Donald Trump’s cupboard picks have sparked alarm amongst nationwide safety officers and divided Republicans simply as they secured a majority within the Home of Representatives, giving the social gathering full management of Congress.
The president-elect nominated congressman Matt Gaetz to function lawyer basic, the nation’s chief legislation officer. Gaetz has protested towards election outcomes alongside far-right teams and confronted an inquiry by the Home ethics committee over allegations together with sexual misconduct. The inquiry ended when he resigned from Congress on Wednesday. He has denied any wrongdoing.
A few of Gaetz’s Republican colleagues slammed his nomination, which consultant Max Miller labelled “reckless” and “foolish”, and senator Lisa Murkowski stated was not severe. John Bolton, a former nationwide safety adviser, stated Gaetz “have to be the worst nomination for a cupboard place in American historical past”.
Trump additionally introduced his nominee for director of nationwide intelligence can be Tulsi Gabbard, who’s a critic of Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and has questioned atrocities attributed to the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad. Gabbard has beforehand clashed with Marco Rubio, who Trump on Wednesday confirmed can be nominated as secretary of state.
The brand new appointments adopted Trump’s announcement of Peter Hegseth for defence in a transfer that shocked navy officers, a few of whom questioned whether or not Hegseth had the expertise to handle a authorities division with a price range of greater than $800bn.
Right here’s what else occurred on Wednesday:
Trump cupboard information and updates
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Republicans within the Home of Representatives have retained their majority, securing the 218 seats required. Mike Johnson received the social gathering’s nomination to remain on as Home speaker, gaining Trump’s endorsement earlier than the vote on Wednesday regardless of inner dissent from hard-right conservatives and the Freedom Caucus.
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Republican senators selected South Dakota’s John Thune as their new chief, rejecting a problem from Florida senator Rick Scott, who had the backing of key Maga figures Elon Musk and Tucker Carlson. Thune’s elevation comes after long-serving Mitch McConnell stood apart.
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Joe Biden met Trump on the White Home, extending a courtesy to the president-elect that Biden was not supplied in 2020 when Trump refused to acknowledge Biden’s election victory. Trump thanked Biden for welcoming him again to the Oval Workplace and stated: “Politics is hard, and it’s [in] many instances not a really good world, however it’s a good world at the moment.”
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The president-elect met with Home Republicans earlier than going to the White Home, and joked about in search of a 3rd time period, which might be constitutionally prohibited after his second time period.
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Wednesday’s appointments go away a handful of roles to fill in Trump’s cupboard. Reuters reported billionaire banker and co-chair of Trump’s transition group Howard Lutnick had emerged as a severe contender towards investor Scott Bessent for the position of Treasury secretary, the very best profile job with out a identify but hooked up.
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The Democratic minority chief within the Home, Hakeem Jeffries, stated his colleagues had “over-performed the nationwide political setting”, pre-empting the information that Republicans had retained the chamber. Elizabeth Warren argued Democrats ought to present they stand able to “unrig this economic system” as billionaires be a part of the Trump administration. Warren was showing at an occasion alongside fellow senator Bernie Sanders.
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Two Democratic state governors have launched an initiative aimed toward “pushing again towards rising threats of autocracy and fortifying the establishments of democracy”. The Illinois governor, JB Pritzker, and the Colorado governor, Jared Polis, hope to kind a non-partisan coalition with their new organisation, Governors Safeguarding Democracy.
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Dan Scavino, who on Tuesday advised Australia’s ambassador to the US, Kevin Rudd, was working out of time, has been named as assistant to the president and deputy chief of employees. Scavino’s provocative put up on X has continued to gasoline Australian anxieties over its relationship with the incoming president, whom Rudd in 2021 described as “a village fool” and “not a number one mental drive”.
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