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SCOTUS justices appear divided over upholding federal fraud charges
Justices questioned the government’s broader interpretation of fraud statutes and the defendant’s misrepresentations to attain government funds.
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Trump becomes the 47th President, orders borders closed for many would-be migrants
President Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States on Monday, vowing to usher the country back to its “Golden Age” and issuing a flurry of executive orders and actions on his first day back in office.
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Interior Secretary nominee Doug Burgum balances environmental priorities with Trump’s vision of “energy dominance” in confirmation hearing
Burgum supported leasing public lands for oil and gas drilling and carbon dioxide removal technologies as a method of decarbonization.
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Witnesses express both support and concern during the second day of Pam Bondi’s Attorney General confirmation hearing
Democrats agreed with witnesses’ testimonies of Bondi’s qualification but remain troubled about her ties to Trump.
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Trump’s budget chief nominee hints at Project 2025 plans at confirmation hearing
Since Donald Trump tapped him again to lead the Office of Management and Budget, Russell Vought’s performance at his confirmation hearing Wednesday harkened back to his roots in Project 2025.
read moreWatch: Transportation Secretary nominee on Capitol Hill
WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Transportation Secretary, Sean Duffy, came before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on Wednesday. The former Republican Congressman from Wisconsin appeared to receive bipartisan support from lawmakers, including from fellow Wisconsinite Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D).
Watch the video report here:
A final White House brief amid ceasefire announcement
WASHINGTON – At the 537th and final White House press briefing of President Joe Biden’s administration, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre updated the press on reports of a ceasefire deal reached between Israel and Hamas.
With just five days remaining before President Biden leaves office, the agreement offered a glimmer of hope for an end to bloodshed in the region after 15 months of war.
“This deal will halt the fighting in Gaza, serve much-needed humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians who have been living in dire conditions, and it will reunite the hostages, including Americans, with their families after more than 15 months in captivity,” Jean-Pierre told reporters during the press briefing.
Jean-Pierre also reiterated Biden’s crucial role in diplomatic efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement and highlighted the vital role of the United States in negotiations.
When probed by reporters on whether or not President-elect Trump should be credited, Jean-Pierre declined to comment and stated, “The president got it done.”
On Wednesday afternoon, Biden delivered remarks on the ceasefire agreement, which his administration helped to broker.
Biden outlined the three phases of the deal, with the first phase, which will last for six weeks, including a complete ceasefire and the release of hostages held by Hamas. The second phase will include the release of all remaining hostages, a permanent ceasefire and the departure of Israeli forces from Gaza.
In his speech, President Biden emphasized that this is the “exact framework” of the deal that he proposed in May 2024, which received unanimous approval from the UN Security Council.
Both President Biden and Press Secretary Jean-Pierre noted that the Biden administration “coordinated closely” with incoming President-elect Donald Trump’s administration officials to facilitate a peaceful transfer of power.
A camera crew adjusts a tripod while White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre briefs reporters (Joshua Sukoff/Medill News Service)
At a Wednesday afternoon press briefing at the State Department, spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State Matthew Miller addressed the Israel-Hamas ceasefire a few hours after the agreement was announced.
“That provides Israelis and Palestinians the incentives and insurances they need to achieve their long-sought national aspirations.”
In his closing remarks in one of his final speeches as president, Biden reiterated his satisfaction with the agreement. “As I prepare to leave office our friends are strong, our enemies are weak and there’s a genuine opportunity for a new future.”
During the final press conference of the Biden administration – Karine Jean-Pierre’s 306th – an emotional Jean-Pierre described her time as Press Secretary as the ‘honor of a lifetime.’
Additional reporting by Sofia Sorochinskaia.
Bondi faces heated confirmation hearing
WASHINGTON – Pamela Bondi, the former Florida attorney general and President-elect Donald Trump’s replacement nominee for U.S. Attorney General, faced a heated Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Wednesday. Bondi, tapped by Trump in November after the controversial withdrawal of then-nominee Rep. Matt Gaetz, fielded questions ranging from pardons to FBI Director nominee Kash Patel.
Senator Dick Durbin (D–Ill.), the committee’s ranking member, pressed Bondi on whether she could state, without reservation, “that Donald Trump lost the presidential contest to Joe Biden in 2020.”
Bondi responded with a line she would repeat throughout the afternoon: “President Biden is the president of the United States.” When asked about doubts regarding President Joe Biden winning the majority of votes in 2020, she pivoted to concerns about election integrity, stating, “No one from either side of the aisle should want there to be any issues with election integrity in our country.”
Durbin criticized her response as evasive, highlighting her previous advocacy for Trump’s 2020 campaign.
Senators repeatedly questioned Bondi’s ability to resist potential political interference from the White House. Bondi assured the committee, “The Justice Department must be independent and must act independently,” and vowed she would follow the Constitution and the law. However, Democratic senators expressed skepticism, citing her close ties to Trump, which include her role as a legal advisor during his first impeachment in 2019. Bondi is one of four of Trump’s personal attorneys in line for Justice Department jobs, with the others being Todd Blanche, Emil Bove and D. John Sauer.
When asked about the controversial appointment of Kash Patel as FBI Director, Bondi praised Patel’s experience but denied knowledge of his alleged “enemies list,” asserting, “There will never be an enemies list within the Department of Justice under my watch.”
While Republican senators praised Bondi’s tenure as Florida’s attorney general from 2011 to 2019 by highlighting her efforts to combat the opioid epidemic and human trafficking, Democrats continued to press her over 2020 election denialism. Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) said, “Ms. Bondi, you know there is a difference between acknowledging it. I can say that Donald Trump won the 2024 election. I may not like it, but I can say it. You cannot say who won the 2020 presidential election. It’s disturbing that you can’t give voice to that fact.”
Trump’s potential plan to pardon January 6th rioters was another point of contention for Democrats. Throughout the hearing, Bondi repeated that she would review pardon applications on a case-by-case basis and condemned violence against law enforcement when asked about her role in advising Trump. However, she avoided directly addressing whether such individuals deserved pardons, emphasizing a focus on facts and evidence.
Supporters, including Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), lauded Bondi for her qualifications and dismissed concerns over previous connections to Trump.
At the start of the hearing, Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) emphasized disappointment in some of the actions current Attorney General Merrick Garland and his department took at the time of his nomination, but urged the committee to act swiftly in pushing through her nomination.
“This committee should give Ms. Bondi the same benefit of the doubt that this committee gave to Attorney General Garland. President Trump has elected a nominee whose qualifications speak for themselves,” he said.
House committee threatens to ban telework for federal workers.
WASHINGTON –– House Republicans Wednesday proposed a ban on telework by federal workers after President-elect Donald Trump vowed to fire any teleworkers.
House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman James Comer, R–Ky., released a report compiled by his staff accusing the Biden administration of wasting billions of tax-payer dollars on office spaces that were vacant because the trend of telework continued long after the pandemic.
Coming just five days before Trump’s second inauguration, the debate over telework for federal employees showed Congress’ determination to carry out Trump’s agenda.
The proposed ban came after Trump vowed to fire all federal employees who continue to work from home. Democrats at the committee hearing warned that the American people and especially those who rely on Social Security would get worse service from the federal government, in part because many federal workers would quit.
The Social Security Administration has the highest rate of teleworking employees. Over 50% of Social Security employees still utilize telework, with 98% eligible for it.
Trump’s statement came after former Commissioner of the Social Security Administration Martin O’Malley signed an agreement in October to continue telework options for tens of thousands of staffers into 2029.
“Social security is struggling to serve more customers than ever. There is a growing mismatch between rising customers and declining staff,” O’Malley said, referring to previous staff cuts.
Meanwhile, conservative representatives said telework makes agencies less efficient.
“Wait times are high because your staff is at home, not working for the American people,” countered Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R – Ga.
Democrats argued that the proposed telework ban was an effort to follow Trump and his new Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy.
“It’s very clear that my colleagues across the aisle are doing the bidding of Trump who plans to sign an executive order ending telework,” said Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D–N.M., “It’ll cut the federal workforce by 25% so this is really about purging the federal government.”
Speaker Mike Johnson, R–La., changed seats and began talking to Rep. Virginia Foxx, R–N.C, during Rep. Stanbury’s address.
Rep. Summer Lee, D–Pa., appealed to House Republicans to introduce policy on inflation and more pressing concerns.
“You have a trifecta, this hearing is pointless,” she said, referring to GOP control over the House, Senate and White House.
However, she said that now that the House created a new Department of Government Efficiency subcommittee, Democrats expect more hearings like this.
“We will probably do this same hearing five more times,” she said.
Incoming Black lawmakers say redistricting victories advance fair representation
When Democratic representative-elect Cleo Fields went to the Cannon House Office Building on Capitol Hill during new member orientation in November, it was like stepping into the past. The Louisiana politician was back where it all began for him in 1993, when he served two terms as a representative of the Bayou state’s Fourth District.
“32 years ago, I started walking these halls,” Fields said. “To have never had a dream of actually coming back and walking the same halls, it was just a little surreal.”
He’ll represent Louisiana’s Sixth District starting in January, succeeding Republican Rep. Garret Graves. Almost 400 miles away in Mobile, Alabama, 39-year-old Shomari Figures is also getting ready to serve in Congress for Alabama’s second Congressional District, beating the Republican candidate and flipping the seat.
The incoming freshmen share more in common than party affiliation; after legal victories forced redistricting in both states, the states drew new maps, and created an extra majority-black district in each state, advancing equal representation in Congress. Fields and Figures intend to represent the needs of all their constituents and serve their interests in the House of Representatives.
Louisiana’s new map was created in January 2024 after legal battles led the state legislature to submit a new electoral map with two majority-black districts. The process began when multiple individual plaintiffs and civil rights organizations filed a lawsuit in federal district court in March 2022 against then-Louisiana Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin. They successfully argued the previous electoral map violated the 1965 Voting Rights Act (VRA) because it gave Black Louisianians, a group almost one-third of the state’s population, just a single majority-black congressional district out of the state’s six districts.
Figures’ district in Alabama was created through similar means.
The Supreme Court’s 2023 decision in Allen v. Milligan said the Alabama electoral maps likely violated the VRA too, and required the creation of a second majority-minority district. However, after negotiations on new maps, the new second district ended up being an almost-majority district.
Figures’ election victory set him on a path following in the footsteps of his family– a group of dedicated public servants in Alabama. His late father Michael Figures and uncle Thomas Figures prosecuted the Ku Klux Klan after the 1981 lynching of 19-year-old Michael Donald, bankrupting the United Klans of America. His father later served as president pro tempore of the Alabama Senate. His mother, Vivian Figures, took over her husband’s state senate seat after he died, and continues to serve there now.
After winning, Figures said he felt a strong sense of gratitude towards “the plaintiffs in the [Milligan] lawsuit and the people who fought and sacrificed so much decades ago to have a Civil Rights Act and a Voting Rights Act to get us in the position where we even had this opportunity in the first place.”
He said it’s “a very humbling feeling and an honor” to represent people in his hometown of Mobile.
Fields and Figures agree justice prevailed in the rulings, however, for the 62-year-old Fields, these victories are long overdue. He said it was frustrating during his time as a state legislator to see fair representation remain unmet.
It was also a problem he dealt with during his first stint in Congress. In his four years serving in the House, he represented what was the state’s second majority-minority district in a seat, he said, was constantly under attack. It was eventually dissolved after a 1997 Supreme Court decision deemed Louisiana’s map unconstitutional because of racial gerrymandering.
“I don’t understand why there are some people who just don’t feel that diversity and inclusion is important,” Fields said. “I mean, all of the people should enjoy the opportunity to participate in its government.”
On Capitol Hill, several Black members of Congress felt justice had been achieved thanks to the shifts in state maps and the resulting election victories. Even so, frustration remains.
Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.), who was recently selected to serve as the next chair of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), called the previous maps “deliberate discrimination.”
“You would think in the 21st century, we wouldn’t be revisiting these old racially divisive issues,” said Clarke. “We still have to continue to fight and be vigilant around voting rights in America.”
According to Clarke, Fields and Figures will not only represent their districts but also advance the long-term push for building the coalition among black leaders on Capitol Hill. The CBC in the new Congress will be the largest yet with 62 members.
Some current members recall when the CBC was considerably smaller, like Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-Ga.). He was first elected to Congress the same year as Fields in 1992.
When Bishop first stepped foot inside the Capitol Building, the caucus had just 40 members. He said the steady increase has “strengthened the legislative muscle of minorities.”
At the same time, there are also worries that progress will be reversed, particularly in 2030, when state electoral maps will be redrawn after the decennial census. Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.), who chaired the CBC from 1993 to 1995, said the outcome of the population count could put Black voters in the same position. He said state electorates may use the 2030 numbers to redraw the districts again and remove the second majority-minority districts in Louisiana and Alabama.
And that’s not the only factor potentially shifting the new Louisiana and Alabama maps back either.
Earlier this year, a group of 12 white Louisiana voters filed a lawsuit in a different federal court, alleging the new map unconstitutionally conducted racial gerrymandering in its own right. The federal court ruled to stop the new map from passing, but the Supreme Court argued it was too close to the election to issue a ruling, putting an emergency stay on the case and allowing S.B 8 to stand. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the lower-court case next year.
In Alabama, Secretary of State Wes Allen, the defendant in Allen v. Milligan, said in a statement that legal actions are not over and expressed hope for a full hearing in the future.
Nonetheless, CBC members, old and new, said the victory is a critical win in a constant battle for justice, one they say they’re willing to continue to wage.
“Opportunities have always come with scars and struggles,” Fields said. “It just proves that you gotta fight for every inch.”
Sweetening the Deal: the Senate’s Candy Distribution System
As reporters milled about the Capitol last month, pressing senators on Matt Gaetz’s nomination for Attorney General, I was fixated on one, far more pressing question.
“Senator, what’s your favorite candy from the candy desk?”
“Umm, Twix, it’s a good standby, nice to dip in milk,” replied Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina.
How did I get to this point, chasing down lawmakers for candy tips? Well first, some context.
The candy desk has been a Senate institution since the 1960s. Established by California Republican Senator George Murphy in 1965, each Senator in that spot — conveniently located on the Republican side of the aisle, near an entrance to the chamber — has continued to keep it full of candy (often from their home state) for their colleagues to enjoy.
The current occupant is Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.), who, like all his confectionery-proprietor predecessors, is a Republican. Past occupants included 2008 Republican presidential nominee John McCain (R-Ariz.), and prominent Tea Party conservative Rick Santorum (R-Pa.)
This partisan asymmetry in sugar proliferation has not gone unnoticed by the Democrats, as I learned when I spoke to Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) about his sweet tooth.
“I don’t dig into the candy desk, there’s candy in my own drawer,” Luján said. “There’s KIND bars, there’s chocolate, there’s Jolly Ranchers. Cory [Booker of New Jersey] has all the good stuff. Talk to Senator Booker, he has all the good stuff.”
The plot thickened. Not only does Young manage the long-standing official candy desk, but Luján also has his own private stash, in addition to an unlicensed Democratic Candy Desk belonging to Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.).
At least five Senate desks hold candy — desk assignments via the U.S. Senate. (Coby Potischman/MNS)
I spotted Booker on his way out of a vote and pressed him on the specifics of his cache.
“By the way, literally my favorite question of the last two months,” he replied with a grin. “And I want to go into this with great detail. New Jersey, we think we’re the candy confection state. The M&M was invented in Newark, New Jersey.”
His staffer made clear that because the Senator is vegan, his candy trove is solely for his colleagues to enjoy.
“Mars, Inc. finally has returned,” Booker continued. “As a former mayor of Newark, we got them to bring their company back. So in my desk, I have peanut and plain, but I’ve learned now that the caucus is about four to one peanut-preferring people — the triple-Ps.”
Booker’s Senate subway train arrived, but he held the door open, as he had more to share.
“So I’ve got a lot more peanut M&Ms for the P-cubed people in there. Occasionally, though, I put my favorite from before I became vegan, the best of all of the M&Ms — and this is a fact, not an opinion — is the peanut butter M&Ms. Far superior.”
I thanked Sen. Booker for his insight, and soon after, came across another revelation.
“Whatever these are,” Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) said, pulling a packet of Whoppers from his suit pocket. He had gotten them from neither Booker nor Young, but rather Minnesota Senator Tina Smith — yet another stash.
Sweetening the Deal (Produced by Coby Potischman/MNS)
I then came across Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), who told me that the M&Ms from Booker’s desk were her favorite. In fact, she said she had no idea that Todd Young’s Candy Desk even existed, and that she was only aware of Booker’s.
I knew that I had to find Sen. Young to get his thoughts.
Finally, I spotted him.
“It’s a pretty consequential question,” the Senator deflected when I asked about his favorite candy. “It’s kind of like asking me what my favorite child is. But what’s currently in it is the Rolos, Hershey’s with nuts, the Albanese gummi bears, and I think that’s the current stash. The other stuff is depleted, but we’re waiting on reinforcements.”
Young quickly shooed away another reporter pressing him about the nomination of Pete Hegseth to be Secretary of Defense, ushering me into his elevator to continue my line of questioning.
“Please go ahead, let’s talk about candy,” he said.
I asked whether any action should be taken against his rivals.
“Unsanctioned and unlicensed candy desks are not a thing that greatly concern me,” Young explained. “If enforcement action is necessary, I’ll pursue those channels, but my sense is that existing norms and traditions will prevail, and that Senator Booker would respect the institution of the United States Senate enough not to besmirch it, by cluttering us with substandard and unsanctioned candy desks.”
I thanked Sen. Young for his help and set my sights on Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), who told me that Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are his favorite, but — in a new twist of fate — that he doesn’t get them from either Young or Booker.
“There’s ones in the back that are not the personal desks,” he explained, revealing yet another Senate candy supply.
The rabbit hole continued. Not only does the Senate chamber contain Sen. Young’s official Republican Candy Desk and Sen. Booker’s unofficial Democratic Candy Desk, but also Sen. Luján’s large personal stash, Sen. Smith’s supply of Whoppers, and seemingly multiple desks that the Senate staff fill with Reese’s.
Unfortunately, neither the Senate library nor other lawmakers could offer much insight into who operates the Reese’s desks, but I knew that I had to keep going. Are any other desks filled with confections?
Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), had some news.
“The candy desk that I have to stay out of is [Oklahoma Senator] Markwayne Mullin’s desk that’s next to mine on the floor of the Senate,” Lummis revealed. “Because he has his drawer full of candy, and so that’s the one that gets me, not the official one.”
What is in Mullin’s desk?
“Everything that you can imagine. Everything from Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups to Pez, it’s just loaded to the gills with candy,” Lummis explained. “And it’s really bad when we have debates on the floor and you have to be there and listen, and his drawer is right there by my right hand.”
Lummis said that the start of the 119th Congress next month cannot come soon enough.
“I’m very much looking forward to moving my desk in the upcoming session, not because of Markwayne but because of his candy drawer. I have to get away from it.”
Listen: Sen. Casey’s legacy as a champion for disability rights
As Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey nears the end of his term, he, his colleagues, and activists reflect on his career of prioritizing disability rights and discuss what lies ahead.
During his time in office, Casey helped phase out subminimum wage payments for the disability community and helped people save for their futures with the ABLE program.
Now, as his three-term tenure comes to an end, Casey says his work on disability-related issues is far from over.
Listen to the podcast here:
DOGE leaders Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy meet with Republican lawmakers
WASHINGTON – The world’s wealthiest man, Elon Musk, and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramswamy met with congressional Republicans on Thursday to brainstorm ideas for the newly-formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) which President-elect Donald Trump tasked them with leading.
Musk met with incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., in the morning, while Ramaswamy met with several other Republican Senators. In the afternoon, both joined House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., in addressing a larger group of House and Senate Republican lawmakers.
After leaving Thune’s office accompanied by his son, X Æ A-Xii, Musk told a group of reporters, “I think we just need to make sure we spend the public’s money well.”
In response to a question about ending tax credits for electric vehicles, Musk said, “I think we should end all credits.” Currently, electric vehicle buyers can earn a tax credit up to $7,500 under the Inflation Reduction Act, the landmark climate law that President Joe Biden signed in 2022.
Trump tasked DOGE with advising the government on how to slash the federal budget. In a November 12 statement announcing the formation of DOGE, Trump said Musk and Ramaswamy “will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.”
Musk and Ramaswamy wrote in a Wall Street Journal op-ed last month that they plan to take aim at over $500 billion in government spending and drastically reduce the number of federal employees. “The entrenched and ever-growing bureaucracy represents an existential threat to our republic, and politicians have abetted it for too long,” they wrote.
Ramaswamy, a former pharmaceutical entrepreneur, challenged Trump for the Republican nomination in 2024, but dropped out and endorsed him after a fourth-place finish in the Iowa caucuses. During his campaign, Ramaswamy called for half of the federal workforce to be fired at random based on the last digit of their Social Security number.
Musk is the longtime CEO of electric car company Tesla and space technology company SpaceX. After purchasing the social media website Twitter in 2022, which he later renamed X, Musk said he fired 80% of the company’s staff.
Addressing a pool of reporters before Thursday afternoon’s meeting, Speaker Johnson said specifics on DOGE’s plans would have to wait. “There won’t be a lot of detail for the press today,” he said. “And that’s by design, because this is a brainstorming session.”
Johnson praised Musk and Ramaswamy as “innovators” and “forward-thinkers,” arguing that their work would be crucial to delivering for taxpayers. “Government is too big, it does too many things, and it does almost nothing well,” Johnson said.
Critics of DOGE have warned it may target entitlement programs such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, which make up roughly 50% of the federal budget. “I’m very worried about it,” said Democratic Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia. “The President-elect has said that they won’t, but I think that they will propose it.”
Earlier this week, Florida Rep. Jared Moskowitz became the first Democrat to join the congressional Delivering Outstanding Government Efficiency (DOGE) Caucus.
The House DOGE Caucus was founded by Rep. Aaron Bean, R-Fla., and Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, while the Senate DOGE Caucus is led by Senator Joni Ernst, R-Iowa.
Photos: First Lady Jill Biden decks the halls of the White House for the final time
WASHINGTON – First Lady Jill Biden unveiled the White House holiday theme for the final time during her husband’s presidency: a season of peace and light.
The White House offered tours of the decor on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday this week. The theme was intended to encourage viewers to embrace the holiday season’s peace and light, and over 300 volunteers from across the country worked for a full week to deck the halls of the residence, according to a White House press release.
The decor featured a tree made of six stacked gold stars in honor of Gold Star military families, as well as a White House replica made of gingerbread, complete with a tiny skating rink and figure skaters on the South Lawn.
“As we celebrate our final holiday season here in the White House, we are guided by the values we hold sacred: faith, family, service to our country, kindness toward neighbors and the power of community and connection,” the President and First Lady wrote in a statement in the tour’s Holiday Guide Book. “It has been the honor of our lives to serve as your President and First Lady.”
The White House was adorned with 83 Christmas Trees this year. (Caroline Killilea/MNS)
Over 28,125 ornaments were strung throughout the White House. (Caroline Killilea/MNS)
The library featured ceramic trees and jars of candy. (Caroline Killilea/MNS)
A vintage red truck with a teddy bear as its passenger was displayed in the Grand Foyer. (Caroline Killilea/MNS)
An ornament on display on one of the East Room’s Christmas trees. (Caroline Killilea/MNS)
The decor featured a horse-drawn sleigh. (Caroline Killilea/MNS)
This display of bread and pastries was the main display in the China Room. (Caroline Killilea/MNS)
A miniature version of the White House was made entirely of gingerbread. (Caroline Killilea/MNS)
The U.S. Army Band performed Christmas carols as visitors toured the White House. (Caroline Killilea/MNS)
Hegseth faces mounting concerns from GOP senators about confirmation
Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary, met Wednesday with several Republican senators to shore up their support, as mounting concerns over sexual assault allegations and a newly revealed report about his professional history threaten to derail his confirmation.
Hegseth, who has already secured endorsements from key Trump allies on Capitol Hill—including Senators Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Rick Scott, R-Fla.—faced a more difficult round of discussions with Republicans who appeared more cautious about his fitness for the role.
The Wednesday meetings included Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., incoming Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, several of whom had expressed concerns about supporting the appointment.
Ahead of his meeting with Hegseth, Cramer described the allegations against him as “very, very serious” and emphasized that “they can’t be trivialized.” While Cramer didn’t rule out supporting Hegseth, he hoped the meeting would reveal “that he’s redeemed… and going forward, he’s going to be better.”
Despite the growing uncertainty, Hegseth remained optimistic. “I spoke to the president this morning,” he said after meeting with Thune. “He supports me fully. We’re not going anywhere.”
Hegseth met later in the day with with Ernst, a veteran and survivor of sexual assault, who was seen as offering a potentially critical perspective. She declined to provide details about their conversation. Instead, she cited her own earlier tweet, describing their discussion as “frank and thorough,” but stopped short of indicating whether she would support his confirmation.
In addition to meeting with senators, Hegseth penned an Op-ed for the Wall Street Journal in defense of his track record, which was published on Wednesday.
“The press is peddling anonymous story after anonymous story, all meant to smear me and tear me down,” Hegseth wrote. “They need to create a bogeyman, because they believe I threaten their institutional insanity. That is the only thing they are right about.”
In the piece, the Fox co-host and combat veteran reiterated that he looks forward to an honest confirmation hearing.
In response to the allegations against him, Hegseth also pointed to an interview on Fox News host Megyn Kelly’s SiriusXM show, in which he addressed the settlement he had paid to a woman involved in a legal case against him. Hegseth said that, given his high-profile position, he settled in order to protect his career and family. He denied the accusation of raping a woman in California in 2017 and rejected claims of having a drinking problem.
“I did it to protect my wife, I did it to protect my family, and I did it to protect my job, and it was a negotiation,” he said in the interview.
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., told reporters that his meeting with Hegseth, which was scheduled for Thursday, had been cancelled and had not been rescheduled. Meanwhile, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said she had a meeting planned for Tuesday, where she plans to ask Hegseth about both the sexual assault allegations and his past remarks about women serving in combat roles.
If Hegseth withdraws his name from consideration, he would become the second of Trump’s cabinet picks to do so due to concerns regarding sexual misconduct. Former Congressman Matt Gaetz previously exited after similar meetings with senators due to concerns related to the contents of an unreleased House Ethics report and allegations that he had paid a 17-year-old for sex. Gaetz has denied the allegations.
Some Republicans suggested that Trump’s remaining cabinet selections will face smoother paths to confirmation.
“I think there’s going to be deference to Trump being able to get a team put together that he feels comfortable with,” Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., said.
As Indiana’s incoming governor, Braun will not have a vote in January’s confirmation hearings, but he described Hegseth’s path as “difficult” from the start, given the potential conflict between the sexual assault allegations against him and the military’s ongoing efforts to address sexual violence.
“Sometimes when you’re climbing a mountain so steep, you’re going to probably slide back,” Braun said.
The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that if Hegseth withdraws, Trump is considering Florida governor Ron DeSantis as his replacement. Other reports indicate that Ernst could be another potential option.
Ernst previously served in the Iowa National Guard and spent 12 months in Kuwait during the Iraq War. She currently sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee.
“She’d be easy to confirm,” Cramer said. “If she wanted it, she’d be my first pick.”
Jonas Kalderon Blum and Coby Potischman contributed to this reporting
Hundreds protest outside Supreme Court as Justices hear case on Tennessee ban of gender-affirming care for minors
WASHINGTON – As the Supreme Court heard arguments on Wednesday regarding a Tennessee law banning gender-affirming care for minors, hundreds gathered outside of the court to protest both for and against the potential outcome of the case.
The dueling rallies come as President-elect Trump made opposition to transgender rights a key aspect of his campaign, vowing to ban gender-affirming care for minors. Trump also tapped Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who repeatedly suggested that chemicals in drinking water are turning children transgender, for Health and Human Services Secretary.
Senator Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., joined activists and celebrities at a rally against the Tennessee ban organized by the American Civil Liberties Union and a coalition of LGBTQ+ advocacy groups. He criticized Tennessee Republicans for focusing on banning gender-affirming care rather than prioritizing other issues like affordable housing, education and employment.
Merkley called on Congress to pass the Equality Act that he helped author and emphasized the harm that a ban on gender-affirming care could have for transgender youth.
“Americans should have the freedom to make medical decisions in the privacy of their doctor’s office without politicians trying to dictate to them,” Merkley said.
The rally also featured actors Elliot Page, Annette Bening and Ilana Glazer.
Hundreds rally as Supreme Court hears case on gender-affirming care for transgender youth (Emma Richman/MNS)
A separate group supporting the Tennessee ban also gathered in front of the court. Sound spilled over from the dueling rallies and some attendees clashed in the close quarters.
Do No Harm, an organization of physicians, nurses and policymakers against gender-affirming care for minors, led the rally for the Justices to uphold the Tennessee ban. Speakers included anti-transgender activists and politicians who argued that medical treatments like puberty blockers and hormone therapy are damaging to children.
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., spoke at the rally. She called gender-affirming surgeries “child abuse” and suggested that performing these procedures should warrant a felony charge.
“I really hope that the Supreme Court does the right thing and upholds Tennessee’s law,” Greene said. She added that she hopes the court “protects children all over this country from the evil ideology that is twisting the truth and brainwashing children to an absolute horrifically evil lie.”
Glenna Goldis, a protester from Brooklyn, N.Y., called for the justices to strike down the challenge, and advocated for more scientific research into transgender health care.
“I came here today to show the world that I exist as a lesbian who does not support the so-called LGBTQ agenda,” Goldis said. “I think that gender medicine for kids is really dangerous. It’s harming their bodies, and it’s not helping any of them.”
Others attended the rally in support of access to gender-affirming care and less government involvement in the medical decisions of individuals.
Zoe Iacomini, a University of Maryland student, attended in support of her transgender friends.
“I believe that gender-affirming care saves lives and that the decision to undergo gender-affirming care should be kept between the children, their families and their medical providers,” Iacomini said.
Iacomini added that she was not optimistic about the results of the case given the Supreme Court’s conservative majority.
Jaimie Krass, who traveled from New York City for the protest, said she agreed that decisions regarding gender-affirming care should be left to individuals and their health care providers. She said her main message, though, was to uplift transgender minors.
“Trans youth unfortunately need these daily reminders that their lives matter, and that their rights matter and that they deserve protection,” Krass said.
Trump FBI director nominee Kash Patel draws scorn from Democrats
WASHINGTON – Kash Patel, a staunch ally of President-elect Donald Trump and former federal prosecutor who Trump announced as his nominee for FBI director, is facing criticism from Democrats over previous vows to “come after” people in the media and so-called “deep state.”
Patel, 44, is the author of “Government Gangsters: The Deep State, the Truth, and the Battle for Our Democracy,” a book which features a list of “members of the executive branch deep state.”
The list includes President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, as well as former Trump administration officials such as former Attorney General William Barr and current FBI Director Christopher Wray.
In an appearance on former Trump advisor Steve Bannon’s podcast last year, Patel pledged to target government officials and journalists who he baselessly alleged stole the 2020 presidential election from Trump. “Yes, we’re gonna come after the people in the media who lied about American citizens, who helped Joe Biden rig presidential elections,” he said.
Wray is currently serving a ten-year term atop the bureau and cannot be replaced unless he is fired or steps down.
Trump nominated Wray in 2017 after firing then-FBI Director James Comey, who was investigating alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia during the 2016 presidential election. Wray was easily confirmed by the Senate in a 92-5 vote.
Wray has increasingly drawn Trump’s ire in recent years, especially as the FBI ramped up an investigation into Trump’s possession of classified documents in 2022 and raided Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
This year, Trump sued the Department of Justice for $100 million over the raid, accusing Wray and Attorney General Merrick Garland of “malicious political prosecution aimed at affecting an electoral outcome to prevent President Trump from being re-elected” in a notice to the FBI and DOJ obtained by NBC News in August.
Senate Democrats have expressed widespread opposition to the nomination, warning that Patel would weaponize the intelligence agency for political purposes.
Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., told Medill News Service he had serious concerns about Patel. “He’s accused them of political weaponization of law enforcement and then promised to deliver exactly the same thing if he’s given this opportunity,” he said.
In response to Patel’s promise to target officials who helped Joe Biden rig elections, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., said he wasn’t sure who exactly Patel was talking about. “The people that have perpetrated that lie have generally been sued in court and found guilty of libel,” he said. “Who’s he talking about, Vladimir Putin?”
At a press conference following the Democratic Senate leadership elections, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called for all of Trump’s nominees to undergo the same “fair and thorough consideration” as previous nominees of presidents from both parties — namely a full FBI background check that could be reviewed by the Senate, full Senate hearings where nominees are questioned and a Senate vote.
Assuming every Democratic Senator votes against the nominee, Patel will need nearly all Republicans to vote for him to be confirmed, as the party’s majority in the chamber allows for just three holdouts.
Trump’s plan to replace Wray with Patel has been met with support from several Republican Senators, while others instead praised Wray’s work at the FBI.
Senators Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., said they would support Patel, with Cruz calling him “a very strong nominee” in an appearance on CBS News’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday.
Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., on ABC News’s “This Week,” said he had “no objections” to how Wray has handled himself, but added that “the president has the right to make nominations.”
Other Republican Senators, including two who face difficult re-election battles in 2026, Susan Collins, R-Maine. and Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said they would have to do more research during the confirmation process before deciding on Patel.
Patel’s nomination will be formally initiated if Wray leaves the position.
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Medill Today | January 21, 2025