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Former Georgia senator Kelly Loeffler expected to be tapped as agriculture secretary
Donald Trump is expected to offer Kelly Loeffler, the former Georgia Republican senator, the position of agriculture secretary, CNN and The Hill report.
According to people familiar with the matter who spoke to the outlet, Trump is set to meet with Loeffler at Mar-a-Lago on Friday afternoon.
Loeffler, who is co-chairing Trump’s inauguration events, was previously appointed to the Senate by Georgia’s governor Brian Kemp and then lost in 2021 to Raphael Warnock, the Democratic senator.
Key events
When asked for his response to cities refusing to assist in deportations, Tom Homan, Donald Trump’s pick for “border czar”, sent a message specifically to the Los Angeles city council: “If you don’t help, get the hell out of the way,” Homan said on Newsmax on Wednesday.
“If I gotta send twice as many officers to LA because we’re not getting any assistance, then that’s what we’re gonna do,” Homan continued.
The comments came hours after the LA city council unanimously voted to pass a “sanctuary city” ordinance that blocks any city resources or personnel from being used to assist in enforcing federal immigration laws.
The policy was introduced in 2023 but passed as the next Trump administration takes shape. And while the ordinance does not prevent deportations and other government actions from happening on LA’s soil, it’s meant to “build a firewall between federal immigration enforcement and city agencies,” the LA Times reports.
Vivek Ramaswamy appeared to confirm he and Elon Musk will try to stop the flow of funds that go to Planned Parenthood.
“The federal government shouldn’t be in the business of giving away free money to non-governmental organizations. That should be obvious,” a Thursday post on X by Ramaswamy read.
The post was a quoted reposting of a story from LifeNews, an anti-abortion digital news site, that bore the headline Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy Call for Defunding Planned Parenthood Via DOGE.
The pair will lead what they plan to call the “department of government efficiency” and have made prior comments about defunding organizations like the Internal Revenue Service and the Department of Education, Forbes reported.
Read more of the Guardian’s coverage about the concerted efforts to topple Planned Parenthood and deliver blows to women’s healthcare here.
Senate majority whip Dick Durbin calls for ‘customary FBI background check’ on Pam Bondi
Dick Durbin, the US Senate majority whip, has released a statement on Donald Trump’s nomination of Pam Bondi as the next attorney general, calling for the Senate judiciary committee to follow convention rules on customary FBI background checks.
Durbin said:
Serious questions have been raised about Ms Bondi’s conduct as Florida’s Attorney General and President-elect Trump’s personal attorney. The Trump transition team is moving forward with an Attorney General nominee without the customary FBI background check. After the controversial announcement and awkward withdrawal of Matt Gaetz, the Senate and the Senate Judiciary Committee should insist that President-elect Trump, like prior Presidents-elect of both parties, follow the rules.
The Committee must uphold its constitutional responsibility of advice and consent on this critical position.
Interim Summary
Here’s a look at where things stand:
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Donald Trump has been granted permission by the New York Judge Juan Merchan on Friday to seek dismissal of his hush money criminal case. The permission follows his presidential victory on 5 November and multiple sentencing delays surrounding the case of which he was found guilty earlier this year.
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In a statement filled with multiple falsehoods, the Donald Trump campaign hailed Merchan’s decision to grant Trump permission to seek dismissal of his hush money criminal case. Calling the decision a “decisive win”, Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung falsely claimed the case – which found Trump guilty on 34 felony counts of falsified business records – was a “hoax.”
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Donald Trump is expected to offer Kelly Loeffler, the former Georgia Republican senator, the position of agriculture secretary, CNN reports. According to people familiar with the matter who spoke to the outlet, Trump is set to meet with Loeffler at Mar-a-Lago on Friday afternoon.
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Melania Trump’s office has appointed Haley Harrison, a longtime aid, as her new chief of staff ahead of her husband Donald Trump’s second term in the White House. In a statement on Friday, Trump’s office said: “She has a strong understanding of White House operations, and as Chief of Staff, Mrs. Harrison will oversee and manage the East Wing’s team.”
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In a new interview on Friday, Matt Gaetz revealed that he will not be returning to Congress next year. Speaking to conservative talk show host Charlie Kirk, Gaetz, who withdrew his attorney general nomination yesterday, said: “I’m still going to be in the fight, but it’s going to be from a new perch. I do not intend to join the 119th Congress,” CNN reports.
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More than half of Americans, 53%, approve of Donald Trump’s plans and policies for his second presidential term, a new Pew Research survey has found. The survey, which was conducted between November 12 and 17 and among 9,609 adults, also found that 59% of Americans said they are very or somewhat confident in Trump to make good decisions about economic policy.
Pam Bondi, a staunch Donald Trump loyalist and his pick to be attorney general, is continuing to receive support from Republicans on her nomination.
In a post on X, senator John Cornyn of Texas wrote: “An excellent nomination by Donald Trump for attorney general.”
Missouri senator Josh Hawley said Bondi will “be a fabulous AG” who will “be a fantastic partner in this effort to clean up the FBI and DOJ.”
Similarly, senator Mitt Romney said Bondi “will be a highly capable leader at DOJ.”
Melania Trump appoints new chief of staff
Melania Trump’s office has appointed Haley Harrison, a longtime aid, as her new chief of staff ahead of her husband Donald Trump’s second term in the White House.
In a statement on Friday, Trump’s office said:
Mrs. Harrison has maintained an integral role and exceptional leadership on the First Lady’s team over the past seven years. She has a strong understanding of White House operations, and as Chief of Staff, Mrs. Harrison will oversee and manage the East Wing’s team while strategically liaising with other parts of government.
Former Georgia senator Kelly Loeffler expected to be tapped as agriculture secretary
Donald Trump is expected to offer Kelly Loeffler, the former Georgia Republican senator, the position of agriculture secretary, CNN and The Hill report.
According to people familiar with the matter who spoke to the outlet, Trump is set to meet with Loeffler at Mar-a-Lago on Friday afternoon.
Loeffler, who is co-chairing Trump’s inauguration events, was previously appointed to the Senate by Georgia’s governor Brian Kemp and then lost in 2021 to Raphael Warnock, the Democratic senator.
Karl Rove, a Republican strategist, has rebuked Donald Trump for bringing “chaos” back.
Martin Pengelly reports for the Guardian:
As Matt Gaetz, Donald Trump’s first nominee for attorney general, withdrew after eight days amid allegations of sexual misconduct and more, and as Trump’s new pick, Pam Bondi, faced scrutiny of her own, a leading Republican strategist rebuked the president-elect for bringing “chaos” back to Washington.
“Inadequate vetting, impatience, disregard for qualifications and a thirst for revenge have created chaos and controversy for Mr Trump before he’s even in office,” said Karl Rove, once known as George W Bush’s “Brain”, in the Wall Street Journal.
“The price for all this will be missed opportunities to shore up popular support for the incoming president. But at least it’ll make great TV.”
For the full story, click here:
Trump campaign on judge’s hush-money case dismissal permission: ‘Decisive win’
In a statement filled with multiple falsehoods, the Donald Trump campaign hailed New York judge Juan Merchan’s decision to grant Trump permission to seek dismissal of his hush money criminal case.
Calling the decision a “decisive win,” Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung falsely claimed the case – which found Trump guilty on 34 felony counts of falsified business records – was a “hoax.”
Repeating Trump’s unfounded claim that he “won a landslide victory,” Cheung added that the “American people have issued a mandate to return him to office and dispose of all remnants of the witch hunt cases” – another unfounded claim propelled by Trump in his attacks against his political enemies.
Marjorie Taylor Greene, the Republican representative, is reportedly set to lead a new House subcommittee that will work with the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency, a government body that Trump claims he’ll create, to be led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, according to CNBC.
A source familiar with the situation told the network that Greene, along with James Comer, the Republican House oversight chairman, have already met with Ramaswamy and his team, and they are “already working together”.
In a statement to CNBC, Greene said she was “excited to chair this new subcommittee designed to work hand in hand with President Trump, Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, and the entire DOGE team”.
Republican Derek Merrin has officially conceded the race for Ohio’s ninth congressional district to his Democratic opponent and veteran congresswoman, Marcy Kaptur.
In a video statement posted to X, Merrin said that he had called and congratulated Kaptur for winning two more years in Congress.
“I want to thank each and every person who supported our campaign,” he said. “We ran a strong race and I’m proud of the effort we made for NW Ohio.”
Merrin, a fourth-term state representative who was endorsed by the president-elect, Donald Trump, lost by about 2,300 votes – or 0.7% of the vote – according to the Associated Press.
“Guys, they spent over $10m against us” Merrin said in the video. “Democrats propped up a third party candidate to siphon votes from us, they hit us hard for almost 100 days in the media, and, that’s life, man, that’s politics.”
He continued: “We were fortunate enough to have the money to get our message out, and outside groups were able to talk about Marcy’s record, and it was mainly a fair fight that way – and Marcy Kaptur got more votes than we did, and I accept that.”
Merrin did not rule out the possibility of running for Kaptur’s seat again in the future, but stated that his immediate plans are to rest and recharge with his family.
“We stood up for our constitution, we fought for lower taxes, fiscal responsibility, set a vision out for more prosperity in northwest Ohio and we weren’t able to win,” Merrin said, “but our message and team across America won.”
Chuck Grassley, the incoming Senate judiciary chair, praised Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general, Pam Bondi, in a statement.
“Pam Bondi is a longtime prosecutor & effectively led FL large AttyGeneral’s office for 8yrs” wrote Grassley, the Republican senator from Iowa and the oldest member of the senate at 91 years old.
He went on to describe Bondi as “well regarded” and “experienced” noting that he got to know her during Trump’s first term.
“Will learn more as we vet her nom in judic Cmte” he added.
There are several actions Joe Biden can take to protect civil liberties before Donald Trump takes the White House.
The Guardian’s Gloria Oladipo reports:
In less than two months, Donald Trump will take office, threatening several areas of American life and international policy. The president-elect has pledged to take aim at LGBTQ+ rights, specifically for transgender and gender-non-conforming people. He has promised to conduct mass deportations and raids as a part of a far-right approach to US immigration. And he is expected to roll back data collection practices on police misconduct and stifle any hope of passing police reform in Congress – specifically the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.
Trump will largely be able to roll out his agenda, outlined in the 900-plus-page Project 2025 document, as Republicans took control of Congress during the 2024 general election. Joe Biden’s actions in his remaining time in office could be a crucial buttress against the expected impacts of the next four years.
Six experts spoke with the Guardian about what the US president could do in his remaining time to protect the most vulnerable people.
For the full story, click here: