Donald Trump has chosen South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem to lead the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in his forthcoming administration as his White House team continues to take shape.
The president-elect is also reportedly preparing to appoint Florida Senator Marco Rubio to be as his secretary of state and Florida congressman Mike Waltz as his national security adviser.
On Monday, the Republican announced that the former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Tom Homan, will come in as border czar, tasked with enacting the mass deportation of illegal immigrants he promised on the campaign trail.
Trump also picked another anti-immigration hardliner, Stephen Miller – architect of some of the most controversial border policies from his first term, including family separation – to be his deputy chief of staff for policy.
New York Republican Representative Elise Stefanik has been tapped to serve as ambassador to the UN and ex-congressman Lee Zeldin to steer the Environmental Protection Agency.
Trump will meet with Joe Biden at the White House on Wednesday to discuss a transition schedule as the Senate elects a new majority leader to replace the outgoing Mitch McConnell.
Key Points
- Donald Trump taps South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem for Homeland Security secretary in new cabinet
- President-elect wants Marco Rubio for secretary of state
- Trump picks New York Republican Lee Zeldin to lead EPA
- Stephen Miller expected to be Trump’s deputy chief of staff for policy
- Trump and Joe Biden to meet at White House this week
Donald Trump taps South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem for Homeland Security secretary in new cabinet
08:29
Joe Sommerlad
The president-elect has chosen South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem to lead the Department of Homeland Security in his forthcoming administration as his White House team continues to take shape.
Noem might be best known to millions around the world after revealing in her memoir earlier this year that she had shot dead her disobedient pet dog Cricket, an anecdote that was seemingly intended to convey her leadership qualities but which instead may have cost her the chance to run as Trump’s vice presidential nominee, an honor that instead went to Ohio Senator JD Vance.
Here’s James Liddell on his latest appointment.
Trump’s biggest critics are already bracing for retribution
08:00
Alex Woodward
Donald Trump — who baselessly accuses President Joe Biden’s administration of “weaponizing” law enforcement and the court against him — will enter office on January 20, 2025, with an array of executive powers at his fingertips.
He could soon prepare to seek revenge against those he believes have wronged him.
One unelected woman in the Senate could stand in the way of Trump and his immigration plans
07:00
Rhian Lubin
There is one unelected, nonpartisan woman standing in the way of Donald Trump’s plans to crack down on immigration and the border.
Senate parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough, essentially a referee of the Senate, is responsible for ensuring that lawmakers follow the rules that govern how legislation moves forward. And it’s her role that could prove to be the last roadblock before Trump can implement sweeping immigration reforms.
Trump has made it clear he intends to stop the flow of migrants across the border and, with immigration hardliner Tom Homan in the post of “Border Czar,” they plan to strip back protections for migrant minors.
Panic at the DOJ: Lawyers ready to flee as Trump loyalists are set to commandeer the agency
06:30
Rhian Lubin
Panic has set in at the Department of Justice as lawyers are considering fleeing the agency before Trump loyalists take over and execute his vision, according to reports.
Donald Trump’s scorn for the DOJ has only grown over the last four years as he became the subject of two criminal prosecutions, and he has previously talked of transforming the agency.
“Everyone I’ve talked to, mostly lawyers, are losing their minds,” one DOJ attorney told Politico, who could only speak anonymously to avoid retribution from the president-elect and his loyalists.
“The fear is that career leadership and career employees everywhere are either going to leave or they’re going to be driven out.”
Harris and Biden seen together at Arlington cemetery in first joint appearance since Election Day loss
06:00
John Bowden
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris made their first joint public appearance since the vice president’s defeat to Donald Trump in the presidential election.
The two marked Veterans Day on Monday at Arlington National Cemetary, where the two laid a wreath as part of the annual ceremony. Biden then delivered remarks at the ceremony and hardly spoke of the election.
The event at Arlington is nonpartisan, and the two appeared together, walking in solemn procession. The vice president appeared stoic with no hint of a smile during the ceremony, while Biden appeared slightly stiff and was fighting a cough. His eyes appeared closed during parts of the event.
Trump ready to name immigration hardliner Stephen Miller as policy leader in White House
05:30
Eric Garcia
President-elect Donald Trump is reportedly gearing up to name Stephen Miller, his former senior adviser and a hardliner on immigration, to serve as his deputy chief of staff for policy, CNN reported.
Miller has long worked in Trumpworld, dating to the president-elect’s 2016 campaign as a speechwriter. He served as a senior adviser in the first Trump administration. In that capacity, he helped craft the “zero tolerance” policy that separated migrant children from their parents.
Miller also helped craft the Trump administration’s travel ban from majority-Muslim countries.
AOC confronts Trump’s border czar over family separation policy
05:00
Julia Saqui
President-elect Donald Trump’s choice for border czar previously clashed with democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez over his support for a family separation policy along the US-Mexico border. The New York congresswoman sparred with Tom Homan during a House Oversight Committee hearing in 2019. At the time, Homan said he supported a “zero tolerance” border policy, and confirmed that he recommended family separation as top of a list of policies aimed at tackling illegal immigration.
He was acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement during Trump’s first term, and has since vowed to execute the “biggest deportation operation this country’s ever seen” once he joins Trump’s second administration.
Starmer and Macron vow to put Ukraine ‘in strongest possible position’ before Trump becomes president
04:30
Millie Cooke
Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron have vowed to put Ukraine in the “strongest possible position” going into winter, in a boost in support before Donald Trump returns to the Oval Office.
In a show of European solidarity days after Trump’s election win, the two leaders held talks in Paris to mark Armistice Day and consider how best to continue supporting the war-torn country.
It comes amid suggestions that the UK and France could seek to persuade Joe Biden to permit Ukraine to use Storm Shadow missiles to strike into Russia before he leaves the White House.
There have been concerns over Mr Trump’s approach to the war, with the president-elect criticising Washington’s provision of tens of billions of dollars worth of aid to Ukraine since it was invaded by Russia, as well as expressing skepticism towards Nato and accusing European countries of free-riding on America’s promise of protection.
Ex-Biden aide rips Pelosi for Biden’s ‘demise;
04:13
Josh Marcus
A former Biden White House official has torn into Nancy Pelosi on Saturday, blaming her for for pushing the president off the 2024 campaign.
Symone Sanders Townsend, now a MSNBC commentator, criticised the veteran Democrat as the party continues to pour over the reasons behind Kamala Harris’ devastating loss to Donald Trump.“Nancy Pelosi, everybody talks about how the speaker emerita, you know, she’s so strategic, she can count, she did all of that when she was the speaker in Congress, but my question is: Where is your calculator now?” Sanders Townsend told panelists during an episode of “The Weekend.”
“She played in presidential politics this cycle, and she helped orchestrate the very public demise of the president,” she added.
More details in our full story.
‘Not surprising at all’: How Trump flipped America’s largest majority-Arab city
04:00
Joey Cappellitti
Faced with two choices she didn’t like, Suehaila Amen chose neither.
Instead, the longtime Democrat from the Arab American stronghold of Dearborn, Michigan, backed a third-party candidate for president, adding her voice to a remarkable turnaround that helped Donald Trump reclaim Michigan and the presidency.
In Dearborn, where nearly half of the 110,000 residents are of Arab descent, Vice President Kamala Harris received over 2,500 fewer votes than Trump, who became the first Republican presidential candidate since former President George W. Bush in 2000 to win the city. Harris also lost neighboring Dearborn Heights to Trump, who in his previous term as president banned travel from several mostly-Muslim countries.
AOC supporters compare to her to Trump - and they mean it as a compliment
03:30
Rhian Lubin
As Democrats search for answers after Tuesday’s crushing defeat, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez asked her supporters to share why they voted for Donald Trump.
The congresswoman, who was comfortably reelected as New York’s 14th Congressional representative last week, asked her 8 million Instagram followers why they backed Trump for the presidential election but voted Democrat in down-ballot races.
“If you voted for Donald Trump and me, or if you voted for Donald Trump and voted Democratic down-ballot, I would really love to hear from you,” she posted in an Instagram story on Sunday.
“This is not a place of judgment, I’m not gonna put your stuff on blast or anything like that or dunk on it. That is genuinely not the intent here,” she said. “I actually want to learn from you, I want to hear what you’re thinking.”
Trump wants Marco Rubio for Secretary of State
03:09
Josh Marcus
Donald Trump is expected to select US Senator Marco Rubio as the Secretary of State in his second administration, according to a report.
The president-elect has chosen the Republican Florida lawmaker, who was a regular on the 2024 campaign trail with Trump, to become the country’s top diplomat, sources told The New York Times on Monday evening.
The Cuban-American will become the first Latino to serve in the role when Trump takes office in January. He’ll face a geopolitical landscape where multiple U.S. allies are at war abroad, including Ukraine’s defense against the Russian invasion, and Israel’s conflict with Hamas in Gaza. He’ll also be expected to deliver on key campaign promises that are closer to home, like dramatically cutting illegal immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Rubio, 53, was elected to the US Senate in 2010 and was reportedly considered as a 2024 running mate by Trump. He is viewed as a hawk on both China and Iran, and a staunch supporter of Israel.
Graeme Massie reports.
Keir Starmer misses out on Donald Trump meeting as Argentinian ally gets priority
03:00
Kate Devlin
Keir Starmer has no plans to visit Donald Trump in Mar-a-Lago on his way to a meeting of the G20 group of world leaders next week, despite at least one ally making the trip.
Argentina’s libertarian President Javier Milei has been invited to see the US president-elect at his Florida club, amid speculation others will follow.
A supporter of Mr Trump, Mr Milei celebrated his election win with a fireworks display and posts on social media.
But while Sir Keir offered the Republican his “hearty” congratulations, there are fears Labour will struggle with the next occupant of the White House.
Who is in Trump’s Cabinet so far? From ‘ice maiden’ Susie Wiles to border czar Tom Homan
02:53
Josh Marcus
President-elect Donald Trump is starting to fill 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.
All the details in the full story.
WATCH: Trump praised at Warsaw’s far-right-led Independence Day march
02:30
Gustaf Kilander
Elon Musk and RFK Jr push far-right Rick Scott for senate majority leader
02:00
Eric Garcia
Allies of President-elect Donald Trump are pushing for Florida Senator Rick Scott to succeed Mitch McConnell as Senate Republican leader - in a move they hope will make it easier to push through the president-elect’s agenda.
Elon Musk, the X/Twitter executive who poured money to elect Trump, pushed for the Florida Republican, who overwhelmingly won re-election last week, to replace McConnell, who will step aside as Republican leader later this year. Scott is one of the far-right members of the Senate, but on Wednesday could win the vote to help dictate the direction of the Senate and which bills are discussed.
“Rick Scott for Senate Majority Leader!” Musk enthusiastically tweeted on Sunday.
Trump’s tariff plan ‘doomsday scenario’ for UK economy, senior Labour figure warns
01:30
Kate Devlin
Donald Trump’s plans to impose huge tariffs on imports are a “doomsday scenario” for the UK economy, a senior Labour figure has warned.
The move would hurt growth and lead to higher inflation and interest rates, Liam Byrne, the Labour chair of the Commons business committee predicted.
Experts have warned of a looming trade war after Mr Trump himself said: “Tariff is my favourite word”.
In the run-up to the election, the Republican promised to implement 10 to 20 per cent tariffs on all goods coming into the country, a figure that rises to 60 per cent for those from China.
Already there have been warnings the change could halve UK economic growth from the National Institute of Economic and Social Research think tank.
Elon Musk spotted in another Trump family photo as Kai plays golf with her new ‘uncle’
01:00
Olivia Hebert
Elon Musk appeared in yet another Trump family photo, this time posing with the president-elect’s granddaughter, Kai.
On Sunday, the 17-year-old aspiring golfer took to X to share photos from a family golf outing featuring her grandfather Donald Trump, sister Chloe and X owner Elon Musk. She joked that the billionaire, 53, was now part of the family as he joined the group with his 4-year-old son, X Æ A-12.
“Elon achieving uncle status,” she wrote alongside a photo of the Tesla CEO and his son, X, who playfully held a golf ball over his eye in the shot. Musk shares his son with musician Grimes.
Ready for 2028? Democratic hopefuls are secretly trying to build momentum as party looks to rebound
00:30
Gustaf Kilander
Several Democrats are already looking ahead to the 2028 Democratic primary as the party tries to rebuild after a devastating loss to President-elect Donald Trump.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, California Governor Gavin Newsom, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz are all names that are considered to be in the mix. Others include Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear. Some of the potential candidates are already making moves to be at the front of the line when primary season kicks off - likely in two years.
Party leaders in the Keystone State are pushing Shapiro to run, Newsom held a call on Friday with 50,000 in his network of small donors and he also called a special legislative session to counter expected measures from the incoming Trump administration. Buttigieg, meanwhile, is set to attend a number of events focused on his accomplishments during his time in President Joe Biden’s cabinet.
Trump asks Florida rep Mike Waltz to be national security adviser
00:12
Josh Marcus
Donald Trump has asked Florida congressman Mike Waltz to serve as his national security adviser, the Wall Street Journal reports, citing unnamed sources familiar with the decision.
Waltz, a former Green Beret who served in Afghanistan, the Middle East, and Africa, does not need Senate confirmation to join the White House in the position.
The Florida Republican is known as a strong critic of China.
WATCH: Biden defends decision to pull troops from Afghanistan
00:00
Gustaf Kilander
Defending his decision to pull troops from Afghanistan, President Biden reads injury and death toll numbers of U.S. soldiers who have served in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. pic.twitter.com/6H3Phz6okS
— The Recount (@therecount) November 11, 2024
Lara Trump called out for blaming Harris’ defeat on ‘constant mudslinging’ - and not mentioning Donald’s
Monday 11 November 2024 23:30
Gustaf Kilander
Lara Trump was called out by Fox News anchor Howard Kurtz after she blamed Vice President Kamala Harris’s defeat on “constant mudslinging” without mentioning President-elect Donald Trump’s frequent insults.
The co-chair of the Republican National Committee argued on Sunday’s MediaBuzz that Democrats focused too much on attacking the former president’s character and not enough on their own record and what they would do for voters.
“I think it said all along she didn’t really have a plan. She didn’t have a single policy point that she could direct the American people to and say this is why you should vote for me,” the daughter-in-law of the next commander-in-chief said. “If you’re running for president of the United States you better tell them how you’re going to make their life better, not just continually attack the opposition.”
Trump-backed Texas attorney general sues Justice Department over Jack Smith’s records
Monday 11 November 2024 23:16
Alex Woodward
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing the Biden administration to preserve Jack Smith’s records in his investigations into Donald Trump.
The filing from Paxton, who is reportedly in consideration for Trump’s attorney general, claims he has a “well-founded belief” that Attorney General Merrick Garland and the Justice Department “will simply destroy the records.”
Paxton’s lawsuit — his 100th against the Biden administration — comes on the heels of Smith’s request to scrap any upcoming dates on the court calendar in Trump’s election interference case. Last week, after Trump won the presidential election, Smith asked District Judge Tanya Chutkan for “time to assess this unprecedented circumstance and determine the appropriate course going forward consistent with Department of Justice policy,” which is to not prosecute sitting presidents.
Meanwhile, emboldened by Trump’s victory, his congressional and legal allies are demanding Smith preserve records and “lawyer up.”
The latest on Smith and Trump:
VOICES: Has the warmth gone from the Trump-Putin bromance?
Monday 11 November 2024 23:00
Sean O’Grady
Donald Trump has a complicated relationship with Vladimir Putin, to say the least.
Not so long ago, during his first term as president, he seemed to like and admire the Russian strongman – no doubt seeing him as a kindred spirit: clever, audacious, authoritarian, predatory.
At the Helsinki summit, in 2018, Trump went as far as to publicly state that he was more prepared to trust the word of this dictator than that of his own intelligence agencies. There was, to put it lightly, consternation. Observers wondered what appalling kompromat Putin had on the US president that would make him behave in this way, like something out of The Manchurian Candidate.
WATCH: CNN host Dana Bash confronts Jim Jordan with claim MAGA only cries election fraud when Trump loses
Monday 11 November 2024 22:30
Gustaf Kilander
WATCH: Kai Trump posts behind the scenes vlog from election night at Mar-a-Lago
Monday 11 November 2024 22:15
Ellie Cunningham
Surprising alliance of Donald Trump, Viktor Orban and Pope Francis that could derail support for Ukraine
Monday 11 November 2024 22:00
David Maddox
A surprising trinity of Donald Trump, Hungary’s right-wing prime minister Viktor Orban and Pope Francis could spell the end to hopes for continued support for Ukraine in fighting the war against Vladimir Putin’s Russia.
The Independent has spoken to Hungary’s ambassador to the Vatican, Eduard Habsburg-Lothringen, who has been critical in attempting to create an international coalition to find a “peace deal” to end the war.
He has spoken about how Pope Francis has played an important role in supporting a deal that will probably see Mr Trump push for Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to cede territory to Russia.
Trump picks Lee Zeldin - ‘who voted against environmental bills 85 percent of the time’ - to lead EPA
Monday 11 November 2024 21:49
Eric Garcia
President-elect Donald Trump said that he would nominate former New York Republican congressman Lee Zeldin, a longtime opponent of climate regulation, to lead the Environmental Protection Agency.
Trump made the announcement on Monday afternoon. The announcement comes as he has made numerous personnel announcements, including naming New York Representative Elise Stefanik as his ambassador to the United Nations and his campaign manager Susie Wiles as his White House Chief of Staff.
“He will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet,” Trump said in a statement. “He will set new standards on environmental review and maintenance, that will allow the United States to grow in a healthy and well-structured way.”
Your US election questions answered – from why pollsters got it wrong to the truth behind Project 2025
Monday 11 November 2024 21:40
Eric Garcia
Donald Trump has secured a second term in the White House, making history as the first convicted criminal to be elected president of the United States.
Amidst intense political polarization, this result is poised to shape the direction of American governance for years to come.
While Trump has pledged to “help our country heal” and promised a “golden age for America,” question marks linger over whether his divisive rhetoric will continue or evolve.
‘Greatest honor of my life’ to serve as commander-in-chief, Biden says
Monday 11 November 2024 21:20
Gustaf Kilander
Biden: This is the last time I will stand here at Arlington as commander in chief. It's been the greatest honor of my life, to lead you, to serve you, to care for you, to defend you, just as you defended us generation after generation after generation. pic.twitter.com/ZKGoM96Myz
— Acyn (@Acyn) November 11, 2024
Trump issues statement announcing Stefanik as UN ambassador
Monday 11 November 2024 21:10
Gustaf Kilander
Trump issued a statement on Monday officially announcing what had already been reported: That New York Rep Elise Stefanik is nominated to be his next ambassador to the United Nations.
I am honored to nominate Chairwoman Elise Stefanik to serve in my Cabinet as United States Ambassador to the United Nations.
Elise is a strong and very smart America First fighter.
She graduated from Harvard University, with honors, was the youngest woman ever elected to Congress, and is the highest ranking woman in Congress, as the House Republican Conference Chair.
She was the first Member of Congress to endorse me, and has always been a staunch advocate.
Elise is a senior Member of the House Armed Services Committee, the House Intelligence Committee, and led the charge against antisemitism on college campuses.
She will be an incredible Ambassador to the United Nations, delivering Peace through Strength and America First National Security policies!
Who are the key candidates to be the UK’s ambassador to the US as Donald Trump returns to the White House?
Monday 11 November 2024 21:00
Kate Devlin
Britain’s next ambassador to the US is set to be decided within days in what will be one of the most important diplomatic decisions of Sir Keir Starmer’s first year in No 10.
The appointment will be key to shaping the UK-US relationship once Donald Trump returns to the White House, with the future of Ukraine, the conflict in the Middle East and trade tariffs among the key areas where the prime minister and the president-elect differ in opinion.
Sir Keir’s attempts to woo Trump have not started well, with many of his top team facing tough questions about disparaging comments made during his first term. Trump’s election campaign team also hit out at the Labour Party, accusing it of attempting to interfere in the election, in a row over UK activists helping Democrats.
WATCH: AOC and Tom Homan clash over family separation policy in resurfaced video as Trump names him border Czar
Monday 11 November 2024 20:40
Gustaf Kilander
Trump picks New York Republican Lee Zeldin to lead EPA
Monday 11 November 2024 20:30
Gustaf Kilander
Trump has selected New York Republican Lee Zeldin, a former House representative and gubernatorial nominee, to lead