Trump picks Rubio for Secretary of State and Noem for DHS chief as new cabinet takes shape: Live
Donald Trump continues to tap new cabinet members after resounding election win over Kamala Harris
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Donald Trump has chosen Florida Senator Marco Rubio to be as his secretary of state in his forthcoming administration as his White House team continues to take shape.
The president-elect is also reportedly preparing to appoint South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem to lead the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Florida congressman Mike Waltz as his national security adviser.
On Monday, the Republican announced that the former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Tom Homan, will come in as border czar, tasked with enacting the mass deportation of illegal immigrants he promised on the campaign trail.
Trump also picked another anti-immigration hardliner, Stephen Miller – architect of some of the most controversial border policies from his first term, including family separation – to be his deputy chief of staff for policy.
New York Republican Representative Elise Stefanik has been tapped to serve as ambassador to the UN and ex-congressman Lee Zeldin to steer the Environmental Protection Agency.
Trump will meet with Joe Biden at the White House on Wednesday to discuss a transition schedule as the Senate elects a new majority leader to replace the outgoing Mitch McConnell.
Trump rehires Tom Homan, father of family separation policy, to tackle immigration
Democratic strategists say their warnings about having Harris campaign with Liz Cheney were ignored
Can Jack Smith save Trump’s election interference case?
One unelected woman in the Senate could stand in the way of Trump and his immigration plans
Elon Musk and RFK Jr push far-right Rick Scott for senate majority leader
President-elect wants Marco Rubio for secretary of state
In another key appointment, the president-elect has chosen the Florida Republican lawmaker, who was a regular on the 2024 campaign trail with him, to become the country’s top diplomat, sources told The New York Times on Monday evening.
The Cuban-American, 53, will become the first Latino to serve in the role when Trump takes office in January.
He’ll face a geopolitical landscape where multiple US allies are at war abroad, including Ukraine’s defense against the Russian invasion, and Israel’s conflict with Hamas in Gaza.
He’ll also be expected to deliver on key campaign promises that are closer to home, like dramatically cutting illegal immigration at the US-Mexico border.
Rubio was elected to the Senate in 2010 and was reportedly considered as a 2024 running mate by Trump.
He is viewed as a hawk on both China and Iran and a staunch supporter of Israel.
Here’s more from Graeme Massie and Josh Marcus.
Trump expected to choose Marco Rubio as Secretary of State, says report
President-elect has chosen the Florida lawmaker, who was a regular on the campaign trail with Trump, to become the country’s top diplomat
Donald Trump taps South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem for Homeland Security secretary in new cabinet
The president-elect has chosen South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem to lead the Department of Homeland Security in his forthcoming administration as his White House team continues to take shape.
Noem might be best known to millions around the world after revealing in her memoir earlier this year that she had shot dead her disobedient pet dog Cricket, an anecdote that was seemingly intended to convey her leadership qualities but which instead may have cost her the chance to run as Trump’s vice presidential nominee, an honor that instead went to Ohio Senator JD Vance.
Here’s James Liddell on his latest appointment.
Trump taps Kristi Noem for Homeland Security secretary in new cabinet
South Dakota Governor will take charge of a $60 billion budget and federal agencies including the US Customs and Border Protection and the Secret Service
Trump’s biggest critics are already bracing for retribution
Donald Trump — who baselessly accuses President Joe Biden’s administration of “weaponizing” law enforcement and the court against him — will enter office on January 20, 2025, with an array of executive powers at his fingertips.
He could soon prepare to seek revenge against those he believes have wronged him.
Trump’s biggest critics are bracing for retribution
The president-elect could soon take unprecedented measures to exact his promised ‘justice’ against his rivals
One unelected woman in the Senate could stand in the way of Trump and his immigration plans
There is one unelected, nonpartisan woman standing in the way of Donald Trump’s plans to crack down on immigration and the border.
Senate parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough, essentially a referee of the Senate, is responsible for ensuring that lawmakers follow the rules that govern how legislation moves forward. And it’s her role that could prove to be the last roadblock before Trump can implement sweeping immigration reforms.
Trump has made it clear he intends to stop the flow of migrants across the border and, with immigration hardliner Tom Homan in the post of “Border Czar,” they plan to strip back protections for migrant minors.
One woman in the Senate could stand in the way of Trump and his immigration plans
Trump and his hardline allies intend to crack down on immigration and strip back protections for migrant minors
Panic at the DOJ: Lawyers ready to flee as Trump loyalists are set to commandeer the agency
Panic has set in at the Department of Justice as lawyers are considering fleeing the agency before Trump loyalists take over and execute his vision, according to reports.
Donald Trump’s scorn for the DOJ has only grown over the last four years as he became the subject of two criminal prosecutions, and he has previously talked of transforming the agency.
“Everyone I’ve talked to, mostly lawyers, are losing their minds,” one DOJ attorney told Politico, who could only speak anonymously to avoid retribution from the president-elect and his loyalists.
“The fear is that career leadership and career employees everywhere are either going to leave or they’re going to be driven out.”
DOJ lawyers talk about fleeing as Trump loyalists are set to commandeer the agency
Donald Trump’s scorn for the DOJ has only grown over the last four years as he became the subject of two criminal prosecutions
Harris and Biden seen together at Arlington cemetery in first joint appearance since Election Day loss
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris made their first joint public appearance since the vice president’s defeat to Donald Trump in the presidential election.
The two marked Veterans Day on Monday at Arlington National Cemetary, where the two laid a wreath as part of the annual ceremony. Biden then delivered remarks at the ceremony and hardly spoke of the election.
The event at Arlington is nonpartisan, and the two appeared together, walking in solemn procession. The vice president appeared stoic with no hint of a smile during the ceremony, while Biden appeared slightly stiff and was fighting a cough. His eyes appeared closed during parts of the event.
Harris and Biden together in first joint appearance since Election Day loss
Tired-looking Biden, resolute Harris stand together at Arlington Cemetary
Trump ready to name immigration hardliner Stephen Miller as policy leader in White House
President-elect Donald Trump is reportedly gearing up to name Stephen Miller, his former senior adviser and a hardliner on immigration, to serve as his deputy chief of staff for policy, CNN reported.
Miller has long worked in Trumpworld, dating to the president-elect’s 2016 campaign as a speechwriter. He served as a senior adviser in the first Trump administration. In that capacity, he helped craft the “zero tolerance” policy that separated migrant children from their parents.
Miller also helped craft the Trump administration’s travel ban from majority-Muslim countries.
Trump ready to name immigration hardliner Stephen Miller as White House policy leader
Miller is the architect of many of Trump’s most hardline policies on immigration such as the travel ban
AOC confronts Trump’s border czar over family separation policy
President-elect Donald Trump’s choice for border czar previously clashed with democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez over his support for a family separation policy along the US-Mexico border. The New York congresswoman sparred with Tom Homan during a House Oversight Committee hearing in 2019. At the time, Homan said he supported a “zero tolerance” border policy, and confirmed that he recommended family separation as top of a list of policies aimed at tackling illegal immigration.
He was acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement during Trump’s first term, and has since vowed to execute the “biggest deportation operation this country’s ever seen” once he joins Trump’s second administration.
Starmer and Macron vow to put Ukraine ‘in strongest possible position’ before Trump becomes president
Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron have vowed to put Ukraine in the “strongest possible position” going into winter, in a boost in support before Donald Trump returns to the Oval Office.
In a show of European solidarity days after Trump’s election win, the two leaders held talks in Paris to mark Armistice Day and consider how best to continue supporting the war-torn country.
It comes amid suggestions that the UK and France could seek to persuade Joe Biden to permit Ukraine to use Storm Shadow missiles to strike into Russia before he leaves the White House.
There have been concerns over Mr Trump’s approach to the war, with the president-elect criticising Washington’s provision of tens of billions of dollars worth of aid to Ukraine since it was invaded by Russia, as well as expressing skepticism towards Nato and accusing European countries of free-riding on America’s promise of protection.
Ukraine will be ‘in strongest position’ before Trump takes office, say UK and France
Donald Trump has been critical of the tens of billions of dollars worth of aid given to Kyiv by the Biden administration
Ex-Biden aide rips Pelosi for Biden’s ‘demise;
A former Biden White House official has torn into Nancy Pelosi on Saturday, blaming her for for pushing the president off the 2024 campaign.
Symone Sanders Townsend, now a MSNBC commentator, criticised the veteran Democrat as the party continues to pour over the reasons behind Kamala Harris’ devastating loss to Donald Trump. “Nancy Pelosi, everybody talks about how the speaker emerita, you know, she’s so strategic, she can count, she did all of that when she was the speaker in Congress, but my question is: Where is your calculator now?” Sanders Townsend told panelists during an episode of “The Weekend.”
“She played in presidential politics this cycle, and she helped orchestrate the very public demise of the president,” she added.
More details in our full story.
Former Biden aide tears into Pelosi for orchestrating president’s ‘public demise’
Pelosi reportedly encouraged Democrats and donors to air out Biden criticisms
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments