NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / World

Donald Trump makes surprise appearance in front of the cameras, hailing record stock market numbers

By Sam Clench news.com.au
news.com.au·
24 Nov, 2020 09:02 PM5 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Donald Trump speaks to the media as Biden's transition begins. Video / CNN

Donald Trump made a surprise 90-second appearance in front of the cameras today.

The appearance came less than 24 hours after allowing the presidential transition process to begin.

Trump popped up in the White House briefing room shortly before 1pm, local time, Vice-President Mike Pence in tow. He gave the news media no more than three minutes' notice.

He did not mention the election, instead boasting that the Dow Jones had just reached 30,000 points for the first time ever.

"I just want to congratulate everybody. The stock market Dow Jones Industrial Average just hit 30,000, which is the highest in history," the President said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"We've never broken 30,000. And that's despite everything that's taken place with the pandemic.

"I'm very thrilled with what's happened on the vaccine front. That's been absolutely incredible. Nothing like that has ever happened, medically. And I think people are acknowledging that, and it's having a big effect.

"But the stock market's just broken 30,000. Never been broken, that number. That's a sacred number, 30,000. Nobody thought they'd ever see it.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"That's the ninth time since the beginning of 2020. And it's the 48th time that we've broken records during the Trump administration. And I just want to thank all the people within the administration that worked so hard, and most importantly I want to congratulate the people of our country, because there are no people like you."

And with that, he left the room. The whole appearance took no more than 90 seconds, Pence didn't say a word, and neither of them took questions.

The reporters in the room shouted a few questions after Trump, asking whether he was going to concede defeat in the election. He did not answer.

"Well that was weird as s***," one of them could be heard remarking after the President had left. Another said it was "one of the stranger" briefings they had experienced.

Discover more

World

'People are pissed': Growing drama inside Biden's transition team

25 Nov 02:40 AM
Business

Biden bump: US stock market breaks record

24 Nov 06:03 PM
World

Is this Trump's concession?

24 Nov 05:36 PM
World

US election: Biden takes Pennsylvannia

24 Nov 05:08 PM

The brief statement also baffled some viewers, including the ever opinionated British TV host Piers Morgan, who labelled it "America's most pointless presidential press conference".

UPDATE: Nope, he just wanted to spend 60 seconds boasting about vaccines & Dow Jones breaking 30,000. Then he left again.
America's most pointless presidential press conference. https://t.co/lSSu5voNJG

— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) November 24, 2020

There’s something bizarre about Trump trying to sell himself to voters when he was just rejected by them https://t.co/TuRi60IjWY

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) November 24, 2020

.@realDonaldTrump came into the White House Briefing Room to extol the Dow Jones breaking 30,000 historic highs without taking questions and leaving in barely a minute. Never acknowledging the market highs are at least partly relief that he has finally let the transition begin!

— Andrea Mitchell (@mitchellreports) November 24, 2020

The Dow did indeed break 30,000 for the first time in history today, continuing its recovery from the trough it hit during the coronavirus pandemic's first wave in April. According to CNBC, it has risen more than 13 per cent this month, which will represent the highest rate of growth since 1987 if it holds.

The business network attributed today's record-breaking mark to "positive vaccine news, hope for a strong economic recovery in 2021, and easing of political uncertainty".

It came in the wake of the General Services Administration's decision yesterday to let the presidential transition process formally begin, following the certification of Joe Biden's victories in Georgia and Michigan. His win in Pennsylvania was certified today.

The President-elect also made a public appearance today, addressing the cameras less than an hour after Trump.

Biden presented some of the people he has named as future members of his Cabinet and White House staff - though most of them still need to be confirmed by the Republican-controlled Senate.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Today, I'm pleased to announce nominations and staff for critical foreign policy and national security positions in my administration. It's a team that will keep our country and our people safe and secure," he said.

"And it's a team that reflects the fact that America is back, ready to lead the world, not retreat from it. Once again sit at the head of the table. Ready to confront our adversaries and not reject our allies. Ready to stand up for our values.

"In calls from world leaders that I've had, about 18 or 20 of them so far, I've been struck by how much they're looking forward to the US reasserting its historic role as a global leader. The team meets this moment. They embody my core beliefs that America is strongest when it works with its allies."

President-elect Joe Biden on national security and foreign policy nominations: "It's a team that reflects the fact that America is back—ready to lead the world, not retreat from it." https://t.co/h1dJXOjieE pic.twitter.com/q1Xf3lDOaV

— ABC News (@ABC) November 24, 2020

Tony Blinken tells story of his stepfather encountering a U.S. tank while fleeing a death march during the Holocaust.

"An African American GI looked down at him. He got down on his knees and said the only three words he knew in English...'God Bless America.' That's who we are." pic.twitter.com/OvTyitSVSP

— ABC News (@ABC) November 24, 2020
Save

    Share this article

Latest from World

Premium
Analysis

As US warms ties with Syria, what does it expect in return?

02 Jul 08:00 PM
World

Surf, sand, and waterslides: North Korea opens beach resort

02 Jul 07:00 PM
World

Bryan Kohberger pleads guilty to Idaho student murders, avoids death penalty

02 Jul 06:47 PM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from World

Premium
As US warms ties with Syria, what does it expect in return?

As US warms ties with Syria, what does it expect in return?

02 Jul 08:00 PM

New York Times: Israel, chemical weapons, foreign fighters, and Isis have been a focus.

Surf, sand, and waterslides: North Korea opens beach resort

Surf, sand, and waterslides: North Korea opens beach resort

02 Jul 07:00 PM
Bryan Kohberger pleads guilty to Idaho student murders, avoids death penalty

Bryan Kohberger pleads guilty to Idaho student murders, avoids death penalty

02 Jul 06:47 PM
Premium
Opinion: A brief 700-year history of overtourism

Opinion: A brief 700-year history of overtourism

02 Jul 06:00 PM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP