Chalamagne Tha God: ‘Dinner table issues’ were at the top of voters’ minds
ABC News
In the aftermath of Kamala Harris’ failed bid for president, Charlamagne Tha God called for unity and pointed to voters’ economic frustrations and concerns over safety as decisive in Donald Trump’s victory.
“I know it feels like the divided states of America over the last several years, but it is still the United States of America,” said the influential radio host who supported Harris. “We’ve got to unify in some way, shape or form.”
Charlamagne (né Lenard McKelvey) co-hosts the popular iHeart Radio program “The Breakfast Club,” which is heard by millions of monthly listeners, and is the author of the new book “Be Honest or Die Lying.”
Harris joined Charlamagne for an audio town hall in October, where she discussed how her economic plan would boost Black communities and cast a Donald Trump presidency in dark terms.
In an interview with ABC News’ Jonathan Karl on “This Week,” Charlamagne said he’s “optimistic” about America regardless of Harris’ loss.
“I do believe in the future of this country because I have no choice but to,” he said.
Following President Joe Biden’s decision to drop out of the race and endorse Harris in August, Charlamagne applauded the vice president’s candidacy for energizing the Democratic Party.
Charlamagne said there was “no life whatsoever” with the Biden campaign and had previously called for him to not run for reelection.
“The vice president made a lot of people sit up on the couch and pay attention and at least be curious,” he said. “She has nothing to be ashamed of, she ran a great campaign”
In a stark demographic shift from 2020, Trump won one in three voters of color, notably gaining among Black and Latino voters. Charlamagne attributed part of this shift as “a backlash to race and gender and identity politics.”
Trump improved his 2016 and 2020 numbers in traditional Democratic strongholds, like New Jersey and New Mexico. Charlamagne said that “dinner table issues” were top of mind for voters.
“Every day people wake up and all they want to do is have more money in their pocket and they want to feel safe,” he said. “I don’t care if you’re black, white, gay, straight, whatever religion you are, those are the two things that you’re thinking about every day.”
He also said that Democrats “didn’t know how to message” their stance on immigration, including the bipartisan border bill that Trump and his allies effectively killed.
“It’s not like the Democrats didn’t want border security. They just didn’t know how to message it right,” Charlamagne said. “‘Build the wall’ may sound elementary, but you know what that signals to people? Border security.”
When asked if Harris should have done more to separate herself from Biden, Charlamagne said, “I think that if she wanted to go in a different direction, she should have expressed that.”
He also pointed to Harris’ appearances on “The View” and her interview with Fox’s Brett Baier, where she gave mixed answers on how she would be a different leader than the current president.
Even as an outspoken critic of Trump, Charlamagne said he’s choosing to have a positive outlook on the next four years.
“We just got to hope for the best,” said Charlamagne. “Like, I’m not wishing for America to fail. Why would I want that?”
(WASHINGTON) — President-elect Donald Trump, ahead of his return to power in January, is announcing who he wants to fill Cabinet positions and other key roles inside his administration.
Trump began to roll out his nominees and appointees just days after his election victory over Vice President Kamala Harris. They include some of his staunchest allies on Capitol Hill and key advisers to his 2024 campaign.
Trump will have a Republican-controlled Senate and possibly a Republican-controlled House to help usher his picks through. But he’s also urging the incoming Senate leader to embrace recess appointments, which has led to speculation some of his choices may be more controversial.
Here is a running list of whom Trump has selected, or is expected to select, to serve in his administration.
Secretary of state: Marco Rubio
Trump is expected to announce Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to be secretary of state, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.
Rubio is the vice-chair of the Senate Select Committee on Foreign Intelligence and sits on the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. He holds hard-line views on China, Iran and Russia, although like other Republicans he has shifted on support for Ukraine’s war effort to be more aligned with Trump.
Rubio will need to be confirmed by the Senate. Read more about Rubio’s experience here.
Department of Homeland Security secretary: Kristi Noem
Trump announced he has chosen South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to be his secretary for the Department of Homeland Security.
As Trump’s Homeland Security secretary, among Noem’s biggest roles is expected to be to oversee Trump’s border policies, including the major campaign promise of “mass deportations,” alongside Trump’s “border czar” Tom Homan and White House deputy chief of staff on policy Stephen Miller.
The role would require Senate approval. Read more about Noem here.
Department of Homeland Security secretary: Kristi Noem
Trump announced he has chosen South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to be his secretary for the Department of Homeland Security.
As Trump’s Homeland Security secretary, among Noem’s biggest roles is expected to be to oversee Trump’s border policies, including the major campaign promise of “mass deportations,” alongside Trump’s “border czar” Tom Homan and White House deputy chief of staff on policy Stephen Miller.
The role would require Senate approval. Read more about Noem here.
‘Department of Government Efficiency’: Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy
Trump announced the two men will lead what he’s calling a new “Department of Government Efficiency.”
It will not be a new federal agency, but will provide “outside of government” counsel on reforming departments and cutting waste, Trump said.
Read more about Trump’s plan here. The president-elect did not detail how this new department would be funded.
‘Border czar’: Tom Homan
Trump announced former Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Tom Homan will serve as “border czar.”
He will be charged with seeing out the mass deportations Trump promised throughout his campaign.
Homan oversaw ICE under the Trump administration for a year and a half, at a time when the administration’s “zero tolerance” policy led to parents being separated from their children at the border.
“Border czar” is not an official Cabinet position, meaning it won’t need Senate confirmation. Read more about Homan here.
Chief of staff: Susie Wiles
Susie Wiles will be the first female chief of staff for any White House.
Wiles was Trump’s co-campaign manager for his 2024 run. Trump also credited her for her work on his 2016 and 2020 White House bids, though his 2024 bid ran smoother and saw fewer shake-ups.
Wiles is the daughter of legendary NFL Hall of Famer Pat Summerall. She will not require Senate confirmation to serve in the post.
Deputy chief of staff for policy: Stephen Miller
Trump announced that Stephen Miller will become his deputy chief of staff for policy.
Miller is one of Trump’s senior advisers and helped craft his hard-line immigration policies during his first term. He will be key in trying to implement Trump’s 2024 campaign pledge to mass deport migrants illegally living in the U.S.
He will not require Senate confirmation to serve in the post. Read more about Miller’s background here.
In addition to Wiles and Miller, Trump also announced other key White House figures: Dan Scavino was named assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff; James Blair was named assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs; and Taylor Budowich will serve as assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel.
Ambassador to the United Nations: Elise Stefanik
New York Rep. Elise Stefanik has been tapped to be Trump’s U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
Stefanik joined Congress as a moderate Republican but became one of Trump’s key defenders after his first impeachment and after his 2020 election loss. She joined House leadership in 2021 as chair of the House Republican Conference.
Stefanik made headlines this past year as she challenged university presidents on their handling of protests over the Israel-Gaza war. She’s also accused the United Nations of antisemitism over some of the resolutions passed amid the conflict.
Stefanik will have to be confirmed by the Senate to serve in the role. Read more about Stefanik here.
Director of the Central Intelligence Agency: John Ratcliffe
Trump has selected John Ratcliffe to serve as director of the CIA.
The former three-term Republican congressman from Texas served as Trump’s director of national intelligence from mid-2020 until the end of Trump’s first term.
His path to DNI wasn’t a smooth one — he was nominated to the post in 2019, but he withdrew his nomination after questions from both parties arose about his qualifications for the job and whether he had embellished his record as a federal prosecutor.
“From exposing fake Russian collusion to be a Clinton campaign operation, to catching the FBI’s abuse of Civil Liberties at the FISA Court, John Ratcliffe has always been a warrior for Truth and Honesty with the American Public,” Trump said in a statement announcing his pick. “When 51 intelligence officials were lying about Hunter Biden’s laptop, there was one, John Ratcliffe, telling the truth to the American People.”
Ratcliffe’s nomination requires Senate confirmation. Read more about him here.
Environmental Protection Agency administrator: Lee Zeldin
Trump has tapped former New York congressman Lee Zeldin to lead the EPA.
Zeldin represented Long Island’s Suffolk County in the House of Representatives for eight years before launching a failed bid for governor against Democrat Kathy Hochul. Before becoming an elected official, Zeldin was an attorney.
Zeldin has pledged to eliminate regulations at the EPA he claimed are hampering businesses. He also said he wanted to restore energy independence as well as protect access to clean air and water.
Zeldin will need Senate confirmation to serve in the role. Read more about him here.
National security adviser: Mike Waltz
Trump has picked Florida Rep. Michael Waltz to be his national security adviser.
Waltz, who was the first Green Beret elected to the House, sits on the House Intelligence, Armed Services and Foreign Affairs committees. Before becoming an elected official, Walz served in various national security policy roles.
The national security adviser is appointed by the president with no Senate confirmation needed.
Ambassador to Israel: Mike Huckabee
Trump announced he has nominated former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to be the U.S. ambassador to Israel.
The role, which will need to be confirmed by the Senate, will be a key appointment as tensions remain high in the Middle East. Like David Friedman, Trump’s first ambassador to Israel, Huckabee is an outspoken supporter of the Israeli settlement movement.
(WASHINGTON) — President-Elect Donald Trump teased pardoning some of the Jan. 6 rioters on Day 1 of his administration, telling his supporters that they will be “very happy” with his decision.
“Tomorrow, everybody in this very large arena will be very happy with my decision on the J6 hostages,” Trump said Sunday at his rally at Capital One Arena. “Very happy. I think you’ll be very, very happy. I would say about 99.9% in this beautiful arena.”
A violent mob of pro-Trump protesters stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, fighting with officers, breaking into offices and destroying property.
After the attack on the U.S. Capitol by rioters seeking to overturn the 2020 election, more than 1,580 people were charged criminally in federal court, according to the Department of Justice. Over 1,000 have pleaded guilty.
Trump’s team has drafted a list of potential pardons for Jan. 6 defendants to issue on Day 1, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News on Sunday.
The pardons could come very soon after Trump is sworn in at the Capitol Rotunda. One option that has been discussed is to issue these pardons inside the Capitol.
Trump said last March that he was “inclined to pardon many” of the rioters.
“I can’t say for every single one, because a couple of them, probably they got out of control,” he said on social media at the time.
Nearly 1,600 individuals have faced charges associated with the Capitol attack, according to figures released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
That includes 608 individuals who have faced charges for assaulting, resisting or interfering with law enforcement trying to protect the complex that day, the office said. Approximately 140 law enforcement officers were injured during the riot, the DOJ has said.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said it is evaluating whether to bring charges in roughly 200 cases that have been referred to them by the FBI, about 60 of which involve potential felony charges involving allegations of assault or impeding law enforcement.
At least 221 individuals have been found guilty at contested trials in U.S. District Court, the DOJ said. Another 40 individuals have been convicted following an agreed-upon set of facts presented to and accepted by the Court.
President Joe Biden on Monday issued preemptive pardons to potential targets of the incoming Trump administration, including lawmakers who served on the House Jan. 6 Committee.
Trump, in his 2024 campaign, repeatedly vowed “retribution” on his political enemies, specifically singling out lawmakers like Liz Cheney, who investigated the attack on the Capitol. Trump said Cheney and other committee members should be put in jail.
ABC News’ Meredith Deliso and Katherine Faulders contributed to this report.
(WASHINGTON) — Immigration advocacy groups and Democratic leaders are seeking to disrupt President-elect Donald Trump’s plan to deport millions of undocumented immigrants by pre-drafting lawsuits that could be filed as soon as he takes office.
Trump has vowed carry out what he calls “the largest deportation operation” in the country’s history, and has pledged to reinstate and expand his controversial ban on people coming into the U.S. from certain majority-Muslim countries as part of his immigration policy.
On Monday, he re-emphasized on Truth Social that he is prepared to declare a national emergency and use military assets to carry out his promise of mass deportation.
Several immigration advocates and Democratic leaders told ABC News they have spent months preparing for the prospect of another Trump presidency and the expected crackdown on immigrants that Trump and his newly tapped border czar Tom Homan have promised.
Homan, who has embraced Trump’s pledge to undertake mass deportations on “Day 1” of the new administration, oversaw the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) during the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” enforcement that separated parents from their children at the border.
“In California, we’ve been thinking about the possibility of this day for months and in some cases, years, and been preparing and getting ready by looking at all of the actions Trump said he will take,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta told ABC News.
Bonta said his team has prepared briefs on several immigration issues that Trump mentioned on the campaign trail. including mass deportations, birthright citizenship, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and sanctuary cities.
“There will be pain and harm inflicted by him. It is not all avoidable, but to get to our immigrant communities in ways that are in violation of the law, they’re going to have to go through me, and we will stop them in courts using our legal tools given to us,” Bonta said.
The California attorney general claims that 80% of the state’s legal challenges against the immigration executive orders and policies from Trump’s first term were successful.
“We’re very confident that we will block major efforts by the federal administration, that we will be able to blunt some of the worst of it,” Bonta said.
The 24 Democratic state attorneys general across the United States hope to present a unified front to block the Trump administration’s immigration policy by using his first term as a blueprint, according to Sean Rankin, the president of the Democratic Attorneys General Association.
“When we look at immigration, we know that that is something that the president has talked about over and over and over again,” Rankin told ABC News. “At this point, we’re not connecting dots. We’re following flashing arrows. It’s very easy to see where they’re going to go.”
One of Homan’s targets in his mass deportation plan are sanctuary states and cities — places that have enacted laws designed at protecting undocumented immigrants. The policies, which vary by state, generally prohibit city officials from cooperating with the federal immigration authorities.
“They better get the hell out of the way,” Homan said last week, regarding the governors of sanctuary states. “Either you help us or get the hell out of the way, because ICE is going to do their job.”
Leaders in several sanctuary cities have said they are going to fight back using all the tools legally available to protect immigrant communities.
“We have been doing the work in this office to prepare for a lot of different hypotheticals and we will be prepared to face those with every tool that we have,” said Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson at a press conference last week.
Ferguson told reporters that between 2017 and 2021, his legal team defeated 55 “illegal actions” and policies from the Trump administration. But while his office has been preparing litigation for months, Ferguson said he believes the second Trump administration will also be better prepared than the first one.
“One of many reasons why we were successful with our litigation against the Trump administration was they were often sloppy in the way they rolled out and that provided openings to us to prevail,” Ferguson told reporters. “In court this time around, I anticipate that we will see less of that, and that is an important difference.”
In addition to considering the use of the military to carry out deportations, Trump and his allies have suggested using an obscure section of the 1798 Alien and Sedition Acts — a set of 18th century wartime laws — to immediately deport some migrants without a hearing.
Lee Gelernt, the deputy director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Immigrants’ Rights Project, told ABC News that they have been preparing for the potential use of the military to conduct deportations.
“They’re going to try and use the military, under the alien enemies act, to summarily deport people,” Gelernt said. “We will try and challenge it immediately.”
Gelernt, who led the ACLU’s legal response to family separations in Trump’s first term, said he expects the upcoming Trump administration to be “worse for immigrants” than the first.
“The Trump team has apparently been preparing for four years to implement anti-immigrant policies, and the rhetoric in the country has gotten so much more polarized than it was in 2016,” Gelernt said.
During Trump’s first term, Gelernt said groups like the ACLU were caught off-guard with some of his executive orders like the travel ban — but this time around, the organization has been preparing litigation for almost a year. In 2018, the Supreme Court upheld Trump’s controversial ban on travel from several predominantly Muslim countries, which the Biden administration later eliminated. Since then, Trump has appointed two Supreme Court justices.
“We are plotting out our challenges with much more advanced preparation, and we are doing our best to coordinate among all the various NGOs [non-governmental organizations] around the country,” Gelernt said.
“As litigators, we’ve been convening, we’ve been preparing, we’ve been trying to anticipate the unimaginable as we walk into the next four years,” said Alina Das, co-director of the Immigrant Rights Clinic at the New York University School of Law.
