Category: fox-news/person/donald-trump

Trump hit for hiring loyalists like Pam Bondi: Doesn’t every president do that?

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

It’s spat out like a dirty word.

Donald Trump – take a deep breath – is hiring loyalists.

The president-elect – can you imagine?? – is nominating people he knows will support him. He’s used plenty of curse words, but nothing said by the media is more disdainful than loyalists.

TRUMP DROPPED MATT GAETZ AFTER COMPLAINING ABOUT HIGH POLITICAL COST OF DEFENDING HIM

Now stop and think: Doesn’t every president hire loyalists? 

Didn’t Joe Biden surround himself with folks who had been with him for decades? Ron Klain, Steve Richetti and Tom Donilon created a protective bubble around the president. But few, if any, prognosticators dismissed them as loyalists.

Why? The press generally approved of Biden’s picks, including Tony Blinken; the non-communicative Lloyd Austin (who didn’t tell the boss about his cancer surgery), and the equally non-communicative Janet Yellen. The only person who stood out for great TV skills was Pete Buttigieg, the former presidential candidate and outgoing Transportation secretary.

It’s hardly a recent development. George Washington took a team-of-rivals approach, naming Thomas Jefferson secretary of state and Alexander Hamilton as treasury secretary. So did Abraham Lincoln, with Salmon Chase as treasury secretary and William Seward as secretary of war.

But if Trump picks people he expects to support him, the knee-jerk media reaction is that they’re dangerous to the country and will run roughshod over the rule of law.

Trump didn’t make much use of his Cabinet in his first term and I doubt he will this time, except for a handful of top positions. Besides, he runs the show. Any Cabinet member who strays off the reservation can get fired, "Apprentice"-style. Serving at the pleasure of the president and all that.

HACKER OBTAINS HOUSE ETHICS TESTIMONY ON MATT GAETZ AS TRUMP MAKES CALLS FOR AG NOMINEE

For what it’s worth, Trump wound up with an ideologically balanced Cabinet. The first wave – from Marco Rubio as secretary of state to a spate of current and former members of Congress – is generally impressive.

But then there was the fiasco over Matt Gaetz, now charging hundreds of dollars for Cameo videos, and such controversial nominees as Pete Hegseth, RFK Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard. And also Dr. Oz. Not to mention animosity toward pro-union Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer as labor secretary.

It’s quite obvious that the president-elect likes people he’s seen on TV, and he watches a lot of Fox News.

But consider: Jen Psaki and Symone Sanders-Townsend were both CNN contributors when they joined the Biden campaign and then held top jobs in the White House. Now they’re hosting or co-hosting shows on MSNBC. Nobody bats an eye because they’re viewed as good guys joining the right team.

From Fox, Trump has picked Army combat veteran Hegseth; ex-Congressman Sean Duffy, a FOX Business co-host, and two frequent medical commentators. 

What’s fascinating is the way many in the media have turned on Pam Bondi, a former Florida attorney general and career prosecutor who possesses the experience Gaetz lacked. 

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Sure, Bondi has said plenty of partisan things over the years, such as "prosecuting the prosecutors," then quickly adding, "the bad ones." She was part of Trump’s first impeachment legal team and then ran the legal arm of a pro-Trump PAC.

Bondi was passed over in the first Trump term because she accepted a $25,000 campaign donation from Trump’s foundation while her office was conducting a probe of Trump University (itself a mess). 

In 2013, Bondi accepted a $25,000 campaign donation from Trump’s foundation at the same time her office was conducting a fraud investigation into Trump University. 

"Her acceptance of the donation coincided with her decision not to bring fraud charges against Trump University," says MSNBC legal analyst Barbara McQuade. No evidence of a quid pro quo emerged. And a Florida ethics panel cleared her of any wrongdoing. But that’s old news now.

"Bondi has shown a taste for vengeance herself — at the 2016 Republican National Convention, Bondi embraced chants of ‘lock her up,’" McQuade says. "Even joking about jailing a political opponent is an insult to the rule of law."   

But wait – didn’t Barack Obama’s AG, Eric Holder, describe himself as the president’s "wingman"? There’s clearly a different standard for Democrats. 

Rachel Maddow producer Steve Benen says Bondi "falsely accused then-special counsel Robert Mueller of leading a ‘corrupt’ investigation that was "worse than Watergate.’" 

On the other hand, Dave Aronberg, now state’s attorney for Palm Beach County, lost his race to challenge Bondi as AG, but she hired him anyway as drug czar. "She’s someone who believes in the rule of law..I do not believe she will be Matt Gaetz 2.0. She is not going to burn it all down."

I suppose it comes down to a question of trust. The pro-Kamala media refuse to give many Trump nominees the benefit of the doubt. Bondi has criticized the weaponization of the DOJ. You might even call her a loyalist. 

But she will be the new attorney general, and that will be the ultimate test.

Glenn Youngkin ‘personally invites’ new Trump admin to settle in Virginia over Maryland and DC

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

EXCLUSIVE: Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin will release a video ad Tuesday inviting the countless new workers and officials in the second Trump administration to settle in his state, versus the District of Columbia and neighboring Maryland.

Youngkin, who made education policy a pillar of his 2021 campaign against ex-Gov. Terence McAuliffe amid several school controversies in Northern Virginia, said the commonwealth has better schools than its neighbors.

Youngkin cited a CNBC study ranking Virginia first in the U.S. in education, and first in the nation overall for business – displacing its neighbor in 2023, first-place North Carolina.

"To the new members of President Trump's administration moving to the area, I want to personally invite you to make Virginia your home," Youngkin said.

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"Virginia is right across the Potomac. We offer a great quality of life, safe communities, award-winning schools where parents matter, and lower taxes than D.C. or Maryland."

Maryland was listed 31st in best-for-business, and the District of Columbia was unranked, according to the study.

The ad flashed through several scenes in the Old Dominion, from the capital, Richmond, to the King Street Trolley slinking through Old Town Alexandria. 

"It's why so many people choose Virginia as the best place to live, work and raise a family," Youngkin said.

Youngkin has called education the "bedrock of attaining the American dream," and the CNBC study credited both Youngkin and the Democratic state legislative majority for compromising on $2.5 billion in new K-12 funding and 3% raises for teachers.

When asked about Virginia being pitched as a new home for the new administration, Trump transition team spokesman Brian Hughes said Youngkin's performance speaks for itself as its own advertisement.

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"With the amazing job Governor Youngkin has done bringing common sense, low taxes, and high quality of life to his state, it's no wonder that he has a compelling case to make to people who are exploring next steps in the region." Hughes said.

Youngkin was swept into office in 2021 after a major political upset of McAuliffe – as Republicans had been out of power in Richmond for about a decade.

The last Republican governor, Bob McDonnell, reappeared on the political scene during President-elect Donald Trump's various legal trials, as he, too, had been subject to prosecution by now-special counsel Jack Smith.

In McDonnell's case, the once-rumored 2012 running-mate candidate's political future imploded during his own corruption litigation, but the Supreme Court later unanimously threw out Smith's conviction. Now-Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, ultimately chose then-Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis. to run with him that cycle.

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With Virginia being the rare state that does not allow its governor to run for consecutive terms, Youngkin's deputy, Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears, has launched a 2025 gubernatorial campaign she said seeks to build on the Youngkin-Sears record.

The prominent Democrat in the upcoming contest thus far is Rep. Abigail Spanberger, who gave up her seat in launching her bid. Spanberger will be replaced in Congress by Rep-elect Yevgeny "Eugene" Vindman, D-Va., – the twin brother of Trump impeachment witness Col. Alexander Vindman.

Trump dropped Matt Gaetz after complaining about high political cost of defending him

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

Donald Trump was in the room with JD Vance, Stephen Miller and other top advisers after calling senators to try to salvage the sinking nomination of Matt Gaetz.

He wasn’t having any luck.

"I’m using a lot of my political capital," the president-elect told his inner circle. He could only spend so much of it, he explained.

Trump had picked up the phrase from a lawmaker who bluntly told him there was a cost to any continued effort to push the ex-congressman for attorney general, amid allegations of sexual assault and misconduct. 

HACKER OBTAINS HOUSE ETHICS TESTIMONY ON MATT GAETZ AS TRUMP MAKES CALLS FOR AG NOMINEE

"Sir, we’re going to vote for you" on Gaetz, "but you’re using a lot of political capital." 

Once Trump told Gaetz that he didn’t have the votes, prompting him to withdraw, he quickly settled on Pam Bondi, a former Florida attorney general and career prosecutor who had precisely the experience that the embattled Gaetz lacked – and without the personal baggage. Gaetz, who is accused of sleeping with a 17-year-old girl, continues to deny any wrongdoing.

He formally withdrew 45 minutes after CNN told him it would report that he’d had a threesome – specifically, that there had been another alleged incident with Jane Doe, the woman who says she had sex with Gaetz at 17, and an adult woman.

Bondi has a history of partisan loyalty to Trump, such as defending him at his first impeachment trial, and this year, headed the legal arm of a pro-Trump firm and became a registered lobbyist. 

But here’s the difference, according to insiders: She won’t go in and blow up the Justice Department, as Gaetz wanted to do. She respects the rule of law, say Florida colleagues. She even hired the Democrat who ran against her for AG, who is praising her. Yes, Bondi has talked about prosecuting "bad" prosecutors, but who can object to that?

With Gaetz out, more scrutiny has shifted to Pete Hegseth’s nomination to run the Pentagon’s global bureaucracy.

WHY TRUMP IS STICKING WITH GAETZ, HEGSETH DESPITE NEW ACCUSATIONS – AND HIS 'MORNING JOE' MEETING

The view from Trump World is that Hegseth, as a decorated Army combat veteran, probably gets confirmed, though there is annoyance that he didn’t come clean with the transition team about having paid off a woman who accused him of sexual assault, and had her sign an NDA, in what he calls a consensual encounter in California in 2017.

The transition team’s view is that Hegseth did nothing illegal, that he made a deal with the accuser who lied to save her marriage – and didn’t go to the hospital for four days – and he didn’t want this public because he feared losing his job at Fox. 

I agree he’ll probably be confirmed, and the transition gang is more worried about Tulsi Gabbard and RFK Jr. As a practical matter, I think the GOP-controlled Senate can reject only one other nominee.

The concern about Gabbard for director of national intelligence is that she has no experience in that sensitive area, that the former Democratic congressional representative met with Syrian strongman Bashar Assad despite his murder of hundreds of thousands of people, and often seems to echo the Putin line. The question is whether she is even qualified.

There is even more concern about Kennedy’s bid to become HHS secretary. He has some good ideas, but even putting aside his history of infidelity, he embraces one conspiracy theory after another: Vaccines cause autism, WiFi causes cancer, water systems should stop using fluoride.

The worst, by far, is what he said in 2020, embracing the idea that the federal government deliberately created the pandemic – what he called the "plandemic" – that killed 1.2 million Americans. This is the equivalent of 9/11 truthers.

The key here is that the criticism is coming from the left. Liberals in the media and on the Hill don’t like RFK because he’s pro-choice and is seen as a rogue Democrat who has said a lot of crazy things over the years, and that could be enough to sink his nomination.

Trump World doesn’t care about the other nominations on the theory that the average voter has never heard of most of Trump’s picks for Energy or HUD. 

There’s some Republican resentment at his selection of pro-union Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer for Labor, but that’s among the insiders.

What’s striking is that this is the most ideologically diverse Cabinet of the modern era.

As Axios was the first to point out, the lineup ranges from Marco Rubio as secretary of State to a slew of current and former members of Congress to such controversial picks as Hegseth, Gabbard and RFK, to Dr. Oz, to run the Medicare and Medicaid programs, to frequent Fox medical commentators Marty Makary to manage the FDA and Janette Nesheiwat as surgeon general; both are medical doctors. And he chose former congressman Dave Weldon to take over the CDC.

In a CBS poll, 59% approve of the way Trump is handling the transition.

GET TO KNOW DONALD TRUMP'S CABINET: WHO HAS THE PRESIDENT-ELECT PICKED SO FAR?

The internal jockeying also led to leaks like this, to the Washington Post:

"Donald Trump’s attorney and adviser Boris Epshteyn arrived recently for a meeting about Cabinet picks in the Tea Room at Mar-a-Lago only to find his way blocked.

Transition co-chair Howard Lutnick, CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, told Epshteyn in front of others that this was not a meeting for him. ‘We’re not talking legal nominees today,’ Lutnick said, according to one person familiar with the exchange.

"Epshteyn refused to budge. Using his forearm, he pushed Lutnick out of the way, according to two people familiar with the incident, which Lutnick later recounted to others. ‘I’m coming in,’ Epshteyn retorted, according to one of the people.

"A third person described the incident more as Epshteyn simply brushing past Lutnick on his way into the meeting."

This flood-the-zone approach diverted attention from the Gaetz fiasco and raised questions about incoming White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and how much input she has. And unlike the traditional one-nominee-per-day approach, it blurs the focus on nominees who otherwise might draw media criticism, such as Dr. Oz, who was often accused of peddling ineffective remedies on his TV show, because you’d need a scorecard to keep track of the blizzard of Trump picks.    

So why did Trump pick Matt Gaetz in the first place?

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It may have been an impulsive move while Trump was on the plane with him, along with Wiles. But the president-elect is savvy enough to know it would trigger a media firestorm, and insiders call it a screw-you decision to the establishment.

Or Trump may have figured that Gaetz was unlikely to make it, but it would be difficult to reject the backup nomination, especially one as qualified as Pam Bondi.

Whatever your view, there’s no question that Trump has managed the transition quite well and, with some exceptions, is off to a good start.

Trump administration takes shape: President-elect completes top 15 Cabinet picks

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

President-elect Trump has rounded out his picks for the top 15 positions within his Cabinet, handpicking an array of establishment and unconventional officials for top posts in just three weeks.

Trump has moved at a rapid pace to shape his upcoming administration, which stands in contrast to his first run at the presidency in 2016.

The president-elect's picks have diverse ideologies united under Trump's Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement.

From Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.'s pro-choice stance to Oregon Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer's pro-union stance and former George Soros adviser Scott Bessent, Trump's Cabinet reflects a new era for Republican presidents.

GET TO KNOW DONALD TRUMP'S CABINET: WHO HAS THE PRESIDENT-ELECT PICKED SO FAR?

Kennedy, a former Democrat, has been open about his pro-choice stance, much to the chagrin of conservative Republicans. 

The former presidential candidate shared a video on social media this summer, writing in a post, "I support the emerging consensus that abortion should be unrestricted up until a certain point." 

He suggested that this limit should be "when the baby is viable outside the womb." Viability is understood to occur around 24 weeks gestation. 

Kennedy will likely be asked in his upcoming hearing the extent of his pro-choice stance. Several Republicans are wary of Trump's pick for HHS, while others expressed confidence he would act in line with the administration.

"I would fully expect any of Trump's nominees to be pro-life, as is President Trump," Sen. Ted Budd, R-N.C., told Fox News Digital. "It does need to be addressed."

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"I believe what he's going to do is do the right thing," Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., said of Kennedy.

Trump's softening stance toward abortion was a notable point during his campaign. Trump has said he would leave abortion to the states after of Roe v. Wade was overturned.

Trump notably opposes a federal abortion ban but has remained opposed to late-term abortions. In July, the Republican Party abandoned its long-standing position of advocating for abortions. 

Chavez-DeRemer's nomination received strong support from unions, which once stood at odds with Republican ideology.

The president-elect lauded her for working "tirelessly with both Business and Labor to build America’s workforce, and support the hardworking men and women of America." 

"I look forward to working with her to create tremendous opportunity for American Workers, to expand Training and Apprenticeships, to grow wages and improve working conditions, to bring back our Manufacturing jobs," Trump said in an Friday announcement.

During her short stint as a House Republican, Chavez-DeRemer championed labor rights. She co-sponsored the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, which increased penalties for employers who break labor law and makes it easier to unionize. She also co-sponsored the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act, which would expand the powers of public sector unions.

Her candidacy for the post was backed by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union, whose president thanked Trump for the pro-labor pick.

"North America’s strongest union is ready to work with you every step of the way to expand good union jobs and rebuild our nation’s middle class," Teamsters President Sean O’Brien wrote on X. "Let’s get to work!" 

Similarly, AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler praised Chavez-DeRemer for having "built a pro-labor record in Congress."

"But Donald Trump is the president-elect of the United States — not Rep. Chavez-DeRemer — and it remains to be seen what she will be permitted to do as secretary of labor in an administration with a dramatically anti-worker agenda," Shuler said.

President-elect Trump nominated Bessent as his top economic official to implement "Trumponomics." 

Bessent made a name for himself at Soros Capital Management, where he worked as chief investment officer from 2011 to 2015. Following his work with Soros, he founded hedge fund Key Square Capital Management and was a key economic policy adviser and fundraiser for the Trump campaign.

He has been an advocate for economic policies like lower taxes, spending restraint and deregulation that have long made up the core of the Republican Party's platform and has been supportive of Trump's use of tariffs in trade negotiations.

In a statement, Consumer Bankers Association President and CEO Lindsey Johnson congratulated Bessent on the nomination.

"As an experienced and accomplished businessman, we applaud Mr. Bessent’s recent comments in which he has called for a surge in small business optimism, a smart deregulatory banking agenda and support for Main Street," Johnson said.

"If confirmed, we look forward to working with Mr. Bessent to advocate for sound financial regulatory policy that enable banks to better support consumers, small businesses and the economy at large."

As America's top diplomat, Rubio was plucked from his Senate term in Florida to serve in Trump's upcoming administration.

Rubio, a former critic of Trump, has supported strong relations with foreign alliances, including NATO, advocating for a robust U.S. presence in the world. He has also publicly supported Israel's war against Hamas and spoken out against continued aid to Ukraine.

"It is my Great Honor to announce that Senator Marco Rubio, of Florida, is hereby nominated to be The United States Secretary of State. Marco is a Highly Respected Leader, and a very powerful Voice for Freedom," Trump said in a statement. "He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries."

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In a statement, Rubio, 53, said he was "honored" by the trust Trump "has placed in me."

"As Secretary of State, I will work every day to carry out his foreign policy agenda," Rubio wrote on X. "Under the leadership of President Trump we will deliver peace through strength and always put the interests of Americans and America above all else."

WATCH:

A combat veteran and former Fox News host, Hegseth was picked as the senior executive in the Department of Defense, which oversees the U.S. military and Pentagon. 

Hegseth, who served as an Army infantryman in Iraq and Afghanistan as a member of the Minnesota National Guard, has been a vocal critic of the Biden administration's national security approach.

Hegseth has been under increased scrutiny after former Rep. Matt Gaetz's decision to drop out following sexual misconduct allegations. Hegseth is also facing sexual misconduct allegations from a 2017 encounter. Scrutiny increased late Wednesday night after police in Monterey, California, released a report about the allegations.

"The matter was fully investigated, and I was completely cleared," Hegseth told reporters on Capitol Hill Thursday. Through his attorney, he has also acknowledged the sexual encounter but has said it was consensual.

Following Gaetz's removal from consideration for the nation's top cop, Trump chose Bondi as his attorney general pick.

Bondi, a former Florida attorney general, was named by Trump hours after Gaetz withdrew. Bondi is a longtime Trump supporter who served on his legal team during his impeachment trial.

"For too long, the partisan Department of Justice has been weaponized against me and other Republicans – Not anymore," Trump wrote in his announcement. "Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting Crime, and Making America Safe Again.

"I have known Pam for many years – She is smart and tough, and is an AMERICA FIRST Fighter, who will do a terrific job as Attorney General!"

WATCH:

North Dakota Gov. Burgum, a staunch advocate of expanded fossil fuel production, was picked as Trump's secretary of the interior. Trump also named him to the newly created "energy czar" position.

Burgum has been an ally of Trump since he suspended his own presidential campaign. Burgum made energy and natural resources a key part of his campaign for the GOP nomination.

The president-elect said in a statement the newly formed National Energy 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."

Rollins, who grew up on a farm in Glen Rose, Texas, was a surprise pick for the position. Others, including former Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., were floated as top contenders.

Rollins served as director of the Office of American Innovation and acting director of the Domestic Policy Council during the first Trump administration. Since her time in the Trump White House, Rollins co-founded the pro-Trump America First Policy Institute think tank.

"A proud Graduate of Texas A&M University, Brooke earned a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Agriculture Development, and J.D., with Honors," the announcement said. "From her upbringing in the small and Agriculture-centered town of Glen Rose, Texas, to her years of leadership involvement with Future Farmers of America and 4H, to her generational Family Farming background, to guiding her four kids in their show cattle careers, Brooke has a practitioner’s experience, along with deep Policy credentials in both Nonprofit and Government leadership at the State and National levels."

Lutnick, 63, has served as the co-chair of Trump's transition team and was a key fundraiser for Trump's 2020 and 2024 campaigns.

"I am thrilled to announce that Howard Lutnick, Chairman & CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, will join my Administration as the United States Secretary of Commerce," Trump said in a statement. "He will lead our Tariff and Trade agenda, with additional direct responsibility for the Office of the United States Trade Representative."

The Commerce Department plays a key role in regulating international trade with the U.S. as well as promoting economic growth domestically.

There are several notable bureaus within the Commerce Department, including the Census Bureau, the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the Bureau of Industry and Security, which work on issues related to national security and sensitive technologies by enforcing export controls and promoting the health of the U.S. defense industrial base.

Turner, 52, Trump's choice to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development, is a former NFL player. 

He served in Trump’s first administration as executive director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council.

"Scott is an NFL Veteran, who, during my First Term, served as the First Executive Director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council (WHORC), helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country’s most distressed communities," Trump said in a statement Friday.

WATCH:

Duffy is a former Wisconsin congressman and former Fox News contributor and FOX Business co-host.

"Sean has been a tremendous and well-liked public servant, starting his career as a District Attorney for Ashland, Wisconsin, and later elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District," Trump said in his announcement Monday. 

"Sean will use his experience and the relationships he has built over many years in Congress to maintain and rebuild our Nation’s Infrastructure, and fulfill our Mission of ushering in The Golden Age of Travel, focusing on Safety, Efficiency, and Innovation. Importantly, he will greatly elevate the Travel Experience for all Americans!"

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Shortly after the announcement, a spokesperson for Fox News Media released the following statement: "Sean Duffy provided valuable insights and analysis in co-hosting the FOX Business Network program ‘The Bottom Line.’ As Duffy departs FOX News Media effective today, we wish him the best of luck in his return to Washington. Moving forward, ‘The Bottom Line’ will continue with Dagen McDowell joined by rotating co-hosts."

Wright, the CEO and founder of Liberty Energy, will lead the Department of Energy.

"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," Trump said in a statement. 

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According to Liberty Energy's website, Wright graduated from MIT with a degree in mechanical engineering. He also completed graduate work in electrical engineering at the University of California, Berkeley and MIT.

"[Wright] is a self-described tech nerd turned entrepreneur and a dedicated humanitarian on a mission to better human lives by expanding access to abundant, affordable, and reliable energy," the company's website says.

The key Cabinet position announcement comes after Trump made energy independence and bolstering oil and gas production a cornerstone of his campaign.

McMahon serves as co-chair of Trump’s transition team and is a major GOP donor and a retired World Wrestling Entertainment executive.

Clips of McMahon's body slams have resurfaced across social media in the days since the announcement of her appointment. 

McMahon served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009. She told lawmakers at the time she had a lifelong interest in education and once planned to become a teacher. She attempted two runs at the Senate as a Connecticut Republican, losing the 2010 race to Richard Blumenthal and the 2012 race to Chris Murphy. 

McMahon then provided $6 million to help Trump’s candidacy after he secured the Republican presidential nomination in 2016. She served as administrator of the Small Business Administration during Trump's first term from 2017 to 2019.

Former Rep. Collins, R-Ga., is an Air Force Reserve chaplain.

Collins, 58, last ran for office in 2020 when he vied for a Georgia Senate seat and served two years as a Navy chaplain before joining the Air Force as a chaplain after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Trump praised Collins in the appointment announcement, saying he would be a "great advocate for active-duty service members, veterans and military families to ensure they have the support they need."

"We must take care of our brave men and women in uniform," Trump said. "Thank you, Doug, for your willingness to serve our country in this important role."

Noem, who has served as South Dakota's governor since 2019, has been a staunch Trump ally throughout his campaigns.

The Department of Homeland Security oversees U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Secret Service and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

If selected, Noem would work with Tom Homan, who was announced as Trump's "border czar," and Stephen Miller, who was announced as the White House deputy of staff for policy.

Pam Bondi, Trump’s pick for attorney general, praised as ‘loyal’ and ‘qualified’ for top US prosecutor role

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

President-elect Donald Trump tapped former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi on Thursday to head up the U.S. Department of Justice in his second term—a swift decision but one met with little surprise among many in Trump's orbit.

That's because Bondi, 59, has emerged as a close ally of the president-elect in recent years—including defending him in his impeachment proceedings, and more recently, in the run-up to Election Day, where she serves as the co-chair of the Center for Law and Justice at the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) a think tank set up by former Trump staffers.

Like former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, who withdrew his name from consideration for attorney general Thursday afternoon, Bondi is from Florida and is considered by many to be a staunch loyalist of the president-elect, dedicated to rooting out what the president-elect has described as the "weaponization" of the Justice Department. 

Beyond that, however, the two appear to have little in common. 

FLURRY OF PRE-ELECTION LEGAL CASES IS NOW 'STANDARDIZED' STRATEGY, EXPERTS SAY

A Florida native, Bondi has spent years as a prosecutor in the Sunshine State—spending 18 as a prosecutor in the Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Office before being elected in 2010 to serve as Florida's first female attorney general. 

More recently, Bondi has used her perch at AFPI to voice concerns about election security—a major issue that Republicans sought to emphasize as they filed a flurry of re-election lawsuits, mainly in major swing states.

If confirmed, it is likely that Bondi will use her post to implement many of Trump's tough-on-crime policy proposals, including cracking down on cartels, fentanyl, trafficking and more. 

A website for Trump's Agenda47 called for policies such as extending the death penalty for human traffickers, ending welfare for migrants living in the U.S. illegally, and cracking down on violent crime in major cities, which Trump has described as having declined into "cesspools of bloodshed and crime."

In the hours after her nomination, however, it remained unclear how—or whether—she planned to implement some of these proposals. 

One member of the Trump transition team pointed Fox News Digital to a widely circulated clip of CNN legal analyst Elie Honig highlighting Bondi's qualifications for the role.

"Pam Bondi is, without a question, qualified to be attorney general," Honig said in the clip, calling her experience "on par with, or better than, most United States attorneys general that we've seen over the past 50 years or so."

"Even CNN is fawning over her qualifications," a source familiar, who declined to be identified, told Fox News Digital.

MATT GAETZ SAYS HE WILL NOT SERVE IN THE UPCOMING SESSION OF CONGRESS

Those close to Bondi have praised her long record as a prosecutor, and her staunch loyalty to the president-elect, alongside whom she has worked since 2020—first, helping to represent him in his first impeachment trial, and currently in her post at AFPI.

Bondi is "all about integrity and the proper application of justice and fairness," said Gianno Caldwell, the head of the Caldwell Institute of Public Safety, an organization designed to fight violent crime. Bondi serves on the advisory board of that group.

"I think she's going to be able to root out a lot of the bad apples," Caldwell added. "And return the Justice Department to its traditional focus, which is law and order, and fighting crime."

MIKE ROGERS REPLACING WRAY AS FBI DIRECTOR IS NOT HAPPENING, TRUMP ADVISER SAYS
 

Like other top contenders for the role. Bondi has not been shy in going after Trump critics, including special counsel Jack Smith, who was tapped by Attorney General Merrick Garland in 2022 to investigate both an alleged effort by Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 election, and Trump's keeping of allegedly classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida. 

Smith appears to be winding down his investigation—a welcome relief for the president-elect, who had vowed as a candidate to fire him "within two seconds" after taking office. 

Still, Bondi has shared in Trump's criticisms, using a recent radio interview to describe Smith and his team of prosecutors as "horrible" people trying to make a name for themselves by "going after Donald Trump and weaponizing our legal system."

"Attorney General nominee Bondi is looking forward to the confirmation process and answering any questions senators might have," said Alex Pfeiffer, a spokesman for the Trump transition team.

Bondi's life "has been dedicated to keeping Americans safe," he added. "She looks forward to continuing that work at the Department of Justice." 

Trump, defying media predictions, mainly picks seasoned Capitol Hill veterans such as Marco Rubio

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

The media warned for months that Donald Trump would have "no guardrails" in a second term, and would probably hand out top positions to a bunch of right-wing crazies.

Instead, he picked Marco Rubio yesterday as secretary of State, a 14-year Senate veteran and son of Cuban immigrants who has been informally advising him on foreign policy.

MEDIA LIBERALS SAVAGE KAMALA AS TRUMP PICKS EXPERIENCED HARD-LINERS

The president-elect has also tapped a number of Hill veterans who are conventional conservatives, agree with him on key issues and could just as easily have been named by Mitt Romney.

Also yesterday, Trump selected Kristi Noem, the South Dakota governor, as Homeland Security secretary, after she overcame the dog-shooting incident that knocked her out of the veepstakes.

Trump has been rolling out these appointments at hyper-speed, just a week after the election. He has stayed off TV and hasn’t made any inflammatory posts. He’s trying to demonstrate a seriousness about governing, by hitting the ground running.

In the past, presidents and presidents-elect have appeared on air, praising their nominee or maybe two, and yielding to a short, grateful speech by the chosen ones. But Trump appears to be skipping all that. 

All the top jobs haven’t been filled, obviously, but even some top Democrats are praising the choice of Rubio (while some in the MAGA movement are disappointed). He’s unquestionably a hawk, and will be the face of American foreign policy as he travels around the world. 

Sure, he said some terrible things about Trump, who derided him as Little Marco, when both ran in 2016. I watched Rubio on the trail that year and he’s a very charismatic speaker.

But the two have long since mended fences. Rubio tried to push immigration reform a decade ago as part of various Senate gangs, but has since distanced himself from the effort.

I keep seeing television chyrons that, almost in accusatory fashion, say Trump is hiring "loyalists." Excuse me–do you think that Joe Biden, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton didn’t hire loyalists? Presidents want aides who generally agree with them and won’t turn into troublemakers. Biden hired such longtime advisers as Ron Klain, Mike Donilon and Steve Richetti.

From a conservative point of view, when Biden hired top officials who wanted to strengthen environmental rules, boost labor unions and spend hundreds of billions of dollars to dig out of the pandemic, that was a hard-line departure from Trump 1.0. Now Trump will reverse many Biden policies with the stroke of a pen.

DEPRESSED MEDIA REACT TO TRUMP VICTORY: HOW COULD THIS POSSIBLY HAVE HAPPENED?

The other picks so far: Upstate New York congresswoman Elise Stefanik, a member of the House leadership and impeachment defender, has been tapped for U.N. ambassador. 

Trump also chose former Long Island congressman Lee Zeldin to run the EPA. He’s a mainstream conservative who has crusaded against excessive environmental regulations and gotten a lifetime score of 14 percent from the League of Conservation Voters. He told Fox News that the administration will "roll back regulations" that are causing businesses to "struggle" and are "forcing" them to move overseas.

After that, Trump tapped Florida GOP congressman Mike Waltz, a former Green Beret, as White House national security adviser, which doesn’t require Senate confirmation. He’s a China hawk and Ukraine skeptic. "Stopping Russia before it draws NATO and therefore the U.S. into war is the right thing to do," Waltz wrote. "But the burden cannot continue to be solely on the shoulders of the American people, especially while Western Europe gets a pass." 

These are serious people who know how Washington works.

By the way, Trump has shrunk what’s expected to be a very small GOP edge in the House by picking two members. But in Rubio’s case, Gov. Ron DeSantis can appoint a replacement who would serve until the midterm elections.

As I’m typing this, Trump just named Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor and presidential candidate, as ambassador to Israel. Huckabee has led many delegations to the country and is staunchly pro-Israel. 

And after I filed this, Trump named Bill McGinley, who worked on election integrity for the RNC and was general counsel for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, as his White House counsel.

And after I filed the insert, another announcement: John Ratcliffe being tapped for CIA director. The former Texas congressman, known for criticizing the FBI as biased against Trump, became his director of national intelligence in 2020. 

Last night, Trump made his first hire from Fox News. Pete Hegseth, an Army combat veteran and co-host of "Fox & Friends Weekend," has been named Defense secretary. Trump noted that Hegseth did tours in Guantanamo Bay, Iraq, and Afghanistan, was awarded two Bronze Stars, and just published the best-selling "The War on Warriors."

Trump tried to get him confirmed the previous year, but Ratcliffe withdrew after GOP senators and ex-intel officials raised concerns about him, amid media disclosures that he’d embellished his prosecutorial efforts in immigration and terrorism cases. So he certainly qualifies as a highly partisan pick.

The two appointees who can fairly be described as aggressive hard-liners–critics would say extremists–are Stephen Miller and Tom Homan–both hired to deal with Trump’s top priority, the border.

Miller, who spearheaded immigration policy in the first Trump term, has been promoted to deputy chief of staff, and even that title doesn’t capture the clout he’ll have as a trusted member of the inner circle. He pushed the family separation policy that was extremely controversial.

WHY THE MEDIA WAITED TILL NOW TO ADMIT HARRIS RAN A LOUSY CAMPAIGN

Homan, who ran ICE in the first term, is being called the border czar. When asked if there was a way to avoid separating families, as happened last time, he said sure–deport them all together.

He said at a conference over the summer: "Washington Post can do all the stories they want on me about ‘Tom Homan’s deportin’ people, he’s really good at it!’ They ain’t seen s*** yet! Wait till 2025!"

Miller and Homan will be responsible for carrying out mass deportations of the roughly 11 million illegal immigrants living in America, or at least starting the process so the president-elect can say he kept his promise. Critics call the goal utterly unrealistic.

Now there are others who will also enjoy huge influence. Elon Musk, who donated $119 million to help Trump, is now the most powerful private citizen ever–heading a waste commission, posting hundreds of messages on X, sitting in on Trump call to Volodymyr Zelenskyy – all while seeking billions in federal contracts.

Trump said last night that Musk will head a Department of Government Efficiency - he promised to "send shockwaves through the system" - with help from former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. 

RFK Jr. will get some title, but Trump has to decide whether to go along with his hotly disputed ideas on vaccines and removing fluoride from water systems. He’s also threatened to fire FDA officials who have waged a "war on public health," saying the agency has suppressed such products as raw milk, ivermectin and vitamins.

And of course J.D. Vance will be an unusually active vice president and heir apparent.  

Still to come: the top jobs of Treasury secretary and the extraordinarily sensitive post of attorney general. I also want to know who’ll be press secretary!

One reason we’re in for weeks and weeks of skeptical to negative coverage is that every beat reporter on the planet must now do obligatory pieces on Donald Trump.

Whether they cover sports, religion, labor, housing, entertainment, courts, energy, television, schools or crime, they need to write about the impact of the 47th president–keeping in mind that he weighs in on everything.  

From yesterday alone: 

Washington Post: "Trump Pledged to Close the Education Department. What would that mean?"

New York Times: "Trump’s ‘Drill, Baby, Drill’ Cuts Two Ways for Oil Companies."

And: "Colleges Wonder if They Will Be ‘the Enemy’ Under Trump"

But my personal favorite: "What a Trump Presidency Means for the Liquor Industry."

(Trump doesn’t drink, but every industry wants less regulation.)

There’s also this Drudge headline: "Wife Divorces Husband Over Vote."

As the Mirror reports, "A man has said he can’t believe his wife was ready to ‘throw away our entire life’ after filing for divorce over his vote for Donald Trump.  

The distraught husband wrote on social media that he has been left without words that the marriage could fall apart over politics." 

I guess a family separation policy comes in many forms.

Trump picks former intel director John Ratcliffe to head the CIA

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

John Ratcliffe, who served as President-elect Trump's principal intelligence advisor during his first presidential term, has been picked to serve as the director of the Central Intelligence Agency during Trump's second term.

Ratcliffe is one of several appointees announced in the past week who will fill key positions during Trump's second term. 

"From exposing fake Russian collusion to be a Clinton campaign operation, to catching the FBI’s abuse of Civil Liberties at the FISA Court, John Ratcliffe has always been a warrior for Truth and Honesty with the American Public," Trump said in a statement. "When 51 intelligence officials were lying about Hunter Biden’s laptop, there was one, John Ratcliffe, telling the truth to the American People."

Trump honored Ratcliffe in 2020 with the National Security Medal, the highest honor for distinguished achievement in the field of intelligence and national security.

TRUMP'S PICKS SO FAR: HERE'S WHO WILL BE ADVISING THE NEW PRESIDENT

"I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation’s highest Intelligence positions," said Trump. "He will be a fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans, while ensuring the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH."

Ratcliffe previously served as the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), where he oversaw 17 intelligence agencies, in the final months of Trump's first term. 

In that role, Ratcliffe served as the leader of the U.S. intelligence community and principal intelligence advisor to Trump. Before that, he served in Congress for over five years as the Republican U.S. representative for the 4th Congressional District of Texas, where he was a leading policymaker on national security issues and served on the House Intelligence and Judiciary Committees and as Cybersecurity chairman on the Homeland Security Committee, according to his biography.

Ratcliffe's profile increased in 2019 as he became an ardent defender of Trump during the House's first impeachment proceedings against him. He was a member of Trump’s impeachment advisory team and strenuously questioned witnesses during the impeachment hearings.

After the Democratic-controlled House voted to impeach Trump, Ratcliffe said: "This is the thinnest, fastest and weakest impeachment our country has ever seen." 

He was also criticized after declassifying Russian intelligence alleging damaging information about Democrats during the 2016 presidential race, despite acknowledging that it might not be true. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

GOP congressman-elect reveals ambitious 100-day plan for Trump admin: ‘Not going to get fooled again’

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

FIRST ON FOX: In his first interview since being elected to the House of Representatives, Arizona Republican Abe Hamadeh spoke to Fox News Digital about what the first 100 days in a Republican-controlled Congress and White House will look like.

"Speaker Mike Johnson and the entire Republican leadership team has actually been ahead of its time. They were preparing for this moment, so I know they're going to hit the ground running with something very historic in the first hundred days," Hamadeh, elected to represent Arizona’s 8th Congressional district in the House on Tuesday, told Fox News Digital. 

"That includes beefing up border security and making it permanent. I know election integrity is the top of my list as well, because without secure elections, we can't have a republic, and so I know that's going to be top priorities, election integrity, border security, as well as making sure we increase our energy independence, because that's going to help reduce inflation rather quickly once we start growing the economy."

Hamadeh told Fox News Digital he believes that the Republican House majority, if Republicans indeed hold onto control of the chamber, as many expect they will, is "much better prepared" to move through Trump’s agenda than it was in 2017.

TRUMP FLIPS BORDER COUNTY THAT HASN'T VOTED FOR REPUBLICAN IN OVER 100 YEARS WITH MASSIVE 76-POINT SWING

Hamadeh added that he expects Democrats, who labeled Trump a "fascist" on the presidential campaign trail, aren’t being honest when they say they will work with Trump and do what they can to help his transition.

"They said the same thing in 2016, 2017, after President Trump won and what did they do?" Hamadeh said. "They opened up multiple impeachment inquiries. They tried to derail his presidency with distractions. They had the media, the corporate media, so many of them like the left wing MSNBC and CNN, drive home so many false narratives. So that's what they're going to do."

"Fool me once, shame on you, Fool me twice, shame on me. And we're not going to get fooled again."

TRUMP NAMES SUSIE WILES AS FIRST FEMALE WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF IN HISTORY

Regardless of what actions Democrats take, Hamadeh told Fox News Digital it is clear that Republicans "absolutely" have a mandate from the American people after Trump’s popular vote victory to go along with an Electoral College landslide.

"He does have a mandate from the American people," Hamadeh said. "The last time the Republican won the popular vote and Electoral College was 2004 with an incumbent president, President George W Bush. You know, the last time it was a non-incumbent, I believe, was 1988 under George H.W. Bush. And he was still at least the VP at the time. So this was a historic mandate. And President Trump, I'm going to support him all the way in Congress and make sure that we're going to change our country around very quickly."

Hamadeh added that the Republicans "also have to go in there knowing that President Trump has one term."

"You know, it's pretty liberating feeling, I'm sure, for President Trump. He's got one term to get the job done. And I intend to be working every single day as the newest member of Congress to make sure we get the America-first agenda passed."

The majority in the House of Representatives appears within reach for Republicans, who have already won control of the Senate and the White House.

"We're almost certainly going to lose the House by a narrow margin," a senior House Democratic aide told Fox News Digital. "We got our a--es kicked."

Fox News Digital's Liz Elkind contributed to this report

Jordan demands Smith retain all records related to Trump prosecutions as special counsel’s office winds down

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

FIRST ON FOX: The House Judiciary Committee is concerned that special counsel Jack Smith and prosecutors involved in the investigations of now President-elect Donald Trump will "purge" records to skirt oversight and is demanding they produce to Congress all documents related to the probes before the end of the month, Fox News Digital has learned. 

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga., penned a letter to Smith on Friday, obtained by Fox News Digital. 

TRUMP VOWS TO LEAD ‘GOLDEN AGE OF AMERICA' IN VICTORY SPEECH: ’FIX EVERYTHING'

"The Committee on the Judiciary is continuing its oversight of the Department of Justice and the Office of Special Counsel. According to recent public reports, prosecutors in your office have been ‘gaming out legal options’ in the event that President Donald Trump won the election," they wrote. "With President Trump’s decisive victory this week, we are concerned that the Office of Special Counsel may attempt to purge relevant records, communications, and documents responsive to our numerous requests for information." 

Jordan and Loudermilk warned that the Office of Special Counsel "is not immune from transparency or above accountability for its actions." 

"We reiterate our requests, which are itemized in the attached appendix and incorporated herein, and ask that you produce the entirety of the requested material as soon as possible but no later than November 22, 2024," they wrote. 

Jordan and Loudermilk are demanding Smith turn over information about the use of FBI personnel on his team — a request first made in June 2023 — and whether any of those FBI employees "previously worked on any other matters concerning President Trump." 

They also renewed their request from August 2023, demanding records relating to Smith and prosecutor Jay Bratt visiting the White House or Executive Office of the President; a request from September 2023 for records related to lawyer Stanley Woodward—who represented Trump aide Walt Nauta; a request from December 2023 for communications between Attorney General Merrick Garland and the special counsel’s team; and more. 

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT LOOKING TO WIND DOWN TRUMP CRIMINAL CASES AHEAD OF INAUGURATION

The Justice Department is looking to wind down two federal criminal cases against President-elect Trump as he prepares to be sworn in for a second term in the White House — a decision that upholds a long-standing policy that prevents Justice Department attorneys from prosecuting a sitting president. 

DOJ officials have cited a memo from the Office of Legal Counsel filed in 2000, which upholds a Watergate-era argument that asserts it is a violation of the separation of powers doctrine for the Justice Department to investigate a sitting president. 

It further notes that such proceedings would "unduly interfere in a direct or formal sense with the conduct of the Presidency."  

"In light of the effect that an indictment would have on the operations of the executive branch, ‘an impeachment proceeding is the only appropriate way to deal with a President while in office,’" the memo said in conclusion.

Smith was leading an investigation into the alleged retention of classified records. Trump pleaded not guilty to the charges stemming from that probe. 

The case was eventually tossed completely by a federal judge in Florida, who ruled that Smith was improperly and unlawfully appointed as special counsel. 

Smith also took over an investigation into alleged 2020 election interference. Trump also pleaded not guilty, but his attorneys took the fight to the U.S. Supreme Court to argue on the basis of presidential immunity. 

The high court ruled that Trump was immune from prosecution for official presidential acts, forcing Smith to file a new indictment. Trump pleaded not guilty to those new charges as well. Trump attorneys are now seeking to have the election interference charges dropped in Washington, D.C., similarly alleging that Smith was appointed unlawfully. 

Justice Department looking to wind down Trump criminal cases ahead of inauguration

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

The Justice Department is looking to wind down two federal criminal cases against President-elect Trump as he prepares to be sworn in for a second term in the White House — a decision that upholds long-standing policy that prevents Justice Department attorneys from prosecuting a sitting president. 

In making this argument, Justice Department officials cited a memo from the Office of Legal Counsel filed in 2000, which upholds a Watergate-era argument that asserts it is a violation of the separation of powers doctrine for the Justice Department to investigate a sitting president. 

It further notes that such proceedings would "unduly interfere in a direct or formal sense with the conduct of the Presidency."  

"In light of the effect that an indictment would have on the operations of the executive branch, ‘an impeachment proceeding is the only appropriate way to deal with a President while in office,’" the memo said in conclusion.

Former Attorney General Bill Barr also backed this contention Wednesday in an interview with Fox News Digital, noting that after Trump takes office in January, prosecutors will be unable to continue the cases during his term. 

TRUMP VOWS TO LEAD ‘GOLDEN AGE OF AMERICA' IN VICTORY SPEECH: ’FIX EVERYTHING'

Barr told Fox News Digital that a Trump-appointed attorney general could immediately halt all federal cases brought by current Special Counsel Jack Smith in Washington, D.C., and Florida. 

The charges in D.C. stem from Trump's alleged efforts to overturn the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. In Florida, they are centered on Trump's handling of classified documents after leaving the White House in 2020.

And though Trump would be powerless to halt two state cases filed in Georgia and New York, Barr said local prosecutors and judges need to move on from the "spectacle" of prosecuting the president-elect.

"Further maneuvering on these cases in the weeks ahead would serve no legitimate purpose and only distract the country and the incoming administration from the task at hand," Barr said.

He also noted that voters were well aware of the criminal allegations against Trump when they voted to re-elect him for a second term.

"The American people have rendered their verdict on President Trump, and decisively chosen him to lead the country for the next four years," Barr said. 

"They did that with full knowledge of the claims against him by prosecutors around the country and I think Attorney General [Merrick] Garland and the state prosecutors should respect the people’s decision and dismiss the cases against President Trump now."

This is a breaking news story. Check back soon for more developments.