director who respects the Constitutional right to keep and bear arms.”

“We look forward to continuing our work with President Trump and the next Congress to enact pro-Second Amendment policies that protect Americans’ ability to defend themselves and their loved ones,” Kozuch continued. 

In the wake of Trump’s election, Everytown for Gun Safety released a statement saying, “the gun safety movement has faced countless setbacks but when it comes to the number one killer of kids, nothing will stand in our way.”

The group added, “Make no mistake: Trump’s extremist agenda is a danger for our nation, but it means we’ll double down on our efforts to protect our communities and continue to make progress, just like we did in 2016.”

The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence also said, “We have weathered storms before, and we will do so again. Even during Trump’s first presidency, we preserved critical gun safety measures and held the line in our fight against the gun lobby.” 

Rep. Brandon Williams, R-N.Y., is on a short list of contenders being considered for the nomination of Labor Secretary under President-elect Donald Trump’s new administration. 

Williams, who represents central New York, was viewed as one of the most vulnerable House Republican incumbents this election cycle because state Democratic leaders redrew his district to make it more favorable to their party. He was defeated by Democratic state Sen. John Mannion last week, but a source close to the president-elect’s transition team confirmed to Fox News Digital that Williams is now under consideration to join Trump’s Cabinet. 

“Brandon Williams was an exceptional member of congress who jumped into the race two years ago to challenge John Katko after he voted to impeach President Trump,” the source told Fox News Digital. “He’s a Navy veteran who served as an officer on a nuclear submarine, is a businessman and tech entrepreneur, was a political outsider, and will advance President Trump’s mission.” 

Citing sources, the New York Post was first to report about Williams’ consideration for Labor secretary, revealing he is on the “short version of the short list” and high-level conversations were happening on the matter Friday, days after the election. 

WHO COULD RUN TO REPLACE STEFANIK IN THE HOUSE?

Williams serves on three House committees: Transportation and Infrastructure; Science, Space, and Technology; and Education and the Workforce. He is also a member of several caucuses, including the Republican Main Street Caucus, which focuses on “implementing pro-growth policies for small business owners, fostering economic and individual prosperity, and delivering real results for the American people,” according to its website.

TRUMP TAPS FORMER NEW YORK REP LEE ZELDIN TO LEAD EPA

Politico had reported on Tuesday that Williams is among names being “floated” for a position in the Trump administration, but the outlet did not specify Tuesday what that executive branch job could be. 

Politico reported two other possible contenders for Labor secretary: Patrick Pizzella, a former U.S. deputy Labor secretary, and Bryan Slater, the state Labor secretary under Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin. 

Trump has already selected two high-profile New Yorkers to join his Cabinet. 

House Republican Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik, who was elected to a sixth term last week, will be pulled from Congress to become the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Lee Zeldin, a former Republican congressman who nearly ousted Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul in a competitive, but unsuccessful, 2022 bid to run the Empire State, has been campaigning on behalf of Trump and was selected to join the cabinet as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.

After President-elect Donald Trump announced that Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will lead the Department of Government Efficiency, an effort to root out government waste, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., criticized Trump’s decision, suggesting he had tapped two people to execute the job of one person.

“The Office of Government Efficiency is off to a great start with split leadership: two people to do the work of one person,” Warren said in a post on X, sarcastically adding, “Yeah, this seems REALLY efficient.” 

Musk and Ramaswamy “will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies,” Trump said in a statement.

ELON MUSK, VIVEK RAMASWAMY TO LEAD TRUMP’S DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY

Trump noted that the department, nicknamed “DOGE,” “will provide advice and guidance from outside of Government, and will partner with the White House and Office of Management & Budget to drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.”

Musk has invited the public to share their thoughts about what should and should not be slashed.

“All actions of the Department of Government Efficiency will be posted online for maximum transparency. Anytime the public thinks we are cutting something important or not cutting something wasteful, just let us know! We will also have a leaderboard for the most insanely dumb spending of your tax dollars. This will be both extremely tragic and extremely entertaining,” he tweeted.

ELON MUSK SAYS ‘ALL ACTIONS’ TAKEN BY DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY WILL BE ONLINE: ‘TRANSPARENCY’

Ramaswamy dropped his bid for the GOP presidential nomination and endorsed Trump back in January.

“DOGE will soon begin crowdsourcing examples of government waste, fraud, & and abuse. Americans voted for drastic government reform & they deserve to be part of fixing it,” he tweeted.

Warren also criticized Trump’s decision to tap Pete Hegseth for Defense Secretary, claiming that he is not qualified for the role.

PSAKI AND SEN. WARREN AGREE TRUMP’S BEHAVIOR ‘PUTS US ALL AT RISK’

“A Fox & Friends weekend co-host is not qualified to be the Secretary of Defense. I lead the Senate military personnel panel. All three of my brothers served in uniform. I respect every one of our servicemembers. Donald Trump’s pick will make us less safe and must be rejected,” she declared in a post on X.

Hegseth is an author and Army veteran who earned two Bronze Stars and a Combat Infantryman’s Badge, according to his website.

His last day with Fox was Tuesday.

Trump said in a statement that Hegseth “will be a courageous and patriotic champion of our ‘Peace through Strength’ policy.”

Migrants are likely to continue their march to the southern U.S. border in a bid to enter the country before President-elect Donald Trump takes office, multiple experts tell Fox News Digital.

“They’re determined to make it into the U.S., one way or the other, because they’ve sold everything, they have nothing to go back to,” independent journalist Auden Cabello, who extensively covered the border crisis, told Fox News Digital.

The comments come as some reports have indicated that some migrants traveling in caravans toward the U.S. border have decided to turn around in light of Trump’s victory, apparently fearing deportation under the incoming administration even if they were able to enter the country.

“This is the end of my dream of getting out of Cuba,” a Cuban migrant named Felipe told Newsweek after the election.

TRUMP LIKELY TO MAKE SEVERAL BORDER SECURITY MOVES ON FIRST DAY, SAYS EXPERT

A Reuters report last week expressed a similar sentiment, with the outlet reporting that a caravan with thousands of migrants traveling through Mexico became half of its original size by Thursday.

But Lora Ries, director of the Heritage Foundation’s Border Security and Immigration Center, said caravans typically begin to splinter when they get to Mexico and that a rush to the border is likely to continue for some migrants before the transition of administrations in the White House.

“Some will still rush to get in during the administration, calculating they won’t be sought or found for years,” Ries told Fox News Digital. “Others may make the decision it isn’t worth it for them to complete the journey.”

On the campaign trail, Trump has long promised to take drastic measures to “seal up those borders” while also promising to carry out one of the largest deportation operations in American history.

TRUMP’S ‘BORDER CZAR’ WARNS DEM GOVS REJECTING TRUMP DEPORTATION PLAN: ‘GET THE HELL OUT OF THE WAY’

Trump was also known for a more hard-line stance on the border during his first term as president, something migrants are likely to weigh as they consider whether to make the journey to the border.

Cabello expressed a similar sentiment to Ries, noting that many shelters in Mexico have continued to report overcrowding, while he expects some U.S. border sectors that have in recent months been almost silent to begin seeing groups of 100 to 200 attempt to cross the border daily.

Cabello also said that migrants splintering from caravans in Mexico are unlikely to stay in the country and will instead keep moving north, and migrants who are already on the way to the U.S. are not “going to go back on their own dime.”

“They’re going to try to make it into the U.S., whether it’s through CBP One, legally or illegally,” Cabello said. “That’s where I get the phrase ‘today’s rejected asylum seekers are tomorrow’s gotaways.’ Meaning, if they can’t’ get in legally, they’re going to resort to smugglers to get in illegally.”

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Tuesday that she will not leave the governor’s mansion to join President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration in Washington, D.C. 

“I’ve already announced my bid for re-election and I look forward to serving in this position for the next six years,” Sanders told reporters when asked if she might re-join the White House. “So unfortunately, and hopefully, you guys are stuck with me for a while.” 

Sanders served as the 31st White House press secretary for two years during Trump’s first term. She left the White House in 2019 and mounted a successful campaign for governor in 2021 with Trump’s endorsement, becoming the first female governor of the Natural State. She is also the youngest currently serving governor in the United States.

Sanders campaigned for Trump’s re-election in 2024 and appeared at several of his rallies. Her father, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, was recently named as Trump’s choice to be the next U.S. ambassador to Israel.

TRUMP NOMINATES MIKE HUCKABEE FOR US AMBASSADOR TO ISRAEL

“The only member of my family who will be going into the administration is my dad,” Sanders said Tuesday. 

GOV SANDERS HITS CAMPAIGN TRAIL AS TOP SURROGATE FOR TRUMP IN KEY BATTLEGROUND STATE: ‘GOING FULL-SPEED AHEAD’

Trump announced Huckabee’s appointment as U.S. ambassador to Israel on Tuesday in a statement that called the former governor “Highly Respected.” 

“Mike has been a great public servant, Governor, and Leader in Faith for many years. He loves Israel, and the people of Israel, and likewise, the people of Israel love him. Mike will work tirelessly to bring about Peace in the Middle East,” Trump said. 

TRUMP’S PICKS SO FAR: HERE’S WHO WILL BE ADVISING THE NEW PRESIDENT

Reacting to the appointment, Sanders said she was “unbelievably proud” to learn that her father was nominated to serve in the Trump administration.

“I went to Israel for the first time with my dad when I was eleven and it changed my life. There is no one President Trump could have picked with a greater love for the Israeli people and commitment to the unbreakable bond between America and Israel than him,” she posted on X. “Love you dad!”

Control of the House of Representatives remains undecided, with Republicans sitting just two seats away from a majority as of Wednesday morning.

The Associated Press has yet to call 12 House races across the country. In one of those 12 races, California’s 47th Congressional District, Republican candidate Scott Baugh has conceded in the open race against Democrat Dave Min.

At-Large District

Democratic incumbent Rep. Mary Sattler Peltola is in a tight race in Alaska’s at-large congressional district, where she is trailing Republican entrepreneur Nick Begich.

As of Wednesday morning, Begich holds a three-point lead at 49.1% of the vote compared to Peltola’s 45.8%. The vote count sits at 142,023 to 132,473 with roughly 91% of the vote counted.

SHUTDOWN STANDOFF LOOMS IN CONGRESS’ FINAL WEEKS BEFORE TRUMP’S RETURN TO WHITE HOUSE

6th Congressional District

The race in Arizona’s 6th Congressional District is tight, with Republican incumbent Rep. Juan Ciscomani holding a narrow lead.

The first-term lawmaker holds a two-point advantage over former Democratic state lawmaker Kirsten Engel as of Wednesday morning. The vote count sits at 196,293 to 189,426, with 90% of votes counted.

9th Congressional District

Democratic incumbent Josh Harder leads Republican challenger Kevin Lincoln by four points.

While Harder asserted victory in the race on Tuesday evening, Lincoln has not conceded, and The Associated Press has not called the race.

The district had about 74% of the vote recorded as of Wednesday, and Harder’s lead sits at over 7,000 votes.

13th Congressional District

Republican Rep. John Duarte is leading former Democratic State Assembly member Adam Gray in California’s 13th.

Roughly 70% of the vote has been counted, and Duarte holds a 51% to 49% lead. The contest is separated by just over 3,000 votes as of Wednesday morning.

21st Congressional District

Incumbent Democratic Rep. John Costa leads his Republican challenger, Michael Maher, in a 51.7 % to 48.3% race as of Wednesday morning.

So far, 79% of the vote has been counted, and Costa’s lead is just over 5,000 votes.

41st Congressional District

Republican incumbent Rep. Ken Calvert holds a 51.3% to 48.7% lead over Democratic challenger Will Rollins. Roughly 79% of the vote has been counted as of Wednesday, and Calvert’s lead sits at over 8,000 votes.

45th Congressional District

Incumbent Republican Rep. Michelle Steel leads her Democratic challenger Derek Tran with 50.4% of the vote as of Wednesday. Roughly 87% of the votes have been counted, and Steel’s lead has shrunk to 2,272 votes.

47th Congressional District

Republican Scott Baugh, a former state assembly member, conceded the race to Democratic state Sen. Dave Min in the race to succeed outgoing Democratic Rep. Katie Porter in California’s 47th Congressional District.

Min holds a one-point lead, with nearly 86% of the vote counted. The race was rated Lean Democrat by the Fox News Power Rankings.

With Min’s lead at nearly 6,000 votes, The Associated Press has yet to call the result.

1st Congressional District

Republican incumbent Rep. Mariannet Miller-Meeks holds a razor-thin lead over challenger Christina Bohannan with 99% of the vote counted. Miller-Meeks’ lead sits at 731 votes.

GOP REP. MIKE WALTZ TAPPED TO BE TRUMP’S NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER

2nd Congressional District

Democratic incumbent Jared Golden holds a razor-thin lead over Republican challenger Austin Theriault as of Wednesday.

With 98% of the votes counted, Golden’s lead sits at 726 votes. The state is conducting ranked-choice tabulation this week.

9th Congressional District

Democratic incumbent Marcy Kaptur leads her Republican challenger, Derek Merrin, by less than one point with 99% of the votes counted. Kaptur’s lead sits at just under 1,200 votes as of Wednesday.

5th Congressional District

Republican incumbent Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer is trailing her Democratic challenger, Janelle Bynum, by nearly three points with 91% of the votes counted Wednesday.

Bynum’s lead sits at just over 10,000 votes.

Fox News’ Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.

Talk of Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor retiring and having her seat filled before President-elect Donald Trump takes office is “idle speculation” and not “realistic,” a top Democrat says. 

Senate Judiciary Chair Dick Durbin, D-Ill., made the comments to Politico following reports that Democrats are discussing whether to call on the 70-year-old to vacate her seat to avoid potentially giving Trump the opportunity to replace her if she retires following his return to the White House in January. 

“Whoever makes those calls [for a retirement] can’t count,” Durbin told Politico. “Take a look at the calendar and tell me how in the world you could achieve that without setting aside the budget and the defense authorization act and all the other things that need to be done? I don’t think it’s a realistic idea.” 

Last week, a Democratic senator also said to Politico: “She can sort of resign conditionally on someone being appointed to replace her. But she can’t resign conditioned on a specific person. What happens if she resigns and the nominee to replace her isn’t confirmed, and the next president fills the vacancy?” 

SOTOMAYOR SHOULD BE REPLACED BY KAMALA HARRIS, CNN COMMENTATOR ARGUES 

Sotomayor is one of the three justices on the Supreme Court appointed by a Democratic president. 

Democrats lost their Senate majority to Republicans in the 2024 election and only have about two months left of control in the chamber. 

JUSTICE ALITO PLANS TO REMAIN ON SUPREME COURT, RESISTING PRESSURE TO STEP ASIDE: REPORT 

People close to Sotomayor recently told The Wall Street Journal that she has no plans to step aside from her position.  

“This is no time to lose her important voice on the court. She just turned 70 and takes better care of herself than anyone I know,” one source told the newspaper. 

Fox News’ Aubrie Spady contributed to this report.