Donald Trump will return to Washington DC on Wednesday to meet with Republicans on Capitol Hill and Joe Biden at the White House to discuss a transition schedule as the Senate elects a new majority leader in place of Mitch McConnell, with Rick Scott, John Cornyn and John Thune in contention.
The president-elect has meanwhile announced that tech billionaire Elon Musk and ex-Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy will head a new “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE), tasked with cutting the cost of government, stripping away regulations and restructuring federal agencies.
Musk responded to the news by pledging that DOGE “will send shockwaves through the system, and anyone involved in government waste, which is a lot of people”.
The incoming 47th president unveiled a number of other appointments to his new administration on Tuesday, picking John Ratcliffe, his director of national intelligence from 2020 to 2021, to be his next CIA director and Fox News host Pete Hegseth as secretary of defense.
Trump also revealed that Mike Huckabee has been chosen as his new ambassador to Israel, Steven Witkoff will be his special envoy to the Middle East and William Joseph McGinley his White House counsel.
Key Points
- Donald Trump to visit Joe Biden at White House to discuss transition
- President-elect names Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to new Department of Government Efficiency
- Trump picks John Ratcliffe as new CIA director as cabinet appointments continue
- Fox News host Pete Hegseth nominated as new defense secretary
- Trump taps Mike Huckabee as US ambassador to Israel
Ex-Fox News host slams colleague’s appointment to run Pentagon under Trump
13:40
Joe Sommerlad
Gretchen Carlson has said she was left “stunned” by Trump’s decision to select her one-time colleague Pete Hegseth as his new secretary of defense.
“From silly diner interviews on Weekend Fox and Friends to Secretary of Defense?” she wrote on X last night.
“I never thought I’d say I’m stunned about any pick after the election but nominating Pete Hegseth for this incredibly important role? Yes he’s a veteran… and?”
James Liddell has more.
Trump’s defense secretary pick thinks women should not be in combat roles in military
13:20
Joe Sommerlad
Pete Hegseth said earlier this month that women should not be in combat roles in the military because they are not “as capable” as men.
The 44-year-old Fox and Friends co-host, whose appointment has shocked many in the defense world, dismissed the role of women in combat roles in an appearance on the Shawn Ryan Show, which aired last week on November 7.
“I’m straight up just saying we should not have women in combat roles,” Hegseth said.
“It hasn’t made us more effective, hasn’t made us more lethal, has made fighting more complicated.
“We have all served with women and they’re great. But it’s just our institutions don’t have to incentivize that in places where traditionally... over human history, men in those positions are more capable.”
Rhian Lubin has more.
Revealed: Trump’s push to ‘veto Sir Keir Starmer’s Chagos Islands deal’
13:00
Joe Sommerlad
The future of the Chagos Islands and a secretive UK/US airbase is set to be an early flashpoint between Donald Trump and Sir Keir Starmer as the president-elect seeks to veto the controversial deal signed off by the prime minister and endorsed by Joe Biden, it can be revealed.
The Independent understands that the Trump’s transition team has requested legal advice from the Pentagon over the agreement that handed the Chagos Islands – which is under British control – to Mauritius.
US government sources say Trump is looking to veto the deal, which is set to come into force after his inauguration in January, over global security fears.
Here’s a full report from David Maddox.
Jack Smith to step down as Justice Department special counsel before Trump takes office
12:45
Joe Sommerlad
“The prosecutor who investigated and charged Donald J Trump plans to finish his report and leave the job before he can be fired,” writes The New York Times of the man who brought two federal indictments against the Republican in 2023 that the president-elect will now presumably just wave aside as soon as he enters the Oval Office.
Smith’s goal, according to The NYT, is to not leave any of his work unfinished and to get ahead of Trump’s pledge to fire him within “two seconds” of being sworn in.
Smith’s election interference and classified documents cases are currently being wound down and the prosecutor finds himself leaving office a frustrated figure, his attempt to prove that not even a president is above the law rendered moot by Trump’s delaying tactics and eventual electoral victory.
Trump lawyer Alina Habba frontrunner for White House press secretary
12:30
Joe Sommerlad
The showboating attorney who represented Trump in a series of high-profile legal cases and was last scene dancing on stage at his rallies has emerged as a possible frontrunner for the next White House press secretary, according to reports.
Habba is expected at Mar-a-Lago this week, as the president-elect continues to announce appointments to his cabinet and wider administration.
Sources told Mediate that although no formal decisions has yet been made, she is a favorite candidate for the position and has been in Florida for “conversations regarding a potential role.”
Mike Bedigan has more.
What actually is DOGE? Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency led by Musk and Ramaswamy
12:10
Joe Sommerlad
The Sillicon Valley bros will lead the new office – which will operate “outside of government” – designed to advise on gutting federal departments and which staff should be fired if it deems they are a “massive waste.”
Here’s Rhian Lubin with more on what that actually means in practice.
Dick Van Dyke says he’s fortunate he ‘won’t be around’ for the next four years
11:50
Joe Sommerlad
The beloved Mary Poppins star, now 98 years old, was stopped by a press photographer yesterday, according to The Daily Mail, and asked: “Does the future look bright for America?”
Not quite hearing the question clearly, he answered: “I hope you’re right!”
“Do you think Donald Trump is capable of making America great again?” the photographer persisted.
“Fortunately I won’t be around to experience the four years,” the veteran said with a smile.
FDA faces uncertain future under Trump and RFK Jr, warns commissioner
11:30
Joe Sommerlad
Robert Califf, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner, has admitted he is “disappointed” with the presidential election result and uncertain about the agency’s future under Donald Trump.
“I’m biased, but I feel like the FDA is at peak performance right now and we’ll just see what happens as the new team comes in,” he said at a conference hosted by the non-profit Friends of Cancer Research on Tuesday.
On the prospect of Robert F Kennedy Jr’s imminent takeover, Califf told MSNBC last week: “The gist of this administration, from everything that’s been said, is that they want to change a lot of things, and how it gets changed depends on who gets appointed into key positions.”
He declined to comment on RFK Jr’s opinion on vaccines but said he agreed with him on more strictly regulating heavily-processed foods.
Califf is by no means the only nutrition expert reacting with dismay to Trump’s win and the prospect of what’s to come.
Josh Marcus reports.
Who is in Trump’s cabinet so far? The ice maiden, the dog killer and the Fox News host
11:10
Joe Sommerlad
Kaitlan Collins reported on CNN last night that one position the president-elect is still struggling to fill is that of US attorney general, a role that has given him plenty of trouble in the past.
After meeting with several candidates at Mar-a-Lago, Trump is still wrestling with his pick for attorney general. He’s solicited the opinions of those in his inner circle, made phone calls & met with at least one candidate today. But he’s yet to come to a decision, mainly because…
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) November 13, 2024
Here’s Thomas Beaumont with a recap of who we’ve got so far.
Jimmy Kimmel offers alternate theory for why Melania Trump shunned Jill Biden’s White House invite
10:50
Joe Sommerlad
While Trump and Biden will meet in the Oval Office today, there wives will not.
Here’s James Liddell with the late-night host’s guess as to why that might be (Melania’s people have cited a scheduling conflict, for the record).
Elizabeth Warren derides Musk’s government efficiency office: ‘Two people to do the work of one person’
10:30
Joe Sommerlad
The Massachusetts Senator wasting no time here in pointing out an obvious logical flaw in the tech bro’s DOGE project: the colossal waste and expense of setting up a new government agency to cut waste and expense in government agencies.
The Office of Government Efficiency is off to a great start with split leadership: two people to do the work of one person.
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) November 13, 2024
Yeah, this seems REALLY efficient. https://t.co/XXKvrUAPkE
Musk himself, meanwhile, is already dreaming of the merchandise sales – and perhaps saying the quiet part out loud in so doing.
Department of Government Efficiency
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 13, 2024
The merch will be
Trump taps Mike Huckabee as US ambassador to Israel
10:10
Joe Sommerlad
Other cabinet appointments confirmed by Trump on Tuesday included Mike Huckabee being nominated as his new ambassador to Israel, Steven Witkoff as his special envoy to the Middle East and William Joseph McGinley as his White House counsel.
Here’s a little more on Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor and long-standing conservative favorite.
President-elect announces Fox News host Pete Hegseth as defense secretary
09:50
Joe Sommerlad
If this one beggars belief at first glance, here’s a little explanation.
Hegseth, 44, is a former Bear Stearns banker who served tours with the Army National Guard in Guantanamo Bay, Iraq and Afghanistan and has led veterans-focused advocacy organizations.
He joined Fox News as a contributor in 2014 and is a co-host on its morning show Fox and Friends.
During his time with the network, Hegseth has lobbied Trump to support US soldiers and contractors accused of war crimes, including Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher and a group of Blackwater personnel accused of massacring civilians in Baghdad.
On air, Hegseth has complained that the US is spending too much supporting Ukraine’s fight against Russia, has been an outspoken advocate for Israel and made a series of controversial pronouncements, a sample of which follows:
Pete Hegseth 5 days ago: "I'm straight up just saying we should not have women in combat roles." pic.twitter.com/0W3LDSakud
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) November 13, 2024
Soon to be Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth complained on Fox that veterans who use the benefits they've earned are dependent on the government and lack "personal integrity".
— CALL TO ACTIVISM (@CalltoActivism) November 13, 2024
This is what every Vet who wore their MAGA hats to the VA hospital voted for.
pic.twitter.com/H1bfbCLPUi
In 2019, Trump’s Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth said that he never washes his hands and can’t remember washing them once in the past 10 years: “Germs are not a real thing. I can’t see them.” pic.twitter.com/4qNO1SL6Q0
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) November 13, 2024
There was also this noteworthy near-miss:
here’s pete hegseth, fox news host and trump’s pick for secretary of defense, nearly killing a drummer with an axe on live TV pic.twitter.com/b1RHmVz6vZ https://t.co/qkpekjqnIQ
— Marlow Stern (@MarlowNYC) November 13, 2024
“Pete has spent his entire life as a warrior for the troops, and for the country,” Trump said in a statement yesterday.
“Pete is tough, smart and a true believer in America First. With Pete at the helm, America’s enemies are on notice – our military will be great again, and America will never back down.”
Josh Marcus has more.
Trump picks John Ratcliffe as new CIA director
09:30
Joe Sommerlad
The incoming 47th president unveiled a number of other appointments to his new administration on Tuesday, picking John Ratcliffe, his director of national intelligence from 2020 to 2021, to be his next CIA director.
Josh Marcus has more on a returning face from Trump’s first term.
White House defends Biden-Trump sitdown invitation: ‘The American people deserve this’
09:10
Joe Sommerlad
The former and future commander-in-chief will return to Washington DC on Wednesday to meet with Republicans on Capitol Hill and Joe Biden at the White House to discuss a transition schedule as the Senate elects a new majority leader in place of Mitch McConnell, with Rick Scott, John Cornyn and John Thune in contention.
Biden’s team has defended making the invitation to Trump, who did not extend the same courtesy to his successor in late 2020 while he disputed his election defeat on false grounds.
Asked why the president is granting the Republican a grace he was not afforded four years ago, White House press secretart Karine Jean-Pierre replied that it was “easy” to answer the question.
“Because he believes in the norms, he believes in our institutions, he believes in the peaceful transfer of power,” she said.
Andrew Feinberg reports.
Donald Trump names Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to ‘Manhattan Project’ of government cuts
08:50
Joe Sommerlad
Good morning!
President-elect Donald Trump has announced that tech billionaire Elon Musk and ex-Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy will head a new “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE), tasked with cutting the cost of government, stripping away regulations and restructuring federal agencies.
Musk responded to the news by pledging that DOGE “will send shockwaves through the system, and anyone involved in government waste, which is a lot of people”.
Trump compared the office to the Manhattan Project, which developed the world’s first atomic bombs.
Here’s Alex Woodward’s report.
WATCH: Scalise praises Trump’s ‘really good smart picks’ for cabinet
08:00
Gustaf Kilander
Bitcoin’s record-breaking rally continues amid ‘Trump bump’ crypto frenzy
07:00
Anthony Cuthbertson
The price of bitcoin hit a new record on Tuesday, marking the third consecutive day that the cryptocurrency has reached an all-time-high.
The new price high above $89,900 forms part of a broader rally that began when Donald Trump emerged as the likely winner of the US presidential election on 6 November.
Positioning himself as a pro-crypto candidate, the president-elect has promised to end what he calls the “persecution” of the crypto industry and to position the United States as the “bitcoin superpower of the world” once in power.
Election ‘Nostradamus’ blames incorrect prediction on Elon Musk and ‘explosion’ of disinformation
06:15
Rhian Lubin
Allan Lichtman, who incorrectly predicted that Kamala Harris would win the 2024 election, blamed Elon Musk and the “explosion” of disinformation during the campaign.
The American political historian had been dubbed the “Nostradamus” of elections because – until last week – he successfully predicted the last nine out of 10 presidential races since 1984. He consistently backed his original prediction that Harris would win in 2024.
But since Donald Trump claimed victory last week, the professor acknowledged he was wrong and would reassess his method.
Reflecting on the result, Lichtman said he was “sounding the alarm” about Musk.
Susie Wiles hints at Trump’s plans for day one in office during private Republican event
05:30
Ariana Baio
President-elect Donald Trump plans to restore multiple executive orders from his first term that President Joe Biden rescinded as soon as he takes office, Susie Wiles, the incoming White House chief of staff, told Republican donors at a private event on Monday.
While speaking with donors at a closed-door conference in Las Vegas, Wiles said Trump is prepared to take action on day one by reinstating previous policies through executive orders – though, she did not specify which ones Trump is prioritizing, the New York Times reported.
Biden reversed at least 24 Trump administration policies within his first 100 days in office.
WATCH: Who is who in the new first family?
04:45
Reann Philogene
Donald Trump was elected the 47th United States President on Tuesday, November 6th, 2024.
While the Trump family name has been long famous in the business and entertainment industry, Donald Trump’s political reputation has made the family more prominent than ever. Some members have expressed they share different views with Donald Trump’s conservative political agenda, yet the family have all shown their encouragement one way or another throughout Trump’s presidential campaign. Donald Trump has a total of five children and ten grandchildren in his immediate family.
With his second presidential term approaching, the public has seen more of the younger generation of family members enter the public arena to support him.
Starmer and Trump on collision course over climate change ambitions as PM unveils ambitious target
04:00
David Maddox, Stuti Mishra
Keir Starmer and Donald Trump are on a collision course over global warning after the prime minister positioned himself as the international leader on attempting to achieve net zero.
The prime minister used his position as one of the only world leaders from the G20 nations to attend the COP29 climate conference in Baku to announce that carbon emissions in the UK will be slashed by 81 per cent by 2035.
But it came as president-elect Trump indicated that he would be taking the US in the opposite direction with the controversial appointment of Lee Zeldin to lead the US Environment Protection Agency.
WATCH: Jimmy Kimmel savages Trump’s new partner 'Elonia Musk’
03:15
Gustaf Kilander
Who is in Trump’s Cabinet so far? From ‘ice maiden’ Susie Wiles to border czar Tom Homan
02:30
Thomas Beaumont
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.
Kamala Harris was convinced to abandon her progressive ideas. So Democrats didn’t vote for her
02:05
John Bowden
Democrats are looking at spending at least the first two years of Donald Trump’s second presidency in the wilderness after losing the Senate. It looks increasingly likely they will fail to retake the House of Representatives, too. Now, many are questioning whether the party is truly going to learn anything of value from the second defeat of the Democratic standard-bearer to Trump and MAGA Republicanism.
Centrist Democrats in particular are taking it from all sides, humiliated with a seven-swing-state sweep after successfully talking Harris into abandoning the progressive-ish agenda she championed in her 2020 bid for the White House. Those centrists spent the past few months stating plainly that she would not be a meaningful departure from the presidency of Joe Biden, with whom Harris could not identify a single issue on which she disagreed.
WATCH: Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe refuses to apologize for Puerto Rico joke at Trump rally
01:45
Gustaf Kilander
Full story: Trump names Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to ‘Manhattan Project’ for government cuts
01:33
Alex Woodward
Donald Trump has nominated billionaire Elon Musk and venture capitalist Vivek Ramaswamy to lead a newly created office designed to fire workers and make drastic cuts to government funding.
The men leading the Office of Government Efficiency — or DOGE, named after Musk’s favorite meme — “will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies — Essential to the ‘Save America; Movement,” Trump said in a statement on Tuesday.
“This will send shockwaves through the system, and anyone involved in Government waste, which is a lot of people!” Musk added.
WATCH: Trump and Alina Habba dance to ‘Trump Won’ song
01:20
Reann Philogene
Republicans push for criminal probe into judge in Trump hush money case – and the judge’s daughter
01:00
Mike Bedigan
In the wake of Donald Trump’s sweeping victory, Republicans are turning their attention to those in the judicial system who went up against the president-elect in the courts.
Speaking on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures, Florida Representatives Anna Paulina Luna and Cory Mills floated the idea that criminal charges could be brought against Judge Juan Merchan – and his daughter Loren Merchan.
Merchan oversaw Trump’s high-profile hush money case where he was ultimately convicted of 34 felonies in New York earlier this year. His daughter subsequently became the target of attacks by the president-elect due to her Democrat-leaning political activities.
Donald Trump taps Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy to lead new ‘Department of Government Efficiency'
00:42
Katie Hawkinson
Donald Trump has chosen billionaire Elon Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to lead the new Department of Government Efficiency.
“Together, these two wonderful Americans will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies - Essential to the ‘Save America’ Movement,” Trump said in a statement on Tuesday night.
Musk added that “this will send shockwaves through the system, and anyone involved in Government waste, which is a lot of people.”
Musk first promoted the idea at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally on October 27.
“How much do you think we can rip out of this wasted, $6.5 trillion Harris-Biden budget?” Howard Lutnick, the billionaire chief executive of financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald, who is advising Trump’s campaign, asked at the event.
“I think we can do at least $2 trillion,” Musk said.
“Your money is being wasted, and the Department of Government Efficiency is going to fix that,” he added. “We’re going to get the government off your back and out of your pocketbook.”
Trump’s November sentencing in hush money case now in jeopardy after judge delays ruling on verdict
00:30
Alex Woodward
The judge overseeing Donald Trump’s historic hush money trial is delaying a ruling on whether to toss out a verdict after the Supreme Court’s landmark “immunity” ruling.
A decision on Tuesday from New York Justice Juan Merchan, a week after Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election, adds yet another delay to proceedings in a case that resulted in his 34-count criminal conviction.
Merchan was scheduled to issue a ruling on Trump’s “immunity” argument on Tuesday.
Instead, he told Trump’s lawyers he will delay a decision until November 19.
Merchan initially moved his decision on the “immunity” question until after Election Day “to avoid any appearance” of political interference.
Trump was scheduled to be sentenced on November 26. That will also be put on hold for now.
Trump announces Defense Secretary pick
00:18
Katie Hawkinson
Donald Trump has announced he is nominating Pete Hegseth, a veteran and Fox News host, as his Secretary of Defense.
“Pete has spent his entire life as a Warrior for the Troops, and for the Country,” Trump said in a press release on Tuesday night. “Pete is tough, smart and a true believer in America First. With Pete at the helm, America’s enemies are on notice - Our Military will be Great Again, and America will Never Back Down.”
“Pete is a graduate of Princeton University, and has a Graduate Degree from Harvard University,” Trump added. “He is an Army Combat Veteran who did tours in Guantanamo Bay, Iraq, and Afghanistan.”
Inside Kristi Noem’s many controversies - from dog killing to Kim Jong Un ‘meeting’
00:00
Gustaf Kilander
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, President-elect Donald Trump’s reported pick to serve as the next Homeland Security secretary, has had her fair share of controversies, from shooting her dog to a disputed claim regarding a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
The Department of Homeland Security oversees the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, making the department one of the most important in Trump’s efforts to deport millions of undocumented immigrants from the US.
Noem was elected governor in 2018 and won re-election in 2022.
UK risks infuriating Donald Trump as frontrunner to be Britain’s US ambassador suggests it is a part-time job
Tuesday 12 November 2024 23:30
Kate Devlin
The UK risks infuriating Donald Trump after the frontrunner to be Britain’s next ambassador to the US suggested he could combine the job with another role.
Former Labour cabinet minister Lord Mandelson said that becoming the UK’s man in Washington was not “incompatible” with being Related News & Content
