Trump readying close to 100 executive orders, Republican senator says (original) (raw)
President-elect Donald Trump is preparing nearly 100 executive orders for when he returns to the White House on Jan. 20, a Republican senator said Thursday. Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma), appearing on Fox News, said Trump relayed plans to take action on immigration and energy, among other issues, during a meeting with Republican senators in Washington on Wednesday night. Trump also urged Senate Republicans to stick together during the confirmation process for his Cabinet picks and discussed how to implement his early legislative agenda.
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Trump: U.S. needs Greenland for ‘national security’
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WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President-elect Donald Trump said that the United States needed Greenland for “national security” and again suggested that Denmark could face tariffs if the country does not cooperate with his plans to acquire the island.
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President-elect Donald Trump said Thursday that his team is working to set up a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“He wants to meet, and we’re setting it up,” Trump told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida, adding that he’s also had “a lot of communication” with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
“We have a lot of meetings set up with a lot of people. Some have come [to Mar-a-Lago], but I’d rather wait until after the 20th,” he continued, referencing when he’s slated to be sworn into office later this month. - Return to menu
Donald Trump took a somewhat conciliatory tone when asked about the Supreme Court’s refusal to delay his sentencing in his New York hush money case at an event at his Mar-a-Lago Club on Thursday evening, saying his case “is a long way from finished” and that he appreciated the justices’ acknowledgment that his appeal can continue after Friday’s sentencing. The president-elect called it a “very good opinion of course.”
Trump repeated accusations that the case and the judge overseeing it are politically motivated and were designed to try to derail his campaign.
“I’ll do my little thing tomorrow,” Trump added. “They can have fun with their political opponent.” - Return to menu
President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday announced that he intends to nominate former Nevada GOP Senate candidate Sam Brown to serve in the Department of Veterans Affairs as under secretary of memorial affairs.
Trump’s endorsement of Brown, a retired Army captain wounded in combat while serving in Afghanistan, helped give him an edge in the Republican Senate primary. Brown secured the Republican nomination in the race but lost in November’s general election to Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nevada). Trump announces ambassadorship, DOJ picks
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President-elect Donald Trump announced his intent to appoint a Fox News contributor and Pennsylvania’s Republican National Committeewoman to administration roles on Thursday.
Supreme Court refuses to delay Trump’s hush money sentencing
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A divided Supreme Court refused to delay Donald Trump’s sentencing in his hush money case, clearing the way for the president-elect to face judgment in a New York courtroom on Friday and to be formally classified as a felon before he returns to the White House.
This is an excerpt from a full story.
Court strikes down Biden Title IX protections for trans students
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A federal judge on Thursday struck down controversial Biden administration rules that protected transgender students from discrimination and set rules for how schools handle complaints of sexual harassment, saying the administration had overstepped its authority.
This is an excerpt from a full story.
Column: Watching members of the presidents’ club at Jimmy Carter’s funeral
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Gathered together at the National Cathedral, former presidents and vice presidents paid their respects to to former president Jimmy Carter. (Video: TWP)
The brief interactions between the former presidents and their spouses who assembled for the state funeral of Jimmy Carter might well be sorted into two categories: those who reflect a pre-Donald Trump era of good-natured joshing and generous handshakes and those who speak to the tenor of the presidency in the MAGA era through chilly expressions and detached body language.
This is an excerpt from a full story.
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JD Vance, the vice president-elect, is scheduled to participate in an interview with Shannon Bream on “Fox News Sunday,” the show announced on Thursday.
The appearance will mark Vance’s first sit-down interview since the November election. - Return to menu
JD Vance, the vice president-elect, will resign from his role as a U.S. senator representing Ohio on Thursday at midnight, according to a statement from his Senate office.
Vance, who is set to be sworn in to serve as vice president on Jan. 20, extended his “heartfelt gratitude” to Ohioans for electing him to represent the state in the Senate, adding that while he’s vice president, he would do all he could to help Donald Trump “enact his agenda.”
Vance submitted his resignation letter to Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R), who will appoint his successor. Trump’s attack on Newsom, California’s water policy misconstrues the facts, experts say
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Donald Trump’s latest attacks on Gov. Gavin Newsom and California water policy — which the president-elect blames for the Los Angeles fires — misconstrue basic facts about the water system, five experts said in interviews.
Trump wrote Thursday that Newsom “should immediately go to Northern California and open up the water main, and let the water flow into his dry, starving, burning State, instead of having it go out into the Pacific Ocean.”
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The Senate voted 84-9 to begin debate on the Laken Riley Act, a bill that would allow ICE to detain undocumented immigrants who are charged, arrested or convicted for committing an act of “burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting.”
While Senate Democrats voted to advance the bipartisan bill to debate, many have said they wouldn’t commit to voting for final passage unless changes were made to the legislation.
The House passed its version of the bill Tuesday with bipartisan support. Some say Alito should recuse from Trump sentencing case after phone call
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Some judicial ethics experts and Democratic lawmakers say Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. should recuse himself from a decision on whether President-elect Donald Trump’s sentencing in New York can go forward Friday, citing a phone call between the two men earlier this week.
This is an excerpt from a full story.
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As he introduced his party’s priorities for the new Congress, Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-New York) criticized congressional Republicans’ proposals to pass President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda through the reconciliation process.
“They’ve been talking about this reconciliation bill [and whether] it will be two bills or one bill — it doesn’t make a difference, that’s inside Washington,” Schumer said. “They’re trying to find the quickest best way to hurt average Americans by giving the very wealthy the huge tax cuts they don’t need.” Analysis: Will Trump help blue states in disasters?
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It’s fair game to question a politician’s handling of a tragedy; it comes with the territory. But Donald Trump’s track record — dating back much further than Hurricane Helene — shows that he views these as political opportunities to be quickly exploited and twisted. Trump is known for his bare-knuckle brand of politics, but rarely is it as pronounced as when disaster strikes.
This is an excerpt from a full story.
Democratic Sen. Fetterman accepts invitation to meet with Trump at Mar-a-Lago
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Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pennsylvania) said in a statement on Thursday that he had accepted an invitation to meet with President-elect Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida.
Walz backs fellow Minnesota Democrat Ken Martin for DNC chair
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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the former Democratic nominee for vice president, has endorsed fellow Minnesota Democrat Ken Martin to lead the national party.
“I’ve seen Ken Martin’s leadership in action, and it’s exactly what we need from our next [Democratic National Committee] Chair,” Walz wrote Thursday on X, referring to Martin’s tenure as leader of the Minnesota party. “Ken has built a national model for how to elect Democrats in a competitive state.”
Column: Americans worry about democracy — particularly the ‘representative’ part
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Exit polling suggests that about a third of those who cast a vote in the 2024 presidential election viewed American democracy as the determining factor in whom they supported. Unsurprisingly, given repeated warnings from Democrats and others about Donald Trump’s embrace of authoritarians and authoritarian tactics, those voters backed Vice President Kamala Harris by a 4-to-1 margin.
But it was never the case that only Democrats viewed democracy at risk.
This is an excerpt from a full story.
At inflection point, Pentagon holds final forum for Ukraine aid
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RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany — More than two dozen times since Russia’s 2022 invasion, President Joe Biden’s Pentagon chief, Lloyd Austin, has gone around the table with his international counterparts to secure weapons needed for Ukraine’s defense.
On Thursday, Austin chaired his final meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, an assemblage of more than 30 nations providing military aid to Ukraine, closing out a central aspect of the Biden administration’s effort to marshal resources for Kyiv.
This is an excerpt from a full story.
Trump’s Energy pick will have a confirmation hearing next week
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The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee announced Thursday that it will hold a confirmation hearing next week for Chris Wright, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Energy Department.
The hearing will take place Wednesday starting at 10 a.m. Eastern, according to a news release. The committee will also hold a confirmation hearing Tuesday for former North Dakota governor Doug Burgum, Trump’s pick to lead the Interior Department and serve as “energy czar.”
Trump asks appeals court to block entire special counsel report
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Donald Trump urged a federal appeals court late Wednesday to block the release of both volumes of a special counsel report on his two dismissed federal cases — the latest attempt by the president-elect to fight the final remnants of his criminal prosecutions.
This is an excerpt from a full story.
Police investigate two threats at Capitol amid heightened security
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A man tried to set a vehicle on fire outside the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday as President-elect Donald Trump entered the building to meet with lawmakers, according to authorities, hours after police said another man tried to enter the Capitol with a machete.
This is an excerpt from a full story.
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Donald Trump can fill around 4,000 political positions, including over 1,300 requiring Senate confirmation. While 91 key roles have been announced, none are officially nominated or confirmed, leaving many positions vacant despite his goal of appointing 2,000 by Jan. 20. We’re tracking over 800 announcements, nominations and confirmations when they happen, in collaboration with the Partnership for Public Service. Elon Musk lowers expectations for government spending cuts
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Billionaire Elon Musk, tasked by President-elect Donald Trump with making government more efficient, had previously promised to trim $2 trillion from the federal budget.
But on Wednesday, the tech mogul warned that his prediction might be closer to half that audacious figure.
Google donates $1 million to Trump’s inaugural committee
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Google is donating $1 million to President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, following other tech giants in supporting an administration that will shape the company’s historic antitrust case.
Google will also live-stream the swearing-in ceremony on YouTube and include a direct link on its homepage. Karan Bhatia, Google’s global head of government affairs, said in a statement Thursday that the company is “pleased” to support Trump’s inauguration.
This is an excerpt from a full story.
Analysis: This could be AOC’s moment
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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) scored a big win this week after suffering a stinging defeat in December.
This week she won a coveted, competitive seat on the Energy and Commerce Committee. It’s a committee position she has wanted since she entered Congress six years ago. The last time she tried for an open spot was at the end of her first term, when she ignored her mentors and leaned on her social media following and work on the Green New Deal instead of lobbying for votes.
This is an excerpt from a full story.
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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York) will host a candidate forum in the competitive race to lead the Democratic National Committee, according to a person familiar with his plans, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to preview an event that hasn’t been announced.
The forum will be next week, the person said. Punchbowl first reported the news.
The DNC chair election is scheduled for Feb. 1. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-New York) has already endorsed a candidate, Ben Wikler, chairman of the Wisconsin party. Vance mocks criticism of Alito after Trump call
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President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday continued to attack California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) over the fires burning out of control in the Los Angeles area. On Truth Social, he wrote: “One of the best and most beautiful parts of the United States of America is burning down to the ground. It’s ashes, and Gavin Newscum should resign. This is all his fault!!!” - Return to menu
Donald Trump told Senate Republicans that he is preparing nearly 100 executive orders for when he returns to the White House in 11 days, according to one lawmaker.
“He says he … has almost 100 executive orders that will go a long way to securing the border again and also put the energy sector back in play,” Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma) said Thursday on Fox News, a day after Trump met with the Senate GOP.
Mullin said Trump noted that executive orders are “not permanent,” nodding to the need for Republicans in Congress to unify on how to tackle his agenda. Is this AOC’s moment?
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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York), who isamong the best-known Democrats and boasts a largeand loyal following, has struggled to leverage her national prominence inside the halls of Congress. Some lawmakers still resent her pastdivisive tactics, while others are jealous of the attention she receives, according to Democrats who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe party dynamics.
This is an excerpt from a full story.
Musk, Ramaswamy put spotlight on proliferation of U.S. regulations
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A surge in federal regulations, long maligned by Republicans, is getting fresh attention as Donald Trump prepares once again to take office.
As part of their nongovernmental “Department of Government Efficiency,” tech entrepreneurs Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy have vowed to move rapidly to slash federal rules, with plans to have Trump immediately freeze “thousands” through executive order and permanently undo thousands more.
This is an excerpt from a full story.
Biden cancels Rome trip, citing federal response to California fires
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President Joe Biden has canceled his scheduled trip to Rome on Thursday to meet with the pope and Italian leaders. He will focus instead on directing the federal response to the devastating wildfires in California, the White House said Wednesday night.
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President Joe Biden — along with former presidents Donald Trump, Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton — will attend the state funeral Thursday for Jimmy Carter, who died on Dec. 29, a rare reunion of all five living current and former presidents. The funeral will begin at 10 a.m. Biden is expected to deliver a eulogy.
Biden was originally scheduled to fly to Rome after the eulogy, but he canceled the trip to focus on directing the federal response to the wildfires around Los Angeles, the White House announced Wednesday night. Republicans won the election’s influencer race. Democrats want to catch up.
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Less than a month before the election, Donald Trump appeared on the comedy podcast “Flagrant,” where he discussed topics both informal — making his son clean up after a party at Trump Tower — and more serious: the assassination attempt against him in Pennsylvania.
This is an excerpt from a full story.
As Trump takes over, FTC’s Lina Khan says Big Tech scrutiny will persist
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Lina Khan expressed confidence Wednesday that the Federal Trade Commission’s victories against tech companies on her watch will stand and that scrutiny of their practices will endure as her aggressive tenure leading the agency ends and President-elect Donald Trump’s enforcers take over.
This is an excerpt from a full story.
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A nomination hearing for Pam Bondi, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general, will be held on Jan. 15 at 9:30 a.m. Eastern time, according to a notice from the Senate Judiciary Committee, and the committee’s hearing will continue the following day. After Trump visit, Republicans still divided on tax and border security plan
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Senate Republicans emerged from a closed-door meeting with President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday night no closer to a plan to implement Trump’s campaign promises on border security, energy production and tax cuts, lawmakers said, as the GOP tries to keep an internal dispute from derailing Trump’s early agenda.
This is an excerpt from a full story.
As L.A. burns, Trump blames Newsom — and California governor pushes back
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President-elect Donald Trump and California Gov. Gavin Newsom clashed Wednesday over fires burning out of control in the Los Angeles area, injecting national politics into a growing crisis in the city that Vice President Kamala Harris calls home and that President Joe Biden was visiting for the birth of his great-grandson.
During a news conference Tuesday, Newsom urged Trump not to “play any politics” during the “precious moments that we have to evacuate.”
This is an excerpt from a full story.
Analysis: The writing is on the wall for a big immigration bill
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It has been almost 40 years since the last major overhaul of the country’s immigration laws — a passage of time that both political parties generally agree has rendered those laws woefully out of date but hasn’t created consensus on how to fix them.
There are growing signs that this moment could be as conducive as any since then — if not more — to resetting that clock.
This is an excerpt from a full story.
