President-elect Donald Trump’s controversial nominees, Kash Patel, Pete Hegseth, and Tulsi Gabbard, are all on Capitol Hill on Monday as they work to win over senators to get confirmed.
Patel has been nominated to serve as Trump’s FBI director, Hegseth as secretary of defense, and Gabbard as director of national intelligence.
This comes as Trump’s pledge to pardon people prosecuted for their part in the Capitol riot of January 6 2021 on his “first day” back in the White House – made during his Meet the Press interview with Kristen Welker on NBC on Sunday – has already inspired the first defendant to request a delay to their upcoming trial, hopeful of winning a reprieve.
Trump promised to act “quickly” on the matter but did offer the caveat that his administration would review “independent cases” rather than issue a blanket clemency order.
Meanwhile, ex-Republican representatives Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger have hit back at the president-elect for suggesting during the same interview that they should be jailed for participating in the House panel that investigated the attempted insurrection.
Cheney called his comments “a continuation of his assault on the rule of law and the foundations of our republic.”
Key Points
- Donald Trump pledge to pardon Jan 6 ‘hostages’ on first day inspires defendant to request trial delay
- Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger hit back at Trump over jail threat
- Trump taps lawyer Alina Habba for top White House post
- Lara Trump announces resignation as RNC co-chair
- Trump vows to end birthright citizenship in wide-ranging NBC interview
Trump to launch two new Saudi Arabia projects weeks before White house return
18:35
Gustaf Kilander
The Trump Organization has said it has leased its brand to two new real estate projects in Saudi Arabia.
The news comes just weeks before President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House. His close ties to Saudi Arabia’s crown prince and day-to-day ruler, Mohammed bin Salman, drew heavy criticism after the 2018 killing of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi columnist for the Washington Post who had written critically about the monarchy.
The company will partner with Dar Global, a London-based luxury real estate developer that will lease the Trump brand but fully own and develop the projects in the Saudi capital, Riyadh. The two have partnered on other projects in the region, including the development of a golf resort in neighboring Oman.
AP reports.
Adam Kinzinger has three-word response after Trump threatens to put him in jail
18:15
Gustaf Kilander
Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger gave a succinct response to President-elect Donald Trump’s suggestion that the Illinois Republican and his colleagues on the January 6 House panel should be jailed.
When asked during a wide-ranging Sunday interview on “Meet the Press” what he would do on his first day back in the White House, Trump said that each Congress member who sat on the bipartisan committee investigating the Capitol attack “should go to jail” for “what they did.” That group includes only two Republicans, Kinzinger and former Rep. Liz Cheney.
The retired Illinois congressman wrote on his Substack: “Bring it on.”
Kelly Rissman has more.
Trump says Prince William is more attractive in real life: ‘Some people look better in person’
17:55
Joe Sommerlad
“Er, thanks I guess,” says the Prince of Wales.
Here’s Athena Stavrou on a back-handed compliment.
Federal employees scrub social media accounts of any negative posts about Trump as they scramble to save jobs
17:35
Joe Sommerlad
Thousands of US civil servants are taking steps to protect themselves from plans to slash the number of federal employees as promised by Trump and his allies, according to The Washington Post.
Some federal employees are removing posts from X and Facebook, with one official who testified in the former president’s first impeachment inquiry considering filing retirement papers as others are taking steps to move to possibly safer agencies.
Gustaf Kilander has more.
Mitch McConnell gets standing ovation after speech with indirect swipe at Trump
17:15
Joe Sommerlad
Speaking at the annual Reagan National Defense Forum at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, on Saturday, the outgoing GOP Senate leader bemoaned the current state of his party compared to when Ronald Reagan was in power and cautioned it against isolationism.
“Within the party Ronald Reagan once led so capably, it is increasingly fashionable to suggest that the sort of global leadership he modeled is no longer America’s place,” McConnell said
Then, in a nod to Trump’s campaign slogan, he added the following declaration, drawing a round of applause.
“But let’s be absolutely clear: America will not be made great again by those who are content to manage our decline.”
Rhian Lubin reports.
Democrat says he’s open to ‘bipartisan cooperation’ with Musk’s DOGE
16:55
Joe Sommerlad
Representative Ro Khanna has signaled that he is open to “bipartisan cooperation” with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
The California congressman, who says he has known Musk for over 10 years, told Martha Raddatz on ABC’s This Week yesterday about his recent conversations with the billionaire on his mission to cut government spending in Trump’s second administration.
“I think when it comes to defense, getting better defense for value and cutting costs, there can be huge bipartisan cooperation,” Khanna said.
Rhian Lubin has more.
Lara Trump is stepping down as RNC co-chair. So what’s next?
16:35
Joe Sommerlad
As we mentioned earlier, the incoming president’s daughter-in-law announced on Sunday night that she was stepping down from from the Republican National Committee.
So what lies ahead for the aspiring country-rock singer and clothing retailer?
Justin Baragona takes a look.
Supreme Court declines to lift Trump’s hush money gag order
16:17
Joe Sommerlad
Joseph Nierman, the right-wing YouTuber/podcaster behind the Good Lawgic account, had asked America’s highest court, with its six-three conservative bias, to toss out New York justice Juan Merchan’s gag order in Donald Trump’s hush money case because it blocks the president-elect from publicly commenting on witnesses and jurors.
Nierman’s 31-page application earlier this year claimed that the order unconstitutionally blocks him from “obtaining newsworthy comment” from Trump “about such issues which appear to potentially place Judge Merchan in direct conflict with his obligations.”
Today, the justices rejected his request but did not cite a reason for doing so.
Eric Trump says US can be crypto superpower with ‘sensible’ regulation
15:55
Joe Sommerlad
Speaking to CNBC’s Dan Murphy from the UAE a week after Bitcoin hit $100,000 in value for the first time, Trump’s middle son had this to say on cryptocurrency: “The modern banking system is antiquated. It’s just a matter of time before crypto not only catches up, but just really leaps ahead. And so, we’re incredibly excited on a lot of fronts.
“I think America will be the crypto capital of the world. I fully support it. My father fully supports it. Our family, you know, is fully embracing it. We believe in DeFi [decentralized finance].
“We believe that’s the way of the future. And again, America, you know, better lead the way, otherwise we’re going to leave a lot behind.”
While that will be music to the ears of crypto bros, the younger Trump was more cautious on the question of regulation.
“The people in the crypto industry are frustrated that no-one’s ever put together a sensible plan as to how to regulate an industry. They’re fine with regulation, but they just want guidelines, and they’ve said that,” he said.
“We will have a clear road map, and hopefully the rest of the world follows that. Hopefully we can lead by example, because that’s what we should do as Americans. And hopefully we truly are the crypto superpower of the world.”
In the same interview, he described Elon Musk as “the modern-day Albert Einstein” and, if anyone would know a genius when he sees one, it’s Eric Trump.
Team Trump discord over Kemi Badenoch’s meeting with JD Vance
15:35
Joe Sommerlad
The newly-elected British Conservative Party leader believes she has found a new political ally in Vice President-elect JD Vance after the two met over the weekend – but not everyone in Team Trump is happy.
David Maddox has more.
Trump pledge to pardon Jan 6 ‘hostages’ on first day inspires first defendant to request trial delay
15:15
Joe Sommerlad
We could see much more of this from people prosecuted over their part in the Capitol riot of January 6 2021 after the president-elect promised during his Meet the Press interview with Kristen Welker yesterday to issue pardons on his first day back in the White House.
There it is
— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) December 9, 2024
Jan 6 defendant promptly files request for delay of trial, citing Trump's statement about pardons on Sunday's "Meet the Press"
====> pic.twitter.com/RlVhJuTmSx
Trump did offer the caveat that his administration would be looking at “independent cases” rather than issuing a blanket clemency order but also said he would be acting “quickly” on the matter.
He further suggested that the likes of Liz Cheney, Adam Kinzinger and Bennie Thompson that investigated the attempted insurrection on behalf of the House of Representatives “should go to jail”.
White nationalist who dined with Trump arrested for battery
14:55
Joe Sommerlad
Far-right influencer Nick Fuentes is due in court later this month after a woman accused him of pepper-spraying her when she showed up at his suburban Chicago home following his “Your body, my choice” post on X.
According to court documents, the 57-year-old woman approached Fuentes’ home in Berwyn on November 10, shortly after his address was leaked following his post, The Chicago Tribune reported.
Berwyn is a Chicago suburb of about 54,000 people.
The woman told the newspaper in a November 15 interview that her friends encouraged her to go to Fuentes’ home to see if rumors were true that he had been receiving prank deliveries after his post on X.
She said she made a video of herself on the sidewalk in front of his’ home.
Another woman pulled up in her car and told her to ring the doorbell.
She alleged that Fuentes opened the door before she could ring the bell, pepper-sprayed her, screamed an expletive and took her phone.
Fuentes, 26, faces a battery charge in connection with the incident, the newspaper reported.
He is due to appear in court on December 19 and has posted mugshots of himself on his X account along with “Free me (racial slur).”
Outside Mar-a-Lago with Trump’s strange new fan club
14:25
Joe Sommerlad
In West Palm Beach, Eric Garcia meets the MAGA superfans who are camping outside Trump’s estate at all hours.
Democrat calls Tusi Gabbard’s past comments on Syria ‘concerning’
13:55
Joe Sommerlad
Michigan Representative Dan Kildee suggests Trump’s nominee for director of national intelligence could be about to face tough questions about her past sympathy for Bashar al-Assad after the dictator was overthrown and driven from his country into exile in Russia over the weekend.
.@RepDanKildee calls Tulsi Gabbard's past stances on Syria "concerning" and "wrong."
— CNN This Morning with Kasie Hunt (@CNNThisMorning) December 9, 2024
He tells @kasie it calls in question whether she should "have the last word as [Trump] makes decisions about how the U.S. should respond to a situation like this." pic.twitter.com/9Yg85IzUib
Kremlin says no Trump talks since his appeal to end ‘madness’ of war
13:30
Joe Sommerlad
The Kremlin has said this morning that it has had so far had no contact with Trump or his team after the president-elect called for an immediate ceasefire and negotiations between Ukraine and Russia to end “the madness” of war.
Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine has left tens of thousands of dead, displaced millions and triggered the biggest crisis in relations between Moscow and the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.
Trump said Ukraine had lost some 400,000 soldiers while Russia had lost 600,000 dead and wounded. Russia does not disclose its losses but Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky said 43,000 soldiers had been killed in the war and that there had been 370,000 wounded soldiers.
Asked if there had been any contact with Trump or his team, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “No, there have still been no contacts.”
Peskov said the Kremlin had made its position clear during a rare Sunday statement.
The Kremlin said yesterday that Russia was open to talks but that they had to be based on agreements reached in Istanbul in 2022 and on current realities on the battlefield where Russian forces have been pushing forward at their fastest rate since the early days of the war.
Trump, who has vowed to swiftly end the conflict, is returning to the White House at a time of Russian ascendancy. Moscow controls a chunk of Ukraine about the size of the American state of Virginia and is advancing at the fastest pace since the early days of the 2022 invasion.
Vladimir Putin has said that Ukraine must not join the Nato military alliance and that Russia should be left fully in control of four Ukrainian regions his troops partially control at the moment for a peace deal to be done.
Reuters reported last month that Putin is open to discussing a Ukraine ceasefire deal with Trump but rules out making any major territorial concessions and insists Kyiv abandon ambitions to join Nato.
SNL’s cold open sees Matt Gaetz and Hunter Biden visit Church Lady
13:10
Joe Sommerlad
Saturday Night Live roasted “poor little” Matt Gaetz and Hunter Biden in its cold open sketch over the weekend as the two scandal-plagued figures paid a visit to Dana Carvey’s Church Lady following the “most satanic year in history.”
Katie Hawkinson has more.
Trump’s team weighs withholding massive research grants from ‘woke’ universities
12:50
Joe Sommerlad
The president-elect’s team is considering withholding massive research grants from “woke” schools they claim lack academic freedom.
Dr Jay Bhattacharya, Trump’s nominee to head the National Institutes of Health, 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.
Gustaf Kilander has more.
Can you pass the Trump test? Prospective administration members being asked to prove their loyalty
12:30
Joe Sommerlad
Those interviewing for positions within the incoming Trump administration will need to do more than prove their qualifications for the job, with new reports claiming the must answer a series of strategic questions to prove their allegiance to the president-elect.
At least nine people who were interviewed for jobs or were involved in the process told The New York Times that questions about January 6, the validity of the 2020 election and their voting decisions were brought up.
Those questions are seemingly designed to weed out prospective administration members who do not display an obvious fealty to Trump above all other considerations.
Ariana Baio has more.
Sunday TV roundup: Republicans defend Hegseth, attack Gaetz and question Musk
12:10
Joe Sommerlad
Here’s a look at some of the key exchanges from the weekend’s political shows, featuring Markwayne Mullin attempting to cast doubt on Pete Hegseth’s alleged drinking problem, ex-speaker Kevin McCarthy reigniting his feud with Matt Gaetz and John Bolton mockingly accusing Elon Musk of usurping JD Vance.
“Reporters drink” is not an argument for confirming an unfit person as defense secretary https://t.co/y1X7dqD1Ks
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 8, 2024
Bartiromo: What is your reaction to president Trump initially naming Matt Gaetz as the A.G.?
— Acyn (@Acyn) December 8, 2024
McCarthy: i blame Matt Gaetz for lying to the president about his ethics report.. He needed an excuse to resign because the ethics report would be done.. pic.twitter.com/2ItNQb2xd7
Bolton: It's almost like Musk has become Vice President. I don't know where JD Vance is on this trip pic.twitter.com/rbYB26gpBw
— Acyn (@Acyn) December 7, 2024
Lara Trump announces resignation as RNC co-chair
11:51
Joe Sommerlad
Donald Trump’s ambitious daughter-in-law announced on X late last night that she will be stepping down as co-chair of the Republican National Commitee and is leaving the role to Michael Whatley.
Serving as the @GOP co-chair throughout the course of the most consequential election in American history has truly been the honor of my life.
— Lara Trump (@LaraLeaTrump) December 9, 2024
At the RNC, we had three distinct goals:
1) surpass all fundraising records
2) build the largest army of lawyers and poll watchers… pic.twitter.com/bcHdDHhwQq
She is now being tipped to run for Marco Rubio’s soon-to-be-vacant Florida Senate seat and recently admitted to the Associated Press that she is considering other roles, commenting: “It is something I would seriously consider,
“If I’m being completely transparent, I don’t know exactly what that would look like.
“And I certainly want to get all of the information possible if that is something that’s real for me.
“But yeah, I would 100 percent consider it.”
Watch: Trump praises Prince William as ‘a good man’ at Notre Dame meeting
11:30
Joe Sommerlad
Social media mocks Trump-Macron meeting
11:10
Joe Sommerlad
The two leaders were reunited in the French capital on Saturday and immediately resumed grappling for supremacy in the handshake stakes, a familiar trope from Trump’s first term.
Here’s Ariana Baio with a roundup of the many memes that inspired.
Trump calls for Putin to reach peace with Ukraine after Syria collapse
10:50
Joe Sommerlad
Not long after meeting Zelensky, the president-elect called on Vladimir Putin to end his invasion and reach an “immediate ceasefire” agreement with Kyiv, his case rendered all the more urgent by events in Damascus.
“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,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Saturday night.
“I know Vladimir well. This is his time to act. China can help. The World is waiting!”
John Bowden brings us this one.
Trump meets Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky on return to world stage in Paris
10:30
Joe Sommerlad
The American president-elect met Zelensky in Paris on Saturday, with the latter describing their first in-person talks since the former’s November election win as “good and productive”.
Trump arrived in France 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 when 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 despite the current turmoil dominating French politics.
Here’s a full report from Tom Watling.
Trump uses Jill Biden to hawk ‘Fight, Fight, Fight’ Christmas colognes
10:10
Joe Sommerlad
The president-elect is continuing the never-ending grift this holiday season, this time cheekily using a picture of the first lady to shill perfume to conservatives under the slogan: “A fragrance your enemies can’t resist!”
Here are my new Trump Perfumes & Colognes! I call them Fight, Fight, Fight, because they represent us WINNING. Great Christmas gifts for the family. Go to https://t.co/8O1nm58fxA. Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) December 8, 2024
Donald Trump Truth Social 01:11 PM EST 12/08/24… pic.twitter.com/JYamMQeHYr
Here’s Katie Hawkinson’s report.
Recap: Trump vows to end birthright citizenship in wide-ranging NBC interview
09:50
Joe Sommerlad
Here’s a look back at what else the president-elect had to tell Welker on NBC yesterday, with his threats against immigrants making most of the headlines:
Welker: You promised to end birthright citizenship on day one. Is that still your plan?
— Acyn (@Acyn) December 8, 2024
Trump: Yeah, absolutely. pic.twitter.com/MNZsh5COqE
Trump: I don't want to break up the family, so the only way you don't break up the family is you keep them together and you have to send them all back. pic.twitter.com/uzHjEdeOol
— Acyn (@Acyn) December 8, 2024
There were plenty of other troubling answers, however, from his still only having “concepts of a plan” on healthcare to his weak responses on not crying election fraud this time around and on ending the war in Ukraine to some decidedly vague and even contradictory comments on tariffs and the economy.
Welker: Do you have an actual plan at this point for health care?
— Acyn (@Acyn) December 8, 2024
Trump: Yes. We have concepts of a plan that will be better.
Welker: Still just concepts? Do you have a fully developed plan? pic.twitter.com/bIgzXdaYe5
Welker: So why didn't they steal this election, since they have more power now?
— Acyn (@Acyn) December 8, 2024
Trump: I think it was too big to rig. pic.twitter.com/puAU2LjTWk
Welker: You said you could end the war in 24 hours.
— Acyn (@Acyn) December 8, 2024
Trump: I'm trying to.
Welker: Have you talked to Putin?
Trump: No
Welker: You haven't talked to president Putin since you've been elected?
Trump: I don't want to say that, but I haven't spoken him recently. pic.twitter.com/J41fAuRo66
Welker: Your previous tariffs cost Americans some $80 billion.. How do you make sure that these CEOs, that these companies don't in fact pass on the cost of tariffs to their consumers?
— Acyn (@Acyn) December 8, 2024
Welker: They cost Americans nothing. pic.twitter.com/igbxc9aY94
Welker: Economists of all stripes say that ultimately, consumers pay the price of tariffs.
— Acyn (@Acyn) December 8, 2024
Trump: I don't believe that.
Welker: Can you guarantee American families won't pay more?
Trump: I can't guarantee anything.. pic.twitter.com/JbEElAG6tg
Trump: I won on groceries. Very simple word, groceries. Like almost, you know, who uses the word. I started using the word. The groceries. When you buy apples, when you buy bacon, when you buy eggs, they would double and triple the price over a short period of time. pic.twitter.com/4hDzdJFrTz
— Acyn (@Acyn) December 8, 2024
Here’s John Bowden on birthright citizenship and mass deportations.
Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger hit back at Trump over jail threat
09:30
Joe Sommerlad
Ex-Republican representatives Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger have hit back at Trump for suggesting during his big NBC interview that aired yesterday that they should be jailed for participating in the House panel that investigated the Capitol riot of January 6 2021.
Here’s the president-elect talking to Kristen Welker on Meet the Press and saying he felt the committee members should be behind bars but that he would leave any vindictive prosecutions to his picks for attorney general and FBI director, Pam Bondi and Kash Patel:
Welker: So you think Liz Cheney should go to jail?
— Acyn (@Acyn) December 8, 2024
Trump: For what they did -- Anybody that voted in favor --
Welker: Are you going to direct your FBI director, attorney general to send them to jail?
Trump: Not at all. I think they'll have to look at that pic.twitter.com/6mnUEhG8Qi
This is what Cheney had to say in a statement to The New York Times by way of response:
“Here is the truth: Donald Trump attempted to overturn the 2020 presidential election and seize power.
“He mobilized an angry mob and sent them to the United States Capitol, where they attacked police officers, invaded the building and halted the official counting of electoral votes.
“Trump watched on television as police officers were brutally beaten and the Capitol was assaulted, refusing for hours to tell the mob to leave.
“This was the worst breach of our Constitution by any president in our nation’s history.
“Donald Trump’s suggestion that members of Congress who later investigated his illegal and unconstitutional actions should be jailed is a continuation of his assault on the rule of law and the foundations of our republic.”
Kinzinger did his talking on CNN:
Adam Kinzinger on Trump telling NBC that the Jan. 6 members should go to jail: "The executive branch can't go after the legislative branch because we embarrassed him. That's not a sin." pic.twitter.com/6s4HUGlwFH
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) December 8, 2024
Here’s John Bowden on Trump’s original threat.
Donald Trump taps lawyer Alina Habba for top White House post
09:00
Joe Sommerlad
Good morning!
Donald Trump has announced a further slew of nominees to his new administration, the most well-known of which is his personal lawyer Alina Habba, who will be his White House counselor.
Posting on Truth Social late on Sunday, the president-elect described Habba, a MAGA favorite last seen dancing on stage at his final rallies of the presidential campaign, as a “tireless advocate for Justice, a fierce Defender of the Rule of Law, an invaluable Advisor to my Campaign and Transition Team”.
He continued: “She has been unwavering in her loyalty and unmatched in her resolve. Standing with me through numerous ‘trials,’ battles, and countless days in Court.
“Few understand the Weaponization of the ‘Injustice’ System better than Alina, who has fought relentlessly against the full force of Lawfare with courage and an unshakable commitment to Justice.
“As a first generation American of Middle Eastern Heritage, she has become a role model for women in Law and Politics, most recently being named Chaldean Woman of the Year.”
I am pleased to announce that Alina Habba will join my White House Team as Counselor to the President. Alina has been a tireless advocate for Justice, a fierce Defender of the Rule of Law, and an invaluable Advisor to my Campaign and Transition Team. She has been unwavering in…
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) December 9, 2024
The advocate, who has represented Trump, pretty unsuccessfully, at his hush money and civil fraud trials and in the sexual assault case brought against him by E Jean Carroll, expressed her delight at the news:
Honor of my life to serve the 45th and 47th President and the American people. pic.twitter.com/Wtig7tdPsQ
— Alina Habba (@AlinaHabba) December 9, 2024
He also named three more members of his State Department, reporting to Marco Rubio, assuming the latter is confirmed by the Senate.
I am pleased to nominate Christopher Landau to serve as Deputy Secretary of State. Chris will work closely with our great Secretary of State Nominee, Marco Rubio, to promote our Nation’s security and prosperity through an America First Foreign Policy. Chris served as my…
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) December 9, 2024
Michael Needham will serve as Counselor of the Department of State. Mike has capably served Senator Marco Rubio for many years, and is a key leader in the America First Movement. He has been on the front lines of the fight for the Forgotten Men and Women of America for nearly two…
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) December 9, 2024
Michael Anton will become Director of Policy Planning at the State Department. Michael served me loyally and effectively at the National Security Council in my First Term. He has an extensive background in Government, the private sector, and academia. He spent the last eight…
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) December 9, 2024
Hegseth’s lawyer threatens extortion lawsuit against woman who accused him of sex assault
08:15
John Bowden
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.
Team Trump discord over Kemi Badenoch’s meeting with J. D. Vance
07:16
John Bowden
Newly elected Tory leader Kemi Badenoch hopes to have found a new political ally in vice president elect JD Vance after the two met - but not everyone in Magaworld is happy, reports our political editor David Maddox.
Trump threatens push to end 14th amendment
06:15
John Bowden
Donald Trump used his interview on Meet the Press to outline what may be an end goal of his anti-immigration push: a redefinition of what it means to be an American citizen.
The president-elect told NBC’s Kristen Welker that he plans to push to end the 14th amendment’s protections for birthright citizenship, which guarantees citizenship to any person born in the US or its territories.
“[W]e’re going to have to get it changed,” Trump said of the 14th amendment. “We’ll maybe have to go back to the people. But we have to end it.”
“We’re starting with the criminals, and we got to do it. And then we’re starting with others, and we’re going to see how it goes,” he added. Of the word “others”, he clarified: “Others are other people outside of criminals.”