Trump cabinet latest: President-elect forced to name alternative AG as Matt Gaetz hints at return in new role
Former Florida congressman withdrew from consideration saying his candidacy was ‘becoming a distraction’ as more details of House Ethics Committee investigation leaked
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Your support makes all the difference.Donald Trump’s has announced that former Florida attorney general Pam Bondi, who represented him at his first impeachment trial in the Senate in 2019, is his new pick to lead the Department of Justice (DOJ) following the withdrawal of ex-congressman Matt Gaetz.
“For too long, the partisan Department of Justice has been weaponized against me and other Republicans – Not anymore,” the president-elect wrote in a statement on Thursday evening.
“Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting Crime, and Making America Safe Again.”
Gaetz dropped out of the confirmation process yesterday saying his candidacy was “becoming a distraction” after the House Ethics Committee came under pressure to release the findings of its investigation into allegations he had sex with a minor – accusations he has consistently denied.
“While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition,” he wrote on X, also hinting he could return in “a different post”.
The allegations against Gaetz had reportedly led Trump’s team to consider him “blackmail-able” and therefore to reluctantly draw a line under his pursuit of the job.
Bill O’Reilly claims Trump’s cabinet will have zero policy input: ‘Say ‘yes, sir’ or they’re not going to be OK’
Which Trump Cabinet picks will actually get confirmed — and who will work across the aisle?
Trump’s new AG pick didn’t pursue lawsuit against Trump University – after he donated $25k to her campaign
Trump team believed Gaetz was too ‘blackmail-able’ to be attorney general, says report
Tommy Tuberville tells Steve Bannon 2020 election was stolen
Alabama Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville questioned the validity of the 2020 election during an appearance on Steve Bannon’s War Room podcast with an offensive rant in which he called President Joe Biden a “bedridden dementia patient.”
Bannon, President-elect Donald Trump’s former White House chief strategist, asked Tuberville about the Democrats, saying “They’re there to fully stop Donald Trump and hopefully take their plans to take the House in two years and impeach him, right?”
Tuberville said the Democrats’ plan “was accelerated because they stole the election from President Trump and they were able to get four years with a bedridden dementia patient.”
Gustaf Kilander reports.
Tommy Tuberville tells Steve Bannon 2020 election was stolen in rant about Joe Biden
Alabama Senator says Democrats ‘were able to get four years with a bedridden dementia patient’
Trump’s new AG pick didn’t pursue lawsuit against Trump University – after he donated $25k to her campaign
The incoming Trump administration didn’t waste time on Thursday after Matt Gaetz announced he was dropping his bid to become attorney general, announcing former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi would seek the top position at the Justice Department instead.
Bondi, who served as Florida’s attorney general from 2011 to 2019, is both an experienced public official and a long-time Trump ally.
Josh Marcus reports.
Trump’s AG didn’t sue Trump University after $25K donation
Former Florida official has lengthy record of high-profile prosecutions, as well multiple moments of ethical scrutiny
Trump’s education secretary pick Linda McMahon body slammed by Kane in resurfaced WWE clip
A resurfaced clip of President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Education getting body slammed in the wrestling ring by Kane, who is now a Republican mayor, has gone viral.
WWE co-founder Linda McMahon was announced as one of Trump’s cabinet picks on November 19 with critics and WWE fans questioning her qualifications for the role.
Brittany Miller has more.
Trump’s education pick Linda McMahon body slammed by Kane in resurfaced WWE clip
The billionaire former wrestling executive was announced as the nominee for Secretary of Education on November 19
RFK Jr compared ‘bully’ Trump to Hitler
The incoming Trump administration’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., has a history of scathing criticisms against the president-elect, including comparing him to Hitler and branding his supporters “belligerent idiots” and “outright Nazis.”
The remarks, many of which were made on Kennedy’s “Ring of Fire” radio show in 2016, were uncovered by CNN.
Josh Marcus reports.
RFK Jr. once compared ‘bully’ Trump to Hitler and called him a ‘threat to democracy’
Trump nominee blames past criticisms on ‘mainstream media’
Ex-military chief slaps down claim by Trump defense secretary pick that women shouldn’t serve in combat
A former military chief has hit back at Donald Trump’s Defense Secretary nominee over remarks made about women serving in the armed forces.
General Mark Milley, who served as the 20th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that the US military “must be and always should be” standards-based, as he called out the comments by Pete Hegseth.
Hegseth, a military veteran and former Fox News host, was announced as the President-elect’s choice for secretary of defense last week, in a move that caused consternation across the political aisle. He served 13 years as a part-time member of the National Guard, culminating in the rank of major.
Mike Bedigan reports.
Ex-military chief blasts claim by Pete Hegseth that women shouldn’t serve in combat
Mark Milley, who served as the 20th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that the US military ‘must be and always should be’ standards-based
Lara Trump’s latest career move... activewear mogul
Donald Trump’s daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, has started a new clothes brand as her latest career move after releasing pop songs and being floated as a possible senator.
The co-chair of the Republican National Committee, took to Instagram this week to launch her new activewear line — The LT Brand by Lara Trump Collection.
Gustaf Kilander has the story.
Potential senator and now clothes brand owner: Lara Trump’s latest career move
RNC co-chair says ‘every piece’ of new activewear brand ‘is handcrafted in the USA because I believe in bringing jobs back home’
Pam Bondi once called for Hillary Clinton to be locked up: ‘I love that'
During the 2016 Republican National Convention, Pam Bondi responded to the crowd’s calls to “lock her up” in reference to former secretary of state and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton by saying “I love that.”
Bondi said during her speech at the convention eight years ago that Clinton “deserves no security clearance.”
“How do you become president of the United States when you have no security clearance?” she asked at the time. “This lawlessness must stop right here, right now. Donald Trump will stop it.”
“Lock her up, I love that,” she said in response to a sign in the audience, prompting chants of the phrase.
Profile: Pete Hegseth — Fox News anchor turned nominee for defense secretary
Pete Hegseth has been nominated for secretary of defense under President-elect Donald Trump – but who is the relative unknown to the DC sphere?
Hegseth’s most recent role was as a host on the Fox & Friends morning show. That is where most of America knows him from, but he is also an author, husband and dad and even found viral fame – though it landed him in legal hot water.
Amber Raiken reports.
Who is Pete Hegseth? The Fox News anchor turned nominee for Defense secretary
The ‘Fox and Friends’ co-host married television producer Jennifer Rauchet in 2019
White House: Trump still hasn’t signed papers to officially start transition
More than two weeks after the 2024 election, the White House says President-elect Donald Trump and his team still haven’t executed the legal documents required to officially start the transition process that will end with him taking the presidential oath of office on the Capitol steps in just under 60 days.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday that the Trump-Vance team “not yet entered into the agreements with the White House and the General Service Administration” despite ongoing efforts to negotiate involving White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients and his incoming Trump administration counterpart, Susie Wiles.
Andrew Feinberg filed this report from Washington, D.C.
Trump still hasn’t signed papers to officially start transition, White House says
Without a signed Memorandum of Understanding, Trump’s team can’t get access to any official government resources
Morning Joe hosts agreed to Trump meeting over fears of Joe Scarborough intern death probe, report claims
The hosts of MSNBC’s Morning Joe, Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, allegedly met with President-elect Donald Trump over fears that then-attorney general nominee Matt Gaetz would investigate the death of an intern in Scarborough’s office during his time as a Florida Republican congressman, according to a Puck News report.
On Monday, Brzezinski said: “For those asking why we would go speak to the president-elect during such fraught times, especially between us, I guess I would ask back, ‘Why wouldn’t we?’”
“Joe and I realized it’s time to do something different, and that starts with not only talking about Donald Trump, but also talking with him,” she added.
Read more:
Morning Joe hosts agreed to Trump meeting over fears of intern death probe: report
Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough suffered a ratings nosedive after going on Mar-a-Lago pilgrimage
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