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☆ Fox hosts, cable news regulars and entertainment pros: Trump is casting a made-for-TV Cabinet
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-23 | by ( Steve Contorno | Kristen Holmes | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

He has plucked two Fox News stars from their airwaves – Sean Duffy for Treasury secretary and Pete Hegseth to lead the Pentagon. Trump’s choice for ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, had a six-year run hosting a Fox News show. As a former reality TV star, Trump is deeply attuned to the power of the small screen. Among the flurry of names for non-Cabinet roles that Trump announced Friday evening were also several former and current Fox News contributors. And Sebastian Gorka, whom Trump named senior director of counterterrorism, was a Fox contributor in 2018 and 2019.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Sean Duffy, Pete Hegseth, Trump, Mehmet Oz, Linda McMahon, Mike Huckabee, Tulsi Gabbard, Tucker Carlson, Donald Trump, Eva Marie Uzcategui, Duffy, Rachel Campos, ”, “, Oz, Mike Waltz, Kristi Noem, Sen, Marco Rubio, Howard Luntick, Rebecca Quick, I’ve, Doug Burgum, Tom Homan, Homan, ” Trump, Matt Gaetz, Gaetz –, –, JD Vance, Scott Applewhite, Pam Bondi, Hegseth, headwinds, Chris Coons, CNN’s Manu Raju, Dr, Janette Nesheiwat, Marty Makary, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Sebastian Gorka, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, Larry Kudlow, Christina Bobb, Rupert Murdoch’s, Bret Baier, Kamala Harris, Vance, Rubio, Burgum, ” CNN’s Kate Sullivan, Manu Raju, Alayna Treene, Brian Stelter Organizations: CNN, Fox, Pentagon, Department of Education, Fox News, Trump, TV Cabinet, Fox Business, Medicare, Republicans, South Dakota Gov, Department of Homeland Security, Wall Street, CNBC, Commerce, North Dakota Gov, of, Interior, Republican, Capitol, Florida, and Drug Administration, “ Fox, Department of Health, Human Services, Salem Radio Network, National Economic Council, America News Network Locations: Israel, Mar, Palm Beach , Florida, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Florida, America, Spanish, Washington ,, Gaetz, Delaware, Ohio

☆ Nicaraguan lawmakers approve reform expanding Ortega’s power
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-22 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Reuters —The Nicaraguan parliament, dominated by the ruling Sandinista Front, on Friday approved a constitutional reform that hands more power to President Daniel Ortega as well as the Central American nation’s police and military. The two have been married since 2005 and she was made vice president in 2017. Under the new reform, the co-presidents will have control over the legislature, judiciary and electoral, public administration, and oversight bodies as well as autonomous entities. Government critics have said the reforms legalize the “absolute power” already exercised for years by Ortega and Murillo. “If adopted, these changes will sound the death knell for fundamental freedoms and rule of law in Nicaragua,” he said in a statement.

Persons: Daniel Ortega, “, Rosario Murillo, Ortega, ”, Murillo, Gustavo Porras, Human Rights Volker Turk Organizations: Reuters, Nicaraguan, Sandinista, Central American nation’s, Government, of American, UN, Human Rights Locations: United States, of American States, Nicaragua

Sexual misconduct allegations against Matt Gaetz had drawn scrutiny after Mr. Trump said he wanted to nominate him for attorney general. Mr. Trump moved quickly to replace Mr. Gaetz with another conservative favorite. Federal prosecutors ultimately dropped the case against Mr. Gaetz, but their chart of payments was obtained by the ethics committee, which was investigating whether Mr. Gaetz had sex with the woman when she was underage. After she turned 18, Mr. Gaetz paid for sex with her on at least two other occasions, the person said. Mr. Trump seemed attracted to Mr. Gaetz as attorney general especially because of the former congressman’s willingness to blow things up.

Persons: Matt Gaetz, Trump, Donald J, Gaetz, Pam Bondi, Gaetz’s, Pete Hegseth, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Vance, Mr, ” Mr, “ Matt, Jean Carroll, Hegseth, Kennedy, Elon Musk, Linda McMahon, JD Vance, “, ”, Todd Blanche, Blanche, implacably, Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins of, Mitch McConnell of, John Curtis of Utah, Collins, McConnell, Murkowski, Curtis, John Cornyn, Kevin Cramer, Ginger Luckey, Kevin McCarthy, Andrew Bailey, Robert J, Giuffra Jr, Cromwell, Boris Epshteyn, Marco Rubio, Trump’s, Tim Balk, Michael Gold, Michael C, Bender, Karoun Demirjian, Robert Draper, Catie Edmondson, Maya C, Miller, Michael S, Schmidt, Noah Weiland Organizations: Senate, Justice Department, Republicans, Fox News, Trump, DOJ, Mr, SpaceX, World Wrestling Entertainment, Capitol, Republican, Fort Walton, Florida Panhandle, New York Times, Wednesday, The Times, CNN, Sullivan, Department, Justice, Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, Explosives, 119th Locations: Florida, Washington, Ohio, Monterey , Calif, Manhattan, Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Texas, North Dakota, Fort, Fort Walton Beach, Missouri, New York

☆ More Biden judges will be confirmed, but four appeals court nominees won’t see a vote under Senate deal
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-21 | by ( Tierney Sneed | Ted | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

However, the four Biden appellate nominees already faced tough odds of confirmation, with some, like 3rd US Circuit Court of Appeals nominee Adeel Mangi, facing opposition among Democrats as well. The Senate deal puts Biden in a position to potentially beat Trump’s record of number of district court judges confirmed. Still, Demand Justice, an organization that advocates for progressive judicial nominees, blasted the new deal for depriving the four Biden circuit nominees of floor votes. Those efforts were always going to face headwinds and got more arduous when Trump demanded that Senate Republicans blockade all pending Biden nominees for the bench. Under the new deal, Republicans backed off procedural tactics that would stymie the confirmations of six district nominees that were on the floor Wednesday night and on Thursday.

Persons: Joe Biden’s, Donald Trump’s, Biden, Adeel Mangi, ”, Chuck Schumer, Trump, haven’t, Obama, Maggie Jo Buchanan, “, Donald Trump, headwinds, Independent Sen, Joe Manchin’s, Kyrsten Sinema, Washington –, Dick Durbin Organizations: CNN, Senate, Liberal, Democratic, Republicans, Biden, Democrats, GOP, Trump, Demand, Independent, Republican, Illinois Democrat Locations: Washington, Arizona, Illinois

☆ Trump demands Republicans ‘kill’ bill that would protect journalists from government spying
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-21 | by ( Brian Stelter | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —In between his posts on Truth Social announcing nominees for his incoming administration, President-elect Donald Trump urged Republicans Wednesday to nix a bipartisan bill that would give journalists greater protections under federal law. Trump wrote on his favorite social network that “REPUBLICANS MUST KILL THIS BILL!”He linked to a PBS “NewsHour” interview with Jodie Ginsberg, the CEO of the Committee to Protect Journalists, who urged the Senate to pass the legislation. Known as the PRESS Act, the Protect Reporters From Exploitative State Spying Act would prevent the government from forcing journalists to reveal their sources and limit the seizure of their data without their knowledge. “It’s really important that we have that federal shield law to protect journalists at the federal level,” Ginsberg said on PBS. “Many Trump supporters from Rep. Jim Jordan to Sen. Mike Lee are champions of the PRESS Act because it would protect all journalists, including many who reach primarily conservative audiences.

Persons: Donald Trump, nix, Trump, Jodie Ginsberg, Sen, Tom Cotton, Trump’s, Joe Biden’s, ” Ginsberg, John Oliver, Dell Cameron, Trevor Timm, ”, ” Timm, Jim Jordan, Mike Lee Organizations: New, New York CNN, Social, Republicans, PBS, Protect Journalists, Senate, Freedom, Press, Republican, The New York Times, HBO, WIRED, Democratic, Press Foundation, CNN, Trump, Rep Locations: New York

☆ OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was paid $76,001 last year
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-21 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Its CEO, however, was paid a relatively modest five figures at OpenAI in 2023, filings show. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was paid $76,001 in compensation in 2023 to lead what's now one of the most valuable startups in the world, the company's tax filings for the year showed. During a hearing before a senate judiciary subcommittee in May 2023, Altman said he gets "paid enough for health insurance" and that he receives no equity in OpenAI. Bloomberg estimated in March 2024 that the CEO is worth at least $2 billion, not including any stake he may have in OpenAI. Altman denied during an all-hands meeting with employees that there were plans for him to receive a "giant euqity stake," CNBC reported.

Persons: Sam Altman, what's, Altman, Ilya Sutskever, Chris Clark, Sutskever, Clark, OpenAI Organizations: Microsoft, Census Bureau, Social Security Administration, Bloomberg, CNBC Locations: OpenAI, San Francisco County

The House Ethics Committee weighs releasing their report on Matt Gaetz. And Susan Smith, who made headlines for killing her sons 30 years ago, is up for parole. The Ethics Committee has jurisdiction only over sitting members of Congress, Johnson argues. But there is precedent for the Ethics Committee to publish reports after a member of Congress has resigned. Susan Smith up for parole 30 years after killing her sonsSusan Smith leaves court after a hearing in Union, S.C., in 1995.

Persons: Matt Gaetz, Susan Smith, Donald Trump, Gaetz, Susan Wild, Joel Leppard, Mike Johnson, Trump, Johnson, Read, Mike Cavanaugh, ”, Vladimir Putin, Brooks Kraft, Smith’s, Michael, Alex, Smith, Rafael Nadal, Jay Leno, Barbara Gauntt, Chokwe Antar Lumumba, Lumumba, — Bracey Harris Organizations: Comcast, Justice Department, Republicans, Democrats, Gaetz, MSNBC, Syfy, Golf, CNBC, Oxygen, NBC News, NBC, Bravo, United, Brooks, Brooks Kraft LLC, Getty, South, Davis, Mississippi State Capitol, Clarion, Ledger, Residents Locations: Florida, USA, U.S, Kyiv, United States, Ukrainian, Russian, Ukraine, Union, South Carolina, Northern California, Pacific, California, Jackson

WASHINGTON — Members of the House Ethics Committee will meet behind closed doors Wednesday afternoon to discuss whether to publicly release a report detailing their sweeping investigation into former Rep. Matt Gaetz, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general. Several Republicans and Democrats in the Senate have said they want to review the House report before a Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing for Gaetz next year. She argued that there is precedent for the Ethics Committee to publish reports after members of Congress have resigned. If the committee declines to make the Gaetz report public, any House member can try to force a vote to release it. In September 1996, House Democrats tried to force the Ethics Committee to release a report from an outside counsel about its investigation of then-Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga.

Persons: Matt Gaetz, Donald Trump’s, Gaetz, Mike Johnson, Trump, “ I’ve, ” Johnson, “ Matt Gaetz, —, Michael Guest, Susan Wild, Joel Leppard, Leppard, ”, JD Vance, Pete Hegseth, Bill Boner, Boner, Boner’s, Buz Lukens, Newt Gingrich Organizations: WASHINGTON, Republicans, Democrats, Justice Department, NBC News, Trump, Capitol, Cabinet, Senate, Congress, “, Committee Locations: Florida, Nashville, Ohio

☆ Senate Democrats seek evidence from FBI sex-trafficking probe of Trump AG pick Matt Gaetz
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-20 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., is seen outside a meeting of the House Republican Conference in the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, January 3, 2023. The Senate Judiciary Committee asked the FBI on Wednesday for its "complete evidentiary file" of a prior investigation into the alleged sex trafficking of an underage girl by Matt Gaetz, who has been tapped as the next U.S. attorney general by President-elect Donald Trump. The Judiciary panel's request says that "the grave public allegations against Mr. Gaetz speak directly to his fitness to serve as the chief law enforcement officer for the federal government." The committee's Democratic majority, in a letter to FBI Director Chris Wray, noted that Gaetz's associate Joel Greenberg pleaded guilty in 2021 "to the sex trafficking charge for which Mr. Gaetz was also investigated." The 42-year-old Republican, who until last week represented a Florida district in the House of Representatives, has denied all wrongdoing.

Persons: Matt Gaetz, Donald Trump, Gaetz, Chris Wray, Joel Greenberg, Gaetz's Organizations: House Republican Conference, U.S, Capitol, FBI, Democratic, of Justice, Republican, DOJ Locations: Florida

☆ Ethics Committee deadlocks on releasing Matt Gaetz sex, drug probe report
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-20 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The bipartisan House Ethics Committee deadlocked Wednesday on whether to release a report on its investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct and other wrongdoing by former Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz. Ethics Chair Michael Guest, R-Miss., told reporters after the closed-door meeting on Capitol Hill, "There has been no agreement to release the report." She stressed that the vote in the 10-member committee, which is evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats, fell along partisan lines. In September he said he would no longer voluntarily participate in the ethics probe, while revealing that the committee had asked him whether he ever "engaged in sexual activity with any individual under 18." Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee urged the FBI earlier Wednesday to turn over all the evidence it had gathered from its investigation into Gaetz.

Persons: Sen, JD Vance, Matt Gaetz, Donald Trump's, Michael Guest, Susan Wild of, Wild, Guest's, Gaetz, Trump, Guest, Gaetz's, Dick Durbin Organizations: U.S, Capitol, Republican, Republicans, Democrats, Department of Justice, DOJ, Senate Locations: Washington ,, Susan Wild of Pennsylvania

Leppard said his clients only spoke to the Ethics Committee after receiving a subpoena and would only testify in public "with a valid legal subpoena that requires them to speak." But he said he would prefer to get that information either through the House Ethics Committee report or from the Justice Department. But, he added, that getting a copy of the House Ethics Committee report would be “the right starting point, politically balanced and complete. Wild and other Democrats on the House Ethics Committee want the report released to the public — or at least sent to Senate Judiciary members for their review. “I have not dictated anything to the Ethics Committee.

Persons: WASHINGTON —, Matt Gaetz, Gaetz, Joel Leppard, Leppard, Donald Trump, rouser, haven’t, Trump, Mckenzie Lange, Dick Durbin, he’s, ” Durbin, Michael Guest, Susan Wild, Mike Johnson, “, I’ve, ” Johnson, “ I’m, ” Leppard, Sen, Richard Blumenthal, victimize, ” “, ” Blumenthal, JD Vance, Kevin Cramer, Cramer Organizations: NBC News, USA Today Network Senate, Justice Department, NBC, Trump, Judiciary, Committee, Senate Locations: Orlando, America, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut

And Gaetz himself has been making calls to GOP senators and visiting his own loyalists in the House GOP. The pressure is all building ahead of a planned Wednesday meeting of the House ethics panel, which is expected to discuss the fate of the report. But privately, Republicans on the panel are signaling that they could bury the report as Gaetz and Trump are making direct appeals. In a call last week to GOP Sen. Josh Hawley, Gaetz urged him “to give him a shot,” Hawley told CNN. Meanwhile, nearly 100 House Democrats are calling on the House Ethics Committee to “immediately” release the report.

Persons: Matt Gaetz, J.D, Vance, Donald Trump’s, Gaetz, GOP Sen, Chuck Grassley, we’ve, ” Grassley, “ You’ve, …, Sen, John Kennedy, Pete Hegseth, Elise Stefanik, Doug Collins, Trump, Lindsey Graham, Judiciary —, Josh Hawley, “, ” Hawley, Hawley, Mike Simpson, ” Simpson, ”, Simpson, Kevin McCarthy, “ Matt, Rogers, Gaetz wouldn’t, Tim Burchett, he’s, Glenn Ivey, Ivey Organizations: CNN, GOP, Capitol Hill, Republican, Trump, Louisiana Republican, Fox News, Department of Defense, United Nations, Veterans Affairs, Judiciary, House, Caucus, Missouri Republican, Republicans, Armed, Democrats, Capitol, Florida congressman, ” Democratic, Maryland Locations: Trump, Louisiana, United, Gaetz, Florida

☆ Visa and Mastercard execs grilled by senators on 'duopoly,' high swipe fees
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-19 | by ( Ece Yildirim | In Ecedyildirim | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Interchange fees, also known as swipe fees, are paid from a merchant's bank account to the cardholder's bank, whenever a customer uses a credit card in a retail purchase. "In 2023 alone, Visa and Mastercard charged merchants more than $100 billion in credit card fees, mostly in the form of interchange fees," Durbin told the committee. Visa and Mastercard, however, stand by their swipe fees. But the current high credit card swipe fees for retailers translate to higher prices for consumers, the National Retail Federation told the committee in a letter ahead of the hearing. "Last year, the average American spent $1,100 in swipe fees, more than they spent on pets, coffee or alcohol."

Persons: Bill Sheedy, Linda Kirkpatrick, Democratic Illinois Sen, Dick Durbin, Durbin, Republican Kansas Sen, Roger Marshall, Ryan McInerney, Sheedy, Americas Linda Kirkpatrick, Dodd, Frank, Roger Alford, General Merrick Garland Organizations: Visa, Americas, Mastercard, Committee, Democratic Illinois, Republican Kansas, Credit, National Retail Federation, Notre Dame University Locations: Washington ,

☆ Elon Musk's X sues Twitch in lawsuit alleging advertisers conspired to boycott the platform
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-19 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

AdvertisementX has added Twitch as a defendant in a suit accusing advertisers of colluding to withhold ad spend. Ad revenue on X has plummeted since Elon Musk acquired the platform in 2022. Elon Musk's X is suing Twitch, alleging that the Amazon-owned video streaming platform and other companies illegally conspired to boycott advertising on the platform formerly known as Twitter. Twitch, X, and the WFA didn't immediately respond to requests for comment made by Business Insider outside normal US business hours. Musk's own behavior on and off the platform — including famously telling advertisers who boycotted X to "go fuck yourself" — hasn't encouraged advertisers to place their budgets there, either.

Persons: Elon Musk, Elon Musk's, Twitch, Stephan Loerke, it's, Ørsted, Twitch —, X's, hasn't, Jim Jordan, Donald Trump's, Abraham Yousef, Yousef Organizations: Global Alliance of Responsible Media, Elon, Twitter, Federation, WFA, Business, Unilever, CVS Health, Twitch, Google, Committee, WPP, Diageo, Tower Locations: Texas, Ohio

☆ Trump urges Senate GOP to block Biden's last judicial nominees
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-19 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday pushed his fellow Republicans in the Senate to stop Democrats from confirming any more of President Joe Biden's judicial nominees. The Senate has confirmed 216 of Biden's nominees to the federal judiciary. Biden has put forward 261 total judicial nominees, the White House said in a Nov. 8 press release announcing his 56th round of hopefuls. Incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told ABC News he would continue to bog down the nomination process. "I was on the Senate floor until almost midnight last night voting to confirm President Biden's judicial nominees," Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., wrote on X.

Persons: Donald Trump, Joe Biden's, Trump, Judge Embry Kidd, Biden, Chuck Schumer, Schumer, John Thune, Sen, Thune, Patty Murray, We'll, Murray, Kamala Harris, Susan Collins of, Lisa Murkowski Organizations: America, Policy, Tuesday, Senate, Radical, Republican, U.S ., Appeals, ABC News, Democrat, ABC, Republicans, GOP Locations: Palm Beach , Florida, U.S, Susan Collins of Maine, Alaska

☆ Trump's picks are giving Big Tech plenty of reasons to be nervous
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-19 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

AdvertisementDonald Trump has selected several Big Tech critics for top roles in his second administration. A number of his picks have been harsh critics of the Big Tech industry. Tom Williams/CQ Roll CallTrump's pick for attorney general, former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, has for years criticized Big Tech companies. Anna MoneymakerVice President-elect JD Vance cut his teeth in venture capital, and has long been a proponent for breaking up Big Tech. AdvertisementVance said that his experience in Silicon Valley taught him to be weary of Big Tech.

Persons: Donald Trump, Matt Gaetz, JD Vance, Elon Musk, Brendan Carr, Trump's, Trump, Brendan Carr Trump, Tom Williams, Carr, Elon, Musk's, Matt Gaetz Trump, Gaetz, Lina Khan, Jonathan Kanter, Elon Musk Elon, Marc Piasecki, Musk, donald, Biden, Tim Cook, X, Anna Moneymaker, Vance, we're Organizations: Big Tech, Trump, GOP, Google, Apple, Microsoft, Federal Communications Commission, Inc, Getty, Heritage, FCC, TikTok, United, Florida Rep, Federal Trade, Elon, Government, of Government, SpaceX, OpenAI, Bloomberg News Locations: Starlink, Florida, Silicon Valley, Trump

WASHINGTON — The House Ethics Committee plans to meet Wednesday to discuss its report into former GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general, a source familiar with the meeting confirmed on Monday. But the committee lost jurisdiction over Gaetz when he resigned from the House on Thursday and has not released any public report on its probe. On Friday, an attorney said that his client testified privately before the Ethics Committee that she personally witnessed Gaetz have sex with a minor. The House Ethics panel had been scheduled to discuss the report at its regular Friday meeting but it was postponed after Gaetz resigned. Appearing on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday, Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., said senators should "absolutely" have access to the House report.

Persons: WASHINGTON, Matt Gaetz, Donald Trump’s, Gaetz, Mike Johnson, Bill Boner, Buz Lukens, ” Johnson, Sen, Markwayne Mullin, Mullin, Trump's Organizations: GOP, CNN, Trump, Madison Locations: Ohio, “ State, Washington, Mar, Florida

☆ Matt Gaetz: Florida court fight gives insight into the House review of sex allegations
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-18 | by ( Paula Reid | Tierney Sneed | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

The House Ethics Committee probe into Gaetz, initially launched in 2021, ran into several obstacles, including a lack of access to records collected by a federal criminal investigation into Gaetz. In addition to the House Ethics Committee investigation, Gaetz was separately investigated by the US Justice Department for alleged sex trafficking, obstruction of justice and other potential crimes, but prosecutors declined to bring any charges. The House committee abandoned plans for a closed-door meeting Friday, when lawmakers were expected to consider the release of the report. When asked about the friend’s claim she had sex with Gaetz, Dorworth suggested in the deposition that both women made up their stories. Resignation brings House probe to a haltThe House Ethics Committee probe was started by House Democrats in 2021 but was put on hold while the Justice Department completed its criminal investigation.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Matt Gaetz, Gaetz, –, Trump, “, ” Gaetz, ”, Joel Greenberg, Greenberg, Gaetz –, Kevin McCarthy, Christopher Dorworth, Dorworth, Johnson, Tapper, ” Dorworth, CNN’s Casey Gannon, Annie Grayer Organizations: CNN, President, Florida Republican, US Justice Department, Committee, DOJ, Department, Trump, Florida House, Justice Department, Miami Herald, House Democrats, Hill Locations: Florida, Orlando federal, ”, Seminole, Bahamas

Speaker Mike Johnson on Sunday left the door open to adjourning Congress so President-elect Donald Trump can appoint his Cabinet nominees outside of the usual Senate confirmation process if necessary. Both chambers usually gavel in for pro forma sessions even during times of recess specifically to prevent the president from making recess appointments and bypassing congressional approval. President Barack Obama once tried to use recess appointments and was rebuked by the Supreme Court, which said in 2014 that recesses needed to be 10 days or longer for recess appointments to be legal. Johnson isn’t the only Trump ally who has left the door open to using a recess appointment to confirm Trump’s Cabinet picks. “I have literally not discussed one word about the ethics report, not once, and I’ve been with him quite a bit this week,” Johnson said.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Donald Trump, ” Johnson, “, he’d, Trump, Johnson, Barack Obama, Trump’s, , Oklahoma GOP Sen, Markwayne Mullin, It’d, ” Mullin, Hakeem Jeffries, Chuck Schumer, Dick Durbin, Matt Gaetz, Gaetz, There’s, I’ve Organizations: Sunday, “ Fox, Supreme, , Oklahoma GOP, NBC, Press, GOP, Democratic, Trump’s, House, CNN Locations: Washington, , Oklahoma, D, Gaetz

☆ Meet the Press – November 17, 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-17 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +58 min

And by the way, I do believe that President Trump has the ability to pick some really, really good people. We've seen what they've done to President Trump, we've seen the attacks that they continue to go after him with. That's - that’s being taken completely out of context. And President Trump hasn't been the one that weaponized the DOJ to go after his political enemies. I think that's a pretty controversial pick, from whatever pronoun that he or he - he or she decides to use.

Persons: KRISTEN WELKER, Donald Trump’s, SEN, LISA MURKOWSKI, SUSAN COLLINS, KEVIN CRAMER, JOHN BOLTON, Trump’s, Trump, MIKE JOHNSON, JOHN, CHUCK SCHUMER, DONALD TRUMP, Hakeem Jeffries, Markwayne Mullin, Amna Nawaz, Eugene Daniels, Jen Psaki, Lanhee Chen, it’s, Kristen Welker, Donald Trump, Matt Gaetz, Gaetz, who's, we're, Mike Johnson, Johnson, MATT GAETZ, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Kennedy, he's, ROBERT F KENNEDY JR, I'm, I've, LEX FRIDMAN, Trump's, Pete Hegseth, Hegseth, ” Hegseth, SHAWN RYAN, PETE HEGSETH, Mullin, Press . SEN, MARKWAYNE MULLIN, Kristen, you've, Kristi Noem, Matt Gaetz's, they're, Matt, Here's, We've, we've, Biden, Hunter Biden, didn't, Trump hasn't, Garland, Pete, Bobby Kennedy, Bobby, Rachel, Sam, There's, Pete Buttigieg, Let's, Kristen –, there's, let's, Chuck Schumer, Obama, Canning, we'll, He's, Jeffries, HAKEEM JEFFRIES, Roe, Wade, Pelosi's, Pelosi, It's, Nancy Pelosi, Jim Clyburn, Steny Hoyer, That's, should've, Kamala Harris, it's, Matt Gaetz –, Tulsi Gabbard, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Assad, She's, Dick Durbin, Donald Trump's, Politico “ Playbook, AMNA NAWAZ, Jim Mattis, Rex Tillerson, John Kelly, Eugene, EUGENE DANIELS, –, Susan Collins, hasn't, LANHEE CHEN, aren't, Doug Burgum, Marco Rubio, Elise Stefanik, Jen, JEN PSAKI, – AMNA NAWAZ, that's, Thune, Biden's, George W, Bush, Joe Biden, JOE BIDEN, – I’ve, —, – JEN PSAKI, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, We're, We'll Organizations: GOP, Democratic, Oklahoma, PBS, White House Press, Hoover Institution, Press, NBC, Department of Justice, Mar, FBI, CDC, ATF, DOJ, NBC News, Republicans, of Health, Human Services, Defense, Fox News, Police, Republican, Pentagon, Press ., Trump, Senate, Biden, White, Justice Department, America, Senate Armed Services Committee, The Washington, HHS, of Energy, Department of Transportation, RFK Jr, ’, House Democratic, Democracy, REP, House Democrats, Social, Medicare, Democrats, Committee, of, Politico, Stanford University, Trump’s, Gaetz, Department of Defense, Office, Mr, Republican Party, Democratic Party Locations: Washington, America, Florida, Monterey , California, States, Oklahoma, Russia, United States, Afghanistan, Iraq, New York, American, Syria, Russian, Will, California, –, Trump

But many Republicans and Gaetz allies have touted his aggressive style as an essential attribute for an attorney general. The president-elect filled some of those spots Thursday evening, appointing a series of his own personal lawyers to run key sections of the Justice Department. Trump also announced his selection of Emile Bove, another member of his criminal defense team, to be principal associate attorney general. Now, while some of his colleagues in Congress expressed skepticism of his pick as attorney general, they said they are prepared for a detailed confirmation process. As attorney general, Gaetz would be in control of the FBI investigative files that detail the evidence the bureau uncovered.

Persons: Donald Trump, Matt Gaetz, Trump, Gaetz, there’s, John Morgan, doubters, Morgan, ” Morgan, “, General Merrick Garland, Joe Biden, Todd Blanche, Emile Bove, ”, AnchorsGordon didn’t, Lawrence “ Larry ” Keefe, Keefe, Ron DeSantis, Feedback Sen, Klobuchar, —, Michael Cohen, Sen, Rick Scott, ” Gaetz, Hunter, Hank Johnson, Kevin McCarthy, Liz Cheney, Gaetz didn’t, South Carolina Sen, Lindsey Graham, Bill Barr, Joel Greenberg, CNN’s Kristen Holmes Organizations: CNN, Justice Department, Trump, Florida Republican, Prosecutors, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, Democrats, Capitol, Senate, Panhandle Republican, Truman, Florida State University, & Mary Law School, AnchorsGordon, Florida Panhandle, Partners, Florida, Northern, Northern District of Florida, Vineyard, Tallahassee statehouse, Republican, Florida Bar, Florida Republicans, Washington Elected, White, Republican Party, House Republican, Union, House Intelligence, Democratic, Judiciary Committee, FBI, South, Garland’s Justice Department Locations: Congress, United States, Trump’s, Florida, Gaetz, Manhattan, Northern District, Texas, Tallahassee, Washington, Wyoming, South Carolina

While Gaetz’s ability to be confirmed appears on the rocks among Senate Republicans, President-elect Donald Trump’s team remains confident he will eventually be confirmed, even if it’s after an ugly battle. Gaetz and Trump attorney Todd Blanche are moving full speed ahead on trying to fill out the Justice Department, according to sources familiar with the planning. In his few terms in the House, Gaetz has often been embroiled in controversy. The attorney, John Clune, also called for the release of a House Ethics Committee report detailing the committee’s investigation into Gaetz, which has been ongoing for several years. Since the Truth Social post, Trump has not asked for any specific Cabinet pick, including Gaetz, to be confirmed via recess appointment.

Persons: Matt Gaetz, Donald Trump’s, Todd Blanche, Blanche, Trump, ”, JD Vance, Gaetz, Matt, ’, Mike Johnson, John Clune, ” Sen, Lindsey Graham, Johnson, “, John Cornyn, Sen, Kevin Cramer, Michael Guest, ” Cramer, Gaetz —, Democratic Sen, Richard Blumenthal, we’re, Tom Williams, Vance, Cramer Organizations: Republicans, Department of Justice, NBC, Trump, Justice Department, NBC News, Trump —, Capitol, House, ”, Democratic, …, Washington , D.C, Inc, Getty, Pennsylvania’s Senate, GOP, Truth Social Locations: America, Texas, Orlando, Washington ,, Pennsylvania’s

Trump wants Gaetz confirmed “100%,” a source told CNN. He also believes Gaetz is uniquely positioned to defend the Trump administration on television, an attribute prioritized by the president-elect. Trump’s pick for deputy attorney general — his defense attorney Todd Blanche — will carry out the day-to-day work of overseeing the Justice Department’s more than 40 agencies and 115,000 employees. In recent days, Gaetz has been reaching out directly to Republican senators, according to a source familiar with the efforts. The Democratic-controlled Judiciary Committee formally requested the House Ethics Committee report already, but Democrats will lose control of the committee in January.

Persons: Donald Trump, Matt Gaetz, Trump, Gaetz, ” Trump, Trump’s, Todd Blanche —, Justice Department’s, ” Gaetz, “, ”, Sean Spicer, Gaetz’s, Pete Hegseth, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Tulsi Gabbard, Kennedy, Sen, Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins of Maine, Joni Ernst, “ He’s, North Dakota Sen, Kevin Cramer, Kevin McCarthy, Oklahoma Sen, Markwayne Mullin, CNN’s Manu Raju, ” Mullin, Mullin, Mike Johnson, Mike Rounds, John Cornyn of, ” Rounds, Chuck Grassley, Grassley, John Thune, Thune Organizations: CNN, Department, Senate, Justice Department, Trump, Justice, Fox News, Hawaii Rep, Republican Senate, Republicans, Republican, North Dakota, Democratic, GOP Locations: Florida, Alaska, Iowa, Oklahoma, John Cornyn of Texas

WASHINGTON — House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Friday that he would "strongly request" that the House Ethics Committee not release a report detailing its investigation into former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla. “I’m going to request, strongly request, that the Ethics Committee not issue the report.”There is precedent for releasing ethics reports after or on the same day that a lawmaker resigns from Congress. Johnson declined to say whether he spoke to Trump about the Ethics report. Tom Rust, a spokesperson for the Ethics Committee, declined to comment on Johnson's remarks. "There is bipartisan support for the Senate Judiciary Committee having access to this information," Sorbe said.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Matt Gaetz, Gaetz —, Donald Trump, —, Johnson, Michael Guest, “, ” Johnson, “ I’m, Bill Boner, Buz Lukens, Tom Rust, they’d, Dick Durbin, Josh Sorbe, shouldn't, Sorbe, Durbin, Gaetz Organizations: WASHINGTON, Washington , D.C, Trump, Mar, NBC, Committee Locations: Ohio, Washington ,

☆ Trump picks former Rep. Doug Collins for veterans affairs secretary
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-15 | by ( Zoë Richards | Zoë Richards Is A Politics Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

President-elect Donald Trump said Thursday that he will nominate Doug Collins, a former House member from Georgia, to lead the Department of Veteran Affairs in his administration. Collins, an Iraq war veteran who left Congress in 2021, was a fierce defender of Trump during his 2019 impeachment inquiry. "Doug is a Veteran himself, who currently serves our Nation as a Chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve Command, and fought for our Country in the Iraq War," Trump said in a statement Thursday. Collins said he was honored to accept the nomination and vowed to deliver best-in-class care to veterans. Trump has expressed support for Collins in the past, having floated him as a potential challenger to Georgia Gov.

Persons: Donald Trump, Doug Collins, Collins, Trump, Doug, We’ll, they’ve, Brian Kemp Organizations: Department of Veteran Affairs, United States Air Force Reserve Command, Veterans, Families, Trump, Republican, Democratic, Georgia Gov Locations: Georgia, Iraq, House

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