‘They go hard’: Trump and Vance release official portraits

(PORT SAID, Egypt) — The aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman collided with a large merchant vessel Wednesday night in the vicinity of Port Said, Egypt, in the Mediterranean Sea.

“The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) was involved in a collision with the merchant vessel Besiktas-M at approximately 11:46 p.m. local time, Feb. 12, while operating in the vicinity of Port Said, Egypt, in the Mediterranean Sea,” a statement from the U.S Navy’s Sixth Fleet said.

The collision involved a rare collision of two large vessels as the 100,000-ton aircraft carrier collided with the 53,000-ton merchant vessel Besiktas-M, a Panamanian-flagged cargo ship.

There are no reports of injuries, nor is there flooding, aboard the carrier, which carries a crew of 5,000 sailors, and the incident is under investigation.

The Truman is powered by two nuclear reactors and four propulsion systems, and the Sixth Fleet’s statement said the ship’s propulsion plants were unaffected and were said to be in “a safe and stable condition.”

The aircraft carrier and its strike group had been operating in the Red Sea since mid-December as part of the mission to thwart Houthi militant attacks launched from Yemen at commercial vessels transiting the vital waterway.

The carrier had arrived at a naval base in Crete earlier in the week, a rare break for the strike group that has been in constant operations, though the pace had ebbed as Israel’s ceasefire with Hamas took effect in mid-January.

The Houthis have claimed their attacks on shipping were being carried out in support of Hamas.

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(WASHINGTON) — In the days since President Donald Trump handed down pardons and commutations for the more than 1,500 of his supporters who participated in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, federal judges in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia have remained essentially silent while signing off on the hundreds of now-dismissed cases that for years crowded their court dockets.

On Wednesday, three judges with the D.C. District Court broke that silence on Trump’s pardons of Jan. 6 rioters, with one eviscerating Trump’s proclamation that stated he was righting a “national injustice” that occurred through the prosecution of the pro-Trump mob.

“No ‘national injustice’ occurred here, just as no outcome-determinative election fraud occurred in the 2020 presidential election,” Judge Beryl Howell, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, said in an order Wednesday. “No ‘process of national reconciliation’ can begin when poor losers, whose preferred candidate loses an election, are glorified for disrupting a constitutionally mandated proceeding in Congress and doing so with impunity.”

She added, “That merely raises the dangerous specter of future lawless conduct by other poor losers and undermines the rule of law. Yet, this presidential pronouncement of a ‘national injustice’ is the sole justification provided in the government’s motion to dismiss the pending indictment.”

Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, an appointee of former President Bill Clinton, also made clear in a dismissal order for one Capitol defendant that Trump’s sweeping pardons “will not change the truth of what happened on January 6, 2021.”

“What occurred that day is preserved for the future through thousands of contemporaneous videos, transcripts of trials, jury verdicts, and judicial opinions analyzing and recounting the evidence through a neutral lens,” Kollar-Kotelly wrote. “Those records are immutable and represent the truth, no matter how the events of January 6 are described by those charged or their allies.”

Kollar-Kotelly further used her order to honor the law enforcement officers who responded to the Capitol that day, which she said “cannot be altered or ignored.”

“What role law enforcement played that day and the heroism of each officer who responded also cannot be altered or ignored,” she said.

“Grossly outnumbered, those law enforcement officers acted valiantly to protect the Members of Congress, their staff, the Vice President and his family, the integrity of the Capitol grounds, and the Capitol Building-our symbol of liberty and a symbol of democratic rule around the world,” she added. “For hours, those officers were aggressively confronted and violently assaulted. More than 140 officers were injured. Others tragically passed away as a result of the events of that day. But law enforcement did not falter. Standing with bear spray streaming down their faces, those officers carried out their duty to protect.”

She closed her order, stating bluntly, “All of what I have described has been recorded for posterity, ensuring that what transpired on January 6, 2021 can be judged accurately in the future.”

Trump’s Monday order commuted the sentences of 14 people and offered “a full, complete and unconditional pardon to all other individuals convicted of offenses related to events that occurred at or near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021.” The order fulfilled a campaign promise the president repeatedly made on the campaign trail.

Howell’s statement came through her dismissal of a case against two violent Jan. 6 rioters, Nicholas DeCarlo and Nicholas Ochs, who admitted to throwing smoke bombs at officers trying to protect the Capitol building.

Howell refused to dismiss the case “with prejudice,” as requested by the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, which would leave open the possibility the prosecution could one day be resumed, though their statutes of limitations will run out by the end of this administration.

“This Court cannot let stand the revisionist myth relayed in this presidential pronouncement,” Howell said. “Bluntly put, the assertion offered in the presidential pronouncement for the pending motion to dismiss is flatly wrong.”

Later Wednesday, the federal judge who oversaw Trump’s criminal case related to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election joined the growing chorus of judges breaking their silence.

“No pardon can change the tragic truth of what happened on January 6, 2021,” said Judge Tanya Chutkan, another Obama appointee, in a brief order granting the dismissal of one rioter’s criminal case. “The dismissal of this case cannot undo the ‘rampage [that] left multiple people dead, injured more than 140 people, and inflicted millions of dollars in damage.’ … And it cannot repair the jagged breach in America’s sacred tradition of peacefully transitioning power.

“In hundreds of cases like this one over the past four years, judges in this district have administered justice without fear or favor,” she added. “The historical record established by those proceedings must stand, unmoved by political winds, as a testament and as a warning.”

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(WASHINGTON) — In some high-stakes political drama, the House of Representatives on Friday voted to reelect House Speaker Mike Johnson to lead the 119th Congress by a razor-thin margin.

Johnson, a Louisiana Republican who ascended to the leadership post in 2023 after the historic ouster of Kevin McCarthy, had secured President-elect Donald Trump’s support as he sought a second term.

But Johnson’s handling of the government spending fight just before Christmas angered some of the GOP’s right flank. Three Republicans initially defected from Johnson during the vote, but two ultimately changed their votes to hand him the gavel.

Trump called GOP holdouts during vote, sources say

President-elect Trump started working the phones following the no votes from GOP Reps. Ralph Norman and Keith Self.

Trump spoke to both Norman and Self, according to sources familiar with the conversations, and shortly after those conversations occurred the two men changed their votes.

Self confirmed he spoke with Trump when he was meeting with Johnson off the floor as the vote was stalled. Self called it a “lively discussion,” when asked if Trump was angry.

Self said his objections were over government spending. He said he changed his vote after the speaker “shored up” the negotiating team for upcoming negotiations on federal budget legislation, which is also expected to include a number of Trump’s legislative priorities.

“And so that’s all I wanted to do today, was to make this Congress successful.”

-ABC News’ Jay O’Brien and Katherine Faulders

Johnson handed speaker’s gavel

After nearly 20 minutes of remarks, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries passed the gavel to Johnson.

“I’m grateful for this election, the confidence that this chamber has placed in me,” Johnson said. “It is the great honor of my life to serve this body with all of you.”

Jeffries says Democrats want bipartisanship but will fight ‘far-right extremism’

Democrat Hakeem Jeffries, the House minority leader, addressed the chamber just after Johnson’s victory.

Jeffries began by urging bipartisanship in the new Congress to address issues top of mind for Americans like high prices on everything from groceries to childcare costs.

But Jeffries said at the same time, Democrats would “push back against far-right extremism whenever necessary.”

Democrats frequently cheered during his remarks, though Republicans broke out in applause when he said the American people elected Trump as the 47th president.

“Thank you for that very generous applause,” Jeffries said before taking a swipe at some of his GOP colleagues. “It’s okay. There are no election deniers on our side of the aisle.”

Johnson wins speakership on 1st round after last-minute vote changes

Johnson staved off a failure in the first round of voting to win a second term as speaker.

After nearly two hours, Johnson secured the 218 necessary votes.

At first, he appeared on track to lose with three Republicans voting for someone else.

But after leaving the chamber to huddle with defectors, two lawmakers changed their votes to hand him the gavel.

House Republicans stood and gave Johnson a standing ovation as his win was announced.

Two GOP defectors change their vote to Johnson

Reps. Ralph Norman and Keith Self changed their votes to Johnson, which would bring him to the 218 needed to be speaker.

Johnson exits chamber as vote remains open

As lawmakers waited for the final House vote to be called, Johnson was seen huddling with various lawmakers, including Reps. Dusty Johnson, Tim Burchett, and Nancy Mace.

He also was spotted talking with other GOP leaders like House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and House Republican Conference Chair Lisa McClain, who nominated him for speaker.

He ultimately walked out of the chamber before the vote closed.

Johnson appears on track to lose 1st round

With three defections so far, Johnson appears on track to lose this first round of voting.

Rep. Keith Self, a Texas Republican, is the third Republican to vote for another candidate. He cast his ballot for Florida Rep. Byron Donalds.

However, members can still change their votes as the roll call is ongoing.

Another Republican defects from Johnson

South Carolina Rep. Ralph Norman just voted for Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.

Norman is the second Republican to vote for someone else besides Johnson.

Rep. Thomas Massie is 1st Republican to not vote for Johnson

As expected, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky did not vote for Johnson.

Instead, Massie cast his ballot for Minnesota Rep. Tom Emmer, who currently serves as the House majority whip.

Several GOP hard-liners withholding vote for now

Rep. Andy Harris of North Carolina, chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, did not respond when his name was called to vote.

He is one of several Republican holdouts who did not reply when called.

Magic number for Johnson is 218

433 members recorded their presence for the quorum call but Rep.-elect Hank Johnson of Georgia, a veteran Democratic lawmaker, has arrived and can now vote for a speaker.

That means 434 members are voting, leaving Johnson with 218-vote threshold to retain the gavel — unless any members vote present. So far, none has.

All 215 Democrats are expected to uniformly support Jeffries for speaker.

1st round of voting begins

The first round of voting has begun. There are 434 members present for this vote.

Pete Aguilar nominates Hakeem Jeffries

House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar has nominated Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries for speaker.

Democrats are expected to support Jeffries throughout the speaker showdown.

Democratic Whip Katherine Clark told ABC News just before the House convened that Democrats would not cross party lines to help bail out Johnson, should he need it.

“Today I rise on behalf of the governing majority of the House of Representatives,” Aguilar said in his speech, a nod to Democrats helping Republicans pass funding bills and avoid shutdowns in the previous Congress.

Lisa McClain nominates Johnson for reelection as speaker

House Republican Conference Chair Lisa McClain rose to give the nominating speech for Johnson after the quorum call.

“On Nov. 5, the American people gave us a great opportunity to get America back on the right track … And ladies and gentleman, today we have the opportunity to do just that,” she said, prompting cheers from GOP members.

She praised Johnson, saying he was given a tough task when he took over for McCarthy in late 2023.

“No speaker is perfect, and no one will ever be, however, achieving perfection requires incremental gains and hard decisions along the way,” she said.

Johnson outlines new commitments ahead of high-stakes vote

Just before voting is set to start, Johnson posted a lengthy statement on X about how he plans to deliver on fiscal responsibility if elected.

He said as speaker, he would commit to creating a working group of independent experts to work with House committees and the “Department of Government Efficiency” — an outside government group to be led by Trump allies Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy.

Those experts, he said, will be tasked with reviewing existing audits of federal agencies and issuing a report to his office that he will make public.

Johnson also pledged to request House committees “undertake aggressive authorizations and appropriations reviews, including providing additional resources where needed, to expose irresponsible or illegal practices and hold agencies/individuals accountable that have weaponized government against the American people.”

Democrats cheer as Nancy Pelosi returns to Capitol after hip surgery

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who just underwent a hip surgery after falling during a congressional delegation trip abroad, is present for Friday’s vote.

Democrats clapped and cheered when she briefly walked into the chamber.

Pelosi was seen on the House floor without crutches.

In a social media post, Pelosi said she was “proud” to return the Capitol to support Hakeem Jeffries, the House minority leader, for speaker.

Johnson brushes off possibly losing on 1st round

Johnson told ABC News’ Jay O’Brien if he loses on the first ballot, it says “nothing.”

“It’s a part of the process but I expect that we will get it done,” Johnson said before entering the House chamber for the speaker’s vote.

Johnson said he believes he will gain the votes today to win, trying to project confidence while walking with a swarm of reporters.

“We have to get this job done and unify the conference,” Johnson said, adding “And I’m here for the long haul.”

House kicks off opening day of 119th Congress

The House has gaveled in for the official start of the new Congress.

After a call to order and opening prayer, the House will begin an electronic vote to establish a quorum. Attendance is a critical factor for Johnson, who is navigating a historically tight House majority as he seeks another term as speaker.

Speaker vote also a test for Trump

Trump appears to be working the phones ahead of the high-stakes vote.

In an interview with CNN, Trump confirmed he’s been in touch with Republican holdouts.

ABC News previously reported Trump and his team were working to strike a deal with Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, an influential member of the House Freedom Caucus who remains undecided on Johnson.

“Chip Roy will do what’s right for the country,” Trump said during a phone interview with CNN.

What happens if the House can’t elect a speaker

The House can’t conduct any business without a speaker, including swearing in members.

If the chamber can’t come to an agreement before Monday, the certification of Trump’s 2024 election victory could be thrown into chaos.

The House and Senate will convene on Jan. 6 for a joint session of Congress for a finalization of the results of the presidential race, a constitutionally mandated responsibility for lawmakers.

Johnson insists he’s not making deals for the gavel

Despite days of closed-door meetings with Republican holdouts, Johnson insists he’s not cutting any deals to win them over.

“My simple message to my colleagues is make suggestions about process and improvements. We are open to that at all times. But I don’t make deals with anyone,” he said.

“There’s no quid pro quo here,” Johnson added. “I don’t do anything in exchange for a vote other than commit to make this institution work as effectively and efficiently as possible.”

In the previous Congress, McCarthy was forced to meet Republican hardliner demands to be elected speaker after a four-day voting process. One of those demands — a lower threshold to bring a motion to vacate — led to his downfall just seven months later when he was forced out of leadership by a small group of GOP members.

Johnson’s message to GOP: ‘We don’t have time for drama’

Johnson had a simple message for his conference ahead of the vote.

“We don’t have time for drama,” Johnson told reporters.

Johnson said he was speaking with members and urging them to be unified so they can quickly get to work on Trump’s agenda.

“This election is not just about one person. It’s about moving forward with the America First agenda. A mandate was given by the American people — the electorate — President Trump got 77 million votes. The House Republicans got almost 75 million. Thats a record number. They are expecting us to get to work,” Johnson added.

What Johnson is thinking

Johnson expressed confidence in winning the speaker vote as he entered the Capitol on Friday.

Asked by ABC News if he will be successful in the first round, he replied: “I think so.”

But privately, House leadership sources say they’re also preparing for the very real possibility of a bruising floor fight, going multiple rounds of voting.

In 2023, it took McCarthy 15 rounds of voting and several concessions to be elected speaker.

Johnson has been adamant he won’t make any backroom deals to keep his job. And moderate Republicans have been publicly cautioning Johnson against giving too much away to the further-right undecided votes.

-ABC News’ Jay O’Brien

Trump wishes Johnson luck

Trump is doubling down on his support for Johnson, and said a victory for Johnson would be a “big win for the Republican Party.”

“Good luck today for Speaker Mike Johnson, a fine man of great ability, who is very close to having 100% support,” Trump wrote in an early morning post on his social media platform.

“A win for Mike today will be a big win for the Republican Party, and yet another acknowledgment of our 129 year most consequential Presidential Election!! – A BIG AFFIRMATION, INDEED. MAGA!”

How the House speaker vote works

The House will meet at 11:00 a.m. for legislative business and then officially convene for the start of the 119th Congress at 12:00 p.m.

At noon, there will be a quorum call to determine how many members are present and voting. With the GOP’s razor-thin majority in the House, Johnson needs almost every Republican vote to win.

The election for speaker is expected to take place between 12:45 p.m. and 1:00 p.m.

Read more about what will happen on the first day of the new Congress here.

Johnson’s future uncertain as he fights for reelection

Johnson has publicly expressed confidence that he will retain the speaker’s gavel, but spent the final day before the vote on Capitol Hill meeting with Republican holdouts.

Several House Freedom Caucus members were spotted at his office, many leaving the hourslong meeting dodging questions from reporters. The few who did speak said they thought they were making progress but none had committed to voting for Johnson.

Meanwhile, Trump’s team and the president-elect himself were working behind the scenes this week to strike a deal with one GOP hardliner in particular — Rep. Chip Roy of Texas — sources told ABC News.

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