Trump nominates Mike Huckabee for US ambassador to Israel
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee is the choice to be the next U.S. ambassador to Israel in the incoming Trump administration, President-elect Trump announced on Tuesday. “I am pleased to announce that the Highly Respected former Governor of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee, has been nominated to be The United States Ambassador to Israel,” Trump said in a statement. “Mike has been a great public servant, Governor, and Leader in Faith for many years. He loves Israel, and the people of Israel, and likewise, the people of Israel love him. Mike will work tirelessly to bring about Peace in the Middle East!” This is a developing story. Check back here for updates.
Trump confirms Mike Waltz as National Security Adviser pick
President-elect Trump formerly announced on Tuesday that he selected Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., to join his administration as National Security Adviser. “Mike is the first Green Beret to have been elected to Congress, and previously served in the White House and Pentagon,” Trump said in a statement announcing his latest cabinet pick. “Mike served in the Army Special Forces for 27 years where he was deployed multiple times in combat for which he was awarded four Bronze Stars, including two with Valor.” “Mike retired as a Colonel, and is a nationally recognized leader in National Security, a bestselling author, and an expert on the threats posed by China, Russia, Iran, and global terrorism,” the statement added. “He serves as a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Mike is a distinguished graduate with honors of the Virginia Military Institute. Mike has been a strong champion of my America First Foreign Policy agenda, and will be a tremendous champion of our pursuit of Peace through Strength!” GOP REP. MIKE WALTZ TAPPED TO BE TRUMP’S NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER Fox News Digital initially reported Waltz’s selection on Monday night, citing a source familiar with the matter. The move puts Waltz at the forefront of a litany of national security crises — ranging from U.S. weapons supplies to Ukraine and escalating worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea to the persistent attacks in the Middle East by Iran proxies and the push for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah terrorist groups. TRUMP TAPPING 2 HOUSE REPUBLICANS FOR FUTURE ADMIN FUELS CONCERNS ABOUT SLIM POSSIBLE MAJORITY Waltz, a three-term GOP congressman from east-central Florida, was the first Green Beret elected to the U.S. House, and easily won reelection last week. He has been chairman of the House Armed Services subcommittee on readiness and a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. He is considered hawkish on China, and called for a U.S. boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to its involvement in the origin of COVID-19 and its ongoing mistreatment of the minority Muslim Uighur population. He has been a sharp critic of the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and has called on the U.S. to hold accountable those who bear responsibility for the deaths of the 13 U.S. service members at Abbey Gate and for “thousands of Americans and allies behind enemy lines.” He has also repeated Trump’s frequent complaints about a”woke” military that the former president has derided as too focused on diversity and equity programs. In a statement last year, Waltz said that as head of the readiness subcommittee: “I am ready to get to work to better equip our military and turn our focus away from woke priorities and back to winning wars. Our national security depends on it.” A graduate of Virginia Military Institute, Waltz was a Green Beret. He served in the active-duty Army for four years before moving to the Florida Guard. While in the Guard he did multiple combat tours in Afghanistan, the Middle East and Africa and was awarded four Bronze Stars, including two with valor. He also worked in the Pentagon as a policy adviser when Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates were defense chiefs. Fox News’ Elizabeth Elkind and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Tufts University accused of severing ties with House Democrat over trans athlete comments
A top university is accused of severing ties with Democrat Rep. Seth Moulton’s office over the congressman’s comments expressing concern about transgender female students participating in school sports with biological females. Tufts University, located in Massachusetts, said it would no longer facilitate student internships in Moulton’s office after the Massachusetts Democrat’s interview in The New York Times last week, a source familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital. Moulton himself appeared to confirm the situation on Tuesday morning, but Tufts University has denied limiting internship opportunities with his office. The source told Fox News Digital, however, that Moulton’s office was contacted by Tufts University Political Science Department Chair David Art on the matter. ‘GOT OUR A–ES KICKED’: DEMS PRIVATELY FRET ABOUT LOSING HOUSE AFTER GOP VICTORY IN WHITE HOUSE, SENATE Art said he had consulted with colleagues and that the college did not want Moulton’s office reaching out about possible internship opportunities, the source said. Moulton was asked about the alleged issue with Tufts on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” “Imagine if one of these Tuft students actually wants to intern in a Republican office? I mean, what would these political science professors do then? This is just everything that is wrong with this cancel culture,” Moulton responded. Patrick Collins, the executive director of media relations for Tufts University, told Fox News Digital in response to the source’s claims, “We have reached out to Congressman Moulton’s office to clarify that we have not — and will not — limit internship opportunities with his office.” “We remain committed to fostering an inclusive environment that values diverse perspectives, and our Career Center will continue to provide students with a wide range of employment opportunities across the political and ideological spectrum,” Collins said. Moulton, a moderate Democrat and a military veteran, has been under fire by the progressive left after he told The Times, “Democrats spend way too much time trying not to offend anyone rather than being brutally honest about the challenges many Americans face.” HOUSE LEADERS MOVE QUICKLY TO CONSOLIDATE POWER IN SHOW OF CONFIDENCE FOR REPUBLICAN MAJORITY “I have two little girls, I don’t want them getting run over on a playing field by a male or formerly male athlete, but as a Democrat I’m supposed to be afraid to say that,” he said. Local progressives in Massachusetts criticized Moulton’s comments, as did Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., who called the remarks “offensive” on CNN. Moulton responded to the attacks in a statement, blaming Democrats for not tolerating dissenting views, arguing it cost them the election. SHUTDOWN STANDOFF LOOMS IN CONGRESS’ FINAL WEEKS BEFORE TRUMP’S RETURN TO WHITE HOUSE “I stand firmly in my belief for the need for competitive women’s sports to put limits on the participation of those with the unfair physical advantages that come with being born male,” Moulton told Fox News Digital last week. “I am also a strong supporter of the civil rights of all Americans, including transgender rights. I will fight, as I always have, for the rights and safety of all citizens. These two ideas are not mutually exclusive, and we can even disagree on them. “Yet there are many who, shouting from the extreme left corners of social media, believe I have failed the unspoken Democratic Party purity test. We did not lose the 2024 election because of any trans person or issue. We lost, in part, because we shame and belittle too many opinions held by too many voters and that needs to stop.”
Bob Casey refuses to concede PA Senate race as Schumer welcomes Republican McCormick among new senators
Democrat Sen. Bob Casey Jr. still refuses to concede his race against Republican Dave McCormick, even though The Associated Press and other media outlets have called the race in McCormick’s favor. In a new video message, the three-term incumbent Casey said the democratic process “will play out” once all the votes are counted. As of early Tuesday afternoon, McCormick was leading Casey by 34,561 votes, according to Pennsylvania’s election results website. “My priority has always been standing up for the people of Pennsylvania. Across our commonwealth, close to 7 million people cast their votes in a free and fair election. Our county election officials will finish counting those votes, just like they do in every election,” Casey said. PA SEN-ELECT MCCORMICK THANKS CASEY FAMILY FOR DECADES OF SERVICE AS DEMOCRAT DECLINES TO CONCEDE “The American democratic process was born in Pennsylvania, and that process will play out. I want to thank the election workers across our commonwealth who have been working diligently over this weekend. Their work will ensure Pennsylvanians’ voices are heard.” McCormick was leading by more than 30,000 votes when the AP called the race at 4:09 p.m. on Thursday. Though there were an estimated 91,000 votes still outstanding at that time, the AP asserted that there were not enough in areas supporting Casey for him to make up the difference. The McCormick campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment. PHILLY FIREFIGHTERS UNION BACKS MCCORMICK IN ‘FIVE-ALARM FIRE’ FOR DEMS McCormick declared victory in Pittsburgh on Friday, thanking Casey and his family for their decades of service to the commonwealth. McCormick said that Casey and his namesake father – a pro-life moderate who served as governor in the 1980s and 1990s – deserve a lot of respect for “serving …. with honor.” The younger Casey has served three terms since defeating conservative Sen. Rick Santorum in 2006. A POLITICAL REALIGNMENT IN PA: DESPITE RECENT DEM WINS, THE GOP IS GAINING MOMENTUM, ANALYSTS SAY “I want to start with just a message of absolute gratitude: Gratitude to be standing here in this beautiful day in a city that’s meant so much to my family. My dad went to college at Pitt. We had some of the most formative years of our lives here. Three of our girls were born here,” McCormick said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP McCormick will attend new senator orientation in the nation’s capital this week. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., initially said McCormick was not welcome at the orientation due to there still being votes left to be counted, even though the AP had already projected him as the winner. Schumer eventually relented, saying Tuesday morning that the Republican is invited to participate. Fox News Digital’s Danielle Wallace and Kelley Phares contributed to this report.
Loyalty matters: Trump picks allies and supporters to fill out his administration
President-elect Trump is quickly moving to assemble his second administration, and this time around, he does not appear to be searching for many outsiders to his political orbit. As he aims to turn Washington, D.C., upside down, the former and future president is turning to allies, loyalists and other supporters of his MAGA movement and America First agenda, many of whom are known commodities in the nation’s capital. Unlike eight years ago, when the first-time politician first took control of the White House, he is not in the market for establishment types or those who served in his first administration, but in his mind, proved disloyal. VANCE IS THE FRONT-RUNNER, BUT HERE’S WHO ELSE MAY RUN FOR THE 2028 GOP PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION “Elise is a strong and very smart America First fighter,” Trump said of Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, whom he has chosen as his ambassador to the United Nations. “She was the first Member of Congress to endorse me and has always been a staunch advocate.” Additionally, Trump called former Rep. Lee Zeldin of New York, whom he is aiming to install as Environmental Protection Agency administrator, “a true fighter for America First policies.” TRUMP EXPECTED TO PICK NOEM TO STEER HOMELAND SECURITY The president-elect is also expected to name South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a conservative firebrand and MAGA-world star who has long been a fierce Trump ally and supporter, as Homeland Security secretary. Noem will work with Stephen Miller, whom the president-elect has picked as his incoming deputy chief of staff for policy. Miller was the architect of much of the first Trump administration’s hard-line policy on immigration and border security. She will also collaborate with Thomas Homan, who, as acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement director during the first administration, was often the face of Trump’s controversial immigration policies. The president-elect has named Homan as his incoming “border czar.” TRUMP TO PICK FLORIDA’S RUBIO TO SERVE AS SECRETARY OF STATE Fox News also reported that Trump is expected to name Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida as secretary of state. Rubio was a rival to Trump during the combustible 2016 Republican presidential nomination battle but over the years has become a strong Trump ally in the Senate. While the senator is known on Capitol Hill as a foreign policy hawk who favors maintaining U.S. alliances overseas, including NATO, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee member has taken similar positions to Trump on a number of top international conflicts, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Israel’s war with Hamas. Trump also named Rep. Michael Waltz of Florida as his national security adviser. Waltz, a former Army Green Beret, is a longtime Trump ally, Dan Eberhart, an oil drilling chief executive officer and a prominent Republican donor and bundler who raised big bucks for Trump’s 2020 and 2024 campaigns, noted that Trump is in a very different situation than he was eight years ago, when he first won the White House. “He’s got a stronger mandate because he won the popular vote, and he won all seven swing states,” Eberhart emphasized. “I also think he knows what he wants, and he knows better how to get what he wants out of Washington. He’s going to have a more cohesive, more MAGA team, that’s hopefully able to accomplish more.” Those whom the president-elect feels have not shown their loyalty to him appear to be iced out. Trump this past weekend announced in a social media post that he would not ask former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley – who served as ambassador to the U.N. in his first administration – and former Rep. Mike Pompeo of Kansas – who served as CIA director and then Secretary of State in Trump’s first term – to join his incoming cabinet. Haley ran against Trump in this year’s Republican presidential primaries and ended up as the final challenger to the former president in what turned into a divisive nomination battle. Pompeo seriously mulled making his own 2024 White House run before ultimately deciding not to launch a campaign. Both politicians eventually endorsed Trump this year, following the primary season. A source in Trump’s political orbit who’s involved in the transition told Fox News that the president-elect is “not relying on people from the outside who weren’t really Trump people. The people now who are around him are all Trump people, and they will make sure that those whom they bring into the administration are believers in the president and his agenda and are going to work to advance his agenda.”
Ex-Trump official predicts ‘entire mindset change’ at southern border, hails ‘fantastic’ pick to lead DHS
A former top official in the first Trump administration says there will be an “entire mindset change” in how the southern border is handled compared to the Biden administration, while calling President-elect Donald Trump’s selection of South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to lead the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) a “fantastic pick.” “What you can probably expect, although I don’t speak for the president, is just an entire mindset change along that border,” former acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf told Fox News Digital. “Holding people accountable, making sure that we restart border wall construction, and you put things in place that stop some of the abuse that we see –some of the asylum shopping, the forum shopping — the ability to quickly return individuals and to really get serious about that to show people that, look, we’re serious, the president’s serious about stopping what has been the worst border crisis…that we’ve had over the last four years, that this country has ever seen,” he said. “So basically, almost doing everything completely different.” TRUMP EXPECTED TO CHOOSE SOUTH DAKOTA GOV. KRISTI NOEM FOR HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY, SOURCE SAYS In a follow-up statement to Fox News Digital regarding the report that Noem would be Trump’s pick to lead the DHS, Wolf praised the selection, noting her past moves as governor to send the National Guard to the southern border. “Governor Noem is a fantastic pick,” he said. “She has been a successful governor and has been forward-leaning and helping to support the Border security mission with her National Guard. She also has extensive experience working with FEMA on natural disasters,” he said. “I’m certain she will succeed.” Trump will enter office on the back of a historic migrant crisis under the Biden administration, with numbers only decreasing since June. Trump campaigned primarily on tackling illegal immigration and has said he wants to launch a historic mass deportation campaign. TRUMP’S ‘BORDER CZAR’ WARNS DEM GOVS REJECTING TRUMP DEPORTATION PLAN: ‘GET THE HELL OUT OF THE WAY’ He is likely to bring back policies from his first term, some of which Wolf implemented, including border wall construction, the Remain-in-Mexico policy and Asylum Cooperative Agreements with Northern Triangle countries. This week, he appointed former acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Thomas Homan to the role of “border czar” to oversee deportations and border security. Wolf, now at the America First Policy Institute, said that there is no one single policy solution, since the border now involves many different populations. However, he did note the importance of going after the cartels. “I think you also need to target the cartels. You need to go after the source. They’re the ones that trafficked these human beings across the border. They’re also the ones that are smuggling the narcotics across the border. So you can deal with the problem once it reaches our border, or you can try to address it before that. And so I think, and I’ve heard President Trump talk very specifically about getting serious about the cartels and I think that’s a prudent approach.” CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS He also said that resources will be an issue, and that Congress can help in that regard. He pointed to the House GOP border bill, HR 2, which passed the House in 2023 but has failed to gain traction in the Democratic-controlled Senate. “I think there’s a lot that can be done using presidential authority and using DHS authority, Department of Justice authority and the like,” he emphasized. “I think if Congress wants to get involved, obviously a good start is H.R. 2.” He noted that there will need to be more funding for more detention beds, border officers and agreements with state and local officials — meaning there will be a price tag. “But I think that’s okay, because what we’ve seen over the last four years is an immense amount of money, billions and billions of dollars expended to facilitate more and more migrants coming into the country illegally,” he said. “And I think if we could turn that money around and repurpose it to actually enforce the law, to actually remove individuals that shouldn’t be here in the United States. I think that’s what the American people want to see.”
‘$1 billion disaster’: Here’s what FEC filings show about Harris campaign’s 3 month spending spree
Vice President Kamala Harris’ failed presidential campaign spent more than $1 billion in three months, highlighted by several expenditures that have drawn intense criticism, including spending on celebrity influencers, radical activist groups and private jets. FEC filings show the Harris campaign made two $500,000 payments to Oprah Winfrey’s production company, first reported by the Washington Examiner, on Oct. 15, a month after Winfrey appeared with Harris at a town hall event and weeks before Oprah was on stage with Harris at a Philadelphia rally before election day. Conservatives on social media widely criticized the move, accusing Harris of buying the famous endorsement that ultimately did not yield a victory. “Unconscionable,” GOP Rep. Greg Murphy posted on X. “Oprah, a billionaire, sells her soul for a measly $1M.” 5 MISTAKES THAT DOOMED KAMALA HARRIS’ CAMPAIGN AGAINST TRUMP “Wolf of Wall Street” Jordan Belfort told Fox News he was “shocked” when he heard about the campaign contribution and likened the campaign’s actions to “money laundering.” Oprah pushed back on the criticism when confronted by TMZ, saying she was “paid nothing.” A Harpo spokesperson acknowledged that Harpo Productions took money from the campaign but claimed it was for “production costs” and said, “Oprah Winfrey was at no point during the campaign paid a personal fee, nor did she receive a fee from Harpo.” Giving money to prominent celebrities was a theme of the Harris campaign, which gave almost $4 million to Village Marketing Agency, a company that connects clients with social media influencers. The long list of celebrities that joined Harris on the campaign trail included Beyoncé, Bon Jovi, Ricky Martin, Jennifer Lopez and Bruce Springsteen. The Washington Examiner also reported that the Harris campaign spent over $12 million on digital media consultants and “spent six figures on building a set for Harris’s appearance on the popular Call Her Daddy podcast with host Alex Cooper.” The campaign spent at least $15 million on “event production,” FEC records show, with many payments lining up with high profile events and concerts with celebrity attendees or performers. “The truth is this is just an epic disaster, this is a $1 billion disaster,” Lindy Li, Harris surrogate and DNC National Finance Committee member, told “Fox & Friends Weekend” on Saturday. The controversial spending habits of the campaign also included contributions to radical activist groups. The Harris campaign cut multiple six-figure checks in September for left-leaning groups that have been vocal about defunding the police, reparations and are tied to radical activists who have supported notorious antisemite Louis Farrakhan, Fox News Digital previously reported. The Black Voters Matter Fund, which received $150,000 from the Harris campaign on Sept. 19, has repeatedly called for defunding the police and has been vocal about pushing for reparations. The Black Church PAC, which also received $150,000 from the Harris campaign in September, has multiple controversial religious leaders on its board and recent social media posts show it is partnering with a defund the police group to help with “Get out the vote” efforts in Georgia, Pennsylvania and North Carolina. Despite running a campaign warning of the effects of climate change, which she has previously called an “existential threat”, Harris gave over $4 million to Advanced Aviation to fly on private jets, FEC filings show. HOW KAMALA HARRIS’ FAILED 2024 PRESIDENTIAL RUN MIRRORS HER ILL-FATED 2020 CAMPAIGN The campaign, according to FEC filings, also spent north of $56 million on payroll and payroll taxes in just three months. Filings also show the campaign gave in excess of $100 million to various consulting and marketing firms, including Gambit Strategies LLC, DuPont Circle Strategies LLC, and Bully Pulpit Interactive LLC. The Harris-Walz campaign is reportedly $20 million in debt, having raised more than $1 billion and had $118 million in the bank as of Oct. 16, according to Politico reporter Christopher Cadelago. News of the campaign debt sparked a social media troll from President-elect Donald Trump, who suggested he could cover the $20 million. GOP CONGRESSMAN-ELECT REVEALS AMBITIOUS 100-DAY PLAN FOR TRUMP ADMIN: ‘NOT GOING TO GET FOOLED AGAIN’ “I am very surprised that the Democrats, who fought a hard and valiant fight in the 2020 (sic) Presidential Election, raising a record amount of money, didn’t have lots of $’s left over,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth. “Now they are being squeezed by vendors and others. Whatever we can do to help them during this difficult period, I would strongly recommend we, as a Party and for the sake of desperately needed UNITY, do,” Trump added. “We have a lot of money left over in that our biggest asset in the campaign was ‘Earned Media,’ and that doesn’t cost very much. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” The Harris campaign did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. Fox News Digital’s Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.
These are the top names in contention for Defense secretary under Trump
National security minds in Washington, D.C., are awaiting President-elect Donald Trump’s decision for Defense secretary. Trump’s pick of Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., as his national security adviser and his expected pick of Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., for secretary of state, set a tone for his foreign policy that is expected to be hawkish on China and Iran. Whoever Trump picks for Defense secretary will oversee major changes within the Pentagon, both a reorienting of troop posture abroad and an across-the-board stripping of DEI provisions they believe caused the Pentagon to go “woke” under President Biden. A litany of names has been tossed around for who could lead the government’s largest agency, with one running theme: while his pick needs to pass a Senate confirmation, Trump is expected to appoint a loyalist who will not undermine him. During his first term, five men held the job as Pentagon chief only to resign, be fired or serve briefly as a stopgap. One possibility is Robert Wilkie, Trump’s former Veterans’ Affairs secretary. Prior to his VA confirmation in 2018, he served as undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness under Trump and served in both the Navy and Air Force Reserve. Wilkie has been leading the Trump transition team with Pentagon staffing. GOP REP. MIKE WALTZ TAPPED TO BE TRUMP’S NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER Wilkie is a fellow at the Trump-aligned America First Policy Institute and a military analyst for Newsmax. Another name is Robert O’Brien, Trump’s former national security adviser who has also been involved with the transition team. O’Brien told Fox News Digital that “of course” he would return to a Trump administration. O’Brien has been outspoken about the need to pivot U.S. defenses to China. He said the way to force Russia to the negotiating table with Ukraine was through steeper sanctions – and bringing Ukraine into NATO “risks World War III.” Richard Grenell, Trump’s former acting director of national intelligence and German ambassador, was also expected to land a national security role in this administration. With the state and national security adviser roles filled, he, too, could land at the Department of Defense. Throughout the campaign, Grenell advised Trump on foreign policy and political issues, and led outreach to Arab Americans in Michigan. He appeared with Trump in September when he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Grenell was a pro-Trump antagonist to Europe during his time in Germany, with the former president joking about former German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s happiness when Grenell was moved to the national security role. US REP. MIKE ROGERS BEING CONSIDERED FOR SECRETARY OF DEFENSE UNDER TRUMP Sen. Joni Ernst, the defense-minded Iowa Republican and current GOP conference chair, has also been floated as a possibility, a source confirmed to Fox News Digital, but she remains “laser-focused” on her GOP conference chair race. She also served in the Army Reserve and Iowa Army National Guard. If picked, she would be the first female Defense secretary. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., head of the House Armed Services Committee, was also under consideration and has been contacted by the transition team, a source familiar confirmed. However, two sources said that Trump is likely to pull from the private sector for this role. Picking from Congress would whittle away narrow GOP majorities in those chambers, at least until seats were filled. Rogers is also a staunch supporter of aiding Ukraine – a position that might put him at odds with Trump. Retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, who held high-level national security posts during Trump’s first term, has also been named as a possibility. “The president is going to make the call on who is in his administration,” Kellogg recently told Fox News Radio’s Guy Benson, while suggesting he would say yes if the president called. “It’s going to be a very loyal team.” Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., had been a lead contender for an administration role, likely Defense secretary or CIA head, but pulled his name from the running, a source confirmed. He is running for Republican Conference chair and is likely to take over Rubio’s position as head of the Intelligence Committee. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had been floated, but on Saturday, Trump posted on Truth Social that Pompeo would not be joining this administration – and neither would former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley. Fox News’ Liz Elkind contributed to this report.
AOC bombarded with comments after asking followers why they supported her and Trump
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., fielded dozens of answers after asking her followers why they supported both her and President-elect Donald Trump in last week’s election. “I voted Trump, but I like you and Bernie. I don’t trust either party’s establishment politicians,” one of Ocasio-Cortez’s Instagram followers told the New York lawmaker Monday during a livestream. The comment came in response to Ocasio-Cortez asking followers “who supported both Trump and me” or “Trump/Democrat” to explain their decision-making. AOC SLAPPED WITH COMMUNITY NOTE AFTER CLAIMING MASSIVE PUERTO RICAN RALLY HAD TO DO WITH ANTI-TRUMP MOVEMENT Comments were quick to flow in, with Ocasio-Cortez attempting to appear non-judgemental while assuring followers she was genuinely curious about their rationale. “I feel that you both are outsiders compared to the rest of DC, and less establishment,” one comment said. “You signified change. Trump signified change. I’ve said lately, Trump sounds more like you,” added another. The comments also come as Trump performed significantly better in the Bronx and Queens, which make up much of Ocasio-Cortez’s district, in 2024. Trump lost Queens by nearly 24 points and the Bronx by around 45 points last week, a drastic improvement from his losses of 45 and 67 points in the two boroughs, respectively, in 2020. The result was a curious one for Ocasio-Cortez, who noted that many people who sent her to a nearly 38-point victory in the district must have also voted for the former president. The progressive lawmaker explained she was seeking to “understand and adapt” to the reality, noting the livestream session was a way to “dig in” to what her supporters were feeling. AOC, ELON MUSK SPAR AFTER TWITTER CEO SUSPENDS CNN, NYT, WAPO JOURNOS FOR POSTING ‘ASSASSINATION COORDINATES’ “Trump is going to get us the money and lets men have a voice. You’re brilliant and have amazing passion,” one follower told her. “It’s real simple… Trump and you care for the working class,” another said. “I feel like Trump and you are both real,” added another. “You are focused on the real issues people care about. Similar to Trump populism in some ways,” one follower reasoned. Another theme of the livestream session was the Biden administration’s handling of the conflict in Gaza, with many of the lawmaker’s followers arguing that Trump was better equipped to bring an end to the situation. “I voted for Trump and you, not genocide Harris. Dems need Bernie,” one commenter said. “I know people that did this and it was bc of Gaza,” added another. “Because of Gaza,” one follower plainly stated. “I voted Trump and dems because he reached out to Muslims,” noted one comment.
Trump tapping 2 House Republicans for future admin fuels concerns about slim majority
President-elect Donald Trump’s selection of two House Republicans to serve in his administration could pose issues if the GOP’s majority in the chamber ends up critically thin. Trump has selected House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., as his ambassador to the United Nations, while a source told Fox News Digital that he picked Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., to be his National Security Adviser (NSA). Both represent Republican stronghold districts that have little chance of falling into Democratic hands in special elections. SHUTDOWN STANDOFF LOOMS IN CONGRESS’ FINAL WEEKS BEFORE TRUMP’S RETURN TO WHITE HOUSE But those special elections could take place weeks or months after the new term begins in January 2025 – which could slow down Trump’s plans for an ambitious first 100-day agenda. “That’s an agenda we’ve been working on with President Trump for months now. We didn’t wait until the day after the election to start planning this, and this shows the relentless focus of Donald Trump,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said during a press conference on Tuesday. “I know he’s already pulled a few really talented people out of the House – hopefully no more for a little while until special elections come up, but it shows you the talent that we have and the ability we have.” HOUSE LEADERS MOVE QUICKLY TO CONSOLIDATE POWER IN SHOW OF CONFIDENCE FOR REPUBLICAN MAJORITY House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., similarly said he did not believe Trump would select any more House members for his administration and said he and Trump broached the topic in discussions. “President Trump fully understands and appreciates the math here, and it’s just a numbers game. You know, we believe we’re going to have a larger majority than we had last time. It’s too early to handicap it, but we are optimistic about that,” Johnson said. ‘GOT OUR A–ES KICKED’: DEMS PRIVATELY FRET ABOUT LOSING HOUSE AFTER GOP VICTORY IN WHITE HOUSE, SENATE “But every single vote will count, because if someone gets ill or has a car accident or a late flight on their plane, then it affects the votes on the floor. So, I think he and administration are well attuned to that. I don’t expect that we will have more members leaving, but I’ll leave that up to him.” House Republicans are on track to win a single-digit majority in the chamber. It’s not much different than it was during the 118th Congress, but GOP leaders will likely face more pressure to keep members in line when working to enact Trump’s will.