Trump cabinet latest updates: Congress still stunned after pick of Matt Gaetz for attorney general
President-elect Donald Trump’s pick of former Florida Representative Matt Gaetz to be his attorney general continues to stun Congress following the announcement.
Gaetz, whose nomination requires Senate approval, resigned from his seat in the US House of Representatives in light of the news, Speaker Mike Johnson confirmed on Wednesday. This will effectively end the House Ethics probe into allegations of sexual misconduct and drug use made against him.
Republicans and Democrats are shocked by his nomination and there were audible gasps by House Republicans at a conference meeting on Wednesday when the news about Gaetz broke, according to Axios.
“I don’t think it’s a serious nomination for the attorney general,” Alaska Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski said.
Senator Peter Welch, a Vermont Democrat, told The Independent the announcement sounded like a headline in a satire publication. “That was in The Onion,” he said.
Trump has also chosen former Democratic Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard and Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio to join his administration. Gabbard is set to serve as the director of national intelligence while Rubio has been nominated to be secretary of state.
Meanwhile, the Republicans have gained control of the House, completing their trifecta.
Key Points
Gaetz’s resignation from the House came two days before ‘highly damaging’ ethics report release
Trump’s attorney general pick continues to stun and shock Congress
Republicans gain control of both houses of Congress
Matt Gaetz resigns from House of Representatives
NEW: Republican Senator ‘absolutely’ wants to review unreleased ethics report into Gaetz
16:10 , Rhian Lubin
Republican U.S. Senator John Cornyn – who was in the running for Senate Majority leader – told reporters today that he “absolutely” wants to review an unreleased congressional ethics report on Matt Gaetz, Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general, according to Reuters news agency.
The president-elect’s nomination of Gaetz comes after the 42-year-old and his associates were at the center of a sex trafficking investigation carried out by current Attorney General Merrick Garland.
Gaetz was ultimately never charged with a crime but remained the subject of a House Ethics Committee investigation regarding, among other claims, allegations of sexual misconduct.
However, the committee’s investigation is now over following Gaetz’s resignation, which Speaker of the House Mike Johnson said was effective immediately.
Satirical news publication The Onion buys conspiracy site Infowars at bankruptcy auction
15:50 , Rhian Lubin
The satirical news publication The Onion won the bidding for Alex Jones’ Infowars at a bankruptcy auction, backed by families of Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims whom Jones owes more than $1 billion in defamation judgments for calling the massacre a hoax.
“The dissolution of Alex Jones’ assets and the death of Infowars is the justice we have long awaited and fought for,” Robbie Parker, whose daughter Emilie was killed in the 2012 shooting in Connecticut, said in a statement provided by his lawyers.
The Onion acquired the conspiracy theory platform’s website; social media accounts; studio in Austin, Texas; trademarks; and video archive. The sale price was not immediately disclosed. The Onion said its “exclusive launch advertiser” will be the gun violence prevention organization Everytown for Gun Safety.
Jones confirmed the news in a social media post on X.
Read more.
No foolin’: The Onion buys Alex Jones’ Infowars site at auction
John Bolton gives damning assessment of Trump’s cabinet picks
15:30 , Rhian Lubin
Donald Trump’s former National Security Advisor gave a damning assessment of picks for the president-elect’s new cabinet.
The president-elect has already demonstrated his willingness to appoint his cheerleaders to top positions, including Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who were recently named as the joint heads of the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Other eye-brow-raising picks include Fox News host Pete Hegseth as defense secretary.
During an interview with CNN, Bolton was asked about those selected by the President-elect so far.
“I do think there’s a group of people who think that they are going to be able to screen out people, not on the basis of philosophy so much as on their attitude toward the president,” he said.
Mike Bedigan reports.
John Bolton sums up Trump’s ideal cabinet picks in one damning word
Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency faces roadblocks
15:10 , Rhian Lubin
Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy’s newly-formed Department of Government Efficiency might not be as plain sailing as they would hope.
Their plans to slash government spending and restructure federal agencies face roadblocks, experts have said.
Ramaswamy once said he had plans to cut the federal workforce by 75 percent on “day one,” while Musk has called for a 33 percent cut in federal spending.
Justin Schnitzer, a federal employment attorney, cautions that it won’t happen on day one.
“The maximalist numbers like 75 percent are unlikely to happen at all,” he said.
“Firings on this scale would bring government services across the country to a screeching halt, which would be unpopular with voters across the spectrum. Additionally, federal employees have rights and unjustified mass firings will result in justified mass appeals.”
Meanwhile, Douglas Holtz-Eakin, president of American Action Forum, told the Hill: “There’s the executive branch that might be in their way. The Congress might be in their way. The Constitution is a bit of an obstacle.”
“Other than that, clear sailing.”
Law expert says Gaetz confirmation as AG will be a ‘monumental challenge’
14:50 , Rhian Lubin
A law professor says Gaetz faces a “monumental challenge” to get confirmed as attorney general.
“If Trump wanted to defibrillate the Justice Department, the Matt Gaetz nomination is the 100,000-volt option,” Jonathan Turley, a law professor at George Washington University, said in a post on X.
“Just a day after the announcement, this is shaping up as one of the most intense confirmation fights in congressional history,” he added.
Has Elon Musk outstayed his welcome at Mar-a-Lago?
14:30 , Rhian Lubin
Melania Trump is enjoying Elon Musk’s sudden constant presence around Mar-a-Lago, despite her husband Donald Trump teasing that the billionaire has overstayed his welcome, according to a source.
The president-elect and the tech billionaire have become somewhat inseparable since Trump was re-elected to the White House last week, with Musk now a fixture at his Palm Beach residence.
While some Trumpworld insiders are said to be rattled by this sudden closeness, a source told Page Six that the incoming first lady is a big fan of Trump’s self-styled “First Buddy” and likes him being around.
It comes as Trump reportedly said: “Elon won’t go home. I can’t get rid of him – at least until I don’t like him.”
James Liddell has more.
Melania Trump’s thoughts on ‘First Buddy’ Elon Musk revealed
Alina Habba pours cold water on Trump press secretary rumors
14:10 , Rhian Lubin
Alina Habba, a lawyer who represented Donald Trump in a series of high-profile cases, has confirmed she will not be his White House Press Secretary despite reports she was the possible front-runner.
Panic at the DOJ
13:50 , Rhian Lubin
Panic had already set in at the Department of Justice prior to Matt Gaetz’s nomination to head up the agency.
Lawyers are considering fleeing the agency before Trump loyalists take over and execute his vision, according to reports.
Now the panic has gone into overdrive.
“This is completely wild. It’s so out of bounds, it’s just shocking,” one DOJ lawyer told Politico. “He’s there for one purpose: to enact retribution. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t have a grand vision about the future of the department. I can’t imagine how this isn’t going to scare people even more.”
Donald Trump’s scorn for the DOJ has only grown over the last four years as he became the subject of two criminal prosecutions, and he has previously talked of transforming the agency.
“Everyone I’ve talked to, mostly lawyers, are losing their minds,” one DOJ attorney previously said.
Harris campaign aide reveals real reason why she didn’t appear on Joe Rogan podcast
13:30 , Rhian Lubin
One of Kamala Harris’s campaign aides has shed light on the real reason why the vice president didn’t end up appearing on Joe Rogan’s podcast.
Harris’s team was in talks for her to appear on the most popular podcast in America, but the sitdown ultimately failed to materialize.
Rogan has since claimed that a series of demands from the campaign was the reason why it didn’t go ahead.
Read the full story here.
Harris aide reveals real reason Joe Rogan podcast interview never materialized
Explainer: Will Matt Gaetz pass the Senate nomination process – or does he not need to?
13:10 , Rhian Lubin
Donald Trump’s nomination of Matt Gaetz for attorney general has stunned many in the Republican party.
If Trump gets his way, the former Florida representative will become the top law enforcement officer in the United States – a position that the president-elect could utilize to seek revenge on his opponents and enemies.
Even though Republicans have clinched a majority in the Senate, given the strong reaction to Gaetz’s potential appointment, it is not guaranteed he will be confirmed as attorney general.
There are two possible options for what could happen next...
Read on.
Will Matt Gaetz pass the Senate nomination process – or does he not need to?
WATCH: Donald Trump’s four-word boast to House Republicans
12:50 , Rhian Lubin
Donald Trump issued a four-word boast to House Republicans in his first visit to Washington since his election victory.
He was introduced as the come-back King by Speaker of the House Mike Johnson on Wednesday, November 13 after meeting with President Joe Biden at the White House earlier in the day.
Jesse Watters brags about Trump administration connections
12:30 , Rhian Lubin
Fox News host Jesse Watters appeared to say the quiet part out loud as he admitted that he will be asking the Trump administration for “special favors.”
On Jesse Watters Primetime on Wednesday night, the conservative media pundit and staunch Donald Trump supporter celebrated the president-elect’s latest picks for jobs in his second term, including the controversial choices of Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and Matt Gaetz for attorney general.
Watters boasted of his ties to some of those headed for the most powerful jobs in government, with his former Fox News colleague Pete Hegseth tapped to become Trump’s future defense secretary.
James Liddell reports.
Fox News’s Jesse Watters says the quiet part out loud about Trump’s administration
More Republican reaction to Matt Gaetz AG nomination
12:10 , Rhian Lubin
A number of Republicans have spoken of their shock at Trump’s nomination of Matt Gaetz for AG.
Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska said she doesn’t think Gaetz is “a serious nomination for the attorney general,” while Senator Susan Collins of Maine told reporters she was “shocked” by the choice.
Ohio Representative Max Miller went as far as to say that Gaetz “has a zero percent shot of getting through the Senate,” Politico reports.
Another Republican representative told the outlet that the choice is “an obvious throwaway nomination that has no chance in the Senate.”
And North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis said Gaetz has “probably got some work cut out for him.”
ICYMI: Rudy Giuliani’s lawyers abruptly quit defamation case
11:50 , Rhian Lubin
Meanwhile, things aren’t looking so good for Trump’s former attorney Rudy Giuliani, whose lawyers have abruptly quit representing him in his defamation case.
They have withdrawn after attorneys for the women Giuliani defamed accused the disgraced former New York City mayor of hiding property he has been ordered to turn over.
Giuliani’s lead counsel Kenneth Caruso and attorney David Labkowski filed a motion in federal court in New York on Wednesday citing several reasons for their withdrawal, pointing to a “fundamental disagreement” with Donald Trump’s former attorney.
Alex Woodward has the story.
Rudy Giuliani’s lawyers abruptly quit defamation case
Congresswoman and former CIA case officer slams Tulsi Gabbard intelligence nomination
11:30 , Rhian Lubin
Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger of Virginia has weighed in on Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination as Trump’s director of national intelligence.
The Democrat said she is “deeply concerned” about what the appointment means for national security.
Senator Tommy Tuberville threatens Republicans who might vote against Gaetz for Trump’s attorney general
11:10 , Rhian Lubin
Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville has already fired warning shots at any Republicans who might vote against Matt Gaetz becoming Donald Trump’s incoming attorney general.
Speaking to Fox Business on Wednesday after the president-elect announced his controversial decision, the Alabama senator threatened to boot party members from the upper chamber if they oppose the former Florida representative’s nomination.
Alarm bells rang for a swathe of congressional Republicans on Wednesday when Trump announced he had picked Gaetz to become the nation’s top law enforcement officer and head up the Department of Justice.
James Liddell and Alex Woodward report.
Tuberville threatens Republicans who might vote against Gaetz for Trump’s AG
RECAP: Who is in Trump’s Cabinet so far?
10:50 , Rhian Lubin
So far there is the MAGA ally, the Fox News host, and the ex-Democrat.
President-elect Donald Trump is filling key posts in his second administration, putting an emphasis so far on aides and allies who were his strongest backers during the 2024 campaign.
Thomas Beaumont and Ariana Baio have the rundown of all the nominees so far.
Who’s in Trump’s Cabinet so far? The MAGA ally, the ice maiden and the Fox News host
Senator Tammy Duckworth, who served in Iraq, slams Pete Hegseth as defense secretary
10:30 , Rhian Lubin
Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois has slammed Trump’s choice of Pete Hegseth as his next defense secretary and called out his comments that women shouldn’t serve in combat roles.
Duckworth, who lost both her legs in Iraq in 2004, shared her views with CNN’s Kaitlin Collins.
Watch: Donald Trump and Elon Musk perform bizarre duet of God Bless America at Mar-a-Lago
10:10 , Rhian Lubin
Donald Trump and Elon Musk performed a bizarre duet of God Bless America at Mar-a-Lago.
The President-elect and his new chief efficiency officer joined opera singer Chris Macchio for a rendition of the American classic at a party on Wednesday evening.
RECAP: Republicans have full control of Washington
09:50 , Rhian Lubin
Republicans have won enough seats to control the U.S. House, completing the party’s sweep into power and securing their hold on U.S. government alongside President-elect Donald Trump.
A House Republican victory in Arizona, alongside a win in slow-counting California earlier Wednesday, gave the GOP the 218 House victories that make up the majority. Republicans earlier gained control of the Senate from Democrats.
With hard-fought yet thin majorities, Republican leaders are envisioning a mandate to upend the federal government and swiftly implement Trump’s vision for the country.
Read more here.
Republicans win 218 US House seats, giving Trump’s party full control of Washington
Matt Gaetz’s nomination as attorney general sends shockwaves around Washington
09:30 , Rhian Lubin
Republicans and Democrats are stunned by Trump’s nomination of Matt Gaetz as attorney general.
News of his appointment drew audible gasps from House Republicans at a conference meeting on Wednesday, according to Axios.
A House Republican described the response in the room as “stunned and disgusted,” the outlet reported.
“I’m sure that there will be a lot of questions raised at his hearing,” said Maine Republican Senator Susan Collins.
Alaska Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski said Gaetz’s name “was not on my Bingo card.”
“I don’t think it’s a serious nomination for the attorney general,” she said.
Senator Peter Welch, a Vermont Democrat, told The Independent the announcement sounded like a headline in a satire publication. “That was in The Onion,” Welch said.
WATCH: Chicago mayor calls Trump a threat to Black families in direct message to president-elect
09:15 , Rachel Sharp
Why was Matt Gaetz investigated by the DOJ?
08:55 , Josh Marcus
Matt Gaetz became part of a federal sex trafficking investigation targeting a former associate, Joel Greenberg. The pair were part of a group of Florida Republicans described in news reports as attending parties where participants used drugs and had sex with women who had been paid.
In 2021, Greenberg pleaded guilty to federal crimes including sex trafficking of a minor, identity theft, stalking, wire fraud, and conspiracy to bribe a public official, and received an 11-year sentence.
Gaetz has denied all wrongdoing.
In 2023, the Department of Justice declined to seek charges against the Florida congressman.
Gaetz was also the subject of a House ethics inquiry, featuring interviews with witnesses from the federal probe, who allege they attended the parties where Gaetz was allegedly present with women who were paid by Greenberg. A witness reportedly told investigators this summer Gaetz paid her for sex, which he denies.
The Republican has denied these claims and said the investigation is based on “lies intended solely to smear me.”
Gaetz’s resignation from Congress will end the House ethics investigation. Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy claimed earlier this year Gaetz led a successful challenge to his leadership in an attempt to stop the ethics investigation.
Former Trump administration aide Cassidy Hutchinson claimed in a memoir Gaetz groped her on two occasions and tried to make a pass at her at Camp David.
Gaetz has denied the allegations but claimed the pair had once dated, which Hutchinson denies.
Trump’s win has been described as resounding. It was closer than you think
08:30 , Rachel Sharp
Kamala Harris failed to improve on President Joe Biden’s national performance in the 2020 election, earning 9 million fewer votes and losing swing states that the president carried just four years ago.
While media members and political experts are labeling Trump’s win sweeping - the fact is Harris really lost the election by less than a million votes in the key swing states. If those votes went her way, she’d be the president-elect today even without winning the popular vote.
President-elect Donald Trump won 3.2 million more votes than the Democratic nominee in the race for most total votes. Such a close popular vote is not unusual for the 21st century, where presidential elections have often come to a knife’s edge in recent years. A deeper look at the results in key states from the 2024 races shows just how close Harris could have made it to the presidency.
READ MORE:
Trump’s win has been described as resounding. It was closer than you think
WATCH: White House says Trump was 'gracious' in Biden meeting
08:00 , Gustaf Kilander
Melania Trump likely won’t return to the White House. But she’s still a ‘constant voice in Donald’s ear’
07:00 , Rhian Lubin
Melania Trump is likely to spend most of her time away from the White House as first lady – but she is still “a constant voice” in her husband’s ear.
Instead, Melania will spend most of her time between New York City, where 18-year-old Barron is studying at NYU, and Palm Beach, Florida, sources familiar with her plans told CNN.
While the sources reportedly said that Melania’s preference is “not to be publicly involved,” she was also cited as “a constant voice in her husband’s ear, giving him advice.”
READ MORE:
Melania ‘is still a constant voice in Trump’s ear’ despite likely White House absence
Mike Pence is ‘literally praying’ that Trump doesn’t pardon the Jan 6 rioters
06:00 , Ariana Baio
Former vice president Mike Pence, who became the target of a violent mob of Donald Trump supporters on January 6, 2021, said on Tuesday he prays that the president-elect maintains his commitment to the Constitution and does not pardon the rioters.
While speaking to an audience at the 2024 Dispatch Summit in Washington D.C., Pence, once again, said he hopes that Trump will view January 6 rioters in the same light he does, rather than patriots who were wrongly prosecuted.
“I don’t think the president should pardon anyone who assaulted a police officer at the United States Capitol on January 6,” Pence said on stage per The Dispatch.
READ MORE:
Mike Pence is ‘literally praying’ Trump doesn’t pardon the Jan 6 rioters
Prosecutor failed to show that Musk’s $1M-a-day sweepstakes was an illegal lottery, judge says
05:30 , Maryclaire Dale
The $1 million voter sweepstakes linked to billionaire Elon Musk was allowed to continue through Election Day because Philadelphia’s top prosecutor failed to show that it was an illegal lottery, a judge said in a new opinion.
District Attorney Larry Krasner had filed suit last month to try to have the sweepstakes shut down under Pennsylvania law.
“Although (Krasner) alleges that America PAC and Elon Musk ‘scammed’ people,” Common Pleas Court Judge Angelo Foglietta wrote in the opinion Tuesday, “DA Krasner failed to provide any evidence of misuse beyond mere speculation.”
READ MORE:
Prosecutor failed to show that Musk’s $1M-a-day sweepstakes was an illegal lottery, judge says
California teacher suspended after profanity-laced rant against ‘treasonous scum’ Trump
05:00 , Michelle Del Rey
Students at a California school have staged a protest after a history teacher was suspended following a profanity-laced rant about Donald Trump’s re-election.
The instructor, a history teacher at Valley View High School in Moreno Valley, called Trump a “rapist draft-dodging coward” during a lecture last Wednesday. A recording of the lecture was circulated on X/Twitter. Officials with the Moreno Valley Unified School District have not publicly identified him.
The teacher reportedly told his students that Black and Latino voters did not cast their ballots for Vice President Kamala Harris because she has “a vagina and uterus.”
READ MORE:
Teacher suspended after profanity-laced rant against Trump
Trump threatens to use school funding to pay restitutions to ‘victims of DEI’
04:15 , Ariana Baio
Donald Trump’s big plans for reshaping education in the United States include fining schools for implementing and engaging in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs and using seized funds as restitution for “victims” of DEI policies.
On the campaign trail, the now-president-elect appealed to people who see progressive changes in education as “indoctrination” of children by promising to end all diversity programs that are meant to promote and maintain fair treatment among people who historically are underrepresented or discriminated against.
“Schools that persist in explicit unlawful discrimination under the guise of equity will not only have their endowment taxed, but through budget reconciliation, I will advance a measure to have them fined up to the entire amount of their endowment,” Trump said in a video posted in July.
READ MORE:
Trump threatens to use school funding to pay restitutions to ‘victims of DEI’
Republicans maintain control of House
03:33 , Katie Hawkinson
Republicans will maintain control of the House of Representatives, reaching the 218-seat majority needed on November 13.
The Republican party now holds majorities in both chambers of Congress, meaning Donald Trump has a clear path to enact his policy agenda when he takes office in January.
Sebastian Coe: Donald Trump will want hugely successful Olympics in Los Angeles
03:30 , Jamie Gardner
Olympic presidential candidate Sebastian Coe cannot believe Donald Trump would do anything to harm the Los Angeles Games in 2028.
Trump’s victory in the United States presidential election last week means he is set to occupy his country’s highest office while it stages arguably the world’s two biggest sporting events.
The US will host the men’s football World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico in 2026 and then LA will host the summer Olympics for the second time in 2028, having done so previously in 1984.
The impact of Trump’s presidency on global sport is difficult to predict, but Coe is confident that whatever else might happen, the 78-year-old will be determined for LA to put on a good show.
READ MORE:
Sebastian Coe: Donald Trump will want hugely successful Olympics in Los Angeles
Watch moment Biden and Trump come face-to-face for first time since election
02:45 , Kate Gill
President Joe Biden and Donald Trump came face-to-face for the first time since the country’s November 8 election during a traditional meeting as part of the handoff of power.
The President-elect shook Biden’s hand inside the White House’s Oval Office during Wednesday’s face-to-face meeting — having declined to participate in the ritual four years ago.
“Donald, congratulations,” Biden said, greeting Trump with a handshake.
“Thank you very much,” Trump added.
“Politics is tough, and it is, in many cases, not a very nice world.
“But it is a nice world today, and I appreciate it very much.”
President Biden once again reiterated the Democrat’s wishes for a “smooth transition” of power ahead of Trump’s inauguration in February.
Rudy Giuliani’s lawyers abruptly quit defamation case
02:27 , Alex Woodward
Rudy Giuliani’s lawyers have abruptly quit representing him in his defamation case after attorneys for the women he defamed accused the disgraced former New York City mayor of hiding property he has been ordered to turn over.
Giuliani’s lead counsel Kenneth Caruso and attorney David Labkowski filed a motion in federal court in New York on Wednesday citing several reasons for their withdrawal, pointing to a “fundamental disagreement” with Donald Trump’s former attorney.
‘The least qualified nominee in American history’: Why Trump picked Fox News host Pete Hegseth for defense
02:24 , Alex Woodward
The second in command to the nation’s military could end up being a Fox News pundit who wants to launch a “frontal assault” against top brass, kick women out of combat, and implement Donald Trump’s sweeping agenda for the world’s third-largest standing fighting force.
Read more:
Why Trump nominated a ‘wholly unqualified’ Fox News host for defense secretary
The Guardian leaves X, calling it a ‘toxic media platform’
02:00 , Lynn Rusk
The Guardian newspaper has announced it will stop posting on X, formerly Twitter, describing the social media platform as “toxic”.
The news outlet wrote on its website on Wednesday that it had considered the decision for a while due to the “often disturbing content promoted or found on the platform”, but the US election earlier in November “underlined” its decision.
“This is something we have been considering for a while given the often disturbing content promoted or found on the platform, including far-right conspiracy theories and racism,” The Guardian wrote.
READ MORE:
The Guardian leaves X, calling it a ‘toxic media platform’
The f-word is having a heyday around the US election. This lexicographer has researched it for decades
01:15 , Sheila Flynn
It’s a word that’s been gleefully co-opted by both sides of the political spectrum for their most basic rallying cries (F*** Joe Biden. F*** Trump), and it’s having a veritable heyday this week in the wake of US presidential election results – as Republicans and Democrats exclaim the expletive with polar-opposite emotion: F*** yes versus F*** no.
In Germany, one weekly newspaper even went so far as to run a Wednesday piece with a one-word headline featuring only the four-letter profanity. “F***,” Die Zeit wrote bluntly.
Luckily, as the world deems the swear word uniquely applicable in various capacities after an emotionally exhausting and far-reaching shift in US politics, there’s a brand-new edition of a book dedicated to the definition, uses and etymology of the f-word.
READ MORE:
F*** – it’s a new book about the f-word
Republicans insist Trump was ‘joking’ about unconstitutional third term. A Democrat wants to make sure he won’t try
01:00 , Josh Marcus
Donald Trump mused on Wednesday about the prospect of serving a constitutionally barred third term as president, though his Republican colleagues insist he was just joking.
“I suspect I won’t be running again, unless you do something,” Trump reportedly told his GOP colleagues in the House, as they met ahead of congressional leadership elections. “Unless you say, ‘He’s so good, we have to just figure it out.’”
Those in the room later said the president-elect was only kidding. The 22nd Amendment of the Constitution specifies that presidents can only serve up to two full terms.
“That was a joke. It was clearly a joke,” Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee told The Hill. “I leaned over to somebody beside me, [Arizona Rep.] Andy Biggs, and I said, that’ll be the headlines tomorrow, ‘Trump trying to thwart the Constitution,’ which — there’s nothing further from the truth.”
Not everyone seemed to feel that way.
READ MORE:
Republicans insists Trump ‘joking’ about unconstitutional third term
Matt Gaetz selection as Attorney General draws quick blowback from halls of Congress and social media
00:45 , Katie Hawkinson, Eric Garcia
Donald Trump has tapped GOP Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida for Attorney General, prompting concern and disdain among lawmakers and social media users on both sides of the aisle.
Trump’s nomination of Gaetz comes after the lawmaker and his associates were at the center of a sex trafficking investigation carried out by current Attorney General Merrick Garland. Gaetz was ultimately never charged with a crime but remains the subject of a House ethics committee investigation regarding, among other claims, allegations he had sex with a minor. Gaetz has denied all wrongdoing.
“He is a Champion for the Constitution and the Rule of Law,” Trump wrote in his announcement. “Matt will root out the systemic corruption at DOJ, and return the Department to its true mission of fighting Crime, and upholding our Democracy and Constitution.”
READ MORE:
Matt Gaetz selection as Attorney General nominee draws quick blowback from lawmakers
Dick Van Dyke, 98, makes dark joke about Trump’s second term
00:30 , Inga Parkel
Legendary actor Dick Van Dyke has reacted in disdain to Donald Trump’s second-term presidential win after previously endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris.
The Mary Poppins star, who turns 99 next month, was recently out and about with his 52-year-old wife, Arlene Silver, when he was approached by a reporter and asked if he thought the future looked bright for America.
“I hope you’re right,” Dyke can be heard telling the reporter in a clip published by The Daily Mail.
When asked if he thinks Trump is capable of making America great again, the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang actor quipped: “Fortunately, I won’t be around to experience the four years.”
READ MORE:
Dick Van Dyke, 98, makes dark joke about Trump’s second term
Matt Gaetz resigns from House of Representatives
00:30 , Katie Hawkinson
Representative Matt Gaetz handed his resignation letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday, just after Donald Trump named him the nominee for Attorney General.
Johnson told reporters the Florida lawmaker’s resignation is “effective immediately.” Gaetz’s resignation also ends the House ethics committee investigation into allegations against him of sexual misconduct and drug use, among other claims.
Bull doge! Dogecoin soars as Trump announces a government efficiency group nicknamed DOGE
Wednesday 13 November 2024 23:45 , Stan Choe
Wow, much bull market.
Dogecoin, the cryptocurrency whose mascot is a super-cute dog that muses things like “much wow,” has been surging in value since Donald Trump won the presidential election last week. It’s hitting the afterburners now, after Trump named Tesla‘s Elon Musk as one of the heads of a new “Department of Government Efficiency,” which is not a government agency but does have the acronym DOGE.
All this makes sense and is maybe humorous for anyone who’s chronically online. For others, here’s some explanation about what’s going on:
Bull doge! Dogecoin soars as Trump announces a government efficiency group nicknamed DOGE
VOICES: Is Musk’s new megajob for best business buddy Trump too much for even him to handle?
Wednesday 13 November 2024 23:15 , James Moore
Just when you thought Elon Musk’s involvement in politics was over after he helped to secure the election of his new BFF, Donald Trump, it was announced that he is going to be a key figure in the running of the US for the foreseeable future.
The Tesla boss has been appointed to head up the newly created Department of Government Efficiency alongside Vivek Ramaswamy, the businessman who briefly competed with Trump for the Republican ticket until the Iowa caucus, in which he finished fourth. He’s also a billionaire – just – albeit a relative pauper when compared to Musk, the world’s richest man.
We’re told that the Doge – coincidentally, also the name of both a meme and a cryptocurrency Musk is fond of promoting – won’t officially be a government agency. Presumably, then, there won’t be any need for things like confirmation hearings before the Senate, at which the opposition has a habit of asking awkward questions. Rather, it will offer “advice and guidance” to the president and work alongside the Office of Management and Budget to drive reforms and create an “entrepreneurial” approach to government.
READ MORE:
Is Musk’s new megajob for best business buddy Trump too much for even him to handle?
Stephen King addresses ‘rumor’ Elon Musk has banned him from X over brutal Trump joke
Wednesday 13 November 2024 22:45 , Jacob Stolworthy
Stephen King has addressed a “rumor” about Elon Musk after claims the author was banned from X/Twitter.
The writer has spoken out against Musk numerous times, making no secret of his dislike for the billionaire.
In the run-up to the 2024 US presidential election, King questioned Musk’s defence of Donald Trump and, in the days after Trump’s victory, has repeatedly poked fun at Tesla and SpaceX founder Musk for his staunch support of the president-elect.
It was claimed this week that King, 77, had made a jibe that angered Musk, 53, so much that he blocked the Shining and ‘Salem’s Lot author from posting on X/Twitter, which Musk owns. According to the rumor, King had jokingly referred to Musk as Trump’s “first lady”.
READ MORE:
Stephen King addresses ‘rumor’ Elon Musk banned him from X over brutal Trump joke
Who is in Trump’s Cabinet so far? The MAGA ally, the Fox News host and the ex-Democrat
Wednesday 13 November 2024 22:30 , Thomas Beaumont, Ariana Baio
President-elect Donald Trump is filling key posts in his second administration, putting an emphasis so far on aides and allies who were his strongest backers during the 2024 campaign.
Here’s a look at who he’s selected so far.
Who’s in Trump’s Cabinet so far? The MAGA ally, the ice maiden and the Fox News host
Trump made anti-trans themes key to his campaign. Transgender teenagers are scared
Wednesday 13 November 2024 22:15 , Jocelyn Gecker, Sharon Lurye
Transgender youth in America have been flooding crisis hotlines since the election of Donald Trump, who made anti-transgender themes central to his campaign.
During his presidential bid, Trump pledged to impose wide-ranging restrictions and roll back civil rights protections for transgender students. And his administration can swiftly start work on one major change: It can exclude transgender students from Title IX protections, which affect school policies on students’ use of pronouns, bathrooms and locker rooms.
One ad that aired over 15,000 times crystallized Trump’s stance on rights for transgender and nonbinary Americans: “Kamala is for they/them. President Trump is for you.”
READ MORE:
Trump made anti-trans themes key to his campaign. Transgender teenagers are scared
Don Lemon highlights alarming change to X’s terms of service as he leaves the platform
Wednesday 13 November 2024 22:00 , Mike Bedigan
Don Lemon has announced that he will be leaving X due to his belief that the platform no longer serves the purpose of being a place for “honest debate and discussion, transparency and free speech” – and because of a specific new rule the platform, formerly known as Twitter, is introducing.
The former CNN anchor, who has clashed with the platform’s ownerElon Musk previously, delivered the news in a video posted on X on Wednesday, while highlighting several concerning changes to the terms of service of the company.
“I have loved connecting with all of you on Twitter and then on X for all of these years, but it’s time for me to leave the platform,” Lemon said.
READ MORE:
Don Lemon highlights changes to X’s terms of service as he leaves the platform
Who is Pete Hegseth? The Fox News anchor turned nominee for Defense secretary
Wednesday 13 November 2024 21:45 , Amber Raiken
The 47th president of the United States, Donald Trump, has announced his pick for Secretary of Defense: Fox News star Pete Hegseth.
Trump issued a statement on Tuesday to nominate Hegseth for the position in the US Department of Defense. “Pete has spent his entire life as a Warrior for the Troops, and for the Country. Pete is tough, smart and a true believer in America First,” the president-elect said. “With Pete at the helm, America’s enemies are on notice – Our Military will be Great Again, and America will Never Back Down.”
The decision to pick the current Fox contributor was met with a mixture of praise, criticism and confusion due to his lack of national security experience.
READ MORE:
Who is Pete Hegseth? The Fox News anchor turned nominee for Defense secretary
Republican Representative’s reaction to Gaetz nomination: ‘Are you sh***** me?'
Wednesday 13 November 2024 21:40 , Gustaf Kilander
Republican Idaho Rep Mike Simpson had a straightforward reaction when asked about Matt Gaetz’s nomination as attorney general.
“Are you sh***** me?” he asked, according to HuffPost.
Mike Johnson wins Republican nomination to serve as House Speaker
Wednesday 13 November 2024 21:22 , Gustaf Kilander
Rep Mike Johnson has won the Republican nomination to return to his role as US House speaker.
He will face a vote of the full House in January.
Elon Musk wants to gut the federal government under Trump. What could that look like?
Wednesday 13 November 2024 21:15 , Alex Woodward
The wealthiest man on the planet has pumped tens of millions of dollars into Donald Trump’s successful presidential campaign. He owns an influential social media company where he embraces right-wing influencers and conspiracy theories now dominating the platform. He has business interests with China and Russia’s Vladimir Putin’s regime while his companies receive billions of dollars in US government contracts.
Elon Musk wielded enormous, unprecedented influence in the 2024 presidential election. He has a powerful megaphone to his 203 million followers on X, earns priceless media coverage and backed a Republican nominee who delivered on his promise to put him in charge of gutting federal agencies and cutting trillions of dollars from the federal budget.
On November 12, Trump nominated the Tesla CEO and X owner to steer how the American government spends its money through a newly created Department of Government Efficiency.
READ MORE:
How Elon Musk could gut the government under Trump
Sen Susan Collins ‘shocked’ at Gaetz nomination
Wednesday 13 November 2024 21:08 , Gustaf Kilander
Trump nominates MAGA congressman Matt Gaetz as surprise attorney general pick
Wednesday 13 November 2024 20:51 , Alex Woodward
Donald Trump has nominated Republican congressman Matt Gaetz to serve as US attorney general, the nation’s top law enforcement officer, overseeing an agency that could be used to target the president-elect’s rivals while he faces several criminal investigations of his own.
The 42-year-old GOP lawmaker from Florida “has distinguished himself in Congress through his focus on achieving desperately needed reform at the Department of Justice,” Trump said in a statement on Wednesday.
“It will be an honor to serve as President Trump’s Attorney General!” Gaetz wrote on X.
READ MORE:
Trump nominates MAGA congressman Matt Gaetz as surprise attorney general pick
Trump will nominate ex-Democratic congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence
Wednesday 13 November 2024 20:38 , Andrew Feinberg
President-elect Donald Trump will nominate a former Democratic congresswoman who has promoted conspiracy theories about US involvement in Ukraine to be the next head of the US intelligence community.
In a statement, Trump announced that he is tapping former Hawaii representative Tulsi Gabbard to be his Director of National Intelligence, a position from which Gabbard will be in charge of an office that was created in the wake of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks and tasked with leading and synthesizing intelligence collected from around the world.
The president-elect said Gabbard, who holds the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Army National Guard, “has fought for our Country and the Freedoms of all Americans” for “over two decades.”
READ MORE:
Trump will nominate ex-Democrat Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence
Republicans gain control of both houses of Congress
Wednesday 13 November 2024 20:03 , Eric Garcia
Republicans will control both houses of Congress next year.
The GOP held onto their narrow majority, giving them the opportunity to pass much of President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda.
The victory means that House Speaker Mike Johnson will almost certainly stay in his position. It also came as Senate Republicans flipped the upper chamber.
Democrats flipped a number of seats, including in California and New York. But they didn’t win enough to make up for losses of incumbent Democrats like Yadira Caraveo in Colorado or Republicans flipping Michigan’s open 7th district seat that was vacated when Elissa Slotkin won her senate race. Democratic Representatives Susan Wild and Matt Cartwright of Pennsylvania both fell short.
Many races remain uncalled, but Republicans earned the required 218 votes to keep the lower chamber.
READ MORE:
Republicans win control of both Houses of Congress
Trump officially announces Marco Rubio as Secretary of State nominee
Wednesday 13 November 2024 20:00 , Gustaf Kilander
Trump issued a statement on Wednesday officially nominating Florida Senator Marco Rubio to be his Secretary of State.
It is my Great Honor to announce that Senator Marco Rubio, of Florida, is hereby nominated to be The United States Secretary of State.
Marco is a Highly Respected Leader, and a very powerful Voice for Freedom.
He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries.
I look forward to working with Marco to Make America, and the World, Safe and Great Again!
Donald Trump
Trump is struggling to find an attorney general candidate who ‘ticks all the boxes’
Wednesday 13 November 2024 19:45 , Gustaf Kilander
President-elect Donald Trump is struggling to find a candidate for attorney general who checks all his boxes even after taking on the opinions of his closest advisors and aides.
The former president has already met with several candidates for the post, including at least one on Tuesday, according to CNN. Trump currently has no favorites for the post, the network noted.
While Trump’s relationships with many of his cabinet secretaries in his first administration ended badly, few were as chaotic as his failed connections with his attorneys general – Jeff Sessions and Bill Barr. Trump fired Sessions after he recused himself from the Russia investigation and Barr eventually resigned after the 2020 election amid Trump’s false claims of election fraud.
READ MORE:
Trump is struggling to find an attorney general candidate who ‘ticks all the boxes’