Donald Trump has issued a warning to Liz Cheney and her fellow House committee members who were tasked with investigating the January 6 Capitol riot.
In his interview with Meet the Press, airing Sunday, the president-elect said that the members “should go to jail.”
Trump insisted that he would not direct the Justice Department to arrest Cheney or the other members – or to go after his political rivals.
He also revealed that he plans to pardon the Capitol rioters on “day one” of taking office.
The interview comes after the president-elect returned to the world stage for the first time since his election victory, as he joined global leaders at the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on Saturday.
Ahead of the ceremony, Trump met with French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris on Saturday.
“The world is going a little crazy right now,” the president-elect told reporters.
On Friday, Trump threw his support behind Pete Hegseth, his nominee for secretary of defense, blaming the “fake news” for the backlash against the former Fox News host, following allegations concerning sexual harassment and drinking.
Key Points
- Trump meets Zelensky in return to world stage in Paris
- Trump says ‘world is going a little crazy’ as he meets with Emmanuel Macron
- PICTURED: Trump meets Prince William as he arrives at Notre Dame reopening ceremony
- Pete Hegseth: Trump not giving up on ‘fantastic, high energy’ nominee as he blasts ‘fake news’
- Will Biden issue blanket pardons for Trump targets?
TODAY: Trump’s sitdown with Meet the Press set to air – as he defends Pete Hegseth
14:35
Rachel Sharp
Donald Trump’s full interview with Meet the Press’s Kristen Welker is set to air this morning, in which the president-elect will defend Pete Hegseth as his defense secretary pick.
In a preview clip of the sitdown, Trump dismissed the drinking claims against the former Fox host and insisted he believes he has what it takes to secure Senate nomination.
“It looks like Pete is doing well now,” Trump said.
“I mean, people were a little bit concerned. He’s a young guy, with a tremendous track record actually. He went to Princeton and went to Harvard. He was a good student at both. But he loves the military and I think people are starting to see it so we’ll be working on his nomination along with a lot of others.”
Trump: I have spoken to people that know [Hegseth] very well and they say he does not have a drinking problem. pic.twitter.com/unTZvEoZsS
— Acyn (@Acyn) December 7, 2024
WATCH: Donald Trump’s four-word remark to Prince William during historic Notre Dame meeting
14:15
Rachel Sharp
NEW: Trump calls for ceasefire talks between Russia and Ukraine as Assad flees Syria
13:42
Rachel Sharp
Read Trump’s full post below:
Assad is gone. He has fled his country. His protector, Russia, Russia, Russia, led by Vladimir Putin, was not interested in protecting him any longer. There was no reason for Russia to be there in the first place. They lost all interest in Syria because of Ukraine, where close to 600,000 Russian soldiers lay wounded or dead, in a war that should never have started, and could go on forever. Russia and Iran are in a weakened state right now, one because of Ukraine and a bad economy, the other because of Israel and its fighting success. Likewise, Zelenskyy and Ukraine would like to make a deal and stop the madness. They have ridiculously lost 400,000 soldiers, and many more civilians. There should be an immediate ceasefire and negotiations should begin. Too many lives are being so needlessly wasted, too many families destroyed, and if it keeps going, it can turn into something much bigger, and far worse. I know Vladimir well. This is his time to act. China can help. The World is waiting!
Rudy Giuliani’s ‘girlfriend’ sues Trump crony for ‘humiliating’ her on disgraced ex-NYC mayor’s radio show
13:00
Justin Rohrlich
‘Dr. Maria’ Ryan claims in a lawsuit that billionaire Trump backer John Catsimatides launched a campaign to ‘undermine’ her before unceremoniously firing her — via text message — for complaining about alleged workplace discrimination.
Watch: Joe Manchin suggests Biden should pardon Trump next
12:00
Ariana Baio
‘The handshake battles continue’: Trump and Macron mocked as duo’s intense greeting spotted again
11:00
Ariana Baio
Social media was flooded with jokes on Saturday afternoon after President-elect Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron exchanged one of their memorably long, white-knuckled handshakes while meeting in France.
Ahead of the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral, Trump and Macron greeted each other with a 10-second long handshake in which Trump assertively grabbed the French president’s hand and shook it with gusto.
Trump talks ending Ukraine war with Zelensky in ‘good and productive’ first in-person meeting since US election
09:00
Tom Watling
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has described his first in-person talks with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump since November’s U.S. election as “productive” as the pair discussed ending the war as soon as possible.
Trump arrived in Paris for a ceremony to mark the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral, destroyed by a fire in 2019, in a return to the world stage at a time leaders are jostling for his attention.
The meeting with Zelensky was brokered and attended by French President Emmanuel Macron, who played a key role in the service at the cathedral amid turmoil in French politics.
On the 35-minute three-way meeting on Saturday night, Zelensky described it as “good and productive,” adding: “We all want this war to end as soon as possible and in a just way. We spoke about our people, the situation on the ground, and a just peace.”
Watch: Trump says world gone crazy as he meets Macron ahead of Notre Dame re-opening
07:00
Ariana Baio
Editorial: Trump’s Notre-Dame showing will be judged by his art of the deal on Ukraine
05:01
Ariana Baio
The reopening of Notre-Dame gives the US president-elect a chance to make early progress on foreign policy
Read more here:
Trump adds more billionaires to his administration after promising to help ‘everyday Americans’
03:00
Alex Woodward
Donald Trump’s campaign pledged to be a champion for the working class. He ran campaign ads vowing to lift up the “hardest working citizens.” The Republican National Convention even put the spotlight on “everyday Americans.”
But his incoming administration reflects a government run by billionaires, stuffed with Wall Street fixtures, investment bankers, real estate developers and oil executives, all within reach of power to slash services that millions of poor and vulnerable Americans depend on.
Alex Woodward reports:
ICYMI: Trump’s team weighs withholding massive research grants
02:00
Gustaf Kilander
President-elect Donald Trump’s team is considering the possibility of withholding massive research grants from “woke” schools they claim lack academic freedom.
Trump’s nominee to head the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, a physician and economist at Stanford, reportedly wants to target so-called “cancel culture” at a number of top progressive universities, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Those with knowledge of Bhattacharya’s thinking told the newspaper that he’s considering linking the doling out of billions in federal research grants to a measure of “academic freedom” on campuses and punishing those that apparently don’t adequately embrace perspectives championed by conservatives.
Trump team prospectives go through loyalty test: report
01:30
Ariana Baio
Those vying for a high-security clearance position in Trump’s administration go through rounds of interviews with a team of MAGA loyalists who question the perspectives’ allegiance to the incoming president, according to a recent New York Times report.
Those questions include whether they supported the most recent three presidential elections, their opinion of January 6, 2021, and if the 2020 election was stolen, people who interviewed for jobs or were involved in the process told the Times.
Perspectives who said they affirmed President Biden won the 2020 election or denounced violence at the Capitol on January 6 told the New York Times they did not get the job.
Charlie Kirk, the right-wing social media influencer, is said to be among those conducting the so-called ‘loyalty test’.
Karoline Leavitt, the incoming White House Press Secretary, declined to confirm the truth of the loyalty test to the Times but said, “President Trump will continue to appoint highly qualified men and women who have the talent, experience, and necessary skill sets to make America great again.”
White House national security adviser calls transition ‘good’
01:00
Ariana Baio
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said the transition between the Biden administration and Trump’s incoming national security team has been “professional”, “substantive” and “good.”
“It has been professional, it has been substantive, and frankly, it has been good,” Sullivan said at the Reagan National Defense Forum on Saturday.
“Obviously, we don’t see eye to eye on every issue, and that’s no secret to anybody, but there is a deep conviction on the part of the incoming national security team that we are dealing with, including my successor, and on our part, directed from President Biden, that it is our job, on behalf of the American people, to make sure this is a smooth transition.”
ICYMI: TikTok could try to fight fast-approaching US ban at the Supreme Court
00:00
Alex Woodward
A federal appeals court has turned down TikTok’s challenge of a quickly approaching forced sale or nationwide ban of the immensely popular app in the United States, but the company could soon ask the Supreme Court to step in.
Friday’s decision from the Washington DC-based appellate court sided with the Department of Justice, which has argued that the federal government has the authority to restrict or ban the app on grounds that it allegedly poses a national security risk if its China-based parent company ByteDance exposes Americans’ data or manipulates what they see.
TikTok argued that the ban infringes on its users’ First Amendment protections, but the three-judge panel agreed that the government “has offered persuasive evidence” that a law passed by Congress to potentially ban the app is “narrowly tailored to protect national security.”
Donald Trump says Prince William ‘doing a fantastic job’ as they meet in Paris
Saturday 7 December 2024 23:00
Ariana Baio
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump praised the Prince of Wales for “doing a fantastic job” after the pair shared a warm greeting in Paris on Saturday night.
Prince William stepped in for his father, King Charles, to join world leaders for the ceremonial reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral five years after it was devastated by fire.
His presence was at the request of the government, which hopes a meeting between the prince and Trump will help form a platform for a relationship between Britain and the US.
The pair first greeted at the ceremony inside Notre Dame, when Trump patted Prince William on the shoulder before the pair shook hands.
After the service, they then went to the residence of the British ambassador for a meeting, with the prince seen standing in the foyer as Trump arrived.
On greeting again, Trump turned to reporters and said “Wow, what a nice group”. He then gestured to the prince and said: “Good man, this one.”
Prince William last met the 78-year-old in 2019 when the then-president made a state visit to the U.K.
Trump expected to meet with Italian Prime Minister tonight
Saturday 7 December 2024 22:30
Ariana Baio
President-elect Trump is expected to meet with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni tonight at a reception dinner for the Notre Dame reopening ceremony.
The two will meet in a “private pull aside” at that the dinner, hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, a source familiar with the plans told CNN.
Meloni was elected this summer – the first far-right government elected to leadership since the era of Mussolini.
Brian Cox shares plans to avoid the US after Donald Trump victory
Saturday 7 December 2024 22:00
Tom Murray
Scottish actor Brian Cox has said he will “try to spend as much time here” in the UK as he can following the results of the US presidential election.
The Succession star, 78, has been outspoken about his views on President-elect Donald Trump and called him a “monster” while he was a guest on Channel 4’s live coverage of the US election last month.
Tom Murray reports:
In pictures: Trump and Prince William meet in France
Saturday 7 December 2024 21:30
Ariana Baio
ICYMI: Elon Musk spent over $250 million to help Trump get elected, new filings show
Saturday 7 December 2024 21:00
Katie Hawkinson
Elon Musk spent over $250m on political donations to help Donald Trump retake the White House this year, new federal filings show.
Federal Election Commission documents published Thursday revealed that Musk handed over more than $230m to the America PAC — a political action committee that the Tesla billionaire created and which ultimately grew into a vital fundraising organ for the Trump campaign.
In the few weeks before Election Day, Musk made three separate $25m donations to America PAC, the filings show.
Read on:
Reality TV personalities and tourist photoshoots: Outside Mar-a-Lago with Trump’s new fan club
Saturday 7 December 2024 20:40
Katie Hawkinson
In West Palm Beach, Florida, The Independent’s Eric Garcia met the MAGA superfans who are camping outside Trump’s estate at all hours.
Check out the story here:
Trump hits out at Obama as he says U.S. should not get involved in Syria conflict: ‘Not our fight’
Saturday 7 December 2024 20:20
Rachel Sharp
Donald Trump criticized former President Barack Obama while wading into the ongoing Syria conflict on Saturday, saying the U.S. should not get involved nor should it have ever inserted itself in the matter.
In keeping with his isolationist foreign policy, the president-elect wrote on Truth Social that the United States “should have nothing to do with” the situation in Syria – where rebels are currently trying to take over the capital in an attempt to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad’s government.
“THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT. LET IT PLAY OUT. DO NOT GET INVOLVED!” Trump wrote.
Read the full story:
Trump v Macron: Forceful handshake raises eyebrows on social media
Saturday 7 December 2024 20:00
Rachel Sharp
I’ve missed the Trump-Macron arm-wrestles. pic.twitter.com/hZmWnrLdlx
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) December 7, 2024
7 years later and the handshake battle continues between Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron. pic.twitter.com/hV0uKKan8b
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) December 7, 2024
Full story: Donald Trump meets Volodymyr Zelensky in return to world stage at Notre Dame reopening
Saturday 7 December 2024 19:40
Rachel Sharp
US President-elect Donald Trump has returned to the world stage while also meeting Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in Paris for the reopening of the Notre Dame cathedral.
Mr Trump was among dozens of world leaders at the event to mark the restoration of the French landmark which was destroyed by a fire in 2019. Also there was Prince William, who was pictured shaking hands with Mr Trump.
More than a month remains until Mr Trump is inaugurated, but against the backdrop of two major land wars in Europe and the Middle East, as well as several other devastating conflicts in Africa and Asia, world leaders have been jostling for his attention.
Read the full story:
Leader: Trump’s Notre-Dame showing will be judged by his art of the deal on Ukraine
Saturday 7 December 2024 19:20
Rachel Sharp
Editorial: The reopening of Notre-Dame gives the US president-elect a chance to make early progress on foreign policy
PICTURED: Trump meets Prince William as he arrives at Notre Dame reopening ceremony
Saturday 7 December 2024 19:00
Rachel Sharp
Zelensky says he and Trump had a ‘good’ meeting
Saturday 7 December 2024 18:40
Rachel Sharp
Ukrainian President Volodyrmr Zelensky has said that he and Donald Trump had a “good” meeting in Paris.
In a post on X, Zelensky wrote: “I had a good and productive trilateral meeting with President @realDonaldTrump and President @EmmanuelMacron at the Élysée Palace.
“President Trump is, as always, resolute. I thank him. I also extend my gratitude to Emmanuel for organizing this important meeting. We all want this war to end as soon as possible and in a just way. We spoke about our people, the situation on the ground, and a just peace. We agreed to continue working together and keep in contact. Peace through strength is possible.”
I had a good and productive trilateral meeting with President @realDonaldTrump and President @EmmanuelMacron at the Élysée Palace.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) December 7, 2024
President Trump is, as always, resolute. I thank him. I also extend my gratitude to Emmanuel for organizing this important meeting.
We all want… pic.twitter.com/eKMtuhp2ZI
Rudy Giuliani’s ‘girlfriend’ sues Trump crony for ‘humiliating’ her on disgraced ex-NYC mayor’s radio show
Saturday 7 December 2024 18:20
Justin Rohrlich
Rudy Giuliani’s “alleged girlfriend” says she was subjected to ongoing “ridicule” and “humiliation” during her tenure as the co-host of the disgraced former New York City mayor’s radio show on 77 WABC, accusing billionaire station owner and deep-pocketed Trump backer John Catsimatides of implementing a craven campaign to “undermine” her position before unceremoniously firing her — via text message — for complaining.
Continue reading:
Donald Trump to meet with Prince William after Notre Dame reopening ceremony
Saturday 7 December 2024 18:00
Katie Hawkinson
President-elect Donald Trump will meet with Prince William after the Notre Dame Cathedral reopening ceremony, a Kensington Palace spokesperson told CNN.
Prince William will also meet with First Lady Jill Biden at the ceremony.
Earlier today, Trump sat down with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris.
Hegseth’s lawyer threatens extortion lawsuit against woman who accused him of sex assault
Saturday 7 December 2024 17:43
Gustaf Kilander
The attorney for Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to be defense secretary, has threatened the woman who accused Hegseth of sexual assault with an extortion lawsuit if he’s not confirmed for the top Pentagon spot.
Tim Parlatore argued on CNN that the woman may not be guilty of extortion in the criminal sense, but that she could be taken to court for civil extortion if a lawsuit was filed.
In pictures: Trump, Zelensky and Macron meet in Paris
Saturday 7 December 2024 17:20
Katie Hawkinson
Watch: Trump says world gone crazy as he meets Macron ahead of Notre Dame re-opening
Saturday 7 December 2024 17:01
Katie Hawkinson
Zelensky joins meeting with Trump, Macron
Saturday 7 December 2024 16:45
Katie Hawkinson
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky joined President-elect Donald Trump’s meeting with Emmanuel Macron in Paris, France on Saturday.
The world leaders are gathering in Paris for the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral.
Trump declares US should ‘NOT GET INVOLVED’ in Syria conflict
Saturday 7 December 2024 16:40
Katie Hawkinson
President-elect Donald Trump said the US should “NOT GET INVOLVED” in Syria, where rebels are threatening President Bashar al-Assad’s government.
“In any event, Syria is a mess, but is not our friend, & THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Saturday. “THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT. LET IT PLAY OUT. DO NOT GET INVOLVED!”
In pictures: Donald Trump meets with French President Emmanuel Macron
Saturday 7 December 2024 16:20
Katie Hawkinson
What are preemptive pardons?
Saturday 7 December 2024 16:00
Katie Hawkinson
Outgoing President Joe Biden and his White House team are considering issuing preemptive pardons to protect those they believe may be targeted for retribution by President-elect Donald Trump.
Pardons are usually issued to those who have been accused of a specific crime and those who have already been convicted.
But the Biden administration is looking at issuing pardons to people who haven’t been investigated or charged with anything.
Read more about preemptive pardons, and how Biden might use them ahead of Trump’s inauguration:
Trump says ‘world is going a little crazy’ as he meets with Emmanuel Macron
Saturday 7 December 2024 15:58
Katie Hawkinson
Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron have met in France ahead of the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral on Saturday.
“The world is going a little crazy right now,” the president-elect told reporters as he shook hands with Macron. “We’ll be talking about that.”
The event marks Trump’s return to the geopolitical stage six weeks before he returns to the White House.
Prince William to represent the King alongside Donald Trump at reopening of Notre Dame
Saturday 7 December 2024 15:40
Katie Hawkinson
Prince William and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are among the world leaders who will join President-elect Donald Trump at the re-opening of the Notre Dame Cathedral on Saturday.
More than 1,500 guests will be present at the service, which will be led by the Catholic archbishop of Paris, Laurent Ulrich.
Read more:
Watch live: Macron meets with Trump and Zelensky ahead of Notre Dame Cathedral reopening
Saturday 7 December 2024 15:30
Katie Hawkinson
An Alabama couple were ardent Trump supporters. Then their trans son told them he wanted to die
Saturday 7 December 2024 15:20
Michelle Del Rey
Carolyn Fisher will never forget the moment her son told her he wanted to die.
It was November 3, two days before the presidential election. Fisher’s 16-year-old non-binary son, who uses he/they pronouns, was part of an online suicide pact with three other transgender and non-binary teens in Florida, Alabama and Tennessee. The friends who’d met on Discord had agreed to die by suicide if former president Donald Trump won the 2024 election.
The plan had been set since September. The teens hoped their deaths would send a message to conservative lawmakers and stop them from enacting restrictive policies targeting trans youth.
But as the election approached, her son called a crisis hotline for help. He told the case manager on the other line about the plan, and the case manager helped them tell his parents.
Gathered around their kitchen table, Fisher asked her child what was going on.
Read more:
Outside Mar-a-Lago with Trump’s new fan club
Saturday 7 December 2024 15:00
Oliver O’Connell
Eric Garcia reports from Palm Beach, Florida:
On the Southern Boulevard bridge next to President-elect Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in West Palm Beach, there is a parked car festooned with Trump flags. Jestin Nevarez — who blasts out a rap version of Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA” titled “Trump Saved the USA” on repeat — is the owner.
“I come out here and show support,” he told The Independent. “And right now, Mar-a-Lago is a tourist attraction. So when people drive by, they see the flags, they hear the music, they stop in and they have a good time.”
People do indeed stop to take photos of Nevarez’s car and snap photos of the once and future president’s estate.
Palm Beach has changed in the years since Trump first became president.
Continue reading...
White House refuses to rule out Biden issuing blanket pardons for Trump targets
Saturday 7 December 2024 14:35
Oliver O'Connell
Less than a week after President Joe Biden issued a sweeping pardon for his only surviving son — despite denying for months that he would do so — the White House appears to be leaving him room to maneuver on another, similar issue.
The question of whether Biden might grant unprecedented preemptive pardons to a range of public figures who might find themselves in the crosshairs of Donald Trump’s second administration remains unanswered.
Andrew Feinberg reports from Washington, DC.
Trump will return to geopolitical stage at Notre Dame re-opening
Saturday 7 December 2024 14:33
Katie Hawkinson
President-elect Donald Trump will join world leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Prince William, at the re-opening of France’s Notre Dame Cathedral on Saturday.
This visit will mark Trump’s return to the global stage with just six weeks until he returns to the White House.
French President Emmanuel Macron invited the president-elect soon after congratulating him on X for his victory last month.
“Congratulations, President @realDonaldTrump. Ready to work together as we did for four years,” Macron wrote on X last month. “With your convictions and mine. With respect and ambition. For more peace and prosperity.”
Is Joni Ernst trying to sink Hesgeth for her own gain? Some think so...
Saturday 7 December 2024 13:35
Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump’s aides have suggested that Iowa Senator Joni Ernst may be trying to sink the nomination of Pete Hegseth as defense secretary so that she can get the job instead.
Ernst, a combat veteran and sexual assault survivor, has so far refused to publicly back Hegseth’s selection by Trump amid a string of controversies surrounding the Fox News host.
Ariana Baio has the story.
Biden is considering using preemptive pardons — what are they?
Saturday 7 December 2024 12:35
Oliver O'Connell
Outgoing President Joe Biden and his White House team are considering issuing preemptive pardons to protect those they believe may be targeted for retribution by President-elect Donald Trump.
The move is mostly being discussed among White House attorneys, but the president has also spoken about the possible measure with some of his aides, two sources have said, according to the Associated Press.
A decision has yet to be made on the issue and Biden may still choose not to issue any preemptive pardons.
Gustaf Kilander