White House news

• Moskowitz on Gaetz nomination: 'Elections have consequences'

  13-11-2024 23:25 via thehill.com
  
  Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) on Wednesday said “elections have consequences” when asked about President-elect Trump’s choice of Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) as attorney general.
  “Donald Trump is very intentional with this pick,” Moskowitz said when asked by NewsNation about Gaetz’s possible new role, labeling the Republican representative as "fiercely loyal" and "fiercely competent."
  "Donald Trump’s told the American people what he wanted to do," he added.
  
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• 5 things to know about Pete Hegseth, Trump's Pentagon nominee

  13-11-2024 23:07 via thehill.com
  
  President-elect Trump has made an unconventional choice in announcing his intention of nominating Fox News host Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense. It was a surprise choice that already has caused some consternation. Many had expected a nominee with more experience to be selected to lead the Pentagon.
  Hegseth has been a fierce advocate of "wokeness" in the military, and has suggested banning women from combat roles and firing Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. CQ Brown.
  Should he be confirmed in the
  
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• Live updates: Johnson nominated for Speaker, Thune elected Senate GOP leader

  13-11-2024 22:28 via thehill.com
  
  Republicans in the House and Senate are electing their leaders Wednesday after securing a trifecta — winning the House, Senate and White House — in last week's election.In the Senate, Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) was elected Republican leader, beating out Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) to replace outgoing Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) after a record-long tenure. Thune elected Senate majority leader House GOP to elect leaders: Races to watch Shellshocked Dems return t
  
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• New York's Espaillat running unopposed for Hispanic Caucus chair

  13-11-2024 22:23 via thehill.com
  
  New York Democratic Rep. Adriano Espaillat is all but certain to lead congressional Hispanic Democrats next year, as he is running unopposed to head the group.Espaillat’s tenure as Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) chair will come at a crossroads for Latino Democrats, fresh off a painful election loss where 45 percent of Hispanic voters picked President-elect Trump over Vice President Harris.Espaillat will lead a group that’s gained relevance over the last decade, and one that stan
  
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• House GOP nominates Johnson for Speaker

  13-11-2024 22:17 via thehill.com
  
  House Republicans on Wednesday nominated Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to retain the gavel in the upcoming 119th Congress, according to three sources in the room, as the conference prepares to govern in the GOP trifecta next year.Johnson — who was running unopposed for the gavel — won the Speakership nomination on a voice vote. No other lawmakers threw their hats in the ring or were nominated for the post. The voice vote is a blow to conservatives who had been planning to push for a r
  
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• Department of Education deems Nex Benedict's Oklahoma school district in violation of Title IX

  13-11-2024 21:38 via thehill.com
  
  The Department of Education announced Wednesday that the Owasso school district in Oklahoma violated Title IX due to sexual harassment in its schools, a finding that comes months after the death of Nex Benedict.The death set off alarm bells around the Oklahoma district back in February, when Benedict, who identified under the two-spirit, transgender and gender-nonconforming umbrella, died by suicide a day after a fight in the school's girl's bathroom.But the federal agency found the district's p
  
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• Department of Education concludes Nex Benedict's Oklahoma school district in violation of Title IX

  13-11-2024 21:38 via thehill.com
  
  The Department of Education announced Wednesday that the Owasso School District in Oklahoma violated Title IX due to sexual harassment in its schools, a finding that comes months after the death of Nex Benedict.The death set off alarm bells around the Oklahoma district back in February, when Benedict, who identified under the two-spirit, transgender and gender-nonconforming umbrella, died by suicide a day after a fight in the school's girl's bathroom.But the federal agency found the district's p
  
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• Trump taps Gabbard for director of national intelligence

  13-11-2024 21:24 via thehill.com
  
  President-elect Trump announced Wednesday that Tulsi Gabbard would serve as his director of national intelligence, a remarkable turnaround for a former Democrat accused of peddling Russian narratives.“For over two decades, Tulsi has fought for our Country and the Freedoms of all Americans. As a former Candidate for the Democrat Presidential Nomination, she has broad support in both Parties - She is now a proud Republican! I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her ill
  
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• Trump discussed Ukraine, Middle East with Biden in White House meeting

  13-11-2024 21:22 via thehill.com
  
  President-elect Trump said that he discussed the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East with President Biden during the meeting at the White House, which he said was “really good.”“I asked for his views and he gave them to me,” Trump said in an interview with the New York Post. “Also, we talked very much about the Middle East, likewise. I wanted to know his views on where we are and what... he thinks. And he gave them to me, he was very gracious.”Trump
  
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• Trump announces Rubio as pick for secretary of State

  13-11-2024 21:12 via thehill.com
  
  President-elect Trump on Wednesday made official his choice to nominate Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) as secretary of State, slotting his former rival into his administration's top diplomatic role.Trump in a statement praised Rubio as a "Highly Respected Leader, and a very powerful Voice for Freedom.""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," he added.Rubio’s selection to serve in Trump’s
  
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• Live updates: Senate GOP leadership team is set, Trump backs Johnson for Speaker

  13-11-2024 19:40 via thehill.com
  
  Republicans in the House and Senate are set to elect their leaders on Wednesday after securing a trifecta — winning the House, Senate and White House — in last week's election.In the Senate, Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) was elected Republican leader, beating out Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) to replace outgoing Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) after a record-long tenure. Thune elected Senate majority leader House GOP to elect leaders: Races to watch Shellshocked Dems r
  
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• Biden to meet Xi this week on sidelines of economic summit 

  13-11-2024 19:30 via thehill.com
  
  President Biden is planning to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Peru, the White House announced Wednesday.The meeting marks the third time Biden and Xi are speaking face to face, but comes ahead of the transition to President-elect Trump’s administration in January. A senior administration official said that it is the last time Biden and Xi are expected to meet, capping off four years where the administra
  
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• Jeffries tries to take blame for GOP wins; Democrats don't buy it

  13-11-2024 19:27 via thehill.com
  
  House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) on Wednesday sought to take the fall for the failure of Democrats to flip control of the House in last week's elections. But his colleagues weren't buying it. In a closed-door meeting of the House Democratic Caucus in the Capitol, Jeffries stood before his troops and said he was to blame for the Republicans' victory, according to a number of lawmakers in the room. The pushback, they said, was immediate."He stood up there today and said, 'It's a
  
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• Stephen King addresses 'rumors' about Musk insults, X ban

  13-11-2024 19:07 via thehill.com
  
  Author Stephen King on Wednesday addressed what he said were rumors about him mocking tech billionaire Elon Musk and being removed from the social platform X.“I see there's a rumor going around that I called the Musk-man Trump's new first lady.” King said in a post on X. “I didn't, but only because I didn't think of it. There's also a rumor going around that Muskie kicked me off Twitter. Yet here I am.”“Hi Steve!” Musk responded in King’s replies.The hor
  
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• Trump floats seeking third term in joke to House Republicans

  13-11-2024 18:48 via thehill.com
  
  President-elect Trump floated the prospect of seeking a third term in an apparent joke to House Republicans on Wednesday as they met ahead of internal leadership elections. “I suspect I won’t be running again unless you do something,” Trump said, according to pool reports and audio shared with The Hill. “Unless you say, ‘He’s so good, we have to just figure it out.’”The comment got laughs from the GOP lawmakers in the crowd – several of
  
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• Live updates: Republicans elect John Thune as Senate majority leader

  13-11-2024 18:18 via thehill.com
  
  Republicans in the House and Senate are set to elect their leaders on Wednesday after securing a trifecta — winning the House, Senate and White House — in last week's election.In the Senate, Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) was elected Republican leader, beating out Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) to replace outgoing Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) after a record-long tenure. Thune elected Senate majority leader House GOP to elect leaders: Races to watch Shellshocked Dems r
  
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• NY Democrat: Hegseth not a 'serious person' or 'serious pick'

  13-11-2024 17:38 via thehill.com
  
  Rep. Pat Ryan (D-N.Y.) on Wednesday said Fox News host Pete Hegseth is not a “serious pick” after news broke Tuesday that he was President-elect Trump's nominee to lead the Defense Department.
  “Do you believe he is qualified to lead the Department of Defense?” MSNBC’s Jonathan Lemire questioned Ryan on “Morning Joe,” which was highlighted by Mediaite.“This is an incredibly serious time in the world,” Ryan, who served in the Army, said. &ldquo
  
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• Warren: Musk, Ramaswamy leading government waste office 'seems REALLY efficient'

  13-11-2024 17:35 via thehill.com
  
  Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) joked Thursday about President-elect Trump’s decision to appoint Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy as co-leads of his new government efficiency panel.“The Office of Government Efficiency is off to a great start with split leadership: two people to do the work of one person,” Warren wrote in a post on X. “Yeah, this seems REALLY efficient.” Trump tapped Musk and Ramaswamy to lead a new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) t
  
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• Warren: Musk, Ramaswamy co-leading government waste office 'seems REALLY efficient'

  13-11-2024 17:35 via thehill.com
  
  Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) joked Thursday about President-elect Trump’s decision to appoint Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy as co-leads of his new government efficiency panel.“The Office of Government Efficiency is off to a great start with split leadership: two people to do the work of one person,” Warren wrote in a post on the social platform X. “Yeah, this seems REALLY efficient.” Trump tapped Musk and Ramaswamy to lead a new Department of Government
  
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• Live updates: Trump meets with House Republicans, Biden

  13-11-2024 17:26 via thehill.com
  
  Republicans in the House and Senate are set to elect their leaders on Wednesday after securing a trifecta — winning the House, Senate and White House — in last week's election.In the Senate, Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.), John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) are competing to be the next Senate majority leader, replacing outgoing Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) after a record-long tenure. Thune looks to dodge Trump bombshell in GOP leadership race House GOP to elect leaders: Races
  
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• Live updates: Trump backs Johnson for Speaker, meets with Biden

  13-11-2024 17:26 via thehill.com
  
  Republicans in the House and Senate are set to elect their leaders on Wednesday after securing a trifecta — winning the House, Senate and White House — in last week's election.In the Senate, Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.), John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) are competing to be the next Senate majority leader, replacing outgoing Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) after a record-long tenure. Thune looks to dodge Trump bombshell in GOP leadership race House GOP to elect leaders: Races
  
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• Trump, Biden pledge peaceful transition in Oval Office meeting: 'Politics is tough'

  13-11-2024 17:25 via thehill.com
  
  President-elect Trump and former President Biden sat down for a meeting in the Oval Office on Wednesday, just over a week after the former president’s decisive win back to the White House.“Politics is tough and in many cases it’s not a nice world, but it is a nice world today,” Trump said while the two leaders sat by the fireplace.Biden congratulated Trump on his victory, having once been his chief political opponent before dropping out of the 2024 race in July. Biden rep
  
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• Trump names top campaign aides as senior White House staff

  13-11-2024 17:05 via thehill.com
  
  President-elect Trump on Wednesday announced four senior advisers from his campaign would join him at the White House when he takes office in January.Dan Scavino, Stephen Miller, James Blair and Taylor Budowich will all take senior staff roles in the White House, Trump said in a statement."Dan, Stephen, James, and Taylor were 'best in class' advisors on my winning campaign, and I know they will honorably serve the American people in the White House," he said. "They will continue to work hard to
  
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• Sharpton to hold MLK rally on same day as Trump inauguration

  13-11-2024 16:52 via thehill.com
  
  Rev. Al Sharpton plans to hold a rally in protest of President-elect Trump on inauguration day. Sharpton announced the rally on his MSNBC show, "Politics Nation with Al Sharpton," on Tuesday. The rally and Trump's inauguration coincide with Martin Luther King Jr. Day. “While Trump supporters will be on one side of Washington watching him take the oath of office, I will be at the nation’s capital working to keep the dream alive,” Sharpton said. “There h
  
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• Bolton: Trump wants “subservience” not “loyalty” from appointees

  13-11-2024 16:33 via thehill.com
  
  Former national security adviser John Bolton said President-elect Trump is looking for “subservience” from appointees rather than loyalty, as Trump began to announce appointments to key roles in his upcoming administration.“As I've said before, I don't think loyalty is really the right word. I think it's fealty," he said Wednesday during an appearance on CNN. "I think what Trump wants from his appointees is subservience."He questioned if Trump’s Cabinet picks, such as Fox
  
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• Melania Trump won't visit White House Wednesday but wishes husband 'great success'

  13-11-2024 15:53 via thehill.com
  
  Melania Trump won't be joining President-elect Trump at the White House meeting on Wednesday that's aimed at marking a peaceful transition of power.The former first lady, her press office said in a statement posted on social media, "will not be attending" the scheduled face-to-face between her husband and President Biden."Her husband’s return to the Oval Office to commence the transition process is encouraging, and she wishes him great success," Melania Trump's office s
  
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• Live updates: House, Senate Republicans set to elect leaders

  13-11-2024 15:19 via thehill.com
  
  Lawmakers in the House and Senate are set to elect their leaders on Wednesday after Republicans scored a trifecta — winning the House, Senate and White House — in last week's election.While both parties will select their leadership teams, all eyes are on Republicans in both chambers.In the Senate, Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.), John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) are competing to be the next Senate majority leader, replacing the outgoing Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) after a rec
  
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• Chaffetz: 'I dare any Republican senator to vote against' Hegseth

  13-11-2024 15:11 via thehill.com
  
  Former Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) weighed in on President-elect Trump's decision to tap Fox News host Pete Hegseth as his Defense chief, suggesting he will be "easily confirmed."“I dare any Republican senator to vote against him," Chaffetz told Fox News's Laura Ingraham. "That is not in their best interest."“And we need to get him in place as soon as possible. Relief is on the way," he said in an interview on "The Ingraham Angle," highlighted by Mediaite. "This is exactly what I th
  
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• Jack Smith expected to resign ahead of Trump Inauguration

  13-11-2024 14:37 via thehill.com
  
  Special counsel Jack Smith plans to wrap up his work and resign from his post before President-elect Trump is sworn in.Trump has boasted that he plans to fire Smith “within two seconds” of taking office and has also made other threatening remarks about the special counsel, including that he should be arrested.The New York Times first reported the development.Smith on Friday asked for a suspension of deadlines in Trump’s election interference case, noting both the unprecedented
  
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• George Conway: Musk, Ramaswamy to lead 'nonexistent department'

  13-11-2024 14:26 via thehill.com
  
  Conservative pundit George Conway downplayed President-elect Trump's proposed advisory group focused on cutting federal spending and reducing the size of the government Tuesday, calling it "nonexistent."When asked by MSNBC's Alex Wagner about Trump's announcement to have billionaire Elon Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy lead the group dubbed the "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE), Conway said "It's just a nonexistent department.""First of all, it's not going to be a governmental
  
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• House Democrat 'very disturbed' by Hegseth pick as Trump Defense secretary

  13-11-2024 13:47 via thehill.com
  
  Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) said he was "very disturbed" by President-elect Trump's announcement Tuesday that he is choosing Pete Hegseth, an Army veteran and Fox News host, to head the Defense Department."I'm shocked, truly, and this is exactly what we worried about when we warned about Donald Trump, which is that he is going to appoint unqualified loyalists to shape this government into his own personal fiefdom," Goldman told CNN's Erin Burnett Tuesday on "Out Front.""I appreciate Mr. Hegseth's
  
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• Who is Michael Gold? Ex-NASA official to testify at UAP hearing

  13-11-2024 13:09 via thehill.com
  
  Former and current industry officials will discuss unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP), also known as UFOs, at a House of Representatives hearing Wednesday.Held by the House Oversight Committee, the hearing, titled “Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena: Exposing the Truth,” will begin at 11:30 a.m. EST.Sparked by whistleblower David Grusch's claims about an alleged UFO retrieval program, the hearing will feature testimony from former NASA administrator Michael Gold, Pentagon ins
  
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• Trump rewards lawmakers who backed him during impeachment

  13-11-2024 12:00 via thehill.com
  
  The House Republicans who took a leading role defending President-elect Trump during his first impeachment trial in 2020 are reaping the benefits. Of the eight GOP lawmakers who were part of Trump’s team to push back on allegations he withheld aid to Ukraine for political reasons, three are set to join his Cabinet; one is Speaker of the House and a staunch ally; and one became Trump’s chief of staff in his first administration.The political arc of the eight lawmak
  
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• Progressives seek to push Democrats to the left after Trump's resounding win

  13-11-2024 12:00 via thehill.com
  
  Progressives are urging Democrats to pursue a path forward that prioritizes America’s working-class population, the coalition that overwhelmingly rejected their party and supported President-elect Trump for a second term. Leftists believe moderates have failed to uplift economically marginalized people, deviating from their decades-old mandate and leaving that group open to Republicans’ message. Failing to keep the White House and Senate and reclaim the House, leaders on th
  
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• Trump, Biden set for awkward White House meeting

  13-11-2024 11:00 via thehill.com
  
  President-elect Trump and President Biden are readying for what promises to be a highly awkward meeting at the White House on Wednesday as Biden welcomes his successor — a man he labeled a danger to the country — to his residence.The meeting is meant to underscore the peaceful transition of power in America four years after Trump contested the results of Biden's 2020 win and never invited him to the White House, a post-presidential election tradition. Yet it also promises to be
  
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• Conservatives abandon Speaker Johnson challenger for alternative protest strategy

  13-11-2024 05:20 via thehill.com
  
  Hardline conservatives are abandoning their plan to nominate a challenger to Speaker Mike Johnson's (R-La.) bid for the gavel during Wednesday's internal House GOP elections, opting for a different protest strategy to showcase resistance to his leadership, two sources familiar with the matter told The Hill.The plan B — which members of the House Freedom Caucus are plotting — would involve forcing a secret, recorded vote on Johnson's nomination, according to the sources, who
  
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• Habba: I would 'very seriously' consider WH Press Secretary job

  13-11-2024 03:56 via thehill.com
  
  Alina Habba, a top ally and spokesperson for President-elect Trump, said late Tuesday she would consider an opportunity to serve as his White House Press Secretary "very seriously."Habba, appearing on Sean Hannity's Fox News program, was asked three times about a report suggesting she had "emerged as a front runner" to serve as Trump's press secretary."Sean, you know me better than that," Habba said, smiling. "You would never have me on prime time if I answered questions like that."
  A lawyer who
  
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• Shellshocked Dems return to Capitol to reckon with drubbing

  13-11-2024 03:38 via thehill.com
  
  House Democrats returned to the Capitol on Tuesday, dejected and licking their wounds after an election drubbing a week earlier that will put Donald Trump back in the White House and Republicans in control of all the levers of power in Washington next year.While Democrats in the lower chamber outperformed Vice President Harris at the polls — a dynamic that will leave Republicans with another razor-thin majority in the 119th Congress — that moral victory was a dim consolation for a pa
  
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• Greene does not rule out voting for Johnson despite previous move to oust him

  13-11-2024 02:56 via thehill.com
  
  Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) is not ruling out voting for Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to stay in the position, despite previously making a move to oust him.Asked Tuesday outside the Capitol whether she would support Johnson in Wednesday’s internal leadership elections and on the House floor, Greene said: “Well, I think he’s the only one running for Speaker, so I don’t understand everybody asking this question.”Greene had sharply criticized Johnson for usheri
  
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• Elon Musk, Ramaswamy land Trump admin roles

  13-11-2024 01:57 via thehill.com
  
  President-elect Trump has tapped tech entrepreneurs Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to lead an advisory group focused on cutting federal spending and reducing the size of the governmentTrump announced Tuesday that Musk and Ramaswamy would lead his “Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE), an initiative meant to “slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures” and restructure federal agencies.Trump said that DOGE would "provide advice and guidance from outside of governme
  
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• Trump taps Fox News host Pete Hegseth for Defense secretary

  13-11-2024 01:22 via thehill.com
  
  President-elect Trump on Tuesday announced he was choosing Pete Hegseth, an Army veteran and a Fox News host, to serve as Defense secretary.Hegseth served as an infantry captain in the Army National Guard and did tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, earning two Bronze Stars. He is currently a co-host for "Fox & Friends Weekend.""Pete is tough, smart and a true believer in America First. With Pete at the helm, America’s enemies are on notice - Our Military will be Great Again, and America wil
  
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• Trump selects William McGinley for White House general counsel

  13-11-2024 00:16 via thehill.com
  
  President-elect Trump announced Tuesday evening that William McGinley, a lawyer who worked in the former president's first administration, will be White House general counsel in his second term.McGinley served as White House Cabinet secretary in Trump’s first administration. In a statement, Trump said McGinley played a "major role" in his election victory as the Republican National Committee's outside counsel for election integrity."Bill is a smart and tenacious lawyer who will help me adv
  
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• Trump appoints real estate exec Steven Witkoff as Middle East envoy

  13-11-2024 00:08 via thehill.com
  
  President-elect Trump said Tuesday that he picked real estate executive Steven Witkoff to be special envoy to the Middle East in his next administration.“Steve is a Highly Respected Leader in Business and Philanthropy, who has made every project and community he has been involved with stronger and more prosperous,” he said of the Witkoff Group chairman, chief executive officer and founder. “Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE, and make us all proud.”Witkoff,
  
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