A federal judge has ruled that the Department of Justice can release volume one of special counsel Jack Smith’s report covering his election interference case against President-elect Donald Trump.
Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, denied a motion to stop the publication of the report by Attorney General Merrick Garland but will not allow the release of volume two, which covers the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case.
In Washington, Trump’s nominees for senior roles in his incoming administration will be on Capitol Hill this week and under the scrutiny of the Senate as confirmation hearings begin in earnest.
More than a dozen hearings are scheduled for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Notable picks include Pete Hegseth, Kristi Noem, Doug Burgum, Pam Bondi, Marco Rubio, and Scott Bessent, who will face questions from senators in the relevant committees to their roles.
With just a week to go before the inauguration, Melania Trump has shared some thoughts on her return to the White House. The former and future first lady told Ainsley Earhardt of Fox & Friends that she was already packed and appeared to be looking forward to resuming her official role.
Key Points
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Trump-appointed judge clears way for release of Jack Smith report into 2020 election interference
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Melania ‘already packed’ for Trump return to White House
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Trump’s most controversial administration picks go before the Senate this week — here’s the schedule
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Trump and JD Vance blame ‘incompetent’ California leadership over wildfires
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Steve Bannon brands Elon Musk ‘racist’ and ‘truly evil’ as MAGA civil war looms
What to expect from this week’s Trump admin confirmation hearings
20:42 , Oliver O’Connell
This week, the Republican-led Senate will hold more than a dozen hearings for President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet picks. The goal is to confirm their roles as soon as possible so that he can move forward with his agenda as soon as possible after his inauguration.
While some will likely go smoothly, such as Senator Marco Rubio, Trump’s choice for secretary of state, others may struggle to get the requisite number of votes for confirmation — Fox News host Pete Hegseth, a military veteran, for defense secretary, for example.
The tightly packed schedule of the hearings led Senator John Cornyn of Texas to say to reporters last week: “We’re going to have a little bit of a train wreck next week of confirmation hearings… But I’m glad we’re getting those done, and the FBI background check would naturally be a part of that process.”
The process is that the nominees must first be approved by the respective Senate committees that oversee their prospective departments, in front of whom they will appear for hearings this week.
They then require 50 votes from the full Senate for confirmation. Vice President-elect JD Vance will be able to break a tie starting from January 20, when he and Trump take office.
Republicans have a majority of 53 seats in the Senate, so they can endure three defections before they need Democratic votes.
Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania has already expressed support for Rubio, Elise Stefanik for UN Ambassador, and Sean Duffy for transportation secretary.
We’ll be keeping track of the hearings all week on this blog. Here’s what you need to know about who’s up for which job and when they’ll face questioning:
This is when Trump’s most controversial picks will go before the Senate
Timeline of Trump’s dramatic return to White House — from criminal sentencing to second inauguration
20:30 , Gustaf Kilander
With just a week left until President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, his inaugural committee has shared the schedule for all the events leading up to the swearing-in of the 47th president.
Trump has overcome impeachments, indictments, assassination attempts, and unforced errors on the campaign trail that would have dealt severe blows to most other political candidates.
During the two months since Trump won the election, states and Congress have certified the results, a new Congress has convened, and Trump has been sentenced in his hush-money case.
These are all the key dates from Trump’s election victory until he becomes the next president.
Timeline of events – from Trump winning the election to becoming the 47th president
Fox News gives Trump skeptic Neil Cavuto’s old time slot to MAGA diehard Will Cain
20:10 , Oliver O’Connell
Weeks after Fox News original Neil Cavuto shockingly revealed that he was immediately leaving the network he’d called home since 1996, the conservative cable giant announced that it had decided to tap Fox & Friends Weekend host Will Cain as Cavuto’s mid-afternoon replacement.
Unveiling a series of programming changes across the weekday and weekend schedules of both Fox News and Fox Business Network, Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott boasted about the upcoming The Will Cain Show, along with the host’s credentials and experience.
Justin Barangoa has the story.
Fox News gives Trump skeptic Neil Cavuto’s old time slot to MAGA diehard Will Cain
Biden: America is ‘winning the worldwide competition’ after my four years in office
20:00 , Oliver O’Connell
Four years after President Joe Biden entered office with the intent on strengthening American alliances that had been neglected during Donald Trump’s first administration, he says he’s leaving office having accomplished those goals.
In his final foreign policy address at the State Department on Monday, the US president declared that America was “winning the worldwide competition” while pointing to a strengthened (and growing) Nato as evidence.
Andrew Feinberg and John Bowden report from Washington, D.C.
Biden: America is ‘winning the worldwide competition’ after my four years in office
Jan 6 rioter to refuse Trump’s pardon
19:50 , Oliver O’Connell
Pamela Hemphill, a grandmother in her seventies who was jailed for taking part in the attempted insurrection at the US Capitol four years ago, has said she will “refuse” a pardon from President-elect Donald Trump once he takes office.
The incoming commander-in-chief has vowed to issue widespread presidential pardons to his supporters convicted for nonviolent offences over the infamous attack on January 6 2021.
Joe Sommerlad reports.
Jan 6 rioter Pamela Hemphill says she will refuse Trump’s pardon
Dozens of Congress members outperformed the stock market in 2024. Here’s who gained the most – and why
19:30 , Oliver O’Connell
The stock market had a record-breaking run last year, but members of Congress still managed to outperform it with their portfolios making staggering gains in industries where they wield legislative power and influence, such as tech and energy.
More than 20 members made almost double the S&P500 average gain of 24.9 percent last year. The top five performers — Rep. David Rouzer (R-NC), Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Roger Williams (R-TX), Morgan McGarvey (D-KY) — increased the value of their portfolio value by more than 100 percent, according to a new report.
Richard Hall and Eric Garcia report.
These members of Congress saw the biggest rise in their stock portfolios in 2024
Melania Trump packed and ready for the move back to White House
19:10 , AP
Incoming first lady Melania Trump says she’s packed and ready to move back into the White House, where son Barron will have a bedroom, and she plans to revive her Be Best children’s initiative.
Trump also said in a taped interview broadcast Monday on Fox News’ Fox & Friends that an upcoming documentary on her life that is set to be distributed by Amazon Prime Video later this year was her idea based on the reception to the memoir she released last year.
“So I had an idea to, to make a movie, to make a film about my life,” she said. “My life is incredible. It’s incredibly busy. And, I told my agent, you know, I have this idea, so please, you know, go out and, make a deal for me.”
Read on…
Melania Trump says she’s packed and ready for the move back into the White House
Pete Hegseth will face tough questions at Senate confirmation — including these…
18:50 , Oliver O’Connell
Pete Hegseth is preparing to face a panel of bipartisan senators on Tuesday who will grill him over allegations from his past and his credentials at the first of the Senate confirmation hearings.
President-elect Donald Trump has tapped Hegseth for one of the most senior jobs in the administration: secretary of defense.
But since Trump announced his unorthodox choice to head the Pentagon, serious questions have surrounded the 44-year-old Fox News host.
Rhian Lubin reports.
The tough questions Pete Hegseth will face at his Senate confirmation hearing
Trump transition team ‘under active discussion’ about California wildfire visit
18:36 , Oliver O’Connell
Melania Trump says she doesn’t always ‘agree with what my husband is saying or doing’
18:30 , Oliver O’Connell
Soon-to-be first lady Melania Trump insisted on Monday that she is “independent” and will stand up to her husband, saying she doesn’t always “agree with what Donald is saying” and she is more than “just the wife of the president.”
Justin Barangoa reports.
Melania Trump tells Fox she doesn’t always ‘agree with what my husband is saying ’
Full story: DOJ can publish Jack Smith report on Trump’s election interference case, judge rules
18:25 , Oliver O’Connell
Alex Woodward reports:
After a last-minute legal battle, Jack Smith’s final report on his criminal investigation into Donald Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election is one step closer to becoming public.
On Monday, Florida District Judge Aileen Cannon rejected arguments from Trump and his now-former co-defendants in the classified documents case who have tried to stop the Department of Justice from releasing the entire report.
Her decision clears the way for Attorney General Merrick Garland to partially publicly release Smith’s report once her initial three-day injunction expires at midnight Monday — less than a week before Trump returns to the White House.
Read on…
Justice Department can publish Jack Smith report on Trump’s Jan. 6 case, judge rules
Senate Energy Democrats call for Burgum confirmation hearing postponement
18:18 , Oliver O’Connell
Senate Energy Committee Democrats are calling on Republican Chair Mike Lee to postpone Doug Burgum’s confirmation hearing to be interior secretary, which is scheduled for tomorrow. They say the committee still doesn’t have key documents it needs to proceed.
Don Lemon rails against Obama for cozying up to Trump at Carter’s funeral
18:10 , Oliver O’Connell
Former CNN host Don Lemon slammed former President Barack Obama for having a laugh with President-elect Donald Trump during the funeral of the late President Jimmy Carter.
Lemon was speaking on his YouTube program when he initially aimed his ire at Morning Joe hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski for a segment on Friday, during which they discussed how to act around the incoming commander-in-chief.
Gustaf Kilander reports.
Don Lemon rails against Obama for cozying up to Trump at Carter’s funeral
Watch: Melania Trump explains why she is making a documentary about her life
18:00 , Oliver O’Connell
Trump executive orders will be ‘shock and awe’ in scale, says GOP senator
17:50 , Oliver O’Connell
“Shock and awe” is what the public can expect from President-elect Donald Trump’s first day in office when he issues a “blizzard” of executive orders set to re-shape U.S. policy on the economy and immigration.
Republican Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming invoked the antagonistic military-strategy phrase while describing a preview of January 20, when Trump is sworn in.
Ariana Baio reports.
GOP senator promises ‘shock and awe’ from Trump executive orders
Trump-appointed judge clears way for release of Jack Smith report into 2020 election interference
17:43 , Oliver O’Connell
Judge Aileen Cannon, a Donald Trump appointee, has cleared the way for Attorney General Merrick Garland to publicly release the findings of Jack Smith’s investigation into 2020 election interference before the inauguration.
She denied the president-elect’s motion to stop the release of that volume of Smith’s report but is still blocking the release of the volume covering the Mar-a-Lago classified documents. There will be a hearing on January 17 on whether the Department of Justice can disclose parts of it to members of Congress.
Read Judge Cannon’s ruling here
Civil servants being asked who they voted for in 2024 election
17:30 , AP
Incoming senior Trump administration officials have begun questioning career civil servants who work on the White House National Security Council about who they voted for in the 2024 election, their political contributions and whether they have made social media posts that could be considered incriminating by President-elect Donald Trump‘s team, according to a U.S. official familiar with the matter.
Continue reading…
Civil servants are being asked who they voted for in 2024 election
Watch: Melania Trump says she doesn’t always agree with her husband
17:20 , Oliver O’Connell
Steve Bannon escalates his war with Elon Musk with threat to stop him before Jan. 20
17:10 , Oliver O’Connell
Donald Trump’s former senior advisor Steve Bannon has taken another swipe at Elon Musk, claiming he will personally see that the billionaire is “kicked out” of the president-elect’s inner-circle prior to his inauguration next week.
MAGA infighting has intensified on Sunday after Bannon again criticized Musk’s support of the H-1B program – which allows US employers to issue temporary nonimmigrant visas with the intent of filling skills gaps in sectors that require highly-specialized knowledge.
James Liddell has the story.
Steve Bannon vows to boot Elon Musk from Trump’s inner-circle before his inauguration
Georgia Senate Republicans to continue investigation of DA Fani Willis after Trump charges
17:05 , Oliver O’Connell
Watch: ‘Be Best’ is back
17:00 , Oliver O’Connell
Trump denies reports campaign donor to run Air Force
16:55 , Oliver O’Connell
President-elect Donald Trump has denied reports that campaign donor Andrew McKenna would join his administration as Secretary of the Air Force, nor in any other capacity.
Reports that the CEO of investment firm McKenna & Associates — and a licensed pilot — was tipped for the job surfaced in mid-December.
Eric Trump mulling new family-branded vodka line
16:50 , Oliver O’Connell
Eric Trump, son of President-elect Donald Trump, is reportedly in talks to launch a new business venture: selling a new family-branded vodka.
Perhaps aimed at those who want to drink their way through the next administration?
Kelly Rissman has the story.
Eric Trump reportedly mulling new Trump-branded vodka line
The Village People to perform at Turning Point inaugural eve ball
16:42 , Oliver O’Connell
Carrie Underwood to perform at Trump’s inauguration
16:32 , Oliver O’Connell
According to a picture of the official program for the day, country music superstar Carrie Underwoods will perform “America the Beautiful” at Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Beshear rails against acrimony of national politics in calling for common sense governing
16:30 , AP
Kentucky Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear railed against the acrimony of national politics Wednesday night as he called for a common-sense approach to governing that meets the everyday needs of families worried about access to affordable health care and the availability of good-paying jobs.
Beshear, who has raised his national profile since winning reelection in 2023 in the GOP-dominated state, touted Kentucky’s record-setting pace of economic development since he took office. Those achievements were the result of “pushing out that national noise” and finding common ground, he said.
Continue reading…
Gov. Andy Beshear rails against acrimony of national politics in calling for common sense governing
Don Jr joins prediction market Kalshi as ‘strategic adviser’
16:20 , Oliver O’Connell
Donald Trump Jr has joined Kalshi, the first legal prediction market in the US, which successfully predicted the 2024 election outcome.
Kalshi’s tagline is “bet on everything.”
The president-elect’s eldest son wrote on X: “On Election night at Mar-a-Lago, while biased outlets called the race a coin toss, my family and close friends used the prediction market Kalshi to know we won hours ahead of the fake news media.
“I immediately knew I had to contribute to their mission. Today, I am proud to announce that I am joining Kalshi as a strategic advisor.
“The Kalshi team has worked hard, sued the Biden administration, and achieved the impossible feat of becoming the first legal prediction market in the US. I’m excited to be a part of what they’re building.
“Now, time to trade on whether Biden is going to pardon Fauci and Liz Cheney 🤣.”
Here is when Donald Trump’s most controversial administration picks will go before the Senate
16:10 , Alex Lang
After the initial crush of personnel announcements for President-elect Donald Trump‘s incoming administration, now the nomination process officially begins.
Senate hearings are scheduled this coming week for several of Trump’s picks for the Cabinet. Many have met with senators individually. Now, they will go before the committees overseeing the agencies that Trump wants them to run.
Many predict that the hearings will become a circus, given the controversial nature of several of Trump’s picks. They have been criticized for their lack of experience or their previous comments. The Senate has a slim Republican majority, so just a handful of Senators need to flip against one of Trump’s picks to sink the nominations.
Some have said that the hearings will be reminiscent of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s that turned fiery.
Here’s a look at the schedule for Senate hearings set so far, in Eastern time:
Here is when Trump’s most controversial picks will go before the Senate
Arizona AG requests DOJ gives her Jack Smith’s full case file for 2020 election subversion case
16:07 , Oliver O’Connell
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has requested that the Department of Justice provide her with Jack Smith’s full case file to facilitate her office’s ongoing prosecution of Donald Trump’s allies in the 2020 election effort.
Watch: Melania Trump says people didn’t accept or understand her during husband’s first term
15:59 , Oliver O’Connell
In his own words: Hegseth’s views on women in combat, infidelity and more
15:50 , AP
Pete Hegseth will try to convince members of the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday that he should be the next secretary of defense, following weeks of meetings with lawmakers who peppered him with questions about his character and views on a range of military issues.
As the author of several books and a former Fox News Channel host, Hegseth has been forced to defend himself against a long record of his own public comments, including in his most recent book, “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free.”
His wide-ranging opinions could provide some insight into how he could approach the top Pentagon job if confirmed. At times, he says he’s been misconstrued, but other times he’s tried to soften his previously stated views on contentious topics.
Here’s a look at Hegseth in his own words
Melania ‘already packed’ for Trump return to White House
15:30 , Oliver O’Connell
Melania Trump sat down with Fox News’ Ainsley Earhardt for an interview about her upcoming Amazon documentary and her return to the White House in just one week when Donald Trump is sworn in on January 20.
“I already packed,” she told Earhardt in the interview which aired this morning on Fox & Friends. “I already selected the furniture that needs to go in.”
The former and future first lady, who has been spending a lot of time in New York, where her son Barron is studying at NYU, said of him: “I think he will come and visit. … And I always respect Barron’s ‘yes’ and ‘no’ and what he likes to do, where he would like to be.”
Melania also said she would revive her “Be Best” effort.
Asked where she will spend her time, she told Earhardt: “I will be in the White House.”
“When I need to be in New York, I will be in New York. When I need to be in Palm Beach, I will be in Palm Beach. But my first priority is to be a mom, to be a first lady, to be a wife. And once we are in on January 20, you serve the country.”
Trump ‘impressed’ by ‘commonsense’ Fetterman after Mar-a-Lago meeting
15:10 , Oliver O’Connell
US Democratic Senator from Pennsylvania John Fetterman responds to a question from the news media in the US Capitol (EPA)
Donald Trump says Pennsylvania Democrat Senator John Fetterman is “a fascinating man, and his wife is lovely. They were both up, and I couldn’t be more impressed.”
After an hourlong meeting with the Fettermans at Mar-a-Lago over the weekend, he told The Washington Examiner: “He’s a commonsense person. He’s not liberal or conservative. He’s just a commonsense person, which is beautiful.”
The president-elect said they found common ground on the fate of U.S. Steel, shoring up the border, supporting Israel, and discussing the geopolitical benefits of Greenland.
Analysis: Trump has been on a run of big wins — his own agenda push could end the streak
14:50 , Joe Sommerlad
Despite some early wins, the president-elect still faces an uphill battle with his more significant policy proposals, which could prove his undoing, Eric Garcia writes.
Trump has been on a run of big wins — his own agenda push could end the streak
Schumer says no pardons for Jan 6 rioters, violent or not
14:44 , Oliver O’Connell
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer says there should be no pardons for January 6 rioters, whether they were violent or not.
“What they did is a serious crime.”
Trump’s call with Putin set for the next few days
14:30 , Joe Sommerlad
The president-elect and Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected to have a call in the coming days, according to the Associated Press.
The development comes as a top Trump adviser said it is unrealistic to aim to expel Russian soldiers from every inch of Ukrainian territory.
Congressman Mike Waltz, the incoming US national security adviser, told ABC on Sunday that the war had become a World War One-style “meat grinder of people and resources” with “World War Three consequences”.
“Everybody knows that this has to end somehow diplomatically,” Waltz, a Trump loyalist who also served in the National Guard as a colonel, told the network yesterday.
“I just don’t think it’s realistic to say we’re going to expel every Russian from every inch of Ukrainian soil, even Crimea.
“President Trump has acknowledged that reality, and I think it’s been a huge step forward that the entire world is acknowledging that reality. Now let’s move forward.”
Trump’s call with Putin set for the next few days
Trump is trying to seal the border while his czar ‘tempers’ expectations for mass deportations
14:10 , Joe Sommerlad
With a little more than a week until his inauguration, Trump and his team are trying to plan the executive orders that will fulfill his campaign promise of closing the US–Mexico border and implementing mass deportation “on day one” — a task that comes with complications.
For months, Trump and his team have been looking for ways to bypass the traditional immigration legislative process to close the border and deport millions of undocumented immigrants.
But as January 20 draws closer, it’s unclear if they can succeed.
Here’s Ariana Baio with the latest.
Trump wants to seal the border as his czar ‘tempers’ expectations
Republican senator promises ‘shock and awe’ from Trump executive orders
13:50 , Joe Sommerlad
That’s what the public can expect from the president-elect’s first day in office when he issues a “blizzard” of executive orders set to re-shape US policy on the economy and immigration, according to John Barrasso of Wyoming.
The GOP man invoked the antagonistic military-strategy phrase while describing a preview of January 20, when Trump will be sworn in.
“When President Trump takes office next Monday, there is going to be shock and awe with executive orders,” Barrasso told CBS’s Face the Nation yesterday after meeting with Trump last week.
“A blizzard of executive orders on the economy as well as on the border.”
Disturbingly, he also warned there would be “strings attached” to any federal funds given to California as it recovers from the Los Angeles wildfires.
Ariana Baio reports.
GOP senator promises ‘shock and awe’ from Trump executive orders
Republican senator insists US not going to invade Greenland
13:10 , Joe Sommerlad
Oklahoma’s James Lankford was pretty confident during his appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press yesterday that Trump’s big talk on sending in the troops to conquer the Arctic island was just that and nothing more.
Ariana Baio meanwhile has this on Denmark’s attempts to resolve the matter diplomatically.
Denmark spoke with Trump team about increasing security on Greenland, says report
Everything you need to know about Trump’s inauguration
12:50 , Joe Sommerlad
According to The New York Times, the president-elect is planning to make his swearing-in to the presidency a three-day bonanza.
The festivities will get underway on Saturday with a party for 500 donors at his golf club in Sterling, Virginia, complete with an Elvis impersonator and fireworks and followed on Sunday by a visit to Arlington National Cemetery, a rally event at Washington DC’s Capital One Arena and a candlelit dinner before the main event gets underway the following morning.
Here’s the low-down on the presidential inauguration from Katie Hawkinson.
When is Trump’s inauguration and how do you get tickets?
Senate confirmation hearings for Trump cabinet nominees to begin this week
12:30 , Joe Sommerlad
Several of the president-elect’s nominees to top posts within his new administration will face questioning from the upper chamber of Congress this week as they undergo potentially gruelling confirmation hearings.
Things kick off on Tuesday with what is likely to be one of the most controversial, Pete Hegseth for secretary of defence, while Doug Collins and Doug Burgum will also be under the spotlight.
On Wednesday, Pam Bondi, Kristi Noem and Marco Rubio will be among the top names grilled, followed by the likes of John Ratcliffe, Sean Duffy and Russell Vought.
The hearings inevitably came up on the Sunday shows, with CNN’s Jake Tapper putting the killer question to Alabama’s Katie Britt.
Less crucially but still worth including, her South Carolina counterpart Tim Scott very nearly referred to “President Chump” while discussing the same subject, perhaps revealing his own concealed resentment after being overlooked for a job, despite his huge efforts on the campaign trail stumping on Trump’s behalf.
Trump holds ‘51st state’ party for Canadians at Mar-a-Lago
12:10 , Joe Sommerlad
Speaking of the United States’s northern neighbor, the president-elect hosted a gathering of conservative Canadians at his Florida estate over the weekend, attended by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, Jordan Peterson and Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary, among others, to support his ludicrous ambition of incorporating their country.
In a post on X, Smith nevertheless placed an emphasis on Canadian “independence” and the importance of her homeland’s energy exports as she wrote: “The United States and Canada are both proud and independent nations with one of the most important security alliances on earth and the largest economic partnership in history.
“We need to preserve our independence while we grow this critical partnership for the benefit of Canadians and Americans for generations to come.”
Which does not sound like an emphatic “yes please” to me.
Justin Trudeau shuts down Trump’s ‘51st state’ threats: ‘Not going to happen’
11:50 , Joe Sommerlad
Canada’s outgoing prime minister reiterated on Sunday that his country would not give up sovereignty and join the United States, the latest surreal example of a world leader being forced to respond seriously to the unserious stated aspirations of the incoming president and his allies.
“That’s not going to happen. It’s just a non-starter,” he told MSNBC’s Jen Psaki.
“Canadians are incredibly proud of being Canadian.”
John Bowden reports.
Justin Trudeau shuts down Trump’s ‘51st state’ threats: ‘Not going to happen’
California governor accuses Musk of ‘encouraging looting’ with misleading LA fires claim
11:20 , Joe Sommerlad
One more line on Newsom, who is having to battle the spread of misinformation as well as the fires.
In his latest post on X, Elon Musk’s own platform, he accuses the tech boss of “encouraging looting” after the billionaire shared posts that claimed the politician had “decriminalized” it.
“Stop encouraging looting by lying and telling people it’s decriminalized. It’s not,” Newsom wrote in reply to one of the billionaire’s retweets.
“It’s illegal – as it always has been. Bad actors will be arrested and prosecuted.”
Tom Watling has more.
California governor accuses Musk of ‘encouraging looting’ with misleading claims
Will Trump visit Los Angeles?
10:50 , Joe Sommerlad
The city’s mayor Karen Bass said over the weekend she had had “a positive response” from the president-elect’s camp about him paying a visit to the disaster zone to comfort the afflicted, rather than simply berating the official response from a safe distance, although no date has yet been announced.
Governor Newsom has meanwhile been continuing to push back against Trump’s false claims about his state’s reservoirs, a taste of what the next four years are likely to be like for the entire world, if his first term in the Oval Office was anything to go by.
Here’s some further response from the governor to the “delusional” commander-in-chief.
Governor Gavin Newsom hits out at ‘delusional’ Donald Trump over wildfire criticism
Trump’s Ukraine envoy sets 100 days timeframe for ending war
10:30 , Joe Sommerlad
Also speaking to Fox News yesterday, Keith Kellogg, the president-elect’s nominee as envoy to Ukraine rowed back on his boss’s repeated promises on the campaign trail to end the war in the region “on day one”, giving himself a much more generous timeframe.
Here’s a handy montage of all the times Trump promised an instant resolution on the conflict.
Vance says Biden left Trump a ‘dumpster fire’ and talks J6 pardons
10:10 , Joe Sommerlad
The incoming VP also had some unkind words for Joe Biden during the same interview.
He also suggested that those convicted of violent crimes during the Capitol riot might be excluded from Trump’s mass pardoning effort once he enters the White House.
Here’s more from John Bowden.
JD Vance says Biden left Trump a ‘dumpster fire’ and lays out Jan 6 pardon strategy
Trump and JD Vance blame ‘incompetent’ California leadership over wildfires
09:50 , Joe Sommerlad
The president-elect himself blamed “California pols” for failing to control the wildfires on Truth Social yesterday, reviving his long-standing feud with the state’s governor Gavin Newsom at the worst possible time.
“The fires are still raging in L.A. The incompetent pols have no idea how to put them out,” Trump wrote on Sunday.
“Thousands of magnificent houses are gone, and many more will soon be lost. There is death all over the place. This is one of the worst catastrophes in the history of our Country. They just can’t put out the fires. What’s wrong with them?”
His vice president-elect was also at it, claiming a “serious lack of competent governance” was behind it in conversation with Shannon Bream on Fox News Sunday.
Here’s John Bowden with more.
JD Vance slams ‘incompetent’ California as Newsom battles fire conspiracy theories
Steve Bannon brands Elon Musk ‘racist’ and ‘truly evil’ as MAGA civil war looms
09:30 , Joe Sommerlad
Trump’s former White House chief strategist turned War Room podcaster Steve Bannon has escalated his feud with billionaire Elon Musk, calling the latter “racist” and a “truly evil guy”, also pledging to “take this guy down” and remove him from the MAGA movement.
Speaking to Italy’s Corriere della Sera newspaper, the former Breitbart editor said of Musk: “He is a truly evil guy, a very bad guy. I made it my personal thing to take this guy down.
“Before, because he put money in, I was prepared to tolerate it – I’m not prepared to tolerate it any more.”
He added: “I will have Elon Musk run out of here by inauguration day.
“He will not have full access to the White House. He will be like any other person.”
Here’s more from James Liddell.
Steve Bannon vows to boot Elon Musk from Trump’s inner-circle before his inauguration
Donald Trump shares bad taste LA wildfires meme on Truth Social
09:10 , Joe Sommerlad
Good morning!
Here’s how the incoming Leader of the Free World, 78, spent his Sunday evening – sharing some incredibly unpresidential and morbidly self-glorifying memes on social media as the residents of one of America’s most celebrated cities remain trapped in a state of waking nightmare.
The below are perhaps more run-of-the-mill for Trump but provide an equally telling insight into his current mindset.
The Trumps are ‘in talks’ to buy back their beloved D.C. hotel
07:00 , Gustaf Kilander
The Trump family is in talks to reacquire their Washington D.C. hotel, which could reveal how the president-elect is set to handle issues related to possible conflicts of interest.
This week, Eric Trump met at Mar-a-Lago with a bank executive from BDT & MSD, which is in control of the lease on the building, people familiar with the meeting told The Wall Street Journal.
Eric Trump is an executive vice president at the president-elect’s real estate company, and he discussed possibly buying the lease. What was the Trump International Hotel at the Old Post Office building is now the Waldorf Astoria. The building is owned by the federal government and was leased to the Trump family.
The family company is now looking to operate a hotel in the nation’s capital as Trump once again prepares to enter the White House. The family is still interested in the Old Post Office Building, according to The Journal.
Getting the rights to the hotel back could cost more than $300 million, the paper noted.
Catch up with the Jack Smith report: Trump lawyers scramble to block ‘imminent’ release
05:00 , Ariana Baio
A federal appeals court ruled last week that the Justice Department can release a report on Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss.
But an order from a Trump-appointed temporarily blocks Jack Smith report. Trump and his co-defendants in the Mar-a-Lago case are asking the judge to continue to block the report.
Alex Woodward reports:
Appeals court rules Jack Smith report can be released
Justin Trudeau shuts down Trump’s ‘51st state’ threats: ‘Not going to happen’
03:00 , John Bowden
Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reiterated on Sunday that his country would not give up sovereignty and join the United States, the latest surreal example of a world leader being forced to respond seriously to the unserious stated aspirations of the incoming president and his allies.
“That’s not going to happen. It’s just a non-starter,” he told MSNBC’s Jen Psaki on Sunday. “Canadians are incredibly proud of being Canadian.”
John Bowden reports:
Justin Trudeau shuts down Trump’s ‘51st state’ threats: ‘Not going to happen’
Trump is trying to seal the border while his czar ‘tempers’ expectations for mass deportations
01:00 , Ariana Baio
With a little more than a week until his inauguration, Donald Trump and his team are trying to plan the executive orders that will fulfill his campaign promise of closing the U.S.–Mexico border and implementing mass deportation “on day one” — a task that comes with complications.
For months, Trump and his team have been looking for ways to bypass the traditional immigration legislative process to close the border and deport millions of undocumented immigrants. But as January 20 draws closer, it’s unclear if they can succeed.
Trump wants to seal the border as his czar ‘tempers’ expectations
Trump misrepresents information about Jack Smith in rant
00:00 , Ariana Baio
Trump remains furious that special counsel Jack Smith, who resigned from the DoJ on Friday, is “allowed” to release his reports on the classified documents case and federal election interference case.
In a rant posted to Truth Social on Sunday, Trump said Smith should not be permitted to issue a report because he was “thrown off the case” and “ultimately dismissed” by the DoJ.
Smith resigned from the DoJ ahead of Trump taking office. He was not “thrown off” either case, though Trump-appointed Judge Aileen Cannon ruled that Smith was unconstitutionally appointed to investigate Trump in the classified documents case – something the government disputed.
“Why would Deranged Jack Smith be allowed to issue a “report” on a complete and total Witch Hunt against me, strictly for political purposes, when he was thrown off the case and ultimately dismissed by the DOJ.,” Trump wrote.
“Therefore, to put it nicely, he was illegitimately involved in this political persecution, and all of the hundreds of millions of dollars spent by our hapless government were, simply put, wasted! He has already filled thousands of rejected statements and documents against me, which were a “joke,” and the public just voted for me, in a landslide, to be their President!”
Trump has been trying to prevent Smiths reports from being released.
Trump Treasury nominee says he will divest assets
Sunday 12 January 2025 23:00 , Ariana Baio
Scott Bessent, the investor Trump selected to serve as Treasury secretary, said he will divest his assets to ensure he has no conflicts of interest, CNBC reported.
In a letter to the Treasury Department ethics office, Bessent said he would resign from his position at the Bessent–Freeman Family Foundation and divest his assets from Key Square Capital Management – the investment firm he founded.
Bessent outlined the steps he would take to “avoid any actual or apparent conflict of interest in the event that I am confirmed for the position of Secretary of the Department of Treasury,” according to the letter.
Watch: California governor Gavin Newsom hits out at ‘delusional’ Donald Trump
Sunday 12 January 2025 22:30 , Ariana Baio
Dozens of Congress members outperformed the stock market in 2024. Here’s who gained the most – and why
Sunday 12 January 2025 22:00 , Ariana Baio
More than 20 members made almost double the S&P500 average gain of 24.9 percent last year.
The top five performers — Rep. David Rouzer (R-NC), Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Roger Williams (R-TX), Morgan McGarvey (D-KY) — increased the value of their portfolio value by more than 100 percent, according to a new report
Richard Hall and Eric Garcia report:
These members of Congress saw the biggest rise in their stock portfolios in 2024
Vance lowers expectations about incoming administration changes
Sunday 12 January 2025 21:30 , Ariana Baio
Incoming vice president JD Vance said people should take a step back before expecting the incoming administration to implement sweeping change as soon as Donald Trump is sworn in, lowering expectations for the speed at which they can change things.
“If you step back a little bit, I do think it’s important to reiterate that not just on the border, but on a whole host of issues, President Biden has left us an absolute dumpster fire,” Vance told Fox News on Sunday after he was asked about Trump’s planned executive actions.
“We’re excited to get to work but we need to be open and honest about the fact that President Biden has not left the next administration in a good place,” Vance said before rattling off a list of problems that he expects Trump to tackle.
For months, Trump has promised supporters sweeping change to the economy, immigration, domestic policy and more “on day one” of being in office. However, big changes with tangible impact can take a long time to notice when it comes to the government.
JD Vance slams ‘incompetent’ California government as Gavin Newsom battles wildfire conspiracy theories
Sunday 12 January 2025 21:00 , John Bowden
JD Vance led the Republican assault against California’s state and local governments on Sunday as conservatives eagerly pile on Democratic leaders for insufficient water supplies and emergency efforts as firefighters continue to battle wildfires around Los Angeles.
On Sunday, the incoming vice president told Fox News Sunday’s Shannon Bream that California’s leaders were incompetent.
“We need to do a better job. We need competent, good governance,” Vance said. “There was a serious lack of competent governance in California, and I think it’s part of the reason why these fires have gotten so bad.”
Newsom, in his own interview airing this weekend, said the fires would amount to one of the worst natural disasters in the nation’s history. He also stressed that water shortages in the immediate few days after the fire began were localized and did not reflect regional preparation efforts, taking aim at Vance’s boss Donald Trump over the latter’s own comments about California’s wildfire preparedness.
Republican Senator says there will ‘shock and awe’ on day one of Trump presidency
Sunday 12 January 2025 20:30 , Ariana Baio
Republican Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming touted there would be “shock and awe” when Donald Trump enters office on January 20 – a sentiment he believes in after meeting with the incoming president this past week.
“When President Trump takes office next Monday, there is going to be shock and awe with executive orders. A blizzard of executive orders on the economy as well as on the border,” Barrasso told Face The Nation on Sunday.
Trump implores others to ‘save Rudy’
Sunday 12 January 2025 20:00 , Ariana Baio
Trump offered some support to his longtime friend and former lawyer Rudy Giuliani after he was held in contempt of court twice in one week.
”SAVE RUDY!!!” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sunday.
Steve Bannon says he will do ‘anything’ to keep Musk from White House
Sunday 12 January 2025 19:30 , Ariana Baio
Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon is determined to prevent current Trump adviser Elon Musk from becoming engrossed in the White House because he is “a truly evil guy.”
“I will have Elon Musk run out of here by Inauguration Day,” Bannon told the Italian news outlet Corriere della Sera this week. “He will not have a blue pass to the White House, he will not have full access to the White House, he will be like any other person.”
“He is a truly evil guy, a very bad guy. I made it my personal thing to take this guy down,” Bannon said. “Before, because he put money in, I was prepared to tolerate it; I’m not prepared to tolerate it anymore.”
Bannon strongly disagrees with Musk’s position on H-1B visas, which are visas given to skilled workers. Bannon believes this, and other positions, are a sign Musk is only interested in elevating his own businesses.
“He will do anything to make sure that any one of his companies is protected or has a better deal or he makes more money. His aggregation of wealth, and then — through wealth — power: that’s what he’s focused on,” Bannon said.
JD Vance says Biden left Trump a ‘dumpster fire’ and lays out Jan 6 pardon strategy
Sunday 12 January 2025 19:00 , John Bowden
Vice President-elect JD Vance drew a line in the sand for the incoming Trump administration’s pardon strategy during an interview with Fox News on Sunday.
Vance was asked how Donald Trump would handle his promise to pardon some of those Americans convicted or charged with crimes resulting from the siege of the Capitol on January 6, 2021. During his bid for the White House, Trump pledged to grant clemency to his supporters who caused lawmakers and Capitol staff to hide in fear for their lives while a violent mob battled with police inside and outside the main building for hours.
John Bowden reports:
JD Vance says Biden left Trump a ‘dumpster fire’ and lays out Jan 6 pardon strategy
Some Jan 6 defendants can expect pardons
Sunday 12 January 2025 18:45 , Ariana Baio
Some January 6 rioters who were prosecuted for storming the U.S. Capitol and unlawfully entering to interrupt Congress’s certification of the 2020 election can expect pardons, incoming vice president JD Vance said.
“Look, if you protested peacefully on January the sixth and you’ve had Merrick Garland’s Department of Justice treat you like a gang member, you should be pardoned,” Vance told Fox News on Sunday.
“If you committed violence on that day, obviously you shouldn’t be pardoned. And there’s a little bit of grey area there,” he added.
It is unclear how many of the more than 700 people convicted of crimes on January 6 will receive a pardon. But Donald Trump is expected to uphold his promise to pardon many of them.
Trudeau brushes off Trump’s ‘51st state’ comments
Sunday 12 January 2025 18:22 , Ariana Baio
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau brushed off Trump’s comments about making Canada the “51st state” and downplayed them as nothing more than something that “will not ever happen”.
On Sunday, Trudeau told Jenn Pskai he was not paying attention to Trump’s taunts because they’re not part of reality.
“This isn’t out of the blue, that he’s doing this,” Trudeau said. But my focus has to be – not on something he’s talking about that will not ever happen – but more on something that might well happen, that if he does choose to go forward with tariffs.”
The incoming president’s very real threat to impose a 25 percent tariff on Canadian goods has created political chaos in Canada. With an already struggling economy, Canada could face economic hardships if Trump imposes the tariffs.
Disagreements over how to handle the possible tariffs pushed Trudeau to resign from his position as prime minister.
JD Vance says family separation plan at the border is a ‘ euphemism’
Sunday 12 January 2025 17:45 , Ariana Baio
Incoming vice president JD Vance claimed family separation policies at the border were only a “euphemism” despite admitting some families will likely be separated at the border.
“This term is something you’re gonna hear a lot in the next couple of months, the next couple of years, Shannon – family separation,” Vance told Fox News host Shannon Bream on Sunday.
“That’s a euphemism, that’s a dishonest term to hide behind the fact that Joe Biden has not done border enforcement,” Vance continued.
The vice president-elect said if an undocumented immigrant commits a crime they will be sent back to their country of origin and separated from their families.
Trump’s controversial family separation policy is expected to return in his new administration. He and his border czar, Tom Homan, have said that children of non-citizen parents will be detained and deported alongside their families but that it’s up to each family if they are deported together or separately.
Trump blames California politics for not putting out raging wildfires
Sunday 12 January 2025 17:24 , Ariana Baio
In a Truth Social post early Sunday morning, President-elect Donald Trump blamed California politicians for failing to put out the wildfires that have burned more than 35,000 acres.
“The fires are still raging in L.A. The incompetent pols have no idea how to put them out. Thousands of magnificent houses are gone, and many more will soon be lost. There is death all over the place. This is one of the worst catastrophes in the history of our Country. They just can’t put out the fires. What’s wrong with them?”
Several out-of-control factors have made the wildfires incredibly difficult to put out – like strong, dry winds, bone-dry vegetation and dwindling water supply.
Jack Smith has resigned. What happens now?
Sunday 12 January 2025 13:00 , Alex Woodward
Special counsel Jack Smith has completed his reports on his criminal investigations into Donald Trump and resigned from the Department of Justice.
Smith — a chief prosecutor at The Hague who was appointed to handle investigations into the president-elect for his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and withhold classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago compound — delivered his final reports to Attorney General Merrick Garland on January 7.
Jack Smith resigns from Justice Department after completing Trump reports
After New Orleans and Vegas attacks by veterans, what will Trump do about extremism in the military?
Sunday 12 January 2025 12:00 , Josh Marcus
A study from the National Consortium for The Study of Terrorism and Response to Terrorism found that between 1990 and 2022, 170 people with U.S. military backgrounds plotted 144 mass casualty terror attacks, representing about 25 percent of all individuals planning such crimes during this period. That proportion is more than three times the share of military veterans in the overall population.
The study also found nearly three-quarters of these offenders were motivated by far-right extremist groups and movements.
“It is not that there are more extremists among the military,” Wendy Via, CEO and co-founder of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism, said.
However, the problem is what this small group of individuals does once they cross over into extremism.
Josh Marcus reports:
After New Orleans and Vegas attacks by vets, will Trump tackle military extremism?
What’s next for Joe and Jill Biden?
Sunday 12 January 2025 09:00 , Ariana Baio
President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden are leaving the White House on January 20, marking the end of the president’s 50 years in politics.
But Biden, 82, insists he’s not quite ready to retreat into a slow retirement just yet. In interviews, the president has indicated he’s still got work to do to improve Americans’ lives. Jill Biden, 73, has similarly dedicated her life to others through education, but she has kept quiet about her next chapter after the White House.
Read more here
When is Trump’s inauguration and how do you get tickets?
Sunday 12 January 2025 07:30 , Ariana Baio
On Inauguration Day, the new US president and vice president are sworn in during a ceremony that marks the end of one presidency and the beginning of the next.
Inauguration Day falls on Monday, January 20.
Trump will take the oath of office at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. The ceremony begins at 12 p.m. ET.
Every four years, the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies ensures a chunk of inauguration tickets are made available to the public.
These tickets are free of charge — but they’re limited, and you’ll have to contact your local congressperson to get one.
To find your representative and senators, use Congress.gov.
Biden still believes he would have won election if he stood against Trump
Sunday 12 January 2025 05:00 , Lucy Leeson
President Joe Biden said he still believes he would have won the US election if he stood against Donald Trump.
The outgoing president was asked if he regretted his decision not to run for reelection during a press conference on Friday (10 January).
Biden said: “I think I would have beaten Trump, I could have beaten Trump.
“And I think that Kamala could have beaten Trump and would have beaten Trump. It wasn’t about that. I thought it was important to unify the party.”
Biden still believes he would have won election if he stood against Trump
Senator Adam Schiff praises Jack Smith and demands release of his report
Sunday 12 January 2025 03:00 , Ariana Baio
Trump’s counterterror adviser insists UK will not be forced to allow Shamima Begum back
Sunday 12 January 2025 01:00 , David Maddox
Donald Trump will not force the UK to take back former citizens who left the country to fight for Islamic State (also known as Isis), his incoming counterterrorism adviser has confirmed.
Sebastian Gorka, who is due to start his second spell in the White House assisting national security adviser Mike Waltz, had been accused of threatening to force Keir Starmer to take back former Isis terrorists, including Shamima Begum.
Begum, who left her home in east London to join Isis with two friends in February 2015, had her UK citizen revoked by former home secretary Sajid Javid and has been denied the right to return following legal challenges.
In a statement first published in the Daily Express, Mr Gorka said: “I will not tell Prime Minister Keir Starmer, or any other of America’s allies what they should or should not do with their own citizens. However, protecting the innocent and fighting evil is an objective every decent person should agree with.”
Trump is trying to seal the border while his czar ‘tempers’ expectations for mass deportations
Sunday 12 January 2025 00:20 , Alex Woodward
For months, Trump and his team have been looking for ways to bypass the traditional immigration legislative process to close the border and deport millions of undocumented immigrants. But as January 20 draws closer, it’s unclear how.
Trump is reportedly exploring how to once again invoke Title 42 to boot people from the country, and his border czar is tempering expectations for Trump’s “mass dpeortation operation” ambitions in conversations with Republican members of Congress.
Ariana Baio has more:
Trump wants to seal the border as his czar ‘tempers’ expectations
Full story: Jack Smith resigns from Justice Department after completing Trump reports
Saturday 11 January 2025 23:36 , Alex Woodward
Special counsel Jack Smith has completed his reports on his criminal investigations into Donald Trump and resigned from the Department of Justice.
Smith — a chief prosecutor at The Hague who was appointed to handle investigations into the president-elect for his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and withhold classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago compound — delivered his final reports to Attorney General Merrick Garland on January 7.
Jack Smith resigns from Justice Department after completing Trump reports
Jack Smith resigned from DoJ on Friday
Saturday 11 January 2025 23:00 , Ariana Baio, Alex Woodward
A footnote in a filing from the Justice Department on Saturday revealed that Special Counsel Jack Smith resigned from the DoJ on Friday.
The filing, submitted in the classified documents case, asked a court to reject Trump’s efforts to block the special counsel’s report from being released. A footnote at the bottom revealed Smith left the DoJ on January 10.
“The Special Counsel completed his work and submitted his final confidential report on January 7, 2025, and separated from the Department on January 10.”
Smith announced in November that he planned to step away from the department before Trump takes office in January. It was unclear when that would be up until now.
DOJ says Trump canot block Jack Smith’s report from being released
Saturday 11 January 2025 21:30 , Ariana Baio
The Department of Justice said Trump and his co-defendants in the classified documents case do not have the authority to request former special counsel Jack Smith block the report from being released, in a filing on Saturday.
“An extended injunction intrudes without basis on the Attorney General’s prerogative to manage the affairs of the Justice Department, including to determine whether to make public or share with Congress in a limited respect a report prepared by subordinate officials within the Department,” the DoJ said.
An appeals court has already denied Trump and his co-defendant’s request. However, the Trump-appointed judge who oversaw the case has issued an injunction which will remain in effect until Sunday.
Next week’s cover of ‘The New Yorker’
Friday 10 January 2025 20:09 , Oliver O’Connell
