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☆ Why Matt Gaetz Called His Attorney General Bid a ‘Distraction’
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-22 | by ( Jess Bidgood | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The latestElon Musk is getting a crash course in the world of President-elect Donald Trump. Trump worked to fill out his cabinet, after picking Florida’s Pam Bondi to replace Matt Gaetz as his nominee for attorney general. The Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer is staying strategically silent over Trump’s cabinet picks. “Why get in the middle of a food fight?” one Democrat said. When gravity exerted its pull on that now-former congressman, Matt Gaetz, he reached for a tried-and-true excuse that has softened the landing of many nominees who failed before him, albeit for less shocking reasons.

Persons: Elon Musk, Donald Trump, Trump, Pam Bondi, Matt Gaetz, Chuck Schumer, ” Gaetz, Vance, — Organizations: Elon, Trump, of Justice

☆ 3 of Trump's top cabinet-level picks recently worked as lobbyists, with clients ranging from Amazon to Qatar
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-22 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Susan Wiles, Trump's incoming chief of staff, maintained ties to a lobbying firm until this month. Sean Duffy, Trump's pick for Transportation secretary, has lobbied for a group of major airlines. The EPA, under Obama, Trump, and Biden's administrations, have repeatedly opposed efforts to mine in the bay, home to one of the world's largest salmon fisheries. Starting not long after he left Congress in 2019, Duffy lobbied for Polaris, a US auto manufacturer known its off-road and recreational vehicles. ProPublica previously reported that Duffy lobbied White House trade adviser Peter Navarro as Polaris sought to win exemptions to tariffs on the parts it was importing.

Persons: Donald Trump's, Susan Wiles, Sean Duffy, Trump's, Donald Trump, Susie Wiles, Pam Bondi, Wiles, Duffy, Uber —, Bondi, Ballard, Trump, Jeff Hauser, Brian Ballard, Alaska . Sen, Lisa Murkowski, Obama, Peter Navarro, Ron Klain, Biden's, Fannie Mae, Steve Ricchetti, Biden, Jeff Ricchetti, Barack Obama, Hauser, Hauser isn't, " Hauser Organizations: Washington, Incoming White House, Amazon, GM, MetLife, Fidelity National Financial, Ballard Partners, Trump, Republican, The New York Times, Alaska ., Alaska Republican, Partnership, EPA, Federal Aviation Administration, United, Polaris, White, General Motors, Uber, Fidelity, North, Major League Baseball, Biden, Raytheon, Politico Locations: Florida, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Trump, Alaska, North America, Bondi, Washington

☆ Trump suffers first defeat but as always doubles down for the next fight
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-22 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —For Donald Trump, every defeat is just the catalyst for his next battle. The Gaetz disaster suggests that despite his big election win, some laws of political gravity still apply to Trump. This may explain why two-and-a-half weeks into his transition, several of Trump’s Cabinet picks are embroiled in allegations of sexual misconduct, ethics or legal controversy. Like Gaetz, Hegseth was not prosecuted over the allegation and denies he did anything wrong. Plenty of presidents get a Cabinet pick knocked back and do just fine.

Persons: Donald Trump, –, Matt Gaetz, – Trump, Trump, Pam Bondi, MAGA, Gaetz –, elect’s, Manu Raju, Pete Hegseth, Hegseth, Linda McMahon, McMahon, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, groped, Eliza Cooney, “, Kennedy, he’d, ”, Cooney, “ I’m, he’s, Jean Carroll, didn’t, CNN’s Kristen Holmes, Gaetz, CNN’s Paula Reid, Sarah Ferris, Vance, Tulsi Gabbard, —, Maine Sen, Susan Collins, North Carolina Sen, Thom Tillis, JD Vance, ’, Bondi, she’s Organizations: CNN, Department of Justice, Trump, DOJ, GOP, Cabinet, Former Fox News, Department of Defense, Trump Cabinet, Department of Education, Wrestling Entertainment, WWE, Department of Health, Human Services, USA, Fair, Democratic, Social, Capitol, Senate Republican, Trump University, Republican Locations: Washington, California, Iraq, Afghanistan, Manhattan, Gaetz, Maine, North Carolina, Ohio, Bondi

☆ Trump Taps Investor Scott Bessent as Treasury Secretary
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-22 | by ( Alan Rappeport | Maggie Haberman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

President-elect Donald J. Trump picked Scott Bessent to serve as Treasury secretary on Friday, tapping a billionaire hedge fund manager to lead an economic agenda that is expected to be built around raising tariffs and cutting taxes. Mr. Bessent, the founder of the investment firm Key Square Capital Management, has emerged as a central economic adviser to Mr. Trump over the past year. Unlike many on Wall Street, Mr. Bessent, 62, has also defended the use of tariffs, which are Mr. Trump’s favorite economic tool. If confirmed by the Senate, Mr. Bessent would take over a department with vast responsibilities that is at the core of the federal government. The Treasury Department issues debt to fund the government’s operations and pay its bills, including paying Social Security and veterans benefits.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Scott Bessent, Bessent, George Soros Organizations: Key, Capital Management, Democratic, Senate, Treasury, Social Security

President-elect Donald Trump announced Thursday evening that his new pick for attorney general is Pam Bondi. Bondi previously served as Florida’s attorney general. "For too long, the partisan Department of Justice has been weaponized against me and other Republicans — Not anymore," Trump said in a post to Truth Social. The attorney general position would require confirmation by the Senate. Trump praised Gaetz on Truth Social after he withdrew, saying that Gaetz "has a wonderful future."

Persons: Donald Trump, Pam Bondi, Matt Gaetz, —, Trump, Pam, ” Bondi, Bondi, Hillary Clinton, “, Gaetz, Vance Organizations: of Justice, DOJ, Trump, Senate, Republican National Convention, Pennsylvania ” Locations: Bondi, “, Philadelphia

Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., on Thursday conceded the race for Pennsylvania's Senate seat to his Republican opponent, Dave McCormick. NBC News has not yet projected a winner. The slim margins of the race triggered an automatic recount, with results expected to be released next Wednesday. "I just called Dave McCormick to congratulate him on his election to represent Pennsylvania in the United States Senate," Casey said in a video posted to X. McCormick thanked Casey in a statement, saying that Casey has “dedicated his career to bettering our commonwealth.”“I am so honored to represent every single citizen in Pennsylvania in the United States Senate and will fight for you every day,” he added.

Persons: Sen, Bob Casey, Dave McCormick, Casey, McCormick Organizations: Senate, Republican, NBC News, United States Senate Locations: Pennsylvania

☆ Trump's Cabinet selection is off to a rocky start: From the Politics Desk
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-21 | by ( The Politics Desk | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

But it’s not even Thanksgiving, and Donald Trump is already looking for a backup top law enforcement officer after Matt Gaetz withdrew his AG bid Thursday. The last time around, Trump lost just one of his initial Cabinet picks, when Andrew Puzder withdrew as the labor secretary nominee in February 2017. ➡️ More on the Trump transitionAside from Gaetz, two of Trump’s other Cabinet picks, Hegseth and Kennedy, have also faced serious allegations of sexual impropriety, which they have both denied. 🗞️ Today’s other top stories 👀 Buckeye State battle brewing: The jockeying for JD Vance’s Ohio Senate seat has begun, and the potential candidates’ statements about Trump’s Cabinet picks are being closely watched. Read more →The jockeying for JD Vance’s Ohio Senate seat has begun, and the potential candidates’ statements about Trump’s Cabinet picks are being closely watched.

Persons: Matt Gaetz, Jonathan Allen, Henry J, Gomez, Olympia Sonnier, Jake Traylor, Julie Tsirkin Matt Gaetz’s, Donald Trump, ”, Gaetz, MAGA, Trump, Sens, Mitch McConnell of, Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins of, Markwayne Mullin, John Curtis of Utah, Read, Jonathan Allen It’s, George H.W, Texas Sen, John Tower, it’s, — Trump, Bill Clinton’s, Zoë Baird, Kimba Wood, Pete Hegseth, Tulsi Gabbard, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Barack Obama’s, Tom Daschle, Bill Richardson, Judd Gregg, Andrew Puzder, ➡️, Hegseth, Kennedy, Mehmet Oz, El Organizations: NBC, White House, Capitol, Republican, The Justice Department, Republicans, Gaetz, Pentagon, Former Fox News, Human Services, Commerce, ., Medicare, Services Locations: Florida, Washington, Trump, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, Oklahoma, Texas, Obamacare

Matt Gaetz’s withdrawal Thursday as a candidate for attorney general illustrates the roadblocks President-elect Donald Trump could face as he attempts to convert his campaign of “retribution” into a governing coalition capable of working within the realities of Washington. In Gaetz, Trump would finally get the loyal attorney general he felt like he never had in his first term. But it was a tough sell from the moment Trump announced Gaetz as his choice eight days ago — in a pick that shocked much of Washington. In the end, it was the “combination of the ethics report and opposition among Senate Republicans,” that doomed Gaetz’s candidacy, a senior Senate aide told NBC News. Before Gaetz’s withdrawal Thursday, Trump allies were pushing hard on GOP senators and other ambitious Republicans to publicly support his embattled Cabinet picks.

Persons: Matt Gaetz’s, Donald Trump, ”, Gaetz, MAGA, Trump, “, Vance, ” Gaetz, Sens, Mitch McConnell of, Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins of, Markwayne Mullin, John Curtis of Utah, JD Vance, ” Sen, Mike Rounds, ” Rounds, Pete Hegseth, shouldn’t, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Tulsi Gabbard, Matt, they’re Organizations: Republican, The Justice Department, Republicans, NBC News, Trump, Capitol, Gaetz, “, Senate, Fox News, Justice Department Locations: Washington, Florida, Trump, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, Oklahoma, Ohio, Hawaii

If Steel wins, that number would be 151, the same number of women serving in Congress on Election Day, and the first stall in progress since 2016, when President-elect Donald Trump won his first term. Both scenarios mean the number of women in the next Congress will also fall short of the current record of 152 women, following Texas Democratic Rep. Erica Lee Carter’s special election win this month. Senate Republican women will also meet their current record, with nine in the chamber. The number of House Republican women will decrease because of some losses and retirements, falling from 34 in the current Congress to 31 or 32, depending on Steel and Miller-Meeks’ races. After Trump’s first election in 2016, Democrats did see a surge in women running for Congress in 2018, and a wave of Republican women stepped up to run two years later in 2020.

Persons: Mary Peltola, Republican Nick Begich, Michelle Steel, Derek Tran, Steel, Mariannette Miller, Meeks, Christina Bohannon, Donald Trump, Kelly Dittmar, Erica Lee Carter’s, ” Dittmar, Maryland’s Angela Alsobrooks, Delaware’s Lisa Blunt Rochester, North Dakota Republican Julie Fedorchak, South Carolina Republican Sheri Biggs, Elise Stefanik, Stefanik, ” Danielle Barrow, Sara Spain, Dittmar, ’ ”, Oregon’s Janelle Bynum, Laura Gillen, House Republicans ’, Trump’s, It’s, “ We’ve Organizations: Democratic Rep, NBC News, Republican, Senate, Center for American Women, Rutgers University's Eagleton Institute, Politics, Steel, Trump, Texas Democratic, Democratic, Senate Republican, North Dakota Republican, South Carolina Republican, United Nations, GOP, House Republicans Locations: Alaska, Southern California, Iowa’s, South, West Virginia , Ohio, Montana

☆ SEC Chair Gary Gensler will step down Jan. 20, making way for Trump replacement
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-21 | by ( Jesse Pound | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler will resign on Jan. 20, the agency announced Thursday, paving the way for President-elect Donald Trump to select a replacement immediately. Gensler took over the SEC in 2021, and under his leadership the commission has taken an ambitious but controversial approach to several regulatory issues, including cryptocurrencies. Trump has not announced his pick to lead the SEC, but the expectation is that the next chair will be friendlier to Wall Street and crypto. SEC commissioners serve five-year terms, so Gensler could have in theory stayed on until at least 2026. Under Gensler, the SEC pushed to require more disclosures from publicly traded companies and financial advisors for investors.

Persons: Gary Gensler, Donald Trump, Gensler, Trump, ” Gensler, Gensler’s Organizations: Securities, Exchange, SEC, cryptocurrencies, Gensler’s SEC

The search for Vice President-elect JD Vance’s successor in the Senate is reinforcing a rift among Ohio Republicans, whose loyalties are divided between the establishment-friendly Gov. Vance has consulted with DeWine on the Senate appointment, two sources familiar with the discussions said. When asked if Trump’s Cabinet picks were a part of DeWine’s considerations, Tierney emphasized the governor’s wish that his pick be able to win the GOP primary that year. Moreno, for his part, singled out Gaetz, Gabbard, Hegseth and Kennedy this week in a statement pledging to support Trump’s Cabinet choices. “The American people delivered President Trump a mandate, and it is crucial that Senate Republicans confirm his nominees quickly,” he said.

Persons: JD Vance’s, Mike DeWine, Donald Trump, DeWine, Vance, ”, Dan Tierney, “, Trump’s, Trump, Pete Hegseth, shouldn’t, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Tulsi Gabbard, Matt Gaetz, Gaetz, Hegseth, “ We’re, Kennedy, Robert Sprague, Frank LaRose, they’ll, Dan Lusheck, Lusheck, Mike Carey, Carey, Justice Department “, ” Carey, “ I’d, Jay Edwards, ” Mehek Cooke, John Kasich’s, ” Cooke, Jane Timken, Jon Husted —, —, Tierney, Sprague, Dave Yost, Yost, Vivek Ramaswamy, Elon Musk, ” Tierney, Timken, Sen, Matt Dolan, Dolan, Bernie Moreno, Moreno, LaRose, Democratic Sen, Sherrod Brown Organizations: Ohio Republicans, Trump, NBC News, GOP, Fox News, Justice Department, “, U.S, Spectrum, Gov, Republican, Democrat, Republican National Committee, Senate, Democratic, America Locations: Ohio, Hawaii, Florida, Hegseth, Washington, DeWine

Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., on Thursday announced that he would withdraw his name from consideration to be President-elect Donald Trump's attorney general. In a post on TruthSocial, Trump praised Gaetz and said he had been doing "very well" in the confirmation process. "I greatly appreciate the recent efforts of Matt Gaetz in seeking approval to be Attorney General. Gaetz has vehemently denied those allegations and the investigation ended with the Justice Department electing not to charge Gaetz. The committee had been looking into the allegations against Gaetz on and off since 2021.

Persons: Matt Gaetz, Donald Trump's, Vance, Gaetz, Trump, Matt, “, ”, Joni Ernst, John Cornyn, Ernst, “ I’m, Grassley, ” Ernst, I’m, Cornyn, “ Everything’s, ” Cornyn Organizations: Trump, DOJ, Administration, Justice Department, Capitol, Sens, NBC News Locations: Washington, Gaetz, Iowa, Texas

“Far too often, patients relying on federal government health care programs are forced to accept bureaucratic, one-size-fits-all coverage,” Crapo said. But Trump’s lack of specificity about health care could empower Oz to fill in the blanks. Oz said on an AARP questionnaire: “We can expand Medicare Advantage plans. If Oz is confirmed and chooses to push more people into Medicare Advantage, as he has pitched, he may not have too hard a time. “In our focus groups, people say they’re satisfied with both traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage, and they make their choices based on different preferences,” Neuman said.

Persons: WASHINGTON, Donald Trump, Mehmet Oz, Mike Crapo, ” Crapo, “ Dr, Oz, George Halvorson, “, Kamala Harris ’, ”, Larry Levitt, Harris, ” Levitt, Trump, Sen, James Lankford, hasn’t, ” Lankford, Obama, Obamacare, Patty Murray, “ Trump, Ron Wyden, Tricia Neuman, Neuman, ” Neuman, Arthur Caplan, ” Caplan, ” Wyden, they’re, Lankford, ” Sen, Mike Rounds, there’s, We’ll, pare, “ It’s, Caplan, ” Oz, John Fetterman, he’s, “ We’re, ” Fetterman, I’m Organizations: Medicare, Services, Forbes, Kaiser Permanente, Agency, Senate, Health, Education, Labor, Pensions, NYU Langone Medical, Commonwealth Fund, “ Locations: Idaho, KFF, New York City, Pennsylvania

WASHINGTON — The Senate voted overwhelmingly Wednesday night to reject three efforts led by progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders that would have blocked certain offensive weapons sales to Israel. In a speech on the Senate floor ahead of the vote, Sanders argued that the resolutions "would not affect any of the systems Israel uses to defend itself from incoming attacks," focusing instead on offensive weapons. "As I have said many, many times: Israel had the absolute right to respond to that horrific Hamas attack, as any other country would. I don’t think anybody here in the United States Senate disagrees with that," he said in his floor speech. More than 43,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s offensive into the dense enclave since the attack, according to health officials in Gaza.

Persons: WASHINGTON, Sen, Bernie Sanders, Sanders, Benjamin Netanyahu, Ed Markey, Netanyahu, Martin Heinrich, Tammy Baldwin, “, Catherine Cortez Masto, ” Sen, Jacky Rosen, ”, Joni Ernst, Bill Cassidy, Israel’s Organizations: U.S, United States, Hamas, Democrats, Biden Locations: Israel, Gaza, U.S, United States, D, Iowa

☆ 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

By the end of the day, Trump had announced a new pick for attorney general: Pam Bondi, the former attorney general of Florida. One by one, the senator wanted to know who had told Gaetz “yes” they were with him. After being asked for comment for CNN’s story, Gaetz announced his withdrawal as Trump’s nominee for attorney general. “I greatly appreciate the recent efforts of Matt Gaetz in seeking approval to be Attorney General. Some lawmakers have already asked the parliamentarian to weigh in and clear up the confusion, one source told CNN.

Persons: JD Vance, Matt Gaetz, they’d, Vance, “, Donald Trump, Trump, Gaetz, Gaetz —, he’d, Department —, ” Gaetz, Pam Bondi, Gaetz’s, Republican Sen, Kevin Cramer of North, ” Cramer, wouldn’t, ’, Trump’s, Gaetz couldn’t, Matt, ” Trump, Karoline Leavitt, Pete Hegseth, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Kevin McCarthy, Kentucky Sen, Mitch McConnell, Maine Sen, Susan Collins, Oklahoma Sen, Markwayne Mullin, Dakota Sen, Mike Rounds, “ I’m, Rounds, ” Sen, Roger Wicker, Cynthia Lummis, Florida Sen, Rick Scott, ”, Will Gaetz, preemptively, Michael Guest, , CNN’s Kaitlan Collins Organizations: CNN, Capitol, Senate, Trump, Department, DOJ, Republican, GOP, Republicans, Justice Department, Administration, “, Department of Justice, Fox News, Defense Department, Department of Health, Human Services, Hill, Oklahoma, Mississippi Republican, Wyoming Republican, Democrats Locations: Florida, Washington, Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, Gaetz, Kentucky, Maine, Dakota, Mississippi, Wyoming

☆ Here's the role every Trump family member will have — or won't have — in the White House
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-21 | by ( Talia Lakritz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

AdvertisementSome Trump family members will serve as unofficial White House advisors in his second term. After serving as a senior advisor during Trump's first term, Ivanka Trump will not reenter politics. President-elect Donald Trump's family members may not hold as many formal White House roles as they did during his first term, but they'll still remain important parts of his political operation. Aside from Melania Trump, who will return as first lady, Lara Trump holds the most established leadership position as cochair of the RNC. Other Trump family members like Ivanka Trump and Tiffany Trump will remain out of the spotlight.

Persons: Trump's, Ivanka Trump, Lara Trump, Ron DeSantis, Donald Trump's, they'll, Melania Trump, She's, Florida Sen, Marco Rubio's, he's, Barron Trump, Trump, Tiffany Trump Organizations: White House, RNC, Florida, Marco Rubio's Senate

☆ Matt Gaetz withdraws from attorney general consideration
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-21 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

AdvertisementMatt Gaetz announced Thursday his withdrawal from consideration to be US attorney general. He said his confirmation was "unfairly becoming a distraction" to Trump's team. Matt Gaetz has withdrawn himself from consideration to be President-Elect Donald Trump's nominee for attorney general of the United States, the former Florida congressman announced on Thursday afternoon. While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance… — Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) November 21, 2024"I greatly appreciate the recent efforts of Matt Gaetz in seeking approval to be Attorney General," Trump wrote on Truth Social. Meanwhile, Gaetz had taken the extraordinary step of resigning from the House after his nomination was announced, ostensibly to allow Florida Gov.

Persons: Matt Gaetz, Trump, Donald Trump's, Gaetz, Vance, Sen, JD Vance, Ohio, Vance …, Matt, Ron DeSantis Organizations: Trump, Administration, Florida Republican, Senate, Justice, Gaetz, Florida Gov Locations: United States, Florida

CNN —Hours after his first pick to run the nation’s top law enforcement agency dropped out, President-elect Donald Trump named former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi as his new choice to run the Justice Department. Trump met in person with Bondi at Mar-a-Lago before officially offering her the job, a source familiar told CNN. Democratic lawmakers accused Bondi of declining to pursue an investigation into Trump University fraud allegations after receiving the donation. … I never said I don’t like gay people.”After leaving the Florida attorney general’s office, Bondi joined Ballard Partners, a lobbying firm with deep ties to Trump and Wiles. The family told The Tampa Bay Times that Bondi stole the dog, while Bondi accused the family of neglect.

Persons: Donald Trump, Pam Bondi, Trump, Matt Gaetz, ” Trump, Pam, ” Bondi, Gaetz, Trump’s, ”, Susie Wiles, Boris Epshteyn, Jeff Sessions, Bondi, CNN’s Anderson Cooper, —, “, ” Cooper, …, Wiles, Jack Smith, –, Aileen Cannon, Bernard, Master Tank, Tank Organizations: CNN, Justice Department, of Justice, DOJ, FIRST, Florida Republican, Senate, Bondi, Trump, Democratic, Trump University, Center, Litigation, Policy Institute, Fox News, Obamacare, Ballard Partners, Foreign, Hurricane, Tampa Bay Locations: Florida, Bondi, Mar, Trump, Tampa, Qatar, Louisiana, Tampa Bay Times

☆ Trump wants the power to single-handedly choke off government spending. Lawmakers aren't sweating it yet.
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-21 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

AdvertisementTrump wants the power to refuse to spend federal dollars that Congress has already approved. Impoundment has been floated as one way that Trump could singlehandedly enact DOGE's recommended cuts to the federal budget. Meanwhile, lawmakers on Capitol Hill — including those on the House and Senate Appropriations Committees that control government spending — don't seem concerned about Trump's impoundment power grab just yet. He added that there "would be a problem" if Trump tried to impound funding approved by both chambers of Congress. AdvertisementWhat Trump could do with such sweeping powersEven if Congress won't grant Trump impoundment powers, he has another potentially more attractive avenue — the courts.

Persons: He's, Nixon, Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, Donald Trump, doesn't, it's, Richard Nixon, Trump, DOGE's, Republican Sen, Shelly Moore Capito, haven't, I've, Robert Aderholt, Rosa DeLauro, Mark Amodei, Joe Morelle, appropriators aren't, Tom Cole of Oklahoma, Mark Paoletta, there's, Daniel Schuman, Schuman, shouldn't, Vance, Karoline Leavitt Organizations: Trump, Congress, Department of Government, Capitol, Committees, Republican, West Virginia, Alabama, Democrats, Republicans, Senate, tinker, Nevada Republican, Democratic, GOP, The Washington, Trump administration's Office, Management, American Governance Institute Locations: West, Connecticut, Nevada, New York

☆ Vance debuts new role as Trump’s point person on Capitol Hill
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-21 | by ( Alayna Treene | Steve Contorno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Congressional Republicans acknowledge that Vance hasn’t necessarily developed longstanding relationships on Capitol Hill during his abbreviated time in Washington. His coattails turned a 49-51 senate to a 53-47 senate,” Vance wrote on X on Wednesday. The three developed a bond that predates the campaign and has carried into the early days of Trump’s transition. But when you look at the effectiveness of JD in the campaign, there’s no better surrogate for President Trump’s agenda,” the adviser said. “In JD’s view, his role of VP is to take on any issue that President Trump would like him to take on,” the person close to Vance told CNN.

Persons: JD Vance, Donald Trump’s, Vance, Matt Gaetz, he’ll, Pete Hegseth, Vance hasn’t, ”, North Dakota Sen, Kevin Cramer, Trump, “, Donald Trump, ” Cramer, ” Vance, “ Donald J, coattails, Joe Biden’s, Grace Chong, Steve Bannon’s, Chong, ” Trump, Tom Homan, ’, Tulsi Gabbard, Donald Trump Jr, —, Trump’s MAGA, Kamala Harris ’, JD, James Braid, “ Vance, you’ll, ” CNN’s Ted Barrett Organizations: CNN, Capitol, Trump’s Cabinet, Florida Rep, Fox News, Department of Defense, Senate, White, GOP, Cabinet, Trump, FBI, Republican, Democratic, Mar, Elon, JD, Central America —, “, White House Locations: Ohio, Washington, North Dakota, Central, Trump

☆ Elon Musk says he's had little to do with Trump's cabinet picks — he just likes 'spending time' with the man
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-21 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

But the Tesla and SpaceX CEO said he's had little input on Trump's Cabinet picks. Elon Musk says he's had little input on President-elect Donald Trump's cabinet picks. He was a major contributor to Trump's campaign, spending just under $119 million on his pro-Trump political action committee, America PAC. Musk, according to multiple media reports, has joined Trump's calls with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Google CEO Sundar Pichai. Lutnick, Musk wrote in an X post on November 16, "will actually enact change," compared to another candidate, hedge fund CEO Scott Bessent.

Persons: Elon Musk, Donald Trump, he's, Musk, Donald Trump's, Haven't, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, cott, ott Organizations: SpaceX, Cabinet, New York Post, Trump's, UFC, Trump, Madison Locations: Lago, Palm Beach , Florida, usk

Matt Gaetz, who faced a torrent of scrutiny over allegations of sex trafficking and drug use, abruptly withdrew his bid to become attorney general on Thursday in the first major political setback for President-elect Donald J. Trump since his election this month. The collapse of Mr. Gaetz’s prospective candidacy just 16 days after the election appeared to be the earliest such failed cabinet pick in modern history and underscored the haphazard way that Mr. Trump has gone about assembling his new administration. He picked Mr. Gaetz almost on a whim last week without extensive vetting, knowing that allegations were out there, but essentially daring Senate Republicans to accept him anyway. Mr. Trump moved quickly to replace Mr. Gaetz with another conservative favorite. By the day’s end, he announced on social media that he planned to nominate Pam Bondi, the former attorney general of Florida and one of his defense lawyers in his first impeachment trial, to be U.S. attorney general.

Persons: Matt Gaetz, Donald J, Trump, Gaetz, Pam Bondi Organizations: Senate, Justice Department Locations: Florida

☆ 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

☆ Opinion | Gaetz’s Withdrawal Means the Senate Passed Its First Test
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-21 | by ( Michelle Cottle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Florida Man Matt Gaetz was announced as Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general on a Wednesday. Eight days later, his complete unfitness for the job had become so undeniable and insurmountable that he withdrew from consideration. Trump’s decision to put him forward was an early, gross test for the president-elect’s entire Senate team. And while the Senate has been trending Trumpier as well, the transformation is not yet complete. With Gaetz, the MAGA king was watching to see if there was a line that his Senate subjects would not yet cross.

Persons: Matt Gaetz, Donald Trump’s, Gaetzgate, Trump, MAGA Organizations: Florida, Senate, Republican, Republican House

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