Trump returns to MSG for UFC fight night as he picks oil CEO Chris Wright for energy secretary: Live

Donald Trump has returned to Madison Square Garden tonight to attend an Ultimate Fighting Championship event at the New York City arena.

The president-elect returned to the famed venue just weeks after his controversial campaign rally there. Attendees met him with thundering cheers as he entered alongside UFC CEO Dana White, billionaire ally Elon Musk, cabinet pick Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson. Popular podcaster Joe Rogan also attended, greeted Trump with a friendly handshake.

Meanwhile, Trump continues to fill key posts in his second administration and tonight named fracking CEO Chris Wright as his choice for energy secretary.

Wright, CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development and one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change.

Trump’s transition team is also firefighting serious allegations surrounding Matt Gaetz for attorney general and Pete Hegseth for defense secretary.

A woman who gave testimony to the House Ethics Committee probing Gaetz claims that she witnessed him having sex with a minor, her lawyer told ABC. Gaetz denies all wrongdoing.

The president-elect’s transition team is also reportedly “stunned” by a sexual assault allegation regarding Hegseth that only emerged within 48 hours of announcing him for the top defense job, CNN reports. He denied all the accusations.

Key Points

• Donald Trump arrives at MSG for UFC fight night

• Trump names oil boss Chris Wright as his pick for Energy Secretary

• Woman testified to House Ethics Committee she saw Matt Gaetz have sex with minor, her lawyer says

• Trump defense pick Pete Hegseth ‘faced sexual misconduct claims investigated by police’

• House speaker says he will ‘strongly request’ committee does not release Gaetz’s ethics report

Drugmakers see stocks tank after RFK Jr is nominated to oversee health department

03:45 , Gustaf Kilander

US drugmakers saw their stocks tank on Thursday and Friday following the announcement that former independent presidential candidate and anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist Robert F Kennedy Jr is president-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Read more:

Drugmakers see stocks tank after RFK Jr is nominated to oversee health department

In pictures: Trump returns to Madison Square Garden for UFC event

03:17 , Katie Hawkinson

Donald Trump arrives at MSG for UFC fight night

03:04 , Katie Hawkinson

President-elect Donald Trump arrived at Madison Square Garden moments ago for tonight’s Ultimate Fighting Championship fight night.

He was accompanied by UFC CEO Dana White, billionaire ally Elon Musk, cabinet pick Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson.

Musk was recently appointed to lead Trump’s newly-formed Department of Government Efficiency, while Kennedy was named his nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Joe Rogan, host of the popular podcast The Joe Rogan Experience, also attended and greeted Trump with a friendly handshake.

The crowd met the president-elect and his entourage with thundering cheers.

Who is Trump’s latest cabinet pick Chris Wright?

03:00 , Katie Hawkinson

Donald Trump Trump has tapped oil fracking CEO Chris Wright to serve as Secretary of Energy.

Wright, CEO of Liberty Energy in Denver, Colorado, is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development and one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight the ongoing climate crisis.

If confirmed, he’ll also serve on Trump’s newly-created Council of National Energy, alongside Burgum.

“Chris has been a leading technologist and entrepreneur in Energy,” Trump said in a statement. “He has worked in Nuclear, Solar, Geothermal, and Oil and Gas. Most significantly, Chris was one of the pioneers who helped launch the American Shale Revolution that fueled American Energy Independence, and transformed the Global Energy Markets and Geopolitics.”

Pelosi’s ‘unhelpful’ press tour is upsetting Democrats who want her to take a back seat to younger leaders

02:15 , Katie Hawkinson

Nancy Pelosi is upsetting some Democratic lawmakers who are hoping she yields more power to younger party leaders, a new report reveals.

Read more:

Pelosi press tour is upsetting Democrats who want her to take a back seat

Donald Trump to return to MSG weeks after controversial rally for UFC 309 – reports

01:30 , Alex Pattle

Donald Trump will reportedly return to Madison Square Garden on Saturday, attending UFC 309 with Dana White – president of the mixed martial arts promotion.

Trump has attended numerous UFC events with White, who spoke at the president-elect’s victory celebration earlier this month in Mar-a-Lago. And this weekend, he is expected to be ringside at UFC 309 in New York City’s MSG, according to the New York Post.

Read more:

Donald Trump to return to MSG weeks after controversial rally for UFC 309 – reports

Woman testified to House Ethics Committee she saw Matt Gaetz have sex with minor, her lawyer says

00:45 , Rhian Lubin

A woman testified in front of the House Ethics Committee that she saw Matt Gaetz have sex with a minor, according to her lawyer.

Attorney Joel Leppard represents two women who gave closed-door testimony in the summer to the committee probing President-elect Donald Trump’s controversial pick for attorney general, ABC first reported.

“My client testified to the House Ethics Committee that she witnessed Matt Gaetz having sex with a minor,” Leppard told the outlet.

Read more:

Woman testified to ethics committee she saw Gaetz have sex with minor, lawyer says

Democrats are still trying to figure out how to work with – and counter – Donald Trump

00:00 , Rhian Lubin

Democrats are still trying to come to grips with the numerous reasons why Kamala Harris lost and now they have a new problem – how do they work with a Donald Trump administration and both houses under his party’s control.

Trump’s election win quickly turned to his transition, where he made a number of controversial appointments and threatened to use the recess process to get them into power.

In the Senate, Republicans have enough seats for a majority, but many bills need at least 60 votes to avoid a filibuster. That means Democrats are going to have to think fast about how they work with Republicans or counter them given their minority.

Eric Garcia reports.

Democrats are still trying to figure out how to work with – and counter – Trump

Elon Musk says he wants ‘super high IQ’ workers for DOGE — but they may not be paid

Saturday 16 November 2024 23:40 , Rhian Lubin

Elon Musk is looking for a few good “super high-IQ” volunteers to do the “tedious work” of gutting the federal government.

Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency — whose acronym is DOGE — is apparently recruiting unpaid volunteers from X, according to posts from the nascent agency.

A post made by the department’s account said it was looking for the “top 1 percent” of X applicants who have a “super high-IQ” and are “small-government revolutionaries” to work 80-plus hour weeks identifying allegedly wasteful government spending.

Graig Graziosi reports.

Elon Musk says he wants “super high IQ” workers for DOGE — but they may not be paid

Watch: Trump’s White House staff secretary’s failed bid for Missouri AG

Saturday 16 November 2024 23:20 , Rhian Lubin

Will Scharf, who Trump has named as his White House staff secretary, ran an unsuccessful campaign to be Missouri’s attorney general in the summer.

In a campaign ad, he fired a grenade launcher at a stack of evidence boxes and indictments.

“Joe Biden and his corrupt allies are wrecking our legal system, doing everything they can to stop President Trump and the MAGA agenda,” he says in the ad. “It’s time for a Missouri attorney general who will return fire.”

Watch it here.

Trump to return to Madison Square Garden tonight – reports

Saturday 16 November 2024 23:10 , Rhian Lubin

Donald Trump is set to return to Madison Square Garden tonight for a UFC event, according to reports.

Trump is returning to the famed New York City venue just weeks after it played host to a controversial campaign rally.

Energy secretary role oversees nuclear weapons program

Saturday 16 November 2024 23:00 , Rhian Lubin

Trump’s pick for energy secretary, Chris Wright, would be responsible for leading the department tasked with maintaining the nation’s nuclear weapons fleet.

Wright would serve on a newly formed Council of National Energy which will be led by Doug Burgum, Trump said in the statement tonight.

“This Council will oversee the path to U.S. ENERGY DOMINANCE by cutting red tape, enhancing private sector investments across all sectors of the Economy, and by focusing on INNOVATION over longstanding, but totally unnecessary, regulation,” Trump said.

The appointment requires Senate approval.

Lara Trump details Barron’s influence over his father

Saturday 16 November 2024 22:40 , Rhian Lubin

Lara Trump has shared details of how Barron influenced his father – and said the teenager should be given “serious credit” for his role in getting Donald Trump reelected.

Trump’s daughter-in-law, who is married to Eric, gushed about 18-year-old Barron on Patrick Bet-David’s podcast, explaining that the NYU student stayed in the shadows when it came to the 2024 presidential campaign.

“Barron Trump is so cool. He’s like the sleeper a little bit. He’s kind of stayed out of the spotlight, probably intentionally,” she said.

Read more.

‘He’s like the sleeper’: Lara Trump details Barron’s influence over his father

Trump’s cabinet so far

Saturday 16 November 2024 22:20 , Rhian Lubin

President-elect Donald Trump is filling key posts in his second administration, putting an emphasis so far on aides and allies who were his strongest backers during the 2024 campaign.

Here’s a look at who he’s selected so far.

Trump’s Cabinet tracker: Here’s who is among the White House appointments so far

Who is Chris Wright? Trump’s pick for Energy Secretary who is a loud voice against efforts to fight climate change

Saturday 16 November 2024 22:00 , Associated Press

Trump’s Energy Secretary pick Chris Wright is a campaign donor and fossil fuel executive.

Wright, CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking, a key pillar of Trump’s quest to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market.

Wright has won support from influential conservatives, including oil and gas tycoon Harold Hamm. Hamm, executive chairman of Oklahoma-based Continental Resources, a major shale oil company, is a longtime Trump supporter and adviser who played a key role on energy issues in Trump’s first term.

Hamm helped organize an event at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in April where Trump reportedly asked industry leaders and lobbyists to donate $1 billion to Trump’s campaign, with the expectation that Trump would curtail environmental regulations if re-elected.

Wright has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change and could give fossil fuels a boost, including quick action to end a year-long pause on natural gas export approvals by the Biden administration.

Wright has criticized what he calls a “top-down” approach to climate by liberal and left-wing groups and said the climate movement around the world is “collapsing under its own weight.”

NEW: Trump announces Will Scharf as White House staff secretary

Saturday 16 November 2024 21:35 , Rhian Lubin

Trump has also announced that Will Scharf, one of his personal attorneys, will be his White House staff secretary.

In a statement shared on Truth Social, Trump credited Scharf with playing “a key role in defeating the Election Interference and Lawfare waged against me, including by winning the Historic Immunity Decision in the Supreme Court.”

NEW: Trump nominates oil boss Chris Wright as Energy Secretary

Saturday 16 November 2024 21:30 , Rhian Lubin

Trump has announced that he is nominating oil industry CEO Chris Wright to be his Energy Secretary.

In a statement, Trump said:

“I am thrilled to announce that Chris Wright will be joining my Administration as both United States Secretary of Energy, and Member of the newly formed Council of National Energy.

“Chris has been a leading technologist and entrepreneur in Energy. He has worked in Nuclear, Solar, Geothermal, and Oil and Gas. Most significantly, Chris was one of the pioneers who helped launch the American Shale Revolution that fueled American Energy Independence, and transformed the Global Energy Markets and Geopolitics.

“As Secretary of Energy, Chris will be a key leader, driving innovation, cutting red tape, and ushering in a new “Golden Age of American Prosperity and Global Peace.”

Two Senators call for investigation into Elon Musk amid alleged contact with Vladimir Putin

Saturday 16 November 2024 21:20 , Rhian Lubin

Two Democratic senators have urged for a review into Elon Musk’s alleged contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin amid the contracts his companies currently hold with the federal government.

Rhode Island Senator Jack Reed, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and New Hampshire Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a senior Democrat on the Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees, called for the Pentagon and Justice Department to review the contracts in light of the reported contact with Russia, the BBC reports.

Last month The Wall Street Journal reported that Musk had been in regular contact with Putin and the pair have spoken on the phone about business and geopolitical matters.

In their letter, Shaheen and Reed wrote: “We urge an immediate review to ascertain whether Mr Musk’s relationship with multiple high-level Russian officials warrant an investigation and a determination by the Department of Defense’s senior debarment official whether SpaceX should exclude Mr Musk’s involvement in current or future US Government contracts.”

When reached for comment from Musk at the time, a SpaceX spokesperson told The Independent the claims in the Journal were “misleading” and “unsubstantiated.”

ICYMI: Woman testified to House Ethics Committee she saw Matt Gaetz have sex with minor, her lawyer says

Saturday 16 November 2024 21:00 , Rhian Lubin

A woman testified in front of the House Ethics Committee that she saw Matt Gaetz have sex with a minor, according to her lawyer.

Attorney Joel Leppard represents two women who gave closed-door testimony in the summer to the committee probing President-elect Donald Trump’s controversial pick for attorney general, ABC first reported.

“My client testified to the House Ethics Committee that she witnessed Matt Gaetz having sex with a minor,” Leppard told the outlet.

Read the full story below.

Woman testified to ethics committee she saw Gaetz have sex with minor, lawyer says

Trump’s transition team standing by Pete Hegseth for defense secretary

Saturday 16 November 2024 20:40 , Rhian Lubin

Trump’s transition team is standing by Pete Hegseth for defense secretary.

Hegseth shared a post from the Trump War Room on X, one of the 2024 campaign’s social media accounts, with a supportive quote from Steven Cheung, who has been named as Trump’s communications director.

Longtime GOP adviser – if Matt Gaetz has Senate hearing, it will be one ‘of the most insane’

Saturday 16 November 2024 20:20 , Rhian Lubin

Brendan Buck, a longtime GOP adviser, said if Matt Gaetz has a Senate confirmation hearing, it will be one “of the most insane.”

He told MSNBC’s Alex Witt that he “wouldn’t want to be in [Gaetz’s] position” right now.

“He’s obviously not coming in with a strong hand. I’m not ready to say that Republicans are going to reject him,” Buck said. “I think you have to appreciate how many Republicans see what Donald Trump just did and would be very concerned about crossing him.

“We’ve seen reports of as many as 30 Republican senators willing to vote against him but that’s all said anonymously.

“I do think if he gets to this point this will be some of the most insane confirmation hearings we’ve ever seen,” Buck added.

“The things that the House Ethics Committee has been looking into, whether or not the report comes out, are going to be front and center. Don’t think that Democrats on the committee will just let that go if it does not come out.”

ICYMI: AOC says Tulsi Gabbard is ‘most worrisome’ Trump cabinet pick

Saturday 16 November 2024 20:00 , Rhian Lubin

New York Democratic Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has said that the nomination of former Hawaii Rep Tulsi Gabbard to be the director of national intelligence is the most worrisome nomination so far among president-elect Donald Trump’s administration picks.

“I actually think, almost more than Matt Gaetz, Tulsi Gabbard’s appointment is devastating,” Ocasio-Cortez said on MSNBC on Thursday of Gabbard and the former Florida Rep nominated to be attorney general.

“Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination, as much as she says that she’s an anti-war person, she’s not. She supports very pro-war individuals abroad,” she added.

Read more below.

AOC calls Tulsi Gabbard’s appointment the most worrisome

ICYMI: Trump was convicted in his hush money case. His lawyers were rewarded with top Justice Department jobs

Saturday 16 November 2024 19:30 , Rhian Lubin

The lawyers who defended Donald Trump in his criminal cases and demanded the Supreme Court shield him from prosecution have been awarded job offers for some of the biggest roles in federal law enforcement.

Todd Blanche, who has steered the defense of the former president in courtrooms in New York, Florida, and Washington DC, is nominated for the second highest role in the Department of Justice.

If confirmed, he could serve as deputy attorney general to far-right Trump ally Matt Gaetz, who Trump has nominated for attorney general, the nation’s top law enforcement official, in a role that is likely to be used to target the judges and prosecutors overseeing the mountain of litigation against the former president.

Emil Bove, Trump’s criminal defense attorney in his so-called hush money case, is nominated for principal deputy attorney general. He could be acting deputy attorney general while Blanche is awaiting confirmation in the Senate.

Alex Woodward writes how the three attorneys central to Trump’s criminal defense and ‘immunity’ victory could lead the daily operations of a Justice Department the president-elect wants to upend.

Trump’s hush money lawyers are rewarded with top Justice Department jobs

Gaetz’s hire at DOJ will prompt ‘mass exodus’ – former federal prosecutor

Saturday 16 November 2024 19:10 , Rhian Lubin

A former federal prosecutor has said that Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general, Matt Gaetz, would fail a background check for an entry-level role at the DOJ.

Harry Litman, a former U.S. attorney, said that Gaetz’s hire could prompt a “major exodus” at the agency.

“There’s never been someone as unqualified, no prosecutorial experience, no legal experience to speak of, but that’s the least of it. Someone who comes to the department with actual contempt and hostility for it, it’s gonna prompt a major exodus,” Litman told MSNBC’s All in with Chris Hayes on Friday.

“It’s gonna prompt judges and juries around the country to have less credibility in the DOJ, which is the really stock and trade of the DOJ,” he added.

Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman says Democrats need to quit ‘freaking out’ about Trump

Saturday 16 November 2024 18:50 , Rhian Lubin

Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman is advising his fellow Democrats to “chill” about Donald Trump.

Fetterman pointed out during an NBC News interview on Friday that Trump “hasn’t even been inaugurated yet.”

He warned Democrats that they needed to “pace themselves” since it’s still very early days for the Trump presidency round two.

“And that’s the thing. If you’re already exhausted, freaking out, and it’s not even Thanksgiving, then you really ought to pace yourselves. Because he hasn’t even been inaugurated yet,” he said.

“So you really have to chill out, and you’re going to have to be more discerning or discriminate on what’s going to freak you out, or what’s just trolling, Because it’s not the weather, it’s the climate now for the next four years.”

Graig Graziosi has the details.

John Fetterman says Dems ‘freaking out’ about Trump need to ‘chill’

‘The least qualified nominee in American history’ – Why Trump picked Pete Hegseth for defense

Saturday 16 November 2024 18:30 , Rhian Lubin

The second in command to the nation’s military could end up being a Fox News pundit who wants to launch a “frontal assault” against top brass, kick women out of combat, and implement Donald Trump’s sweeping agenda for the world’s third-largest standing fighting force.

The president-elect has nominated Pete Hegseth as his secretary of defense, overseeing a budget of roughly $850 billion and roughly 3 million service members and personnel serving in the nation’s oldest-running agency while the US is embroiled in global conflicts in a period of escalating tensions.

The office was created in the aftermath of the Second World War to centralize governance of the newly renamed Department of War and the various branches of the military.

Veterans groups and service members are warning against Trump’s ‘dangerous’ appointment to the Pentagon, as the president-elect rewards loyalists dedicated to his agenda, Alex Woodward reports.

Why Trump nominated a ‘wholly unqualified’ Fox News host for defense secretary

How the Trump family will influence from outside the White House

Saturday 16 November 2024 18:10 , Rhian Lubin

There may be fewer Trumps in the White House this time around but ethical questions and party influence will continue to swirl around the famous family, writes Josh Marcus.

This time around, things will look a bit different at 1600 Pennsylvania. Barron’s at college in New York.

Jared and Ivanka are in Miami after the latter formally announced her withdrawal from politics in 2022. Melania’s reportedly going to bounce between Palm Beach and Manhattan, rather than live full-time at the White House.

Don Jr. got a new job as a venture capitalist instead of joining the White House, and Eric is taking a back seat to his wife, Lara.

Read on for more…

Trump family won’t be in the White House, but they’ll be just as influential outside

RECAP: Who has Trump announced so far? Cabinet and other senior officials

Saturday 16 November 2024 17:50 , Rhian Lubin

Here’s how Trump’s cabinet, along with other senior White House positions, is looking so far. Most of them are subject to Senate approval.

White House Chief of Staff – Susie Wiles

White House Communications Director – Steven Cheung

White House Press Secretary – Karoline Leavitt

White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy – Stephen Miller

Secretary of State – Marco Rubio

Attorney General – Matt Gaetz

Defense Secretary – Pete Hegseth

Health and Human Services Secretary – Robert F Kennedy Jr

Homeland Security Secretary: Kristi Noem

Directional of National Intelligence: Tulsi Gabbard

EPA Administrator: Lee Zeldin

Veterans Affairs Secretary: Doug Collins

Interior Secretary: Doug Burgum

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations: Elise Stefanik

CIA Director: John Ratcliffe

National Security Adviser: Mike Waltz

Border Czar: Tom Homan

How much power will RFK Jr have if he is confirmed as health secretary?

Saturday 16 November 2024 17:30 , Rhian Lubin

Donald Trump has nominated vaccine skeptic and conspiracy-spreader Robert F Kennedy Jr to lead America’s largest public health body, the Department of Health and Human Services.

It is unclear whether Kennedy could get confirmed, even with a Republican Senate majority. Mike Pence, Trump’s former vice president, made the rare move of denouncing Kennedy as insufficiently opposed to abortion.

Needless to say, almost all, if not all, Democrats will oppose Kennedy’s confirmation. Plenty of Republicans might have some objections as well.

Eric Garcia breaks down just how much power Kennedy would have should he lead the agency.

RFK Jr could soon oversee Health in the US – here’s what he’ll have control over

Explainer: Will Trump’s cabinet picks get approved?

Saturday 16 November 2024 17:10 , Rhian Lubin

In addition to the 15 officials Trump will choose to join his cabinet, there are hundreds of positions, including ambassadors and lower-level roles, that typically require Senate approval.

Nominees face a grilling during the Senate confirmation process as it typically requires them to submit financial disclosures and testify before a committee.

Members from both political parties get a chance to interrogate nominees about their plans for the post and their backgrounds.

The Senate committee votes on the nominee following the hearing and if it passes, it then goes to the full Senate for a vote.

However, last weekend Trump signaled he could bypass the process via recess appointments.

“Any Republican Senator seeking the coveted LEADERSHIP position in the United States Senate must agree to Recess Appointments (in the Senate!), without which we will not be able to get people confirmed in a timely manner,” Trump wrote in a social media post on X on Sunday before John Thune was confirmed as the next majority leader Wednesday, replacing the outgoing Mitch McConnell.

Recess appointments would allow Trump to make administration appointments without a vote in the Senate while the upper chamber is in recess. The process is not unconstitutional, and it has been done before by other administrations.

Bill Clinton made 139 recess appointments while in the White House, and Barack Obama made 32. George W. Bush made 171, ABC noted, according to the Congressional Research Service.

Could a tattoo derail Trump’s pick for defense secretary?

Saturday 16 November 2024 16:50 , Rhian Lubin

There is yet more controversy surrounding Trump’s defense secretary pick.

Concerns have been raised over a tattoo belonging to Pete Hegseth, the Fox News host nominated by Trump to lead the Department of Defense – with opinion divided over whether it is a “Christian motto” or a white nationalist dog whistle.

Hegseth, an Army National Guard veteran, has the words “Deus Vult” tattooed on his bicep, which has been associated with white supremacist groups. “Deus Vult” is a Latin phrase meaning “God Wills It,” and was a rallying cry for Christian crusaders in the Middle Ages.

The Associated Press reported that the tattoo previously resulted in Hegseth being flagged as a possible “Insider Threat” by a fellow service member. However, the AP report has led to outrage on both sides, including from Vice President-elect JD Vance.

Mike Bedigan reports.

Could a tattoo derail Trump’s pick for defense secretary?

Watch: Trump releases new ad saying ‘everyone thought he was done’ after winning presidency

Saturday 16 November 2024 16:36 , Rhian Lubin

The President-elect has released a new advert on X today to those who voted for him.

Woman testified to House Ethics Committee she saw Matt Gaetz have sex with minor, her lawyer says

Saturday 16 November 2024 15:57 , Rhian Lubin

A woman testified in front of the House Ethics Committee that she saw Matt Gaetz have sex with a minor, according to her lawyer.

Attorney Joel Leppard represents two women who gave closed-door testimony in the summer to the committee probing President-elect Donald Trump’s controversial pick for attorney general, ABC first reported.

“My client testified to the House Ethics Committee that she witnessed Matt Gaetz having sex with a minor,” Leppard told the outlet.

Gaetz denies any wrongdoing.

Read the full story below.

Woman testified to ethics committee she saw Gaetz have sex with minor, lawyer says

Trump aide in charge of mass deportations threatens ‘shock and awe’ on day one of new administration

Saturday 16 November 2024 15:00 , Oliver O’Connell

Trump border czar Tom Homan has pledged to institute a regime of “shock and awe” on the first day of the new administration.

The former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) took part in Donald Trump Jr’s program on the video streaming platform Rumble this week.

The pair discussed Homan’s plans to put together mass deportations of millions of illegal immigrants.

Gustaf Kilander reports.

Trump aide in charge of mass deportations threatens ‘shock and awe’

IN DEPTH: Putin and Trump are deluded about one another – and Ukraine will pay the price

Saturday 16 November 2024 14:30 , Oliver O’Connell

Tom Watling reports:

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin seriously underestimate what the other is capable of and that carries far-ranging risks for Ukraine over Russia’s invasion, Britain’s former spy chief and ex-diplomats have told The Independent.

Trump’s US election victory last week has upended Europe’s plan to back Kyiv for “as long as it takes”. His focus is on ending the war quickly, even if that potentially means pushing Kyiv to cede territory currently occupied by Russia.

Sir Alex Younger, former chief of MI6 from 2014 to 2020, believes both the incoming president and his Russian counterpart overestimate their ability to influence the other.

“I think Trump overestimates his ability to force Putin into a land swap where Putin clearly wants a lot more, when he feels that he is winning and when he has to show [the Russian people] a lot more if he is to justify the appalling sacrifice he’s imposed,” he says. “Trump is underestimating the challenge and overestimating his influence.”

Continue reading…

Putin and Trump are deluded about one another – and Ukraine will pay the price

Why is RFK Jr facing pushback to his nomination from the right?

Saturday 16 November 2024 14:00 , Oliver O’Connell

Robert F Kennedy Jr has questioned the effectiveness of vaccines and slammed the FDA’s “aggressive suppression” of raw milk — but some Republicans are warning he may not be right to lead federal health agencies for an entirely different reason: his stance on abortion.

Kelly Rissman explains.

ANALYSIS: Trump warned his second term would mean ‘retribution’. His alarming cabinet picks show he means it

Saturday 16 November 2024 13:30 , Oliver O’Connell

Alex Woodward writes:

Trump’s first wave of cabinet nominations and White House appointments, within the week after he won the 2024 presidential election, have stunned members of Congress, veterans and active-duty service members, public health advocates and democratic advocates, who have warned for years that he is building a government of loyalists to fulfill his campaign-trail promises to deliver “retribution” by destroying the “deep state.”

Continue reading…

Trump promised ‘retribution’ in his second term. His cabinet picks show he means it

AOC: Tulsi Gabbard’s appointment the most worrisome

Saturday 16 November 2024 13:00 , Oliver O’Connell

New York Democratic Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has said that the nomination of former Hawaii Rep Tulsi Gabbard to be the director of national intelligence is the most worrisome nomination so far among president-elect Donald Trump’s administration picks.

“I actually think, almost more than Matt Gaetz, Tulsi Gabbard’s appointment is devastating,” Ocasio-Cortez said on MSNBC on Thursday of Gabbard and the former Florida Rep nominated to be attorney general.

Gustaf Kilander reports.

AOC calls Tulsi Gabbard’s appointment the most worrisome

ANALYSIS: Trump’s controversial cabinet picks will cost him political capital. Will they bankrupt him before he even takes office?

Saturday 16 November 2024 12:00 , Oliver O’Connell

Andrew Feinberg writes:

Just over a week ago, Donald Trump became the first Republican presidential candidate to win both the Electoral College and the national popular vote since George W Bush in 2004.

And he appears to be repeating one of Bush’s most infamous mistakes.

Read on…

Trump’s latest cabinet picks could echo a major Bush-era post-election blunder

Trump’s White House staff secretary ran unsuccessful campaign for Missouri AG

Saturday 16 November 2024 22:30 , Rhian Lubin

Will Scharf, Trump’s personal attorney and soon-to-be White House staff secretary, ran an unsuccessful campaign in the summer to be Missouri’s attorney general.

Clad in a fleece sweater vest, in one of his campaign ads Scharf fired a grenade launcher at a stack of evidence boxes and indictments.

“Joe Biden and his corrupt allies are wrecking our legal system, doing everything they can to stop President Trump and the MAGA agenda,” he said in the ad. “It’s time for a Missouri attorney general who will return fire.”

Watch the ad and read Alex Woodward’s report below.

MAGA candidate for Missouri attorney general blows up Trump evidence in campaign ad

ICYMI: Speaker says he will ‘strongly request’ committee does not release Gaetz’s ethics report

Saturday 16 November 2024 11:00 , Oliver O’Connell

Speaker Mike Johnson has said that he will request that the House Ethics Committee not release its report into allegations of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use made against former Florida Congressman and Attorney General nominee Matt Gaetz.

Asked if he thinks the report should come out, Johnson told reporters: “I do not. No, I think it’s a terrible breach of protocol.”

Gustaf Kilander reports.

House speaker says he will ‘request’ committee does not release Gaetz’s ethics report

Lara Trump says Barron deserves ‘serious credit’ for role in father’s election victory

Saturday 16 November 2024 22:19 , Rhian Lubin

Lara Trump has shared details of how Barron influenced his father – and said the teenager should be given “serious credit” for his role in getting Donald Trump reelected.

Trump’s daughter-in-law, who is married to Eric, gushed about 18-year-old Barron on Patrick Bet-David’s podcast, explaining that the NYU student stayed in the shadows when it came to the 2024 presidential campaign.

“Barron Trump is so cool. He’s like the sleeper a little bit. He’s kind of stayed out of the spotlight, probably intentionally,” she said.

Read more below.

‘He’s like the sleeper’: Lara Trump details Barron’s influence over his father

Who is Chris Wright? Trump’s pick for Energy Secretary who is loud voice in efforts to fight climate change

Saturday 16 November 2024 21:49 , Associated Press

Chris Wright, CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking, a key pillar of Trump’s quest to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market.

Wright has won support from influential conservatives, including oil and gas tycoon Harold Hamm.

Hamm, executive chairman of Oklahoma-based Continental Resources, a major shale oil company, is a longtime Trump supporter and adviser who played a key role on energy issues in Trump’s first term.

Hamm helped organize an event at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in April where Trump reportedly asked industry leaders and lobbyists to donate $1 billion to Trump’s campaign, with the expectation that Trump would curtail environmental regulations if re-elected.

Wright has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change and could give fossil fuels a boost, including quick action to end a year-long pause on natural gas export approvals by the Biden administration.

Wright has criticized what he calls a “top-down” approach to climate by liberal and left-wing groups and said the climate movement around the world is “collapsing under its own weight.”

How can Trump can bypass FBI background checks and security clearance for his key cabinet picks?

Saturday 16 November 2024 10:00 , Oliver O’Connell

The FBI has vetted cabinet picks since President Dwight D Eisenhower was in the White House.

But if he so chooses, Donald Trump, himself a convicted felon, can bypass background checks for those he has nominated for key roles in his administration.

Incoming cabinet members have traditionally faced intensive screening from the FBI with a binary purpose: to help with the Senate confirmation process and to vet nominees for security clearance.

Criminal histories, conflicts of interest, financial problems or other potentially disqualifying factors are typically investigated through this process.

But, despite established procedure, the president does have the power to bypass such checks and grant immediate security clearance to officials.

James Liddell explains.

How Trump can bypass FBI background checks and security clearance for cabinet picks

Who’s who in Trump’s proposed cabinet

Saturday 16 November 2024 09:00 , Oliver O’Connell

President-elect Donald Trump is filling key posts in his second administration, putting an emphasis so far on aides and allies who were his strongest backers during the 2024 campaign.

Here’s a look at who he’s selected so far.

Trump’s Cabinet tracker: Here’s who is among the White House appointments so far

Could a bankruptcy judge could pump the brakes on The Onion’s purchase of InfoWars?

Saturday 16 November 2024 08:00 , Oliver O’Connell

The bankruptcy judge overseeing the auction of Alex Jones’s InfoWars has raised concerns over the process by which satirical publication The Onion won the bid for the conspiracy theorist’s website and related properties, ending his 25-year run of the media company.

During a status conference on Thursday, hours after Jones raged on his final InfoWars broadcast that the “deep state” was shutting him down, District Judge Christopher Lopez said “no one should feel comfortable with the results of this auction.”

Alex Woodward reports.

Bankruptcy judge could pump the brakes on The Onion’s purchase of InfoWars

Iran sent note to the White House promising not to kill Trump

Saturday 16 November 2024 06:00 , Oliver O’Connell

Iran sent a private letter to the Joe Biden administration last month vowing it wouldn’t plot to kill Donald Trump, according to a report.

The letter from Tehran — delivered on October 14 — came in response to US officials’ private hand-written warning to the country in September, relating that any threats against the then-Republican nominee’s life would be “treated as an act of war,” the Wall Street Journal first reported.

Kelly Rissman has the story.

Iran sent note to the White House promising not to kill Trump

Trump’s cabinet picks show he’s ‘running the country like a reality show’, says Kimmel

Saturday 16 November 2024 04:00 , Oliver O’Connell

Jimmy Kimmel has mocked Donald Trump for “running the country like a reality show” as the president-elect works to fill his second administration.

In the past two days, Trump has nominated former Democratic congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence, former Florida representative Matt Gaetz as attorney general, vocal anti-vaxxer Robert F Kennedy Jr as Health and Human Services secretary and Fox News contributor Pete Hegseth to lead the Pentagon.

While Republicans and Democrats have reacted to Trump’s controversial cabinet picks with a mixture of praise, criticism and confusion, the Jimmy Kimmel Live host described the nominations as being even “crazier “ than predicted.

James Liddell reports.

Jimmy Kimmel says Trump’s cabinet picks show he’s ‘running US like a reality show’

Trump aide in charge of mass deportations threatens ‘shock and awe’ on day one of new administration

Saturday 16 November 2024 03:00 , Oliver O’Connell

Trump border czar Tom Homan has pledged to institute a regime of “shock and awe” on the first day of the new administration.

The former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) took part in Donald Trump Jr’s program on the video streaming platform Rumble this week.

The pair discussed Homan’s plans to put together mass deportations of millions of illegal immigrants.

Gustaf Kilander reports.

Trump aide in charge of mass deportations threatens ‘shock and awe’

IN DEPTH: Putin and Trump are deluded about one another – and Ukraine will pay the price

Saturday 16 November 2024 02:00 , Oliver O’Connell

Tom Watling reports:

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin seriously underestimate what the other is capable of and that carries far-ranging risks for Ukraine over Russia’s invasion, Britain’s former spy chief and ex-diplomats have told The Independent.

Trump’s US election victory last week has upended Europe’s plan to back Kyiv for “as long as it takes”. His focus is on ending the war quickly, even if that potentially means pushing Kyiv to cede territory currently occupied by Russia.

Sir Alex Younger, former chief of MI6 from 2014 to 2020, believes both the incoming president and his Russian counterpart overestimate their ability to influence the other.

“I think Trump overestimates his ability to force Putin into a land swap where Putin clearly wants a lot more, when he feels that he is winning and when he has to show [the Russian people] a lot more if he is to justify the appalling sacrifice he’s imposed,” he says. “Trump is underestimating the challenge and overestimating his influence.”

Continue reading…

Putin and Trump are deluded about one another – and Ukraine will pay the price

How has RFK Jr said he will remake nation’s top health agencies?

Saturday 16 November 2024 01:30 , AP

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an anti-vaccine activist and environmentalist, for years gained a loyal and fierce following with his biting condemnations of how the nation’s public health agencies do business.

And that’s put him on a direct collision course with some of the 80,000 scientists, researchers, doctors and other officials who work for the Department of Health and Human Services, especially with President-elect Donald Trump tapping him to head the agency.

If confirmed, Kennedy will control the world’s largest public health agency, and its $1.7 trillion budget.

The agency’s reach is massive. It provides health insurance for nearly half of the country — poor, disabled and older Americans. It oversees research of vaccines, diseases and cures. It regulates the medications found in medicine cabinets and inspects the foods that end up in cupboards.

A look at Kennedy’s comments about some of the agencies that fall within the HHS arena, and how he has said he plans to shake them up:

Here’s how Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has promised to remake the nation’s top health agencies

FBI: Offensive, racist texts sent to Black people, now expanded to other communities

Saturday 16 November 2024 01:00 , Oliver O’Connell

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has released an update on the offensive and racist text messages sent to African American and Black communities across the country after the election, saying they have spread to Hispanic and LGBT+ communities.

A new statement was released on Friday:

The FBI is aware of the offensive and racist text messages sent to African American and Black communities around the country and is in contact with the Justice Department and other federal authorities on the matter. The reports are not identical and vary in their specific language, but many say the recipient has been selected to pick cotton on a plantation.

The text message recipients have now expanded to high school students, as well as both the Hispanic and LGBTQIA+ communities. Some recipients reported being told they were selected for deportation or to report to a re-education camp. The messages have also been reported as being received via email communication.

Although we have not received reports of violent acts stemming from these offensive messages, we are evaluating all reported incidents and engaging with the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. We are also sharing information with our law enforcement partners and community, academia, and faith leaders.

Recipients of messages consistent with those described are encouraged to report the details to the FBI by phone at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or online at tips.fbi.gov.

As always, we encourage members of the public to remain vigilant and report threats of violence or anything they consider suspicious to law enforcement immediately, call their local FBI office, or submit a report to tips.fbi.gov.

Here’s Katie Hawkinson with our initial reporting on the matter:

Black people across the US are receiving racist messages saying they’re ‘slaves’

ANALYSIS: Trump warned his second term would mean ‘retribution’. His alarming cabinet picks show he means it

Saturday 16 November 2024 00:30 , Oliver O’Connell

Alex Woodward writes:

There is no secret plan or conspiracy theory at work; putting an enemy of the “deep state” in charge of it, creating an agency named after a meme, naming widely loathed congressman Matt Gaetz as attorney general — it’s the trolling as politics that Trump’s movement inspired. It’s an absurd attack on the institutions that Trump despises, and they’re laughing all the way to the White House. It’s what he campaigned on, and he’s fulfilling his campaign promises.

Continue reading…

Trump promised ‘retribution’ in his second term. His cabinet picks show he means it

Trump appoints White House Press Secretary

Saturday 16 November 2024 00:30 , Katie Hawkinson

Donald Trump has appointed Karoline Leavitt as his White House Press Secretary.

Leavitt served as national press secretary for his campaign.

“Karoline Leavitt did a phenomenal job as the National Press Secretary on my Historic Campaign, and I am pleased to announce she will serve as White House Press Secretary,” Trump said in a statement. “Karoline is smart, tough, and has proven to be a highly effective communicator. I have the utmost confidence she will excel at the podium, and help deliver our message to the American People as we, Make America Great Again.”

Giuliani associates ordered to appear in court amid suspicions former mayor hiding assets

Saturday 16 November 2024 00:00 , Oliver O’Connell

Two people in former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s inner orbit must comply with their subpoenas in the defamation case as Giuliani’s deadline to hand over his belongings closes in, a judge ordered.

A federal judge in Giuliani’s case against Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss — a mother-daughter pair of election workers he owes $148 million for defaming — ordered Maria Ryan, Giuliani’s business partner, and Ted Goodman, his spokesperson, on Thursday to respond to subpoenas requesting information on their financial ties to the former mayor. Ryan and Goodman were served on August 5.

The order comes weeks after the cash-strapped former mayor revealed that he, Ryan, and Goodman formed a new business as recently as August 30 and he is storing some of his property in a Long Island storage facility under Ryan’s name.

Kelly Rissman has been following the case.

Giuliani’s associates must comply with subpoenas over financial ties to former mayor

RFK Jr facing pushback to his appointment from the right — but not for conspiracies and vaccine stance…

Friday 15 November 2024 23:30 , Oliver O’Connell

Robert F Kennedy Jr has questioned the effectiveness of vaccines and slammed the FDA’s “aggressive suppression” of raw milk — but some Republicans are warning he may not be right to lead federal health agencies for an entirely different reason: his stance on abortion.

Kelly Rissman explains.

RFK Jr facing pushback to his appointment from the right

AOC calls Tulsi Gabbard’s appointment the most worrisome of them all

Friday 15 November 2024 23:00 , Oliver O’Connell

New York Democratic Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has said that the nomination of former Hawaii Rep Tulsi Gabbard to be the director of national intelligence is the most worrisome nomination so far among president-elect Donald Trump’s administration picks.

“I actually think, almost more than Matt Gaetz, Tulsi Gabbard’s appointment is devastating,” Ocasio-Cortez said on MSNBC on Thursday of Gabbard and the former Florida Rep nominated to be attorney general.

Gustaf Kilander has the story.

AOC calls Tulsi Gabbard’s appointment the most worrisome

Vance says AP should be ‘ashamed’ over reporting on Hegseth tattoo

Friday 15 November 2024 22:40 , Oliver O’Connell

Vice President-elect JD Vance has pushed back on reporting by the Associated Press that defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth has tattoos associated with white nationalists.

The Ohio senator wrote on X: “They’re attacking Pete Hegseth for having a Christian motto tattooed on his arm. This is disgusting anti-Christian bigotry from the AP, and the entire organization should be ashamed of itself.”

Per the AP’s reporting (see the previous blog post for the full report):

In an email Gaither sent on Jan. 14, 2021, which he provided to the AP, he raised concerns about Hegseth, a major at the time, and mentioned only the “Deus Vult” tattoo. In the email addressed to then-Maj. Gen. William Walker, who was commanding general of the D.C. National Guard, Gauther raised concern that the phrase was associated with white supremacists who invoke the idea of a white Christian medieval past as well as the Christian crusades.

Here’s former Trump White House homeland security and counter-terrorism adviser Olivia Troye on the matter: “Pete Hegseth’s tattoos are the ones that white nationalists get. Federal law enforcement know these symbols well. Hegseth was banned from national guard duty at Biden’s inauguration for those tattoos. The Senate should consider this disqualifying for a nominee for Secretary of Defense…”

Trump defense pick was flagged as possible ‘Insider Threat’ by fellow service member

Friday 15 November 2024 22:30 , Oliver O’Connell

Pete Hegseth, the Army National Guard veteran and Fox News host nominated by Donald Trump to lead the Department of Defense, was flagged as a possible “Insider Threat” by a fellow service member due to a tattoo he has that’s associated with white supremacist groups.

Hegseth, who has downplayed the role of military members and veterans in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack and railed against the Pentagon’s subsequent efforts to address extremism in the ranks, has said he was pulled by his District of Columbia National Guard unit from guarding Joe Biden’s January 2021 inauguration. He’s said he was unfairly identified as an extremist due to a cross tattoo on his chest.

This week, however, a fellow Guard member who was the unit’s security manager and on an anti-terrorism team at the time, shared with The Associated Press an email he sent to the unit’s leadership flagging a different tattoo that’s been used by white supremacists, concerned it was an indication of an “Insider Threat.”

Continue reading…

Pete Hegseth flagged as possible ‘Insider Threat’ over tattoo

Schiff calls for Gaetz ethics report to be turned over to Senate

Friday 15 November 2024 22:19 , Oliver O’Connell

California Senator-elect, Trump nemesis and congressman, Adam Schiff, has called for the House ethics investigation report on former congressman Matt Gaetz to be turned over to the Senate.

RFK Jr’s nomination sees stocks tank for drugmakers

Friday 15 November 2024 22:00 , Oliver O’Connell

US drugmakers saw their stocks tank on Thursday and Friday following the announcement that former independent presidential candidate and anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist Robert F Kennedy Jr is president-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Kennedy has faced widespread criticism for his baseless claims that some vaccines are not safe and effective and that they’re linked to autism. He has said that he will institute a purge at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and that he will remove fluoride from the public water supply and take measures to limit ultra-processed food.

Gustaf Kilander has the latest.

Drugmakers see stocks tank after RFK Jr is nominated to oversee health department

Watch: Trump not playing 4D chess with nominations

Friday 15 November 2024 21:50 , Oliver O’Connell

Jared Kushner expected to return as ‘outside adviser’ to Trump on Middle East

Friday 15 November 2024 21:40 , Oliver O’Connell

Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner is expected to be an “outside adviser” to the President-elect on Middle East issues, though reportedly may not have an official role in the administration.

Kushner, who is married to Ivanka Trump, is a trusted advisor to the President-elect, having built up strong regional relationships during his time serving in the first Trump presidency from 2017 to 2021.

Mike Bedigan reports.

Jared Kushner expected to be an ‘outside adviser’ to Trump on Middle East

Trump was convicted in his hush money case — now his lawyers are being rewarded with DOJ jobs

Friday 15 November 2024 21:20 , Oliver O’Connell

Alex Woodward writes:

The lawyers who defended Donald Trump in his criminal cases and demanded the Supreme Court shield him from prosecution have been awarded job offers for some of the biggest roles in federal law enforcement.

Continue reading…

Trump’s hush money lawyers are rewarded with top Justice Department jobs

Mississippi senator won’t be Trump’s agriculture secretary

Friday 15 November 2024 21:14 , Oliver O’Connell

Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi says that while “it’s an honor to be mentioned as a potential nominee for Secretary of Agriculture, she will remain in the Senate and plans to seek re-election in 2026.

Joe Rogan: Celebrities privately ‘thanked’ him for Trump endorsement

Friday 15 November 2024 21:00 , Oliver O’Connell

Joe Rogan has claimed that several people in the entertainment industry have thanked him for endorsing President-elect Donald Trump.

Speaking on a recent episode of his Joe Rogan Experience podcast, the 57-year-old host shared that he had received praise from artists, musicians, and comedians for publicly supporting Trump in the 2024 election.

Inga Parkel reports.

Joe Rogan says many celebrities privately ‘thanked’ him for Trump endorsement

Burgum will stop ‘attack’ on American energy production — currently at highest levels ever

Friday 15 November 2024 20:55 , Oliver O’Connell

Kudlow has ‘no plans to leave’ Fox Business for reported Trump admin role

Friday 15 November 2024 20:49 , Oliver O’Connell

A Fox News Media spokesperson tells The Independent that Fox Business host Larry Kudlow has no plans to leave the network for a role in the Trump administration.

They said: “Larry Kudlow recently signed a new deal to continue hosting his eponymous program on FOX Business and has no plans to leave his current role helming one of the highest-rated shows on the network.”

Here’s our earlier post regarding a report by The Wall Street Journal:

Trump considering Fox Business host for top economic job, report says

The Wall Street Journal reports that Donald Trump is considering Fox Business Network host Larry Kudlow for a senior economic policy role in his administration, according to people familiar with the matter.

Kudlow met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago late this week, the people said. He is seen as either a contender to lead the National Economic Council or possibly even the Treasury Department.

Kudlow formerly served as NEC director for almost three years during the first Trump administration.

Other contenders for the top job at Treasury include billionaire Cantor Fitzgerald Chief Executive Howard Lutnick and investor Scott Bessent. Both men are reported to have made “aggressive plays” to lead the department, which the Journal says has “irritated” the president-elect.

Democrats are still trying to figure out how to work with — and counter — Donald Trump

Friday 15 November 2024 20:40 , Oliver O’Connell

Eric Garcia writes:

Democrats are still trying to come to grips with the numerous reasons why Kamala Harris lost and now they have a new problem – how do they work with a Donald Trump administration and both houses under his party’s control.

Trump’s election win quickly changed to his transition, where he has made a number of controversial appointments and threatened to use the recess process to get them into power.

In the Senate, Republicans have enough seats for a majority, but many bills need at least 60 votes to avoid a filibuster. That means Democrats are going to have to think fast about how they work with Republicans or counter them given their minority.

Continue reading…

Democrats are still trying to figure out how to work with – and counter – Trump

Burgum given second Trump administration role — chair of new National Energy Council

Friday 15 November 2024 20:30 , Oliver O’Connell

North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum has been given a second role in the Trump administration.

Yesterday he was named as the prospective secretary of the interior, overseeing the country’s natural resources and federal lands including national parks and monuments.

Today, President-elect Donald Trump announced he would also lead the newly created National Energy Council “which will consist of all Departments and Agencies involved in the permitting, production, generation, distribution, regulation, transportation, of ALL forms of American Energy”.

Per a statement from Trump:

This Council will oversee the path to U.S. ENERGY DOMINANCE by cutting red tape, enhancing private sector investments across all sectors of the Economy, and by focusing on INNOVATION over longstanding, but totally unnecessary, regulation. With U.S. Energy Dominance, we will drive down Inflation, win the A.I. arms race with China (and others), and expand American Diplomatic Power to end Wars all across the World.

Further:

ENERGY DOMINANCE will allow us to sell Energy to our friends, including all European Nations, which will make the World a safer place. As Chairman of the National Energy Council, Doug will have a seat on the National Security Council. As Secretary of the Interior, Doug will be a key leader in ushering in a new “Golden Age of American Prosperity” and World Peace.

Promising to “DRILL BABY DRILL,” Trump said his administration would expand all forms of energy production but “will preserve and protect our most beautiful places, AND reduce our deficits and our debt!”

COMMENT: Climate diplomacy just about survived Trump’s first term – can it withstand a second?

Friday 15 November 2024 20:20 , Oliver O’Connell

Chris Wright writes:

In 2016, no one really knew what a Trump presidency would bring. But many feared that the hard-won Paris Agreement – the treaty that brought all countries together under a single framework – was now at risk of falling apart.

Today we may be on the brink of yet another major shift, as some of the world’s most senior diplomats have flagged in an open letter. And while it may be a bit premature, it is a fair question to ask whether or not these existing structures of climate diplomacy will survive – or even should.

Continue reading…

Climate diplomacy just about survived Trump’s first term – can it withstand a second?

Trump can bypass FBI background checks and security clearance for key cabinet picks — here’s how…

Friday 15 November 2024 20:00 , Oliver O’Connell

The FBI has vetted cabinet picks since President Dwight D Eisenhower was in the White House.

But if he so chooses, Donald Trump, himself a convicted felon, can bypass background checks for those he has nominated for key roles in his administration.

Incoming cabinet members have traditionally faced intensive screening from the FBI with a binary purpose: to help with the Senate confirmation process and to vet nominees for security clearance.

Criminal histories, conflicts of interest, financial problems or other potentially disqualifying factors are typically investigated through this process.

But, despite established procedure, the president does have the power to bypass such checks and grant immediate security clearance to officials.

James Liddell explains.

How Trump can bypass FBI background checks and security clearance for cabinet picks

Friday 15 November 2024 19:30 , Oliver O’Connell

Rachel Zegler has issued an apology for her recent social media outburst, in which she raged against President-elect Donald Trump and his supporters.

Inga Parkel reports on what the Snow White star had to say:

Rachel Zegler apologizes for anti-Trump rant and contributing to ‘negative discourse’

Watch: Trump’s cabinet picks show intent to ‘deconstruct the administrative state’

Friday 15 November 2024 19:15 , Oliver O’Connell

Could an X and Truth Social merger be in the works?

Friday 15 November 2024 19:00 , Oliver O’Connell

As the bromance between President-elect Donald Trump and Elon Musk continues, some now believe that a merger could be in the works between their respective social media platforms, Truth Social and X.

“I would suspect he would try to merge Truth Social” with X, tech journalist Kara Swisher said on CNN last week.

“They could merge them and make it a meme stock and make a lot of money for themselves. That could be interesting and incredibly corrupt,” she added.

Gustaf Kilander reports.

Could an X and Truth Social merger be in the works?

Trump names Steven Cheung to White House comms role

Friday 15 November 2024 18:40 , Oliver O’Connell

President-elect Donald Trump has named two of his senior campaign advisers to roles at the White House.

Per a statement released today:

STEVEN CHEUNG will return to the White House as Assistant to the President and Director of Communications. Cheung was Director of Communications on the Trump-Vance 2024 Presidential Campaign and previously served in the Trump White House as Director of Strategic Response.

SERGIO GOR will serve as Assistant to the President and Director of the Presidential Personnel Office. Previously, Gor was CEO of Winning Team Publishing, while also running the pro-Trump Super PAC, Right For America.

“Steven Cheung and Sergio Gor have been trusted Advisors since my first Presidential Campaign in 2016, and have continued to champion America First principles throughout my First Term, all the way to our Historic Victory in 2024,” Trump said. “I am thrilled to have them join my White House as we, Make America Great Again!”

Who’s who in Trump’s cabinet nominations, so far…

Friday 15 November 2024 18:30 , Oliver O’Connell

President-elect Donald Trump is filling key posts in his second administration, putting an emphasis so far on aides and allies who were his strongest backers during the 2024 campaign.

Here’s a look at who he’s selected so far.

Trump’s Cabinet tracker: Here’s who is among the White House appointments so far

Watch: Anyone opposing Trump’s nominations is getting primaried

Friday 15 November 2024 18:14 , Oliver O’Connell