President-elect Donald Trump announced via Truth Social Friday night his picks for Deputy Special Presidential Envoy, U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Estonia, and spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State.
Trump's former State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus will serve as Deputy Special Presidential Envoy for Middle East Peace, Roman Pipko will serve as U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Estonia, and Tammy Bruce, a former Fox News contributor, will serve as spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State.
In a post Friday afternoon, Trump announced Ortagus will work under Steven Witkoff, a New York real estate tycoon selected for Middle East envoy in November.
"Morgan fought me for three years, but hopefully has learned her lesson," Trump wrote in the post. "These things usually don’t work out, but she has strong Republican support, and I’m not doing this for me, I’m doing it for them. Let’s see what happens."
Ortagus, an active U.S. Navy Reserve intelligence officer, served as spokesperson at the Department of State from 2019 to 2021, where she was a member of Trump's Abraham Accords team.
Previously, she worked at the Department of the Treasury as a financial intelligence analyst and served as Deputy U.S. Treasury Attaché to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from 2010 to 2011.
She is also the founder of Polaris National Security and the host of "The Morgan Ortagus Show" on Sirius XM.
Pipko, who was born and raised in Estonia, represented U.S. interests in the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the Russian American Enterprise Fund.
"Roman has represented American companies, negotiating projects in Mongolia, Africa, Russia, Western Europe, and his native Estonia, in cooperation with U.S. Government Agencies, and has worked with Foreign Governments on the enforcement of U.S. sanctions," Trump wrote. "As a legal immigrant, he has lived the promise of America, and I trust that he will advance American interests in his new role."
Pipko is a graduate of Columbia University and Yale Law School.
Bruce will be joining Marco Rubio, nominee for United States Secretary of State, as State Department spokesperson.
Bruce, a political analyst who served as a Fox News contributor until the announcement was made, received her bachelor's degree in political science at the University of Southern California.
"Tammy Bruce has been an extremely valued contributor at FOX News Media for nearly 20 years and we wish her all the best in her new role," said a Fox News Media spokesperson.
Trump posted on Truth Social that Bruce's background will make her an asset to his incoming administration.
"After being a liberal activist in the 1990s, [she] saw the lies and fraud of the Radical Left, and quickly became one of the strongest Conservative voices on Radio and Television," Trump wrote. "As one of the longest serving News Contributors, Tammy has brought TRUTH to the American People for over two decades. I know she will. bring that same strength of conviction and fearless spirit to her new position as State Department spokesperson.
President-elect Trump announced several appointments to his administration Thursday, including the team that will work with his nominee for the U.S. Treasury, Scott Bessent.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump announced that Ken Kies will serve as assistant secretary for tax policy.
Kies, who has worked as a tax lawyer for 47 years, has served as the chief of staff for the Joint Committee on Taxation and the chief Republican tax counsel of the House Ways and Means Committee.
Also joining the team is Alexandra Preate, who Trump appointed as senior counsel to the secretary.
Trump said Preate is an accomplished executive in public relations.
Trump appointed Hunter McMaster to serve as the director of policy planning and Daniel Katz was appointed to serve as chief of staff.
Katz, Trump wrote, is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a graduate of Yale. Katz also served as a senior adviser at the Treasury Department.
Trump’s appointment as deputy chief of staff in the Treasury Department is Samantha Schwab, who worked in the White House Office of Legislative Affairs during the president-elect’s first term.
"All of them are incredible, hardworking Patriots, who will work tirelessly to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN," Trump said of the team.
In addition to the Treasury Department appointments, Trump announced that Benjamin Leon James will serve as the next U.S. ambassador to Spain.
"Benjamin is a highly successful entrepreneur, equestrian, and philanthropist. He came to the U.S. from Communist Cuba at 16-years-old, with only five dollars in his pocket, and proceeded to build his company, Leon Medical Centers, into an incredible business," Trump wrote.
"He has helped support many worthy causes, like La Liga Contra el Cancer, and important Medical Research at Johns Hopkins and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute."
Trump also appointed Joe Popolo to serve as the next U.S. ambassador to the Netherlands.
Popolo helped transform the Freeman Company into what Trump called "the world’s leading live event brand experience company."
Popolo also serves as founder and CEO of Charles & Potomac Capital, LLC; the chairman of the board of Pinnacle Live, LLC; and, as a board member of Ondas Holdings.
"Joe is an E&Y Entrepreneur of the Year Award winner, and also a recipient of the Dallas Business Journal’s Most Admired CEO Award," Trump wrote. "He is a proud graduate of Boston College, a member of their Board of Regents, and also, a Patron of the Arts in the Vatican Museum."
Trump also appointed Cora Alvi to serve as his deputy chief of staff.
Alvi, Trump wrote, most recently worked as the national deputy finance director for Donald J. Trump for President Inc.
Senate Republicans are urging expedited confirmation of President-elect Trump's administration appointments, particularly those for crucial national security posts, in the wake of a New Year's attack in New Orleans where a terrorist suspect drove a car into a large crowd, killing more than a dozen people.
"Our hearts go out to everyone affected by the senseless terror attack in New Orleans," said incoming Senate Republican Leader John Thune, R-S.D., on X.
"With reports of ISIS inspiration, the American people expect clear answers from the administration," Thune said. "The threat posed by ISIS will outlast this administration, and this is a clear example of why the Senate must get President Trump’s national security team in place as quickly as possible."
The FBI said the holiday attack left at least 14 people dead and dozens of others injured. Israel revealed that two of its citizens were among those injured. Victims' names are not to be released until autopsies are finished and families are notified, New Orleans Coroner Dr. Dwight McKenna said in a statement.
Republicans in the Senate were already eager to quickly push through Trump's selections, including Kash Patel for FBI director, Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and Pete Hegseth for secretary of defense. But with the latest attack and others developing around the country, many lawmakers have indicated that a prompt confirmation process is even more crucial.
Incoming Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., wrote on X, "The U.S. Senate must confirm President Trump’s national security team as soon as possible. Lives depend on it."
"I’ll be working to ensure President Trump has every tool at his disposal, including a fully confirmed national security and intelligence team ASAP to investigate these attacks and make our country safe again," said Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., in response to the attack.
Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., echoed that sentiment in her own statement, saying, "We must work nonstop to get President Trump’s national security team in place without delay."
Several other Republicans made similar calls for Trump's choices for national security posts to be prioritized and confirmed without hesitation.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., expressed frustration that the FBI was apparently behind on intelligence regarding the suspect in the New Orleans attack.
"The fact that a reporter has better intel than the FBI tells us all we need to know. The FBI has failed its core mission," the senator wrote on X in response to a report that New York Post reporters had arrived at the suspect's home before the agency.
"America needs a fearless fighter like [Patel] at the FBI," Blackburn continued.
Two sources on an FBI call with House and Senate members on Thursday informed Fox News that the FBI claimed they had zero intelligence on suspect Shamsud-Din Jabbar before the attack.
The FBI told lawmakers that Jabbar was "inspired" by ISIS but added that they have no evidence yet that the terrorist group directed him.
President-elect Donald Trump plans to hold what is being called a "victory rally" the day before he is sworn in to a second term in the White House, according to a sign-up page on his inaugural website.
Trump will headline the event, which is scheduled to start at 3 p.m. EST on Jan. 19, the day before his inauguration, at the Capitol One Arena in downtown Washington, D.C.
The arena, home to professional hockey's Washington Capitals and professional basketball's Washington Wizards, has a capacity of roughly 20,000 people.
The rally would be the first organized by Trump and his team since his victory over Vice President Kamala Harris in November's presidential election.
However, Trump did speak in front of thousands of conservative activists at a rally hosted by Turning Point USA on Dec. 22 in Arizona.
According to the sign-up page on the inauguration website, those seeking to attend the rally can only register for up to two tickets on a first come, first served basis.
Word of the inauguration eve rally was first reported by CBS News.
The Constitution dictates that the 119th Congress begins at noon et on Friday.
And the first order of business in the House is to elect the Constitutional officer for the legislative branch of government: Speaker of the House.
Only the House votes for Speaker. And the House can’t do anything – I’ll repeat that, anything – until it chooses a Speaker.
It can’t swear-in Members until the House taps a Speaker and he or she is sworn-in. The Speaker then swears-in the rest of the body, en masse. Then the House must adopt a rules package to govern daily operations. Only then can the House go about debating bills, voting and constructing committees for hearings.
If the House fails to elect a Speaker on the first ballot, it must proceed to a second ballot.
And on and on.
Consider for a moment that the House had never even taken a second vote for Speaker in a century before the donnybrook two years ago. It took four ballots to re-elect late House Speaker Frederick Gillett, R-Mass., in 1923.
What is past is prologue for the House. Consider how the House consumed 15 rounds spread out over five days before electing former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., in January, 2023. The Speakership remained vacant – and thus, the House frozen – for 22 days after Republicans dumped McCarthy nine months later. House Republicans then tapped House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., for Speaker. Scalise withdrew his name before there was even a floor vote. House GOPers then tapped Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, to become Speaker. But Jordan lost three consecutive votes for Speaker on the House floor, bleeding support on each ballot. House Republicans then anointed House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., for Speaker. Emmer withdrew hours later.
House Republicans finally nominated House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., for the job. The Louisiana Republican won on the floor. But some conservatives have been disappointed in Johnson ever since. They’ve flagged how he handled multiple, interim spending bills from last November on. They didn’t like that he allowed a bill on the floor to aid Ukraine. They opposed him doing yet another interim spending bill in September. They really didn’t like how he worked with Democrats on major, must-do pieces of legislation. And then there was the misstep of the staggering, 1,500-page interim spending package which Mr. Trump and Elon Musk pulverized from afar in December. Johnson then did President-elect Trump’s bidding with another spending package – which included a debt ceiling increase. But 38 House Republicans bolted on that bill.
So Johnson’s tenure has been bumpy. And that’s why he’s on the hook come Friday afternoon during the vote for Speaker. Everyone on Capitol Hill is on tenterhooks when it comes to wrapping this up expeditiously.
Acting House Clerk Kevin McCumber will preside until the House elects a Speaker. The first order of business is a "call of the House." That’s where the House establishes how many of its Members-elect are there, simply voting "present." The House should clock in at 434 members: 219 Republicans and 215 Democrats. There should be one vacancy. Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., resigned in the fall – and said he did not "intend" to serve in the new Congress, despite having won reelection.
Watch to see if there are absences in that call of the House. Fox is told that Democrats who have struggled with health issues of late – including Reps. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., Dwight Evans, D-Penn., and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., will likely be there. But the Speaker’s election is about the math. How many lawmakers report to the House chamber will dictate margins in the Speaker’s vote.
Then it’s on to nominating speeches. Incoming House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain, R-Mich., will nominate Johnson for Speaker. House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., will nominate House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. Anyone else can then place someone’s name in nomination.
Then, the House calls the roll of Members-elect alphabetically. Each Member rises and verbally responds, calling out their choice by name. Reps. Alma Adams, D-N.C., Robert Aderholt, R-Ala., and the aforementioned Aguilar are the first names out of the block.
But lawmakers can vote for anyone they want. That includes persons who aren’t House Members. That’s why there have been votes cast over the years for the late Gen. Colin Powell, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., former Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., and former U.S. Comptroller General David Walker.
This is what Johnson – or anyone else must do – to win the Speakership:
The winning candidate must secure an outright majority of all Members voting for a candidate by name.
So let’s say there are 434 members and all vote for someone by name. The magic number is 218. If Johnson gets the votes of all 219 Republicans, he wins. If Johnson gets 218 votes, he also wins. But 217? No dice. Under those circumstances Johnson would have prospectively outpolled Jeffries, 217-215 – with two votes going to other candidates. But the "most votes" doesn’t win. 217 is not an outright majority of House Members voting for someone by name. The House must take ANOTHER ballot to elect a Speaker.
Fox is told there are anywhere from 12 to 17 Republicans who could vote for someone besides Johnson. And some Republicans are being cagey about their votes.
Here’s something to watch: Members who vote "present."
Rather than voting for someone besides Johnson, some Republicans may protest by simply voting "present." A "present" vote does not count against Johnson.
So let’s do some hypothetical math here:
Let’s say 434 Members cast ballots. Jeffries secures support from all 215 Democrats. Three Republicans vote "present." In other words, not voting for any candidate by name. Johnson scores 216 votes. He has the most votes. But more importantly, only 431 Members voted for someone by name. 216 is an outright majority of 431. 434 doesn’t matter under these circumstances. So Johnson becomes Speaker.
But there is serious danger in too many Republicans voting "present."
Consider this scenario:
All 215 Democrats vote for Jeffries. But five Republicans vote "present." Johnson records 214 votes. 429 Members cast ballots for someone by name. The magic number here is 215. Guess who’s Speaker? Jeffries. He marshalled an outright majority of all Members voting for a candidate by name.
As they say in the movies, "You play a very dangerous game, Mr. Bond."
With such a thin margin in the House, Republicans are absolutely tinkering with fire if they get too cute by half. Yes. Some conservatives might not want to re-elect Johnson as Speaker. But they certainly don’t want Jeffries.
So it’s hard to say what happens on Friday afternoon. If the House dithers too long, this could delay the certification of the Electoral College vote on Monday. The House and Senate must meet in a Joint Session of Congress on January 6 to certify the election results. No House Speaker? No Joint Session.
But something else will likely unfold if this drags on. Johnson loyalists and mainstream Republicans have had it with right-wing ideologues, the Freedom Caucus and other freelancers. Expect a full-on brawl between those two factions if Republicans struggle to elect a Speaker.
And as we wrote earlier, what is past is prologue.
A protracted battle over the Speakership serves as prologue to the looming, internecine fights among Republicans when it comes to governing. That’s to say nothing of implementing a solitary plank of President-elect Trump’s agenda.
Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts issued a warning on Tuesday that the U.S. must maintain "judicial independence" just weeks away from President-elect Trump's inauguration.
Roberts explained his concerns in his annual report on the federal judiciary.
"It is not in the nature of judicial work to make everyone happy. Most cases have a winner and a loser. Every Administration suffers defeats in the court system — sometimes in cases with major ramifications for executive or legislative power or other consequential topics," Robert wrote in the 15-page report. "Nevertheless, for the past several decades, the decisions of the courts, popular or not, have been followed, and the Nation has avoided the standoffs that plagued the 1950s and 1960s."
"Within the past few years, however, elected officials from across the political spectrum have raised the specter of open disregard for federal court rulings," Roberts said, without naming Trump, President Biden or any specific lawmaker. "These dangerous suggestions, however sporadic, must be soundly rejected. Judicial independence is worth preserving. As my late colleague Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote, an independent judiciary is ‘essential to the rule of law in any land,’ yet it ‘is vulnerable to assault; it can be shattered if the society law exists to serve does not take care to assure its preservation.’"
"I urge all Americans to appreciate this inheritance from our founding generation and cherish its endurance," Roberts said.
Roberts also quoted Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes, who remarked that the three branches of government "must work in successful cooperation" to "make possible the effective functioning of the department of government which is designed to safeguard with judicial impartiality and independence the interests of liberty."
"Our political system and economic strength depend on the rule of law," Roberts wrote.
A landmark Supreme Court immunity decision penned by Roberts, along with another high court decision halting efforts to disqualify Trump from the ballot, were championed as major victories on the Republican nominee's road to winning the election. The immunity decision was criticized by Democrats like Biden, who later called for term limits and an enforceable ethics code following criticism over undisclosed trips and gifts from wealthy benefactors to some justices.
A handful of Democrats and one Republican lawmaker urged President Biden to ignore a decision by a Trump-appointed judge to revoke FDA approval for the abortion drug mifepristone last year. Biden declined to take executive action to bypass the ruling, and the Supreme Court later granted the White House a stay permitting the sale of the medication to continue.
The high court's conservative majority also ruled last year that Biden's massive student loan debt forgiveness efforts constitute an illegal use of executive power.
Roberts and Trump clashed in 2018 when the chief justice rebuked the president for denouncing a judge who rejected his migrant asylum policy as an "Obama judge."
In 2020, Roberts criticized comments made by Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York while the Supreme Court was considering a high-profile abortion case.
Roberts introduced his letter Tuesday by recounting a story about King George III stripping colonial judges of lifetime appointments, an order that was "not well received." Trump is now readying for a second term as president with an ambitious conservative agenda, elements of which are likely to be legally challenged and end up before the court whose conservative majority includes three justices appointed by Trump during his first term.
In the annual report, the chief justice wrote generally that even if court decisions are unpopular or mark a defeat for a presidential administration, other branches of government must be willing to enforce them to ensure the rule of law. Roberts pointed to the Brown v. Board of Education decision that desegrated schools in 1954 as one that needed federal enforcement in the face of resistance from southern governors.
He also said "attempts to intimidate judges for their rulings in cases are inappropriate and should be vigorously opposed."
While public officials and others have the right to criticize rulings, they should also be aware that their statements can "prompt dangerous reactions by others," Roberts wrote.
Threats targeting federal judges have more than tripled over the last decade, according to U.S. Marshals Service statistics. State court judges in Wisconsin and Maryland were killed at their homes in 2022 and 2023, Roberts wrote.
"Violence, intimidation, and defiance directed at judges because of their work undermine our Republic, and are wholly unacceptable," he wrote.
Roberts also pointed to disinformation about court rulings as a threat to judges’ independence, saying that social media can magnify distortions and even be exploited by "hostile foreign state actors" to exacerbate divisions.
Elon Musk's companies receive billions in federal contracts, but he's far from the only billionaire in President-elect Donald Trump's orbit with potential conflicts of interest.
Brandon Bell/Pool via AP
Donald Trump has more billionaires in his orbit than any other modern president.
It's not just Elon Musk who faces potential conflicts of interest with newfound power.
Even some of Trump's lower-level picks are uber-wealthy.
President-elect Donald Trump is stocking his administration and broader orbit with billionaires and titans of industry.
Their résumés and portfolios also come with a bevy of potential conflicts of interest that could overshadow their actual jobs.
Elon Musk may receive the lion's share of the attention, but he's far from the only billionaire in Trump's orbit who has benefited from government contracts.
"This Trump administration is just chocked full of billionaires, millionaires, and lobbyists," Craig Holman, a lobbyist for government watchdog Public Citizen, recently told Business Insider.
Trump tapped private equity billionaire Stephen Feinberg to become his second-highest-ranking official at the Pentagon. Feinberg's firm, Cerberus Capital Management, has significant interests in military defense contractors, which, as deputy director of defense, could pose a conflict given that the Pentagon's No. 2 is typically responsible for the Defense Department's massive budget.
Private equity CEO Steve Feinberg values his privacy, which may be tested if he's confirmed as a top Pentagon official.
AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari
Earlier this year, Cerberus acquired a controlling interest in M1 Support Services, an aircraft maintenance contractor. In fiscal year 2024 alone, M1 has been awarded over $630.7 million in federal contracts, according to USASpending.gov contract data. Cerberus also has a large stake in Navistar Defense, a specialized military vehicle manufacturer. In 2021, Navistar paid a $50 million fine to resolve a complaint that accused the company of inflating the prices of mine-resistant vehicles it sold to the US Marine Corps from 2007 to 2012, before Feinberg's firm bought a 70% stake in 2018.
Musk has an even wider portfolio of responsibilities. Unlike Feinberg, the Tesla CEO is set to remain outside the Trump administration — meaning the world's richest man would not be subject to the potential divestment full-time administration officials may be asked to do.
"He definitely has a vision for humanity and he views himself as a world historic figure, and he knows his wealth is necessary to fulfilling his vision," Jeff Hauser, executive director of the Revolving Door Project, a public interest group, told Business Insider earlier this month. "So I am frightened by what government by people like that looks like."
All of Trump's appointees who enter the government will have to comply with the criminal conflict of interest law. Congress did not apply that law to the president or vice president, in part due to constitutional concerns.
Congressional Democrats have raised concern about Musk's ties to China. He called for the expulsion of Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the top Democrat on the powerful House Appropriations Committee, after she and other liberal lawmakers questioned whether Musk helped kill a sweeping government funding bill due to its inclusion of restrictions on certain US investments in China.
Trump told Time Magazine that he's seen Musk put the country ahead of his financial interests.
"I think he's one of the very few people that would have the credibility to do it, but he puts the country before, and I've seen it, before he puts his company," Trump said.
In response to questions about potential conflicts of interest, Brian Hughes, a Trump-Vance Transition spokesperson, said in a statement to Business Insider "All nominees and appointees will comply with the ethical obligations of their respective agencies and offices."
Divestment can be difficult to navigate. In 2017, Florida Panthers owner Vincent Viola, a billionaire, withdrew from consideration to become Trump's first Army secretary. According to The New York Times, Viola had too much difficulty untangling his financial interests.
Others have been able to broker deals allowing them to cash out early. Former Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson had to work out a special $180 million retirement package with the oil giant because some of his holdings included restricted shares that hadn't been fully vested. Goldman Sachs accelerated its payout to Gary Cohn, who left the firm to become Trump's chief economic advisor, leaving him with a roughly $285 million exit package. In order to entice talent out of the private sector, the government also allows officials to defer some tax liabilities when they are directed to sell shares or other assets. Tillerson and Cohn both used this perk. So too has current Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.
President Donald Trump smiles at Secretary of State Rex Tillerson after he was sworn in in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017.
Associated Perss/Carolyn Kaster
Government watchdogs have long expressed unease about top officials entering the government with private-sector ties.
Biden advisors' ties to BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager, were the subject of significant attention during the 2020 transition. Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo was once interim chief of staff to Larry Fink. Brian Deese, who was Biden's top economic aide, led BlackRock's sustainable investing before joining the Biden administration. Adeyemo agreed to recuse himself from any potential BlackRock-related business until he sold off his interests. As a political appointee, Deese's ethics agreement is not public information, though ethics-focused groups previously asked the White House to disclose it. (The White House did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment about Deese's agreement. He left the administration last year.)
It remains to be seen whether the president-elect will impose additional ethics requirements as he did shortly after taking office in 2017. Trump's first cabinet was the wealthiest in modern history. His incoming team is likely to be even richer.
The influx of billionaires extends from the cabinet down through US ambassadors. So far, Trump's tapped at least two additional billionaires to represent the US abroad, Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta and investment banker Warren Stephens, to be US ambassadors. And that list doesn't even include the likes of Musk, who has Trump's attention without the hassle of selling off his vast interests.
"He is going to have the ear of President Trump anyway, even though he's serving in an advisory capacity," Holman said of Musk.
Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser said Monday that she and President-elect Trump "had a great meeting to discuss our shared priorities" for his upcoming term, despite their previously contentious relationship that hit a fever pitch in 2020 during the George Floyd riots.
"President Trump and I both want Washington, DC to be the best, most beautiful city in the world and we want the capital city to reflect the strength of our nation," Bowser said.
The Democratic mayor said she and Trump "discussed areas for the collaboration between local and federal government, especially around our federal workforce, underutilized federal buildings, parks and green spaces, and infrastructure."
"I am optimistic that we will continue to find common ground with the President during his second term, and we look forward to supporting a successful inauguration on January 20," she added.
The statement's tone is a far cry from Bowser's messaging related to Trump four years ago, when the mayor declared that a portion of the street leading up to the White House that protesters spray-painted to read "Defund the Police" would be officially recognized by the District of Columbia as "Black Lives Matter Plaza." Bowser and Trump publicly sparred over the use of the federal law enforcement to quell the riots and protests that engulfed the nation's capital, as well as other American cities.
As for Bowser's reference to the "federal workforce," congressional staffers and even a member of Congress, have fallen victim to carjackings and other violent crimes over the past year.
Just weeks ago, a congressional staffer from Texas was targeted by a group of armed men who held up about a dozen other people during the morning commute in Washington, the Washington Post reported.
Trump made it a promise on the campaign trail this year that he would revitalize D.C. and other American cities that he says have deteriorated in recent years under progressive policies that have fueled violent crime and emboldened offenders.
"We will rebuild our cities, including our capital in Washington DC, which has become a very dangerous and badly managed place. We're going to make them safe, clean and beautiful again. We will teach our children to love our country, to honor our history, and to always respect our great American flag," Trump said at his sold-out rally at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
D.C. saw the largest surge in violent crime between 2022 and 2023 compared to any other large city in the country, WUSA reported in June, citing Department of Justice data highlighted by the Major Cities Chiefs Association earlier this year.
D.C. police and public safety officials on Monday, however, touted how violent crime in the capital in 2024 is on a record downward trajectory.
Since 2023, homicides in Washington have declined by 32%, violent crime has dropped by 35% and overall crime is down 15%, DC Police Chief Pamela Smith and Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Lindsey Appiah announced.
The 35% dip in year-over-year crime constitutes a new 30-year low for D.C., U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Mathew Graves noted earlier this month.
Smith on Monday championed better use of technology, crediting how "the mayor approved the increase of CCTV cameras across the city."
The chief also said a sweeping D.C. crime bill enacted earlier this year served as a "morale booster" for officers, who expressed how they feel like they "could police again" with returned or new tools to use on the streets.
The bill also made it easier for judges to order pre-trial detention.
Appiah, meanwhile, admitted that holding suspects accused of violent crimes ahead of trial – as opposed to releasing them back onto the street to re-offend – has contributed to the about-face.
"Those who commit violent crime, particularly with guns, sometimes need to be held pre-trial," Appiah said, according to WRC-TV.
President-elect Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk want the second Trump administration to press its power to install their allies in power.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Donald Trump wants the next GOP senate leader to give him greater power to staff vacancies.
Trump wants to use the president's recess appointment power in a major way.
Not every conservative is convinced this is a wise move, though Elon Musk is on board.
President-elect Donald Trump isn't backing down from his threat to ram through cabinet nominees over the potential objections of his fellow Republicans.
In a recent interview with Time Magazine, Trump did not rule out using recess appointments to get his picks into powerful posts, particularly if former Fox News host Pete Hegseth or Robert F. Kennedy Jr. see their confirmation chances further imperiled.
"I really don't care how they get them approved, as long as they get them approved," Trump said when asked if he would use recess appointments.
Trump and Elon Musk want Republicansto help him use the special procedure called recess appointments, which would allow him to install Cabinet appointees and even a Supreme Court justice without a single vote.In theory, Trump's push for broad recess appointment power could allow him to disregard the process entirely — meaning that more than 1,200 positions requiring Senate confirmation could be filled without even a confirmation hearing.
Some Republicans, including Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, signaled their opposition to Trump's suggestion. But as the president-elect approaches his inauguration, he's repeatedly refused to take the possibility of a major showdown off the table.
"It's just been made so explicit and used as a strategy in and of itself that even though former presidents made recess appointments, they didn't say this part, and there wasn't widespread fear about what it means and why they are using it now," Casey Burgat, the director of the Legislative Affairs Program at George Washington University's Graduate School of Political Management told Business Insider.
Like Trump, Musk is a big believer in flexing the recess appointment power.
The world's richest man wrote on X just after the election that without them, it would be "impossible to enact the change demanded by the American people, which is utterly unacceptable."
The fight over Trump's picks is different now.
Former Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida pulled out of contention to be the next Attorney General after it became clear that his fellow Republicans would likely oppose his nomination. Since Gaetz's withdrawal, Trump's allies have made it clear they will tolerate little other dissent.
Trump supporters swarmed Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa after she expressed concerns about Hegseth. Ernst, a veteran and a sexual assault survivor, expressed concerns about Hegseth as he faced allegations of sexual assault. Hegseth has denied any wrongdoing and also pushed back on reports that he drank excessively.
Besides Hegseth, Kennedy has also faced some concerns. Sen. Mitch McConnell, who led the Senate GOP for decades, said that Trump's nominees should "steer clear" of efforts to undermine proven cures. While McConnell's statement did not name Kennedy specifically, it came after a report that one of his advisors had previously tried to get approval polio vaccine withdrawn. McConnell, who had polio as a child, said in the statement that "the real miracle" of modern medicine was not the treatments that allowed him to survive but the development of a vaccine that has spared others from his fate.
Many of Trump's other picks, including former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, who replaced Gaetz, look to be on the path to easy confirmation.
If that holds, Trump may not be forced to find other ways to get his nominees into their respective positions.
Why Trump wants this power.
Trump could get his choices confirmed with just 50 votes, thanks to Vice President-elect JD Vance's tie-breaking power. Since Republicans will hold 53 seats, Democrats can't stop a nomination on their own. However, they can force Republicans to grind it out.
In his push for recess appointment power, Trump has argued it was about ensuring he could staff up in a timely manner.
According to the Center for Presidential Transition, it took Trump twice as long on average to get his nominees approved during his first three years in office (115 days) than it did in Ronald Reagan's presidency (56.4) days. Through late November 2023, it took President Joe Biden roughly 109.6 days on average. The center also found that while the Senate filibuster is part of the reason for delays, even complete control of Congress hasn't sped things up.
Not everyone is convinced that time is Trump's sole motivation, particularly when many of his early selections illustrate how much he will elevate controversial choices like Gaetz and Kennedy.
"From the president's perspective, I suppose he would see this as a shortcut to take his favorite list of appointees and put them in for temporary appointments," Sarah Binder, a senior fellow at Brookings, told Business Insider.
Trump can't flex this power by himself.
The Senate would need to vote to adjourn. As incoming-Senate Majority Leader John Thune has said, it's difficult to foresee a scenario where GOP senators vote down a nominee only to vote in favor of a recess.
The Constitution also requires the House to approve the Senate breaking for over three days. A 2014 Supreme Court decision held that the Senate would need to recess for at least 10 days.
There's even a way for Trump to avoid the House's need to sign off on a lengthy break. Under Article II of the Constitution, Trump has the power to force an adjournment if the House and Senate are divided on what to do.
Time is the only true limit on recess appointments.
Officials installed via recess appointment can only serve until Congress' next session. If Trump uses this power immediately upon taking office, officials or judges could only stay through the next Senate session, in January 2027.
Otherwise, there is virtually nothing Senate Democrats could do to stop the process. Adjournment votes can't be meaningfully filibustered.
Some Republicans senators have made clear they wouldn't like recess appointments for high-level nominees. Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina told reporters that President Obama pushed the enevelope on recess appointments, but even he didn't go that far.
"Not for a cabinet-level position," Tillis said to reporters in late November. "That should absolutely be off the table and, quite honestly, any serious candidate for a cabinet-level position I would really have to wonder if they would really want it or be willing to accept it under recess appointments."
Recess appointments were created for a bygone era.
Before World War II, presidents needed recess appointment power because the US Senate was out of session more often than lawmakers were in the nation's capital. Presidents sometimes used their power to game the system, rushing nominees through who might have failed to get confirmed. In 2005, President George W. Bush bypassed the senate to appoint John Bolton as Ambassador to the United Nations over criticism from Senate Democrats.
In recent years, senators, including Republicans, have tried to thwart presidents from using their recess appointment power by holding "pro-forma" sessions where even just one senator can briefly convene and conclude business within minutes.
Not everyone is convinced this power grab is wise.
Trump has some defenders, including former White House counsel Don McGhan. McGhan wrote in a Wall Street Journal op-ed that Trump needs the power because the Senate is too slow.
"Returning to the long-standing tradition of recess appointments would ensure that every elected president is able to staff the government with senior officials who share his policy vision," McGahn wrote.
Trump may only be in power for four years, but the reality of Washington is that if he follows Musk's encouragement, he will set a standard Republicans will one day regret.
"The Senate works on precedent, and so whatever happened last is going to be the default for how it should happen going forward," Burgat said, "and so if we know anything about politics and power grabs they are really hard to claw back and the next guy is gonna use it."
President-elect Donald Trump's support may help House Speaker Mike Johnson put down a conservative rebellion against his leadership.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Donald Trump offered his full support for House Speaker Mike Johnson.
Johnson is hoping to be reelected as House speaker on Friday.
Trump's endorsement may quell a growing frustration about Johnson's leadership.
President-elect Donald Trump has set up another quasi-loyalty test for House Republicans before he formally reenters the White House.
On Monday, Trump endorsed Speaker Mike Johnson to remain as speaker when the House votes on its next leader on Friday.
"Speaker Mike Johnson is a good, hard working, religious man," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "He will do the right thing, and we will continue to WIN. Mike has my Complete & Total Endorsement. MAGA!!!"
If any Republicans still want to challenge Johnson, they would have to defy Trump. While Trump's failure to get the GOP to back his debt ceiling plan shows such defiance is possible, electing a speaker is an entirely different matter.
Republicans hold an extremely narrow majority, meaning Johnson may be able to afford only a single defection.
Without a speaker, congressional lawmakers could not formally certify Trump's 2024 election win, raising personal stakes for the president-elect to soothe current tensions.
At least one potential challenger, Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, quickly lined up behind Johnson after Trump's show of support.
"Agreed, @realDonaldTrump!" Jordan wrote on X. "Time to do what we said we would do."
"I feel the same way! You have my full support," the world's richest man wrote on X in a reply to Johnson's post thanking Trump for his backing.
A handful of House conservatives have previously expressed displeasure with Johnson, particularly his role in crafting legislation that extended government funding through March 14. Musk and Trump teamed up to kill Johnson's initial bipartisan deal, which was loaded with unrelated provisions to garner support from House Democrats.
Not everyone appears to be convinced by Trump's backing. Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, a libertarian, who initially supported Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the GOP presidential primary, reiterated his frustration with Johnson's leadership.
"I respect and support President Trump, but his endorsement of Mike Johnson is going to work out about as well as his endorsement of Speaker Paul Ryan," Massie wrote on X. "We've seen Johnson partner with the democrats to send money to Ukraine, authorize spying on Americans, and blow the budget."
Mike Johnson has disappointed some conservatives.
Allison Robbert / AFP via Getty Images
Why some conservatives aren't happy with Mike Johnson
Johnson also failed to deliver on Trump's last-minute demand to add a debt-ceiling extension to the must-pass funding bill. Trump has advocated for Congress to permanently ax the debt ceiling, a view shared by liberal lawmakers like Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.
Trump's debt ceiling failure illustrated that despite his popularity among the GOP base, the president-elect doesn't always get what he wants. Last year, Trump unsuccessfully tried to topple Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
Unlike the Senate, the House speaker vote is public. The House is also filled with Trump loyalists, even more so than when he took office in 2017. While Trump failed to get Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, a close ally, elected speaker last year, the then-former president effectively killed another Republican hopeful's chances during the chaos after former Speaker Kevin McCarthy's ouster.
Trump is also more powerful than last year. He returns to Washington with the promise of a GOP trifecta.
As the incoming president, he has a greater perch to reward loyalists and attack dissenters than he did during the 2023 speaker's race.
President-elect Donald Trump gave his "complete" and "total" endorsement of Mike Johnson ahead of next month's expected fight to hold onto the House speakership.
"The American people need IMMEDIATE relief from all of the destructive policies of the last Administration. Speaker Mike Johnson is a good, hard working, religious man," Trump wrote on Truth Social Monday. "He will do the right thing, and we will continue to WIN. Mike has my Complete & Total Endorsement. MAGA!!!"
Trump, championing the GOP as "the Party of COMMON SENSE," also included a warning to Republicans.
"We ran a flawless campaign, having spent FAR LESS, with lots of money left over. They ran a very expensive ‘sinking ship,’ embracing DOJ & FBI WEAPONIZATION against their political opponent, ME. BUT IT DIDN’T WORK, IT WAS A DISASTER!!!" Trump wrote, adding: "LETS NOT BLOW THIS GREAT OPPORTUNITY WHICH WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN."
Deeming his win as the culmination of a "magnificent and historic Presidential Election of 2024," Trump reiterated how he and Vice President-elect JD Vance picked up seven swing states, 317 electoral college votes and the popular vote by millions of voters. Trump also decried how it took several weeks after Election Day before the state of California certified its results.
After last week's government funding fight, Fox News projected that anywhere from four to 10 Republicans could oppose Johnson in the speaker’s race slated for Jan. 3.
Congress balked at a staggering, 1,500-page spending bill, then defeated a narrow, 116-page bill – which Trump endorsed. Things got worse when the House only mustered a scant 174 yeas for the Trump-supported bill, with 38 Republicans voting nay. Circumstances grew even more dire when the House actually voted to avert a holiday government shutdown – but passed the bill with more Democrats (196) than Republicans (170). Thirty-four Republicans voted nay.
Republican Party divisions reared their head over the past week on another issue – immigration, as Trump's DOGE co-leaders Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon Musk advocated for H1-B visas to hire foreign specialized workers.
Though Trump saw a decisive victory in November, Republicans hold the majority in the House by only five seats.
Trump's post Monday also repeated allegations that Vice President Kamala Harris' failed presidential campaign shelled out millions of dollars for celebrity endorsements.
"Republicans are being praised for having run a ‘legendary’ campaign! Democrats are being excoriated for their effort, having wasted 2.5 Billion Dollars, much of it unaccounted for, with some being used to illegally buy endorsements," he wrote.
"($11,000,000 to Beyoncé, who never even sang a song, $2,000,000 to Oprah for doing next to nothing, and even $500,000 to Reverend AL, a professional con man and instigator, who agreed to ‘interview’ their ‘star spangled’ candidates, Kamala and Joe)," Trump added.
Beyoncé's mother, Tina Knowles, took to Instagram in November to deny reports that her daughter accepted upward of $10 million to endorse Harris at a Texas rally.
"The lie is that Beyonce was paid 10 million dollars to speak at a rally in Houston for Vice President Kamala Harris. When In Fact: Beyonce did not receive a penny for speaking at a Presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harrris’s Rally in Houston," Tina Knowles wrote at the time.
Harris sat down for a friendly interview on Oct. 20 with MSNBC host Al Sharpton, an open supporter of Harris and the Democratic Party. Following Harris’ defeat by Trump, FEC filings revealed the Harris campaign gave two $250,000 donations to Sharpton’s nonprofit organization in September and October. MSNBC later said it was "unaware" that Harris’ presidential campaign paid $500,000 to Sharpton’s National Action Network.
Fox News' Chad Pergram and Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this report.
The Republican attorneys general of Virginia and Montana recently filed an amicus brief asking the Supreme Court to require TikTok to sever its ties with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) as the fate of the social media platform in the U.S. remains uncertain.
The amicus brief, filed Friday, came the same day President-elect Trump filed an amicus brief of his own, asking the Supreme Court to pause the TikTok ban and allow him to make executive decisions about TikTok once he is inaugurated.
In an announcement, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares said he, along with Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen and other state legal officials, had recently petitioned the Supreme Court to uphold the divest-or-ban law against TikTok.
The social media company has been intensely scrutinized over its parent company, ByteDance, which is connected to the CCP. In his brief, Miyares argued whistleblower reports prove ByteDance has shared sensitive information with the CCP, including Americans' browsing habits and facial recognition data.
"Allowing TikTok to operate in the United States without severing its ties to the Chinese Communist Party exposes Americans to the undeniable risks of having their data accessed and exploited by the Chinese Communist Party," Miyares said in a statement. "Virginians deserve a government that stands firm in protecting their privacy and security.
"The Supreme Court now has the chance to affirm Congress’s authority to protect Americans from foreign threats while ensuring that the First Amendment doesn’t become a tool to defend foreign adversaries’ exploitative practices."
Trump's brief said it was "supporting neither party" and argued the future president has the right to make decisions about TikTok's fate. Steven Cheung, Trump's spokesman and the incoming White House communications director, told Fox News Digital Trump's decision-making would "preserve American national security."
"[The brief asked] the court to extend the deadline that would cause TikTok’s imminent shutdown and allow President Trump the opportunity to resolve the issue in a way that saves TikTok and preserves American national security once he resumes office as president of the United States on Jan. 20, 2025," Cheung said.
Trump's brief notes he "has a unique interest in the First Amendment issues raised in this case" and that the case "presents an unprecedented, novel, and difficult tension between free-speech rights on one side, and foreign policy and national-security concerns on the other."
"As the incoming Chief Executive, President Trump has a particularly powerful interest in and responsibility for those national-security and foreign-policy questions, and he is the right constitutional actor to resolve the dispute through political means," Trump's brief said.
Fox News Digital's Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
President-elect Trump appeared to agree with Elon Musk in support of H-1B visas for skilled workers in the U.S., as the right spars on the ongoing immigration debate.
"I’ve always liked the visas, I have always been in favor of the visas. That’s why we have them," Trump told the New York Post Saturday.
Trump said that he recognizes the visas on his properties, saying, "I've been a believer in H-1B. I have used it many times. It’s a great program."
Trump's comments come as the right clashes over immigration and the place of foreign workers in the U.S. labor market.
Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who have been tapped by Trump to lead his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), argued earlier this week that American culture has not prioritized education enough, and therefore that foreign workers are needed for tech companies like Musk’s SpaceX and Tesla.
Many tech companies have embraced the H-1B visa program, which allows U.S. companies to hire foreign workers in specialty occupations, but critics of the program say H-1B holders are often chosen over U.S. citizens for jobs.
One such critic, Laura Loomer, set off a firestorm on X when criticizing Trump’s selection of Sriram Krishnan, an Indian American venture capitalist, to be an adviser on artificial intelligence policy.
In a post, she said she was concerned that Krishnan, a U.S. citizen, would have an influence on the Trump administration’s immigration policies.
"It’s alarming to see the number of career leftists who are now being appointed to serve in Trump’s admin when they share views that are in direct opposition to Trump’s America First agenda," she wrote.
Musk has doubled-down on his position, taking to X on Friday to blast a user who showed a video of him discussing SpaceX processes to go after the billionaire’s stance on the visa program.
"The reason I’m in America along with so many critical people who built SpaceX, Tesla and hundreds of other companies that made America strong is because of H1B," Musk wrote on X.
He then went on to quote the 2008 action-comedy movie, "Tropic Thunder," which was a box office hit.
"Take a big step back and F--- YOURSELF in the face," Musk railed.
Ramaswamy has similarly been pro-H-1B visa, writing: "American culture has venerated mediocrity over excellence."
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Trump Transition Team for comment.
Fox News Digital's Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.
The Reagan-era director of the FBI, and later the CIA, is urging the Senate to reject two of President-elect Trump's selections for top law enforcement and intelligence posts.
In a letter to senators on Thursday reported by Politico, former FBI and CIA director William H. Webster wrote that Kash Patel and Tulsi Gabbard are unqualified to be FBI director and director of national intelligence, respectively.
Webster, who is 100 years old, is the only person to have led both the FBI and CIA. He warned senators that Patel's personal loyalty to Trump could conflict with the FBI's duty to uphold the rule of law.
"His record of executing the president’s directives suggest [sic] a loyalty to individuals rather than the rule of law — a dangerous precedent for an agency tasked with impartial enforcement of justice," he wrote, according to Politico.
As for Gabbard, Webster criticized her "profound lack" of intelligence experience and said a seasoned leader is needed for the DNI post.
"Effective management of our intelligence community requires unparalleled expertise to navigate the complexities of global threats and to maintain the trust of allied nations," he wrote. "Without that trust, our ability to safeguard sensitive secrets and collaborate internationally is severely diminished."
The Trump transition team defended the president-elect's selection of Patel to lead the FBI.
"Kash Patel is loyal to the Constitution. He’s worked under Presidents Obama and Trump in key national security roles," said Alex Pfeiffer, a Trump transition team spokesman.
Another transition official, Alexa Henning, observed that Webster had supported President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris against Trump.
"Lt. Col. Gabbard is an active member of the Army and has served in the military for over two decades and in Congress. As someone who has consumed intelligence at the highest levels, including during wartime, she recognizes the importance of partnerships with allies to ensure close coordination to keep the American people safe," said Henning.
Patel and Gabbard have proven to be two of Trump's more controversial nominees for key positions in his next administration.
Patel was the chief investigator in the congressional probe into alleged Trump-Russia collusion, uncovering government surveillance abuse that led to the appointment of two special counsels who determined that there was never any collusion and the premise of the FBI's original investigation was bogus. He has raised concern among top law enforcement professionals for his outspoken criticism of the FBI and Justice Department, accusing them of partisanship.
Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman and military officer from Hawaii, is likewise under scrutiny after she met with since-toppled Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad in 2017, who was accused of using chemical weapons on his own citizens during the country's civil war. Gabbard refused to call him a war criminal during her 2020 presidential campaign and said she was skeptical that his government had perpetrated a chemical weapons attack earlier that year that had killed dozens of Syrians. However, she later called Assad a brutal dictator.
Webster was appointed to direct the FBI by President Jimmy Carter in 1978, and he remained atop the bureau under President Ronald Reagan's two terms in office. In 1988, Webster became director of the CIA under President George H.W. Bush and served through 1991.
"I urge you to weigh the critical importance of nonpartisan leadership and experience," Webster wrote. "The safety of the American people — and your own families — depends on it."
Two top Canadian ministers headed to President-elect Trump's home in Florida on Thursday to talk about border security and trade as the incoming president's inauguration day nears.
New Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc and Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly will be in Palm Beach, Florida on Thursday for the talks this week, Jean-Sébastien Comeau, a spokesperson for LeBlanc, told the Associated Press.
Comeau said that LeBlanc alongside Joly will meet with Tom Homan, Trump’s incoming "border czar," after Christmas to discuss Canada’s plan to secure the border as part of a bid to avoid sweeping tariffs.
The spokesperson said LeBlanc and Joly "look forward to building on the discussions that took place when the Prime Minister met with President Trump at Mar-a-Lago last month, as well as the positive call the Ministers held with Mr. Tom Homan earlier this month."
Along with discussing border security, the Canadian leaders hope to center talks on fentanyl trafficking and "negative impacts" of Trump's tariffs on goods.
"The Ministers intend to focus on Canada’s efforts to combat fentanyl trafficking and illegal migration and the measures outlined in Canada’s Border Plan, as well as the negative impacts that the imposition of 25% tariffs on Canadian goods would have on both Canada and the United States," Comeau added in a statement.
Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on imports from Canada when he takes office in January unless the country reduces the flow of migrants and fentanyl into the U.S.
Trump has made snide remarks about Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on social media, referring to the ally as "Governor Justin Trudeau of Canada."
The statement on Christmas Day came after Trump suggested to Trudeau that if tariffs on Canada would kill its economy, then perhaps Canada should become the 51st U.S. state.
Trump’s threats to impose tariffs on Canadian imports, meanwhile, have unnerved Canada, which is highly integrated with the U.S. economy.
About 60% of U.S. crude oil imports are from Canada, and 85% of U.S. electricity imports as well.
Nearly $3.6 billion Canadian – or $2.7 billion U.S. – worth of goods and services cross the border each day. Canada is the top export destination for 36 U.S. states.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Trump team for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Bradford Betz and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
President-elect Donald Trump suggested on Wednesday that the U.S. could take control of Canada, Greenland and the Panama Canal—an unexpected Christmas Day message that has sparked concerns among world leaders in recent days as they scramble to prepare for Trump's second White House term.
In a Wednesday post on the platform Truth Social, Trump wished a "Merry Christmas to all," including to the "wonderful soldiers of China, who are lovingly, but illegally, operating the Panama Canal," before moving on to take aim at Canada and Greenland as well, which he suggested again could be better off under U.S. governance.
Trump reiterated his claim that U.S. shippers are being forced to pay "ridiculous" and "exorbitant" prices to navigate the Panama Canal—an artificial, 51-mile waterway that connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. He has suggested, without evidence, that Chinese interests are gaining outsize influence over the waterway, something Panamanian leaders have steadfastly denied.
In his Truth Social post Wednesday, Trump also mockingly referred to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as "governor" reiterating his recent suggestion that Canada should be turned into a U.S. state.
"If Canada was to become our 51st state, their taxes would be cut by more than 60%, their businesses would immediately double in size, and they would be militarily protected like no other country anywhere in the world," Trump said.
Finally, the president-elect turned his attention to Greenland; an autonomous, geographically important Arctic location rife with natural resources, including rare earth minerals.
The U.S., Trump said on Wednesday, "feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity" for reasons of national security and "global freedom.'
Bigger picture
Trump’s lengthy Truth Social post did little to assuage the concerns of some world leaders, who have carefully watched Trump's actions and his statements in recent weeks for clues as to how he might govern in a second term.
The remarks also appear to be at odds with the "America First" policies long espoused by Trump, which seek to prioritize domestic policy rather than expansion or U.S. presence abroad.
Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., echoed Trump's concerns in an interview Thursday, describing China's influence in the Panama Canal, and the higher prices incurred by shippers, as a "shot across the bow."
"Remember, we have China and Cuba," Zinke said on "Mornings with Maria." "We have Maduro in Venezuela. We have had Russian ships there. And the Panama Canal is critical to our national security. And at present, it is being run by the Chinese Communist Party. So it's a concern—absolutely."
To be sure, it is not the first time Trump has indicated interest in Greenland, a mineral-rich, geographically important territory.
In 2019, then-President Trump told reporters he was "interested" in purchasing Greenland, which he described at the time as "essentially" a "large real estate deal." The 2019 effort never gained traction, however; and this week, Greenland Prime Minister Mute Egede immediately poured cold water on the idea that their territory could be sold to the U.S.
"Greenland is ours," Greenland Prime Minister Mute Egede said this week, in response to Trump's suggestion.
"We are not for sale and will never be for sale," he said. "We must not lose our long struggle for freedom."
Meanwhile, Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino also disputed the notion that U.S. vessels have been singled out or paid higher fees to traverse the Panama Canal—as well as the notion that the U.S., which phased out its ownership beginning in the 1970s, has any right to reassert control over the shipping waypoint.
In a video posted to social media earlier this week, Mulino reassured his country's people that the "sovereignty and independence of our country is non-negotiable."
The Panama Canal is one of the largest and most strategically important commodity shipping waterways in the world. It handles roughly 5% of all global maritime trade and roughly 40% of U.S. container ship traffic.
Recent higher prices are primarily the result of drought and more competition, which sent water levels plummeting last year to their lowest point on record. Though water levels have since rebounded, operators of the canal were forced to temporarily limit vessel traffic and increase costs for ships using the waypoint.
Other factors have also played a role in higher maritime shipping prices.
A series of attacks on vessels in the Red Sea late last year prompted many major commodities shippers, including BP and Equinor, to pause or reroute their shipments away from the Suez Canal. Some opted to reroute supplies via the Cape of Good Hope, adding weeks of additional time to their trips.
The Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, incorrectly claimed on social media last week that the Panama Canal cost U.S. taxpayers $15.7 billion. In fact, the higher costs are shouldered by the ships that pass through the waterway, in the form of tolls. The U.S. government does not subsidize the canal.
Panamanian authorities have stressed that the prices are not the result of "unfair" treatment, or capitulation to China or any other nation-state influence.
"The canal has no direct or indirect control from China, nor the European Union, nor the United States or any other power," Mulino said in his remarks. "As a Panamanian, I reject any manifestation that misrepresents this reality."
Still, Trump does not appear to be backing down on expansion claims.
"The Panama Canal is considered a VITAL National Asset for the United States, due to its critical role to America’s Economy and National Security," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post Sunday. "A secure Panama Canal is crucial for U.S. Commerce, and rapid deployment of the Navy, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and drastically cuts shipping times to U.S. ports."
"We’re not going to stand for it," he said. "So, to the officials of Panama, please be guided accordingly."
Like many moments in Musk's life, it's a remarkable turnaround story.
2024 began with Musk briefly relinquishing his wealthiest title, first to French luxury titan Bernard Arnault and then to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Musk's rival in space travel.
Musk had also backed the wrong candidate. In early 2024, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who Musk had aligned himself with, abruptly ended his campaign after Trump blew him out in the Iowa Republican caucuses. By March, Trump, trying to orchestrate his own comeback, privately met with Musk to ask for his financial support. In response, Musk said his checkbook was closed.
He changed his mind, spending over $277 million backing Trump and the GOP. Musk even campaigned for Trump in Pennsylvania, the biggest swing state.
Musk's wealth surged after the 2024 election election. His big bet is still paying off.
January: Musk visited Auschwitz amid an uproar
Elon Musk visits the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp alongside conservative podcaster Ben Shapiro (left).
Andrzej Rudiak/AP
Musk ended 2023 under siege. In what he later called his "dumbest" tweet ever, the billionaire promoted an antisemitic post. Media Matters, a liberal nonprofit, accused X of placing ads next to pro-Nazi content, allegations that sent advertisers fleeing the platform.
He apologized for the post but lashed out at advertisers, including Disney CEO Bob Iger, telling them "to go fuck" themselves.
In late January, Musk accepted an invitation to visit the site of the infamous Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp. Afterward, he said he had been "naive" about the Holocaust.
February: Musk returned to the Super Bowl
Musk had a prime seat to watch the Kansas City Chiefs win their second-straight Super Bowl.
This was Musk's first big game since reports surfaced that he spent the 2023 Super Bowl frustrated that President Joe Biden's tweet received more engagement than his own. According to Platformer, Musk pressured Twitter engineers to begin working on ensuring that his future posts would get much larger exposure.
March: X abruptly ended a deal with Don Lemon after a testy interview
X is a platform that champions free speech, and we’re proud to provide an open environment for diverse voices and perspectives. The Don Lemon Show is welcome to publish its content on X, without censorship, as we believe in providing a platform for creators to scale their work…
Musk's X has become a new home for many commentators, including conservative commentator Tucker Carlson.
Former CNN anchor Don Lemon inked a deal with the platform for similar support, but those plans were scrapped after Lemon's interview with Musk.
Lemon, who later sued Musk, questioned the CEO's commitment to welcoming "diverse voices" on X in the wake of the abrupt cancellation.
"His commitment to a global town square where all questions can be asked and all ideas can be shared seems not to include questions of him from people like me," Lemon wrote in a since-deleted post.
April: Musk made a surprise visit to China
Tesla CEO Elon Musk, left, met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Beijing.
Getty Images
Musk sent Tesla shares higher in April amid a previously unannounced visit to China. According to Reuters, the Tesla CEO was there to soothe tensions over the automaker's Full Self-Driving (FSD) software, which has long been hoped to launch in its second-biggest market.
The entry of Tesla's technology into China continues to be delayed.
Musk's ties to China are receiving renewed attention given the powerful post he will occupy outside the Trump administration. Multiple House Democrats accused Musk of helping kill an initial bipartisan year-end spending bill due to including a provision that would regulate US investments in China. Congress eventually averted a government shutdown, but the final legislation did not include the investment restrictions.
"This awful creature needs to be expelled from Congress! Ugh …," Musk wrote on X, in response to Rep. Rosa DeLauro, a Connecticut Democrat, calling him out for tanking the deal.
May: Musk welcomed Indonesia to SpaceX's Starlink
Elon Musk signs a deal for Starlink while wearing a traditional batik shirt
Getty Images
SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service exploded in popularity over the year.
In May, Musk headed to the resort island of Bali to welcome Indonesia to Starlink, making it the third Southeast Asian country to receive the service.
Even bigger announcements came later in the year. In September, United Airlines announced it would launch Starlink service early next year. Several major cruise ship companies now offer Starlink as well.
Musk came off the sidelines in a major way by endorsing Trump after the former president survived an assassination attempt. Like others in Silicon Valley, the billionaire later said admired Trump's courage.
With blood across his face, Trump held up his fist and yelled "Fight" as Secret Service agents ushered him off the stage to safety.
It wasn't fully clear at the time, but Musk had already been working to support Trump. Just a day before shots rang out, Bloomberg News reported that the Tesla CEO had donated to a pro-Trump super PAC.
October: Musk joined Trump on the campaign trail
Elon Musk jumps behind Donald Trump during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Getty Images
Musk soon became one of the biggest megadonors of the entire 2024 cycle. He wasn't done trying to influence the presidential race.
In October, Musk joined Trump as the former president returned to Butler, Pennsylvania, at the exact location of the July assassination attempt.
"As you can see, I am not just MAGA, I'm dark MAGA," Musk said while wearing an all-black Make American Great Again hat.
Trump's campaign seized on Musk's attire and used it to fuel further fundraising.
SpaceX showed it can catch a rocket in midair
SpaceX successfully demonstrated its ability to catch a Starship rocket in midair
The company made history and pulled off an engineering marvel when it demonstrated its ability to catch a 233-foot-tall Super Heavy booster as it descended back toward the launchpad.
The spectacle moved Musk's vision for reusable rockets and, thus, cheaper space travel one step closer to reality.
Musk started $1 million giveaways to voters
Elon Musk presents a $1 million check to a voter
Getty Images
Musk didn't stop at donating hundreds of millions to help Trump. He hit the campaign trail, focusing on Pennsylvania, widely viewed as the 2024 election's most important state.
The billionaire went even further in a controversial step, giving away $1 million to voters in swing states. The Trump ally's attorneys later admitted that the checks weren't the result of a true lottery.
Philadelphia's district attorney, Larry Krasner, filed a lawsuit in October attempting to stop the effort. Just before Election Day, a Pennsylvania judge ruled that the checks could go on.
November: The Trump-Musk bromance simmered at Mar-a-Lago
Late on November 5, it became clear that Trump's political comeback would be successful. Musk was at Trump's private Mar-a-Lago club to watch the results unfold.
"We have a new star, a star is born," Trump told boisterous supporters in West Palm Beach, Florida, a few hours before the election was called in his favor. "Elon. He is an amazing guy."
Kai Trump, one of the president-elect's granddaughters, went even further, declaring Musk part of the family's "squad" in a photo that showed over a dozen Trumps next to Musk holding his son, X Æ A-12.
Musk, Trump, and some cabinet picks enjoyed a night out
Elon Musk and Donald Trump talk to a UFC fighter
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Musk and Trump remained virtually inseparable after the election. The billionaire maintained a constant presence at Mar-a-Lago.
When the president-elect left his club, Musk would often join him. On November 16, Musk joined Trump's sprawling entourage to watch UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump's pick to lead the Health and Human Services Department, and former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, who Trump nominated to be director of national intelligence, were among those who sat nearby.
December: DOGE took over Capitol Hill
Elon Musk carries his son X-Æ-12 on his shoulders during a visit to the US Capitol.
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Musk wasted little time working on DOGE, the outside advisory panel that Musk and Ramaswamy have said will cut $2 trillion from the federal budget.
In December, Musk and Ramaswamy visited Capitol Hill to discuss their plans with GOP lawmakers. Musk even brought his son along.
In mid-December, House lawmakers finally reached a deal to avoid a government shutdown just before the Christmas holiday. As was often the case, lawmakers loaded the legislation full of unrelated provisions, stretching the bill to over 1,500 pages long.
Trump's "First Buddy" soon joined a handful of conservative activists in fomenting an effort to kill the bill. Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican who helped break the deal with House Democrats, had to scrap it.
There was brief concern that Musk's actions might lead to a government shutdown, an occurrence he and Trump encouraged if the final deal didn't give them what they wanted.
Ultimately, Trump didn't get his wish for lawmakers to increase the debt ceiling. Musk declared he was satisfied with the final product, which trimmed the deal down which funded the federal government through March 14, included $100 billion in disaster relief, and extended farm policies for a year.
Trump said Musk can't be president
Democrats pounced on the opportunity to blame Musk for the funding bill's death. Some even called him President Musk.
Musk responded by lashing out at Democrats. He said on X the statements were a ploy designed to drive a wedge between him and Trump.
Trump addressed the fracas just before Christmas, joking to a conservative conference that he wasn't worried about the Tesla CEO who can't be president.
"No, he's not gonna be president, that I can tell you," Trump said. "And I'm safe, you know why? He can't be, he wasn't born in this country."
President-elect Trump picked Miami-Dade County Commissioner Kevin Marino Cabrera to serve as ambassador to Panama.
Calling the Miami-Dade County Commissioner a "fierce fighter," Trump said that he would advance the "MAGA agenda" to the Central American country.
"Kevin is a fierce fighter for America First principles. As a Miami-Dade County Commissioner, and Vice Chairman of the International Trade Consortium, he has been instrumental in driving Economic growth, and fostering International partnerships," Trump wrote in the Wednesday announcement. "In 2020, Kevin did an incredible job as my Florida State Director and, this year, advanced our MAGA Agenda as a Member of the RNC Platform Committee."
"Few understand Latin American politics as well as Kevin - He will do a FANTASTIC job representing our Nation’s interests in Panama!" he said.
The announcement came after Trump said that Panama was "a Country that is ripping us off on the Panama Canal, far beyond their wildest dreams."
In a post on Truth Social on Wednesday, Trump also accused Chinese soldiers of illegally operating the canal and "always making certain that the United States puts in Billions of Dollars in 'repair' money but will have absolutely nothing to say about 'anything.'"
"John is a highly successful entrepreneur in the automotive industry, and a champion golfer. For over thirty years, he has been an incredible leader in business in West Palm Beach, and is respected by all," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. "I have known John for a long time. He will do an incredible job for our Country, and always put America FIRST."
Arrigo has been a longtime associate of Trump's, a Business Insider report said in 2021.
Farkas, a model and philanthropist, would serve America's interests in the island nation of Malta.
Farkas previously served on Trump's Commission on White House Fellowships.
In his announcement, Trump said she "has raised Millions of Dollars for charity, including for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Alzheimer’s Associate (sic), Lighthouse Guild, the New York Women’s Foundation and, as a Trustee of the New York City Police Foundation where she has always BACKED THE BLUE."
President-elect Trump pledged this week to undo former President Obama’s 2015 decision to change the name of North America’s tallest peak to its Koyukon Athabascan name "Denali," meaning "High One" or "Great One."
Speaking to conservatives at a Phoenix conference, Trump made the pledge and noted President William McKinley was also a Republican who believed in tariffs. He first promised to undo Obama's action in August 2015 and called it an "insult to Ohio," where McKinley was born and raised.
During his Phoenix remarks, he also pledged to undo Democrats’ rebranding of southern military bases named for Confederates – like Fort Liberty in Fayetteville, North Carolina, which was formerly named after Gen. Braxton Bragg.
The 20,320-foot mountain was first dubbed Mount McKinley in 1896 by gold prospector William Dickey, after learning the Ohioan had won the GOP presidential nomination – and as a swipe at silver prospectors he met who preferred Democrat William Jennings Bryan and his plan for a silver standard for the dollar.
Six months into his second term, McKinley was visiting Buffalo, New York, when anarchist laborer Leon Czolgosz assassinated him in a gladhanding line. Czolgosz believed the root of economic inequality stood with the government and was reportedly inspired by the 1900 assassination of Italian King Umberto I.
However, many Alaskans have appeared to prefer the historic name Denali:
GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski told KTUU that Trump’s plan to bring back "Mt. McKinley" is an "awful idea."
"We already went through this with President Trump back and at the very, very beginning of his first term," she said Monday.
Murkowski said both she and Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, – who originally hails from McKinley’s Ohio – support the name Denali.
"[Denali] is a name that has been around for thousands of years… North America’s tallest mountain – shouldn’t it have a name like ‘The Great One’?" Murkowski added.
In 2015, Sullivan told the Anchorage Daily News that "Denali belongs to Alaska and its citizens" and that the naming rights are held by Alaskan Natives.
In a statement to KTUU this week, a spokesperson for Sullivan said he, "like many Alaskans prefers the name that the very tough, very strong, very patriotic Athabascan people gave" the peak.
Meanwhile, then-Rep. Ralph Regula, R-Ohio, spent decades in Congress preventing any name change from McKinley to Denali – as the namesake president hailed from his Canton district.
Regula, who died in 2017, lambasted Obama over the name change, saying he "thinks he is a dictator."
Appearing to cite his own work presenting procedural roadblocks and language added to Interior-related bills, Regula said Obama could not change such a law "by a flick of his pen."
However, some Ohio officials have also been deferential to the will of Alaskans.
Current Lt. Gov. Jon Husted told the Dayton Daily News in 2015 that if Denali is what Alaskans want, then he in turn understood, as he wouldn’t want Alaskans dictating Ohio name changes.
"So, I guess we shouldn't tell people in Alaska should do in their own state. But I'm a big fan of Canton and McKinley and I'm glad that he's getting talked about some more," he said at the time.
