Mississippi Senate race hangs on ~2,000 votes as lawyers converge on the count

▲ Escalating

Trump names Stephen Miller chief of staff as Hegseth faces impeachment push after midterms

On Friday reports said Trump named Stephen Miller, architect of his immigration crackdown, to replace Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff; Wiles steps down on Monday. Pressure on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth grew after Democrats won control of Congress, with Republicans blaming the Iran war for their losses. Trump said on Thursday the midterms were "crooked", despite earlier accepting the results. Senate races in Mississippi and Alaska remain uncalled.

• Democrat Scott Colom leads Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith by just under 2,000 votes in Mississippi, and lawyers for both parties are trading letters over counting procedures.
• Hegseth called the impeachment effort a sham in a video message; Thomas Massie has filed eight articles of impeachment, and the White House denied reports that Hegseth and Rubio will leave. Trump says Hegseth is doing a very good job.
• Vance blamed the Iran war for the Republican defeat on Wednesday, described as a sharp break with Trump.
• A federal judge, Tanya Chutkan, issued a 14-day order halting construction of Trump's 250-foot arch in Washington.