President-elect Donald Trump held a party at Mar-a-Lago on Saturday night during which he screened a documentary about John Eastman, a close ally who tried to pressure then-Vice President Mike Pence to not certify the 2020 election, MSNBC reports.
Trump spoke at the event, praising Eastman and insisting he was “right the whole time,” the outlet reports. MSNBC’s Symone Sanders Townsend slammed Trump’s speech, calling the celebration “sickening.”
The party was held without formal invitations or notifications to the media, The Daily Beast reports.
The president-elect also met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for a so-called informal visit at Mar-a-Lago on Saturday evening.
Meanwhile, Elon Musk is exporting the MAGA civil war to the United Kingdom as he claims Nigel Farage “doesn’t have what it takes” to lead the Reform Party.
Musk declared on X this weekend that the UK’s Reform Party “needs a new leader,” taking a shot at the right-wing leader. Farage was quick to respond: “Well, this is a surprise! Elon is a remarkable individual but on this I am afraid I disagree.”
The split appears to stem from Farage’s refusal to join Musk in calling for the release of jailed far-right political activist Tommy Robinson.
Key Points
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Trump celebrates ally who pressured Mike Pence to not certify 2020 election at Mar-a-Lago
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Elon Musk says Reform needs new leader and Nigel Farage ‘doesn’t have what it takes’
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Donald Trump met with Italian PM
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The president-elect appears to already be testing the unity of his party in Congress
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Michael J Fox cheered at White House as he steps forward to receive Medal of Freedom from Biden
Musk gets good news a day after Italian PM visits Trump as Rome announces potential $1.6bn SpaceX deal
22:02 , John Bowden
A deal that would see Elon Musk’s SpaceX take over secure communications for the Italian government is reportedly back on track and nearing final approval after Italy’s prime minister met with Donald Trump this weekend.
Read more:
Musk gets good news a day after Italian PM visits Trump
Pelosi says her husband is still suffering from effects of hammer attack as she condemns pro-Trump violence
22:00 , John Bowden
House speaker emerita Nancy Pelosi discussed the ongoing threat of political violence and the dangers posed by Donald Trump’s 2020 misinformation campaign in an interview Sunday on Face the Nation.
The former top Democrat in the lower chamber said that her husband, Paul Pelosi, still faces medical issues resulting from a violent attack he suffered in 2022, when an intruder in their home attacked him with a hammer.
The suspect, David DePape, was convicted of the violent attack and found to have been consumed by far-right conspiracy theories promoted by various figures aligned with MAGA Republicanism, including the 2020 stolen election conspiracies promoted by Trump himself.
Keep reading:
Pelosi says her husband is still suffering effects of hammer attack
Trump hosts party at Mar-a-Lago, celebrates ally who pressured Mike Pence to not certify 2020 election
21:55 , Katie Hawkinson
President-elect Donald Trump held a party at Mar-a-Lago on Saturday night during which he screened a documentary about John Eastman, a close ally who tried to pressure then-Vice President Mike Pence to not certify the 2020 election, MSNBC and CBS News reports.
Trump spoke at the event, praising Eastman and insisting he was “right the whole time,” the outlet reports. MSNBC’s Symone Sanders Townsend slammed Trump’s speech, calling the celebration “sickening.”
The party was held without formal invitations or notifications to the media, The Daily Beast reports.
When egos collide: Trump could be next after angry Musk turns on Farage
21:00 , David Maddox
There is an old Asian proverb which goes along the lines of: “He who rides the tiger must beware lest he end up inside.” Nigel Farage might be reflecting on that after his spectacular fall-out with the world’s richest man on an otherwise quiet Sunday.
Making an ally of X (Twitter) owner Elon Musk with his vast wealth and enormous influence was always going to be too tempting to refuse for a man who, for the first time in his political career, feels like he has a sniff of actually winning power.
The power of a giant social media platform and the possibility of $100m in funds seemed to be a surefire way of getting a shortcut to turning British politics on its head again, after doing it once already with Brexit.
Read more:
When egos collide: Trump could be next after angry Musk turns on Farage
Laura Loomer chimes in on Musk/Farage feud
20:30 , Katie Hawkinson
Laura Loomer has chimed in on the feud between Elon Musk and Nigel Farage, after the billionaire called for him to step down as leader of the Reform Party.
The apparent feud comes after Farage did not back Musk in calling for the release of jailed far-right political activist Tommy Robinson.
“President Trump is friends with @Nigel_Farage, @elonmusk,” Loomer wrote on X. “Trump loves Nigel. You can support @Nigel_Farage and also support Tommy Robinson. I know both of them. Tommy is a close friend.”
ICYMI: What happens if the US bans TikTok?
20:00 , Io Dodds
With every passing day, the US government inches closer to doing something unprecedented: banning a social media app used by an estimated 170 million Americans each month.
But what would happen next?
Find out below:
What happens if the US bans TikTok?
Musk’s support for the far right in Germany is part of a bigger plan that threatens eight decades of progress
19:30 , John Kampfner
As Germans headed into a year gripped by foreboding, I was reminded of an episode a decade ago that struck me then as absurd, and that now makes me marvel at its prescience.
I was chairing a conference about the internet in Berlin, sponsored by Google, when one of the participants suggested that the German government should establish a public internet company. Silicon Valley, she proffered earnestly, was the preserve of the American super-rich and could not be trusted to tell the truth or preserve democracy.
I scoffed at the idea, though I was too polite to say so. Half of her analysis was, and still is, impossibly quaint and ridiculous. The notion of the state being relied upon to provide an online platform for comment and information – in the very country of Goebbels and the Stasi – stretches credulity. But I must admit that the speaker foresaw the malignancy of the likes of Elon Musk far earlier than I, or anyone I know, ever did.
Keep reading:
Musk’s support for the far right in Germany is part of a bigger and darker plan
Melania documentary to be screened by Amazon in latest Trump connection with Jeff Bezos
19:00 , Associated Press
Incoming first lady Melania Trump will be the subject of a new documentary directed by Brett Ratner and distributed by Amazon Prime Video.
The streaming arm of the tech giant got exclusive licensing rights for a streaming and theatrical release later this year, the company said Sunday.
Read more:
Melania documentary to be screened by Amazon in latest Trump connection with Bezos
Republican Senator says Mike Johnson wouldn’t be speaker without Trump’s support
18:30 , Katie Hawkinson
Republican Senator Jim Banks revealed he believes Speaker Mike Johnson wouldn’t have won his leadership role without President-elect Donald Trump’s support.
“Donald Trump weighed in in support of Mike Johnson. I don’t think Mike Johnson would be Speaker of the House this morning if Donald Trump wouldn’t have weighed in last week, spent political capital helping him get elected on one vote,” Banks told CNN on Sunday.
“And to me, that’s a positive sign that House Republicans are unified behind Donald Trump, the Trump agenda,” he added.
Chuck Schumer denies his party ‘misled’ Americans about Biden’s decline
18:00 , John Bowden
Chuck Schumer denied on Sunday that his party misled the public about the extent of Joe Biden’s decline as presidential insiders tell news publications that the lame-duck president still believes he could have won the 2024 election.
The leader of the Senate Democratic caucus, now in the minority in the upper chamber, sat down with NBC’s Meet the Press and spoke about the incumbent president’s legacy in an interview on Sunday.
Keep reading:
Chuck Schumer denies his party ‘misled’ Americans about Biden’s decline
MAGA-world in meltdown after George Soros awarded the Medal of Freedom
17:30 , Josh Marcus
Conservative commentators were outragedafter the Biden administration gave billionaire investor and Democratic mega-donor George Soros the Medal of Freedom.
Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon called on the incoming Trump administration to rescind the medal, the nation’s highest civilian honor.
“Send a team to track down Soros and take the medal back,” Bannon said on his War Room podcast. “It is a disgrace that a demonic individual like that—who has been going out of his way to try to destroy this country, to mock this constitutional republic, which he hates and has dedicated his life to destroying—that we would be presenting him, awarding him, the highest civilian honor that you can give.”
Read more:
MAGA-world in meltdown after seeing George Soros awarded Medal of Freedom
Trump has two years to cause real chaos and harm and only these people will be able to stop him
17:00 , Alex Hannaford
After he was elected president of the United States for the second time in November, Donald Trump’s announcements of his nominees to head-up his various government departments have caused more than a few eye rolls across America.
And with just a few weeks to go, people are bracing themselves for the potential chaos the new personnel could bring.
Keep reading:
Only these people will be able to stop Trump from two years of chaos and harm
Elon Musk says Reform needs new leader and Nigel Farage ‘doesn’t have what it takes’
16:30 , Archie Mitchell, David Maddox
Elon Musk has suggested that Reform UK needs to replace Nigel Farage with a new leader amid a row between the pair over jailed political activist Tommy Robinson.
The Tesla tycoon said Mr Farage, who founded the party and is credited with its recent surge in the polls, “does not have what it takes”.
His call for change comes as a bitter blow after days of Mr Farage fawning over the world’s richest man, describing him as “a hero” and claiming he makes Reform “look cool”.
Keep reading:
Elon Musk says Reform needs new leader and Nigel Farage ‘doesn’t have what it takes’
Biden set to give two final speeches as he looks to secure legacy before Trump’s return
16:00 , Katie Hawkinson
President Joe Biden plans to deliver two final speeches as he seeks to underscore his legacy before leaving office and making way for President-elect Donald Trump, according to a report.
His first speech, which Biden intends to deliver after he comes back from Italy on January 12, will be dedicated to foreign policy, NBC News reported. His second and final speech as president will be a farewell address reflecting on his 50-plus years in public service.
Neither speech has been fully drafted, but the broad strokes of them have been established, sources told the outlet.
Read on:
Biden to give two final speeches as he looks to secure legacy before Trump’s return
Donald Trump is returning to the White House. Unlike most in his shoes, a pet is not coming with him
15:30 , Andrew Feinberg
When President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden’s belongings are swiftly removed from the White House during President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, one thing that will leave with them will almost certainly not be replaced – a White House pet.
Unlike the official residence of the British Prime Minister, there is no “chief mouser” for the Executive Office of the President who remains in office from administration to administration.
Read on:
Trump’s return to the White House will make it pet-free again
Demographics of the 119th Congress
15:00 , Kelly Rissman
Republicans now control both chambers. But what is the demographic makeup of Congress?
Although only 58 percent of the general population is white, 84 percent of Senators and 72 percent of House Reps in the new Congress are white, according to WDSU.
Just 7 percent of the Senate and 8 percent of the House are Hispanic — despite the fact that Latinos make up nearly 20 percent of the U.S. population.
Only 5 percent of Senators and 12 percent of Representatives are Black in the 119th Congress, while Black Americans account for nearly 14 percent of the population.
The outlet also broke down the demographics by party.
Almost all — 92 percent — of Republican Congress members are white; that’s compared to 56 percent of Democrats in Congress who are white.
Donald Trump met with Italian PM
14:49 , Katie Hawkinson
President-elect Donald Trump met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for an informal visit at his Mar-a-Lago estate on Saturday evening.
Trump praised Meloni, saying she has “taken Europe by storm.”
“I’m here with a fantastic woman, the prime minister of Italy,” he said. “She’s really taken Europe by storm, and everyone else, and we’re just having dinner tonight.”
President-elect Donald Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni meet at Mar-a-Lago on Saturday evening (EPA)
Farage distances himself from Tommy Robinson after Elon Musk backs far-right activist
14:00 , Archie Mitchell
Nigel Farage has distanced himself from Tommy Robinson after Elon Musk swung behind the jailed political activist, calling for his release.
The Reform UK leader said Mr Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, is “not what we need”, as his party seeks to challenge Labour in upcoming elections.
Mr Farage heaped praise on Mr Musk, reportedly mulling a multi-million pound donation to his party, calling him a “hero figure, especially for the youth”.
Farage distances himself from Tommy Robinson after Elon Musk backs far-right activist
12:30 , Andrew Feinberg, Josh Marcus
Michael J Fox cheered at White House as he steps forward to receive Medal of Freedom from Biden
Cheers rang out through the East Room of the White House on Saturday as actor and activist Michael J. Fox walked up to the stage to accept the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Joe Biden.
Fox is one of 19 people, including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Bono, to be given the award on Saturday, the nation’s highest civilian honor.
“You defend the values of America, even when they’re under attack,” Biden told the honorees. “Together, you leave an incredible mark on our country, with insight and influence that can be felt around the globe.”
Read more:
Michael J Fox cheered at White House as he receives Medal of Freedom from Biden
Trump claims Dems are ‘giddy’ flags will be half-staff for his inauguration
11:00 , Kelly Rissman
President-elect Donald Trump claimed that Democrats are “giddy” about flags being flown at half-staff in a sign of mourning and respect to honor the late Jimmy Carter during his inauguration.
President Joe Biden ordered flags be flown at half-staff to honor the late president, who died Sunday at age 100. Trump has tried to politicize the gesture, since the flags will still be lowered during his second inauguration on January 20.
“The Democrats are all ‘giddy’ about our magnificent American Flag potentially being at ‘half mast’ during my Inauguration,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Friday afternoon. “They think it’s so great, and are so happy about it because, in actuality, they don’t love our Country, they only think about themselves. Look at what they’ve done to our once GREAT America over the past four years – It’s a total mess!”
Read on:
Trump claims Dems are ‘giddy’ flags will be half-staff for his inauguration
Ohio’s lieutenant governor is favored to replace Vance in the Senate: report
10:00 , Kelly Rissman
Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted is the top candidate to take Vice President-elect JD Vance’s seat in the Senate, CNN reported.
Republican Governor Mike DeWine ultimately makes the appointment. But first, Vance must resign before he takes office on January 20.
Sources told the outlet that both Husted and DeWine met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago in December. It’s not clear what they discussed.
The sources also clarified that it’s not a certainty that Husted would accept an appointment since he’s had his eyes set on becoming governor.
Watch: MSNBC panel laughs while reading Trump rant about being ‘evilly’ treated by courts
09:30 , Katie Hawkinson
ICYMI: Trump may show ‘display of fighting’ his sentencing next week, analyst says
08:00 , Katie Hawkinson
Maggie Haberman, CNN political analyst and author of Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America, said the president-elect may want a ‘display of fighting’ his sentencing next week.
“He’s very angry about this case in particular,” Haberman told CNN on Friday. ”He may decide that he wants some kind of a display of fighting it.”
“I don’t think we’re going to know that for another two days or so,” she continued.
Trump will be sentenced in his hush money case by Judge Juan Merchan on January 10. Merchan indicated on Friday Trump wouldn’t be jailed at his sentencing, instead noting he’ll impose “a sentence of unconditional discharge.” This means no jail time, probation or fines will be imposed on the president-elect.
A majority of Republicans say they are confident in 2024 vote count after Trump win: poll
07:00 , Kelly Rissman
A majority of Republicans — about 6 in 10 — say they are confident that the votes in the 2024 presidential election were counted correctly after Donald Trump’s victory, according to a new poll from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
Before the election, however, another poll showed that most Republicans were skeptical of the integrity of the vote count.
In October, a poll showed that just 2 in 10 Republicans were confident.
From the time he lost the 2020 election through his election victory in November, Trump had expressed doubt about the accuracy about the country’s elections — including on Election Day.
“A lot of talk about massive CHEATING in Philadelphia,” he baselessly wrote in a Truth Social post on November 5.
ICYMI: Fox News hosts condemn Biden for suggesting Trump should learn ‘decency’ from Jimmy Carter
06:30 , Katie Hawkinson
Two and a Half Men star Jon Cryer brands Trump’s second term a ‘clown show already’
05:00 , Inga Parkel
Two and a Half Men alum Jon Cryer is pessimistic about President-elect Donald Trump’s second term, predicting that things are “not going to get better.”
The 59-year-old actor and outspoken Kamala Harris supporter shared his opinions with paparazzi ahead of Trump’s inauguration on January 20.
While outside of Los Angeles International Airport, Cryer was approached by a TMZ reporter who asked how he was feeling about the incoming president.
Keep reading:
Two and a Half Men star Jon Cryer brands Trump’s second term a ‘clown show already’
CNN’s Jim Acosta slams Trump’s ‘fake news’ immigrant lie in New Orleans attack
03:30 , Mary Papenfuss
Frustrated CNN news host Jim Acosta accused Donald Trump himself Thursday of peddling “fake news” with his repeated lie that the deadly New Orleans truck attacker was an immigrant.
Read more:
CNN’s Acosta rips Trump’s ‘fake news’ immigrant lie in New Orleans attack
Trump wants one reconciliation bill, not two: report
02:56 , Kelly Rissman
President-elect Donald Trump already appears to be testing the unity among Congressional Republicans.
He voiced support for one reconciliation package rather than two, which the GOP leadership had endorsed, newly re-elected House Speaker Mike Johnson informed Republicans Saturday, sources familiar with the matter told Politico.
Johnson told fellow Republicans that Trump hopes for “one big beautiful bill” that would address border security, energy, and an extension of his 2017 tax cuts, the outlet reported.
The president-elect’s preference aligns with that of House Ways & Means Chair Jason Smith, who has pushed for just one piece of legislation rather than the two that Senate Majority Leader John Thune has favored. Thune wanted one bill to be dedicated to tax and the other bill to be dedicated to the border and energy.
Murder rates drop for third year in a row as Trump complains nation is ‘breaking down’
02:00 , Kelly Rissman
The number of murders is expected to drop for the third year in a row — despite President-elect Donald Trump railing that the nation is suffering from high crime rates.
Read on:
Murder rates drop for third year in a row as Trump claims nation is ‘breaking down’
ICYMI: Surveillance footage shows moment Cybertruck explodes outside Trump Las Vegas hotel
00:30 , Katie Hawkinson
COMMENT: Never mind Badenoch and Farage – Starmer’s real task is dealing with Trump and Musk
Saturday 4 January 2025 22:30 , John Rentoul
One thing that Keir Starmer should not do, as he seeks to manage the relationship with the incoming president of the United States, is leak private details of his phone calls with him.
So it is unlikely that the prime minister was responsible for telling The Times that Donald Trump “veered off on a series of tangents” in their conversation on 18 December. The president-elect said that so many birds were being killed flying into wind turbines in the US that the coyotes were growing fat. If Starmer, or anyone acting on his behalf, did leak it, it could prove quite the misstep.
This is harmless stuff by Trump’s standards, reflecting his known antipathy to “windmills”, as he called them, in a public post on Truth Social yesterday. But the breach of confidence will make it harder for Starmer to engage with the unpredictable fireball coming his way.
Read more:
How Keir Starmer handles Donald Trump and Elon Musk is critical
What happens if the US bans TikTok?
Saturday 4 January 2025 21:30 , Io Dodds
With every passing day, the US government inches closer to doing something unprecedented: banning a social media app used by an estimated 170 million Americans each month.
But what would happen next?
Read more:
What happens if the US bans TikTok?
MSNBC panel erupts into laughter reading Trump weekend rant about being ‘evilly’ treated by courts
Saturday 4 January 2025 21:00 , Katie Hawkinson
MSNBC panel members burst into laughter while reading President-elect Donald Trump’s most recent social media rant.
Trump posted a rant on Truth Social Saturday morning decrying his legal woes after Judge Juan Merchan ordered him to appear for sentencing in his hush-money case on January 10, just over one week before his inauguration.
“There has never been a President who was so evilly and illegally treated as I,” Trump wrote. “Corrupt Democrat judges and prosecutors have gone against a political opponent of a President, ME, at levels of injustice never seen before.”
Read more:
MSNBC panel laughs reading Trump weekend rant about being ‘evilly’ treated by courts
Trump claims Dems are ‘giddy’ flags will be half-staff for his inauguration
Saturday 4 January 2025 20:30 , Kelly Rissman
President-elect Donald Trump claimed that Democrats are “giddy” about flags being flown at half-staff in a sign of mourning and respect to honor the late Jimmy Carter during his inauguration.
President Joe Biden ordered flags be flown at half-staff to honor the late president, who died Sunday at age 100. Trump has tried to politicize the gesture, since the flags will still be lowered during his second inauguration on January 20.
“The Democrats are all ‘giddy’ about our magnificent American Flag potentially being at ‘half mast’ during my Inauguration,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Friday afternoon. “They think it’s so great, and are so happy about it because, in actuality, they don’t love our Country, they only think about themselves. Look at what they’ve done to our once GREAT America over the past four years – It’s a total mess!”
Read more:
Trump claims Dems are ‘giddy’ flags will be half-staff for his inauguration
Michael J Fox cheered at White House as he steps forward to receive Medal of Freedom from Biden
Saturday 4 January 2025 20:00 , Andrew Feinberg, Josh Marcus
Cheers rang out through the East Room of the White House on Saturday as actor and activist Michael J. Fox walked up to the stage to accept the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Joe Biden.
Fox is one of 19 people, including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Bono, to be given the award on Saturday, the nation’s highest civilian honor.
“You defend the values of America, even when they’re under attack,” Biden told the honorees. “Together, you leave an incredible mark on our country, with insight and influence that can be felt around the globe.”
Read on:
Michael J Fox cheered at White House as he receives Medal of Freedom from Biden
ICYMI: Judge orders Trump to be sentenced on Jan. 10 in hush-money case
Saturday 4 January 2025 19:32 , Andrew Feinberg, Ariana Baio, Alex Woodward
The judge overseeing the criminal case against Donald Trump in his home state of New York has ordered the president-elect to appear before him on January 10 to face a sentence after jury convicted him on 34 felony counts last year.
In a stunning, 18-page ruling released on Friday, Justice Juan Merchan said he would not sentence Trump to a term of incarceration but would instead impose “a sentence of unconditional discharge” — meaning a sentence of no jail time, probation or fines — as “the most viable solution” and permit Trump to continue to appeal the case.
The hearing is scheduled just 10 days before the president-elect is inaugurated.
Apple CEO Tim Cook plans to donate $1 million to Trump’s inauguration: report
Saturday 4 January 2025 19:00 , Kelly Rissman
Apple CEO Tim Cook plans to donate $1 million to President-elect Trump’s inaugural committee, according to a report.
Cook’s contribution, first reported by Axios, marks the latest deluge of cash from billionaires into Trump’s inauguration January 20.
Just weeks before the reported donation, Cook dined with Trump at Mar-a-Lago.
Continue reading:
Apple CEO Tim Cook plans to donate $1 million to Trump’s inauguration: report
Food stamps, environmental safeguards and denying Ozempic: The ways Republicans could pay for Trump’s tax cuts
Saturday 4 January 2025 18:30 , Ariana Baio
Donald Trump and his Congressional allies could add requirements to welfare programs such as Medicaid, withhold prescription drugs from federal health care coverage, repeal environmental regulations and more in order to reduce federal spending and pay for his new round of tax cuts.
Trump is determined to cut taxes for Americans but doing so means the government will need to cut federal spending elsewhere, or risk raising the national debt by trillions of dollars.
Advisers to Trump, such as Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, are focused on dramatically reducing federal spending by as much as $2 trillion. They have been given positions heading the advisory committee, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), to suggest funding reductions.
Read more:
Food stamps and denying Ozempic: The ways Republicans could pay for Trump’s tax cuts
Letters to the Editor: It is no surprise that Trump falsely blamed the New Orleans attack on ‘migrants’
Saturday 4 January 2025 18:00 , Katie Hawkinson
The Independent’s readers submitted letters to the editor discussing their thoughts on Donald Trump’s reaction to the deadly attack in New Orleans on New Year’s Day.
Read here:
It’s no surprise that Trump falsely blamed the New Orleans attack on ‘migrants’
Inauguration Day is nearly here. These are the promises Trump made for ‘Day One’ in office
Saturday 4 January 2025 17:30 , Rhian Lubin
President-elect Donald Trump has a very long to-do list when he steps into the Oval Office later this month.
So far, he’s already promised to take action on 59 different issues “on Day One,” according to an Axios analysis of pledges made on the campaign trail.
The key MAGA issues he promised to address are closing the border, pardoning the January 6 Capitol riot prisoners, and rolling back protections for transgender students.
Continue reading:
Inauguration Day is nearly here. These are the promises Trump made for ‘Day One’
Trump may show ‘display of fighting’ his sentencing next week, analyst says
Saturday 4 January 2025 17:00 , Katie Hawkinson
Maggie Haberman, CNN political analyst and author of Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America, said the president-elect may want a ‘display of fighting’ his sentencing next week.
“He’s very angry about this case in particular,” Haberman told CNN on Friday. ”He may decide that he wants some kind of a display of fighting it.”
“I don’t think we’re going to know that for another two days or so,” she continued.
Trump will be sentenced in his hush money case by Judge Juan Merchan on January 10.
Merchan said he would sentence the former and future president to what’s known as a conditional discharge, in which a case gets dismissed if a defendant avoids rearrest.
Trump launches into social media rant over sentencing
Saturday 4 January 2025 16:48 , Katie Hawkinson
President-elect Donald Trump has taken to Truth Social to slam Judge Juan Merchan, who is requiring him to appear for sentencing in his hush-money case on January 10.
The hearing will take place just ten days before his inauguration.
“I never falsified business records,” Trump wrote on Saturday morning. “It is a fake, made up charge by a corrupt judge who is just doing the work of the Biden/Harris Injustice Department, an attack on their political opponent, ME!”
Trump jokes about fat coyotes needing weight-loss drugs in call with Starmer
Saturday 4 January 2025 16:30 , Archie Mitchell
Donald Trump joked in his latest call with Sir Keir Starmer about coyotes needing weight-loss drugs after becoming fat feasting on the remains of birds killed by flying into wind turbines, it has emerged.
Despite a dull readout published by Downing Street in December, which said the prime minister congratulated the president-elect before the pair discussed “the close and historic relationship between the UK and the US”, it has been reported Mr Trump veered wildly off course.
Keep reading:
Trump jokes about fat coyotes needing weight-loss drugs in call with Starmer
Farage distances himself from Tommy Robinson after Elon Musk backs far-right activist
Saturday 4 January 2025 16:00 , Archie Mitchell
Nigel Farage has distanced himself from Tommy Robinson after Elon Musk swung behind the jailed political activist, calling for his release.
The Reform UK leader said Mr Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, is “not what we need”, as his party seeks to challenge Labour in upcoming elections.
Mr Farage heaped praise on Mr Musk, reportedly mulling a multi-million pound donation to his party, calling him a “hero figure, especially for the youth”.
Read on:
Farage distances himself from Tommy Robinson after Elon Musk backs far-right activist
Biden to award Medal of Freedom to 19, including Hillary Clinton, Bono and Jose Andres
Saturday 4 January 2025 15:30 , Andrew Feinberg
President Joe Biden is awarding the Presidential Medal of Freedom — the nation’s highest civilian honor — to 19 people, including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
He’ll bestow the awards in a ceremony Saturday, marking the final time Biden will present the prestigious honor during his time in office.
Read on:
Biden to award Medal of Freedom to Hillary Clinton, 18 others
ANALYSIS: Mike Johnson may be the speaker, but Democrats will still have power
Saturday 4 January 2025 15:00 , Oliver O’Connell
Eric Garcia writes:
After a whipsaw couple of hours, Mike Johnson remained speaker of the House of Representatives with the help of some pressure from President-elect Donald Trump. The move shows that the mild-mannered Louisianan is a far more deft politician than his predecessor Kevin McCarthy, who had to go fifteen rounds before he became speaker two years ago.
But Johnson’s speech afterward did not set the tone, nor did the speech of House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain.
Rather, it came when House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar nominated Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and called Democrats the “governing majority.”
Continue reading…
Mike Johnson may be the speaker, but Democrats will still have power
In first speech since re-election, Mike Johnson promises to ‘roll back administrative state’
Saturday 4 January 2025 14:30 , Oliver O’Connell
Speaker Mike Johnson pledged to “drastically” reduce the size of government and pass legislation to roll back “the administrative state” in his first speech after being re-elected Speaker by the narrowest of margins.
Johnson managed to retain the gavel on the first vote after two members changed their votes to support him following phone calls from President-elect Donald Trump, according to CNN.
Gustaf Kilander reports.
Johnson promises to ‘roll back administrative state’ after being re-elected Speaker
Two and a Half Men star brands Trump’s second term a ‘clown show already’
Saturday 4 January 2025 14:00 , Oliver O’Connell
Two and a Half Men alum Jon Cryer is pessimistic about President-elect Donald Trump’s second term, predicting that things are “not going to get better.”
The 59-year-old actor and outspoken Kamala Harris supporter shared his opinions with paparazzi ahead of Trump’s inauguration on January 20.
Inga Parkel has the story.
Two and a Half Men star Jon Cryer brands Trump’s second term a ‘clown show already’
Full story: Judge orders Trump to be sentenced on Jan. 10 in hush-money case
Saturday 4 January 2025 13:30 , Oliver O’Connell
The judge overseeing the criminal case against President-elect Donald Trump in his home state of New York has ordered him to appear before him on January 10 to be sentenced on the 34 felony counts he was convicted of last year.
In an 18-page ruling released on Friday, Acting Justice Juan Merchan said he would not sentence Trump to a term of incarceration but would instead impose “a sentence of unconditional discharge” – meaning a sentence of no jail time, probation or fines – as “the most viable solution” and permit Trump to continue to appeal the case.
Sentencing, which Trump’s lawyers tried to fight on the grounds of immunity, will occur just 10 days before the president-elect is inaugurated.
Andrew Feinberg and Ariana Baio report.
Judge orders Trump to be sentenced on Jan. 10 in hush-money case
What you need to know: Biden ramps up bird flu spending as scientists fret about H5N1 response
Saturday 4 January 2025 13:00 , Oliver O’Connell
As concerns about outbreaks of bird flu and the nation’s response continue to grow, the Biden administration announced Friday that it would ramp up spending to support its efforts.
There are currently 66 confirmed human cases reported across 10 states, with the majority reported in California and Colorado. Of the dozens, one case in Louisiana marked the nation’s first severe illness from the virus, which likely mutated inside the patient. However, there has not yet been human-to-human transmission of H5N1.
Julia Musto reports.
Biden ramps up bird flu spending. Here’s what to know
How might Republicans pay for Trump’s tax cuts?
Saturday 4 January 2025 12:00 , Oliver O’Connell
Donald Trump and his Congressional allies could add requirements to welfare programs such as Medicaid, withhold prescription drugs from federal health care coverage, repeal environmental regulations and more in order to reduce federal spending and pay for his new round of tax cuts.
Trump is determined to cut taxes for Americans but doing so means the government will need to cut federal spending elsewhere, or risk raising the national debt by trillions of dollars.
Ariana Baio takes a look.
Food stamps and denying Ozempic: The ways Republicans could pay for Trump’s tax cuts
Vance calls Musk’s piece praising far-right German party AfD ‘interesting’
Saturday 4 January 2025 11:00 , Oliver O’Connell
Vice President-elect JD Vance took to X to call an op-ed by Elon Musk in Die Welt explaining his support for the far-right German party Alternative for Germany (AfD) “interesting.”
Musk shared a post on X by Martin Varsavsky, who posted what he said was the article submitted by Musk to the German paper. The AfD is a far-right populist, eurosceptic party that opposes immigration and has called for mass deportations.
Gustaf Kilander reports.
JD Vance calls Elon Musk’s piece praising far-right German party AfD ‘interesting’
Report: LA Times owner talked about setting up a ‘MAGA version of The View’
Saturday 4 January 2025 10:00 , Oliver O’Connell
The owner of the Los Angeles Times reportedly considered launching a conservative version of the daytime talk show The View and met with comedian and anti-vaccine advocate Rob Schneider and the wife of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., actor Cheryl Hines, to discuss it.
Patrick Soon-Shiong, the pharmaceutical businessman, met with the two celebrities – both known for their ties to conservatism – last month, according to journalist Oliver Darcy, who reported the news in his newsletter Status.
Ariana Baio has the story.
LA Times owner considered setting up ‘MAGA version of The View’: report
Inauguration Day looms: Here are the promises Trump made for ‘Day One’ in office
Saturday 4 January 2025 09:00 , Rhian Lubin
President-elect Donald Trump has a very long to-do list when he steps into the Oval Office later this month.
So far, he’s already promised to take action on 59 different issues “on Day One,” according to an Axios analysis of pledges made on the campaign trail.
The key MAGA issues he promised to address are closing the border, pardoning the January 6 Capitol riot prisoners, and rolling back protections for transgender students.
The Independent has contacted Trump’s team seeking clarity on the issues he will tackle first.
Here are some of the promises the president-elect made.
Inauguration Day is nearly here. These are the promises Trump made for ‘Day One’
Biden blocks Japanese takeover of US Steel
Saturday 4 January 2025 08:00 , Oliver O’Connell
President Joe Biden on Friday invoked a rarely-used presidential power to prevent the Japanesesteel giant Nippon Steel from purchasing the United States Steel Corporation, citing the $14.1 billion deal’s potential consequences to American national security after a year-long review process.
The long-awaited decision to prohibit the transition, which would have placed America’s largest steel-making enterprise under foreign control, blocks Nippon Steel and its’ American affiliates from any attempt to acquire control of the Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel.
Andrew Feinberg reports.
Biden blocks Japanese takeover of U.S. Steel on national security grounds
