Trump transition live: Pete Hegseth says no alcohol if confirmed after meeting with Republican lawmakers
President-elect’s pick for defense secretary dogged by allegations of sexual assault, drunkenness, Islamophobia and mismanagement of a non-profit, as Ron DeSantis floated as possible alternative
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Your support makes all the difference.Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of defense, former Fox News weekend anchor Pete Hegseth, continues to be dogged by allegations about his past, potentially making his confirmation less likely. On Wednesday his candidacy faced an “absolutely critical day.”
Hegseth took questions from the House Republican Study Committee, met with senators, and promised incoming Senate Armed Services Chair Roger Wicker that if confirmed he wouldn’t drink.
His mother Penelope appeared on his former network earlier to defend him, having previously criticized her son’s behavior towards women in a letter.
The Trump transition team is reportedly considering alternatives to lead the Pentagon — reportedly including Senator Joni Ernst, and surprisingly, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
Meanwhile, Trump’s pick to serve as administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Sheriff Chad Chronister withdrew from consideration, although Trump has since said he pulled the nomination over comments he made to pastors.
In another flurry of appointments, the president-elect asked his former trade adviser Peter Navarro to return in a similar role for his new administration. Trump also picked a NASA administrator, a secretary of the army, and a chair of the SEC.
Trump’s conquest: President-elect posts bizarre AI pic of himself with Canadian flag (on a Swiss mountain)
Trump’s DEA nominee backs out after Covid and immigration criticisms
Judge weighs whether to order Fani Willis to comply with lawmakers' subpoenas over Trump case
Nato chief warns Trump not to push Ukraine deal that would see Putin ‘high-fiving’ Iran
Trump’s lawyers formally ask judge to dismiss hush money case
Donald Trump’s attorneys are calling on the judge overseeing his hush money trial to toss the case altogether, pointing to President Joe Biden’s pardon of his son Hunter, and raising the idea that presidential “immunity” should apply to the president-elect.
The “disruptions to the institution of the presidency violate the presidential immunity doctrine because they threaten the functioning of the federal government,” the criminally convicted former president’s attorneys wrote in a 72-page filing made public on Tuesday.
Trump’s lead criminal defense attorneys Todd Blanche and Emil Bove – both of whom were nominated by Trump for top roles at the Department of Justice – quoted from President Biden’s own statement claiming that his son was “selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted” and “treated differently.”
Here’s the latest from Alex Woodward.
Trump attorneys ask hush money judge to toss conviction after Hunter Biden pardon
Judge Merchan has postponed Trump’s sentencing and is hearing arguments on whether to throw out the case after his election
Kash Patel, Trump’s choice to lead FBI, reportedly targeted by Iranian hackers
The president-elect’s choice for FBI director, Kash Patel, is understood to have been targeted by Iranian hackers, according to a new report.
The cyber-criminals are believed to have accessed at least some of Patel’s communications, according to a source cited by CNN.
Trump’s tranisiton team have yet to comment on the alleged hacking specifically, although spokesman Alex Pfeiffer did say: “Kash Patel was a key part of the first Trump administration’s efforts against the terrorist Iranian regime and will implement President Trump’s policies to protect America from adversaries as the FBI director.”
Trump’s DEA nominee backs out after Covid-19 and immigration criticisms
In case you missed it, Trump’s pick to serve as administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Sheriff Chad Chronister, withdrew from consideration for the role on Tuesday, posting on X that he would be declining the “honor of a lifetime” after “the gravity of this very important responsibility set in”.
Here’s more from Josh Marcus.
Trump’s DEA nominee backs out after Covid and immigration criticisms
Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister is second Trump nominee to withdraw from consideration, after Matt Gaetz
Trump team reportedly considering Ron DeSantis to replace Hegseth
The president-elect’s transition team is reportedly quietly considering alternatives to Hegseth to lead the Pentagon, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Iowa Senator Joni Ernst.
We’ll bring you more more on the prospects of “Meatball Ron” shortly.
Donald Trump’s defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth facing ‘absolutely critical day’
Good morning!
Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of defense, former Fox News weekend anchor Pete Hegseth, continues to be dogged by allegations about his past, potentially making his confirmation less likely and splitting right-wing media on his prospects as his candidacy faces an “absolutely critical day” on Wednesday.
Trump appears determined to get his man, a war veteran with a distinguished record but little administrative experience, and risks a fight with Republican senators on Capitol Hill who could be reluctant to confirm a candidate to lead the Pentagon who has been accused of sexual assault, drunkenness, Islamophobia and the mismanagement of a non-profit organization.
South Carolina GOP Senator Lindsey Graham, for one, has branded the man scandals pursuing Hegseth “disturbing”.
The ex-Fox personality is due to take questions from the House Republican Study Committee today as well as appearing on Fox for an interview.
Hegseth’s mother is also due to appear on the channel, having previously criticized her son’s behavior towards women in a letter.
Here’s more from Mike Bedigan on Hegseth’s alleged drinking habit concerned his colleagues at the network.
Pete Hegseth’s alleged drinking worried colleagues at Fox News, claims report
Donald Trump’s nomination for Defense Secretary would complain about being hungover and acted like ‘the rules didn’t apply to him,’ according to the accounts of 10 current and former Fox employees
Trump attorneys call on hush money judge to toss criminal conviction — citing Hunter Biden’s pardon
Donald Trump’s attorneys are calling on the judge overseeing his hush money case to toss it altogether, pointing to President Joe Biden’s pardon of his son Hunter, and raising the idea that presidential “immunity” should apply to the president-elect.
The “disruptions to the institution of the Presidency violate the Presidential immunity doctrine because they threaten the functioning of the federal government,” attorneys wrote in a 72-page filing made public on Tuesday.
Alex Woodward reports.
Trump attorneys ask hush money judge to toss conviction after Hunter Biden pardon
Judge Merchan has postponed Trump’s sentencing and is hearing arguments on whether to throw out the case after his election
ANALYSIS: Will Pete Hegseth answer questions about his history with women — or will he take the other option?
John Bowden writes:
Pete Hegseth’s nomination for defense secretary is looking increasingly tenuous as new revelations about the ex-Fox host’s past history with women come to light.
Almost certain to face unified Democratic resistance, Hegseth can only afford three defections from his own party. The question now: Will the same senators who tanked Matt Gaetz’s nomination with their “implacable” resistance to his selection be the ones to take Hegseth down?
Continue reading...
Will Hegseth answer questions about his history with women — or take another option?
At the bare minimum, Hegseth is headed for one of the most uncomfortable and public grillings by a Senate panel in recent history, writes John Bowden
Iowa sues Biden administration for citizenship status of over 2,000 registered voters
Iowa officials on Tuesday sued the Biden administration for access to information on the citizenship status of more than 2,000 registered voters they had questioned in the weeks leading up to the 2024 election.
The complaint details a back and forth with the federal government after state election officials checked voter rolls against a list of people who identified themselves as noncitizens with the state’s Department of Transportation. The vast majority of the 2,176 names had subsequently registered to vote or voted, meaning that some of those people could have become naturalized citizens in the lapsed time.
Secretary of State Paul Pate’s office requested information from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on the citizenship status of those individuals but did not get it, the complaint alleges. The Associated Press left email messages with DHS on Tuesday seeking comment on the lawsuit.
Federal authorities’ “failure meant that the State had to rely on the best — imperfect — data it had available to ensure that no Iowan’s vote was canceled by an illegal, noncitizen vote,” a joint statement from Pate and Attorney General Brenna Bird said.
Two weeks before Election Day, when early voting was already underway, Pate told county elections officials to challenge those voters’ ballots and have them cast a provisional ballot instead.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa then sued Pate on Oct. 30 on behalf of four voters who are naturalized citizens but were named on the list, calling into question the accuracy of the DOT’s information and alleging Pate infringed upon their right to vote. Their request for a stop to the ballot challenges was denied by a federal judge on Nov. 3.
It is illegal for non-U.S. citizens to vote in federal elections, but there is no evidence that it is occurring in significant numbers, though Iowa and some other states say they have identified dozens of such cases.
RFK Jr: ‘Practicing moves for my confirmation hearing’
Robert F Kennedy Jr, nominee for Health and Human Services Secretary, has flexed his own health and fitness regime in a bizarre shirtless workout video.
The video, posted Sunday on X, captures a ripped RFK Jr pulling himself up before performing a flip over an exercise machine to the beat of Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger.” The 70-year-old completes the pull-up-rollover without knocking into another shirtless man, in sweatpants and a hat, doing a headstand on the machine above him.
Kelly Rissman has the story.
RFK Jr posts workout video claiming he’s ‘practicing moves for confirmation hearing’
The 70-year-old captured himself completing an impressive workout — while wearing jeans
Bernie Sanders claims Musk ‘is right’ over defense spending
Bernie Sanders has praised Elon Musk over plans by the tech billionaire’s new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to cut defense spending.
The veteran Democratic Senator, from Vermont, tweeted criticism for the department on Sunday, claiming that it had managed to “lose track of billions.”
“Elon Musk is right. The Pentagon, with a budget of $886 billion, just failed its 7th audit in a row. It’s lost track of billions,” he wrote. “Last year, only 13 senators voted against the Military Industrial Complex and a defense budget full of waste and fraud. That must change.”
Musk responded to Sanders’s post on Sunday with two American flag emojis.
Mike Bedigan has the story.
Bernie Sanders claims DOGE boss Elon Musk ‘is right’ over defense spending
The veteran Democratic Senator, from Vermont, tweeted criticism for the department on Sunday, claiming it had managed to ‘lose track of billions’
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