Fetterman rips Gaetz pick: ‘God tier kind of trolling just to trigger a meltdown’
U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., described President-elect Trump’s choice of Rep. Matt Gaetz to serve as his next attorney general as a “God tier kind of trolling.” Speaking with reporters, Fetterman acknowledged some of Trump’s picks were good but stopped short of putting Gaetz in that category. “It’s just kind of like a God tier kind of trolling just to trigger a meltdown,” he said. “But, really, the Dems’ opinions on Gaetz, that’s not really what’s interesting. The good ones are going to come by my colleagues on the other side, the GOP, on how they can justify voting for that j— off.” TED CRUZ GETS BEHIND RICK SCOTT FOR LEADER IN BLOW TO FELLOW TEXAN JOHN CORNYN Aside from Gaetz, Trump has nominated Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., to serve as secretary of state and Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., for ambassador to the United Nations. Those were serious picks, Fetterman said. He also noted that Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., served as attorney general of Missouri before being elected to Congress. “He would have been a solid pick. And then you put out someone like that,” Fetterman said of Gaetz’s selection. “That’s just nothing but trolling. The interesting answers are going to come from my colleagues on the GOP that they’re going to vote or justify voting for that mess.” Gaetz could face an uphill battle to get confirmed by the Senate. REPUBLICANS TO HUDDLE BEHIND CLOSED DOORS TO ELECT MCCONNELL’S SUCCESSOR WEDNESDAY “He will never get confirmed,” a Republican senator, granted anonymity to speak freely, told Fox News Digital. Another Senate Republican source said, “Ain’t gonna happen.” Gaetz resigned from the House of Representatives Wednesday after Trump announced his nomination. The House Ethics investigation is investigating Gaetz over allegations of sexual misconduct, illicit drug use and accepting improper gifts. Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss., who chairs the Ethics Committee, said that “once a member is no longer a member of Congress, then ethics has no jurisdiction. So, if Matt Gaetz were to be appointed as the attorney general, the ethics investigation [which] is currently ongoing would cease at that point.” In addition to the ethics investigation, Gaetz was at one point being investigated by the Department of Justice (DOJ) in a yearslong probe into sex trafficking allegations. Last year, Gaetz’s office said the DOJ ended its investigation and determined he would not be charged with any crimes. Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind, Julia Johnson and Kelly Phares contributed to his report.
Trump taps foreign policy hawk Marco Rubio to lead US State Department
Putting an end to days of speculation, United States President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Florida Senator Marco Rubio to lead the State Department under the incoming administration. The choice of his former political rival had been rumoured for days and signals the new administration’s commitment to a hawkish foreign policy. A Cuban American known for his hardline views on China and staunch support for Israel, Rubio would be the first Hispanic American to serve as Washington’s top diplomat if confirmed to the role. “Marco is a Highly Respected Leader, and a very powerful Voice for Freedom,” Trump wrote in a statement announcing his choice on Wednesday. “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.” In a post on X, Rubio said that he is honoured “by the trust President Trump has placed in me”. “Under the leadership of President Trump we will deliver peace through strength and always put the interests of Americans and America above all else,” he added. Leading the U.S. Department of State is a tremendous responsibility and I am honored by the trust President Trump has placed in me. As Secretary of State, I will work every day to carry out his foreign policy agenda. Under the leadership of President Trump we will deliver peace… — Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) November 13, 2024 Trump also tapped former Democratic Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard to serve as director of national intelligence, a powerful position that sits atop the nation’s spy agencies and acts as the president’s top intelligence adviser. “I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our intelligence community, championing our constitutional rights and securing peace through strength,” Trump said in a statement. Gabbard is a veteran who served for more than two decades in the Army National Guard and was deployed to Iraq and Kuwait. But she does not have the typical intelligence experience of past officeholders. She sought the Democratic nomination for president in 2020 on a progressive platform and her opposition to US involvement in foreign military conflicts. After leaving the Democratic Party, she became increasingly critical of President Joe Biden and his administration and grew popular among conservatives, often appearing on far-right TV and radio shows, where she became known for supporting isolationist policies and showing disdain for “wokeness”. President-elect Donald Trump and former US Representative Tulsi Gabbard embrace, joined by Tucker Carlson, onstage at a campaign event sponsored by conservative group Turning Point USA [Carlos Barria/ Reuters] From ‘Little Marco’ to Secretary of State Since his election to the Senate in 2010, Rubio has staked out a reputation for holding hawkish views on US adversaries such as China, Iran, Venezuela and Cuba. He has also staunchly backed Israel’s war in Gaza, telling a peace activist last year that Hamas was “100 percent to blame” for the deaths of Palestinians in the enclave. “I want them to destroy every element of Hamas they can get their hands on,” Rubio said in a confrontation with Code Pink co-founder Medea Benjamin in December. “These people are vicious animals who did horrifying crimes, and I hope you guys post that because that’s my position.” Rubio currently serves on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the Committee on Foreign Relations. His relationship with Trump has shifted significantly since the two first faced off in the 2016 presidential primary, and Rubio appears to have adapted his views on issues such as the war in Ukraine and immigration policies to Trump’s. In 2016, Trump famously mocked Rubio’s physical stature, branding him “Little Marco”. For his part, Rubio derided his rival, calling him “Small Hands Trump”. Compared to his soon-to-be boss, Rubio is more of a traditional interventionist when it comes to foreign policy, advocating for a muscular approach to foreign conflicts while Trump’s foreign policy has focused on avoiding military interventions abroad. This has, at times, moved Rubio to publicly criticise Trump’s foreign policy, including in 2019 when he accused the then-president of “abandoning” the US military effort in Syria before it was “completely finished”. Rubio heads a group of like-minded Cuban Americans in Congress seeking to prod US foreign policy in Latin America in a more conservative direction. “The tyrants in Havana, Caracas and Managua will not sleep today,” wrote a fellow Cuban American Republican from Miami, Representative Carlos Gimenez, in a post on X. “Their days are numbered. Their time is up.” Aligning with Trump However, in recent years, experts said, Rubio has softened his stance to fall in line with Trump. “Rubio is a flexible and pragmatic politician who has accommodated himself to the rise of President Trump,” Paul Musgrave, an associate professor of government at Georgetown University in Qatar, told Al Jazeera. In the initial months after Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, for instance, Rubio took to social media to fervently rally support for Ukraine among Americans. He labelled Russian President Vladimir Putin “a killer” and questioned his mental health – a significant departure from Trump’s at times deferential approach to the Russian leader. In recent interviews, Rubio has suggested Ukraine needs to seek “a negotiated settlement” with Russia, and he was one of 15 Republican senators to vote against a military aid package for Ukraine that passed in April. But some Trump loyalists view Rubio with suspicion. Al Jazeera’s Shihab Rattansi reported that there has been an “uproar” among some of the president-elect’s staunchest supporters over Rubio’s appointment. “He’s seen with great suspicion among the Trump base, but at the same time, he’s certainly charmed Donald Trump,” Rattansi said. Adblock test (Why?)
Trump picks loyalist Matt Gaetz of Florida as US attorney general
United States President-elect Donald Trump has announced that Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz, 42, will serve as his attorney general, a role that doubles as the country’s top prosecutor and the head of the Department of Justice. Trump announced the nomination in a post on his Truth Social platform on Wednesday, citing Gaetz’s background as a lawyer and as a member of the House Judiciary Committee. He also indicated that Gaetz’s nomination would be part of his agenda to rout the government of perceived rivals. Trump has long accused Democrats of “weaponising” the Justice Department against him, an allegation he revisited in Wednesday’s announcement. “Few issues in America are more important than ending the partisan Weaponization of our Justice System,” Trump wrote in his statement. “Matt will end Weaponized Government, protect our Borders, dismantle Criminal Organizations and restore Americans’ badly-shattered Faith and Confidence in the Justice Department.” A Trump loyalist, Gaetz celebrated his nomination on social media, calling it an “an honor to serve as President Trump’s Attorney General”. Earlier in the day, the US representative also echoed the president-elect’s remarks about perceived bias in the government. “We ought to have a full court press against this WEAPONIZED government that has been turned against our people,” Gaetz wrote. “And if that means ABOLISHING every one of the three letter agencies, from the FBI to the ATF, I’m ready to get going!” A fractious choice Gaetz’s ascent to the post, however, is by no means assured. As a nominee for a cabinet-level post, the firebrand Gaetz will have to pass what is sure to be a contentious confirmation vote in the US Senate. Republicans will take control of the Senate in January, but many in the party view the far-right Gaetz as an unlikeable careerist. Gaetz took a central role in splintering the Republican Party last October when he led an effort to topple former Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. The ouster triggered weeks of uncertainty in the House, which struggled to elect a replacement for McCarthy. While Gaetz portrayed himself as an anti-establishment insurgent willing to take on powerful forces within his own party, some Republicans viewed McCarthy’s ejection as a publicity stunt meant to elevate Gaetz’s profile. One of his fellow Republicans from Florida, Representative Carlos Gimenez, even told the publication Politico that Gaetz is politically isolated even in his own home state. “Gaetz maybe has a couple of friends in the delegation,” Gimenez said in 2023. “But I’m not one of them.” Trump’s priorities But Gaetz’s selection as attorney general is the latest indicator of the ideas and priorities that could define Trump’s second term in office. On the campaign trail, Trump frequently spoke of retribution against political rivals and officials who criticised him or refused his demands, including some related to his efforts to illegitimately overturn his loss in the 2020 election. “Well, revenge does take time. I will say that,” Trump told TV host Phil McGraw in June. “And sometimes revenge can be justified, Phil. I have to be honest.” Trump has also frequently bashed the Department of Justice for its role in pursuing two of the four criminal indictments he faced. Led by Special Counsel Jack Smith, federal prosecutors charged Trump with crimes related to his attempts to overturn the 2020 election and his refusal to surrender classified documents after leaving the White House in 2021. In response, Trump has called the Department of Justice the “Department of Injustice” and accused it of trying to sabotage his re-election campaign in 2024. “All of these FAKE POLITICAL PROSECUTIONS (PERSECUTIONS!) OF CROOKED JOE BIDEN’S POLITICAL OPPONENT MUST BE IMMEDIATELY HALTED!” he wrote on Truth Social in February. Legal troubles By aiming to place Gaetz as the head of the department, critics believe Trump is signalling that personal loyalty is central to his incoming administration. The choice of Gaetz also elevates a fellow Republican who, like Trump, has faced an investigation from the Department of Justice. In recent years, allegations have surfaced that the Florida lawmaker offered gifts to underage girls for sex. Gaetz has firmly denied the accusations. In February 2023, the Department of Justice concluded an investigation into the matter without bringing charges. McCarthy, meanwhile, responded to the allegations by calling Gaetz “a smart guy without morals” that “no one can stand”. Nevertheless, the House Ethics Committee has continued its investigation into allegations that Gaetz engaged in sexual misconduct and drug use. In September, Gates said that he would no longer cooperate with the “uncomfortably nosy” committee and described the investigation as a “political payback exercise”. Adblock test (Why?)
One dead after two reported explosions near Brazil’s Supreme Court
Brazil’s Supreme Court has been evacuated as federal police swarm the area to investigate the evening attack. Federal police in Brazil are investigating after a pair of explosions rocked the heart of the country’s capital Brasilia, just steps away from the Federal Supreme Court (STF). At least one person was reported dead. The court itself was evacuated, as plumes of smoke and fire were visible from the air. “At the end of the [Supreme Court] session on Wednesday, two loud bangs were heard, and the ministers were safely removed from the building,” the court said in a press release. In a separate statement, the federal police indicated it had deployed a rapid intervention group and a bomb control squad to the area, known as Brasilia’s Three Powers Plaza. Those units, it explained, were in charge of “carrying out initial security actions and analysing the site”. “A police inquiry will be opened to investigate the attack,” the federal police added. The Three Powers Plaza is the seat of Brazil’s federal government: It contains the presidential palace, buildings for both chambers of Congress and the Supreme Court. The area has also been the target of political violence in recent years. On January 8, 2023, for instance, thousands of protesters descended on the Three Powers Plaza, ransacking the government buildings and clashing with law enforcement. The riot was largely seen as an attack on democracy, as it came just days after the inauguration of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Lula himself described the incident as a “coup” and blamed his predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, for spreading false claims of election interference before his defeat. No motive has been released yet in Wednesday’s bombing incident. But local media have reported that the explosions took place near the Supreme Court and along a street near an annex building. Adblock test (Why?)
Matt Gaetz resigns from Congress over Trump nod to be attorney general, Johnson says
Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., resigned from the House of Representatives on Wednesday, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., announced. Gaetz gave House GOP leaders his resignation notice on the same day President-elect Trump tapped him to be his Attorney General. “I think out of deference to us, he issued his resignation letter effective immediately,” Johnson said. “That caught us by surprise a little bit. But I asked him what the reasoning was, and he said, well, you can’t have too many absences.” The speaker pointed out that Florida state law gave the governor “about an eight-week period” to fill a House vacancy and that by doing so, “we may be able to fill that seat as early as Jan. 3.” Johnson said he’s already in contact with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on the matter. This is a breaking story and will be updated…
U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul briefly detained after appearing intoxicated at airport
A nervous flier, the House Foreign Affairs chief said he made a “poor decision” to mix Ambien and alcohol before his flight home to Texas on Nov. 4.
Democratic stronghold state votes to protect natural gas and gas stoves, a Biden administration bugaboo
Voters in Washington state appeared Tuesday to narrowly approve a ballot measure that will protect access to natural gas in the near future. Proponents of the measure declared victory on Tuesday, but the count remained tight, with provisional and other ballots yet to be counted, according to The Columbian newspaper. As of Tuesday morning, the Washington secretary of state’s tally showed just under 1.8 million “yea” votes and 1.68 million “nay” votes, or approximately 52-48%. The measure would prohibit state regulators from approving plans that encourage Washingtonians to end their natural gas service and mandate that utilities supply the energy source to those who ask for it, according to The Seattle Times. EXPERTS RIP ‘TRIPLE CROWN OF BAD REGS’ AFTER BIDEN ADMIN POSTS GAS STOVE RULE IT DENIED WAS A ‘BAN’ “The people find that having access to natural gas enhances the safety, welfare, and standard-of-living of all people in Washington,” the ballot measure stated. “The people further find that preserving Washington’s gas infrastructure and systems will promote energy choice, security, independence, and resilience throughout the state. “Natural gas is a convenient and important necessity because it: Serves as a backup source of energy during emergencies; provides consumers with more options for heating, sanitation, cooking and food preparation, and other household activities, helping to control their costs; and sustains essential businesses, such as restaurants.” The measure also curtails future natural gas bans in the Evergreen State. BIDEN ADMIN BACKS OFF GAS STOVE CRACKDOWN AFTER WIDESPREAD PUSHBACK Proponents of the measure wrote that public and corporate policies have affected residents’ ability to make their own decisions about which energy source they choose to use. Outgoing Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee signed a bill earlier this year that would push utilities away from natural gas. Some reports said the measure was a response to that legislation. Inslee and his successor, Gov.-elect Bob Ferguson, were lambasted by a top proponent of the ballot measure who accused Inslee of suggesting he would pursue litigation if it passed. Brian Heywood called Inslee a “pompous turd” during an interview on KIRO radio after Inslee said there is a “very good chance the court will find [the measure] was defective” and that its text “did not adequately describe what it really was.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The Biden administration seriously considered banning natural gas-powered stoves before it received widespread criticism for considering such a move, according to an internal memo obtained by Fox News Digital in 2023. In the memo dated Oct. 25, 2022, Richard Trumka Jr., whom President Biden appointed to serve on the Consumer Product Safety Commission, wrote to a fellow commissioner that there was sufficient evidence for the agency to move forward with a “notice of proposed rulemaking” to ban gas stoves. The ballot measure’s passage in a blue state runs counter to the machinations of the Biden administration, which has sought to stringently regulate natural gas and other power sources viewed as insufficiently green.
Special counsel Jack Smith asks court to halt his appeal against Trump in Florida case
Special counsel Jack Smith is asking an appeals court to halt his appeal against President-elect Trump for his alleged mishandling of classified and top-secret documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. Smith did the same in the D.C. election interference case last week. The news comes after Fox News confirmed that Smith will be stepping down before Trump takes office. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Warring GOP factions strike deal to raise threshold to oust a House speaker
House Republicans have reached an agreement on raising the motion to vacate threshold. Currently, House GOP Conference rules dictate that just one lawmaker is needed to call for a motion to vacate the chair, which would trigger a chamber-wide vote on removing the speaker. But the deal, brokered during a meeting hosted by Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and involving lawmakers from the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus and the pragmatic Main Street Caucus, would raise the one-person threshold to nine. JOHNSON BLASTS DEM ACCUSATIONS HE VOWED TO END OBAMACARE AS ‘DISHONEST’ In exchange, Main Street Caucus members agreed to withdraw several proposed changes to House GOP rules that would have punished Republicans who vote against the will of the majority. The one-person threshold was part of a deal that ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., struck with conservatives in January 2022 in order to win the gavel. That eventually came back to haunt him when Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., triggered the vote that ultimately led to his ouster by all House Democrats and eight Republicans in October 2023. It’s also been a threat over Johnson’s head since he took over for McCarthy. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., notably triggered a vote to oust Johnson using the same rule in March. Enough House Democrats helped Republicans block the House-wide vote, however, by voting to “table” it indefinitely. HOUSE LEADERS MOVE QUICKLY TO CONSOLIDATE POWER IN SHOW OF CONFIDENCE FOR REPUBLICAN MAJORITY House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md., and Main Street Caucus Chairman Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., confirmed the deal in brief comments to reporters on Wednesday evening. ” This started because Dr. Harris reached out this morning. He said, ‘Listen, we’ve got to cut a deal. We need to come together.’ Unity is important,” Johnson said. “We spent more than an hour together. We made good progress. We understood that we had an opportunity to set the motion to vacate at a higher number…the motion to vacate will be set at nine, and in return for getting rid of some amendments that probably would have divided this conference.” The Main Street Caucus chair said Harris “did a good job of explaining to mainstream leadership why those amendments would have divided the Republican conference.” Moderate and rank-and-file Republicans have been pushing to raise the threshold since late last year, arguing it would just continue to fuel chaos within the House GOP. But GOP hardliners insisted it empowered members who were not in House Republican leadership. A fifth person who spoke with Fox News Digital stressed the deal was tentative, categorizing it as a “proposed” deal and adding, “It isn’t over until it is.” House Republicans are expected to vote on proposed changes to their conference rules on Thursday. DEMS PRIVATELY FRET ABOUT LOSING HOUSE AFTER GOP VICTORY IN WHITE HOUSE, SENATE The news comes just after Johnson won a unanimous vote by House Republicans to be their speaker again, two more sources told Fox News Digital. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Conservative critics of Johnson’s handling of foreign aid and government spending had threatened to delay his victory by forcing a secret ballot vote rather than awarding him unanimous consent. But they appeared to back off from that threat after the meeting, which delayed leadership elections by roughly an hour and a half. Fox News Digital reached out to Johnson’s office for comment.
Warring GOP factions strike deal to raise threshold to oust a House speaker, sources say
House Republicans have reached an agreement on raising the motion to vacate threshold, four people familiar with the discussion told Fox News Digital. Currently, House GOP Conference rules dictate that just one lawmaker is needed to call for a motion to vacate the chair, which would trigger a chamber-wide vote on removing the speaker. But the deal, brokered during a meeting hosted by Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and involving lawmakers from the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus and the pragmatic Main Street Caucus, would raise the one-person threshold to nine. JOHNSON BLASTS DEM ACCUSATIONS HE VOWED TO END OBAMACARE AS ‘DISHONEST’ In exchange, Main Street Caucus members agreed to withdraw several proposed changes to House GOP rules that would have punished Republicans who vote against the will of the majority, the sources said. The one-person threshold was part of a deal that ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., struck with conservatives in January 2022 in order to win the gavel. That eventually came back to haunt him when Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., triggered the vote that ultimately led to his ouster by all House Democrats and eight Republicans in October 2023. It’s also been a threat over Johnson’s head since he took over for McCarthy. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., notably triggered a vote to oust Johnson using the same rule in March. Enough House Democrats helped Republicans block the House-wide vote, however, by voting to “table” it indefinitely. HOUSE LEADERS MOVE QUICKLY TO CONSOLIDATE POWER IN SHOW OF CONFIDENCE FOR REPUBLICAN MAJORITY Moderate and rank-and-file Republicans have been pushing to raise the threshold since late last year, arguing it would just continue to fuel chaos within the House GOP. But GOP hardliners insisted it empowered members who were not in House Republican leadership. A fifth person who spoke with Fox News Digital stressed the deal was tentative, categorizing it as a “proposed” deal and adding, “It isn’t over until it is.” House Republicans are expected to vote on proposed changes to their conference rules on Thursday. DEMS PRIVATELY FRET ABOUT LOSING HOUSE AFTER GOP VICTORY IN WHITE HOUSE, SENATE The news comes just after Johnson won a unanimous vote by House Republicans to be their speaker again, two more sources told Fox News Digital. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Conservative critics of Johnson’s handling of foreign aid and government spending had threatened to delay his victory by forcing a secret ballot vote rather than awarding him unanimous consent. But they appeared to back off from that threat after the meeting, which delayed leadership elections by roughly an hour and a half. Fox News Digital reached out to Johnson’s office for comment.