Trump claims ‘the world is going a little crazy’ as he meets Zelensky and Macron at Notre Dame reopening: Live

President-elect Donald Trump is meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Paris on Saturday.

The world leaders are in Paris for the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral. Trump began his visit by greeting Macron outside the Elysee Presidential Palace.

“The world is going a little crazy right now,” the president-elect told reporters as he shook hands with Macron. “We’ll be talking about that.”

This visit marks Trump’s return to the global stage with just six weeks until he returns to the White House.

Trump also 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.

Vice president-elect 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.

Key Points

• Zelensky joins meeting with Trump, Macron

• Trump says ‘world is going a little crazy’ as he meets with Emmanuel Macron

• Trump will return to geopolitical stage at Notre Dame re-opening

• Pete Hegseth: Trump not giving up on ‘fantastic, high energy’ nominee as he blasts ‘fake news’

Rudy Giuliani’s ‘girlfriend’ sues Trump crony for ‘humiliating’ her on disgraced ex-NYC mayor’s radio show

18:20 , Justin Rohrlich

Rudy Giuliani’s “alleged girlfriend” says she was subjected to ongoing “ridicule” and “humiliation” during her tenure as the co-host of the disgraced former New York City mayor’s radio show on 77 WABC, accusing billionaire station owner and deep-pocketed Trump backer John Catsimatides of implementing a craven campaign to “undermine” her position before unceremoniously firing her — via text message — for complaining.

Continue reading:

Rudy Giuliani’s ‘girlfriend’ sues Trump crony for ‘humiliating’ her on radio show

Donald Trump to meet with Prince William after Notre Dame reopening ceremony

18:00 , Katie Hawkinson

President-elect Donald Trump will meet with Prince William after the Notre Dame Cathedral reopening ceremony, a Kensington Palace spokesperson told CNN.

Prince William will also meet with First Lady Jill Biden at the ceremony.

Earlier today, Trump sat down with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris.

Hegseth’s lawyer threatens extortion lawsuit against woman who accused him of sex assault

17:43 , Gustaf Kilander

The attorney for Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to be defense secretary, has threatened the woman who accused Hegseth of sexual assault with an extortion lawsuit if he’s not confirmed for the top Pentagon spot.

Tim Parlatore argued on CNN that the woman may not be guilty of extortion in the criminal sense, but that she could be taken to court for civil extortion if a lawsuit was filed.

Read more

In pictures: Trump, Zelensky and Macron meet in Paris

17:20 , Katie Hawkinson

Watch: Trump says world gone crazy as he meets Macron ahead of Notre Dame re-opening

17:01 , Katie Hawkinson

Zelensky joins meeting with Trump, Macron

16:45 , Katie Hawkinson

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky joined President-elect Donald Trump’s meeting with Emmanuel Macron in Paris, France on Saturday.

The world leaders are gathering in Paris for the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral.

Trump declares US should ‘NOT GET INVOLVED’ in Syria conflict

16:40 , Katie Hawkinson

President-elect Donald Trump said the US should “NOT GET INVOLVED” in Syria, where rebels are threatening President Bashar al-Assad’s government.

“In any event, Syria is a mess, but is not our friend, & THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Saturday. “THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT. LET IT PLAY OUT. DO NOT GET INVOLVED!”

In pictures: Donald Trump meets with French President Emmanuel Macron

16:20 , Katie Hawkinson

What are preemptive pardons?

16:00 , Katie Hawkinson

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.

Pardons are usually issued to those who have been accused of a specific crime and those who have already been convicted.

But the Biden administration is looking at issuing pardons to people who haven’t been investigated or charged with anything.

Read more about preemptive pardons, and how Biden might use them ahead of Trump’s inauguration:

What are preemptive pardons? Reports Biden considering granting them to Trump enemies

Trump says ‘world is going a little crazy’ as he meets with Emmanuel Macron

15:58 , Katie Hawkinson

Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron have met in France ahead of the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral on Saturday.

“The world is going a little crazy right now,” the president-elect told reporters as he shook hands with Macron. “We’ll be talking about that.”

The event marks Trump’s return to the geopolitical stage six weeks before he returns to the White House.

Prince William to represent the King alongside Donald Trump at reopening of Notre Dame

15:40 , Katie Hawkinson

Prince William and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are among the world leaders who will join President-elect Donald Trump at the re-opening of the Notre Dame Cathedral on Saturday.

More than 1,500 guests will be present at the service, which will be led by the Catholic archbishop of Paris, Laurent Ulrich.

Read more:

Prince William to represent Charles alongside Donald Trump at reopening of Notre Dame

Watch live: Macron meets with Trump and Zelensky ahead of Notre Dame Cathedral reopening

15:30 , Katie Hawkinson

Watch: Macron meets with Trump and Zelensky ahead of Notre Dame Cathedral reopening

An Alabama couple were ardent Trump supporters. Then their trans son told them he wanted to die

15:20 , Michelle Del Rey

Carolyn Fisher will never forget the moment her son told her he wanted to die.

It was November 3, two days before the presidential election. Fisher’s 16-year-old non-binary son, who uses he/they pronouns, was part of an online suicide pact with three other transgender and non-binary teens in Florida, Alabama and Tennessee. The friends who’d met on Discord had agreed to die by suicide if former president Donald Trump won the 2024 election.

The plan had been set since September. The teens hoped their deaths would send a message to conservative lawmakers and stop them from enacting restrictive policies targeting trans youth.

But as the election approached, her son called a crisis hotline for help. He told the case manager on the other line about the plan, and the case manager helped them tell his parents.

Gathered around their kitchen table, Fisher asked her child what was going on.

Read more:

For one Alabama family, Trump’s anti-trans rhetoric nearly cost them their son’s life

Outside Mar-a-Lago with Trump’s new fan club

15:00 , 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…

Outside Mar-a-Lago with Trump’s strange new fan club

White House refuses to rule out Biden issuing blanket pardons for Trump targets

14:35 , 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.

Andrew Feinberg reports from Washington, DC.

Will Biden issue blanket pardons for Trump targets? White House won’t rule it out

Trump will return to geopolitical stage at Notre Dame re-opening

14:33 , Katie Hawkinson

President-elect Donald Trump will join world leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Prince William, at the re-opening of France’s Notre Dame Cathedral on Saturday.

This visit will mark Trump’s return to the global stage with just six weeks until he returns to the White House.

French President Emmanuel Macron invited the president-elect soon after congratulating him on X for his victory last month.

“Congratulations, President @realDonaldTrump. Ready to work together as we did for four years,” Macron wrote on X last month. “With your convictions and mine. With respect and ambition. For more peace and prosperity.”

Is Joni Ernst trying to sink Hesgeth for her own gain? Some think so…

13:35 , 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 has the story.

Trump aides suggest Joni Ernst is purposefully trying to sink Hegseth nomination

Biden is considering using preemptive pardons — what are they?

12:35 , 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 Associated Press.

A decision has yet to be made on the issue and Biden may still choose not to issue any preemptive pardons.

Gustaf Kilander has the story.

What are preemptive pardons? Reports Biden considering granting them to Trump enemies

Trump taps forceful ally of hard-line immigration policies to head Customs and Border Protection

11:35 , Oliver O’Connell

The picture of who will be in charge of executing President-elect Donald Trump‘s hard-line immigration and border policies has come into sharper focus after he announced his picks to head Customs and Border Protection and also the agency tasked with deporting immigrants in the country illegally.

Trump said late Thursday he was tapping Rodney Scott, a former Border Patrol chief who’s been a vocal supporter of tougher enforcement measures, for CBP commissioner.

Read on…

Trump taps forceful ally of hard-line immigration policies to head Customs and Border Protection

COMMENT: Biden has handed Trump a get-out-jail-free card – he will be delighted

10:35 , 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…

Biden has handed Trump a get-out-jail-free card – he will be delighted

After promising to help ‘everyday Americans’, Trump adds even more billionaires to his administration

09:35 , 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.

Trump adds more billionaires to his team after promising to help ‘everyday Americans’

AOC wants top Democratic seat on House committee to keep Trump in check

08:35 , Oliver O’Connell

A high-profile Democrat who rose to power during Donald Trump’s first term is pitching for a very significant job during his second. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is hoping to become 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 — often known colloquially as AOC — said she is asking for their support to lead their party’s side of the committee. The committee 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 from Washington, DC.

AOC wants to lead Dems on House committee that will try to keep Trump in check

Musk spent over $250m to help Trump get elected

06:35 , Oliver O’Connell

Elon Musk spent over $250 million on political donations to help Donald Trump retake the White House this year, new federal filings show.

Federal Election Commission documents published Thursday revealed that Musk handed over more than $230 million to the America PAC — a political action committee that the Tesla billionaire created and which ultimately grew into a vital fundraising organ for the Trump campaign.

In the few weeks before Election Day, Musk made three separate $25 million donations to America PAC, the filings show.

Read on…

Elon Musk spent over $250 million to help Trump get elected, new filings show

Trump names David Perdue as US ambassador to China

04:35 , Oliver O’Connell

Donald Trump has selected former senator David Perdue to serve as the US ambassador to China amid escalating military and trade tensions.

The president-elect said the former senator from Georgia “brings valuable expertise to help build our relationship with China“.

Mr Perdue, who lived in Hong Kong during a 40-year career as a business executive, will be “instrumental in implementing my strategy to maintain peace in the region and a productive working relationship with China’s leaders”, Mr Trump added.

In his time as senator from 2015 to 2021, Mr Perdue advocated for the US to build a more robust naval force to cope with foreign threats and was labeled “anti-China” in a 2019 Chinese think tank.

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar reports.

Donald Trump names David Perdue as US ambassador to China

Melania admits that she doesn’t dance like Trump

03:35 , 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.

Melania admits that she doesn’t dance like Trump as she hawks jewelry on Fox News

Giuliani was indicted, found liable for defamation and nearly bankrupt. Now he could land in jail

02:35 , Oliver O’Connell

Hours before a final deadline to answer why he should not be held in contempt of court for repeatedly lying about women he defamed, Rudy Giuliani was hit with yet another threat of contempt, in a separate court, by the same women.

“Severe” sanctions are warranted, they argued.

Donald Trump’s former attorney is now juggling motions against him in Washington, DC and in Manhattan, where he is also in the middle of a protracted legal battle to relinquish a long list of property and valuables to chip away at the nearly $150m he owes the mother-daughter duo.

Alex Woodward explains what’s happening to the former New York mayor.

Giuliani was nearly bankrupt. Now he could face jail

Project 2025 backers will spend $1m to pressure senators to confirm Hegseth

01:35 , Oliver O’Connell

The think tank behind Project 2025, the conservative blueprint linked to President-elect Donald Trump, is launching an effort to back Trump’s imperiled selection for secretary of defense in its latest attempt to wield influence in the incoming Republican administration.

Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts said Thursday that his group will spend $1 million to pressure senators unwilling to back Pete Hegseth, whose nomination to lead the Pentagon has come into question due to his views on women serving in combat and reports about his personal behavior. A number of Republican senators have declined to commit to backing Hegseth or have asked for more information about his drinking and treatment of women.

“It’ll be messaging right now with their constituents about how out of step they are with the Trump agenda,” Roberts said in an interview, who argued that criticism of Hegseth was being driven by “the establishment.”

Continue reading…

Project 2025 backers will spend $1 million to pressure GOP senators to back Hegseth

GOP senator insists it’s not GOP’s ‘job’ to vet Trump’s cabinet picks

00:35 , Oliver O’Connell

Tommy Tuberville, a Donald Trump loyalist, said it wasn’t the “job” of Senate Republicans to vet the president-elect’s cabinet nominations as debate around Pete Hegseth’s position continues.

The GOP senator told CNN on Thursday that, in his opinion, it is up to Democrats to vet nominations, and that members of his own party should be inclined to automatically confirm them.

“Who’s to say we’re a better vetter and picker of people than Donald Trump?” Tuberville told CNN on Thursday.

Ariana Baio reports.

Tommy Tuberville insists it’s not GOP’s ‘job’ to vet Trump’s cabinet picks

Chelsea Manning arrested in Congress for protesting Speaker Johnson’s transgender bathroom ban

Friday 6 December 2024 23:34 , 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.

Chelsea Manning arrested in Congress for protesting against transgender bathroom ban

Hegseth’s lawyer threatens extortion lawsuit against sexual assault accuser

Friday 6 December 2024 23:02 , Oliver O’Connell

The attorney for Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to be defense secretary, has threatened the woman who accused Hegseth of sexual assault with an extortion lawsuit if he’s not confirmed for the top Pentagon spot.

Tim Parlatore argued on CNN that the woman may not be guilty of extortion in the criminal sense, but that she could be taken to court for civil extortion if a lawsuit was filed.

Gustaf Kilander has the story.

Hegseth’s lawyer threatens extortion lawsuit against sex-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

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:

Trump files $10 billion lawsuit against CBS News over Kamala Harris interview

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.

Will Biden issue blanket pardons for Trump targets? White House won’t rule it out

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…

Outside Mar-a-Lago with Trump’s strange new fan club

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.

Jon Stewart rips into the media for scaring Americans about another Trump presidency

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.

What are preemptive pardons? Reports Biden considering granting them to Trump enemies

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.”

Read the motion here.

Here’s more on the lawsuit from Alex Woodward:

Trump files $10 billion lawsuit against CBS News over Kamala Harris interview

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.

Trump adds more billionaires to his team after promising to help ‘everyday Americans’

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.

Trump aides suggest Joni Ernst is purposefully trying to sink Hegseth nomination

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…

Biden has handed Trump a get-out-jail-free card – he will be delighted

Watch: Vance reaffirms suport for Hegseth

Friday 6 December 2024 20:29 , Oliver O’Connell

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.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez launches bid for top spot on Oversight committee

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.

Mike Johnson aiming to ax 75 percent of federal agencies

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.

MAGA influencers were offered five figures to promote Ric Grenell’s bid for SoS

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.

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.

Kash Patel’s conspiracy theories haunt quest to become FBI director

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.

Fox News colleagues rally to back Pete Hegseth amid drinking allegations

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.

Trump wants ‘a say’ in the Federal Reserve. Many Republicans do not agree

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.

Trump’s not giving up on ‘fantastic’ Pete Hegseth as he blasts ‘fake news’

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…

Melania Trump says heading to the White House for the second term is much different than the first

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.

Marjorie Taylor Greene booed as she speaks out against trans rights at Supreme Court

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…

SCOTUS showdown likely after appeals court backs law that could ban TikTok in U.S.

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.

Melania admits that she doesn’t dance like Trump as she hawks jewelry on Fox News

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.

Chelsea Manning arrested in Congress for protesting against transgender bathroom ban