Trump cabinet latest: Hegseth and Gaetz’s nominations under fire over sexual misconduct allegations
Donald Trump’s cabinet picks of Matt Gaetz for attorney general and Pete Hegseth for defense secretary continue to face backlash
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Your support makes all the difference.Donald Trump's transition team is firefighting serious allegations surrounding two of his top cabinet picks – Matt Gaetz for attorney general and Pete Hegseth for defense secretary.
A woman who gave testimony to the House Ethics Committee probing Gaetz claims that she witnessed him having sex with a minor, her lawyer told ABC. Gaetz denies all wrongdoing.
The investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use against the former Florida representative was dropped after Gaetz immediately resigned from the House on Wednesday following Trump's decision to nominate him to run the Justice Department.
However, there are growing calls for the ethics report to be released.
It comes as the president-elect's transition team is reportedly "stunned" by a sexual assault allegation regarding Hegseth that only emerged within 48 hours of announcing him for the top defense job, CNN reports.
Trump's communications director Steven Cheung told the network that Hegseth “has vigorously denied any and all accusations, and no charges were filed.”
Meanwhile, Trump has announced Karoline Leavitt will be his White House press secretary and tapped Doug Burgum to lead the Interior Department and be chair of the newly-created National Energy Council.
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Jared Kushner expected to return as ‘outside adviser’ to Trump on Middle East
Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner is expected to be an “outside adviser” to the President-elect on Middle East issues, though reportedly may not have an official role in the administration.
Kushner, who is married to Ivanka Trump, is a trusted advisor to the President-elect, having built up strong regional relationships during his time serving in the first Trump presidency from 2017 to 2021.
Mike Bedigan reports.
Jared Kushner expected to be an ‘outside adviser’ to Trump on Middle East
Kushner, who is married to Ivanka Trump, built up strong regional relationships during his time serving in the first Trump presidency
Trump was convicted in his hush money case — now his lawyers are being rewarded with DOJ jobs
Alex Woodward writes:
The lawyers who defended Donald Trump in his criminal cases and demanded the Supreme Court shield him from prosecution have been awarded job offers for some of the biggest roles in federal law enforcement.
Continue reading...
Trump’s hush money lawyers are rewarded with top Justice Department jobs
Three attorneys central to Trump’s criminal defense and ‘immunity’ victory could lead the daily operations of a Justice Department the president-elect wants to upend, Alex Woodward reports
Mississippi senator won’t be Trump’s agriculture secretary
Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi says that while “it’s an honor to be mentioned as a potential nominee for Secretary of Agriculture, she will remain in the Senate and plans to seek re-election in 2026.
Joe Rogan: Celebrities privately ‘thanked’ him for Trump endorsement
Joe Rogan has claimed that several people in the entertainment industry have thanked him for endorsing President-elect Donald Trump.
Speaking on a recent episode of his Joe Rogan Experience podcast, the 57-year-old host shared that he had received praise from artists, musicians, and comedians for publicly supporting Trump in the 2024 election.
Inga Parkel reports.
Joe Rogan says many celebrities privately ‘thanked’ him for Trump endorsement
Popular podcaster endorsed President-elect Donald Trump hours before Election Day
Burgum will stop ‘attack’ on American energy production — currently at highest levels ever
Kudlow has ‘no plans to leave’ Fox Business for reported Trump admin role
A Fox News Media spokesperson tells The Independent that Fox Business host Larry Kudlow has no plans to leave the network for a role in the Trump administration.
They said: “Larry Kudlow recently signed a new deal to continue hosting his eponymous program on FOX Business and has no plans to leave his current role helming one of the highest-rated shows on the network.”
Here’s our earlier post regarding a report by The Wall Street Journal:
Trump considering Fox Business host for top economic job, report says
The Wall Street Journal reports that Donald Trump is considering Fox Business Network host Larry Kudlow for a senior economic policy role in his administration, according to people familiar with the matter.
Kudlow met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago late this week, the people said. He is seen as either a contender to lead the National Economic Council or possibly even the Treasury Department.
Kudlow formerly served as NEC director for almost three years during the first Trump administration.
Other contenders for the top job at Treasury include billionaire Cantor Fitzgerald Chief Executive Howard Lutnick and investor Scott Bessent. Both men are reported to have made “aggressive plays” to lead the department, which the Journal says has “irritated” the president-elect.
Democrats are still trying to figure out how to work with — and counter — Donald Trump
Eric Garcia writes:
Democrats are still trying to come to grips with the numerous reasons why Kamala Harris lost and now they have a new problem - how do they work with a Donald Trump administration and both houses under his party’s control.
Trump’s election win quickly changed to his transition, where he has made a number of controversial appointments and threatened to use the recess process to get them into power.
In the Senate, Republicans have enough seats for a majority, but many bills need at least 60 votes to avoid a filibuster. That means Democrats are going to have to think fast about how they work with Republicans or counter them given their minority.
Continue reading...
Democrats are still trying to figure out how to work with - and counter - Trump
Democrats are waking up to the fact they will need to work with Donald Trump the next four years. But they could also have enormous leverage
Burgum given second Trump administration role — chair of new National Energy Council
North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum has been given a second role in the Trump administration.
Yesterday he was named as the prospective secretary of the interior, overseeing the country’s natural resources and federal lands including national parks and monuments.
Today, President-elect Donald Trump announced he would also lead the newly created National Energy Council “which will consist of all Departments and Agencies involved in the permitting, production, generation, distribution, regulation, transportation, of ALL forms of American Energy”.
Per a statement from Trump:
This Council will oversee the path to U.S. ENERGY DOMINANCE by cutting red tape, enhancing private sector investments across all sectors of the Economy, and by focusing on INNOVATION over longstanding, but totally unnecessary, regulation. With U.S. Energy Dominance, we will drive down Inflation, win the A.I. arms race with China (and others), and expand American Diplomatic Power to end Wars all across the World.
Further:
ENERGY DOMINANCE will allow us to sell Energy to our friends, including all European Nations, which will make the World a safer place. As Chairman of the National Energy Council, Doug will have a seat on the National Security Council. As Secretary of the Interior, Doug will be a key leader in ushering in a new “Golden Age of American Prosperity” and World Peace.
Promising to “DRILL BABY DRILL,” Trump said his administration would expand all forms of energy production but “will preserve and protect our most beautiful places, AND reduce our deficits and our debt!”
COMMENT: Climate diplomacy just about survived Trump’s first term – can it withstand a second?
Chris Wright writes:
In 2016, no one really knew what a Trump presidency would bring. But many feared that the hard-won Paris Agreement – the treaty that brought all countries together under a single framework – was now at risk of falling apart.
Today we may be on the brink of yet another major shift, as some of the world’s most senior diplomats have flagged in an open letter. And while it may be a bit premature, it is a fair question to ask whether or not these existing structures of climate diplomacy will survive – or even should.
Continue reading...
Climate diplomacy just about survived Trump’s first term – can it withstand a second?
As the 2016 US election results came in, I wept. The optimism felt by me and many other climate campaigners was swiftly crushed, writes Chris Wright
Trump can bypass FBI background checks and security clearance for key cabinet picks — here’s how...
The FBI has vetted cabinet picks since President Dwight D Eisenhower was in the White House.
But if he so chooses, Donald Trump, himself a convicted felon, can bypass background checks for those he has nominated for key roles in his administration.
Incoming cabinet members have traditionally faced intensive screening from the FBI with a binary purpose: to help with the Senate confirmation process and to vet nominees for security clearance.
Criminal histories, conflicts of interest, financial problems or other potentially disqualifying factors are typically investigated through this process.
But, despite established procedure, the president does have the power to bypass such checks and grant immediate security clearance to officials.
James Liddell explains.
How Trump can bypass FBI background checks and security clearance for cabinet picks
President-elect allegedly granted clearance to at least 25 people flagged by the FBI as possible dangers to national security in his first term
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