Donald Trump claims support for Pete Hegseth, his nominee for secretary of defense, is “strong and deep” blaming the “fake news” for the backlash against the former Fox News host.
JD Vance echoed his comments on X and during a visit to North Carolina, when asked about rumors that Senator Joni Ernst was being floated as an alternative nominee.
Hegseth spent another day on Capitol Hill on Thursday trying to drum up support for his confirmation as allegations concerning sexual harassment and alcohol continue to dog him on top of concerns about his views on women in combat.
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden, who granted clemency to his son Hunter last week, is said to be mulling preemptive pardons for US officials perceived to be at risk ahead of Trump’s return to the White House. The president-elect has previously vowed to take revenge against critics.
Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden was reviewing further pardons and commutations over the holiday period as outgoing presidents traditionally do.
And Melania Trump said she’s “very proud” of her son Barron Trump for helping his father court the “bro vote” of young male voters via appearances on select podcasts.
Key Points
- Pete Hegseth: Trump not giving up on ‘fantastic, high energy’ nominee as he blasts ‘fake news’
- Melania ‘very proud’ of Barron’s role in Trump campaign in Fox & Friends interview
- Will Biden issue blanket pardons for Trump targets?
- Trump aides suggest Iowa Senator may try to sink Hegseth nomination so she can be Sec Def
- Watch: Vance reaffirms suport for Hegseth
- Hegseth’s lawyer threatens extortion lawsuit against sexual assault accuser
Olivia Troye’s lawyer invoked Monty Python in response to Kash Patel’s threat of defamation suit
Friday 6 December 2024 22:48
Oliver O'Connell
My response for my client @OliviaTroye to President Trump's nominee for Director of the Federal Bureau Of Investigation (#FBI) #KashPatel's threat of a forthcoming defamation lawsuit.#RightBackAtYa pic.twitter.com/evVdlnJJFB
— Mark S. Zaid (@MarkSZaidEsq) December 6, 2024
CBS says Trump law suit an attempt to ‘police editorial decisions'
Friday 6 December 2024 22:42
Oliver O'Connell
CBS has filed a supplemental argument asking why Donald Trump’s lawsuit against the network over the Kamala Harris 60 Minutes episode was filed in Texas.
In another filing, they argue that Trump’s attempt to claim CBS violated the state’s consumer protection laws is an attempt to “police editorial decisions made by news organizations with which one disagrees.”
“Under President Trump’s interpretation, the [law] would become a weapon for any candidate to challenge media coverage they did not like,” attorneys wrote.
Trump’s allegations that the 60 Minutes segment was deceptively edited and cost his campaign “to the tune of several billion dollars is not only far too speculative and inherently improbable to warrant standing, it is also irrelevant.”
He brought the lawsuit “in his individual capacity, not on behalf of his campaign,” attorneys note.
And even if he didn’t, his claims are moot, they said: He won the election.
Here’s more from Alex Woodward on the lawsuit filed by then-candidate Trump against the network:
Will Biden issue blanket pardons for Trump targets?
Friday 6 December 2024 22:35
Oliver O'Connell
Less than a week after President Joe Biden issued a sweeping pardon for his only surviving son — despite denying for months that he would do so — the White House appears to be leaving him room to maneuver on another, similar issue. The question of whether Biden might grant unprecedented preemptive pardons to a range of public figures who might find themselves in the crosshairs of Donald Trump’s second administration remains unanswered.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Friday repeatedly refused to say whether Biden is even considering such a test of the president’s pardon power, which could theoretically be invoked to prevent the next administration from investigating or bringing charges against people known to be antagonists of the incoming president.
Andrew Feinberg reports from Washington, DC.
Reality TV personalities and tourist photoshoots: Outside Mar-a-Lago with Trump’s new fan club
Friday 6 December 2024 22:15
Oliver O'Connell
Eric Garcia reports from Palm Beach, Florida:
On the Southern Boulevard bridge next to President-elect Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in West Palm Beach, there is a parked car festooned with Trump flags. Jestin Nevarez — who blasts out a rap version of Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA” titled “Trump Saved the USA” on repeat — is the owner.
“I come out here and show support,” he told The Independent. “And right now, Mar-a-Lago is a tourist attraction. So when people drive by, they see the flags, they hear the music, they stop in and they have a good time.”
People do indeed stop to take photos of Nevarez’s car and snap photos of the once and future president’s estate.
Palm Beach has changed in the years since Trump first became president.
Continue reading...
Jon Stewart rips media for scaring Americans about second Trump presidency
Friday 6 December 2024 21:55
Oliver O'Connell
Jon Stewart decried the media’s panicked coverage of President-elect Donald Trump’s upcoming second term, saying that it’s not helpful to get the public “s***ting our pants this early.”
Before interviewing Vermont senator Bernie Sanders on his latest Weekly Show podcast episode, the Comedy Central comedian, 62, opened the hour acknowledging that America is currently in a “transitional period where we are not sure about whether the ground we are standing on is solid.”
Inga Parkel has the story.
Biden is considering ‘preemptive pardons’ — what are they?
Friday 6 December 2024 21:35
Oliver O'Connell
Outgoing President Joe Biden and his White House team are considering issuing preemptive pardons to protect those they believe may be targeted for retribution by President-elect Donald Trump.
The move is mostly being discussed among White House attorneys, but the president has also spoken about the possible measure with some of his aides, two sources have said, according to the Asocciated Press.
A decision has yet to be made on the issue and Biden may still choose not to issue any preemptive pardons.
Pardons are usually issued to those who have been accused of a specific crime and those who have already been convicted. But Biden’s White House is looking at is the possibility of issuing pardons to people who haven’t been investigated or charged with anything.
Gustaf Kilander explains.
CBS files motion to dismiss Trump’s $10bn lawsuit over Kamala Harris ‘60 Minutes’ episode
Friday 6 December 2024 21:26
Oliver O'Connell
CBS has filed its motion to dismiss Donald Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the network over the episode of 60 Minutes in which Kamala Harris was interviewed ahead of the election.
Network lawyers say the suit it was wrongly filed in Amarillo, Texas — believed to be because Trump would get the case in front of Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, whom he nominated.
They argue: “If this district has personal jurisdiction on the facts alleged, so too does every district court in the country. That is not the law.”
Here’s more on the lawsuit from Alex Woodward:
After promising to help ‘everyday Americans’, Trump adds more billionaires to his administration
Friday 6 December 2024 21:15
Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump’s campaign pledged to be a champion for the working class. He ran campaign ads vowing to lift up the “hardest working citizens.” The Republican National Convention even put the spotlight on “everyday Americans.”
But his incoming administration reflects a government run by billionaires, stuffed with Wall Street fixtures, investment bankers, real estate developers and oil executives, all within reach of power to slash services that millions of poor and vulnerable Americans depend on.
Alex Woodward reports.
Report: Trump aides suggest Iowa Senator may try to sink Hegseth nomination so she can be Sec Def
Friday 6 December 2024 20:56
Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump’s aides have suggested that Iowa Senator Joni Ernst may be trying to sink the nomination of Pete Hegseth as defense secretary so that she can get the job instead.
Ernst, a combat veteran and sexual assault survivor, has so far refused to publicly back Hegseth’s selection by Trump amid a string of controversies surrounding the Fox News host.
Ariana Baio reports.
COMMENT: Biden’s legacy is to usher in a new era of American corruption
Friday 6 December 2024 20:35
Oliver O'Connell
Jon Sopel writes:
American politicians like to talk about why their country is different from all others, with the clear implication that it is better. And when they talk about the idea of American exceptionalism, they tend to use a biblical phrase – first used by one of the Puritans who came over on the Mayflower – that America is “the shining city on a hill”.
It’s a metaphorical allusion, but in Washington, DC, it is – sort of – literal. The top of Capitol Hill does indeed shine with the magnificent, gleaming marble and white stone of the Congress. And just across the road the equally imposing Supreme Court, itself a neoclassical masterpiece: the pinnacle of the justice system in the United States.
But has the rule of law in America ever looked so battered and tattered? Shining city? You’re having a laugh.
Continue reading...
Watch: Vance reaffirms suport for Hegseth
Friday 6 December 2024 20:29
Oliver O'Connell
VP-elect JD Vance reaffirms his support for Pete Hegseth as Defense Secretary today in Western North Carolina when asked if he’s talked to Sen. Joni Ernst about the nomination — h/t @KitMaherCNN pic.twitter.com/8hbwVOMOP1
— Libby Cathey (@libbycathey) December 6, 2024
Full story: AOC launches bid for top spot on Oversight committee
Friday 6 December 2024 20:15
Oliver O'Connell
A high-profile Democrat who rose to power during Donald Trump’s first term wants to begin his second as the ranking minority member of the powerful House Oversight Committee, continuing a generational shift among House Democrats in the wake of Trump’s 2024 election victory.
In a letter to the House Democratic Caucus, New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said she is asking for their support to lead their party’s side of the committee, which is the lower chamber’s principal investigatory arm with the power to look into “any matter,” even those under the jurisdiction of other standing committees.
Andrew Feinberg reports.
With Elon Musk’s help, Mike Johnson wants to slash 75% of federal agencies
Friday 6 December 2024 19:55
Oliver O'Connell
House Speaker Mike Johnson intends to cut 75 percent of all federal agencies with the help of Elon Musk’s outside commission known as the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.
“We certainly hope” to slash the number of federal agencies from 428 to 99, as Musk has vowed, Johnson said in response to a question from Fox News host Martha McCallum in an interview Wednesday night. “We want to be willing partners in that,” he added.
Gustaf Kilander reports.
Karine Jean-Pierre says Hunter Biden pardon not easy decision for president, circumstances changed
Friday 6 December 2024 19:45
Oliver O'Connell
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was inevitably asked about President Joe Biden’s decision to pardon his son Hunter: “I know what I said. I know what the president said. That is where we were at the time. That is where the president was at the time... He wrestled with it and made his decision... Circumstances have changed.”
She added: “This was not easy for the president. It wasn't, it wasn't. Because you all read the statements we made over the summer.”
“He laid out his thought process. He talked about the underlying facts of the case.... I don’t have anything beyond that.”
Biden to deliver speech on economic record
Friday 6 December 2024 19:41
Oliver O'Connell
At White House briefing. Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre remarked on today’s positive jobs report, showing 227,000 jobs were added in November: "On Tuesday the president will deliver a speech in DC on his economic record and legacy... Trump will inherit an economy primed for growth."
MAGA influencers were offered thousands of dollars to push Trump ally for cabinet role...
Friday 6 December 2024 19:40
Oliver O'Connell
...it did not pay off, as Justin Barangoa reports.
Biden reviewing other pardons and commutations
Friday 6 December 2024 19:34
Oliver O'Connell
“I'm not going to get ahead of the president. But what I can say is that the president is reviewing other pardons and commutations,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre says at today’s briefing when asked whether President Joe Biden is considering preemptive pardons for potential targets of the incoming Trump administration.
Q: "Is the president considering blanket pardons for either individuals or groups of people who are fearful of potentially being targeted by the incoming Trump administration?@PressSec: "The president is reviewing other pardons and commutations." pic.twitter.com/3wpmhOynuE
— CSPAN (@cspan) December 6, 2024
Vance in North Carolina (continued...)
Friday 6 December 2024 19:25
Oliver O'Connell
AP VoteCast, an extensive survey of the electorate, found that 26% of North Carolina voters said the hurricane affected their lives by damaging their homes, causing extended power outages or interfering with their ability to cast a ballot. Trump won 53% of those voters.
Vance has largely stayed out of the public eye since the election aside from shepherding Trump’s Cabinet nominees around Capitol Hill.
State lawmakers have already allocated more than $900 million in disaster relief, but North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper has sought at least $3.9 billion. The Democratic governor and other state leaders have now asked the federal government for $25 billion in aid.
Hundreds of miles of roads have been reopened and water systems are back online, but the work has been slow-going. More than 100,000 western North Carolina residents were told just two weeks ago that they could once again use water coming out of Asheville’s water system to bathe and to drink from the faucet. A destroyed water system in at least one isolated county could take years to rebuild.
Many Republicans and residents were critical of the initial recovery operations by the federal government and Cooper’s administration. Housing for displaced residents for the winter has become a concern, and some allies of Cooper have blamed GOP lawmakers for failing to provide grants to small businesses at risk of failing and housing renters faced with eviction.
Vance tours western North Carolina to survey damage from Hurricane Helene
Friday 6 December 2024 19:22
Oliver O'Connell
Vice President-elect JD Vance on Friday surveyed damage from Hurricane Helene and talked to first responders in western North Carolina in one of his first public appearances since the November election.
The hurricane struck in late September and caused at least $53 billion in damage in North Carolina, according to a state government estimate. More than 100 North Carolina residents died from the storm, which the state estimates damaged over 120,000 homes, at least 6,000 miles (9,700 kilometers) of roads and over 160 sewer and water systems.
The incoming vice president and his wife, Usha, visited the Fairview Volunteer Fire Department, where he learned that the building flooded with 4 to 6 inches of water and that roughly a dozen people got walking pneumonia as they responded to the hurricane’s destruction. Power outages meant that some first responders could not talk with their own families for several days.
“At the height of it, I imagine y’all were working nonstop,” Vance said as he listened to a presentation.
By going to the Asheville area, Vance ventured into Democratic territory. More than 60% of voters in Buncombe County backed Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, in November’s presidential election. Liberal-leaning Asheville is known for its vibrant arts scene and the Biltmore Estate tourist attraction. The city’s arts district faced substantial damage from Helene.
But the majority of North Carolina voters supported President-elect Donald Trump, and he generally fared better among voters hurt by Hurricane Helene. The Republican gave a blistering critique of the Biden administration’s relief efforts, which President Joe Biden characterized as “unAmerican” misinformation.
Continued...
Could Kash Patel’s history of bizarre conspiracy theories kill his confirmation chances?
Friday 6 December 2024 19:15
Oliver O'Connell
Kash Patel, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to serve as FBI director, has pushed a litany of wild conspiracy theories, complicating his aspirations to run the agency.
Gustaf Kilander takes a look at what Patel has said in the past.
Fox News colleagues jump on bandwagon for Hegseth nomination
Friday 6 December 2024 18:55
Oliver O'Connell
Amid a slew of damning allegations about Pete Hegseth’s excessive drinking and sexual impropriety, Hegseth’s friends at Fox News are publicly pushing back on the claims while urging Republicans to push through the ex-Fox & Friends host’s nomination for defense secretary.
The full-court press by Hegseth’s former Fox colleagues comes as the 44-year-old is pulling out all the stops in hopes of saving his bid, including having his mother show up at his old haunt to denounce her past claims of Hegseth’s abusive treatment of women while pleading with President-elect Donald Trump to stick by her son.
At the same time, Fox News staffers and insiders who spoke with The Independent wonder if Hegseth’s recent media blitz and the rallying of the Fox News troops is just as much about helping set the stage for a potential return to the conservative cable giant as it is in terms of getting him over the finish line at the Pentagon.
Justin Barangoa reports.
Trump wants ‘a say’ in the Federal Reserve. Many Republicans don’t think he should
Friday 6 December 2024 18:41
Oliver O'Connell
Even fellow Republicans aren’t convinced by Donald Trump’s ideas about how the Federal Reserve should operate.
During his first term, and on the campaign trail, Trump has made it clear he wants some control over the Federal Reserve, the U.S.’s central banking system made entirely independent from the politics that control most of the government.
Economists have warned it’s a bad idea and even members of the GOP have raised concerns, albeit quietly.
Ariana Baio reports.
Pete Hegseth: Trump’s not giving up on ‘fantastic, high energy’ nominee as he blasts ‘fake news’
Friday 6 December 2024 18:23
Oliver O'Connell
Allegations of sexual assault, excessive drinking, and cheating have plagued Pete Hegseth for weeks, but Donald Trump vowed Friday he is sticking by his pick for defense secretary.
Amid the salacious claims, the president-elect reaffirmed his belief in Hegseth in a Truth Social post — and blasted the “fake news” for spreading such allegations.
Kelly Rissman reports.
Melania Trump says heading to the White House for the second term is much different than the first
Friday 6 December 2024 18:15
Oliver O'Connell
Soon-to-be first lady Melania Trump said Friday that preparing to enter the White House for the second time looks a lot different from the first go-around. Now, she and her husband know what to expect.
“You know what you need to establish, you know what kind of people you need to hire for your office,” she said on “Fox & Friends” in a rare television appearance, where she showed off holiday ornaments she’s selling and her memoir as Christmas approaches.
She said the pace has been fast, as Donald Trump works to build his administration: “It’s incredible and we are very, very busy.” She’s packing up so “we can start on Day 1.”
Continue reading...
Marjorie Taylor Greene loudly booed as she speaks out against trans rights
Friday 6 December 2024 17:55
Oliver O'Connell
Republican Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene was loudly booed while slamming health care for trans children outside the Supreme Court.
Greene went on the attack Wednesday at the court as it was hearing arguments in U.S. v. Skrmetti, a case involving a challenge to Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors.
Gustaf Kilander reports from Washington, DC.
Appeals court backs law that could ban TikTok in US, setting up likely Supreme Court showdown
Friday 6 December 2024 17:35
Oliver O'Connell
A federal appeals court upheld a law that could lead to a ban on TikTok in a few short months, handing a resounding defeat to the popular social media platform as it fights for survival in the U.S.
That could lead to a potential showdown between the government and the app in the Supreme Court - and President-elect Donald Trump would likely have to pick a side after giving conflicting statements about a ban during his political career.
Continue reading...
Melania admits that she doesn't dance like Trump as she hawks ornaments and jewelry on Fox & Friends
Friday 6 December 2024 17:15
Oliver O'Connell
In her first television interview since her husband Donald Trump won the presidential election, incoming First Lady Melania Trump appeared on her spouse’s favorite morning show Fox & Friends to discuss her son Barron’s impact on the “bro vote,” the president-elect’s infamous dance moves, and how she’s handling the transition into the White House.
Along the way, Mrs. Trump also took the opportunity to pitch a “stocking-stuffer” version of her coffee table book, as well as a limited-edition set of Christmas ornaments and collectibles that she said would make a “great gift.”
Justin Barangoa has the story.
Chelsea Manning arrested in Congress for protesting against transgender bathroom ban
Friday 6 December 2024 17:05
Oliver O'Connell
Former US Army whistleblower Chelsea Manning has been arrested in the halls of Congress for protesting against a ban on transgender women using women’s bathrooms.
Manning, 37, was among a group of trans demonstrators who staged a sit-in inside the women’s lavatory opposite House speaker Mike Johnson’s office on Thursday, according to The 19th.
The protest called on Democrats to fight back against Johnson’s new bathroom rule, which requires trans people in the Capitol building to use only the facilities corresponding to their birth sex.
Io Dodds has the story.
First Jan 6 defendant to go on trial is resentenced, after SCOTUS obstruction ruling
Friday 6 December 2024 16:54
Oliver O'Connell
A Trump-appointed federal judge has resentenced Guy Reffitt — the first January 6 Capitol riot defendant to go to trial — to 80 months in prison.
Reffitt delivered an expletive-laden tirade to the court but said he wasn’t “in my feelings” as much because Trump won, Politico reports.
Reffitt had initially been sentenced to 87 months but was resentenced because of the Supreme Court’s Fischer ruling on obstruction.
“No one has a problem with your feelings,” Judge Dabney Friedrich said. “It’s the actions you took.”
Reffitt, who carried a firearm to the Capitol, helped ignite the riot, engaging in a long standoff with police as the mob amassed behind him. He repeatedly expressed a desire to overthrow Congress.
He has also become a vocal member of the “J6 family” since his first sentencing.
Update: What’s happening with Rudy Giuliani’s legal woes?
Friday 6 December 2024 16:35
Oliver O'Connell
Rudy Giuliani, former New York mayor, and once Donald Trump’s personal attorney, faces threats of court-ordered sanctions in Manhattan and Washington, DC, having already been indicted, found liable for defamation, and nearly bankrupt.
Now, he could face jail, as Alex Woodward reports.
ICYMI: House GOP blocks release of Gaetz ethics report detailing allegations of sex with minor
Friday 6 December 2024 16:15
Oliver O'Connell
The House of Representatives voted down two efforts by Democrats to force the chamber to release a report on former Congressman Matt Gaetz from the House Ethics Committee.
The full scope of the report was a mystery, but it is known to have looked into allegations that Matt Gaetz had sex with a minor while serving as a member of Congress. Gaetz has repeatedly denied the accusations he faces, which state that he had repeated sexual encounters with a then-17-year-old girl at a party in 2017, during his first term.
The votes were largely along party lines, with Republicans eager to turn the page on their former colleague.
John Bowden reports from Washington, DC.
Watch: Hakeem Jeffries tells reporters Republican majority ‘will not be able to do much without us'
Friday 6 December 2024 16:10
Oliver O'Connell
Speaking about the House Democratic agenda this morning, Minority Leader New York Rep Hakeem Jeffries noted to reporters: “The incoming House Republican majority will not be able to do much without us.”
Hakeem Jeffries: "The incoming House Republican majority will not be able to do much without us" pic.twitter.com/AE4Ds4vQvm
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 6, 2024
He added: “To the extent that there was any mandate that has emerged from this most recent election, it is that the American people want us to work hard to lower the high cost of living and to bring down grocery prices, gas prices, the cost of childcare, and housing costs.”
Hakeem Jeffries: "To the extent that there was any mandate that has emerged from this most recent election, it is that the American people want us to work hard to lower the high cost of living and to bring down grocery prices, gas prices, the cost of childcare, and housing costs" pic.twitter.com/gi6PxipkAU
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 6, 2024
Jeffries also noted that repeatedly MAGA Republicans say one thing before an election and do another after.
He warned that Social Security and Medicare are now under threat.
Jeffries: "We've seen repeatedly amongst my extreme MAGA Republican colleagues that they say one thing to the American people before the election and then do something different after the election. House Republicans said they were gonna protect Social Security and Medicare ... " pic.twitter.com/KuMK3Q7yl5
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 6, 2024
Biden hails 16 million jobs created over time in office after November report
Friday 6 December 2024 16:04
Oliver O'Connell
The White House released the following statement from President Joe Biden regarding the November 2024 Jobs Report:
America’s comeback continues. Today’s report shows that the economy created 227,000 jobs in November, as Boeing machinists returned to work with record wage gains and hurricane recovery continued. Unemployment of 4.2% is in the same low range of the past seven months. This has been a hard-fought recovery, but we are making progress for working families.
Since I took office, the economy has created more than 16 million jobs, with jobs created every single month. Unemployment has been the lowest on average of any administration in 50 years. Incomes are up almost $4,000 more than prices. While there is more to do to lower costs, we’ve taken action to lower prescription drug prices, health insurance premiums, utility bills, and gas prices that will pay dividends for years to come.
November jobs report shows healthy labor market
Friday 6 December 2024 15:55
Oliver O'Connell
America’s job market rebounded in November, adding 227,000 workers in a solid recovery from the previous month, when the effects of strikes and hurricanes had sharply diminished employers’ payrolls.
Last month’s hiring growth was up considerably from a meager gain of 36,000 jobs in October. The government also revised up its estimate of job growth in September and October by a combined 56,000.
Continue reading...
And there’s been a change of tone over on Fox Business regarding positive economic numbers since the election, as Aaron Rupar notes:
"It is good news" -- now that Trump won, Fox Business is no longer trying to spin the latest good jobs report as bad to hurt Biden. Truly the end of an era. pic.twitter.com/YR4lUSwtpb
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 6, 2024