Off-year gubernatorial races offer first chance for Democrats to bounce back
Jeenah Moon/Bloomberg via Getty Images
(WASHINGTON) — Democrats suffered a knockout punch in this month’s elections. New Jersey’s and Virginia’s off-year gubernatorial elections in 2025 offer them their first chances to get off the mat.
Both states have become reliably blue in federal races, but President-elect Donald Trump narrowed his margins in each state, and Democrats are unable to take anything for granted as they undergo a postelection reckoning over their national brand. New Jerseyans haven’t granted one party more than eight straight years in the governor’s mansion in over five decades, and Republican Glenn Youngkin rode into Richmond just three years ago.
That makes the contests to replace term-limited Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, in New Jersey and Youngkin, who can’t run for two consecutive terms, in Virginia key barometers for Democrats’ ability to find their way out of the political wilderness ahead of the midterm elections in 2026.
“I think both these are going to be competitive races. Democrats know to take nothing for granted right now,” said Jared Leopold, a former Democratic Governors Association staffer based in Virginia. “Gubernatorial races have always been the path back for a party out of power, and 2025 is no different. So, this is going to be a huge opportunity for the Democratic Party.”
Both races are in the early stages, with candidates still throwing their hats into the ring.
New Jersey Reps. Josh Gottheimer and Mikie Sherrill, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, former state Senate President Stephen Sweeney and New Jersey Education Association President Sean Spiller are among the Democrats running to replace Murphy. Rep. Abigail Spanberger is the top Democrat running in Virginia and is widely considered a party powerhouse in the state.
Republicans are also sifting through their own candidates. Former GOP gubernatorial nominee Jack Ciattarelli, who fell short of unseating Murphy by about 3 points in 2021, is running again in New Jersey, as are other candidates who are casting themselves as more aligned with and antagonistic toward Trump’s brand. And Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears is running for the governor’s mansion with Youngkin’s endorsement.
But it’s Democrats who are on the outside looking in these days, having lost the White House and Senate this month, and eager to bounce back.
Vice President Kamala Harris’ loss to Trump has set off recriminations among Democrats that the party has lost touch with working-class voters and instead reinforced an elitist, out-of-touch brand that was so unpalatable that voters instead opted for a twice-impeached former president who had been convicted of 34 felonies in New York.
Warning signs loomed this month specifically in New Jersey and Virginia. Trump stunned when he became the first Republican presidential candidate in over 30 years to win racially diverse Passaic County in New Jersey. And he made inroads in northern Virginia, the suburban machine of Democrats’ statewide advantage.
Many of the leading Democrats in New Jersey and Virginia have sought to create distance with the party’s left-flank and prioritized affordability over social issues, a possibly effective strategy after voters prioritized economic issues and Trump blanketed the airwaves with ads attacking Harris over her position on transgender issues.
Now, they just have to convince voters that they’re not like the national Democratic bogeymen they’ve heard so much about.
“I think they will be talking the talk. The question is, how can they convince voters that they are walking the walk, and how can they convince voters that this is the centerpiece of their campaign?” said Micah Rasmussen, who served as press secretary for former New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey, a Democrat.
“If you can convince voters that you’ve gotten the message and that you need to focus not so much what you want to focus on but you want to focus on what the voters want you to focus on, that’s what it’s going to take,” he added. “I certainly think, at this point, the candidates have gotten the message.”
Democrats in both states have gotten something of a head start over their national counterparts.
Murphy’s narrower-than-expected win over Ciattarelli in 2021 alarmed Democrats who had expected to coast in New Jersey but were instead rebuffed by voters’ complaints about affordability in the high-tax state. And Youngkin’s win in a state that President Joe Biden won by 10 points just a year earlier jolted Democrats there, too.
In hindsight, both results may have foreshadowed the post-COVID-19 economic frustrations that sunk Democrats this year.
Now, candidates are putting the economy first. “Let’s make life more affordable for hardworking New Jerseyans, from health care to groceries to child care,” Sherrill said in her announcement video. Spanberger touts efforts aimed at “lowering prescription drug prices” and “lowering costs and easing inflation.”
Republicans, for their part, are feeling their oats.
While Trump won each swing state by narrow margins, he did sweep them, and he made notable gains among Democratic-friendly demographic groups and in blue states. And almost nothing is as unifying as winning.
“There’s an opportunity for sure, and being unified, that’s step one,” Virginia-based GOP strategist Zack Roday said. “If your party sweeps the House, Senate and the White House, you want to try to just hold your serve downballot and compete, and I think we can actually compete to win at the top. Democrats have the advantage, but there’s a lot around the coalition that could be united in both states that is really appealing to where the GOP is.”
It’s not all doom and gloom for Democrats, though.
Democrats performed well in off-year elections in 2017 after Trump’s first win and in the 2018 midterm elections, and New Jerseyans in particular have traditionally been reluctant to elevate Republicans the year after a Republican wins the White House. And while Trump was able to juice the base and cut into his opponent’s advantages, he still fell short in two states where Democrats retain voter registration edges.
“I don’t think that anyone’s sitting around panicking right now about where the election is. There’s certainly work to do, but there’s no panic,” one senior New Jersey Democratic strategist said.
Trump could also supercharge Democrats’ push to coalesce after their losses this month. His policy proposals, including banning travel from several Muslim-majority countries in 2017, infuriated the Democratic base, leading to Democratic successes in 2017 and 2018.
“It really started when Trump started doing really controversial, unpopular things, like the Muslim ban, and that’s when you saw governors and people come together to fight back against him. My suspicion is that same trend will happen here, where the reality of Trump’s policies will galvanize Democrats,” Leopold said.
However, he added, for a party that’s still smarting after its shortcomings this month, no race is considered safe, and Democrats will have their work cut out for them despite the friendly terrain.
Leopold noted that “2025 is a huge step on the path back for Democrats. We can lick our wounds for the rest of 2024, but come 2025, we got to get focused.”
Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead. Via Flickr
(WASHINGTON) — After a sweeping victory over Vice President Kamala Harris on Nov. 5, President-elect Donald Trump is now set to become just the second ever to serve nonconsecutive terms in office.
Trump has wasted no time in moving to assemble his team for a second term in the White House — naming Susie Wiles as his chief of staff, Florida Rep. Mike Waltz as his national security adviser and Tom Homan as his “border czar,” among other positions.
Inauguration Day is Jan. 20.
Here is a running list of the people Trump has selected, or is expected to select, to serve in his administration.
Nov 15, 2024, 7:34 PM EST – Trump to return to MSG Saturday for UFC fight: Source
President-elect Donald Trump is expected to attend Saturday night’s UFC Fight: UFC 309: Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic at Madison Square Garden, a source familiar with Trump’s planning told ABC News.
He is planning on spending the night in New York on Saturday and will return to Florida on Sunday, according to the source.
-ABC News’ Lalee Ibssa, Soo Rin Kim and Kelsey Walsh
Nov 15, 2024, 6:46 PM EST – Trump announces Karoline Leavitt as White House press secretary
President-elect Donald Trump announced Friday that he selected Karoline Leavitt, a longtime communications staffer, as his White House press secretary.
Leavitt, 27, previously served as an assistant press secretary in Trump’s first administration and was the national press secretary for his reelection campaign.
“Karoline is smart, tough, and has proven to be a highly effective communicator,” Trump said in a Truth Social post.
-ABC News’ Kelsey Walsh, Lalee Ibssa and Soo Rin Kim
Nov 15, 2024, 2:36 pm EST – Doug Burgum announced as interior secretary pick, chair of new ‘National Energy Council’
Trump announced he has chosen North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum as his interior secretary in a post on social media Friday.
The president-elect teased his pick for the position, which requires Senate confirmation, during remarks at Mar-a-Lago Thursday night.
Trump also announced that Burgum will be joining his administration as chairman of the “newly formed, and very important, National Energy Council.”
The council will consist of all departments and agencies “involved in the permitting, production, generation, distribution, regulation [and] transportation” of American energy, Trump said.
Burgum was seen as a possible running mate of Trump’s. He was one of his busiest surrogates, campaigning for the former president and raising money for his reelection campaign.
Nov 15, 2024, 1:37 pm EST – Trump announces 2 White House staffers
Trump announced two new White House staffers on Friday.
Steven Cheung, who previously served as the director of strategic response in Trump’s first term, will serve as director of communications in his second.
Sergio Gor, who ran the pro-Trump Super PAC Right For America, will serve as assistant to the president and director of the presidential personnel office.
“Steven Cheung and Sergio Gor have been trusted Advisors since my first Presidential Campaign in 2016, and have continued to champion America First principles throughout my First Term, all the way to our Historic Victory in 2024,” Trump said in a statement. “I am thrilled to have them join my White House as we, Make America Great Again!”
Nov 15, 2024, 12:44 PM EST – Speaker Johnson urges House Ethics Committee not to release Gaetz report
House Speaker Mike Johnson said Friday he does not think the House Ethics Committee should release their report into now-former GOP Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz.
“I think it’s a terrible breach of protocol and tradition and the spirit of the rules,” Johnson told reporters at the U.S. Capitol.
Johnson said he didn’t think it was “relevant” for the public to know what’s in the report.
“The rules of the House have always been that a former member is beyond the jurisdiction of the Ethics Committee,” he said.
Johnson said he had not yet spoken with Ethics Committee Chair Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss., but that he plans to.
Guest postponed a meeting the House Ethics Committee had planned for Friday morning.
Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats have called on the committee to release the report.
-ABC News’ Benjamin Siegel, Lauren Peller and Isabella Murray
Nov 15, 2024, 12:04 PM EST – Trump intends to ‘weaponize’ DOJ to seek ‘vengeance’: Durbin
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said Trump’s various Justice Department nominees, including Gaetz and his personal attorneys, show the president-elect’s intention to “weaponize” the Justice Department in order to “seek vengeance.”
“Donald Trump viewed the Justice Department as his personal law firm during his first term, and these selections — his personal attorneys — are poised to do his bidding,” Durbin said in a statement.
“The American people deserve a Justice Department that fights for equal justice under the law. This isn’t it,” the statement continued.
-ABC News’ Mariam Khan
Nov 15, 2024, 11:37 AM EST – Trump transition team aware of ‘sexual assault’ allegedly involving Pete Hegseth
Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary, was part of an investigation into alleged sexual assault in 2017, officials in Monterey, California, said in a statement overnight. Trump’s transition team was made aware of the incident earlier this week, after Trump announced him as his choice, a source told ABC News.
Monterey city officials said in their press statement that police investigated a “sexual assault” that allegedly occurred in the early morning hours of Oct. 8, 2017, at a Hyatt Regency. The incident did not involve a weapon, but the victim allegedly suffered “contusions to right thigh.”
Hegseth is not identified in the city’s statement as the alleged assailant. The victim’s name and age are listed as “confidential.”
A police report was filed days later, on Oct. 12. It was not immediately clear whether any charges were filed. A Monterey Superior Court spokesperson told ABC News on Thursday they had no records on file with Hegseth’s name as a party.
Tim Parlatore, an attorney for Hegseth, told ABC News. “This incident was fully investigated and Mr. Hegseth was cleared of any wrongdoing. It should have no effect on the confirmation process.”
Monterey officials said the statement came in response to “numerous inquiries” from the media, including ABC News, and they would not be making “any other remarks related to this inquiry.”
ABC News has reached out to the Trump transition for comment.
-ABC News’ Lucien Bruggeman
Nov 15, 2024, 10:30 AM EST – JD Vance talking to senators about Gaetz support: Sources
Vice President-elect JD Vance has already been working the phones reaching out to senators trying to gauge support for Matt Gaetz — who Trump named for the attorney general role, according to three sources with knowledge of the calls.
Matt Gaetz has also been making calls to senators, sources said.
The calls from Vance underscore ABC News’ reporting that he is expected to be the “eyes and ears” for Trump in Congress.
Also, the House Ethics Committee, which sources said was preparing to meet this week to deliberate over whether to release a final report on Gaetz — is not expected to meet Friday, per two sources.
-ABC News’ Rachel Scott
Nov 14, 2024, 9:14 PM EST – Marianne Williamson praises RFK Jr., calls out Democrats over health policy
After wishing Robert F. Kennedy Jr. congratulations for his nomination as health secretary, former Democratic presidential candidate and progressive Marianne Williamson told ABC News the Democratic Party has a “profound lack of understanding of people’s health concerns.”
“I agreed with and campaigned on a lot of things Bobby Kennedy has to say, just as I have disagreed with other things,” Williamson said.
“But I recognized the malicious way the system sought to remove him from the conversation, due to a problem not within him but within it,” she added.
Williamson said that she suggested the Democratic Party “announce its own root cause food and health platform as an alternative” after Kennedy endorsed Trump.
“I offered the policies I had developed during my own campaign. Their disinterest displayed a profound lack of understanding of people’s health concerns, and how proactively creating health is a critically needed complement to treating the symptoms of sickness,” Williamson said.
Nov 14, 2024, 8:57 PM EST – Trump says he will tap Gov. Doug Burgum to lead the Department of the Interior
Trump made another cabinet announcement Thursday evening, saying North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum will be tapped to be the Secretary of the Interior.
Speaking of energy policy, Trump said, “We’re going to slash energy costs. We’re going to get your energy bills in half, and that’s going to bring down the cost.”
Teasing the announcement, which he said will formally come Friday, Trump revealed Burgum will lead the Department of the Interior.
“He’s going to head the Department of Interior and he’s going to be fantastic,” Trump said.
Nov 14, 2024, 8:57 PM EST – Trump praises Elon Musk and RFK Jr. during gala address
During his address at the America First Policy Institute’s annual gala, Trump praised his newly announced cabinet members, Elon Musk, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Tulsi Gabbard and Vivek Ramaswamy.
“He launched a rocket three weeks ago, and then he went to Pennsylvania to campaign because he considered this more important than launching rockets that cost billions of dollars. Elon Musk, what a job he does,” Trump said of Musk, who he appointed to spearhead the new Department of Government Efficiency with Ramaswamy.
Speaking of RFK Jr., who was tapped to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, Trump said, “I guess if you like health and if you like people that live a long time, it’s the most important position.”
Nov 14, 2024, 8:33 PM EST – Introduced by Sylvester Stallone, Trump takes the stage at AFPI gala
President-elect Donald Trump is at Mar-a-Lago Thursday evening for the America First Policy Institute’s annual gala.
He was introduced to the stage by “Rocky” actor Sylvester Stallone.
Nov 14, 2024, 8:06 PM EST – Burgum says there’s been ‘a lot of discussions’ when asked about potential Cabinet role
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum told reporters at Mar-a-Lago that there have been “a lot of discussions” when asked about a potential Cabinet role.
Asked about possibly being “energy czar,” Burgum responded, “There’s been a lot of rumors about that. But I think the key thing is not the role.”
“It’s not about any specific role,” he later added, saying the incoming Trump administration will be “very focused on trying to solve problems, and the nexus between energy and inflation and the nexus between energy and national security are key.”
When asked about conversations about interior secretary, Burgum said, “There’s been a lot of discussions about a lot of different things.”
“Nothing’s true until you read it on Truth Social,” he said.
Sources close to Burgum suggest he hoped to get the nod for secretary of state, for which Trump nominated Sen. Marco Rubio.
-ABC News’ Fritz Farrow, Soo Rin Kim and Kelsey Walsh
Nov 14, 2024, 6:44 PM EST – Trump expected to speak at AFPI’s Mar-a-Lago gala tonight
Trump is expected to speak at America First Policy Institute’s annual gala at Mar-a-Lago tonight.
Trump was seen attending AFPI’s festivities at his club Wednesday night, after returning from his visit to the White House.
The think tank has been quietly building policy proposals and infrastructure for a second Trump presidency. It houses hundreds of former Trump administration officials and staffers.
Nov 14, 2024, 6:33 PM EST – Trump taps another attorney for DOJ
Trump said he has selected Dean John Sauer as solicitor general, in his fourth announcement of the day.
The Department of Justice position requires Senate confirmation.
As Trump’s defense attorney, Sauer argued for presidential immunity in front of the Supreme Court earlier this year, in which the high court granted broad immunity for official acts.
He marks the third attorney who has worked on Trump’s criminal cases nominated for a DOJ position.
Nov 14, 2024, 6:25 PM EST – Doug Collins tapped for secretary of veterans affairs
Trump announced he has nominated former Georgia Rep. Doug Collins for secretary of veterans affairs.
Collins is a veteran who currently serves as a chaplain in the U.S. Air Force Reserve Command, Trump said in a statement.
“We must take care of our brave men and women in uniform, and Doug will be a great advocate for our Active Duty Servicemembers, Veterans, and Military Families to ensure they have the support they need,” Trump said.
The position requires Senate confirmation.
Nov 14, 2024, 6:23 PM EST – Trump picks his defense attorneys for Justice Department posts
Trump announced he has selected Todd Blanche for deputy attorney general and Emil Bove for principal associate deputy attorney general.
Both represented Trump during his hush-money trial in Manhattan earlier this year, when he was found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records.
The high-ranking Justice Department positions require Senate confirmation.
Nov 14, 2024, 5:18 PM EST – Senate Judiciary Dems ask House Ethics Committee for Gaetz report
Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats have officially asked the House Ethics Committee to release its report on Matt Gaetz, including all other relevant documentation, in a letter shared by the office of Senate Judiciary Chair Dick Durbin.
“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 letter signed by the 11 Democratic senators stated. “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.”
Durbin’s office said in a press release there is “substantial precedent” for the committee to release preliminary findings and reports after members have left and/or resigned from Congress.
Gaetz, who had been under a House ethics investigation over allegations of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, resigned from Congress on Wednesday following his nomination for attorney general by Trump. Sources told ABC News the committee was preparing to meet this week to deliberate over whether to release a final report on the matter.
-ABC News’ Mariam Khan
Nov 14, 2024, 5:11 PM EST – Trump nominates former SEC Chair Jay Clayton for Manhattan US attorney
Trump has nominated his former SEC chair, Jay Clayton, as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, the president-elect announced on social media.
The position requires Senate confirmation.
Clayton was one of the candidates who interviewed for the attorney general job, as ABC News previously reported.
The longtime corporate lawyer would enter the role with little-to-no experience prosecuting criminal cases.
Prior to running the SEC, Clayton worked almost exclusively as a corporate attorney, with the exception of a two-year clerkship and a brief internship for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Clayton spent most of his career at the law firm Sullivan & Cromwell, where he represented hedge funds, wealthy investors, large banks, and massive corporations such as Deutsche Bank, UBS, and Alibaba Group. Clayton represented Goldman Sachs during the 2008 financial crisis and Barclays when it purchased Lehman Brothers’ assets out of bankruptcy.
-ABC News’ Peter Charalambous
Nov 14, 2024, 4:22 PM EST – Trump nominates RFK Jr. for HHS secretary
Trump officially announced he has selected Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the Health and Human Services secretary.
“For too long, 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,” he said in a statement, adding that Kennedy will “restore these Agencies to the traditions of Gold Standard Scientific Research, and beacons of Transparency.”
The position requires Senate confirmation.
Kennedy is an anti-vaccine activist who founded the Children’s Health Defense, a prominent anti-vaccine nonprofit that has campaigned against immunizations and other public health measures like water fluoridation.
Nov 14, 2024, 2:34 PM EST – JPMorgan Chase CEO not joining Trump administration
Trump said JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon will not be invited to be a part of his administration, after Dimon had already repeatedly indicated that he doesn’t intend to join the second Trump administration.
“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 said on social media Thursday.
A few weeks ago, Trump falsely posted on his social media that Dimon had endorsed him. Dimon, through his spokesperson, immediately refuted the claim.
-ABC News’ Soo Rin Kim, Kelsey Walsh and Lalee Ibssa
Nov 14, 2024, 1:32 PM EST – Blumenthal says he knows 5-10 GOP senators considering voting against Gaetz
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., told reporters Thursday he “can name between five and 10 Republicans who are seriously considering voting against” Matt Gaetz’s nomination for attorney general.
Blumenthal said the senators are also “insisting that there be a vote,” after Trump has urged the incoming GOP Senate majority to embrace recess appointments to install members of his Cabinet.
“Republicans, as well as Democrats, are absolutely aghast at the idea that we would allow a recess appointment of the top judicial officer in the United States of America; that is absolutely abhorrent to the powers and traditions of the United States Senate and the Constitution,” Blumenthal said.
Blumenthal, who is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has also demanded that the House ethics report on Gaetz regarding allegations of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use be released following Gaetz’s resignation from Congress.
-ABC News’ Rachel Scott, Benjamin Siegel and Hannah Demissie
Nov 14, 2024, 12:32 PM EST – Gaetz resignation letter read on House floor
On the House floor Thursday afternoon, the clerk read a resignation letter from Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz regarding his immediate departure from Congress, following Trump’s nomination of him for attorney general.
“I hereby resign as a United States representative for Florida’s 1st congressional district, effective immediately. And I do not intend to take the oath of office for the same office in the 119th Congress to pursue the position of attorney general in the Trump administration,” the House clerk read from the letter, which was submitted on Wednesday.
In light of Gaetz’s resignation, the new House breakdown is 220 Republicans, 213 Democrats and two vacancies.
-ABC News’ Lauren Peller
Nov 14, 2024, 12:04 PM EST – Thune says he doesn’t know if Gaetz will be confirmed until they start the process
When asked if he believes Matt Gaetz could be confirmed as attorney general, the incoming Senate majority leader told ABC News he doesn’t know until they start the Senate confirmation process.
“I don’t know until we start the process, and that’s what we intend to do with him and all the other potential nominees,” Sen. John Thune said. “None of this stuff’s formal yet, but you know, when it is, we expect our committees to do their jobs and provide the advice and consent that is required under the Constitution.”
Gaetz, who had been under a House ethics investigation over allegations of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, resigned from Congress on Wednesday following his nomination for attorney general by Trump. Sources told ABC News the committee was preparing to meet this week to deliberate over whether to release a final report on the matter.
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., who currently chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, has called for the report’s release, saying Gaetz’s resignation raises “serious questions” about its contents.
“We cannot allow this valuable information from a bipartisan investigation to be hidden from the American people,” Durbin said in a statement Thursday.
House Ethics Committee Chairman Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss., refused to discuss the confidentiality of the investigation into Gaetz.
“What happens in ethics is confidential,” Guest told reporters Thursday.
-ABC News’ Hannah Demissie, Isabella Murray, Lauren Peller, Arthur Jones II and Mariam Khan
Nov 14, 2024, 11:46 AM EST – Mayorkas committed to a ‘smooth transition’ for incoming DHS secretary
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said he is committed to a “smooth transition” at the department he leads.
“I am committed to a smooth transition to ensure that the incoming Secretary and their team understands the challenges that we face on the homeland, and to ensure that the team understands, appreciates and is in a position to advance the capabilities that we have developed and strengthened to address those challenges successfully,” Mayorkas said on a conference call with reporters on a separate topic on Thursday. “The transition team has not landed here at the Department of Homeland Security.”
He said the department is still implementing President Joe Biden’s policies.
“We are no different than any administration that perceives us in so far as we have a president now and we are executing the policies of this president. The president-elect will determine what policies to promulgate and implement, and that is, of course, the president-elect’s prerogative.”
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem was nominated by Trump for the DHS secretary position, which requires Senate confirmation.
-ABC News’ Luke Barr
Nov 14, 2024, 11:28 AM EST – Nikki Haley says she spoke with Trump transition team, did not want position
In an episode of her online radio show, SiriusXM’s Nikki Haley Live, on Wednesday, former U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley claimed that Trump’s transition team spoke to her asking for advice about who should be in Trump’s cabinet, although she said she made it clear she did not want to take a position in the administration.
She also indicated that the way Trump handled saying she would not be in the administration was “shallow.”
“I had no interest in being in [Trump’s] cabinet. He knew that,” Haley said.
Haley said Trump confidant (and incoming special envoy to the Middle East) Steve Witkoff spoke to her saying he “wanted a truce between me and Donald Trump. And I told him at the time, there was no truce needed, that I had — that Trump had my support, there was no issues [sic] on my end,” Haley said.
“And at that point he was like, ‘What do you want? Tell me what you want. Is there anything you want?’ And I said, ‘There’s nothing I want.’ And there wasn’t anything I wanted.”
She said that later that she spoke directly with Trump transition director Howard Lutnick to give advice.
ABC News has reached out to the Trump transition team about Haley’s claims.
-ABC News’ Oren Oppenheim, Soorin Kim, Lalee Ibssa, Kelsey Walsh and Hannah Demissie
Nov 14, 2024, 6:59 AM EST – DeSantis says he’s instructed Florida’s secretary of state to make a schedule for upcoming special elections
With both Florida Reps. Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz being tapped for President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on X on Thursday morning that he’s instructed Florida’s secretary of state to make a schedule for the special elections to replace them.
“Congratulations to the Floridians being appointed to key positions in the Trump Administration: Senator Marco Rubio, Congressman Matt Gaetz, and Congressman Mike Waltz,” DeSantis wrote on X. “I’ve instructed Secretary of State Cord Byrd to formulate and announce a schedule for the upcoming special elections immediately.”
However, DeSantis’ post did not mention anything about when these elections could happen.
Nov 13, 2024, 9:25 PM EST – Trump considering his lawyer for deputy attorney general: Sources
President-elect Donald Trump is considering his top defense attorney for the second highest position in the Department of Justice, sources tell ABC News.
Todd Blanche, who represented Trump in the hush money case and in both of Jack Smith’s federal probes, is being considered as the deputy attorney general, multiple sources said.
Blanche had been widely speculated to join Trump in the federal government in some form.
The position would need Senate confirmation.
-ABC News’ Katherine Faulders
Nov 13, 2024, 7:20 PM EST – Gaetz already resigned from Congress, Speaker Johnson says
Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, Trump’s pick for attorney general, offered his resignation from Congress earlier Wednesday — effective immediately, House Speaker Mike Johnson announced.
Johnson said the resignation took him by “surprise” but that the Florida congressman did so to “start the clock” on the process for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to call a special election to fill his vacancy.
“We’re grateful for that so we move forward,” Johnson said.
The move slims the new House GOP majority.
Johnson did not weigh in on the House Ethics Committee probe into Gaetz that will now cease with no report released, as Gaetz is no longer a member of Congress.
-ABC News’ Lauren Peller and Isabella Murray
Nov 13, 2024, 3:31 PM EST – Trump nominates Matt Gaetz as attorney general
Trump has nominated Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz to be his attorney general, he posted on his social media.
Gaetz was seen traveling with Trump in the motorcade Wednesday during the president-elect’s visit to Washington, D.C.
The role is a Senate-confirmed appointment.
Trump called Gaetz a “deeply gifted and tenacious attorney” who will “end Weaponized Government, protect our Borders, dismantle Criminal Organizations and restore Americans’ badly-shattered Faith and Confidence in the Justice Department.”
Gaetz is an explosive selection by Trump to be the chief law enforcement officer of the federal government, leading the very same executive branch of government that spent years investigating allegations regarding the Florida congressman. Gaetz was informed that the DOJ would not seek charges just last year. He has long denied any wrongdoing.
Gaetz faces an ongoing probe by the House Ethics Committee for the same allegations, related to sex trafficking and obstruction of justice.
Gaetz has been down in Mar-a-Lago almost daily since Election Day, helping make suggestions and input on other administration selections, sources told ABC News.
-ABC News’ Will Steakin
Nov 13, 2024, 3:20 PM EST – Tulsi Gabbard tapped as director of national intelligence
Trump announced that former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard is his pick for director of national intelligence.
“I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community, championing our Constitutional Rights, and securing Peace through Strength,” Trump said in a statement.
The role is a Senate-confirmed appointment.
Gabbard, who once ran for president as a Democrat, had a prominent role as part of Trump’s 2024 campaign team.
Nov 13, 2024, 3:06 PM EST – Marco Rubio announced as secretary of state pick
Trump has officially announced Florida Sen. Marco Rubio as his nomination for secretary of state.
“Marco is a Highly Respected Leader, and a very powerful Voice for Freedom,” Trump said in a statement. “He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries.”
The role must be confirmed by the Senate.
November 13, 2024, 2:23 pm EST – Biden, Trump had ‘substantive meeting and exchange of views’: White House
President Joe Biden and Trump had a “substantive meeting and exchange of views” during their nearly two-hour Oval Office meeting on Tuesday, according to the White House press secretary.
“They discussed important national security and domestic policy issues facing the nation and the world,” Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters during a briefing following the meeting. “President Biden also raised important items on Congress’s to-do list for the lame duck session, including funding the government and providing the disaster supplemental funding the president requested.”
Biden also reiterated that “we will have an orderly transition and a peaceful transition of power,” she added.
On the national security discussion, ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Mary Bruce asked White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan if Biden made the case for the U.S. not to walk away from Ukraine, and how the message was received.
“I will only note that President Biden reinforced his view that the United States, standing with Ukraine on an ongoing basis, is in our national security interest,” Sullivan responded, adding that “standing up to aggressors and dictators and pushing back against their aggression is vital to ensuring that we don’t end up getting dragged directly into a war.”
-ABC News’ Molly Nagle
November 13, 2024, 11:37 AM EST – The battle for Trump’s treasury secretary
As Trump continues to round out his cabinet, the job of treasury secretary remains in flux, with the co-chair of Trump’s transition team actively vying for the job, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.
Howard Lutnick is looking to be tapped as treasury secretary, sources said, a move that comes as investor and hedge fund manager Scott Bessent is also a top contender for the role.
Bessent traveled to Mar-a-Lago as recently as Friday to meet with Trump about the job, the sources said.
Lutnick, on the other hand, spends hours with Trump nearly each day, presenting candidates for top roles in the administration. As such, the move by Lutnick to attempt to get a cabinet position for himself has frustrated some close to Trump.
Sources caution the job is still in flux and neither man could get the job — with the potential for other candidates to emerge.
One potential dark horse for the job, one source told ABC News, is former Trump administration trade representative Robert Lighthizer, who Trump sees as an aggressive advocate for his tariff-heavy approach to international trade.
-ABC News’ Jonathan Karl, Olivia Rubin and Katherine Faulders
November 13, 2024, 11:32 AM EST – Trump and Biden meet in Oval Office
President Joe Biden and Trump are meeting in the Oval Office, resuming a tradition that Trump himself flouted in 2020.
Biden spoke first and called for a smooth transition. Trump then said politics is tough but the transition will be smooth.
They did not answer questions.
November 13, 2024, 11:06 AM EST – Trump announces senior White House staff
Trump announced his senior staff on Wednesday, bringing back some of his well-known names from his first term and those who helped on his campaign.
Dan Scavino, one of Trump’s long-time allies, was named assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff. Stephen Miller was named assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff, a move reported earlier this week.
James Blair, the Republican National Committee political director and campaign aide, has been named assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs. Taylor Budowich will serve as assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel. He was a senior member of several of Trump’s PACs.
November 13, 2024, 9:50 AM EST – Trump struggles with attorney general decision, Musk sits in on interviews for key positions: Sources
President-elect Donald Trump is moving quickly to install loyalists and allies into his administration. But he’s struggling with making a decision on one of his top law enforcement positions: attorney general, multiple sources told ABC News.
Trump interviewed multiple candidates for attorney general on Tuesday, but he came away unsatisfied, sources with knowledge of the conversations told ABC News.
Trump interviewed Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey on Monday, and sat down with lawyers Jay Clayton and Bob Giuffra about the post, sources said. No final decision has been made, sources said.
Notably, billionaire Elon Musk has been involved in — and sitting in on — interviews with potential attorney general candidates, the sources said.
In a sign of how quickly other positions are moving, Pete Hegseth — the Fox News host selected as the nominee for Defense Secretary — was just called Monday and interviewed for the position Tuesday, a source familiar told ABC News.
Within hours, Trump made his choice, sources added. Several Republicans on Capitol Hill and even some Trump allies described being “caught off guard” by the pick.
-Katherine Faulders, Will Steakin, Rachel Scott, John Santucci
November 13, 2024, 5:30 AM EST – Illinois, Colorado governors announce state-level coalition to resist Trump policies
Democratic Govs. J.B. Pritzker of Illinois and Jared Polis of Colorado will be the co-chairs of a new “non-partisan” coalition of the nation’s governors committed to protecting the “state-level institutions of democracy” ahead of Donald Trump’s incoming presidency.
Governors Safeguarding Democracy, or GSD, will be overseen by governors and supported by a network of senior staff designated by each leader while being supported by GovAct, an organization “championing fundamental freedoms.”
GovAct is advised by a bipartisan board that includes former Republican and Democratic governors and senior officials like former GOP Gov. Arne Carlson of Minnesota, former Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick of Massachusetts and former GOP Gov. Bill Weld of Massachusetts.
-ABC News’ Isabella Murray
November 12, 2024, 7:59 PM EST – Gov. Kristi Noem picked for Homeland Security secretary
Trump confirmed he has picked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to be his Homeland Security secretary.
Trump said in a statement that Noem will work closely with “border czar” Tom Homan and “will guarantee that our American Homeland is secure from our adversaries.”
The role requires Senate confirmation.
November 12, 2024, 7:47 PM EST – Trump announces Department of Government Efficiency led by Musk, Ramaswamy
Trump has announced that billionaire Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, a former presidential candidate and ally of the president-elect, will lead a new Department of Government Efficiency.
“Together, these two wonderful Americans will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies,” Trump said in a statement.
The Department of Government Efficiency is not a new government agency. Trump said it will “provide advice and guidance from outside of government” and “partner” with the White House and Office of Management and Budget to drive structural government reform.
Trump has previously said Musk would take a role in his administration as head of a new “government efficiency commission.”
November 12, 2024, 7:27 PM EST – Trump nominates Pete Hegseth for defense secretary
Trump has nominated Pete Hegseth to be his defense secretary.
Hegseth is currently a host of “Fox & Friends” as well as an Army combat veteran.
“Nobody fights harder for the Troops, and Pete will be a courageous and patriotic champion of our ‘Peace through Strength’ policy,” Trump said in a statement.
The role requires Senate confirmation.
November 12, 2024, 5:57 PM EST – Trump picks John Ratcliffe for CIA director
Trump announced that John Ratcliffe is his pick for director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
The role requires Senate confirmation.
Ratcliffe was a former director of National Intelligence during Trump’s first term.
“I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation’s highest Intelligence positions,” Trump said in a statement, adding that Ratcliffe “will be a fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans.”
November 12, 2024, 5:55 PM EST – Trump names attorney Bill McGinley as his White House counsel
Trump has named attorney Bill McGinley as his White House counsel, his transition team announced.
McGinley served as the White House Cabinet secretary during Trump’s first term and has served as general counsel at the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
“Bill is a smart and tenacious lawyer who will help me advance our America First agenda while fighting for election integrity and against the weaponization of law enforcement,” Trump said in a statement.
The White House counsel is appointed by the president.
November 12, 2024, 5:27 PM EST – Trump taps friend and donor Steve Witkoff as special envoy to the Middle East
Trump has tapped his longtime friend and donor Steve Witkoff as his special envoy to the Middle East, the president-elect’s transition team announced.
Witkoff, along with former Sen. Kelly Loeffler, has been leading the inauguration efforts.
Witkoff has held multiple fundraisers for Trump throughout the election cycle and accompanied him to numerous campaign rallies. He was also golfing with Trump during the alleged second assassination attempt in West Palm Beach earlier this year.
-ABC News’ Soo Rin Kim, Kelsey Walsh and Lalee Ibssa
November 12, 2024, 4:42 PM EST – Trump expected to tap Kristi Noem for DHS secretary: Sources
Trump is expected to soon announce he has chosen South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem as his next secretary for the Department of Homeland Security, according to sources.
The role requires Senate confirmation.
Noem was on the short-list to be Trump’s running mate, but her chances dimmed as she fended off controversy over accounts in her book about killing her dog that she claimed was showing aggressive behavior.
She also faced backlash after her spokesperson said a claim she made about meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and an account of an interaction with former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley were “errors.”
She is a loyal Trump ally who will work closely with Trump’s new border czar Tom Homan and new deputy chief of staff for policy, Stephen Miller. CNN was first to report the news of Noem as the secretary pick.
-ABC News’ Jonathan Karl. Rachel Scott, Katherine Faulders and Luke Barr
November 12, 2024, 3:25 PM EST – DeSantis must call for special elections to fill Waltz’s impending vacancy
To replace Florida Rep. Mike Waltz in the U.S. House following his selection to serve as Trump’s national security adviser, state statute requires Gov. Ron DeSantis to call for a special primary and then a special election in Florida.
The special elections to fill the House seat differ from Florida’s way of filling Senate seats. State law mandates that DeSantis appoint an individual to fill any Senate vacancy.
Waltz currently represents Florida’s solidly red 6th Congressional District, one that hasn’t been represented by a Democrat since 1989. DeSantis himself was the congressmember for the northeastern Florida seat ahead of Waltz.
ABC News has not yet reported a projection for who will have control of the House, but Waltz’s impending vacancy could impact Republicans’ numbers as they head toward a GOP “trifecta” in Washington.
-ABC News’ Isabella Murray
November 12, 2024, 2:01 PM EST – Trump nominates Mike Huckabee to be Israeli ambassador
Trump announced he has nominated former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to be the U.S. ambassador to Israel.
“Mike has been a great public servant, Governor, and Leader in Faith for many years,” Trump said in a statement. “He loves Israel, and the people of Israel, and likewise, the people of Israel love him. Mike will work tirelessly to bring about Peace in the Middle East!”
The role, which will need to be confirmed by the Senate, will be a key appointment as tensions remain high in the Middle East.
November 12, 2024, 1:37 PM EST – Trump officially announces Waltz as national security adviser pick
Trump has officially announced his appointment of Florida Rep. Mike Waltz as his national security adviser.
The president-elect highlighted Waltz’s military background in a statement on the appointment, noting that he is the first Green Beret to have been elected to Congress and served in the Army Special Forces for 27 years.
“Mike has been a strong champion of my America First Foreign Policy agenda, and will be a tremendous champion of our pursuit of Peace through Strength!” Trump said in a statement.
The national security adviser is appointed by the president without confirmation by the Senate.
-ABC News’ Soo Rin Kim, Kelsey Walsh and Lalee Ibssa
November 12, 2024, 11:50 AM EST – Will Trump’s administration picks impact House control?
While control of the House has not yet been projected by ABC News, Republicans are inching toward maintaining their slim majority.
But already, Trump has picked several lawmakers to serve in his administration: Rep. Elise Stefanik for United Nations ambassador and Rep. Mike Waltz for national security adviser.
Speaker Mike Johnson, asked about the issue on Tuesday, said he’s spoken to Trump about it several times.
“We have a really talented Republican Congress … Many of them can serve in important positions in the new administration. But President Trump fully understands, appreciates the math here and it’s just a numbers game,” Johnson said. “You know, we believe we’re going to have a larger majority than we had last time.”
The speaker added: “I don’t expect that we will have more members leaving, but I’ll leave that up to him.”
November 12, 2024, 11:39 AM EST – Billionaire John Paulson says he’s not a candidate for Treasury role
Billionaire John Paulson said Tuesday he does not plan to formally join the administration as the secretary of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, though he said he intends to remain actively involved with Trump’s economic team.
“Although various media outlets have mentioned me as a candidate for Secretary of the Treasury, my complex financial obligations would prevent me from holding an official position in President Trump’s administration at this time,” Paulson said in a statement.
“However, I intend to remain actively involved with the President’s economic team and helping in the implementation of President Trump’s outstanding policy proposals,” he added.
-ABC News’ Beatrice Peterson
November 12, 2024, 11 AM EST – Johnson teases Trump visit to the Capitol
House Speaker Mike Johnson confirmed that Trump is expected to visit the U.S. Capitol to celebrate a potential Republicans “trifecta” on Wednesday morning before he sits down in the Oval Office with President Joe Biden later in the day.
“Well, I’ll say I didn’t intend to break this as news this morning,” Johnson quipped as he held a press conference with House Republican leadership.
“He wanted to come and visit with House Republicans, so we’re working out the details of him gathering with us potentially tomorrow morning, before he goes to the White House,” Johnson said. “And that would be a great meeting and a moment for all of us, there’s a lot of excitement, a lot of energy here. We’re really grateful for President Trump leaving it all on the field to get reelected.”
ABC News’ John Parkinson, Isabella Murray and Lauren Peller
November 12, 2024, 11 AM EST – House Republican leadership say they’re ready for Day 1 under Trump
Returning to Washington on Tuesday, Speaker Mike Johnson and other top House Republicans took a victory lap on last week’s election results.
While ABC News has not yet projected House control, Republicans are three seats away from clinching the 218 needed for a majority.
Johnson said they are monitoring outstanding races closely but are confident they will have a “unified” government come January.
“This leadership will hit the ground running to deliver President Trump’s agenda in the 119th Congress, and we will work closely with him and his administration to turn this country around and unleash, as he says, a new golden age in America,” Johnson said at a press conference on the Capitol steps.
November 11, 2024, 11:22 PM EST – Trump’s new ‘border czar’ issues warning to sanctuary states and cities
President-elect Donald Trump’s newly picked “border czar” Tom Homan addressed his forthcoming deportation plan and state leaders who have objected to sweeping immigration policies.
During an appearance on Fox News on Monday, Homan issued a warning to so-called “sanctuary” states and cities to “get the hell out of the way” of the Trump administration’s mass deportation plans.
“I saw today numerous governors from sanctuary states saying they’re going to step in the way. They better get the hell out of the way. Either you help us or get the hell out of the way, because ICE is going to do their job,” he warned, referring to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, where he formerly served as director.
“I’ll double the workforce in that sanctuary city. We’re going to do our job despite the politics. We’re doing it. So get used to it, because we’re coming,” Homan said.
When asked if he plans to deport American citizens, Homan said, “President Trump has made it clear we will prioritize public safety threats and national security threats first, and that’s how the focus would be.”
-ABC News’ Soo Rin Kim
November 11, 2024, 8:48 PM EST – Trump expected to tap Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state: Sources
President-elect Donald Trump is expected to announce his intention to nominate Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) for secretary of state, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.
Rubio, 53, has served in the Senate since 2011. He is currently the vice chair of the Senate Select Committee on Foreign Intelligence, and he also sits on the chamber’s Foreign Relations Committee.
Several long-serving State Department officials tell ABC News they respect Rubio’s extensive foreign policy experience and view him as unlikely to overly politicize the secretary of state role.
The secretary of state is appointed by the president with the consent of the Senate.
-ABC News’ Katherine Faulders and Shannon Kingston
November 11, 2024, 7:00 PM EST – Trump asks Rep. Mike Waltz to be his national security adviser: Sources
Trump has asked Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., to be his national security adviser, multiple sources said.
Waltz was at Mar-a-Lago on Monday, sources said.
Waltz is a former Green Beret and China hawk who emerged as a key surrogate for Trump, criticizing the Biden-Harris foreign policy record during the campaign.
The Florida Republican sits on the Intelligence, Armed Services and Foreign Affairs committees.
He has supported aid to Ukraine in the past but has demanded “conditions,” including increased spending from European allies, additional oversight of funds and pairing the aid with border security measures.
Waltz, who has visited Ukraine, was a vocal critic of the Biden administration’s policy towards Ukraine, criticizing the White House and allies for not providing Ukraine with more lethal aid — such as MiG fighter planes — earlier in the conflict.
Before running for elected office, Waltz served in various national security policy roles in the Bush administration, Pentagon and White House.
-ABC News’ Rachel Scott, Benjamin Siegel, John Santucci and Katherine Faulders
November 11, 2024, 6:06 PM EST – Volunteer-run effort on RFK Jr.’s website crowd-sourcing ideas for Trump admin appointments
A volunteer-run effort on Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s website has begun crowd-sourcing ideas for appointments in Trump’s administration.
A website titled “Nominees for the People” gives anyone the chance to submit names of people they’d like to see join the administration.
“President Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. want your help nominating people of integrity and courage for over 4,000 appointments across the future Trump administration,” the website reads.
Stefanie Spear, a Kennedy spokeswoman, told ABC News that the crowd-sourcing effort is “a grassroots initiative run by volunteers,” and is not actually spearheaded by Kennedy, although the page uses the “mahanow.org” URL that Kennedy’s official campaign website adopted after he exited the race.
“We’ve always offered space on our website to our grassroots movement,” Spear said.
This post has been updated to reflect that the crowd-sourcing effort is a volunteer-run effort.
-ABC News’ Sasha Pezenik
November 11, 2024, 5:55 PM EST – Trump’s ‘border czar’ says mass deportation strategy will be a main priority
Former Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Tom Homan, Trump’s newly announced “border czar,” said his main priority will be overseeing and formulating Trump’s long-vowed mass deportation strategy while consolidating decisions related to border security.
“Everybody talks about this mass deportation operation. President Trump talks about. I’ll oversee that and come up with a strategy for that,” Homan said during a lengthy interview with his hometown television station WWNY on Monday.
Homan said Trump’s mass deportations is “going to be a targeted enforcement operation, concentrating on criminals and national security threats first.”
He acknowledged that the deportations would be costly but argued the policy would “save the taxpayers a lot of money.”
Homan said he does not plan to “separate women and children” but acknowledged that deporting alleged criminals would result in breaking up families.
“When we arrest parents here, guess what? We separate them. The illegal aliens should be no different,” Homan said.
Homan also said worksite enforcement — an aspect of immigration policy focused on unauthorized workers and employers who knowingly hire them — is “going to get fired back up.”
“Under President Trump, we’re going to work it and we’re going to work it hard,” he said.
-ABC News’ Peter Charalambous
November 11, 2024, 5:46 PM EST – Melania Trump skipping meeting with Jill Biden: Sources
Melania Trump is not expected to travel to Washington with President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday, two sources told ABC News.
First lady Jill Biden had extended an invite to Melania Trump for a meeting, according to the sources. In 2016, Michelle Obama had hosted Melania Trump at the White House.
The Trump campaign declined to comment. The first lady’s office confirmed to ABC News that a joint invitation was extended to the Trumps to meet at the White House though declined to comment beyond that.
-ABC News’ Rachel Scott, John Santucci and Molly Nagle
November 11, 2024, 4:26 PM EST – RFK Jr. advising Trump transition on health decisions: Sources
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has continued to broadly advise Trump and the transition team on health-related appointments and has been in discussions to possibly fill a major role in the next administration, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.
While sources caution that a role has not been finalized, RFK Jr. has been discussed as a potential candidate for the next secretary of Health and Human Services. But other roles are also on the table, including a broad “czar”-like position that would advise on policy and personnel decisions in other health arenas, the sources said.
RFK Jr. has been in active discussions with the transition team since Trump’s election victory last week. He’s been spotted at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club multiple times and has been engaging in presentations which include candidates for specific Cabinet and health-related jobs, sources said.
He has spent hours with the co-heads of Trump’s transition team — billionaire Howard Lutnick and Linda McMahon — in addition to others at Mar-a-Lago such as Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr.; investor and donor Omeed Malik; Tucker Carlson; and Del Bigtree, RFK Jr.’s former campaign spokesperson who produced a documentary called “Vaxxed: From Cover-Up to Catastrophe.”
-ABC News’ Katherine Faulders, Olivia Rubin and Will McDuffie
November 11, 2024, 3:30 PM EST – Lee Zeldin named to be EPA administrator
President-elect Donald Trump has tapped former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to lead the Environmental Protection Agency.
“Lee, with a very strong legal background, has been a true fighter for America First policies,” Trump said in a statement. “He will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet. He will set new standards on environmental review and maintenance, that will allow the United States to grow in a healthy and well-structured way.
Zeldin, who also ran for New York governor against Andrew Cuomo in 2022, confirmed he had been offered the job via a post on X.
“It is an honor to join President Trump’s Cabinet as EPA Administrator,” he wrote. “We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI. We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water.”
-ABC News’ John Santucci, Rachel Scott and Katherine Faulders
November 11, 2024, 3:06 PM EST -RFK Jr. suggests he’ll gut NIH, replace 600 employees
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. indicated over the weekend that he would fire 600 employees at the National Institutes of Health, replacing them with a new cohort of workers as he seeks to dramatically reshape America’s health agencies.
Speaking at the Genius Network Annual Event in Scottsdale, Arizona, Kennedy described his role vetting people for Donald Trump’s new administration.
“We need to act fast, and we want to have those people in place on Jan. 20, so that on Jan. 21, 600 people are going to walk into offices at NIH and 600 people are going to leave,” Kennedy said, according to a video of his remarks posted on YouTube.
November 11, 2024, 3:06 PM EST- Trump expected to announce Stephen Miller as deputy chief of staff
President-elect Donald Trump is expected to announce Stephen Miller, an immigration hard-liner and one of his senior advisers, will become his deputy chief of staff for policy, multiple sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.
It’s not clear when Trump plans to formally announce the job, the sources said.
Miller worked in the first Trump administration and played a key role in crafting immigration policies — including those that resulted in thousands of families being separated at the border.
-ABC News’ Rachel Scott, John Santucci and Katherine Faulders
November 11, 2024, 3:00 PM EST – Trump picks Elise Stefanik as UN ambassador
President-elect Donald Trump selected Rep. Elise Stefanik to be his U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, multiple Trump officials told ABC News.
“I am honored to nominate Chairwoman Elise Stefanik to serve in my Cabinet as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. Elise is an incredibly strong, tough, and smart America First fighter,” Trump said in a statement to ABC News.
Stefanik, a Republican congresswoman from New York’s 21st District, was elected last week to her sixth term in the House. She will inherit a role Nikki Haley held for two years in the first Trump administration.
-ABC News’ Rachel Scott, Katherine Faulders and John Santucci
Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., a prominent ally of Donald Trump, said voters don’t care who conducts background checks into the president-elect’s Cabinet picks and that Trump would fire members of his administration who don’t follow the policy he sets out.
In an interview with “This Week” co-anchor Jonathan Karl, Hagerty lambasted the records of some of President Joe Biden’s Cabinet members and insisted that Trump will command compliance from top members of his upcoming administration.
Name-checking Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin for the bloody withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, Hagerty said, “They’ve not been held to account.”
“President Trump will fire people that don’t do their job well. I fully expect everybody coming into the Cabinet will listen to President Trump. They’ll let him set the policy, and they’ll execute according to that plan.”
Trump has moved at a rapid pace to flesh out his Cabinet, including picking Fox News host and Army veteran Pete Hegseth to lead the Pentagon, former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii to be director of national intelligence and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.
Trump also tapped former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi to head the Justice Department after former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., withdrew from consideration amid a tumultuous sexual misconduct investigation in the House Ethics Committee.
Hagerty said Trump hopes to have his Cabinet nominees swiftly confirmed, telling Karl that Trump “clearly expects to hit the ground running” and “wants us to have these hearings done quickly and expeditiously.”
However, others besides Gaetz have been hit with scandal.
Kennedy has been a prominent vaccine skeptic and supported abortion access, riling anti-abortion groups allied with Trump. Gabbard has blamed the U.S. and NATO for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and met with Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. And Hegseth is mired in a sexual misconduct controversy over payments to a woman who alleges he assaulted her at a conference.
With Gaetz out of the running, the spotlight has mostly shifted to Hegseth, who has also ruffled feathers by saying that he doesn’t agree that women should serve in combat roles in the military.
Hagerty praised Hegseth and insisted that the Trump transition team has thoroughly vetted all of its candidates — but that he isn’t concerned with who does a formal background check on them before the confirmation process formally begins.
“Don’t let these allegations distract us. What we need is real significant change. The Pentagon has been more focused on pronouns than they have lethality the past four years. We need to get back to business, and I think Pete is just the person to do it,” Hagerty said.
“The transition team has been working for months to prepare for this. I’m certain that there was significant vetting that has taken place, it has for every candidate,” Hagerty added.
FBI background checks have been standard practice for nominees requiring Senate confirmation, but the Trump transition team has yet to sign the necessary agreements to allow such screenings to occur.
However, while some Republican senators have said they’d like to see an FBI background check done on Hegseth, Hagerty said, “I don’t think the American public cares who does the background checks. What the American public cares about is to see the mandate that they voted in delivered upon.”
Hagerty also said that he supports the use of recess appointments — allowing Trump to temporarily put Cabinet picks in office while Congress is out of session — though he did demur when pressed by Karl over whether Trump would do so if the person lacked sufficient Republican support to be confirmed in the Senate.
“I haven’t spoken with President Trump about the specific plans. What he wants to do is see these appointments made quickly. He wants to see us get through the confirmation process. And again, I think everything should be on the table,” he said.
(RALEIGH, N.C.) — As North Carolinians continue to recover from the devastating impacts of Hurricane Helene, early voting begins Thursday in the critical swing state.
State election officials expect a majority of North Carolina voters to cast their ballot in-person over the next two weeks, with early voting concluding on Nov. 2.
More than 400 early voting sites are in operation across the state’s 100 counties.
“To have almost all early voting sites open after such a devastating storm is an effort all North Carolinians should be proud of,” North Carolina State Board of Elections executive director Karen Brinson Bell said Tuesday.
Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris remain neck-and-neck in the critical swing state, with Trump holding a 0.4% lead over Harris in 538’s polling average for the state.
Both candidates have visited North Carolina since the remnants of Hurricane Helene brought deadly floods to the state, where 95 people died and 92 remain missing. Trump has repeatedly made false claims about the federal response to the disaster, claiming that the state would be deprived of emergency aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency because of undocumented immigrants.
“They got hit with a very bad hurricane, especially North Carolina and parts of Georgia. But North Carolina really got hit. I’ll tell you what, those people should never vote for a Democrat, because they held back aid,” Trump said during an interview last week.
While visiting a church in Greenville, North Carolina, on Sunday, Harris stopped short of naming Trump while criticizing the spread of disinformation about the relief efforts in the state.
“Right now, fellow Americans are experiencing some of the most difficult moments in their lives,” Harris said. “Yet instead of offering hope, there are those who are channeling people’s tragedies and sorrows into grievance and hatred, and one may ask why, and I think, sadly, frankly, the motives are quite transparent: to gain some advantage for themselves, to play politics with other people’s heartbreak.”
With recovery efforts ongoing, election officials have expressed optimism about the state’s early voting plans. In the 25 western counties included in the federal disaster declaration, 76 early voting sites have been confirmed — four fewer than originally planned.
“We lost just a few despite the extensive damage, loss of power, water, internet and phone service, and the washing out of roads throughout the region,” said Brinson Bell.
In past presidential elections, the majority of the state’s voters have cast their ballot during early in-person voting, with 65% using that method in 2020 and 62% in 2016. Election officials expect a similar portion of voters to vote early in person, and have enacted a series of measures to improve voting access in the counties hardest hit by Helene.
Voters in the impacted counties can drop off their absentee ballot at any early voting site throughout the state, and the state plans to deploy “multipartisan assistance teams” that can assist with absentee voting at disaster shelters.
This will also be the first presidential election where voters will need to provide photo identification to vote, after lawsuits delayed implementation of the state’s controversial voter ID law following its passage in 2018. Voters can provide a drivers’ license, student ID, or passport to vote, though exceptions are permitted in the case of natural disasters.
The only county to offer fewer early voting sites is hard-hit Buncombe County, whose officials opted to reduce their number of sites from 14 to 10 because of the ongoing emergency response.
“Our office has been preparing for the 2024 election for years, but we certainly didn’t expect this,” said Buncombe County director of election services Corinne Duncan.
