Donald Trump's transition team is firefighting serious allegations surrounding two of his top cabinet picks – 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 investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use against the former Florida representative was dropped after Gaetz immediately resigned from the House on Wednesday following Trump's decision to nominate him to run the Justice Department.
However, there are growing calls for the ethics report to be released.
It comes as the president-elect's transition team is 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.
Trump's communications director Steven Cheung told the network that Hegseth “has vigorously denied any and all accusations, and no charges were filed.”
Meanwhile, Trump has announced Karoline Leavitt will be his White House press secretary and tapped Doug Burgum to lead the Interior Department and be chair of the newly-created National Energy Council.
Key Points
- Woman testified to House Ethics Committee she saw Matt Gaetz have sex with minor, her lawyer says
- Trump defense pick Pete Hegseth ‘faced sexual misconduct claims investigated by police’
- House speaker says he will ‘strongly request’ committee does not release Gaetz’s ethics report
- Republican senators don’t sound hopeful over Gaetz’s confirmation hearings
- RFK Jr branded ‘dangerous’ and ‘unserious’ as Trump taps him for health secretary
Woman testified to House Ethics Committee she saw Matt Gaetz have sex with minor, her lawyer says
15:57
Rhian Lubin
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.
Gaetz denies any wrongdoing.
Read the full story below.
Trump aide in charge of mass deportations threatens ‘shock and awe’ on day one of new administration
15:00
Oliver O'Connell
Trump border czar Tom Homan has pledged to institute a regime of “shock and awe” on the first day of the new administration.
The former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) took part in Donald Trump Jr’s program on the video streaming platform Rumble this week.
The pair discussed Homan’s plans to put together mass deportations of millions of illegal immigrants.
Gustaf Kilander reports.
IN DEPTH: Putin and Trump are deluded about one another – and Ukraine will pay the price
14:30
Oliver O'Connell
Tom Watling reports:
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin seriously underestimate what the other is capable of and that carries far-ranging risks for Ukraine over Russia’s invasion, Britain’s former spy chief and ex-diplomats have told The Independent.
Trump’s US election victory last week has upended Europe’s plan to back Kyiv for “as long as it takes”. His focus is on ending the war quickly, even if that potentially means pushing Kyiv to cede territory currently occupied by Russia.
Sir Alex Younger, former chief of MI6 from 2014 to 2020, believes both the incoming president and his Russian counterpart overestimate their ability to influence the other.
“I think Trump overestimates his ability to force Putin into a land swap where Putin clearly wants a lot more, when he feels that he is winning and when he has to show [the Russian people] a lot more if he is to justify the appalling sacrifice he’s imposed,” he says. “Trump is underestimating the challenge and overestimating his influence.”
Continue reading...
Why is RFK Jr facing pushback to his nomination from the right?
14:00
Oliver O'Connell
Robert F Kennedy Jr has questioned the effectiveness of vaccines and slammed the FDA’s “aggressive suppression” of raw milk — but some Republicans are warning he may not be right to lead federal health agencies for an entirely different reason: his stance on abortion.
Kelly Rissman explains.
ANALYSIS: Trump warned his second term would mean ‘retribution’. His alarming cabinet picks show he means it
13:30
Oliver O'Connell
Alex Woodward writes:
Trump’s first wave of cabinet nominations and White House appointments, within the week after he won the 2024 presidential election, have stunned members of Congress, veterans and active-duty service members, public health advocates and democratic advocates, who have warned for years that he is building a government of loyalists to fulfill his campaign-trail promises to deliver “retribution” by destroying the “deep state.”
Continue reading...
AOC: Tulsi Gabbard’s appointment the most worrisome
13:00
Oliver O'Connell
New York Democratic Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has said that the nomination of former Hawaii Rep Tulsi Gabbard to be the director of national intelligence is the most worrisome nomination so far among president-elect Donald Trump’s administration picks.
“I actually think, almost more than Matt Gaetz, Tulsi Gabbard’s appointment is devastating,” Ocasio-Cortez said on MSNBC on Thursday of Gabbard and the former Florida Rep nominated to be attorney general.
Gustaf Kilander reports.
ANALYSIS: Trump’s controversial cabinet picks will cost him political capital. Will they bankrupt him before he even takes office?
12:00
Oliver O'Connell
Andrew Feinberg writes:
Just over a week ago, Donald Trump became the first Republican presidential candidate to win both the Electoral College and the national popular vote since George W Bush in 2004.
And he appears to be repeating one of Bush’s most infamous mistakes.
Read on...
ICYMI: Speaker says he will ‘strongly request’ committee does not release Gaetz’s ethics report
11:00
Oliver O'Connell
Speaker Mike Johnson has said that he will request that the House Ethics Committee not release its report into allegations of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use made against former Florida Congressman and Attorney General nominee Matt Gaetz.
Asked if he thinks the report should come out, Johnson told reporters: “I do not. No, I think it’s a terrible breach of protocol.”
Gustaf Kilander reports.
How can Trump can bypass FBI background checks and security clearance for his key cabinet picks?
10:00
Oliver O'Connell
The FBI has vetted cabinet picks since President Dwight D Eisenhower was in the White House.
But if he so chooses, Donald Trump, himself a convicted felon, can bypass background checks for those he has nominated for key roles in his administration.
Incoming cabinet members have traditionally faced intensive screening from the FBI with a binary purpose: to help with the Senate confirmation process and to vet nominees for security clearance.
Criminal histories, conflicts of interest, financial problems or other potentially disqualifying factors are typically investigated through this process.
But, despite established procedure, the president does have the power to bypass such checks and grant immediate security clearance to officials.
James Liddell explains.
Who’s who in Trump’s proposed cabinet
09:00
Oliver O'Connell
President-elect Donald Trump is filling key posts in his second administration, putting an emphasis so far on aides and allies who were his strongest backers during the 2024 campaign.
Here’s a look at who he’s selected so far.
Could a bankruptcy judge could pump the brakes on The Onion’s purchase of InfoWars?
08:00
Oliver O'Connell
The bankruptcy judge overseeing the auction of Alex Jones’s InfoWars has raised concerns over the process by which satirical publication The Onion won the bid for the conspiracy theorist’s website and related properties, ending his 25-year run of the media company.
During a status conference on Thursday, hours after Jones raged on his final InfoWars broadcast that the “deep state” was shutting him down, District Judge Christopher Lopez said “no one should feel comfortable with the results of this auction.”
Alex Woodward reports.
Iran sent note to the White House promising not to kill Trump
06:00
Oliver O'Connell
Iran sent a private letter to the Joe Biden administration last month vowing it wouldn’t plot to kill Donald Trump, according to a report.
The letter from Tehran — delivered on October 14 — came in response to US officials’ private hand-written warning to the country in September, relating that any threats against the then-Republican nominee’s life would be “treated as an act of war,” the Wall Street Journal first reported.
Kelly Rissman has the story.
Trump’s cabinet picks show he’s ‘running the country like a reality show’, says Kimmel
04:00
Oliver O'Connell
Jimmy Kimmel has mocked Donald Trump for “running the country like a reality show” as the president-elect works to fill his second administration.
In the past two days, Trump has nominated former Democratic congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence, former Florida representative Matt Gaetz as attorney general, vocal anti-vaxxer Robert F Kennedy Jr as Health and Human Services secretary and Fox News contributor Pete Hegseth to lead the Pentagon.
While Republicans and Democrats have reacted to Trump’s controversial cabinet picks with a mixture of praise, criticism and confusion, the Jimmy Kimmel Live host described the nominations as being even “crazier “ than predicted.
James Liddell reports.
Trump aide in charge of mass deportations threatens ‘shock and awe’ on day one of new administration
03:00
Oliver O'Connell
Trump border czar Tom Homan has pledged to institute a regime of “shock and awe” on the first day of the new administration.
The former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) took part in Donald Trump Jr’s program on the video streaming platform Rumble this week.
The pair discussed Homan’s plans to put together mass deportations of millions of illegal immigrants.
Gustaf Kilander reports.
IN DEPTH: Putin and Trump are deluded about one another – and Ukraine will pay the price
02:00
Oliver O'Connell
Tom Watling reports:
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin seriously underestimate what the other is capable of and that carries far-ranging risks for Ukraine over Russia’s invasion, Britain’s former spy chief and ex-diplomats have told The Independent.
Trump’s US election victory last week has upended Europe’s plan to back Kyiv for “as long as it takes”. His focus is on ending the war quickly, even if that potentially means pushing Kyiv to cede territory currently occupied by Russia.
Sir Alex Younger, former chief of MI6 from 2014 to 2020, believes both the incoming president and his Russian counterpart overestimate their ability to influence the other.
“I think Trump overestimates his ability to force Putin into a land swap where Putin clearly wants a lot more, when he feels that he is winning and when he has to show [the Russian people] a lot more if he is to justify the appalling sacrifice he’s imposed,” he says. “Trump is underestimating the challenge and overestimating his influence.”
Continue reading...
How has RFK Jr said he will remake nation’s top health agencies?
01:30
AP
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an anti-vaccine activist and environmentalist, for years gained a loyal and fierce following with his biting condemnations of how the nation’s public health agencies do business.
And that’s put him on a direct collision course with some of the 80,000 scientists, researchers, doctors and other officials who work for the Department of Health and Human Services, especially with President-elect Donald Trump tapping him to head the agency.
If confirmed, Kennedy will control the world’s largest public health agency, and its $1.7 trillion budget.
The agency’s reach is massive. It provides health insurance for nearly half of the country — poor, disabled and older Americans. It oversees research of vaccines, diseases and cures. It regulates the medications found in medicine cabinets and inspects the foods that end up in cupboards.
A look at Kennedy’s comments about some of the agencies that fall within the HHS arena, and how he has said he plans to shake them up:
FBI: Offensive, racist texts sent to Black people, now expanded to other communities
01:00
Oliver O'Connell
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has released an update on the offensive and racist text messages sent to African American and Black communities across the country after the election, saying they have spread to Hispanic and LGBT+ communities.
A new statement was released on Friday:
The FBI is aware of the offensive and racist text messages sent to African American and Black communities around the country and is in contact with the Justice Department and other federal authorities on the matter. The reports are not identical and vary in their specific language, but many say the recipient has been selected to pick cotton on a plantation.
The text message recipients have now expanded to high school students, as well as both the Hispanic and LGBTQIA+ communities. Some recipients reported being told they were selected for deportation or to report to a re-education camp. The messages have also been reported as being received via email communication.
Although we have not received reports of violent acts stemming from these offensive messages, we are evaluating all reported incidents and engaging with the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. We are also sharing information with our law enforcement partners and community, academia, and faith leaders.
Recipients of messages consistent with those described are encouraged to report the details to the FBI by phone at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or online at tips.fbi.gov.
As always, we encourage members of the public to remain vigilant and report threats of violence or anything they consider suspicious to law enforcement immediately, call their local FBI office, or submit a report to tips.fbi.gov.
Here’s Katie Hawkinson with our initial reporting on the matter:
ANALYSIS: Trump warned his second term would mean ‘retribution’. His alarming cabinet picks show he means it
00:30
Oliver O'Connell
Alex Woodward writes:
There is no secret plan or conspiracy theory at work; putting an enemy of the “deep state” in charge of it, creating an agency named after a meme, naming widely loathed congressman Matt Gaetz as attorney general — it’s the trolling as politics that Trump’s movement inspired. It’s an absurd attack on the institutions that Trump despises, and they’re laughing all the way to the White House. It’s what he campaigned on, and he’s fulfilling his campaign promises.
Continue reading...
Trump appoints White House Press Secretary
00:30
Katie Hawkinson
Donald Trump has appointed Karoline Leavitt as his White House Press Secretary.
Leavitt served as national press secretary for his campaign.
“Karoline Leavitt did a phenomenal job as the National Press Secretary on my Historic Campaign, and I am pleased to announce she will serve as White House Press Secretary,” Trump said in a statement. “Karoline is smart, tough, and has proven to be a highly effective communicator. I have the utmost confidence she will excel at the podium, and help deliver our message to the American People as we, Make America Great Again.”
Giuliani associates ordered to appear in court amid suspicions former mayor hiding assets
00:00
Oliver O'Connell
Two people in former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s inner orbit must comply with their subpoenas in the defamation case as Giuliani’s deadline to hand over his belongings closes in, a judge ordered.
A federal judge in Giuliani’s case against Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss — a mother-daughter pair of election workers he owes $148 million for defaming — ordered Maria Ryan, Giuliani’s business partner, and Ted Goodman, his spokesperson, on Thursday to respond to subpoenas requesting information on their financial ties to the former mayor. Ryan and Goodman were served on August 5.
The order comes weeks after the cash-strapped former mayor revealed that he, Ryan, and Goodman formed a new business as recently as August 30 and he is storing some of his property in a Long Island storage facility under Ryan’s name.
Kelly Rissman has been following the case.
RFK Jr facing pushback to his appointment from the right — but not for conspiracies and vaccine stance...
Friday 15 November 2024 23:30
Oliver O'Connell
Robert F Kennedy Jr has questioned the effectiveness of vaccines and slammed the FDA’s “aggressive suppression” of raw milk — but some Republicans are warning he may not be right to lead federal health agencies for an entirely different reason: his stance on abortion.
Kelly Rissman explains.
AOC calls Tulsi Gabbard’s appointment the most worrisome of them all
Friday 15 November 2024 23:00
Oliver O'Connell
New York Democratic Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has said that the nomination of former Hawaii Rep Tulsi Gabbard to be the director of national intelligence is the most worrisome nomination so far among president-elect Donald Trump’s administration picks.
“I actually think, almost more than Matt Gaetz, Tulsi Gabbard’s appointment is devastating,” Ocasio-Cortez said on MSNBC on Thursday of Gabbard and the former Florida Rep nominated to be attorney general.
Gustaf Kilander has the story.
Vance says AP should be ‘ashamed’ over reporting on Hegseth tattoo
Friday 15 November 2024 22:40
Oliver O'Connell
Vice President-elect JD Vance has pushed back on reporting by the Associated Press that defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth has tattoos associated with white nationalists.
The Ohio senator wrote on X: “They're attacking Pete Hegseth for having a Christian motto tattooed on his arm. This is disgusting anti-Christian bigotry from the AP, and the entire organization should be ashamed of itself.”
They're attacking Pete Hegseth for having a Christian motto tattooed on his arm. This is disgusting anti-Christian bigotry from the AP, and the entire organization should be ashamed of itself. https://t.co/tQxuD3RPlx
— JD Vance (@JDVance) November 15, 2024
Per the AP’s reporting (see the previous blog post for the full report):
In an email Gaither sent on Jan. 14, 2021, which he provided to the AP, he raised concerns about Hegseth, a major at the time, and mentioned only the “Deus Vult” tattoo. In the email addressed to then-Maj. Gen. William Walker, who was commanding general of the D.C. National Guard, Gauther raised concern that the phrase was associated with white supremacists who invoke the idea of a white Christian medieval past as well as the Christian crusades.
Here’s former Trump White House homeland security and counter-terrorism adviser Olivia Troye on the matter: “Pete Hegseth’s tattoos are the ones that white nationalists get. Federal law enforcement know these symbols well. Hegseth was banned from national guard duty at Biden’s inauguration for those tattoos. The Senate should consider this disqualifying for a nominee for Secretary of Defense...”
Pete Hegseth’s tattoos are the ones that white nationalists get. Federal law enforcement know these symbols well. Hegseth was banned from national guard duty at Biden’s inauguration for those tattoos. The Senate should consider this disqualifying for a nominee for Secretary of…
— Olivia of Troye (@OliviaTroye) November 15, 2024
Trump defense pick was flagged as possible ‘Insider Threat’ by fellow service member
Friday 15 November 2024 22:30
Oliver O'Connell
Pete Hegseth, the Army National Guard veteran and Fox News host nominated by Donald Trump to lead the Department of Defense, was flagged as a possible “Insider Threat” by a fellow service member due to a tattoo he has that’s associated with white supremacist groups.
Hegseth, who has downplayed the role of military members and veterans in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack and railed against the Pentagon’s subsequent efforts to address extremism in the ranks, has said he was pulled by his District of Columbia National Guard unit from guarding Joe Biden’s January 2021 inauguration. He’s said he was unfairly identified as an extremist due to a cross tattoo on his chest.
This week, however, a fellow Guard member who was the unit’s security manager and on an anti-terrorism team at the time, shared with The Associated Press an email he sent to the unit’s leadership flagging a different tattoo that’s been used by white supremacists, concerned it was an indication of an “Insider Threat.”
Continue reading...
Schiff calls for Gaetz ethics report to be turned over to Senate
Friday 15 November 2024 22:19
Oliver O'Connell
California Senator-elect, Trump nemesis and congressman, Adam Schiff, has called for the House ethics investigation report on former congressman Matt Gaetz to be turned over to the Senate.
No one should be able to resign from Congress to hide serious misconduct from the public.
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) November 15, 2024
And certainly not someone under consideration for Attorney General.
The House ethics report on Matt Gaetz must be turned over to the Senate.
RFK Jr’s nomination sees stocks tank for drugmakers
Friday 15 November 2024 22:00
Oliver O'Connell
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).
Kennedy has faced widespread criticism for his baseless claims that some vaccines are not safe and effective and that they’re linked to autism. He has said that he will institute a purge at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and that he will remove fluoride from the public water supply and take measures to limit ultra-processed food.
Gustaf Kilander has the latest.
Watch: Trump not playing 4D chess with nominations
Friday 15 November 2024 21:50
Oliver O'Connell
Jared Kushner expected to return as ‘outside adviser’ to Trump on Middle East
Friday 15 November 2024 21:40
Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner is expected to be an “outside adviser” to the President-elect on Middle East issues, though reportedly may not have an official role in the administration.
Kushner, who is married to Ivanka Trump, is a trusted advisor to the President-elect, having built up strong regional relationships during his time serving in the first Trump presidency from 2017 to 2021.
Mike Bedigan reports.
Trump was convicted in his hush money case — now his lawyers are being rewarded with DOJ jobs
Friday 15 November 2024 21:20
Oliver O'Connell
Alex Woodward writes:
The lawyers who defended Donald Trump in his criminal cases and demanded the Supreme Court shield him from prosecution have been awarded job offers for some of the biggest roles in federal law enforcement.
Continue reading...
Mississippi senator won’t be Trump’s agriculture secretary
Friday 15 November 2024 21:14
Oliver O'Connell
Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi says that while “it’s an honor to be mentioned as a potential nominee for Secretary of Agriculture, she will remain in the Senate and plans to seek re-election in 2026.
.@SenHydeSmith won’t be agriculture secretary for Trump; will seek reelection in 2026. pic.twitter.com/MLi2OlTZwk
— Anthony Adragna (@AnthonyAdragna) November 15, 2024
Joe Rogan: Celebrities privately ‘thanked’ him for Trump endorsement
Friday 15 November 2024 21:00
Oliver O'Connell
Joe Rogan has claimed that several people in the entertainment industry have thanked him for endorsing President-elect Donald Trump.
Speaking on a recent episode of his Joe Rogan Experience podcast, the 57-year-old host shared that he had received praise from artists, musicians, and comedians for publicly supporting Trump in the 2024 election.
Inga Parkel reports.
