Trump cabinet live updates: President-elect joins Musk for SpaceX launch and taps Dr Oz for key role
TV doctor joins Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick as latest additions to new Trump administration, as Treasury role remains vacant
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Your support makes all the difference.Donald Trump joined Elon Musk in Texas to watch this afternoon’s SpaceX Starship test launch as his proposed administration continues to take shape.
On Tuesday, the president-elect named Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick as commerce secretary. Lutnick was under consideration for treasury secretary, with reports that there is a “free for all” and a “mad dash to find someone pro-tariff” to take up the role.
Trump also tapped Dr Mehmet Oz as Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator — working closely with Robert F Kennedy Jr. Trump is also set to name former WWE CEO Linda McMahon as education secretary, according to a report.
On Capitol Hill, the controversial choice of Matt Gaetz as potential attorney general continues to cause a stir, with reports that a hacker has accessed a file of damaging testimony about the former congressman from an ethics investigation.
In other developments, Trump confirmed his intention to deploy the military to carry out his mass deportation plan in a Truth Social post, and on Fox News, his incoming border czar Tom Homan threatened prosecution for anyone who hides migrants.
Finally, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has told Judge Juan Merchan he will not oppose postponing Trump’s sentencing in his hush-money case but rejects attempts by the defense to throw out the conviction.
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Helping out the First Buddy: Musk’s Tesla stock soars after reports Trump will ease rules on driverless cars
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Trump’s Cabinet and staff tracker: Here’s who is among the White House appointments so far
Trump makes Lutnick Commerce appointment official
Donald Trump has officially confirmed Howard Lutnick as his choice for Secretary of Commerce in his administration. The CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald is the co-chair of the Trump transition team and was reportedly also under consideration for treasury secretary.
Here’s what the president-elect wrote on Truth Social today:
I am thrilled to announce that Howard Lutnick, Chairman & CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, will join my Administration as the United States Secretary of Commerce. He will lead our Tariff and Trade agenda, with additional direct responsibility for the Office of the United States Trade Representative.
In his role as Co-Chair of the Trump-Vance Transition Team, Howard has created the most sophisticated process and system to assist us in creating the greatest Administration America has ever seen.
Report: Trump admits the odds don’t favor Matt Gaetz’s AG confirmation
President-elect Donald Trump has reportedly privately acknowledged that his controversial choice for attorney general, Matt Gaetz, may not pass Senate confirmation given the outgoing congressman’s reputation.
In private conversations with confidants, Trump has admitted that his choice will take some convincing of senators and he has begun making phone calls to pressure them, the New York Times reported.
Ariana Baio has the story.
Trump admits the odds don’t favor Matt Gaetz’s confirmation for attorney general
President-elect has reportedly begun making phone calls to senators, hoping to convince them to approve Gaetz as attorney general
Christian Pulisic defends ‘Trump dance’ celebration after scoring for USMNT
Soccer star Christian Pulisic has been forced to respond to criticism after he celebrated scoring a goal for the US Men’s National Team (USMNT) by doing the so-called “Trump dance.”
The USMNT captain, who also plays midfield for AC Milan, scored in the 14th minute of his side’s Concacaf Nations League quarter-final second leg clash against Jamaica at the CITYPARK arena in St Louis, Missouri, on Monday.
It was the first goal of the game, with Pulisic’s side going on to clinch a 4-2 win.
Joe Sommerlad has the story.
Christian Pulisic forced to defend ‘Trump dance’ celebration after scoring for USMNT
Pulisic denied that there was any political intent behind the gesture
Trump team reacts to hush money conviction sentencing postponement
This is a total and definitive victory for President Trump and the American People who elected him in a landslide. The Manhattan DA has conceded that this Witch Hunt cannot continue. The lawless case is now stayed, and President Trump’s legal team is moving to get it dismissed once and for all.
Nancy Mace’s controversial trans bathroom ban in Congress get support from MTG
Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina introduced legislation that would ban transgender women from using women’s restrooms on Capitol Hill just as the first transgender woman is about to be sworn into Congress.
Mace, a Republican serving in her second term, introduced the legislation on Monday evening. The bill would prohibit members of Congress, officers and employees of the House of Representatives from “using single-sex facilities other than those corresponding to their biological sex.”
Eric Garcia reports.
Republican writes bill to ban transgender women from using proper bathrooms
‘This is a blatant attempt from far right-wing extremists to distract from the fact that they have no real solutions,’ Sarah McBride says in response
Watch: Sen. Grassley says release of Gaetz report would mean 'speedy consideration’
UK PM urged to recruit Nigel Farage to help woo Donald Trump and Elon Musk
Lord Peter Mandelson has urged Sir Keir Starmer to use Nigel Farage as a bridge between Donald Trump’s incoming administration and the UK.
The Labour peer, who is the favorite to be named as the next British ambassador to the UK, also warned that his party needs to end its feud with Trump ally and X (formerly Twitter) boss Elon Musk.
It comes after Mr Musk continued his social media assault on Sir Keir’s government this week by backing protesting farmers and likening Britain to a Stalinist state. He has previously attacked the Labour government over free speech and backed far-right rioters over the summer.
David Maddox reports from London.
Starmer told to deploy Nigel Farage in bid to woo Donald Trump and Elon Musk
The favourite to be Britain’s next ambassador to the US has called on the prime minister to take a more pragmatic approach to dealing with Donald Trump and Elon Musk
Full story: Manhattan prosecutors reject Trump’s attempts to derail hush money conviction
Manhattan prosecutors are urging the judge overseeing Donald Trump’s criminal hush money trial to reject his attempts to derail his conviction and sentencing.
But District Attorney Alvin Bragg and his team have asked the judge to continue to delay the proceedings so they can address Trump’s upcoming arguments to dismiss the case, according to a letter to New York Justice Juan Merchan on Tuesday.
Trump’s sentencing was initially scheduled for next week, on November 26.
Alex Woodward reports.
Manhattan prosecutors reject Trump’s attempts to derail hush money conviction
Alvin Bragg’s office wants to keep fighting Trump’s attempts to get his case dismissed and conviction thrown out
What happened with Trump’s hush money case today?
Here’s Anna Bower, senior editor of Lawfare, to explain why there was online confusion regarding Donald Trump’s hush money case this morning.
She posted on X:
Some reports suggested that Justice Merchan abruptly delayed Trump’s sentencing this morning. Those reports are not accurate and reflect a misinterpretation of an automatic reminder sent by the court’s electronic docket tracker. The Nov. 26 sentencing date still stands for now.
Shortly before 1 p.m. a letter from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg to Judge Juan Merchan was published. It reads in part:
As a result of the election held on November 5, 2024, Defendant’s inauguration as President will occur on January 20, 2025. In light of that development, Defendant asked the District Attorney by letter dated November 8 to dismiss this prosecution and consent to a stay of these proceedings pending consideration of his dismissal request. Ex. 1. The People requested a brief adjournment to evaluate this request, which the Court granted on November 10. Ex. 2. In doing so, the Court ordered the People to provide, by 10:00 a.m. on November 19, 2024, our view of the appropriate steps going forward.
For the reasons more fully explained below, the People believe that the Court should set a motion schedule for Defendant’s forthcoming motion to dismiss, which the People intend to oppose. Assuming Defendant is permitted by the Court to file a motion to dismiss and does so promptly, the People ask that their response to Defendant’s motion be due on Monday, December 9. The People believe that further proceedings before this Court should be adjourned to permit litigation of Defendant’s forthcoming motion to dismiss and, therefore, the People would not oppose a defense motion for a stay of further proceedings before this Court while Defendant’s motion is adjudicated.
Stay tuned for more.
Hacker reportedly accessed file with damaging testimony about Matt Gaetz
A hacker reportedly gained access to a computer file that contained damaging testimony made about Donald Trump’s controversial attorney general candidateMatt Gaetz.
The file is said to include testimony from a woman who claimed that she had sex with Gaetz in 2017 when she was 17, as well as corroborating testimony by a second woman who said that she witnessed the incident, a source told The New York Times.
It comes amid ongoing concerns over the former Florida congressman’s nomination. Gaetz, 42, previously faced a Justice Department’s investigation into allegations he sex trafficked a minor, but this has since been closed.
A House Ethics Committee also investigated allegations of sexual misconduct with a minor brought against Gaetz, with pressure now mounting for its report to be released ahead of Senate confirmation hearings.
Mike Bedigan reports.
Hacker reportedly accessed file with damaging testimony about Matt Gaetz
It comes amid ongoing concerns over the former Florida congressman’s nomination for Attorney General by Donald Trump
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