Trump picks Matt Gaetz for attorney general, Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence (original) (raw)
President-elect Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he plans to nominate Matt Gaetz as attorney general — the Republican congressman from Florida resigned his seat the same day, according to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) — and Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii, as director of national intelligence. Trump also confirmed plans to nominate Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida) as secretary of state. Earlier Wednesday, Trump pledged a smooth transition as he met with President Joe Biden at the White House after a jovial meeting with House Republicans.
Who Trump has picked for his Cabinet and administration so far
President-elect Donald Trump has already named several people to top positions in his administration. His latest picks include Pete Hegseth, a combat veteran and Fox News host, for defense secretary, and Kristi L. Noem (R), the South Dakota governor, for homeland security secretary.
See all the people Trump has named to his incoming administration or the top contenders for unfilled roles based on our reporting with our tracker.
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Gaetz pick renews attention on Trump’s call for recess appointments
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Donald Trump’s controversial pick of Republican Matt Gaetz — who resigned his House seat Wednesday — for attorney general has renewed attention to Trump’s recent insistence that any Republican candidate for Senate leadership agree to “recess appointments” that would sidestep normal checks and balances on the president’s Cabinet picks.
Top general faces brewing storm after Trump’s Pentagon pick
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Since becoming America’s top military officer last year, Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. has hewed to a cautious tack: keeping his views largely to himself, publicly deferring to elected leaders on pressing security questions, and attempting to steer clear of the polarized politics consuming the nation at large.
This is an excerpt from a full story.
Rep. Max Miller says Thune will not let Gaetz ‘walk right through the Senate’
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Rep. Max L. Miller (R-Ohio) said he does not expect Sen. John Thune (R-South Dakota), the newly elected Senate Republican conference leader, will let former congressman Matt Gaetz, president-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general, get confirmed without a proper Senate hearing process and vote.
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Rep. Matt Gaetz’s resignation is significant. He is no longer a member of the House, meaning that the House Ethics Committee immediately halts its investigation into Gaetz (R-Florida) and will no longer release a report on its findings based on how the committee typically operates. House Republicans reach agreement to change rule on ousting speaker
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House Republicans overcame a major hurdle that has plagued their conference over the past two years: changing the rule that can oust the speaker of the House.
Matt Gaetz resigned from Congress, House speaker says
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House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) said on Nov. 13 that Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida) submitted his resignation after being picked for attorney general. (Video: The Washington Post)
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida), President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general, has resigned from Congress, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) told reporters Wednesday evening.
Pennsylvania’s Senate race will undergo legally mandated recount
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Pennsylvania’s Senate race will undergo a legally mandated automatic recount after Democratic Sen. Bob Casey declined to waive the recount by Wednesday’s deadline.
Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt announced the recount Wednesday. Vote totals in the Senate race, in which Casey faced Republican Dave McCormick, are within the 0.5 percent margin that triggers a mandatory recount under state law.
Trump aides explore plans to boost Musk effort by wresting control from Congress
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President-elect Donald Trump’s aides are readying unconventional strategies to implement at least some recommendations from a new government spending commission with or without congressional approval, according to two people with knowledge of the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to reflect private deliberations.
This is an excerpt from a full story.
Jeffries acknowledges that Democrats ‘will not regain control’ of Congress
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While the Associated Press has not yet called the House, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York) in a statement Wednesday evening publicly acknowledged that Democrats “will not regain control of the Congress in January, falling just a few seats short.”
Gaetz suggested abolishing DOJ, FBI if ‘they do not come to heel’
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Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida), President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general, has been highly critical of the Justice Department he now seeks to lead — echoing Trump’s complaints about the agency.
“We either get this government back on our side, or we defund and get rid of, abolish the FBI, the CDC, ATF, DOJ, every last one of them if they do not come to heel,” Gaetz said at the Conservative Political Action Conference in 2023. The FBI is part of the Justice Department.
Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, becomes Donald Trump’s ‘first buddy’
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Ever since President-elect Donald Trump’s political ascent, the unofficial rules governing his private Mar-a-Lago Club have remained unchanged: His steak is well-done. He controls the musical playlist and the volume. And club’s members regularly applaud him when he enters and exits the patio.
This is an excerpt from a full story.
Tuberville warns Senate Republicans against opposing Trump nominees
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Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) on Wednesday warned of political consequences for GOP colleagues who oppose Donald Trump’s nominees, including Trump’s pick for attorney general, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida).
“Vote with President Trump,” Tuberville said on Fox Business. “This is the last chance we’re going to have of saving this country, and if you want to get in the way, fine, but we’re going to try to get you out of the Senate, too, if you try to do that.”
Former U.S. intelligence officers shocked by Gabbard nomination, cite previous Russian support
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Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination to become Donald Trump’s director of national intelligence shocked some former U.S. intelligence officers and researchers studying Russian propaganda, who recalled extensive Russian support for her during the 2020 presidential primaries.
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Rep. Andy Kim (D-New Jersey), who will represent New Jersey in the Senate come January, said Wednesday that he plans to oppose Donald Trump’s choice for attorney general: Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida).
“I was originally going to hold off on commenting on nominations at this stage but I cannot stay quiet here,” Kim wrote on X. “I don’t need a confirmation hearing to know that Matt Gaetz is not qualified for Attorney General. I will not support his confirmation.” Israel prepares Lebanon cease-fire plan as ‘gift’ to Trump, officials say
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TEL AVIV — A close aide to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Donald Trump and Jared Kushner this week that Israel is rushing to advance a cease-fire deal in Lebanon, according to three current and former Israeli officials briefed on the meeting, with the aim of delivering an early foreign policy win to the president-elect.
This is an excerpt from a full story.
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“I think it’s a good pick … independent voice” Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) said of Donald Trump’s choice of Tulsi Gabbard to join the administration as director of national intelligence. Gabbard represented Hawaii’s 2nd District in the House as a Democrat and became an independent before announcing on the campaign trail this fall that she’d joined the Republican Party. - Return to menu
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-West Virginia), vice chair of the Senate Republican Conference, said she was not surprised President-elect Donald Trump tapped Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida) to be his attorney general. During a Fox News interview, Capito suggested the pick reflected Trump’s insurgent politics and deep frustrations with the federal justice system. The Senate will get a chance to vet Gaetz, Capito added, and “we will move forward on that, but I’m not surprised that the president picked somebody that’s going to shake it up, particularly at the Department of Justice.” - Return to menu
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) has been unanimously reelected by House Republicans via voice vote. There were no objections.
Johnson will officially be reelected speaker on the House floor on Jan. 3, where he must get 218 votes. - Return to menu
“I don’t think it’s a serious nomination for the attorney general. That’s Lisa Murkowski’s view,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said of Donald Trump’s nomination of Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida) for attorney general. “This one was not on my bingo card.” Senators ‘shocked’ after Trump makes Gaetz, Gabbard picks
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Sen. Joe Manchin III (I-West Virginia) said senators are talking about the Tulsi Gabbard and Matt Gaetz picks on the Senate floor right now, trying to process the news. “No one could believe it,” he said. “They all have good qualities, I guess. It’s just people I would not have thought would be in those positions.”
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) says there will be “many, many questions” for Gaetz at his hearing and that she was “shocked” by the news of his pick.
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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) praised Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida) after Donald Trump announced Gaetz as his nominee for attorney general.
“Matt Gaetz has been a stalwart defender of liberty, and Texas has his back,” Paxton wrote in a post on X.
Paxton was among the Republicans who were discussed as a possible contender for the job.I am excited to work with my friend @mattgaetz. There are few people I trust more to take on the deep state and end the weaponization of the justice department.
Matt Gaetz has been a stalwart defender of liberty, and Texas has his back. Congratulations, Matt. pic.twitter.com/Fr3371S8d7
— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) November 13, 2024
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“I think he’s got his work cut out for him,” Sen Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) says of the road ahead for Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida) to be confirmed as Donald Trump’s attorney general.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) says Gaetz will face “tough questions” at the judiciary hearing and that he is inclined to support presidential appointments. Graham added he was a little bit surprised by the pick. - Return to menu
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida) has always been largely disliked by many of his House Republican colleagues, often serving as a thorn in their sides. Several House Republican lawmakers and aides, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to express their shock at the appointment, joked that Gaetz’s appointment to attorney general is one way for him to no longer be investigated by the House Ethics Committee regarding allegations of sexual misconduct. Departures to Trump administration could complicate Republican agenda in House
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The House majority has yet to be called, but there is an acknowledgment by many House Republicans that the most they could have is 221 seats. Rep. Michael Waltz (R-Florida) is expected to vacate his seat by the end of the year to serve as national security adviser, which does not need Senate confirmation. If Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-New York) is successfully confirmed as U.N. ambassador and Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida) as attorney general, then House Republicans would barely have the majority with 218 seats until their replacements are sworn in.
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Senate Republicans have expressed reservations about the nomination of Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida) to lead the Justice Department.
“I think he’s got a lot of work to get 50 [votes],” Sen Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina) said. Sen Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota) said he needs to “noodle” the pick, despite being bullish on other picks.
“I assume we’ll have some questions for him,” Sen John Cornyn (R-Texas) said, adding “I don’t know the man.” Special counsel Jack Smith plans to quit; Cannon appeal may continue
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Special counsel Jack Smith plans to resign and wrap up his federal prosecutions of President-elect Donald Trump before Trump takes office and can fire him, according to a person familiar with Smith’s plans.
This is an excerpt from a full story.
Trump nominates Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz to be attorney general
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Donald Trump nominated Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida) as his attorney general, one of the most consequential administration positions, the president-elect announced on social media.
“Few issues in America are more important than ending the partisan Weaponization of our Justice System. Matt will end Weaponized Government, protect our Borders, dismantle Criminal Organizations and restore Americans’ badly-shattered Faith and Confidence in the Justice Department,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Trump picks Tulsi Gabbard to be national intelligence director
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President-elect Donald Trump announced Wednesday he would nominate Tulsi Gabbard to be director of national intelligence, giving the job to a former Democratic congresswoman who turned into an enthusiastic supporter of his.
Trump officially announces Rubio as pick for secretary of state
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President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday confirmed his plan to nominate Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida) as secretary of state.
“Marco is a Highly Respected Leader, and a very powerful Voice for Freedom,” Trump said in a statement. “He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries.”
The Washington Post reported Monday that Trump was expected to pick Rubio to be the country’s top diplomat.
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Donald Trump is expected to announce former congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, a Democrat who left the party and later became a Republican, as his director of national intelligence, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe internal deliberations. Gabbard, a military veteran, is a critic of foreign wars and helped Trump throughout the campaign — even preparing him for the debate. We wrote about her approach to foreign affairs here. Thune: Senate GOP will do everything it can to confirm Trump nominees
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During a news conference Wednesday shortly after being elected the next Senate majority leader, Sen. John Thune (R-South Dakota) emphasized that the Republican conference plans to do everything it can to process Donald Trump’s nominees.
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Sen. John Thune (R-South Dakota) said on X that he spoke by phone with President-elect Donald Trump after winning the election for Senate majority leader. While Trump never made an endorsement in the leadership race, some of his allies lined up behind one of Thune’s rivals, Sen. Rick Scott (R-Florida). All the candidates running for the post pledged to work quickly to confirm Trump’s nominees and implement his agenda. Judge recuses from Arizona case over his email denouncing attacks on Harris
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The judge overseeing Arizona’s case against allies of former president Donald Trump over their alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results recused himself late Tuesday, after it emerged that he had emailed colleagues urging them to speak out against conservative attacks on Vice President Kamala Harris’s gender and racial identity.
This is an excerpt from a full story.
Biden and Trump had ‘substantive’ conversation, White House says
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President-elect Donald Trump brought a “detailed” list of questions to his Oval Office meeting with President Joe Biden, who “answered any questions” Trump had and “appreciated the conversation,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Wednesday.
With jobs to fill, Trump once again turns to Fox News
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Donning a red “Make America Great Again” hat with “45-47” on the side, “Fox & Friends Weekend” co-host Pete Hegseth pumped his fist and jumped with excitement when the election was called for Donald Trump in the early hours of Nov. 6.
“Can you tell that @petehegseth waited all night for this moment?!” the Instagram account for Fox’s streaming service captioned on a video of Hegseth celebrating at Kid Rock’s Big Honky Tonk & Steakhouse in Nashville, where he had hosted election coverage.
This is an excerpt from a full story.
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Senate Republicans picked Sen. Tim Scott (R-South Carolina) on Wednesday to chair their campaign arm for the 2026 election cycle.
Scott, a former 2024 presidential candidate, will be responsible for defending the Senate majority that Republicans clinched in last week’s elections.
“My passion is making sure that we defend our current seats ... and expand our majority so that President Trump does not have two years with a Republican majority in the Senate,” but four years, Scott told reporters. - Return to menu
Sen. John Thune (R-South Dakota) said he was “extremely honored" to have won the election to be Senate majority leader.
“This Republican team is united behind President Trump’s agenda, and our work starts today," Thune said in a statement.
One of Thune’s rivals for the post, Sen. Rick Scott (R-Florida), said on X that he “will do everything possible to make sure John Thune is successful in accomplishing” Trump’s agenda. Biden to meet Saturday with China’s Xi Jinping
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President Joe Biden is planning to meet Saturday with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a trip to Lima, Peru, according to White House officials, in what amounts to a final meeting between two leaders of superpowers amid a period of significant transition that could alter that relationship.
This is an excerpt from a full story.
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President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump have concluded their meeting at the Oval Office. It lasted close to two hours. Just after 1 p.m., the White House said Trump had departed. House Armed Services Committee chair says he doesn’t know Hegseth
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Rep. Mike D. Rogers (R-Alabama), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said he has not met Pete Hegseth, the television host and former military veteran whom president-elect Donald Trump has chosen to be secretary of defense.
“I don’t know the man, but I look forward to getting to know him,” Rogers, who was first elected to Congress in 2002, told reporters in Washington on Wednesday.
Analysis: Trump demands the lame-duck president not do what he did as a lame duck
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One of the false things Donald Trump said repeatedly as president was that he was able to nominate so many judges to the bench because his predecessor, Barack Obama, had simply left the positions vacant.
As is usually the case with Trump, the falsehood was meant to disparage his Democratic opponent. And, as is usually the case when talking about Obama’s efforts to fill empty judicial positions, the central cause for the vacancies was actually opposition from the Republican-led Senate.
This is an excerpt from a full story.
House Democrats acknowledge that party’s economic message failed
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As they left their first caucus-wide meeting since the election Wednesday, House Democrats espoused a mixture of jubilance for their new members and sober awareness that their party’s message on the economy largely failed to land with voters.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (New York) told Democrats at the meeting that it is likely they will fall short of the necessary 218 seats to clinch the House majority.
DeSantis’s chief of staff is top contender to replace Marco Rubio in Senate
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If Donald Trump follows through with nominating Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida) for secretary of state, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) would pick his replacement. Some Trump allies are already pushing DeSantis to appoint Trump’s daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, who is co-chair of the Republican National Committee. But DeSantis has his eye on other candidates, according to several people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations.
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Sen. John Thune (R-South Dakota) has won the election to be Senate majority leader. Thune, currently the Senate GOP whip, defeated Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) after a second round of voting. Sen. Rick Scott (R-Florida) was eliminated after the first ballot. - Return to menu
The race for Senate majority leader is moving to a second ballot after none of the three contenders was able to win outright during the initial round of voting. Republican Sens. John Cornyn (Texas) and John Thune (South Dakota) advanced to the second round, while Sen. Rick Scott (R-Florida) got the fewest votes and was eliminated, according to a person who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the closed-door process. Jill Biden delivers a note of congratulations, cooperation to Donald Trump
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When President-elect Donald Trump arrived at the White House on Wednesday, he was greeted by President Joe Biden, along with first lady Jill Biden.
Jill Biden gave the president-elect a handwritten letter, according to her office. The letter congratulated Trump and his wife, Melania, on the election, and expressed her team’s readiness to assist with the transition, her office said.
Melania Trump did not join the Bidens at the White House.
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Joe Biden and Donald Trump, who were seated by the fireplace, did not answer any questions before reporters were ushered out of the Oval Office. ‘Politics is tough,’ Trump notes as he meets Biden in Oval Office
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President Joe Biden met with President-elect Donald Trump at the White House on Nov. 13. (Video: The Washington Post, Photo: Evan Vucci/AP/The Washington Post)
President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump met Wednesday in the Oval Office to prepare for the transition of power after Trump prevailed in last week’s presidential election.
Biden congratulated Trump on his victory over Vice President Kamala Harris and said he was looking forward to a “smooth transition,” promising to make sure Trump has what he needs.
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Donald Trump told House Republicans in their closed meeting that he is done picking from their ranks for his incoming administration, according to a lawmaker who attended.
“He said he would like to take more, but he’s not going to do that because it’ll threaten our majority,” Rep. Ralph Norman (R-South Carolina) told reporters afterward.
Trump has so far given appointments to two House Republicans: Reps. Elise Stefanik (New York) and Michael Waltz (Florida). The fight for House control remains too close to call, but the GOP expects to keep a narrow majority. - Return to menu
The Oval Office is likely to look familiar to Donald Trump, with a few differences. Joe Biden kept the gold drapes that Trump had in the office, and that had previously been used by President Bill Clinton. The Resolute Desk is the same one Trump and other previous presidents have used. But gone are the flags of the branches of U.S. military that Trump displayed behind the desk, where Biden installed an American flag. Biden also removed the portrait of Andrew Jackson that Trump had brought in to honor the populist president, as well as a bust of Winston Churchill. The mood is jovial among House Republicans
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The mood within the House Republican conference was jovial as President-elect Donald Trump talks about where he won the election across the country and tells members to focus on passing legislation to secure the border, lower prices and reauthorize his tax law, according to people in the room who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the closed-door proceedings.
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Tech billionaire Elon Musk was in attendance at the House GOP conference meeting on Wednesday, where President-elect Donald Trump spoke. Trump said Tuesday that he was giving Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy control of a commission whose purpose is to slash government staff, operations and regulations. Jeffries acknowledges Democrats are likely to fall short in the House
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House Democrats gathered for their first caucus meeting since the election in which their party lost the White House and Senate, and is on track to stay in the minority in the House.
Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York) told Democrats it is likely they will fall short of the necessary 218 seats to clinch the House majority, though states continue to count votes, according to two people familiar with the remarks who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share details of a closed meeting.
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Donald Trump joked about running for a third presidential term while addressing House Republicans in Washington.
“I suspect I won’t be running again unless you say, ‘He’s good. We got to figure something else,’” the president-elect said, according to a pool report, which noted the audience responded with laughter.
A constitutional amendment limits a president to two terms in office. - Return to menu
Melania Trump is not accompanying President-elect Donald Trump to his meeting at the White House on Wednesday, her office said on X.
“Her husband’s return to the Oval Office to commence the transition process is encouraging, and she wishes him great success,” her office said. - Return to menu
As Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-California) left a meeting of House Democrats on Wednesday morning, the former House speaker described the message from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York) as “very exciting.”
“We’re still fighting,” she said.
Asked how Democrats can better convince voters about their message, Pelosi said votes are not done being counted yet, and the party is “proud of our effort.” Trump touts Republican victories in meeting with House GOP
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President-elect Donald Trump appeared at a congressional Republicans’ meeting near the Capitol ahead of his scheduled White House visit on Nov. 13. (Video: The Washington Post)
President-elect Donald Trump kicked off his remarks to House Republicans in Washington by touting the election results, saying Republicans had “historic kind of numbers.”
The fight for the House majority remains too close to call, but Trump said House Republicans “did very well” after they “could have lost by quite a bit.” He suggested he was not concerned about the GOP having a narrow majority in the chamber.
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President-elect Donald Trump has arrived at the House GOP conference meeting at a Washington hotel. Analysis: What Trump’s emerging foreign policy team tells us about his agenda
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It’s still early, but President-elect Donald Trump’s roster of top foreign policy officials is starting to take shape. This week, reports suggested Trump would tap two Florida Republicans — Sen. Marco Rubio and Rep. Michael Waltz — as secretary of state and White House national security adviser, respectively. Trump also announced Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-New York) as his pick for the high-profile role of U.S. ambassador to the United Nations; John Ratcliffe, a former director of national intelligence under Trump, as the next head of the Central Intelligence Agency; and veteran and Fox News broadcaster Pete Hegseth as defense secretary.
This is an excerpt from a full story.
Here’s who could replace Mitch McConnell as Senate’s top Republican
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Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) announced on Feb. 28 that he is stepping down from party leadership in November. (Video: Blair Guild, Joshua Carroll/The Washington Post)
Senate Republicans will elect their next leader Wednesday to replace Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) as the head of the party in the chamber. In January, this senator will become the Senate majority leader once the Republicans take control, which they won back from Democrats during last week’s elections.
This is an excerpt from a full story.
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President-elect Donald Trump has landed at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland ahead of his meetings Wednesday with House Republicans and President Joe Biden. Blinken helms last-minute rush of support to Ukraine before Trump takes office
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Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the Biden administration would rush as much military assistance as possible to Ukraine while Biden remains in office. (Video: The Washington Post)
BRUSSELS — The Biden administration will rush as much military assistance as possible to Ukraine, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday as he met a slew of European security officials in Brussels to prepare a strategy of support for Kyiv before President-elect Donald Trump enters the Oval Office.
Trump has vowed to put a quick end to Russia’s war on Ukraine, which Kyiv and some European capitals believe could force Ukraine to make painful concessions to the Kremlin.
This is an excerpt from a full story.
Analysis: Trump’s win turns online censorship case upside-down
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A legal battle over the Biden administration’s influence on social media companies looks set to spill into the next Trump administration — and no one knows quite how that will play out.
Donald Trump and his team will inherit the role of defendants in government censorship cases brought by some of their own political allies — including Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
This is an excerpt from a full story.
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In remarks last week from the Rose Garden, President Joe Biden made clear that he would engage in a peaceful transfer of power. He spoke with Donald Trump the day after the election, congratulating him and inviting him to the White House. Biden also plans to attend Trump’s second inauguration in January. Right before the election, inflation rose to 2.6 percent annual rate
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Inflation rose modestly in the lead-up to last week’s presidential election, when voters signaled unhappiness with the economy by voting out incumbents.
The consumer price index increased by 2.6 percent in October from a year earlier, according to the Labor Department, in line with economists’ expectations and hotter than a 2.4 percent rise in September.
This is an excerpt from a full story.
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Elon Musk is expected to join Donald Trump on Wednesday when he meets in Washington with the House Republican conference, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to preview plans that have not been publicly announced. Johnson says he is ‘confident’ in Hegseth as defense secretary
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House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) said he is “confident” in Fox News host Pete Hegseth, whom President-elect Donald Trump selected Tuesday as his nominee for defense secretary in a move that stunned some in Washington. Hegseth, an Army veteran, has vowed to fire “woke” generals, discussed firing the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and opposed women serving in combat.
What we know about Trump’s ‘Department of Government Efficiency’
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President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday announced his intention to create a “Department of Government Efficiency,” an outside body to advise the White House, led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy.
The commission’s acronym, DOGE, a nod to the meme-based cryptocurrency dogecoin, has been used repeatedly by Musk in recent months when the billionaire was publicly floating the idea of a government efficiency commission.
This is an excerpt from a full story.
Trump looms over Congress as Republicans pick leaders, plan overhaul
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Republican senators will gather Wednesday morning to choose between candidates for leadership who have all aligned themselves with President-elect Donald Trump.
Nearby, House Republicans will meet with the soon-to-be-president, likely praising his electoral prowess and plans to remake Washington.
With Republicans on the brink of a governing trifecta in Washington, Trump looms larger than ever, particularly on Capitol Hill, where his influence looks set to grow in his second term.
This is an excerpt from a full story.
Democrats battle to confirm judges before Trump returns, Senate flips
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Senate Democrats are staring down a shrinking timeline to confirm more than twodozen of President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees, with President-elect Donald Trump warning Republicans to do all they can to block the effort.
This is an excerpt from a full story.
Pete Hegseth has said exactly how he will shake up the Pentagon
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President-elect Donald Trump’s selection of Fox News host Pete Hegseth as his nominee for defense secretary would place atop the Pentagon a combat veteran and political ally who has assailed the military as ineffective and “woke,” mused about firing the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staffand blasted the top brass as having failed to safeguard American strength.
This is an excerpt from a full story.
Analysis: The orderly transition of power hits a snag
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President-elect Donald Trump is set to meet with President Joe Biden at the White House on Wednesday morning at 11 a.m. as part of the orderly transfer of power that Biden has promised — and that Trump denied Biden four years ago.
But one aspect of the transition of power is not playing out smoothly.
This is an excerpt from a full story.
Senate Republicans to vote for new leader
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Senate Republicans will hold their closed-door, secret-ballot leadership elections Wednesday morning after a bitter race between longtime Senate insiders John Thune (South Dakota), the second-ranking Republican, and John Cornyn (Texas), a former member of Republican leadership.
Biden and Trump set to meet in the Oval Office
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President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump are scheduled to meet Wednesday morning in the Oval Office, an extraordinary moment for two men who have repeatedly expressed public disdain for one another as they go through one of the most unusual transfers of power in American history.
The two are planning to meet at 11 a.m., their first extended face-to-face encounter since the fumbling debate performance that drove Biden out of the race.
This is an excerpt from a full story.
Trump taps Musk, Ramaswamy to oversee ‘drastic’ changes to U.S. government
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President-elect Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he is appointing business executives Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to lead a new commission on cutting government spending and regulation, handing an enormous portfolio to the tech billionaire who gave political and financial support to his presidential bid.
This is an excerpt from a full story.
Trump picks Fox News host and veteran as defense secretary, capping frenetic day
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President-elect Donald Trump made his most significant Cabinet choice and set up his toughest Senate confirmation battle yet, tapping Pete Hegseth, a Fox News host and veteran, to be secretary of defense.
Trump has taken a special interest in staffing the Pentagon, believing he was stymied by civilian and military leaders who resisted demands in his first term to withdraw troops deployed overseas and use the military to put down domestic unrest.
This is an excerpt from a full story.
How to save money with the Inflation Reduction Act before Trump returns
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For the past two years, millions of consumers have been able to claim cash back from the government for buying electric vehicles, heat pumps, better insulation and more. Through the Inflation Reduction Act, the Biden administration hasfunneled billions of dollars toward clean technologies, hoping to save Americans money and reduce carbon emissions at the same time.
This is an excerpt from a full story.
