Trump endorses Johnson for speaker re-election; President-elect loses appeal of E Jean Carroll verdict: Live
Incoming president hails incumbent as ‘a good, hard working, religious man’ and backs him to hang on to gavel ahead of Friday’s crucial vote
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 endorsed the current speaker of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, for re-election ahead of Friday’s crucial vote when Congress returns from its holiday recess.
Speaker Johnson, who narrowly averted a government shutdown before Christmas, hopes to hold onto the gavel but needs the support of 218 lawmakers so cannot afford more than one GOP rebellion, given his side’s slim majorty of 219 to 215.
Taking to Truth Social to call for Republican unity, the president-elect backed the incumbent by hailing Johnson as “a good, hard working, religious man.
“He will do the right thing, and we will continue to WIN.
“Mike has my Complete & Total Endorsement.”
Meanwhike, a federal appeals court has upheld a ruling against the president-elect after he challenged a jury’s verdict that found him liable for sexually abusing and defaming former magazine columnist E Jean Carroll.
“Trump has not demonstrated that the district court erred in any of the challenged rulings, and has not carried his burden to show that any claimed error or combination of claimed errors affected his substantial rights as required to warrant a new trial,” three appellate judges wrote in their decision on Monday.
Trump, Biden and Obama pay tribute to ‘public servant’ Jimmy Carter after his death aged 100
Russia warns ‘radical’ Donald Trump against resuming nuclear testing
Fox News admits that Trump’s take on H-1B visas ‘left a lot of people confused’
As Trump returns to the White House, and Putin’s forces advance – what next for Ukraine in 2025?
Voices: Trump terrors? Here’s how to survive his second term in the White House
Our own Will Gore writes:
“In the Chinese zodiac, 2025 is the year of the snake. Rather fittingly, it is also the year that Donald Trump will slither his way back into the White House (which may prove venomous for the whole world).
“Since the US election result was called, back in November, there has not been the same sense of profound shock that accompanied Trump’s first presidential win. Then, it seemed impossible that a man with no political experience – and who seemed so patently objectionable on almost every level – could win the White House. This time, for all the late hope that Kamala Harris brought to the Democratic Party ticket, a Trump win felt inevitable.
“If you are a progressively-minded individual living in the US, there is an immediate and visceral materiality to deal with, as ‘The Donald’s’ inauguration approaches. For those of us living across the pond, the thought of Trump in the presidential hotseat may not be less gruesome, but its impact is not quite so direct. Either way, how should we best handle the nagging fear of what might be to come?”
Read on below for the answer.
Trump terrors? Here’s how to survive his second term
Sure, ‘The Donald’ has said he wants to purchase Greenland, turn Canada into the 51st state and that Chinese soldiers are ‘operating the Panama Canal’ – but it’s not all doom and gloom... right? writes Will Gore
CNN commentator insists Biden will ‘leave office in disgrace’
Conservative Scott Jennings joined Dana Bash’s panel discussion on State of the Union yesterday to discuss the outgoing president’s legacy and did not mince his words as he attacked fellow contributor Karen Finney for suggesting Biden’s health had held him back during his tenure in the White House.
“I think he’s gonna leave office in disgrace,” Jennings declared.
“The Hunter Biden pardon was disgraceful.
“He’s going to be remembered largely for inflation and for the disastrous Afghanistan pullout.”
Jennings alleged that Biden’s staff had covered up the decline in his cognitive function ahead of the 2024 presidential election and “for all four years.”
“I think it’s going to be a really ugly chapter,” he said.
“It’s a diminished presidency because of it.
“I think we still don’t know the full extent of what they did to try to hide what they’ve been doing over in the West Wing.”
Biden still regrets dropping out of 2024 race and thinks he could’ve won
Speaking of Joe Biden, he still regrets pulling out of the 2024 presidential race and believes he could have beaten Donald Trump to the White House, according to The Washington Post.
The outgoing president backed out of the race over the summer following a disastrous first debate against his Republican rival, low approval numbers and dwindling donations.
But Biden recently told people that despite the issues his campaign faced he is confident he could have defeated Trump in November.
Graeme Massie reports.
Biden still regrets dropping out of 2024 race and believes he could have beaten Trump
Biden also admitted to aides that he had made other mistakes, including the selection of Merrick Garland as attorney general
Biden suggests Trump could learn ‘decency, decency, decency’ from Carter
The outgoing president interrupted his Christmas vacation in the US Virgin Islands last night to deliver a press conference on the passing of Jimmy Carter at 100 years of age, taking the opportunity to pay tribute to a widely-admired figure and reflect on the friendship he and Jill enjoyed with Carter and his wife Rosalynn over many years.
“Is there anything President Trump could take from President Carter?” a reporter asked Biden at one stage.
“Decency,” came the answer. “Decency. Decency.”
“Can you imagine Jimmy Carter referring to someone by the way they look or the way they talk? I can’t. I can’t,” the president continued, clearly alluding to Trump.
Here’s a selection of his choicest remarks on Carter:
Trump’s former national security adviser uses climate change to justify president-elect’s Greenland interest
Robert O’Brien, one of Trump’s national security advisers during his first term, appeared on Sunday Morning Futures on Fox News yesterday to explain the rationale for the president-elect’s revived interest in acquiring Greenland, an idea he entertained last time out only to be rebuffed by Danish PM Mette Frederiksen.
O’Brien argued that Denmark now finds itelf on the frontline of the global confrontation with Russia, given the strategic importance of its Arctic territory.
He went on to suggest that Greenland could become a part of Alaska if it were to be sold to the US.
One reason for Greenland’s increasingly important strategic location, O’Brien argues, rather unexpectedly, is climate change – not usually strong subject for an incoming Trump administration.
Fox News hosts tip toe through MAGA visa feud minefield
The co-hosts of Fox & Friends Weekend were faced with a tricky job yesterday morning – navigating the feud that has broken out amongst supporters of Donald Trump over H-1B visas for highly skilled immigrants, which escalated significantly on Saturday.
As we’ve just seen, “America First” acolytes on the far-right want stricter, more draconian immigration measures applied to both illegal and legal migrants when Trump takes office in January.
Among the loudest voices pushing their argument are those of far-right activist Laura Loomer and ex-Trump strategist Steve Bannon.
In contrast, the Silicon Valley “tech bro” contingent led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy wants better legal immigration routes, like the H-1B program, to fill skills gaps in key sectors such as engineering, science and technology.
All of which left Fox anchors Will Cain, Rachel Campos-Duffy and Charlie Hurt with a dilemma on their hands.
Oliver O’Connell reports on their handling of it.
Fox News admits that Trump’s take on H-1B visas ‘left a lot of people confused’
President-elect’s support of Elon Musk’s position on highly skilled immigrants at odds with wishes of much of his political base
Trump sides with Elon Musk in MAGA immigration feud over H-1B visas for skilled workers
Donald Trump has sided with Elon Musk in the feud over H-1B skilled worker visas that has split the American political right over the past few days.
Speaking by phone with The New York Post over the weekend, the president-elect said: “I’ve always liked the visas, I have always been in favor of the visas. That’s why we have them.”
He added: “I have many H-1B visas on my properties. I’ve been a believer in H-1B. I have used it many times. It’s a great program.”
Trump had previously remained silent on the issue which has led to furious exchanges online between leading MAGA acolytes.
In his first administration from 2017 to 2021, the 45th president signed an executive order to restrict access to such visas and has been critical of the program in the past, calling it “very bad” for Americans.
While Trump-supporting tech leaders such as X-owner Musk have stressed that H-1B visas are critical to finding skilled workers, “America First” hardliners want a new Trump administration to impose tougher restrictions on immigration at all levels.
Here’s more from Oliver O’Connell.
Trump sides with Elon Musk in Maga immigration feud over visas for skilled workers
President-elect says he has always liked H-1B visas, despite moving to restrict them in first term in office, as ‘America First’ rages against immigration
Trump pays tribute to ‘truly good man’ Jimmy Carter after creating fresh problems for House speaker with debt ceiling demand
Good morning!
Here’s the latest From The Desk of Donald, which finds him paying tribute to the thoroughly decent 39th president of the United States on Truth Social – while stressing that they had nothing in common either politically or personally – after giving Mike Johnson a fresh headache even before New Year’s Day dawns.
The president-elect is demanding that the House of Representatives votes on the debt ceiling extension (or abolition) “NOW” so that any congressional battle falls within the remit of Joe Biden’s presidency and not his own.
Trump declares in his post that the 2023 debt ceiling extension agreed by ex-House speaker Kevin McCarthy and Biden will “go down as one of the dumbest political decisions made in years”.
Under the deal, the debt ceiling was suspended until January 1 2025, though the Treasury will be able to pay its bills for several months after that.
Congress needs to address the issue by June.
Without the 2023 deal, the US would have defaulted on its obligations, rocking financial markets worldwide and likely leading to a downgrade of the nation’s credit rating.
Trump attacks 'dumbest' 2023 debt limit extension
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said on Sunday the 2023 debt ceiling extension agreed by then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and President Joe Biden will “go down as one of the dumbest political decisions made in years.”
Under the 2023 budget deal, Congress suspended the debt ceiling until Jan. 1, 2025. The U.S. Treasury will be able to pay its bills for several months beyond that deadline, but Congress will have to address the issue, possibly around mid-year.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said, “The extension of the Debt Ceiling by a previous Speaker of the House, a good man and a friend of mine ... will go down as one of the dumbest political decisions made in years.”
He added, “The Democrats must be forced to take a vote on this treacherous issue NOW, during the Biden Administration, and not in June. They should be blamed for this potential disaster, not the Republicans!”
Republicans, however, will control both chambers of Congress beginning on Jan. 3 and at least some of the party’s lawmakers would have to go along with a debt limit increase or elimination in order for it to become law.
Without the 2023 debt limit increase, the United States would have seen a historic default on its debt payments that would have roiled financial markets worldwide.
A debt default would also likely have brought a downgrade in the U.S. credit rating, raising borrowing costs for businesses and individuals.
At the time, several far-right Republicans in the House of Representatives had pushed for deeper federal spending cuts as a condition for raising the debt limit than what had been negotiated.
About a week ago, with U.S. government discretionary funding due to expire on Dec. 20, Trump, encouraged by billionaire Elon Musk, demanded the debt limit either be eliminated or extended, possibly to 2029 when his presidency would end.
That idea was tacked onto an extension of government funding into March, but it was quickly voted down by a coalition of House Democrats and hard-right Republicans, many of whom represent districts in Trump-leaning states.
A government-funding bill without a debt-limit provision was then enacted into law.
Reuters
Trump joins tributes to Jimmy Carter, who passed away aged 100
Washington joined in mourning on Sunday after news of former President Jimmy Carter’s death was announced by Chip Carter, his son.
The nation’s 39th president was renowned for his commitment to public service in the years after his exit from political life, and earned a strong reputation for helping America’s neediest families in his post-presidential years. After news of his passing was reported by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, tributes began to swiftly pour in for the 100-year-old statesman.
John Bowden reports.
Lawmakers pay tribute to ‘public servant’ Jimmy Carter after his death aged 100
Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Barack Obama and George W Bush all publicly remembered the ‘humble public servant’ from Plains, Georgia
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments