Donald Trump used a press conference at Mar-a-Lago Monday to slam President Joe Biden over the drones spotted in areas across the East Coast, and said that he would consider pardoning New York Mayor Eric Adams.
“The government knows what is happening. Look, our military knows where they took off from, if it’s a garage they can go right into that garage. They know where it came from and where it went,” Trump told reporters.
Meanwhile, Trump said Adams had been treated “pretty unfairly” by federal prosecutors.
This comes as his transition team is spending the final working week before Christmas sending some of his most controversial nominees for cabinet posts to meet with senators on Capitol Hill.
Robert F Kennedy Jr and Tulsi Gabbard, the president-elect’s choices for health secretary and director of national intelligence respectively, are seeking to shore up support and attempt to dispel doubts over some of their controversial past statements, which, it is feared, could imperil their confirmation hearings come January.
Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son announced a $100 billion investment in the U.S. over the next four years during his Monday visit to Trump at Mar-a-Lago.
Key Points
- RFK Jr and Tulsi Gabbard to lead Trump transition team’s latest DC charm offensive
- Softbank CEO to announce $100bn investment in US during Mar-a-Lago visit
- Trumps host widow of slain Japanese PM at Mar-a-Lago
- ABC agrees to pay $15m to Trump in defamation lawsuit settlement
- Trump adviser faints and falls while speaking at NYC Young Republican event
Mitch McConnell warns Trump against four years of ‘right-wing isolationism’
04:00
Joe Sommerlad
Mitch McConnell, the retiring Senate minority leader, has warned Donald Trump against embracing “right-wing isolationism” when he returns to the White House in January.
In an essay for Foreign Affairs magazine, the veteran Kentucky lawmaker, 82, warned the president-elect that he is set to encounter “a world far more hostile to US interests than the one he left behind four years ago” – citing the ever-growing challenges posed by China, Russia and Iran.
Read more:
Trump called out for ‘fat-shaming’ Chris Christie with AI image of him eating McDonald’s surrounded by drones
03:00
James Liddell
Donald Trump is facing backlash for trolling Chris Christie with a bizarre AI-generated image showing the former New Jersey governor eating McDonald’s while surrounded by drones.
Mysterious lights have been spotted in the skies above New Jersey and New York in recent weeks, fueling speculation about the origins and causing federal officials to admit they don’t know who or what is behind them. Between November 19 and December 13 alone, almost 1,000 drone sightings have been recorded in the Garden State, the Office of Emergency Management confirmed to the New York Post.
Read more:
Marjorie Taylor Greene claims Biden admin is ‘in control of drones’ as MAGAworld pushes wild theories about mystery sightings
02:00
Joe Sommerlad
MAGA Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has claimed that the US government is “in control of the drones” that have been spotted over New Jersey and New York in recent weeks, which officials have so far been unable or unwilling to account for.
Greene, who is well known for amplifying online conspiracy theories, wrote on X late on Saturday night: “The government is in control of the drones and refuses to tell the American people what is going on. It really is that bad.”
Read more:
‘Big mistake’ to withdraw support for Ukraine, Starmer says amid Trump criticism
01:00
David Lynch
It would be a “big mistake” if Ukraine’s allies did not continue to give it the “strongest” support, Sir Keir Starmer said after Donald Trump criticised Kyiv’s use of US missiles for strikes deep into Russian territory.
The Prime Minister urged Western allies of the war-torn nation not to “take our eye off the ball” as Ukraine enters its third winter since the invasion.
Read more:
Shocking moment Trump adviser collapses on stage at Young Republicans event
00:15
James Liddell
Donald Trump’s campaign adviser Alex Bruesewitz collapsed on stage while speaking at a GOP black tie event.
The 27-year-old strategist, who was tasked with helping the Trump campaign court young voters during the 2024 election campaign, was introducing incoming White House deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino at the 112th New York Young Republicans Club Gala at the Cipriani Wall Street in Manhattan on Sunday evening.
Read more:
Federal Reserve is likely to slow its rate cuts with inflation pressures still elevated
Monday 16 December 2024 23:30
Christopher Rugaber
Americans hoping for lower borrowing costs for homes, credit cards and cars may be disappointed after this week’s Federal Reserve meeting. The Fed’s policymakers are likely to signal fewer interest rate cuts next year than were previously expected.
The officials are set to reduce their benchmark rate, which affects many consumer and business loans, by a quarter-point to about 4.3% when their meeting ends Wednesday. At that level, the rate would be a full point below the four-decade high it reached in July 2023. The policymakers had kept their key rate at its peak for more than a year to try to quell inflation, until slashing the rate by a half-point in September and a quarter-point last month.
Read more:
Why Bezos and Zuckerberg are suddenly getting so friendly with Trump
Monday 16 December 2024 22:45
Andrew Feinberg
With just five weeks to go until President-elect Donald Trump and his allies take full control of America’s executive branch, many of his former antagonists are suddenly attempting to curry favor. How best to do so? By funding the massive inaugural celebration that will mark his return to office, of course.
On Thursday, CNN reported that Amazon, the world’s largest retailer, would be gifting $1 million in cash to the Trump inaugural committee, in addition to an equal in-kind contribution it would make by broadcasting the January 20 festivities on the company’s eponymous streaming video platform.
Read more:
Trump says he would consider pardoning New York City Mayor Eric Adams
Monday 16 December 2024 22:25
Ariana Baio
President-elect Donald Trump indicated he would consider issuing a pardon to New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, who was indicted on corruption charges in September.
At a press conference on Monday, Trump – one all too familiar with federal indictments – said he believed Adams was “treated pretty unfairly” and “would” issue a pardon if he reviewed the indictment.
“Now I haven’t seen the gravity of it all but it seems like being upgraded in an airplane many years ago,” Trump said – a reference to the upgraded flights that Adams allegedly took as a form of bribery.
Read more:
ABC’s $15m settlement in Trump ‘rape’ defamation case was met with surprise and outrage. Here’s why
Monday 16 December 2024 22:00
Alex Woodward
ABC’s $15 million settlement with Donald Trump following the president-elect’s defamation lawsuit has alarmed legal analysts and drawn criticism that the network and its Disney parent company gave up without a fight.
“Knee bent. Ring kissed,” prominent Democratic elections lawyer Marc Elias wrote. “Another legacy news outlet chooses obedience.”
Former Washington Post media reporter Paul Farhi called the settlement an “awful precedent” and a “huge sellout.”
Read more:
In his final days as Republican leader, Mitch McConnell tries to put pressure on Trump
Monday 16 December 2024 21:30
Eric Garcia
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is now in his final weeks as the top Republican in the Senate. And he’s spending those weeks sending hints about his dissatisfaction at the direction of President-elect Donald Trump’s potential administration.
McConnell’s influence has severely diminished in recent years. His attempt to strike a compromise bill that would swap border security for aid to Ukraine failed. The newer, more Trump-aligned Republicans in Congress openly criticize him. And last week, he suffered another fall during Republicans’ weekly lunch. He returned looking decidedly frail.
Read more:
Watch: Steve Bannon floats idea Trump can run in 2028
Monday 16 December 2024 21:00
Gustaf Kilander
Trump claims ‘there’s something wrong’ with autism rates when asked about vaccines: ‘We’re going to find out about it’
Monday 16 December 2024 20:30
Eric Garcia
President-elect Donald Trump refused to say definitively that vaccines do not cause autism at a press conference.
Trump spoke alongside the chief executive at SoftBank, who pledged to invest $100 billion in the United States, as they addressed reporters on Monday.
During the press conference, Trump repeated misinformation that he has previously espoused about vaccines and autism. He also said that he had met with the heads of Pfizer and Eli Lily, as well as Mehmet Oz, his nominee to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and Robert F Kennedy Jr., his nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, who has repeated the debunked claims about vaccines and autism.
Read more:
TikTok prepares for US ban after delay bid rejected
Monday 16 December 2024 20:00
Anthony Cuthbertson
US lawmakers have told Apple and Google to prepare to remove TikTok from their app stores on 19 January after the Chinese-owned platform failed in its bid to delay a nationwide ban.
China-based ByteDance must sell TikTok in the US before that date to avoid the ban, which has been ordered due to national security concerns.
TikTok and ByteDance filed an emergency motion with the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia last week, asking for more time to make their case to the US Supreme Court.
Read more:
Don Jr insists he will always ‘care for’ and have ‘special bond’ with Kimberly Guilfoyle
Monday 16 December 2024 19:30
Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump Jr has said he will always “care for” Kimberly Guilfoyle and that the couple retain “a special bond” amid reports that they have ended their four-year engagement and parted ways.
While the couple has still not officially confirmed the split, the president-elect’s eldest son, 46, was recently pictured with Florida socialite Bettina Anderson celebrating her 38th birthday at Buccan, an exclusive Palm Beach restaurant, and enjoying a romantic evening stroll along the beach.
Joe Sommerlad reports.
Watch: Trump says he plans to sue Ann Selzer over poll predicting Iowa loss
Monday 16 December 2024 19:15
Gustaf Kilander
Trump says he plans to sue Ann Selzer and the newspaper in Iowa that published her poll showing Trump losing just days before the election pic.twitter.com/ujSmW3GTTM
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 16, 2024
Why ABC’s $15m settlement in Trump ‘rape’ defamation case was met with surprise and outrage
Monday 16 December 2024 19:00
Oliver O'Connell
ABC’s $15 million settlement with Donald Trump following the president-elect’s defamation lawsuit has alarmed legal analysts and drawn criticism that the network and its Disney parent company gave up without a fight.
“Knee bent. Ring kissed,” prominent Democratic elections lawyer Marc Elias wrote. “Another legacy news outlet chooses obedience.”
Former Washington Post media reporter Paul Farhi called the settlement an “awful precedent” and a “huge sellout.”
Alex Woodward reports.
Watch: Trump says people who praise UnitedHealthcare CEO shooter have a ‘sicknes’
Monday 16 December 2024 18:45
Gustaf Kilander
Donald Trump says people who admire suspected UnitedHealthcare CEO shooter Luigi Mangione have a "sickness."
— The Recount (@therecount) December 16, 2024
"The way it was done, it was so bad. Right in the back. ... A thing like that, you just, you can't believe that some people — and maybe it's fake news." pic.twitter.com/nmvZvbZClb
ICYMI: Shocking moment Trump adviser collapses on stage at Young Republicans event
Monday 16 December 2024 18:30
Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump’s campaign adviser Alex Bruesewitz collapsed on stage while speaking at a GOP black tie event.
The 27-year-old strategist, who was tasked with helping the Trump campaign court young voters during the 2024 election campaign, was introducing incoming White House deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino at the 112th New York Young Republicans Club Gala at the Cipriani Wall Street in Manhattan on Sunday evening.
Shocking footage shows Bruesewitz speaking at the podium before he begins to slur and stare blankly at the sea of Republicans sporting tuxedos, ballgowns and red MAGA hats.
James Liddell reports.
Watch: Trump talks about privatization of US Postal Service
Monday 16 December 2024 18:15
Oliver O'Connell
Trump on privatizing the postal service: "Not the worst idea I've ever heard ... it's an idea that a lot of people have liked for a long time. We're looking at it." pic.twitter.com/2PHSbdMC8B
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 16, 2024
Trump wants immigrants gone but has hired more than ever before this year
Monday 16 December 2024 18:00
Oliver O'Connell
President-elect Donald Trump has made it clear that he wants to crack down hard on immigration once he’s in office. But his own businesses keep employing foreign guest workers - hiring more of them this year than any other year on record, CNN reported.
Forbes first reported that Trump hired more foreign workers than ever before in 2024.
Firms connected to some of Trump’s top supporters and choices to serve in his administration have also hired foreign guest workers this year.
Gustaf Kilander reports.
Watch: Trump asked if Jan 6 defendants will get blanket pardon
Monday 16 December 2024 17:45
Oliver O'Connell
Q: "You want to issue pardons for January 6 defendants. Will that be a blanket pardon?"
— Republican Voters Against Trump (@AccountableGOP) December 16, 2024
Trump: "You'll find out but it's going to go quickly." pic.twitter.com/POWKtBUw9z
Watch: Trump says defamation cases can expand to individuals and newspapers
Monday 16 December 2024 17:35
Oliver O'Connell
Q: I want to expand on the defamation lawsuits. Could you see moving that to other people with individual platforms, social media influencers--
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 16, 2024
TRUMP: Or newspapers. Yeah. Oh, I do. I do. I think you have to do it. pic.twitter.com/qQifFRjRNh
Lindsey Graham breaks with Trump on jailing Jan 6 committee members
Monday 16 December 2024 17:30
Oliver O'Connell
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina explicitly said he disagrees with Donald Trump’s suggestion that the members of the House Select Committee to investigate January 6, 2021, should be jailed.
Graham, a staunch Trump supporter, told Kristen Welker of Meet the Press on Sunday that he disagrees with the presidency-elect.
Ariana Baio reports.
Watch: Trump asked if Ukraine should cede territory to Russia
Monday 16 December 2024 17:15
Oliver O'Connell
Q: “Do you believe Ukraine should cede territory to Russia?”
— Republican Voters Against Trump (@AccountableGOP) December 16, 2024
Trump: “I'm going to let you know that after I have my first meeting…There's not a building standing. People can't go back to those cities. There's nothing there.” pic.twitter.com/UGpJBgiN6n
Trump says ‘something strange going on’ with drones over New Jersey
Monday 16 December 2024 17:10
Oliver O'Connell
“Something strange is going on. For some reason they won’t tell the people,” says President-elect Donald Trump when asked about the New Jersey mystery drones, asserting President Joe Biden and the US military know who is flying them.
Trump jokes because of the drones he won't travel to his golf property in New Jersey.
"They're very, very close to Bedminster. I think maybe I won't spend the weekend in Bedminster. I decided to cancel my trip,” he tells reporters at Mar-a-Lago.
“The government knows what is happening. Look, our military knows where they took off from,” he said. “And for some reason, they don't want to comment.”
Watch: Trump says he’s a 'big believer in the polio vaccine’
Monday 16 December 2024 17:07
Oliver O'Connell
Trump says Europe "doesn't use pesticides"
— Jordan Weissmann (@JHWeissmann) December 16, 2024
Watch: Trump says he will consider pardoning New York mayor Eric Adams
Monday 16 December 2024 17:05
Oliver O'Connell
Q: "Would you consider pardoning Eric Adams?"
— Republican Voters Against Trump (@AccountableGOP) December 16, 2024
Trump: "Yeah I would. I yeah I think that he was treated pretty unfairly." pic.twitter.com/jWArdktn8I
Ignoring the Constitution, Steve Bannon is pushing the idea that Trump can run in 2028
Monday 16 December 2024 17:00
Oliver O'Connell
MAGA acolyte Steve Bannon is currently floating the idea that Donald Trump could run for a third presidential term, even though the United States Constitution says otherwise.
During a speech at the New York Young Republican Club’s Gala on Sunday night, the former Trump chief strategist suggested that the 22nd Amendment – which states that presidents can not be elected more than twice – didn’t apply to Trump because the president-elect’s terms are non-consecutive.
Justin Barangoa reports from New York.
Watch: Trump says US had ‘no problems’ when he left office in midst of pandemic
Monday 16 December 2024 16:42
Oliver O'Connell
Trump, ranting and raving, claims that when he left office, the country had "no problems" pic.twitter.com/qsBgt7PCGc
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 16, 2024
Trump complains about two events during transition
Monday 16 December 2024 16:39
Oliver O'Connell
“My confidence level to the economy of the United States has tremendously increased because of his victory,” Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son, standing next to Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, says as he announces the $100 billion investment in the U.S. by his Japanese tech investment firm.
President-elect Trump is joined by SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son in announcing the Japanese bank's $100 billion investment in the U.S. over four years. pic.twitter.com/Hl0T0iy1W5
— CSPAN (@cspan) December 16, 2024
After the remarks at the top of the press conference, Trump brought up two further points.
“We’re talking about a friendly takeover, a friendly transition, as they like to say, this is a friendly transition, and it is, but there are two events that took place that I think are very terrible,” he said.
First, Trump says his administration will go to court to try and undo a five-year deal allowing certain work-from-home rights for some federal workers. He appears to be referring to the deal President Joe Biden's administration made this month with tens of thousands of Social Security workers.
“If people don't come back to work, come back into the office, they're going to be dismissed,” Trump says of federal employees.
Second, he complained that materials for the border wall are being sold off at five cents on the dollar: “I’m asking today, Joe Biden, to please stop selling the wall.”
Trump criticizes govt employees working from home and possible sale of border wall materials.
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) December 16, 2024
"We're talking about a friendly takeover, a friendly transition, as they like to say, this is a friendly transition, and it is, but there are two events that took place that I think… pic.twitter.com/fbOUtlQmrE
Report: Trump’s mass deportation plan could hurt US more than Great Recession
Monday 16 December 2024 16:30
Oliver O'Connell
President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign promise of sweeping deportations could result in “severe economic fallout,” devastating the economy even more than the Great Recession, according to a report by Democrats in the Congressional Joint Economic Committee.
Although Trump’s messaging about improving the economy for Americans during his second term appeared to strike a chord with voters, another one of his campaign fixtures — mass deportations — could have harmful economic consequences, the December 11 report warns. The 78-year-old Republican has suggested that would use the military to assist in mass deportations.
Kelly Rissman reports.
Watch LIVE: Trump and SoftBank CEO announce $100bn US investment
Monday 16 December 2024 16:20
Oliver O'Connell
Republicans stoked fears of noncitizens voting. Cases in Ohio show how rhetoric and reality diverge
Monday 16 December 2024 15:42
Oliver O'Connell
Before the November presidential election, Ohio’s secretary of state and attorney general announced investigations into potential voter fraud that included people suspected of casting ballots even though they were not U.S. citizens.
It coincided with a national Republican messaging strategy warning that potentially thousands of ineligible voters would be voting.
Here’s what happened next...
Trump to announce $100bn SoftBank investment in US
Monday 16 December 2024 15:22
AP
President-elect Donald Trump will join SoftBank Group CEO Masayoshi Son at his Florida home on Monday to announce that the company is planning to invest $100 billion in U.S. projects over the next four years.
That’s according to a person familiar with the plans who spoke on condition of anonymity before the planned announcement. Trump is set to speak at his Mar-a-Lago resort at 11 a.m., marking the first time he will address reporters since he won the election last month.
Trump in the past has announced deals with much fanfare but they have sometimes failed to deliver on promised investments.
But the announcement nonetheless is a win for Trump, who has used the weeks since he won the election to try to promote his policies, negotiate with foreign leaders, and try to strike deals.
Before even taking office, he has been threatening to levy steep tariffs on Mexico and Canada, which prompted a visit from Canada’s prime minister and a call with Mexico’s president.
In a post on his Truth Social site Tuesday, Trump said anyone making a $1 billion investment in the United States “will receive fully expedited approvals and permits, including, but in no way limited to, all Environmental approvals.”
“GET READY TO ROCK!!!” he added.
Japanese technology group SoftBank makes investments in a variety of companies that it groups together in a series of Vision Funds.
The company’s investment portfolio that includes search engine Yahoo, Chinese retailer Alibaba, and artificial intelligence company Nvidia. The announcement will come days after Trump vowed to expedite federal permits for energy projects and other construction worth more than $1 billion.
After Trump won the White House the first time in 2016, he met with Son before taking office. Son then announced plans to create 50,000 jobs and invest $50 billion in U.S. startups, which Trump celebrated on social media, saying it never would have happened if he hadn’t won the election.
Monday’s announcement was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.
Coming up: Trump and Softbank CEO to hold press conference
Monday 16 December 2024 15:07
Oliver O'Connell
Greetings from Mar a Lago, where President Elect Trump is slated to hold a presser at 11 AM with SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son to announce investments in the US. pic.twitter.com/rY0lO1IZry
— Caitlin Huey-Burns (@CHueyBurns) December 16, 2024
Amid Trump criticism, UK PM says ‘big mistake’ to withdraw support for Ukraine
Monday 16 December 2024 15:00
Oliver O'Connell
It would be a “big mistake” if Ukraine’s allies did not continue to give it the “strongest” support, Sir Keir Starmer said after Donald Trump criticised Kyiv’s use of US missiles for strikes deep into Russian territory.
The Prime Minister urged Western allies of the war-torn nation not to “take our eye off the ball” as Ukraine enters its third winter since the invasion.
David Lynch reports.
McConnell warns Trump against ‘right-wing isolationism’
Monday 16 December 2024 14:30
Oliver O'Connell
Mitch McConnell, the retiring Senate minority leader, has warned Donald Trump against embracing “right-wing isolationism” when he returns to the White House in January.
In an essay for Foreign Affairs magazine, the veteran Kentucky lawmaker, 82, warned the president-elect that he is set to encounter “a world far more hostile to US interests than the one he left behind four years ago” – citing the ever-growing challenges posed by China, Russia and Iran.
“These three US adversaries, along with North Korea, are now working together more closely than ever to undermine the US-led order that has underpinned Western peace and prosperity for nearly a century,” McConnell wrote.
Joe Sommerlad reports.
Trump called out for ‘fat-shaming’ Chris Christie with drone post
Monday 16 December 2024 14:00
Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump is facing backlash for trolling Chris Christie with a bizarre AI-generated image showing the former New Jersey governor eating McDonald’s while surrounded by drones.
James Liddell reports.
Biden to sign proclamation establishing national monument honoring first US female Cabinet secretary
Monday 16 December 2024 13:30
AP
President Joe Biden will sign a proclamation Monday establishing a national monument honoring the late FDR-era Labor Secretary Frances Perkins, the first woman appointed to se
