Trump’s transition latest updates: Matt Gaetz resigns from Congress after being picked as Attorney General
Donald Trump has picked his controversial MAGA ally to oversee the nation’s Justice Department
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Your support makes all the difference.President-elect Donald Trump has selected former Florida Representative Matt Gaetz to be his attorney general.
Gaetz 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.
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 are projected to retain control of the House, completing their trifecta.
Trump met with Joe Biden at the White House on Wednesday to discuss a transition schedule, with their opening sitdown warm and cordial in tone. Their remarks lasted about a minute, with Trump observing “Politics is tough” and adding: “And in many cases, it’s not a nice world. But it’s a nice world today.”
The men subsequently met in private without the press pack present, with Trump apparently getting a laugh by joking about bringing an end to term limits.
Trump nominates MAGA congressman Matt Gaetz as surprise attorney general pick
Pence says he doesn’t want Trump to pardon Jan 6 rioters and prays for president-elect to ‘stand on his oath’
Republicans insist Trump was ‘joking’ about unconstitutional third term. A Democrat wants to make sure he won’t try
Trump’s win has been described as resounding. It was closer than you think
Trump’s win has been described as resounding. It was closer than you think
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.
Trump’s win has been described as resounding. It was closer than you think
The vice president improved on Biden’s margins in some swing states, but Trump swept them all
WATCH: White House says Trump was 'gracious' in Biden meeting
Melania Trump likely won’t return to the White House. But she’s still a ‘constant voice in Donald’s ear’
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.”
Melania ‘is still a constant voice in Trump’s ear’ despite likely White House absence
The returning first lady is expected to spend most of her time between New York City, where 18-year-old Barron is studying at NYU, and Palm Beach, Florida
Mike Pence is ‘literally praying’ that Trump doesn’t pardon the Jan 6 rioters
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.
Mike Pence is ‘literally praying’ Trump doesn’t pardon the Jan 6 rioters
Former vice president has rejected Trump’s narrative of January 6 yet still hopes the president-elect will change his perspective
Prosecutor failed to show that Musk’s $1M-a-day sweepstakes was an illegal lottery, judge says
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.”
Prosecutor failed to show that Musk’s $1M-a-day sweepstakes was an illegal lottery, judge says
A Philadelphia judge said the $1 million voter sweepstakes linked to Elon Musk was allowed to continue through Election Day because prosecutors failed to show that it was an illegal lottery
California teacher suspended after profanity-laced rant against ‘treasonous scum’ Trump
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.”
Teacher suspended after profanity-laced rant against Trump
‘Can you end up with no human rights? Yes. Will it happen to you? Most likely not’ the teacher told students
Trump threatens to use school funding to pay restitutions to ‘victims of DEI’
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.
Trump threatens to use school funding to pay restitutions to ‘victims of DEI’
President-elect plans to take down any diversity programs within the federal government
Republicans maintain control of House
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
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.
Sebastian Coe: Donald Trump will want hugely successful Olympics in Los Angeles
Trump’s second term will coincide with the 2026 football World Cup as well as the LA summer Games in 2028.
Watch moment Biden and Trump come face-to-face for first time since election
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.
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