Trump news live: Matt Gaetz's wife Ginger's cryptic photo hints at his Attorney General plans

Ginger Gaetz posted a picture of her husband Matt, Trump's attorney general pick, standing the middle of a prison in El Salvador.

'Happy Thursday!!' she cheerfully wrote along with the post on X.

Gaetz toured the Center for the Confinement of Terrorism last summer.

The cryptic picture comes following outrage from both Republicans and Democrats about Matt's appointment to the top prosecutor position.

The now-former congressman also spectacularly resigned from Congress effective immediately on Thursday.

The dramatic move comes amid reports a scathing Ethics Committee report into his conduct was about to be released.

The report concerned sexual misconduct and drug use allegations against him.

President-elect Donald Trump announced he had nominated former Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Jay Clayton, to serve as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

'Jay is a highly respected business leader, counsel, and public servant,' Trump wrote in a statement posted to Truth Social.

Clayton served is a Penn Carey Law school graduate and worked with Trump on a number of economic issues in his first term and was a possible candidate for Secretary of Treasury.

'Jay is going to be a strong Fighter for the Truth as we, Make America Great Again,' Trump concluded.

The White House dodged questions Thursday about why President Biden isn’t planning a press conference at two upcoming summit meetings, and has gone mum on earlier comments about risks to democracy.

‘He will continue to engage with the press. I don’t have anything beyond that,’ she said, when asked Biden wasn’t taking the typical step of speaking formally to the press on his visit to Peru and Brazil.

‘He respects and understands the important role that you all have,’ she said when pressed. Biden also hasn’t done a post-election press conference. When a reporter brought up Barack Obama’s post-election press conference, Jean-Pierre said she wouldn’t get into a ‘back and forth’ on the subject. Biden is instead expected to interact with small groups of reporters who follow him.

She also got asked if Biden would feel comfortable leaving the White House without expressing his ‘fears for the country.’ She responded by referencing Biden’s call to carry out a peaceful transfer of power.

‘This is what the American people deserve. They deserve to have a peaceful transfer of power, an orderly transfer of power. And that is what the President is focused on,’ she said.

Jon Michael Raasch, Political Reporter for DailyMail.com on Capitol Hill

Speaker Mike Johnson is already getting to know his Senate Republican counterpart.

Senate Republican Leader-elect John Thune and Johnson were pictured chatting in the Capitol on Thursday just one day after the two won their elections to lead the GOP in Congress.

Both will formally assume their leadership roles for the next Congress in early January 2025.

Billionaire Elon Musk, one of President-elect Donald Trump's close advisers met with Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations on Monday according to the New York Times, citing two anonymous Iranian officials.

The Iranians described the meeting as 'positive' and that it lasted more than an hour.

Musk's role in the meeting indicates he is willing to act as an envoy for President-elect Trump, speaking in diplomatic situations involving U.S. relations.

Last week, Musk participated in a Trump phone call with Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky.

Musk's meeting suggests that Trump is open to diplomatic negotiations with Iran, despite withdrawing from the Iranian nuclear deal during his first term. Trump also pursued a maximum pressure campaign against Iran in his first term, enacting heavy sanctions on their regime.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre wouldn’t weigh in on Donald Trump’s extraordinary announcement that he’ll nominate Matt Gaetz to be attorney general.

‘We’re not going to comment on every personnel choice or decision that is made by the president elect and his transition team,’ she told reporters en route to Lima, Peru when asked about the explosive announcement.

She did reiterate comments about an independent Justice Department.

‘I think you saw by example from this administration, the importance of the Department of Justice being, independent, and especially as it relates to investigations,’ she said.

She said the Department's only loyalty should be ‘to the Constitution and to the rule of law. There should not be loyalty to any political party. That is not how the Department of Justice should be run.’

Democratic Senator Ron Wyden slammed President-elect Trump picking Robert Kennedy Jr. as his pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.

'Trump’s health agenda isn’t a secret: worse health care at a higher cost for American families,' Wyden said in a statement.

He claimed Trump and Republicans in Congress have a 'proven track record of empowering insurance companies and Big Pharma while leaving everyday Americans to foot the bill.'

On Kennedy, Wyden said his 'outlandish views on basic scientific facts are disturbing and should worry all parents who expect schools and other public spaces to be safe for their children.'

Allegations resurfaced Thursday about a woman who reportedly testified to the committee that Gaetz had sex with her when she was 17.

The committee apparently subpoenaed the woman - now in her 20s - at the center of the sex probe this summer.

She sat for multiple days of testimony where she talked about Gaetz and her having sex when she was a minor in high school, sources close to the probe told ABC News.

The reportedly 'represented that she was an adult' on the website where she met Gaetz's friend Joel Greenberg, who in 2022 was sentenced to 11 years in prison for sex trafficking a minor.

It was reported in June that at least one woman has reportedly admitted to the House Ethics Committee that Gaetz paid her for sex through Venmo.

Former Florida Rep. Gaetz resigned from Congress on Wednesday after Donald Trump announced him as his pick for attorney general sparking backlash.

Gaetz's resignation leaves the Ethics Committee without jurisdiction over the Florida Republican, even as the panel was set to vote on Friday on whether it would release its report on the investigation it conducted.

Jon Michael Raasch, Political Reporter for DailyMail.com on Capitol Hill

The top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee Dick Durbin sent a letter to the House Ethics Committee demanding to see Matt Gaetz's investigation file.

Durbin, along with 10 other Democrats, signed the letter.

After being nominated as Trump's attorney general on Wednesday, both Democrats and Republicans have called to see the investigation's findings.

Gaetz has been accused of sexual misconduct and drug use and the panel has been probing the claims for years. The FBI had investigated similar claims against Gaetz, but the DOJ opted not to indict him over claims he sex trafficked a 17-year-old girl.

The Florida lawmaker resigned suddenly after his nomination, raising questions as to why he backed out of Congress so quickly.

'The sequence and timing of Mr. Gaetz’s resignation from the House raises serious questions about the contents of the House Ethics Committee report and findings,' the Democrats wrote.

'We cannot allow this critical information from a bipartisan investigation into longstanding public allegations to be hidden from the American people, given that it is directly relevant to the question of whether Mr. Gaetz is qualified and fit to be the next Attorney General of the United States.'

'The Senate has a constitutional duty to provide advice and consent on presidential nominees, and it is crucial that we review all of the information necessary to fulfill this duty as we consider Mr. Gaetz’s nomination. We thus request that you immediately provide to the Senate Judiciary Committee your Committee’s report and all documentation related to your investigation into Mr. Gaetz’s alleged misconduct.'

By Emily Goodin, senior White House correspondent

President-elect Donald Trump officially announced Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as his nominee for Health and Human Services secretary.

Trump cited food and drug companies as his reason.

Americans have been crushed by the industrial food complex and drug companies who have engaged in deception, misinformation, and disinformation when it comes to Public Health. The Safety and Health of all Americans is the most important role of any Administration, and HHS will play a big role in helping ensure that everybody will be protected from harmful chemicals, pollutants, pesticides, pharmaceutical products, and food additives that have contributed to the overwhelming Health Crisis in this Country.

He did not mention vaccines. RFK Jr. is famous for his anti-vaxx stance, which prominent members of Kennedy family have criticized him for.

Mr. Kennedy will restore these Agencies to the traditions of Gold Standard Scientific Research, and beacons of Transparency, to end the Chronic Disease epidemic, and to Make America Great and Healthy Again!

The Cabinet-level position requires Senate confirmation.

RFK Jr. dropped his independent presidential bid and endorsed Trump. He urged his supporters to vote for Trump, particularly in swing states where RFK Jr. was still on the ballot.

Many analysts thought RFK Jr. would draw votes away from Trump instead of Joe Biden if he remained in the contest.

Matt Gaetz, Donald Trump's controversial pick to lead the Justice Department, could become the attorney general without a Senate confirmation vote through a little-known clause in the Constitution.

In order to become a confirmed Cabinet official, a nominee must receive support from the majority of senators during a floor vote usually following a hearing.

But Trump declared on Truth Social that he wants to use the 'recess appointment' process in order to get his Cabinet picks into office more quickly.

That includes his most recent selection - embattled former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz - to lead DOJ.

Gaetz was recently under investigation by the FBI for alleged sex trafficking of a minor, although DOJ never brought charges. And the House Ethics Committee was wrapping up a probe into his alleged illicit drug abuse and sexual misconduct.

As a result, his path to confirmation through the traditional process doesn't seem likely as two Republicans - Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine - have already vowed to block him.

Former George W. Bush Justice Department official John Yoo told DailyMail.com that the only way Gaetz can grasp power is through a recess appointment.

By Katelyn Caralle, Senior U.S. Political Reporter at the U.S. Capitol

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna says if Democrats need to move on from Matt Gaetz and start looking at ‘cleaning the House’ by investigating the allegations surrounding Jeffrey Epstein and P Diddy.

The Florida lawmaker was defending her former House colleague on Thursday after he resigned from Congress when Donald Trump announced him as his Attorney General pick.

Asked to respond to the calls for the House Ethics Committee to release its report on Gaetz, Rep. Luna said:

Oh, you know, they're going to do the same smear campaign that they did with Justice Kavanaugh. But I will be clear about something – the Department of Justice never charged Matt Gaetz.

And so the fact that these people are bringing this up, why aren't they interested in uncovering what happened with Jeffrey Epstein? Or frankly the P Diddy list. I think it's pretty gross.

Robert F Kennedy Jr.'s rumored mistress Olivia Nuzzi has thrown out her request for a protective order against her ex-fiancé.

The decision brings an end to a months-long legal battle against Ryan Lizza that began once news of her 'digital affair' with the former presidential hopeful came to light.

Nuzzi, 31, accused her former partner of trying to blackmail her and threatening her career over the infidelity.

In a new filing at the Superior Court in Washington DC, Nuzzi claimed launching her legal bid was her 'last resort in her efforts to extract herself from a controlling and abusive relationship'.

The document added: 'She narrowly sought to protect her physical safety and privacy.'

President-elect Donald Trump is expected to announce that he's chosen Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.

That announcement will send shockwaves through the public health sector - as Kennedy is a prominent anti-vaxxer and has pushed conspiracy theories about a number of health-related topics.

DailyMail.com previously reported that Dr. Ben Carson - a respected surgeon turned 2016 presidential candidate - was in the mix.

But Kennedy boosted Trump's 2024 run by suspending his campaign the day after the Democratic National Convention wrapped up in August - telling his supporters to back the Republican in key swing states.

Kennedy later embraced Trump even more - telling his supporters across the U.S. to back Trump instead - arguing they had a vision to 'Make America Healthy Again.'

By Katelyn Caralle, Senior U.S. Political Reporter at the U.S. Capitol

Rep. Tim Burchett said he can’t see the Senate refusing to confirm Matt Gaetz as Attorney General after approving Joe Biden’s pick Merrick Garland just four years prior.

Asked by DailyMail.com if he’s worried any Republicans will oppose Trump’s pick to lead the Justice Department, Burchett said: ‘No, I’m not.’

The Tennessee Republican added:

Well, they voted for Merrick Garland, gladly. I'd like to see them turn down Matt Gaetz, I mean give me a break.

A guy that literally weaponized [the DOJ] against American citizens, telling them… kids in public schools that had a disagreement with their school board, we'll call them domestic terrorists, and labeling them as such.

Oprah Winfrey detailed why her production company billed the Kamala Harris campaign for $1 million as they struggled explain where the $1 billion in fundraising went.

Harris went into the comments of an Instagram comment to explain herself after denying that she took any of the money for herself.

From Rob Crilly, Chief U.S. Political Correspondent in Washington, D.C.

The choice of Matt Gaetz for attorney general is not a stunt, a chance to troll the libs or a ruse to smuggle through other (marginally less) controversial cabinet picks.

Donald Trump is deadly serious about putting the combative politician in charge of his fightback against the people he blames for a witch hunt against him, according to confidants and allies.

Yet the appointment surprised many around Trump and it led to claims that the former president had gone freelance, reaching the decision Wednesday only when Gaetz traveled with him on his plane and while Susie Wiles, his chief of staff, was in a different cabin.

Not so, said a string of insiders familiar with Trump's thinking.

The announcement may have come as a surprise when it dropped on Truth Social, but Trump confidants said his name had long been in the frame as the natural choice to overhaul a justice department blamed for weaponizing the legal system.

By Katelyn Caralle, Senior U.S. Political Reporter at the U.S. Capitol

Rep. Ralph Norman says Matt Gaetz isn’t worried about whether or not the House Ethics Committee releases its report on their investigation into his conduct.

The South Carolina congressman says Donald Trump’s Attorney General pick has ‘nothing to hide’ and ‘welcomes investigations.’

Speaking to reporters on Capitol Hill on Thursday, Norman said:

[The] Justice Department has dismissed it. Now, if the Ethics wants to release it, fine, do it. He has nothing to hide. Matt Gaetz is straight up.

Let it out. Let the American people see… He welcomes investigations.

Norman, responding to a question from DailyMail.com, said he isn’t worried about Republican senators blocking Gaetz’s confirmation to lead the DOJ, and said if they do, those lawmakers will ‘come under scrutiny.’

Looking at the Trump family assembled on stage in West Palm Beach last week, you might have thought they'd gathered for a cocktail party rather than a victory speech.

Sequins, shoulder pads and stilettos dominated in a line-up of plastic – and identikit – perfection.

Even Ivanka's disco-esque blue crushed-velvet pantsuit, as ill-fitting as it was wrinkled, failed to add the pizzazz that might have lifted her above the group.

Following her husband's historic re-election to the White House, it was left to Melania to raise the fashion game and assume in full her role as matriarch and consort of the Trump First Family.

Not for the first time, it was her clothes that told the story.

Trump's oldest fan, a 105-year-old Connecticut grandmother, is racing against the clock to meet her hero before her 'time is up.'

Rosalie Cianelli, of East Haven, has followed politics her entire life - and with the help of her granddaughter - has racked up more than a million likes and 130,000 followers on TikTok where she shares her immense support of the future commander-in-chief.

Now Cianelli, who turns 106 next month, has one end goal in mind following Trump's landslide victory over Vice President Kamala Harris last week.

'She says Trump was our only option to save America,' Julie Cestaro, her granddaughter, told What's The Jam.

'Now that the election is over, she's hoping to meet Trump before her time is up.'

The 105-year-old patriot has had a taste of social media fame this year after dozens of her TikTok videos went viral.

Julie, who is the mastermind behind the camera, regularly posts her grandmother discussing her love and support of the former president - often in a MAGA hat.

In her most viral video shared this September, which gained over two million views, Cianelli wore a Trump pin on her sweater and urged her followers to vote 'wisely' on Election Day.

Social media users have become obsessed with a rare clip of Donald Trump's son Barron speaking when he was just four years old.

After staying out of the spotlight for most of his life, Donald's youngest son, 18, has emerged as an an online sensation in recent months - and one of America's most eligible bachelors.

He has even started showing some political nous by urging his father to appear on a number of popular podcasts during the campaign.

And with Barron appearing front and center since the 2024 election win, fans are again 'obsessing' over the 6-foot-9 New York University student.

But when one X user pointed out that the notoriously private teenager used to have a Slovenian accent, many of his newfound fans were stunned over the revelation.

A user who goes by @c1nnamonbunny shared a video of Barron speaking to his parents as a child - and it quickly went viral.

The interview was filmed for a 2010 special on Larry King Live that Donald and his mom, Melania, did.

The clip showed Barron, who was then aged four, getting ready to go to school for the first time.

'I have to go to school now?' he asks his mother, speaking with a thick Slovenian accent.

Democrats picked up an additional House seat on Thursday when the race in Oregon's 5th Congressional District was called for Janelle Bynum.

Bynum, a Democratic state representative, ran as a challenger to GOP Congresswoman Lori Chavez-DeRemer in the toss-up district.

She will be the first black member of Congress from Oregon.

Her win brings Democrats' total seats so far to 209 to Republicans 218.

Chavez-DeRemer was first elected to Congress in 2022.

In a statement, the outgoing congresswoman said she was 'deeply grateful' for the opportunity to serve and was proud of what her team accomplished.

Jon Michael Raasch, Political Reporter for DailyMail.com on Capitol Hill

Republican senators are eager to get their hands on a secretive ethics report into Donald Trump's attorney general nominee Matt Gaetz's alleged drug use and sexual misconduct.

Gaetz had been the subject of a yearslong House Ethics Committee probe that ended Wednesday after his abrupt resignation from Congress, one day after Trump shockingly nominated him to be the top law enforcement official in the nation.

The resignation means the committee no longer has jurisdiction over Gaetz. They even canceled an upcoming meeting Friday to discuss releasing the report.

The FBI had investigated similar claims against Gaetz, but the DOJ opted not to indict him over claims he sex trafficked a 17-year-old girl.

Trump's pick of the embattled former congressman to oversee the Justice Department, FBI, DEA, ATF and related agencies has shocked Republicans and Democrats.

Now, some Republican senators who will vote on his nomination are demanding to review the House report before the 42-year-old Florida man is able to join Trump's Cabinet.

'The President's role is to make the nomination, but we need to have complete vetting of the nominees, not only so we know that the nominee is qualified, but also to protect the president,' Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said Thursday.

He 'absolutely' wants to review the House Ethics Committee's report on Gaetz's conduct.

President-elect Donald Trump said Thursday that JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon will not be part of his administration.

Trump broadcast the decision on his Truth Social network.

Republicans and Democrats had both mentioned Dimon as a potential Treasury secretary for Trump.

'I respect Jamie Dimon, of JPMorgan Chase, greatly, but he will not be invited to be a part of the Trump Administration. I thank Jamie for his outstanding service to our Country!' Trump wrote.

The message came after Reuters reported the day after the presidential election that Dimon had no plans to join the Trump White House 2.0.

Dimon didn't endorse Trump ahead of the election - and his wife Judy was knocking doors in Michigan in support of Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris the weekend before voters headed to the polls.

The FBI arrested a Texas man on suspicion of supporting ISIS and planning a '9/11 style' terrorist attack on US soil.

Authorities took Anas Said, 28, into custody last week after he allegedly plotted a sickening attack from his Houston apartment.

FBI Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams said Thursday that Said admitted to researching how to carry out a terrorist attack, particularly targeting local military recruiting centers.

'Today is a great day. We’ve taken a suspected terrorist off the streets of Houston,' Williams said.

Authorities said Said had also attempted to offer his west Houston apartment to ISIS operatives and produced ISIS propaganda.

At a press conference alongside Williams, Alamdar Hamdani, the US Attorney in the Southern District of Texas, said Said is an American citizen but spent 'a good part of his childhood in Lebanon.'

Whoopi Goldberg claims she understand Trump voters because she's struggling financially too - despite owning a $16 million property portfolio.

The comedian, 69, cried poverty on The View this week as she complained that she is a 'working person' and her 'kid has to feed her family.'

'I appreciate that people are having a hard time, and me too - I work for a living,' Goldberg - real name Caryn Johnson - said. 'If I had all the money in the world I would not be here.'

But the Ghost and Sister Act star instantly raised eyebrows with the remark, with The Sun reporting in 2022 that she trousers $8 million a year just for hosting The View.

The EGOT also owns at least four fabulous homes; mansions in New Jersey and Upstate New York, a SoHo loft in NYC and colonial-style property in Connecticut.

DailyMail.com asked New York City voters what they thought of the extreme measures liberal women have said they will take to protest Donald Trump's election win - and there was a general consensus that things may be going a bit far.

'I'm walking in the park. I don't see no war. No one's bothering me,' said 20-year-old student Lucy.

Liberal women have spoken out online warning the world how they plan on protesting the president-elect's victory, including poisoning their husbands, shaving their heads, and abstaining from dating or sex with men.

'No that's radical. That's weird,' said 73-year-old Jerome.

Many of those we spoke to in Washington Square Park couldn't see how these steps were necessary, and one wasn't even sure their threats would be upheld.

Kentucky U.S. Sen. Rand Paul said Thursday he intends to immediately take up President-elect Donald Trump's plan to reinstate a policy requiring asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico for hearings in U.S. immigration court.

Paul said he will be the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee chair after Republicans won control of the Senate in this month's elections.

The new role will put Paul in charge of a committee with broad jurisdiction over government operations, including the Department of Homeland Security.

Paul has been the committee's ranking Republican during Democratic control of the Senate.

I chose to chair this committee over another because I believe that, for the health of our republic, Congress must stand up once again for its constitutional role

This committee's mission of oversight and investigations is critical to Congress reasserting itself.

Our first hearing will examine reinstating the successful `Remain in Mexico´ policy from the first Trump administration.

We will also expeditiously move President Trump´s critical nominees, including Governor Kristi Noem, in time for Inauguration Day.

By Katelyn Caralle, Senior U.S. Political Reporter

Donald Trump is rounding out his White House and Cabinet – and the team is turning out to be ones of the youngest in recent history.

Both Vice President-elect Sen. J.D. Vance and Rep. Elise Stefanik, who will be the Ambassador to the UN, are 40-years-old.

Matt Gaetz, who resigned from Congress on Wednesday after Trump announced him as the Attorney General pick, is 42.

And Trump will bring on Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, 43, as his Director of National Intelligence.

Incoming Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is 44.

Conservatives slammed MSNBC after host Rev. Al Sharpton accepted $500,000 from Kamala Harris' campaign weeks before a gushing interview.

Sharpton's sit down with the vice president last month drew scrutiny for his softball questioning, with the conservative Washington Free Beacon releasing campaign finance records claiming his non-profit was paid handsomely before the gig.

Billionaire hedge fund manager and Trump supporter Bill Ackman led the charge, telling Megyn Kelly on her show this week the payments were an attempt 'to manipulate the audience.'

Another critic questioned on X: 'Aren't political campaigns supposed to GET donations?'

Harris' campaign allegedly gave two $250,000 payments to Sharpton's National Action Network on September 5 and October 1.

And on October 20, Sharpton's went on to praise Harris' 'extraordinary historic campaign' in a gushing interview, and branded Donald Trump 'hostile and erratic.'

MSNBC has stayed silent over the payment, despite suspending Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough in 2010 for making $4,000 in campaign donations.

By Katelyn Caralle, Senior U.S. Political Reporter

House Ethics Chairman Michael Guest reiterated he has no intention of releasing his panels' report regarding its investigation into Rep. Matt Gaetz.

'What happens in Ethics is confidential. We're going to maintain that confidentiality,' the Mississippi Republican told reporters Thursday morning.

'I’ve given my statement yesterday and there’s nothing new that has changed from then until now.'

After Gaetz's abrupt resignation Wednesday, the panel no longer has jurisdiction over the former congressman.

The Florida Republican ended his tenure just hours after Trump announced him as his Attorney General pick.

Ahead of Gaetz's resigation on Wednesday, Guest said: 'Once the investigation is complete, the Ethics Committee will meet as a committee. We will then return our findings. If Matt Gaetz is still a member of Congress, then that will occur. If Matt has resigned, then this ethics investigation, like many others in the past, will end again.'

By Geoff Earle, Deputy U.S. Political Editor for DailyMail.com in Lima, Peru

There is tight security around Lima as President Biden heads to Peru for the APEC summit.

Biden is just one of 21 leaders attending the economic gathering, where he will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping. Peruvian authorities have put 15,000 police and soldiers on the streets, amid street protests over public safety.

An apparent suicide bomb attack near the Supreme Court of Brasilia – days before Biden is set to visit Rio following his Peru trip to join the G20 summit – is adding to the security scenario.

Students have been kept home for ‘remote’ classes, frustrating parents, and people have been asked to telework to free up some of the Peruvian capital’s notorious traffic. Protesters who have been raising concerns about public safety and gang shakedowns have clashed with police in riot gear outside the summit. Armored police vehicles have been establishing a presence in some of the city's most visited neighborhoods, and law enforcement and security guards are taking conspicuous positions outside hotels hosting visiting delegations.

By Katelyn Caralle, Senior U.S. Political Reporter

Rep. Matt Gaetz's resignation letter was read out loud on Thursday by the House clerk.

With the Florida congressman stepping down, the split of the House of Representatives stands at 220 Republicans, 213 Democrats and two vacancies.

Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has eight weeks to appoint Gaetz's replacement.

Gaetz resigned just hours after Donald Trump said he would nominate him to be Attorney General. It also means the House Ethics Committee no longer has jurisdiction over the former lawmaker as they planned to vote on releasing their report on him this Friday.

Donald Trump could be set to launch one of the biggest crackdowns on unhealthy eating in American history.

Despite being the biggest fast food lover to ever be elected president, a doctor tipped to play a key advisory role in the incoming administration claims that won't stop him attempting to change US diets for the better.

Dr Aseem Malhotra is a British cardiologist who has appeared on podcasts with Joe Rogan and Tucker Carlson and has close ties to Robert F Kennedy Junior.

He was a lifelong advocate for vaccines but was cast out by the medical establishment in the UK during Covid for promoting the disputed claim that mRNA shots were killing scores of young people.

Like RFK Jr, who has been promised a 'big role' in government by Trump, Dr Malhotra believes the US' spiraling epidemic of chronic disease can be partly traced to the over-consumption of ultra-processed foods.

He is in talks about a role advising the White House on combating heart disease, which is the biggest killer in the US and is fueled by bad diets and obesity.

In a DailyMail.com interview where he laid out what health policy could look like if he joins team Trump, Dr Malhotra said he would push to treat processed junk food 'like the new tobacco.'

He wants to ban burgers, pizzas and other high calorie food from schools and hospitals and impose a 'fat tax' on the unhealthiest snacks, such as candy and ice cream.

Donald Trump daughter-in-law Lara Trump says she would 'love' to serve in the Senate after her name got floated for the powerful appointment to succeed Marco Rubio, who is Trump's choice to be the next secretary of state.

'This is my home state now and has been for three years,' she told Fox News host Sean Hannity, a friend and advisor to the president-elect, during an appearance on his prime time show.

Donald Trump made his daughter-in-law co-chair of the Republican National Committee, and she crowed about the GOP's performance during a cycle when the party captured the White House and the Senate, while holding a narrow House majority.

He gave regular shout-outs to his daughter-in-law on the campaign trail, noting in battleground North Carolina that his granddaughter Carolina is named after Lara's home state.

CNN Republican panelist Scott Jennings had some fun mocking his colleagues after President Joe Biden welcomed Donald Trump to the White House, even after Democrats condemned him as a 'fascist' and 'literally Hitler' during the campaign.

Find out what he said that triggered his fellow panelists below.

Get caught having an affair with an intern and using the White House for your illicit liaisons and it turns out that it will follow you around for the rest of your life.

In his new memoir, former President Bill Clinton sets out his frustration at being questioned about the relationship years later and admits he never apologized directly to Monica Lewinsky .

Clinton, now 78, was impeached by the House of Representatives when it emerged in 1998 that he had lied about a sexual relationship with the then 22-year-old.

In 'Citizen,' published next week, he writes about a 2018 interview on NBC's 'Today Show' when he admits he was 'caught off guard' by questions on the subject.

According to The Guardian , which obtained a copy, he was expecting to talk about a new novel he had co-authored with thriller writer James Patterson.

But host Craig Melvin brought up the #MeToo movement and asked whether the affair would be a resigning issue now.

President-elect Donald Trump's deputy communications chief Margo Martin hinted Thursday that she would return to the White House to serve on the communciations team in the West Wing.

Martin posted on X.com a text from someone at the White House communications office asking her if she had left a high-heeled shoe behind, presumably shortly after Trump left the White House in January 2021.

In response, Martin texted that she would be back with Trump at the White House in four years to pick up the lost shoe.

'This text exchange aged well,' she wrote today on X.com.

. 'Always knew I’d be returning for that heel.'

By Katelyn Caralle, Senior U.S. Political Reporter

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) wants to review the House Ethics Committee's report on Rep. Matt Gaetz's conduct.

The panel was set to vote on the report's release on Friday, but Gaetz issued his resignation from the House of Representatives on Wednesday after Donald Trump announced his intent to nominate him as the next Attorney General.

This means that the Committee no longer has jurisdiction over Gaetz.

Cornyn says he 'absolutely' wants to review the report, according to First Squawk.

By Nikki Schwab, Chief Campaign Correspondent in Lima, Peru

President Joe Biden departed Washington, D.C. Thursday for two global summits in South America - as the 81-year-old begins to exit the world stage.

His granddaughter Natalie was in tow. She's the only daughter of the late Beau Biden. Additionally, former Sen. Chris Dodd joined the president for the trip.

The president will first travel to Lima, Peru for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum, where he will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japan's new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.

Biden's meeting with Ishiba will also include Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, as the Democratic president has tried to strengthen the ties between Japan and South Korea to counterweight a rising China.

Biden will then head to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for the G20.

The president will head to these meetings in a diminished capacity - as world leaders look ahead to President-elect Donald Trump's forthcoming administration.

Ishiba reportedly wants to meet with Trump before he heads back to Japan, following in the footsteps of the late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who held an 'unofficial' meeting with Trump just days after the 2016 election at Trump Tower in New York.

And on a press call Wednesday previewing Biden's meeting with Xi, senior administration officials were peppered with question after question on how Biden would address Trump's election - questions that they wished not to answer.

Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman summed up Donald Trump's cabinet nominations this week as 'God-tier level trolling' as a series of announcements from the president-elect continue to spark shock and even outrage.

Trump announced MAGA firebrand Matt Gaetz as his nominee for Attorney General and conservative Fox News TV personality Pete Hegseth his nominee for Defense Secretary.

He also named former Congresswoman and Tulsi Gabbard, accused of spreading Russian disinformation, his pick for Director of National Intelligence.

'I would describe it as God-tier level trolling to just trigger a full-on China syndrome to own the libs in perpetuity,' Fetterman said.

Matt Gaetz nemesis former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy came forward to pour more cold water on his rival’s controversial nomination to be attorney general.

‘I think the choices are very good, except one. Look, Gaetz won't get confirmed, everybody knows that,’ he told Bloomberg television a day after Donald Trump announced the pick.

Then he put forward the theory that the explosive nomination was a gambit to run interference for other Trump cabinet picks. He called it a ‘good deflection from others’

‘You can talk to [the] president, but it’s a good deflection from others, but it also gives … I’ll let it stand with that,’ he said.

After he was ousted as speaker, McCarthy said it was ‘because one person, a member of Congress, wanted me to stop an ethics complaint because he slept with a 17-year-old, an ethics complaint that started before I ever became speaker. And that’s illegal and I’m not gonna get in the middle of it.’

As Donald Trump shapes his administration, there are still a handful of spots left on his cabinet.

One is to head the department of Health and Human Services.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been touted for a health role in the Trump administration under the president-elect's slogan of 'Make of America Healthy Again'.

Yet it is unclear where he will land.

One favorite to take the spot is Ben Carson, as DailyMail.com reported earlier this week.

Joy Reid has announced she's leaving X as a wave of Kamala Harris supporters protest Elon Musk's support for Donald Trump.

The ReidOut star took to TikTok to announce that she was turning her back on the Musk-owned social media platform - despite garnering almost 2million followers.

She proudly showed off stills of the account deactivation process - joining personalities like Don Lemon and Lizzo in doing so.

The latter posted to Instagram to reveal she was heading to Bluesky - a new social media site started by Twitter creator Jack Dorsey.

In contrast to Musk's X, it was 'designed to not be controlled by a single company', organizers said when it was founded back in February.

Also swearing off X are publications like The Guardian, which launched a boycott this week due to 'disturbing content' on the platform.

The far-left paper cited instances of 'far-right conspiracy theories and racism' - as did Reid late Wednesday.

As for a reason, she offered a lengthy explanation - dramatically declaring how, at the end of the day, 'it was just not worth it.'

Geraldo Rivera branded Matt Gaetz 'rotten' and 'creepy' as he unleashed on Donald Trump's attorney general pick.

Even Republican lawmakers were shocked by the selection, setting up an early loyalty test as the new GOP-controlled Senate plans confirmation hearings.

Gaetz, 42, is under an ethics investigation over claims of sexual misconduct, bribery and drug use - which he denies - and was also the focus of a sex trafficking probe involving a 17-year-old girl.

Former Fox News host host Rivera didn't hold back in his initial reaction to Trump's announcement, alongside a dozen other proposed appointments.

'Matt Gaetz is a douche. So bad for Attorney General. Gross,' he wrote on Twitter.

'In May 2021 this guy was under investigation for sex trafficking a 17-year-old. The DOJ decided not to charge him reportedly because the minor was almost 18.

'He also allegedly asked President Trump for a prospective pardon re: January 6th.'

Liberal economist Larry Summers warned that inflation is still not fixed and that a Trump administration could make things even worse.

Summers, who was Treasury Secretary under Bill Clinton and also advised Barack Obama after 2008 financial crisis, was correct in his 2021 prediction that not getting 'Bidenflation' under control would bring back Donald Trump.

In a talk at the New York Economic Club, Summers says the Jerome Powell-led Federal reserve is still not taking it seriously enough.

'My own judgement is that the Fed and markets ae still underestimating the overheating risk,' Summers said.

He then predicted a potential disaster for a decision Powell has already made: 'I ask myself: Why is cutting rates a priority into that environment?'

By Katelyn Caralle, Senior U.S. Political Reporter

Investor and hedge fund manager Scott Bessent could be Donald Trump's pick to lead the Treasury Department and get the economy back on track.

One of Trump's biggest 2024 campaign promises was to right the economy and help reduce inflation and costs for everyday Americans.

On Fox & Friends Thursday morning, the CEO and founder of Key Square Capital Management said:

Everyone asks me, what do you tell President Trump he should do? I don't have to tell Donald Trump he should do anything. He's done it. We had a great economy under Trump 1.0.

I think under Donald Trump, we could have a golden age for the next four years.

Billionaire investor John Paulson announced Tuesday he was withdrawing his name from consideration to become Trump’s Treasury secretary nomination.

That put the focus squarely on Bessent as well as Cantor Fitzgerald CEO and Trump transition co-chair Howard Lutnick.

Donald Trump's second term as president is being shaped by the loyal allies who have stood by him during his four years outside of the White House.

As the clock ticks down to his inauguration on January 20, all eyes will be on Mar-a-Lago as Republicans jostle for a cabinet spot or a senior role in the West Wing.

And those are filling fast. In the past few days, a slew of potential appointees have emerged for top Cabinet or West Wing roles and a handful of contenders for other vital positions have emerged.

On Tuesday night there was a flurry of picks, including Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy as co-heads of the 'Department of Government Efficiency', and John Ratcliffe as Director of the CIA.

But the president-elect sent shockwaves through the Republican Party on Wednesday night with his announcement that he'll nominate now former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz as his Attorney General in a bold test of his unchecked power.

Trump announced his decision just minutes after issuing a statement saying he will nominate former Democrat Tulsi Gabbard, who infuriated critics with claims about 'biolabs' in Ukraine, to be Director of National Intelligence.

He has also chosen military veteran and Fox News host Pete Hegseth to run the sprawling Defense Department, despite little experience managing anything on tat scale and complexity.

DailyMail.com breaks down who the president-elect has picked so far - and who is almost certain to take a spot.

Jon Michael Raasch, Political Reporter for DailyMail.com on Capitol Hill

Sen. John Thune of South Dakota will be steering the Senate GOP come January, but he differs from Donald Trump on a major policy.

The president-elect has said he wants the Republican-led Senate to green-light 'recess appointments' - the power to have his Cabinet officials circumvent the normal Senate confirmation process.

Recess appointments would mean nominees would not need to be put through potentially damaging hearings.

But Thune, who has served in the Senate since 2005, said Wednesday that he wants it to operate normally.

'Well, what we're going to do is make sure that we are processing his nominees in a way that gets them into those positions so we can implement this agenda. How that happens remains to be seen.'

'Obviously, we want to make sure our committees have confirmation hearings like they typically do and that these nominees reported off the floor.'

Those confirmation hearings would only require a simple majority vote - 51 - to shuffle through Trump's nominees. Republicans will have 53 votes to work.

By Nikki Schwab, Chief Campaign Correspondent

Nikki Haley said on her SiriusXM show that she had no interest in joining President-elect Donald Trump's Cabinet a second time around.

His best friend, Steve Witkoff, came to our house in South Carolina ... He was like, "What do you want? Tell me what you want. Is there anything you want?" I said, "There's nothing I want."

On Saturday Trump posted to Truth Social that he would 'not be inviting former Ambassador Nikki Haley, or former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, to join the Trump Administration, which is currently in formation.'

The former South Carolina governor served as his ambassador to the United Nations, while Pompeo started out as Trump's CIA director before being elevated to secretary of State.

Haley then ran against Trump in the 2024 Republican primary - and was the last formidible candidate to leave the race.

She and Trump have had an uneasy relationship since.

Haley endorsed Trump - much to the chagrin of her anti-MAGA supporters - but ended up not campaigning for him in the weeks leading up to the election, hitting the trail for Pennsylvania Republican Senate hopeful Dave McCormick instead.

President-elect Donald Trump nominated Fox News host and decorated Army veteran Pete Hegseth to serve as his defense secretary setting off a firestorm inside the Pentagon.

The heavily tattooed 44-year-old deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan and won two Bronze Stars, then unsuccessfully ran for Senate in Minnesota in 2012 before joining Fox News.

'Pete is tough, smart and a true believer in America First,' Trump said in a statement.

But the surprising top cabinet-post appointment came as a shock to Pentagon career employees who weren't anticipating a non-establishment pick to lead the nation's largest federal agency with a $800 billion budget.

One defense official told DailyMail.com that it was 'like a morgue' inside the Pentagon after Trump's announcement came out.

They said the career staff were 'apoplectic' after hearing Hegseth would be taking over.

'The libs seemed so depressed,' they went on in a message obtained by DailyMail.com.

By Katelyn Caralle, Senior U.S. Political Reporter

Senator-elect Dave McCormick's campaign claims there is no mathematical way that Sen. Bob Casey can overturn his eletion loss in Pennsylvania.

A recount was triggered in the state after McCormick beat the incumbent senator by roughly 26,500 votes.

But on a call with reporters, the campaign's chief strategist and legal counsel said 'even if everything goes their way, there is still no chance' that Casey overturns his loss.

'Even if they won on every, and up-ended everything we know about Pennsylvania elections – even if they did all of those things... we would still be leading heading by a real and significant and non-overturnable margin, going into the recounts,' they said on the press call Thursday morning.

Senator-elect McCormick arrives at the U.s. Capitol on November 13, 2024 to participate in elections for the next Senate Majority Leader

By Katelyn Caralle, Senior U.S. Political Reporter

Sen. John Fetterman claims that Donald Trump picking Rep. Matt Gaetz as his Attorney General is 'God-tier kind of trolling.'

Criticsm immediately emerged on Wednesday after the president-elect announced his intent to have the controversial lawmaker lead the Department of Justice.

Fetterman noted that Republicans will even oppose Gaetz's nomination.

Speaking with reporters, the Pennsylvania Seantor said:

It's just kind of like a God-tier kind of trolling just to trigger a meltdown. 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 jerk off.

Donald Trump’s left-field Secretary of Defense pick Pete Hegseth is covered in tattoos - and many of them have already proved controversial for the Fox News host.

The veteran who served tours in both Afghanistan and Iraq and is double Bronze Star holder and is a TV top presenter having fronted Fox and Friends since 2017.

Hegseth, who is 44, started adorning his body with tattoos only recently after his father dissuaded him from getting tattoos at a young age.

He now has over a dozen tattoos across his right arm and chest.

His appointment is one of the most unlikely in Trump's new cabinet but this isn't the first time he has courted controversy.

In 2021 Hegseth was part of the Minnesota National Guard called to D.C. to guard Joe Biden during his inauguration but he was then ordered to stand down allegedly due to his chest tattoo of a Jerusalem Cross.

Top Republican Michael McCaul was detained at the airport for 'mixing Ambien with alcohol.'

The shocking event occurred two weekends ago at Dulles International Airport, according to the lawmaker who chairs the powerful House Foreign Affairs Committee.

'Two weekends ago, I made a mistake — one for which I take full responsibility,' McCaul, R-Texas, said in a statement confirming the incident to DailyMail.com.

'I missed a flight to Texas and found myself disoriented in the airport. This was the result of a poor decision I made to mix an Ambien — which I took in order to sleep on the upcoming flight — with some alcohol. Law enforcement officers briefly detained me while I waited for a family member to pick me up.'

A spokesperson said that McCaul takes the medication because he's a 'nervous flyer.'

A recent video of California Governor Gavin Newsom being heckled while visiting Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles is making its rounds on the internet.

Governor Newsom and Mayor Bass held a press conference on October 30 at the Downtown Women's Center to discuss funding for homelessness in LA communities.

After the event ended, Newsom took a walk around Skid Row, an area notorious for their overwhelming homeless encampments, where the Democrat was mercilessly questioned and criticized by a group called the Los Angeles Community Action Network.

'You see how dirty these streets are? These streets ain't been clean, the city didn't bring one trash can,' a heckler off camera yelled at the governor, per the video.

The heckler directly behind the camera called Newsom out for ignoring a woman he had passed, who was talking about how her kids were taken away from her while she was stuck living in a tent.

Donald Trump and Elon Musk looked more like Simon and Garfunkel at Mar-a-Lago during a rendition of God Bless America - but fans spotted one minor problem.

The duo returned to a hero's welcome at the 'Winter White House' Wednesday night after Trump had a friendly chat with the Bidens in D.C. and joked he can't get rid of his billionaire 'first buddy.'

Conservatives were thrilled to see them alongside opera singer Chris Macchio for a rendition of the American classic.

'STOP I physically can't love President Trump any more than I already do or I will die,' one account posted along with a crying emoji.

But as Musk awkwardly flailed his arms during the performance, a few fans spotted one crucial flaw: 'Elon doesn’t know the words'.

The billionaire first buddy appeared more than happy to mime the lyrics as they concluded the classic to rave reviews on the Musk-owned social media network X.

President-elect Donald Trump returned to the White House on Wednesday for a surprisingly cordial fireside chat with President Joe Biden that sparked a wild theory.

'Welcome. Welcome back,' Biden said to Trump, referring to him as the 'president-elect' and 'former president,' and promising to work with his bitter political rival for a smooth transition of power.

The two leaders met in the Oval Office, shaking hands and adopting a very different tone than each showed on the campaign trial.

Biden's broad grin had everyone saying the same thing on social media - that he 'voted for Trump.'

'Joe Biden shares the same smile that most of AMERICA has right now,' wrote combat veteran and former Republican candidate for Congress Sean Parnell on X.

'Everyone is psyched for Trump to be back in the White House,' he went on.

Other users started to float a far-fetched idea that Biden's apparent happy mood was evidence that he actually secretly voted for his political nemesis.

Rep. Matt Gaetz stepped down from his position in the U.S. House of Representatives just hours after Donald Trump picked him as Attorney General.

The dramatic move by Gaetz came as Punchbowl News revealed the impending release of a 'highly damaging' report concerning sex trafficking and drug use allegations against the Florida rep.

Now that Gaetz is no longer a member of Congress, the House Ethics Committee loses jurisdiction over him, although the report may still be released.

Attorney General Merrick Garland's DOJ also conducted an investigation into the Florida Republican over claims of sex trafficking, but he was never charged.

Gaetz's decision came as even Republicans questioned whether the controversial pick to head the Justice Department could clear the Senate.

Cue the Democrat-media complex freakouts!

Leftist tears have been flowing mightily ever since Trump shocked the world by winning every single swing state in last Tuesday's electoral rout.

But those tears turned into waterfalls after Trump tapped Army veteran and Fox News host Pete Hegseth to clean out the Augean stables at the bloated, woke-addled Pentagon.

'When I saw [news of Hegseth's nomination], I thought the AP must have been hacked,' wailed former failed CNN host Don Lemon. 'But Pete Hegseth? The morning, weekend host on Fox News? Come on.'

Democratic Rep. Dan Goldman said: 'Being a serviceman does not make you qualified to lead the Department of Defense and to have access to our nuclear weapons.'

So says the man whose greatest credential is that he's an heir to the Levi Strauss & Co. fortune... and a TV pundit.

Well, since you raised it, Congressman, let's talk about those qualifications—shall we?

Jake Tapper was absolutely dumbfounded beginning his show Wednesday after Donald Trump nominated Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz to be Attorney General.

Trump named the controversial Florida Congressman as his nominee in a move that is bound to outrage Democrats and even shock many Republicans in Washington.

Perhaps expressing that outrage, Tapper began his show in utter awe of the nomination.

'Welcome to The Lead, I'm Jake Tapper. And let me begin the show by uttering some words that I never contemplated using together before. And those words are: U.S. Attorney General Matt Gaetz,' he said.

He then said what he felt was the danger of Trump giving Gaetz such a position, which requires Senate confirmation.

A senior Republican Senator said he plans to treat Matt Gaetz’s Attorney General nomination process like any other member of Donald Trump’s cabinet.

Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) was named vice chair of the Senate GOP Policy committee on Wednesday in the election that saw Sen. John Thune named majority leader.

He vowed on Fox News on Thursday to fast-track Trump’s picks when Congress returns on January 3.

I would say we are going to do the Matt Gaetz confirmation like all the rest. President Trump put a bunch of nominations out there.

We got to get on those quickly. When the new Congress is sworn in on January 3. Even before Trump is actually inaugurated and sworn in.

We will actually get busy on those starting on January the 3rd.

We will be able to do the final votes on it and get busy, especially on the to be cabinet picks.

Lankford also said that Trump wil be engaged in the entire process, more than President Joe Biden has been involved with Congress.

President trump was always engaged with members of congress on the phone, calling, coming over, getting a chance to be able to talk back and forth. Coming to the capitol.

A lot of action to be able to move legislation.

Joe Biden has not left the building. He has never called most members of congress and is not engaged.

Even his legislative team doesn't engage. President trump is a hands on leader. I fully expect him to be able to be engaged.

Donald Trump's pick for Attorney General Matt Gaetz has suggested he might 'abolish' the FBI and other government agencies.

Gaetz, the former Florida congressman, wrote on social media:

We ought to have a full-court press against this WEAPONIZED government that has been turned against our people. And if that means abolishing every one of the three letter agencies, from the FBI to the ATF, I’m ready to get going!

By Katelyn Caralle, Senior U.S. Political Reporter

Alina Habba has ruled herself out of being Donald Trump 's announcement despite speculation she was the front-runner.

The firebrand attorney was thought to be a top contender for one of the most high-profile jobs in the administration.

But on Thursday morning, she announced that she withdrew her name from consideration.

'While I am flattered by the support and speculation, the role of Press Secretary is not a role I am considering,' Habba wrote on X. 'Although I love screaming from a podium I will be better served in other capacities.'