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Trump treats RFK Jr to McDonald’s after health secretary nominee slams his diet: Live updates

Donald Trump returned to Madison Square Garden tonight after naming fracking CEO Chris Wright as his pick for energy secretary

Oliver O'Connell,Rhian Lubin
Sunday 17 November 2024 17:08 GMT
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Related video: Jake Tapper shares five words he ‘never contemplated using’ to describe Trump’s cabinet pick

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Donald Trump has returned to Madison Square Garden tonight to attend an Ultimate Fighting Championship event at the New York City arena.

The president-elect returned to the famed venue just weeks after his controversial campaign rally there. Attendees met him with thundering cheers as he entered alongside UFC CEO Dana White, billionaire ally Elon Musk, cabinet pick Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson. Popular podcaster Joe Rogan also attended, greeted Trump with a friendly handshake.

Meanwhile, Trump continues to fill key posts in his second administration and tonight named fracking CEO Chris Wright as his choice for energy secretary.

Wright, CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development and one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change.

Trump's transition team is also firefighting serious allegations surrounding 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 president-elect's transition team is also 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. He denied all the accusations.

Full story: Trump emerges from Mar-a-Lago seclusion to raucous reception at UFC with key allies

Donald Trump returned to Madison Square Garden on Saturday, attending UFC 309 with Dana White, president of the mixed martial arts promotion, and several other close Republican allies.

Trump has attended numerous UFC events with White, who spoke at the president-elect’s victory celebration earlier this month in Mar-a-Lago. And on Saturday, he was ringside at UFC 309 in New York City’s MSG. Trump has spent much of his time post-election at his Florida resort, making his attendance one of few public appearances since he secured the White House.

Read on:

Donald Trump to return to MSG weeks after controversial rally for UFC 309 – reports

Trump has attended numerous UFC events with White, the president of the mixed martial arts promotion

Alex Pattle, Katie Hawkinson17 November 2024 05:15

Trump’s family won’t be in the White House, but they’ll be just as influential on the outside

The first time Donald Trump was president, it was decidedly a family affair.

His wife Melania and young son Barron joined him in the presidential living quarters. His adult daughter Ivanka Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner served as top White House advisers. Sons Eric and Donald Jr. looked after the family business, the Trump Organization, which holds real estate across the world. Those properties resulted in the Trumps allegedly racking up thousands of conflicts of interest during his presidency, according to ethics experts.

This time around, things will look a bit different at 1600 Pennsylvania.

Read more:

Trump family won’t be in the White House, but they’ll be just as influential outside

There may be fewer Trumps in the White House this time around but ethical questions and party influence will continue to swirl around the famous family, writes Josh Marcus

Josh Marcus17 November 2024 04:30

Drugmakers see stocks tank after RFK Jr is nominated to oversee health department

US drugmakers saw their stocks tank on Thursday and Friday following the announcement that former independent presidential candidate and anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist Robert F Kennedy Jr is president-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Read more:

Drugmakers see stocks tank after RFK Jr is nominated to oversee health department

JP Morgan Chase analysts say they’re ‘not surprised’ sector has come ‘under pressure’ since Kennedy’s nomination

Gustaf Kilander17 November 2024 03:45

In pictures: Trump returns to Madison Square Garden for UFC event

Donald Trump poses for a photo with Kid Rock and Elon Musk at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night
Donald Trump poses for a photo with Kid Rock and Elon Musk at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night (AP)
Donald Trump walks through the crowd at UFC 309 in Madison Square Garden on Saturday night
Donald Trump walks through the crowd at UFC 309 in Madison Square Garden on Saturday night (AP)
Donald Trump poses for a photo with popular podcaster Joe Rogan
Donald Trump poses for a photo with popular podcaster Joe Rogan (Getty Images)
Katie Hawkinson17 November 2024 03:17

Donald Trump arrives at MSG for UFC fight night

President-elect Donald Trump arrived at Madison Square Garden moments ago for tonight’s Ultimate Fighting Championship fight night.

He was accompanied by UFC CEO Dana White, billionaire ally Elon Musk, cabinet pick Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson.

Musk was recently appointed to lead Trump’s newly-formed Department of Government Efficiency, while Kennedy was named his nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Joe Rogan, host of the popular podcast The Joe Rogan Experience, also attended and greeted Trump with a friendly handshake.

The crowd met the president-elect and his entourage with thundering cheers.

Donald Trump shakes hands with Joe Rogan at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night
Donald Trump shakes hands with Joe Rogan at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night (Getty Images)
Katie Hawkinson17 November 2024 03:04

Who is Trump’s latest cabinet pick Chris Wright?

Donald Trump Trump has tapped oil fracking CEO Chris Wright to serve as Secretary of Energy.

Wright, CEO of Liberty Energy in Denver, Colorado, is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development and one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight the ongoing climate crisis.

If confirmed, he’ll also serve on Trump’s newly-created Council of National Energy, alongside Burgum.

“Chris has been a leading technologist and entrepreneur in Energy,” Trump said in a statement. “He has worked in Nuclear, Solar, Geothermal, and Oil and Gas. Most significantly, Chris was one of the pioneers who helped launch the American Shale Revolution that fueled American Energy Independence, and transformed the Global Energy Markets and Geopolitics.”

Katie Hawkinson17 November 2024 03:00

Pelosi’s ‘unhelpful’ press tour is upsetting Democrats who want her to take a back seat to younger leaders

Nancy Pelosi is upsetting some Democratic lawmakers who are hoping she yields more power to younger party leaders, a new report reveals.

Read more:

Pelosi press tour is upsetting Democrats who want her to take a back seat

Pelosi, 84, is one of the most powerful Democrats in Washington, DC

Katie Hawkinson17 November 2024 02:15

Donald Trump to return to MSG weeks after controversial rally for UFC 309 – reports

Donald Trump will reportedly return to Madison Square Garden on Saturday, attending UFC 309 with Dana White – president of the mixed martial arts promotion.

Trump has attended numerous UFC events with White, who spoke at the president-elect’s victory celebration earlier this month in Mar-a-Lago. And this weekend, he is expected to be ringside at UFC 309 in New York City’s MSG, according to the New York Post.

Read more:

Donald Trump to return to MSG weeks after controversial rally for UFC 309 – reports

Trump has attended numerous UFC events with White, the president of the mixed martial arts promotion

Alex Pattle17 November 2024 01:30

Woman testified to House Ethics Committee she saw Matt Gaetz have sex with minor, her lawyer says

A woman testified in front of the House Ethics Committee that she saw Matt Gaetz have sex with a minor, according to her lawyer.

Attorney Joel Leppard represents two women who gave closed-door testimony in the summer to the committee probing President-elect Donald Trump’s controversial pick for attorney general, ABC first reported.

“My client testified to the House Ethics Committee that she witnessed Matt Gaetz having sex with a minor,” Leppard told the outlet.

Read more:

Woman testified to ethics committee she saw Gaetz have sex with minor, lawyer says

Two women gave closed-door testimony to the committee probing Trump’s controversial pick for attorney general

Rhian Lubin17 November 2024 00:45

Democrats are still trying to figure out how to work with - and counter - Donald Trump

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 turned to his transition, where he 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.

Eric Garcia reports.

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

Rhian Lubin17 November 2024 00:00

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