Trump already testing unity with Congressional Republicans to get his biggest campaign promises approved: Live
The president-elect weighed in on a reconciliation package, reportedly telling the House Speaker he prefers one piece of legislation
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Your support makes all the difference.President-elect Donald Trump wants one reconciliation package rather than the GOP leadership’s two-bill strategy, re-elected House Speaker Mike Johnson reportedly informed Republicans Saturday — a sign that Trump may be already testing the unity of his party.
Johnson told fellow Republicans that Trump hopes for “one big beautiful bill” that would address border security, energy and tax cuts, Politico reported. All three were some of his biggest campaign promises.
The president-elect’s preference aligns with House Ways & Means Chair Jason Smith, who has pushed for just one piece of legislation rather than the two that Senate Majority Leader John Thune has favored.
The news comes after Johnson was re-elected as speaker after an initial struggle to get enough votes due to the incredibly tight margin in the House.
While a new Congress has already begun, Trump is now required to make a pitstop before he takes office.
New York Judge Juan Merchan ordered the president-elect to appear for sentencing in his hush-money case just ten days before his inauguration. Merchan indicated Trump wouldn’t be jailed. Trump slammed the order in a Saturday morning Truth Social post as “a fake, made up charge by a corrupt judge.”
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In first speech since re-election, Mike Johnson promises to ‘roll back administrative state’
Speaker Mike Johnson pledged to “drastically” reduce the size of government and pass legislation to roll back “the administrative state” in his first speech after being re-elected Speaker by the narrowest of margins.
Johnson managed to retain the gavel on the first vote after two members changed their votes to support him following phone calls from President-elect Donald Trump, according to CNN.
“We have a mandate, and that was shown in the election cycle. People want an America First agenda,” said Johnson. “Sadly for the past four years of divided government, too many politicians in Washington have done the opposite; open borders and over-regulation have destroyed our cities and stifled innovation.”
He claimed that inflation and “weak leadership” have made Americans worse off and left the U.S. in a “perilous” place.
Gustaf Kilander has the details.
Johnson promises to ‘roll back administrative state’ after being re-elected Speaker
Johnson has already committed to investigate the now-disbanded House Select Committee investigating the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot
‘You cannot change the truth and you cannot silence us’: Cheney claps back at Trump over Jan 6 committee’s work
Former Republican Rep Liz Cheney has clapped back at Donald Trump over his ranting Truth Social post calling her “totally corrupt” following her presidential award for putting country over party and joining the House January 6 committee to investigate the Capitol riot.
Here’s what she had to say in response to the president-elect:
Donald, this is not the Soviet Union. You can’t change the truth and you cannot silence us. Remember all your lies about the voting machines, the election workers, your countless allegations of fraud that never happened? Many of your lawyers have been sanctioned, disciplined or disbarred, the courts ruled against you, and dozens of your own White House, administration, and campaign aides testified against you. Remember how you sent a mob to our Capitol and then watched the violence on television and refused for hours to instruct the mob to leave? Remember how your former Vice President prevented you from overturning our Republic? We remember. And now, as you take office again, the American people need to reject your latest malicious falsehoods and stand as the guardrails of our Constitutional Republic — to protect the America we love from you.
Watch: Trump was in middle of golf game when he called Norman about speaker vote
Trump team claims judge’s sentencing order violates Supreme Court immunity decision
Donald Trump’s communications director Steven Cheung released the following statement in reaction to what he terms “the witch hunt sentencing by corrupt Merchan.”
“Today’s order by the deeply conflicted, Acting Justice Merchan in the Manhattan DA Witch Hunt is a direct violation of the Supreme Court’s Immunity decision and other longstanding jurisprudence. This lawless case should have never been brought and the Constitution demands that it be immediately dismissed. President Trump must be allowed to continue the Presidential Transition process and to execute the vital duties of the presidency, unobstructed by the remains of this or any remnants of the Witch Hunts. There should be no sentencing, and President Trump will continue fighting against these hoaxes until they are all dead.”
Here’s what you need to know:
Judge orders Trump to be sentenced on Jan. 10 in hush-money case
Justice Juan Merchan said he is not inclined to sentence Trump to any term of incarceration just 10 days before he is set to be sworn in as president for a second term
Trump claims flags at half mast during inauguration for first time ever — which isn’t true
Donald Trump has hit out at Democrats for being “giddy” that the American flag will be at half mast during his inauguration due to the death of former President Jimmy Carter.
In a Truth Social rant, the president-elect also claimed that it was the first time that this happened, however then-President Richard Nixon ordered flags lowered to honor predecessor Harry Truman, who passed away in December 1972 ahead of Nixon’s second inauguration in 1973.
Here’s what Trump wrote earlier today:
The Democrats are all “giddy” about our magnificent American Flag potentially being at “half mast” during my Inauguration. They think it’s so great, and are so happy about it because, in actuality, they don’t love our Country, they only think about themselves. Look at what they’ve done to our once GREAT America over the past four years - It’s a total mess! In any event, because of the death of President Jimmy Carter, the Flag may, for the first time ever during an Inauguration of a future President, be at half mast. Nobody wants to see this, and no American can be happy about it. Let’s see how it plays out. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
US Steel CEO says Biden decision on acquisition ‘shameful and corrupt'
Here’s our report on the president’s decision:
Biden blocks Japanese takeover of U.S. Steel on national security grounds
Biden says the Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel ‘will remain a proud American company — one that’s American-owned, American-operated, by American union steelworkers’
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