Trump’s defense nominee Pete Hegseth ripped by Tammy Duckworth as GOP grilled on cabinet picks: Live updates
President-elect also made flurry of nominations on Friday night to form his new administration
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Your support makes all the difference.Donald Trump has named Brooke Rollins, founder of the America First Policy Institute, as his pick for secretary of agriculture, completing nominations for his cabinet.
The president-elect wasted little time after Matt Gaetz said he was withdrawing from consideration for the next attorney general. Hours later, the president-elect named Pam Bondi, former Florida AG, as his choice to lead the Department of Justice. Bondi is a long-time Trump ally who represented him in his first impeachment trial.
Trump also announced hedge fund manager Scott Bessent as his choice for treasury secretary, and in a flurry of announcements on Friday night, he named Project 2025 co-author Russell Vought as the White House budget chief.
Trump also picked heads for the FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and a surgeon general — rounding out his nominees to join Robert F Kennedy Jr in radically transforming the nation’s healthcare and disease preparedness agencies.
On Sunday morning’s political talk shows, Republican lawmakers stepped up to defend some of Trump’s choices, including defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth who has been mired in scandal all week because of sexual assault allegations.
Democratic senator Tammy Duckworth, a veteran, called him “unqualified and dangerous”.
Trump’s Cabinet and staff tracker: Here’s who is among the White House appointments so far
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Gaetz without ‘the baggage’: Trump’s new pick Pam Bondi could still disrupt Justice Department
What to know about Brooke Rollins, Trump's pick for agriculture secretary
Hegseth threatens ‘educational insurgency’ in schools
Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s pick to be secretary of defense, has called for an “educational insurgency” to take over American schools in an appearance on a right-wing podcast.
Read on...
Trump’s defense pick Pete Hegseth threatens ‘educational insurgency’ in schools
Pete Hegseth says ‘classical Christian schools’ can act as boot camps to establish ‘foothold’
AOC pokes fun at Musk and Ramaswamy for ‘privilege’ of working with MTG: 'Enjoy, fellas!’
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has poked fun at Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy after it was announced their new government department would be teaming up with Marjorie Taylor Greene, joking that the experience would be a “privilege.”
The New York congresswoman blasted Greene’s competency and said she was “absolutely dying [with laughter]” at the thought of the trio’s new working relationship.
Mike Bedigan has the story.
AOC pokes fun at Musk and Ramaswamy for ‘privilege’ of working with MTG
The New York congresswoman blasted Greene’s competency online and said she was ‘absolutely dying [with laughter]’ at the thought of the trio’s new working relationship
Will Gaetz find a new home on MAGA favorite Newsmax?
Amid the rampant speculation about what’s next for Matt Gaetz after the MAGA firebrand abruptly and dramatically withdrew his nomination for attorney general, one right-wing cable channel is making it abundantly clear they’d like him to join their lineup.
Hours after the former Florida congressman pulled his name from consideration to be the nation’s top prosecutor amid sexual misconduct allegations, Newsmax host Greg Kelly told his viewers that there was a job waiting for Gaetz at the network if he wanted it.
Justin Barangoa has the story.
Will Matt Gaetz find a new home on MAGA favorite Newsmax?
Newsmax host Greg Kelly suggested on Thursday night that Gaetz could come work for Newsmax if he wanted. Sources tell The Independent that executives behind the scenes have long pushed for Gaetz to host his own show at the MAGA network.
Hegseth’s odds of being confirmed almost halved after Gaetz withdrawal
Pete Hegseth’s odds of being confirmed as secretary of defense almost halved after former attorney general nominee Matt Gaetz stepped down.
Gaetz’s departure after just eight days came amid reports that he had sex with a 17-year-old girl, an allegation he forcefully denies.
Hegseth is facing sexual misconduct allegations of his own, with a woman telling police that he raped her at a California hotel in 2017, an encounter Hegseth has said was consensual.
Gustaf Kilander looks at the numbers.
Pete Hegseth’s odds of being confirmed almost halved after Matt Gaetz withdrawal
Former Fox News host’s nomination chances took a hit after the release of a 22-page police report detailing sexual assault allegations
ICYMI: Melania Trump announces first big hire
Incoming First Lady Melania Trump has announced her first big hire for her new East Wing office in the White House, appointing longtime aide Hayley Harrison to be her chief of staff.
In a statement, Trump’s office said Harrison “has maintained an integral role and exceptional leadership on the First Lady’s team over the past seven years.”
Read on...
Melania Trump announces first big hire for second stint as first lady
Incoming first lady not planning on living full-time in Washington, D.C. during second term in the White House
ANALYSIS: What next for Gaetz?
Matt Gaetz’s brief stint as Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Justice Department has Washington reeling after a whirlwind week.
The congressman from Florida resigned abruptly from the House days after winning another term, and stated that he wouldn’t serve in the upcoming Congress set to take shape in January. His departure — and his nomination to the post of attorney general — were a shock to Republicans and Democrats alike on Capitol Hill.
The drip-drip quickly began, as John Bowden reports.
Where Matt Gaetz will go next
Ex-congressman could return to Washington, run for governor, or seek another path. But we can probably work out where he’s headed next if we read between the lines, John Bowden reports
Ric Grenell under consideration to take on role of special envoy to Russia-Ukraine war
Trump’s former ambassador to Germany and acting director of national intelligence in his first administration Ric Grenell is under consideration to be the special envoy for the war between Russia and Ukraine.
There’s currently no special envoy for the conflict, but Trump is seriously considering whether to create the role, according to Reuters, pointing to four sources with knowledge of the president-elect’s thinking.
If the position is indeed created, Grenell is reportedly a top contender, but Trump may still choose another candidate, the news agency noted. The sources reportedly said that there’s no guarantee that Grenell would take the job if offered.
Grenell was reported to be one of the candidates to be secretary of state, a nomination that eventually went to Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio.
While Trump hasn’t outlined a specific plan on how to end the war, he has promised to do so quickly once in office.
Grenell has made statements previously that may concern the Ukrainians, telling Bloomberg in July that he would back the creation of “autonomous zones” to end the war. He has also said that he would not back NATO membership for Ukraine in the near future.
The 58-year-old has also served as a special presidential envoy for the Serbia and Kosovo peace negotiations and as a spokesperson to the UN during the presidency of George W Bush. He was also the foreign policy spokesperson during Mitt Romney’s 2012 campaign for the White House.
Report: Trump will fire Jack Smith’s lawyers and use the DoJ to investigate the 2020 election
President-elect Donald Trump is reportedly set to attempt to fire the attorneys who worked with Special Counsel Jack Smith investigating the former president for his alleged mishandling of classified documents and for his connection to the Capitol riot.
Those affected are likely to include career professionals usually shielded from such revenge efforts, , according to The Washington Post.
Trump is also set to put together groups to look for evidence that the 2020 election was riddled with fraud.
Gustaf Kilander reports from Washington, DC.
Trump will fire Jack Smith’s lawyers and use the DoJ to investigate the 2020 election
Those affected are likely to include career professionals usually shielded from political revenge efforts, which may take years to enact
Initial meeting held between Trump and Biden national security advisors
The outgoing and incoming national security advisors for the Biden and Trump administrations met earlier this week, two people familiar with the meeting told Axios.
It was the first meeting between Biden National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Trump’s appointee to the role, Florida Rep. Mike Waltz.
Waltz is set to take over the White House advisory role amidst several global crises. The meeting occurred despite the Trump transition team not having signed a memorandum of understanding to allow the transition process to start.
The meeting went ahead after Sullivan returned from Biden’s trip to South America, and several global issues were discussed, such as the war in Gaza and the hostages still being held by Hamas, according to Axios.
Sullivan noted last week that he had met Waltz previously during his time as a member of the House.
"He and I obviously don’t see eye to eye on every issue, but I am very much looking forward to engaging him over these next 60 days, as I said, so that we can have this smooth handoff," Sullivan noted.
Who’s who among the White House appointments so far
President-elect Donald Trump is filling key posts in his second administration, rewarding longtime loyalists, aides and allies who were his strongest backers during the 2024 campaign and in his legal battles.
In the weeks since winning the election, Trump has named dozens of appointments to major government roles including some highly controversial picks. A week after he was nominated, Trump’s first pick for attorney general — now-former congressman Matt Gaetz — withdrew his name from consideration amid a looming congressional report into allegations of sexual misconduct.
Here’s a look at who Trump has selected for Cabinet positions and key roles so far.
Trump’s Cabinet and staff tracker: Here are the White House appointments so far
Here is who Donald Trump has chosen to fill key cabinet positions in his second administration
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