Trump fills his top posts with loyalists and government skeptics as he readies move to White House: Live
President-elect taps protégé of first term trade chief as US trade representative after announcing proposed tariffs on US’ three biggest trade partners
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Your support makes all the difference.Donald Trump has announced a string of nominations for his incoming administration as he continues to opt for loyalty over experience, including several hires who are critical of the agencies they have been assigned to lead.
On Tuesday, Trump picked Jamieson Greer as US trade representative, Jim O’Neill as deputy secretary of Health and Human Services, Jay Bhattacharya as National Institutes of Health director, Kevin Hassett as National Economic Council director, Vince Haley as Domestic Policy Council chief and John Phelan as Navy secretary.
Bhattacharya, a Covid-19 lockdown skeptic, called for reduced powers of the 27 institutes and centers that constitute the NIH. Phelan, a businessman and Republican megadonor, has no military experience.
Grier will be charged with “reining in the country’s massive trade deficit,” in light of Trump vowing to impose massive tariffs on “all products” imported from China, Canada and Mexico – with growing fears it may set the stage for a bitter global trade war.
The threatened double-digit tariffs from the three countries – which account for about 40 percent of goods brought into the US – would likely have major impacts on the economy, including auto manufacturing, crude oil and agriculture.
Trump threatens China, Mexico and Canada with new tariffs. But what does this actually mean for Americans’ pockets?
Trump picks Covid lockdown skeptic as head of key national health agency
Trump escaped the consequences of his alleged crimes. Now his allies are after the prosecutors who brought the charges
‘A real horror show’: Democrats on the Hill react to Trump’s proposed tariffs
Trump’s Cabinet and staff tracker: Here’s who is among the White House appointments so far
Trump escaped the consequences of his alleged crimes. Now his allies are after the prosecutors who brought the charges
The criminally convicted president-elect believes his election and the end of his federal cases exonerated him. Will his administration be able to stop the retribution he promised?
Alex Woodward reports.
Trump escaped the consequences. Now his allies are after Jack Smith and judges
The criminally convicted president-elect believes his election and the end of his federal cases exonerated him. Will his administration be able to stop the retribution he promised? Alex Woodward reports
Kash Patel ‘in battle’ to be CIA second in command
Some members of Donald Trump’s transition team are reportedly frustrated that Kash Patel and Cliff Sims, both MAGA insiders, appear to be using their positions to promote themselves for deputy director of the CIA.
Patel and Sims are both going head-to-head for the No. 2 position at the CIA, Politico reports. The CIA’s deputy director wields immense influence over the intelligence community but does not have to be confirmed by the Senate, unlike cabinet members.
Katie Hawkinson and Rhian Lubin have the details.
Controversial Kash Patel said to be ‘in battle’ to be No. 2 at CIA
Patel is a long-time Trump loyalist who said the president-elect will ‘come after’ some members of the press
Who’s who from Project 2025 and the AFPI in the incoming Trump administration
Despite claiming to have no idea about it, many of the authors of Project 2025 have been tapped by Donald Trump to be in his new administration. The same is true of the America First Policy Institute.
Both organizations created blueprints for a second Trump term.
Here’s Alex Woodward’s report on the Project 2025 authors who will be joining Trump in the executive branch:
Trump’s cabinet is filling up with Project 2025 authors
Trump said he didn’t know who’s behind the blueprint for his return. He just hired the authors for key roles
And here’s Ariana Baio reporting on the role of the AFPI:
The right-wing agenda replacing Project 2025
Implementing loyalists to executive branch positions, forcing local and state law enforcement agencies to comply with mass deportation and taking a confrontational approach to relations with China are all policies promoted by the America First Policy Institute, a right-wing think tank with influence over Donald Trump. Ariana Baio breaks it down
Top pollster: Wide-open field for who will have shot at 2028 nominations in race for White House
With four years to go to the next election, pollsters have already begun taking the temperature of voters to understand who they may prefer when the next presidential race comes around.
Gustaf Kilander looks at who is leading the pack so far...
Top pollster reveals frontrunners for 2028 nominations
Kamala Harris leads among Democrats, while JD Vance is ahead with Republicans as polling for next presidential race begins
And make sure you join us over in our new US Election 2028 live blog! [just kidding]
Trump asks NY AG to toss out civil fraud case in which he owes $250m
Donald Trump is asking New York Attorney General Letitia James to toss the civil fraud case against him, the Trump Organization, and senior executives including his elder sons, “in the spirit of unity” because it is “necessary for the health of our Republic.”
The attorney who wrote the letter is D John Sauer, Trump’s pick for solicitor general.
There is nothing new in the arguments made in the letter. It is mostly just a rehash of previous statements and claims that were shut down by the courts.
Trump is still on the hook for more than $350 million, a judgment that he has appealed.
‘Don’t let anyone take your power’: Kamala Harris reemerges after election loss with new message to supporters
Kamala Harris reemerged following her election defeat by Donald Trump to deliver a message of hope to her supporters.
Harris, who has been lying low since she lost the race for the White House earlier this month, shared a defiant address on Tuesday night where she told her supporters: “Don’t let anyone take your power.”
Rhian Lubin reports.
Kamala Harris reemerges after election loss with new video message to supporters
Harris has been lying low since she lost the presidential election to Donald Trump
Your next iPhone is likely to be even more expensive thanks to Trump
President-elect Donald Trump has promised to impose tariffs on China which are set to make a wide variety of goods more expensive come the new year. That may include your next iPhone.
Trump said during the campaign that he would impose a 60 percent tariff on all Chinese products, with 10 to 25 percent tariffs being applied to other major trading partners.
If Trump goes ahead with his 60 percent tariff on Chinese goods, iPhone prices are likely to increase significantly. Economists have estimated that an iPhone 16 for $1,000 may cost $300 more under Trump’s policies.
Gustaf Kilander has the full story.
Your next iPhone is likely to be even more expensive thanks to Trump
Economists have estimated that an iPhone 16 for $1,000 may cost $300 more under Trump’s policies
Democrat says Trump tariff plans will ‘definitely bring Mexico to the table’
Democratic congressman Henry Cuellar said that Donald Trump’s latest tariff plans “will definitely get Mexico to the table”.
The president-elect announced on Tuesday that he plans to enact a 25 percent tariff on “all products” imported to the US from Mexico and Canad and an additional 10 percent tariff – with growing fears the president-elect has set the stage for a bitter global trade war ahead of his inauguration on January 20, 2025.
Cueller, a representative for Texas’s 28th Congressional district which borders Mexico, argues that Trump’s new levies may help solve immigration and fentanyl problems.
“Well, let me put it this way: Laredo’s the largest port; we handle 40 percent of all the trade between the U.S. and Mexico. I know this is a way to negotiate, get some leverage. I know that Mexico will come to the table,” the Texas lawmaker told NewsNation on Tuesday.
He continued: “But nobody wants a 25 percent tariff on them, and the Mexicans are threatening to do the same thing, and we don’t want to get into that. But I think this will definitely get Mexico to the table so we can solve the problem about immigration and fentanyl.”
Harris campaign aides reveal YouTube show Hot Ones turned down interview
Kamala Harris’s campaign aides have revealed that the hit YouTube show Hot Ones turned down their offer off an interview with the vice president during her presidential election campaign.
Speaking about what went wrong for Harris for the first time since her loss to Donald Trump, campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon and senior campaign adviser Stephanie Cutter told the Pod Save America podcast that the Democrat had struggled to catch a break on some non-political podcasts.
“It’s my understanding that you guys wanted to do a bunch of the larger, more popular, not specifically political, podcasts. Can you talk a little about why that may not have happened?” host Dan Pfeiffer asked.
Rhian Lubin has the full story.
Harris campaign aides reveal YouTube show Hot Ones turned down interview
The popular series features A-list celebrities who answer questions while eating spicy chicken wings
Steve Bannon reveals ‘brutally frank’ reason behind Trump’s re-election
Steve Bannon said that he believes Elon Musk is the real “reason” behind Donald Trump’s re-election to the White House.
Trump’s former White House chief strategist, who oversaw the president-elect’s first term win, piled on praise for the MAGA megadonor, who the president-elect recently tasked with heading up the newly-formed Department of Government Efficiency.
“Elon and I disagree on some things, but Elon deserves his place at the table,” Bannon told Puck magazine. “He stroked a $150 million check for the ground game, which is not sexy, at the exact moment we needed it. He came in with the money and the professionals.”
He added: “To be brutally frank, it’s the reason we won.”
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