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President-elect Donald Trump has selected Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz to be his attorney general.
He has also chosen former Democratic Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard and Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio to join his administration.
Gabbard is set to serve as the director of national intelligence while Rubio has been nominated to be secretary of state.
Meanwhile, the Republicans are projected to retain control of the House, completing their trifecta.
Trump met with Joe Biden at the White House on Wednesday to discuss a transition schedule, with their opening sitdown warm and cordial in tone.
Their remarks lasted about a minute, with Trump observing “Politics is tough” and adding: “And in many cases, it’s not a nice world. But it’s a nice world today.”
The men subsequently met in private without the press pack present, with Trump apparently getting a laugh by joking about bringing an end to term limits.
On a busy day in Washington DC, Republican senators also elected a new majority leader in place of Mitch McConnell, with South Dakota’s John Thune coming out on top. Speaker Mike Johnson won the GOP nomination to continue in the post atop the House Republican conference. He will face a vote of the full House in January.
Who is Pete Hegseth? The Fox News anchor turned nominee for Defense secretary
Trump issued a statement on Tuesday to nominate Hegseth for the position in the US Department of Defense. “Pete has spent his entire life as a Warrior for the Troops, and for the Country. Pete is tough, smart and a true believer in America First,” the president-elect said. “With Pete at the helm, America’s enemies are on notice – Our Military will be Great Again, and America will Never Back Down.”
Amber Raiken13 November 2024 21:45
Republican Representative’s reaction to Gaetz nomination: ‘Are you sh***** me?’
Republican Idaho Rep Mike Simpson had a straightforward reaction when asked about Matt Gaetz’s nomination as attorney general.
“Are you sh***** me?” he asked, according to HuffPost.
Gustaf Kilander13 November 2024 21:40
Mike Johnson wins Republican nomination to serve as House Speaker
Rep Mike Johnson has won the Republican nomination to return to his role as US House speaker.
He will face a vote of the full House in January.
Gustaf Kilander13 November 2024 21:22
Elon Musk wants to gut the federal government under Trump. What could that look like?
The wealthiest man on the planet has pumped tens of millions of dollars into Donald Trump’s successful presidential campaign. He owns an influential social media company where he embraces right-wing influencers and conspiracy theories now dominating the platform. He has business interests with China and Russia’s Vladimir Putin’s regime while his companies receive billions of dollars in US government contracts.
Alex Woodward 13 November 2024 21:15
Trump nominates MAGA congressman Matt Gaetz as surprise attorney general pick
Donald Trump has nominated Republican congressman Matt Gaetz to serve as US attorney general, the nation’s top law enforcement officer, overseeing an agency that could be used to target the president-elect’s rivals while he faces several criminal investigations of his own.
The 42-year-old GOP lawmaker from Florida “has distinguished himself in Congress through his focus on achieving desperately needed reform at the Department of Justice,” Trump said in a statement on Wednesday.
“It will be an honor to serve as President Trump’s Attorney General!” Gaetz wrote on X.
Alex Woodward13 November 2024 20:51
‘The absurdity is the point’: NYT columnist says cabinet picks are ‘loyalty tests’
New York Times columnist Ezra Klein noted on X after Matt Gaetz was picked to be attorney general that “Demanding Senate Republicans back Gaetz as attorney general and Hegseth as Defense Secretary is the 2024 version of forcing Sean Spicer to say it was the largest inauguration crowd ever.”
“These aren’t just appointments. They’re loyalty tests. The absurdity is the point,” he added. “It also reflects a difference between Trump in 2020 and Trump in 2024: In 2020, Trump didn’t have the pull with Senate Republicans … to impose this kind of loyalty test. He didn’t even have it with many of his own appointees. Now, well, we’ll see.”
Gustaf Kilander13 November 2024 20:49
Republican senator says Gaetz has ‘his work cut out for him’ to become attorney general
Gustaf Kilander13 November 2024 20:46
John Bolton sums up Trump’s ideal cabinet picks in one damning word
John Bolton said that rather than having “loyalty” from those selected to serve in his new administration, Trump would prefer “fealty,” referring to a swearing of unwavering allegiance to a feudal lord or leader.
Other eye-brow-raising picks include Fox News host Pete Hegseth as defense secretary.
Mike Bedigan13 November 2024 20:45
Trump will nominate ex-Democratic congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence
President-elect Donald Trump will nominate a former Democratic congresswoman who has promoted conspiracy theories about US involvement in Ukraine to be the next head of the US intelligence community.
In a statement, Trump announced that he is tapping former Hawaii representative Tulsi Gabbard to be his Director of National Intelligence, a position from which Gabbard will be in charge of an office that was created in the wake of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks and tasked with leading and synthesizing intelligence collected from around the world.
The president-elect said Gabbard, who holds the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Army National Guard, “has fought for our Country and the Freedoms of all Americans” for “over two decades.”
Andrew Feinberg13 November 2024 20:38
Read More: Trump cabinet latest: Matt Gaetz, a far-right MAGA ally, picked for Attorney General
