• Vance on the Hill: Meanwhile, Gaetz was on Capitol Hill along with Vice President-elect JD Vance and met with Republican senators involved in the confirmation process as the former congressman looked to drum up support.
Our live coverage of the Trump administration’s transition has ended for the day. Follow the latest updates or read through the posts below.
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Democratic House Ethics member anticipates chamber will vote on making Gaetz report public
From CNN’s Piper Hudspeth Blackburn
Mark DeSaulnier attends a hearing in Rayburn Building, Washington, D.C., on June 7, 2023.
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc./Getty Images
Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, a House Ethics Committee member, told CNN on Wednesday that an effort from fellow Democratic Rep. Sean Casten to make the panel’s report on Matt Gaetz public is “an appropriate thing for him to do,” and that he anticipates that the House will vote on it.
Rep. Steve Cohen, another Democrat, also made a similar effort to pry loose the report through a floor vote.
“My hope is that it will be released,” DeSaulnier said.
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In a flip for Republicans, Nick Begich wins Alaska House seat after ranked-choice voting reallocation
From CNN’s Eric Bradner
Nick Begich listens to a question by incumbent Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola during the Debate for the State at Alaska Public Media on Thursday, October 10.
Bill Roth/Anchorage Daily News/AP
Nick Begich, the Republican son of Alaska’s most prominent Democratic political family, will defeat Rep. Mary Peltola for the state’s lone at-large House seat after votes were reallocated under the state’s ranked-choice system.
It was the third time the two had squared off, after Peltola emerged victorious in a 2022 special election to replace long-time Rep. Don Young, and again in the general election for a full term.
Her victory then was a stunner — one made possible by fractured Republican allegiances, as Begich and former Gov. Sarah Palin squared off.
Some background: Elections in Alaska start with an “open” primary, in which candidates of all parties compete and all voters are allowed to participate, casting their ballots for the one contender they prefer. The top four vote-getters, regardless of party, advance to the general election.
Then, in the general election, instead of just voting for one of the top four candidates, voters rank their preferences in order. They are allowed to rank candidates one through four, but are not required to do so — voters could instead choose only to rank their preferred candidate, or only rank their top two.
If no candidate receives more than 50% of the first-place votes, then the ranked-choice system is used to determine the winner.
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Republicans on House Ethics Committee agreed to finish Gaetz report by December 5 meeting, source says
From CNN's Annie Grayer
A majority of Ethics Committee members agreed to have their report on Matt Gaetz finished in time for the panel’s next meeting on December 5, according to a source familiar, as some committee Republicans joined with Democrats on this vote.
Committee Republicans voted against an effort to have the report both finalized and released on December 5, the source said.
This means that members will be voting on whether to release the final report on that date.
There were a number of votes Wednesday during which Republicans unanimously blocked efforts to release the report.
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Legislation to ban federal DEI programs passes out of House committee, paving way for Trump priorities
From CNN's Annie Grayer and Haley Talbort
House Oversight Committee Republicans passed a bill out of committee that would defund all federal diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, kickstarting a key priority for President-elect Donald Trump to take on during his second term.
The Dismantle DEI Act of 2024 would prohibit funding to DEI programs, amend the 1964 Civil Rights Act, overturn Biden administration executive orders, and close up all current DEI programs without transferring or reassigning those workers. Instead, those workers could apply for other jobs. The Senate version of the bill is sponsored by Vice President-elect JD Vance.
The bill will set up an early test for Democrats who are looking to push back on the incoming Trump administration and Republican-controlled Congress.
“I confess that I’m really baffled as to where it’s coming from or what it means” Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin said. “We are a lot stronger when we include everybody. That’s what I understand these efforts are all about — a federal work force that actually reflects the diversity of our country makes us stronger and the largest employer of the United States has a responsibility to lead the way and to model what it means to be open to everybody.”
Democratic Rep. Melanie Stansbury claimed the bill was “blacklisting” employees.
“I can tell you this definitely send the wrong message to Black people in this country,” Democratic Rep. Kweisi Mfume said.
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Senior Republican on Senate Judiciary warned Gaetz that “everything’s eventually going to come out”
From CNN's Morgan Rimmer, Kit Maher and Veronica Stracqualursi
Sen. John Cornyn and Vice President-elect JD Vance briefly speak to the press after meeting with Republican members of the Senate, including members of the Judiciary Committee, on November 20, in Washington, DC.
Mattie Neretin/CNP/Sipa USA
Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, a senior Republican on the Judiciary Committee, said he warned former Rep. Matt Gaetz that “everything’s eventually going to come out,” when they spoke about the sexual misconduct allegations against Gaetz.
“All I said to him was that there are not going to be any secrets here. Everything’s eventually going to come out,” said Cornyn.
“I frankly said, transparency is a good thing, because if it keeps just dripping out a little at a time, then that’s going to make things more difficult,” he added.
Asked whether he thinks Gaetz got the message, Cornyn told CNN, “I think he listened. I think he seems like a pretty intelligent guy, so I think he understood what I was saying.”
Pressed on if he would consider himself skeptical or undecided at this point, Cornyn replied, “I would describe myself as experienced in confirmations, so I don’t make decisions without — before the process proceeds.”
He continued, “I think we owe that to the nominee, a fair process, we owe that to the president. We’ve just got elected with a pretty strong majority, and that’s what the Constitution requires.”
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GOP senator says House panel's decision not to release ethics report could delay Gaetz's confirmation process
From CNN's Ted Barrett
United States senator from South Dakota Mike Rounds speaks during the 54th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, January 16.
Denis Balibouse/Reuters
Republican Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota warned that the House Ethics Committee’s decision to not release their report on Attorney General nominee Matt Gaetz could delay the confirmation process because the Senate Judiciary Committee will need “to get the information in some other way.”
“For us, the more information we can get the better,” he said.
“But look, we’re going to do our due diligence, and if there’s information out there that should be disclosed, I think there’s a lot of us are going to ask, why isn’t it being disclosed,” Rounds said.
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Trump names Pete Hoekstra as pick for US ambassador to Canada
From CNN's Brian Rokus
Michigan Republican Party Chairman Pete Hoekstra speaks at an election night party for Republican US Senate candidate Mike Rogers on November 5, in Novi, Michigan.
Sarah Rice/Getty Images
President-elect Donald Trump has announced Pete Hoekstra as his pick to be US ambassador to Canada.
Hoekstra previously served as US ambassador to the Netherlands during Trump’s first term. Prior to that, he was a member of Congress representing Michigan’s 2nd Congressional District.
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Trump nominees deserve “full and fair hearing,” Cruz says after meeting with Gaetz and Vance
From CNN's Kit Maher
Sen. Ted Cruz speaks during a news conference with fellow Republican senators at the US Capitol on May 9, in Washington, DC.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said Wednesday night, after meeting with Vice President-elect JD Vance and former Rep. Matt Gaetz, that each of President-elect Donald Trump’s nominees deserve a “full and fair hearing.”
Cruz declined to speak about specifics of the meeting or say if the ethics report came up. “That conversation was between us,” he said.
Vance accompanied Gaetz as he met key senators to try to lock down support ahead of confirmation hearings.
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Why this Republican lawmaker says he would vote on the floor to release Gaetz ethics report
From CNN's Morgan Rimmer and Manu Raju
GOP Rep. Derrick Van Orden, who has a fraught relationship with former Rep. Matt Gaetz, said he would vote to release the House Ethics Committee report on Gaetz – a key development as Democrats move to force a vote on the House floor to compel its disclosure.
It’s unclear if Democrats could get the 218 votes needed to release the report, but Van Orden’s support shows how Gaetz’s turbulent relationship with his colleagues may come back to haunt him.
Republicans could only afford to lose three GOP votes on a party-line vote, assuming all members are in attendance and voting.
The comments comes as Democrats have taken procedural steps to force a vote compelling disclosure of the resolution. That means, it has to be taken up within two legislative days, though it could be punted until after the Thanksgiving recess.
Van Orden added, “If the rumors that are in their report are accurate, then they need to be referring to different agencies. And if they’re not, then a lot of people owe him an apology.”
Some background: The Ethics Committee had been probing allegations that Gaetz may have “engaged in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, accepted improper gifts, dispensed special privileges and favors to individuals with whom he had a personal relationship, and sought to obstruct government investigations of his conduct.” Gaetz has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, including ever having sex with a minor or paying for sex.
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Thune has no issue with Republicans on House Ethics blocking Gaetz report, saying "it's their call"
From CNN's Manu Raju
Sen. John Thune, accompanied by Sen. Mitch McConnell, speaks during a news conference on May 15 in Washington, DC.
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Sen. John Thune, the incoming Senate majority leader, told CNN that he has no issue with Republicans on the House Ethics Committee voting to deny the release of the report into former Rep. Matt Gaetz.
“It’s their call,” Thune said in an interview.
Asked about how some Senate Republicans have called for the report to be released, Thune said it would be up to the Senate Judiciary Committee to decide how to proceed.
“If that’s the case, then the Senate Judiciary Committee will make some determination based on what the will of the members on the committee is,” Thune said.
Asked if he wanted to see the report, Thune said the question he is confronting is whether the report is complete or not.
“If they’re not going to release it, then it suggests to me that maybe they don’t feel like they’re comfortable with” the status of the report, he said.
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Gaetz says he’s “looking forward to a hearing” after meetings with senators
From CNN's Haley Talbot, Morgan Rimmer, Kit Maher and Veronica Stracqualursi
Then-Rep. Matt Gaetz attends the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 16.
Patrick T. FallonAFP/Getty Images/File
President-elect Donald Trump’s attorney general pick Matt Gaetz told reporters that his meetings with Republican senators on Capitol Hill along with Vice President-elect Vance have been “going great,” and that he has not been focused on the ethics report, but is looking forward to a confirmation hearing.
Asked about the ethics report not being released today, Gaetz said, “I’ll be honest with you, I’ve been focused on what we’ve got to do to reform the Department of Justice. I have been meeting with senators. I haven’t been paying much attention to that.”
Asked if he is confident he has the votes to get confirmed, Gaetz said, “it was a great day.”
Vance echoed those sentiments, telling reporters that the meetings “went great” as he and Gaetz left the room where they had been meeting Republican senators.
He declined to respond when asked another question by CNN about any concerns Sen. Joni Ernst may have raised, as she was the last senator seen walking in and out of the meeting room.
This post has been updated with Vance’s remarks.
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House Ethics chairman refuses to say why Republicans blocked release of Gaetz report
From CNN's Manu Raju
House Ethics Committee Chairman Rep. Michael Guest arrives to a House Ethics Committee closed-door meeting in the Longworth House Office Building on November 20 in Washington, DC.
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
House Ethics Chairman Michael Guest, a Republican from Mississippi, refused to explain why Republicans on his panel voted to block the release of the Matt Gaetz report.
Asked to respond to the accusation from the panel’s top Democrat Susan Wild that he “betrayed” the committee by saying that no agreement was reached, Guest pushed back.
“That’s what she feels. You can ask her if she would like to comment again. I made the only brief statement that I can make about the meeting today, which was we did not reach an agreement.”
Guest would not comment on what he expects ahead of the December meeting, suggesting it was a regularly scheduled meeting.
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Analysis: Trump’s picks look more like Fox News than America
From CNN's Zachary B. Wolf
While President Joe Biden bragged about picking the most diverse Cabinet in history, one that he said “looks like America,” President-elect Donald Trump is looking for TV experience.
While Trump’s picks so far mostly lack in racial or gender diversity – there are a handful of women and one Latino, for example, but no Black Americans selected yet – they do reach outside of the normal stable of likely government officials, in keeping with Trump’s goal of shaking up Washington.
It shouldn’t necessarily be a shock from the former president who likes to see attractive people defend him on TV and who became famous in New York tabloids and a reality show. But it’s striking nonetheless to see the number of TV and entertainment personalities Trump is tapping for his second term.
The Cabinet is still taking shape, and key roles like Treasury secretary have not been filled. Plus, not all of his Fox News picks are for Cabinet roles. The latest development is that Trump is reportedly eyeing Dan Bongino, a former Secret Service agent turned right-wing podcaster who left his job hosting a Fox News show in 2023, as Secret Service director. There are others also in contention for the position.
The most notable instance of the made-for-TV Cabinet is Trump’s announcement of his choice for defense secretary:Pete Hegseth, a Fox News weekend host with a great physique and hair, whose tattoos drove him from the Army National Guard.
Republicans on House Ethics Committee block report on Gaetz from being released. Here's what happened today
From CNN's Sarah Ferris, Annie Grayer and Manu Raju
Republicans on the House Ethics Committee fell in line behind GOP leaders and voted Wednesday not to release the results of their investigation into Donald Trump’s attorney general pick, Matt Gaetz.
The GOP’s decision to block the findings — against the will of Democrats on the panel — raises major questions about what happens to the highly secretive information that the ethics panel has already collected on Gaetz.
Here’s a recap:
What happened in the meeting: Members took multiple votes on whether to release the report the probe into Gaetz, according to source. They voted on releasing it as is, even if it’s not final yet. That was deadlocked on partisan lines, the source said. They also voted on releasing the finalized version report, which also failed along partisan lines, the person said.
What could be in the report: CNN had earlier reported that two women testified to the House Ethics Committee that they were paid for “sexual favors” by Gaetz, according to a lawyer for the two women.
What the committee will do now: The Ethics Committee will continue to work on finishing the report, which the panel’s chairman, Rep. Michael Guest, has said isn’t complete. The status of the report was a major point of discussion in the meeting. While the investigation is complete, lawmakers of both parties have sparred over whether it is technically complete.
What Democrats are doing: Democrat, Rep. Steve Cohen, formally declared on the floor his plans to file a privileged resolution to attempt to make the report public. It’s unclear whether Cohen has drafted a measure that will pass the strict procedural standards, but if it does, Speaker Mike Johnson will be forced to bring it to the floor within two legislative days.
What’s next for the committee: The committee voted to meet again in December, when Republicans on the panel hope to have a finalized report, according to two people familiar with the discussions.
Gaetz on Capitol Hill: The former lawmaker was on Capitol Hill alongside Vice President-elect JD Vance ahead of the Cabinet confirmation process in the Senate. A transition official described his meetings with senators as “productive.” Gaetz is facing serious questions of misconduct so the meetings are particularly important for him to explain why he deserves senators’ support.
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Absences by Trump’s Senate allies help Democrats confirm Biden judges
From CNN’s Tierney Sneed
Senate Democrats have confirmed some of President Joe Biden’s picks for the federal bench this week in the face of President-elect Donald Trump’s calls for a total GOP blockade of judicial nominations – in part because several Republicans involved with the Trump transition process have been missing votes.
Conservative activists blasted Republicans’ failure to show up for the votes.
Who was approved: The Senate approved Embry Kidd for the 11th Circuit, an appeals court overseeing the southeast where GOP-appointees make up a narrow majority of the judges. The 49-45 vote was essentially party line, with independent Sen. Joe Manchin voting with Republicans against the nomination. Five Republicans were absent, as was Democratic Sen. John Fetterman.
Other judicial nominees who have been able to clear pivotal votes because not enough Republicans were present to block them include:
Sarah Russell was selected for Connecticut’s federal trial court. She was confirmed with just 50 votes, with Manchin voting against her. Had the six absent Republicans been present and voted no, it’s likely the nomination would have failed.
Rebecca Pennell for the US District Court in the Eastern District of Washington.
Amir Ali for DC’s federal trial court.
Trump took to social media again on Wednesday to complain about the absences, writing “Republican Senators need to Show Up and Hold the Line — No more Judges confirmed before Inauguration Day!”
How this compares to Trump’s first term: Trump started with more than 100 judicial vacancies, in large part because of GOP tactics when it controlled the upper chamber at the end of President Barack Obama’s administration. During the lame duck session after Trump’s first term, the Senate confirmed 14 of his judicial nominees, among them, US District Judge Aileen Cannon, who dismissed special counsel Jack Smith’s classified documents case against the former president.
Even if no other Biden-appointed judge is confirmed, Trump will start his second term with a number of openings that is fewer than half of that previous number.
CNN’s Alayna Treene, Kristen Holmes, Betsy Klein and Devan Cole contributed to this report.
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Nikki Haley criticizes Gabbard, Trump's intelligence chief pick, saying she's sympathetic to US adversaries
From CNN's Jeff Zeleny
Nikki Haley speaks during an event at the Hudson Institute on May 22, in Washington, DC.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley delivered a blistering critique of Tulsi Gabbard, the former congresswoman chosen by President-elect Donald Trump to serve as director of national intelligence, calling her “a sympathizer” who is not qualified because of close ties to Russia and other foreign adversaries.
On “Nikki Haley Live,” a radio program broadcast on Sirus XM, the former South Carolina governor and one-time rival to Trump, criticized Gabbard for her decision to meet with President Bashar al-Assad of Syria and for embracing Russian talking points.
“Every bit of that, that was Russian propaganda,” Haley said. “After Russia invaded Ukraine, Tulsi Gabbard literally blamed NATO, our Western alliance that’s responsible for countering Russia.”
Haley, who was passed over by Trump in very public fashion and not asked to join his Cabinet during a second term, also had sharp words for Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s choice to lead the Health and Human Services Department.
“Why are we putting someone that’s so ideologically opposed to Donald Trump’s views and Republican views? Why do we want to do that?” Haley said. “He’s a liberal democrat, environmental attorney, trial lawyer who will now be overseeing 25% of our federal budget and has no background in healthcare.”
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Democratic lawmaker moves to try to force vote to release Gaetz ethics report
From CNN's Clare Foran, Sarah Ferris, Annie Grayer and Haley Talbot
Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen has attempted to trigger a vote to release the House Ethics Committee report into allegations of misconduct by former congressman Matt Gaetz — a key step.
Democrats are trying to create a pressure point by forcing Republicans to bring it up the contentious issue on the floor, but it is so far unclear whether the move passes the strict rules to actually force a floor vote.
Cohen called up a resolution on the floor to direct the ethics panel to publicly release its report into the allegations against Gaetz.
If the resolution is determined to be privileged, then House leadership will have to take action on within two legislative days. The House could hold a vote to table — or block — the resolution, hold a vote to refer it to a committee or hold an up or down vote on the merits. It’s not clear yet what will happen.
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Some sources are optimistic after Gaetz and Vance meetings with senators
From CNN's Kristen Holmes
Former Rep. Matt Gaetz departs following meetings with Republican Senators at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024.
Al Drago/Bloomberg/Getty Images
Two sources close to President-elect Donald Trump said they were optimistic after being briefed on today’s meetings with Vice President-elect JD Vance, Matt Gaetz and key republican senators.
One of the sources noted that they didn’t think Gaetz was there in terms of votes, but that they believed this was a step in the right direction.
However, a number of sources in Trump’s orbit expressed concern over the potential release of the ethics report.
“It has the potential to undo any goodwill pretty quickly,” one source said.
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Justice Kagan rejects emergency request from RFK Jr. over Covid-19 misinformation
From CNN's John Fritze
Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan at Washington National Cathedral in Washington, DC, on December 19, 2023.
Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters/File
Justice Elena Kagan on Wednesday smacked down an emergency request from Robert F. Kennedy Jr’s anti-vaccine group to stop Washington state from sanctioning doctors who published false information about Covid-19.
Kennedy was listed as an attorney on the appeal, which was made on behalf of Children’s Health Defense and other plaintiffs just days before the election. President-elect Donald Trump has since nominated Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.
The appeal was based on investigations of physicians by the Washington Medical Commission, which the plaintiffs said violated their First Amendment rights.
The Supreme Court, the plaintiffs said, should “reiterate the bedrock First Amendment principle that the viewpoint public/soapbox speech of physicians, and the public’s right to hear that speech, is accorded ‘robust’ protection by the First Amendment.”
A federal district court dismissed the case.
Kagan, who handles emergency cases rising from the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals, did not call for briefing before denying the request without comment.
CNN has reached out to Kennedy for comment.
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Democratic members voted to release Gaetz report, top Democrat on the House Committee says
From CNN's Haley Talbot and Sarah Ferris
Rep. Susan Wild, the top Democrat on the House Ethics Committee, stressed that members of her party did not agree with the GOP’s decision, and wanted to release the report on former Rep. Matt Gaetz, who is President-elect’s pick for attorney general.
Republicans on the panel voted not to release the report, which the panel’s chairman, GOP Rep. Michael Guest, has said was not complete. Guest said after the meeting that there was “not an agreement” on whether to disclose the findings.
Shortly after Guest’s comments, Wild told reporters: “I do not want the American public or anyone else to think Mr. Guest’s characterization of what transpired today would be some sort of indication that the committee had unanimity or consensus on this issue not to release the report.”
“There was no consensus on this issue,” she said.
The Pennsylvania Democrat added that the panel will reconvene on December 5 to “to further consider this matter.”
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Vance is expected to conduct meetings on Capitol Hill tomorrow with Hegseth
From CNN's Kit Maher
Vice President-elect JD Vance is expected to conduct meetings with key Republican senators on Thursday, this time with President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, according to a source familiar.
Vance and attorney general nominee Matt Gaetz conducted meetings with senators today. The vice president-elect is still on Capitol Hill in the Strom Thurmond Room.
As CNN reported last week, Hegseth paid a woman who accused him of sexual assault in a settlement agreement that included a confidentiality clause. Hegseth denies the assault, characterizing the 2017 incident as a “consensual sexual encounter.”
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DeWine weighs Ohio Senate contenders and is in no rush to fill Vance's seat
From CNN's Jeff Zeleny
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine is weighing up to a half-dozen Republican contenders to fill Vice President-elect JD Vance’s seat in the US Senate, GOP officials tell CNN, but is in no rush to make an announcement about the appointment before January.
Vance has yet to decide when he will formally step down from his seat, officials say, but it’s likely to be closer to the date of the Jan. 20 inauguration. If he decides to do so sooner, DeWine could adjust his timing.
A handful of Ohio members of Congress have expressed interest in the Senate post, officials say, but the narrow Republican majority could complicate elevating a House member to the Senate. Rep. Mike Carey, a former coal lobbyist who won a second term in the House this month, is leading that list.
Other top Republicans who have expressed interest in the Senate seat include: Jane Timken, an RNC member and former state party chairwoman who fell short to Vance in the 2022 Senate primary; Robert Sprague, the Ohio treasurer; Frank LaRose, the Ohio Secretary of State. Additional names could also be under consideration.
Several of the contenders are privately lobbying Trump and Vance for their support, officials tell CNN.
State Sen. Matt Dolan, who fell short to Vance in the 2022 Senate primary and again in the 2024 primary despite winning the support of DeWine, has also expressed interest. Ohio GOP officials said his criticism of President-elect Donald Trump could complicate his chances, unless DeWine decides to follow his own counsel, rather than take suggestions from Vance and other leading Trump supporters in Ohio.
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House Ethics Committee took multiple votes on how to handle Gaetz report
From CNN's Annie Grayer and Sarah Ferris
Members of the House Ethics Committee took multiple votes on whether to release the report from an ethics probe into former Rep. Matt Gaetz during their closed-door two-hour meeting, according to source.
Here’s what happened, per this source:
Voting on releasing the report as is: The report is not final yet. The committee was deadlocked on partisan lines.
Voting on releasing a finalized report: Members voted on whether they should finalize the report as per the chair and ranking members approval and release it on December 5. This failed on partisan lines as well.
There could be more votes and there will be another committee meeting in December.
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"There was not an agreement" to release the ethics report on Gaetz, committee chair says
From CNN's Manu Raju and Annie Grayer
House Ethics Committee Chair Michael Guest told reporters as he left the committee meeting “there was not an agreement by the committee to release the report.”
Guest didn’t say if the committee took an official vote or not.
However, the committee voted on whether to release the report and Republicans voted to protect Gaetz, according to a person familiar.
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Trump eyes right-wing personality Dan Bongino among current and former agents for US Secret Service director
From CNN’s Kristen Holmes, Holmes Lybrand and Jamie Gangel
President-elect Donald Trump is considering a right-wing media personality as well as people who have served on his US Secret Service detail to run the US Secret Service, sources familiar with his thinking tell CNN.
The bombastic podcaster Dan Bongino — a former Secret Service agent who was highly critical of the agency’s leadership as security failures around the alleged assassination attempts on Trump became clear — is being considered for the job.
Bongino spent more than a decade in the Secret Service and individuals who worked with him praised him as a stellar agent and one of the best with whom they had worked. In a podcast last week, Bongino said he hadn’t had any formal conversations about the position.
The former head of Trump’s detail Robert Engel is also among names that could be picked for Secret Service director. Engel was with Trump on January 6, 2021, and testified to the House select committee about the former president’s speech at the Ellipse that preceded the US Capitol attack.
The head of Trump’s current detail Sean Curran is also being considered for the role. But an issue for him could be the close, trusted relationship he has built with Trump, who may want him to stay on as head of his protection for the first few years of his administration, one source familiar with Trump’s thinking told CNN.
As Trump continues to roll out names for top positions in the incoming administration, his choice for director of the Secret Service will be pivotal to the agency’s future – and a particularly personal one for Trump.
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The House Ethics Committee met for 2 hours today as decision on whether to release Gaetz report looms
From CNN staff
The House Ethics Committee met for about two hours on Wednesday.
CNN reported earlier that the panel was expected to discuss the ethics report from an investigation into former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, who has been picked by President-elect Donald Trump to be the next attorney general if confirmed by the Senate.
The House panel had investigated allegations of misconduct against Gaetz, including “sexual misconduct and illicit drug use,” and is considering whether to release a report on its findings. Gaetz resigned from Congress last week, effectively ending the ethics probe into him.
GOP Rep. Michael Guest, the chairman of the House Ethics Committee, told CNN earlier today that he has “reservations” about releasing the panel’s report on Gaetz because, he said, the report isn’t done yet and is still in the “final review” stages.
What could be in the report: CNN had earlier reported that two women testified to the House Ethics Committee that they were paid for “sexual favors” by Gaetz, according to a lawyer for the two women.
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Trump could announce his Treasury secretary pick as early as today. Here are other roles yet to be announced
From CNN's Kristen Holmes
The US Department of Treasury in Washington, DC, on February 22, 2024.
Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images/File
President-elect Donald Trump is expected to announce a choice to be his Treasury Secretary as early as today, two sources familiar with the matter told CNN.
Co-chair of the transition, Howard Lutnick had been part of the hold up on choosing the Cabinet position after inserting himself into the race against hedge fund manager, Scott Bessent. The jockeying between the two led to Trump expanding the field to include Tennessee Sen. Bill Haggerty, Kevin Warsh, a former Federal Reserve governor, and billionaire Marc Rowan.
Sources said that with Lutnick out of the way, being selected for Commerce secretary on Tuesday, they are expecting the rest of the process to move quickly and smoothly.
All of the candidates have been interviewed by Trump and the transition team. The sources insisted that no one had been chosen yet, but there was hope that they could clear this critical position soon.
There are other key roles in the Cabinet that the president-elect has not announced yet, including:
Chair of House Ethics committee says he has "reservations" about releasing Gaetz report since it’s still not done
From CNN's Manu Raju
House Ethics Committee Chairman Rep. Michael Guest arrives to a House Ethics Committee closed-door meeting in the Longworth House Office Building on November 20 in Washington, DC.
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
GOP Rep. Michael Guest, the chairman of the House Ethics Committee, told CNN that he has “reservations” about releasing the panel’s report on Matt Gaetz because, he said, the report isn’t done yet and is still in the “final review” stages.
Asked how far away they are from completing it, Guest noted, “It has not gone through the review process.”
Guest also said among the issues the committee will consider: whether to publicly release the report or transmit it directly to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
“I view a public release, versus a conversation about transmittal to the Senate, I think those are separate conversations that the committee needs to discuss,” Guest said.
Guest would not say if the committee would vote today on the report or how he would vote.
The Republican also told reporters that he hasn’t been in contact with President-elect Trump about the report. “I have not heard from President Trump or any member of his team,” he noted.
This post has been updated with more Guest’s comments on the Gaetz report.
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Gaetz's meetings with senators on Capitol Hill were "productive," transition official says
From CNN’s Paula Reid
President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to be attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, closes a door to a private meeting with Vice President-elect JD Vance and Republican Senate Judiciary Committee members at the Capitol in Washington, DC, on November 20.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
A transition official described former Rep. Matt Gaetz’s meetings with US senators on Capitol Hill on Wednesday as “productive.”
Gaetz, Trump’s pick for attorney general, is on Capitol Hill alongside Vice President-elect JD Vance as he looks to shore up support for his confirmation in the Senate amid a House ethics investigation into the former congressman related to sexual misconduct.
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Democrats on Senate Judiciary committee ask FBI to release records from probe into Trump's AG pick
From CNN's Tierney Sneed, Lauren Fox and Evan Perez
Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee – which will be tasked with considering President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, next year – are asking for the Justice Department to turn over materials it collected in its investigation into whether Gaetz committed sexual misconduct and other alleged crime.
The department opted not to charge the Florida Republican. But its review of the allegations against him was also of interest in a probe by the House Ethics committee, which is now facing calls to release a draft report on its findings.
In a Tuesday letter to FBI director Chris Wray, Democrats led by Judiciary Chair Dick Durbin asked for criminal investigation’s “complete evidentiary file,” including formal notes from FBI interviews of witnesses.
Wednesday’s letter to the Justice Department comes on the heels of a request last week by Senate Democrats that the House committee turn over its report and the evidence it assembled. The House Ethics committee is meeting Wednesday afternoon to discuss the report, but it’s unclear what action, if any, it will take towards releasing it.
The new Democratic request to the FBI said that the “grave public allegations against Mr. Gaetz speak directly to his fitness to serve as the chief law enforcement officer for the federal government.”
Gaetz has vehemently denied the allegations investigated by the Justice Department and the committee, including the claim that he had sex with a woman in 2017 when she was a minor. A spokesperson for Gaetz told CNN last week that “Merrick Garland’s DOJ cleared Matt Gaetz and didn’t charge him.”
The Justice Department has historically not provided access to investigatory materials, a US official familiar matter told CNN, though the Democratic letter cites precedent where some records from other probes, such as the Hillary Clinton email investigation, were shared with lawmakers.
The FBI confirmed to CNN that it received the letter but declined to comment.
CNN’s Manu Raju, Morgan Rimmer, Annie Grayer, Katelyn Polantz and Holmes Lybrand contributed reporting to this post.
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Republican senator says he agrees with House speaker about not releasing Gaetz report
From CNN's Morgan Rimmer and Manu Raju
North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis said that he tends to agree with House Speaker Mike Johnson that the House Ethics Committee should not release its report on former Rep. Matt Gaetz.
“I think that … Speaker Johnson was right. I think you can make an argument that will be politicizing the process. I don’t have any problem — in fact, I want the ethics committees in the House and the Senate to actually maintain some integrity. They have a lot of it,” he said.
Recess appointments: Tillis, who sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, also warned against recess appointments to install Cabinet-level Trump nominees, arguing that those appointments are “too important” for a “shortcut.”
“And quite honestly, any serious candidate for Cabinet-level position, I would have to really wonder if they would want it or be willing to accept it on a recess appointment,” he said. “Those positions are too important and carry too much weight internationally to take a shortcut.”
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Republican senators say hearing would be opportunity for Gaetz to respond to allegations
From CNN's Kit Maher, Ted Barrett and Veronica Stracqualursi
Sen. Mike Lee arrives to meet with Vice President-elect JD Vance and Matt Gaetz in the Capitol on Wednesday, November 20.
Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call/Getty Images
Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley and Utah Sen. Mike Lee met with Vice President-elect JD Vance and Matt Gaetz, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general, inside the Senate.
Both Republican senators said the confirmation hearing would allow Gaetz to answer questions about misconduct allegations against him.
“He’s denied everything, but the hearing is an opportunity for him to under oath in front of everybody, to walk through it,” Hawley said.
Hawley said he had already spoken to Gaetz on the phone and that he speaks to Trump “all the time,” but wouldn’t offer details of their conversations.
After meeting with Gaetz, Hawley said that he did not ask the former Florida congressman about allegations that he had sex with a minor — but said that he does not believe they are credible.
“He’s denied it,” Hawley reiterated. “But listen, I mean, this is why we’ll have a hearing, I hope — in which I’m sure he’ll be asked that under oath, so he’ll have a chance to respond.”
Walking out of the meeting, Hawley told reporters his intention is to vote for all of Trump’s Cabinet nominees and said those with concerns about Gaetz should give him the chance to answer them.
Lee noted, after the meeting, that Gaetz, “did spend a number of minutes talking about the unfairness and the lack of truth of the allegations being pursued by the committee, and the fact that the DOJ didn’t prosecute.” Lee, who sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, added that Gaetz is “confident in his own ability to win over senators and to get confirmed.”
GOP Sen. John Cornyn said that Gaetz is entitled to a “fair process.” He said this is the “beginning of the conversation” with Gaetz, adding that he’s never met the Florida Republican before today. “So no prejudgments. We’re going to do our investigations, our research and give him the opportunity to answer questions,” he told reporters upon leaving the meeting on Capitol Hill with Vance and Gaetz.
This post has been updated with additional details.
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What the scene is like on Capitol Hill as Vance and Gaetz meet with GOP senators
From CNN's Kit Maher and Ted Barrett
Vice President-elect JD Vance has convened a meeting in the US Capitol with Matt Gaetz, Trump’s pick for attorney general, designed so they can meet with Republican senators to build support for his confirmation.
Gaetz is facing serious questions of misconduct so the meetings are particularly important for him to explain why he deserves senators’ support.
Vance and Gaetz are huddled in The Strom Thurmond Room, just off the Capitol Rotunda. The meetings are taking place there for security purposes so Vance, in particular, doesn’t need to move around the Capitol complex to meet senators in their offices.
Reporters and still photographers are roaming outside the doorway as senators walk in and out of the meeting. No video is allowed inside this particular area of the Capitol.
Some Senators have stopped to address the press. CNN has not seen Vance or Gaetz exit the room. But there are two votes later this morning that the vice president-elect may go to the floor to vote.
GOP Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley exited the room moments ago and said he would describe the meetings as both strategy sessions and Q&A. Trump’s Secretary of State pick, Sen. Marco Rubio, who walked into the Capitol with Gaetz and Vance, was not inside the meeting, Hawley said.
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Trump unveils limited edition guitars that are expected to arrive by Christmas
From CNN's Alejandra Jaramillo
President-elect Donald Trump is offering limited edition guitars, as announced in a recent promotion on Truth Social.
“Coming Soon! The Limited Edition “45” Guitar. Only 1,300 of each Acoustic and Electric Guitars MADE — Some personally signed!“ the post reads, along with a link to the official website.
According to the GetTrumpGuitar site, only 1,300 of these special edition guitars will be available, with prices ranging from $1,250 to $10,000. The priciest option is The Signature Edition, which comes with a personal autograph from the president-elect.
The website also highlights that all in-stock guitars will be shipped in time for Christmas delivery.
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Trump's legal team asks judge to dismiss New York hush money case now that he has been reelected
From CNN's Paula Reid
Lawyers for President-elect Donald Trump are asking Judge Juan Merchan to dismiss the New York hush money case now that Trump has been reelected.
In a two-page letter, Trump defense attorney Todd Blanche — and the president-elect’s pick for deputy attorney general — argues that Trump’s reelection “mandates” dismissal of the case, writing:
Trump’s lawyers argue that continuing with the case would be “uniquely destabilizing” and “hamstring the operation of the whole governmental apparatus, both in foreign and domestic affairs.”
His lawyers are asking the court to give them until December 20 to file a motion to dismiss. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office had asked for a deadline of December 9, but Trump lawyers say they want additional time so they can see “positions taken by DOJ in the federal case.” Special counsel Jack Smith has said he will put forth a plan to wind down the two federal cases he has brought against Trump by December 2.
The letter also says that the Trump legal team will continue their appeals at the federal level.
Earlier this week, the Manhattan DA’s office said it would not be opposed to delaying sentencing in the case until after Trump’s four-year term, but it will fight any efforts to dismiss the case.
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Several Republican senators noncommittal on meeting with Vance and Gaetz
From CNN's Danya Gainor and Lauren Fox
GOP Sens. Susan Collins, Cindy Hyde-Smith and Deb Fischer all did not respond to whether they’d meet with Vice President-elect JD Vance as he is with former Rep. Matt Gaetz on Capitol Hill today.
Fischer, who was peppered with questions about any concerns about President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general, said that the process needs to “play out.”
Later, Collins expressed continued concerns about Gaetz being Trump’s pick for attorney general and said she expects the Judiciary Committee to engage in a fulsome vetting process.
Collins said she was not contacted to meet with Gaetz and Vance.
Sens. Jerry Moran and John Boozman said they have no plans to meet with the vice president-elect.
Meanwhile, Sen. John Kennedy told reporters he has a meeting with Vance and former Gaetz later today, but said he didn’t have any expectations for what they would discuss. The Louisiana senator didn’t share whether he had concerns over Gaetz amid the looming ethics report.
Kennedy wouldn’t commit one way or the other whether his support was predicated on seeing the ethics report.
This post has been updated with more reactions from senators.
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Trump announces Matt Whitaker as US ambassador to NATO
From CNN's Kate Sullivan, Jennifer Hansler and Hannah Rabinowitz
Matthew Whitaker, former acting US attorney general, speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference 2020 (CPAC) hosted by the American Conservative Union on February 28, 2020 in National Harbor, Maryland.
Samuel Corum/Getty Images
President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday announced Matt Whitaker, who served as acting attorney general during his first term, as his US ambassador to The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
If confirmed, Whitaker will lead the US mission to NATO during a period where the defensive alliance may still be facing one of its toughest challenges — how to continue to support Ukraine in its war against Russia. He is also likely to be tasked with increasing pressure on countries in the alliance to increase their defense spending — renewing an effort that Trump undertook in his first term.
Earlier this year, NATO announced it would establish a mission to coordinate the provision of military equipment and training for Ukraine — an effort that has been largely led by the US — in a move that some saw as an attempt to “Trump proof” support. Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance have cast doubts on the level of the US continued commitment to Kyiv as the war drags on more than two and a half years after Russian forces invaded.
During the campaign, Trump indicated he would only adhere to NATO’s mutual defense commitment for countries who are contributing enough of their annual budgets to defense. He recounted during the campaign that “one of the presidents of a big country” at one point asked him whether the US would still defend the country if they were invaded by Russia even if they “don’t pay.”
More on the role: According to the US Mission to NATO website, the official representative “occupies the U.S. chair in the North Atlantic Council (NAC), which is the principal political decision-making body within NATO. The NAC oversees the political and military process relating to security issues affecting the Alliance.”
Whitaker, a loyal Trump ally, does not come from a foreign policy background. He served as the former acting attorney general in Trump’s first term and temporarily led the Justice Department after Trump fired Jeff Sessions.
This post has been updated with more details on the role of US ambassador to NATO and Trump’s stance on NATO .
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Vance: GOP senators owe their victories to Trump and he "deserves" Cabinet that is loyal to his agenda
From CNN's Kit Maher
Vice President-elect JD Vance posted Wednesday that the US Senate essentially rode on President-elect Donald Trump’s coattails to a Republican majority and that he deserves a cabinet loyal to his agenda in return.
This comes as Vance is on Capitol Hill with Matt Gaetz and Sen. Marco Rubio meeting with key Republican Senators involved in the Cabinet confirmation process.
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"He will be held to account in the confirmation process," GOP Sen. Graham says after meeting with Gaetz
From CNN's Kit Maher
Sen. Lindsey Graham speaks to reporters after meeting with Vice President-elect JD Vance and nominee to be Attorney General former Rep. Matt Gaetz in the Capitol on Wednesday, November 20.
Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call/Getty Images
South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham said Wednesday he had a “good meeting” with Vice President-elect JD Vance and Matt Gaetz.
Graham said that the former Florida congressman “deserves his chance to make his argument why (he) should be attorney general.”
“I’ve had a history of deferring to presidential nominations. I think Matt is very, very smart guy and these allegations, will be dealt with in committee, but he deserves a chance to confront his accusers, and the process is turning into a lynch mob, and I’m not going to be part of that allegations,” he continued.
Graham later released a statement after his meeting with Gaetz where he urged Senate colleagues, “particularly Republicans, not to join the lynch mob and give the process a chance to move forward. After years of being investigated by the Department of Justice, no charges were brought against Matt Gaetz. This is something we should all remember.”
This post has been updated with more comments from Graham on his meeting with Gaetz.
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Vance arrives on Capitol Hill with Gaetz and Rubio
From CNN's Adrienne Vogt
Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, the President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to be attorney general, walks alongside Vice President-elect JD Vance as they arrive for meetings with Senators at the US Capitol on November 20 in Washington, DC.
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
Vice President-elect JD Vance has arrived on Capitol Hill with former Rep. Matt Gaetz and Sen. Marco Rubio for a day of meetings, according to CNN’s Lauren Fox.
Gaetz has been tapped by President-elect Donald Trump as his pick for attorney general and faces scrutiny over sexual misconduct allegations. Vance is expected to accompany Gaetz in meetings with key Republican senators who will be involved in the confirmation process, sources tell CNN.
House Ethics Committee expected to meet today as panel weighs releasing Gaetz report
From CNN’s Annie Grayer and Sarah Ferris
The House Ethics Committee is expected to meet today as the panel weighs whether to release its final report on former Rep. Matt Gaetz, two sources told CNN on Monday.
The scheduled meeting could get canceled, as it did last week, the sources added.
Members on the committee are weighing whether they can release the report given that Gaetz resigned from Congress when President-elect Donald Trump picked him to be his attorney general.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said last week that he does not think the report should be released and is “going to strongly request that the Ethics Committee not issue the report.”
The Ethics Committee, which has been investigating Gaetz for years, had a narrow window on when it could release its actual report. Because the bipartisan committee doesn’t allow reports to be published close to an election, it could not release the information around the time of Florida’s August primary or the November general election.
More on the report: The Ethics Committee said in June that it had been probing allegations that Gaetz may have “engaged in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, accepted improper gifts, dispensed special privileges and favors to individuals with whom he had a personal relationship, and sought to obstruct government investigations of his conduct.”
At that time, the panel said that Gaetz “has categorically denied all of the allegations before the Committee.”
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How Trump's DOGE team aims to push federal workers to quit with a crackdown on remote work
From CNN's Rene Marsh, Kristen Holmes and Tami Luhby
Elon Musk, left, and Vivek Ramaswamy.
Getty Images
President-elect Donald Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency, a nongovernmental entity helmed by billionaire Elon Musk and biotech entrepreneur and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, is expected to make a push for an end to remote work across federal agencies as a way to help reduce the federal workforce through attrition.
Both Musk and Ramaswamy have recently publicly lamented the number of employees working remotely across the government.
A source familiar with early discussions about the focus of DOGE, as the initiative is known, told CNN that while nothing is final, early priorities include an effort to immediately end remote work across federal agencies, making a five-day work week a requirement for all federal employees.
“It’s a no-brainer stepand many companies have done this. So why shouldn’t federal employees who are paid with taxpayer dollars be required to be in office?” the source said.
The thinking is this kind of mandate, coupled with moving agencies out of Washington, DC, would cause many federal workers to voluntarily leave, helping the new Trump administration thin out the federal workforce ranks and save the government money.
Ending remote work across government is being considered a potential “early candidate” for executive orders that members of DOGE will recommend to Trump, the source said. “It’s definitely on the table,” the source said, though it’s unclear how much they believe this will save the federal government.
Keep in mind: Currently, not all federal workers are required to be in the office five days a week. Each agency determines its remote policy to best complete its mission. There are 1.3 million federal workers approved for telework, according to data from the Office of Personnel Management. Government data shows teleworking federal workers spend 60% of their time performing work in person.
Read more about how a crackdown on remote work could impact federal workers under a second Trump administration.
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The 3 urgent tasks that Trump's pick for Treasury secretary will need to tackle
The incoming Treasury secretary, whomever Trump ultimately picks, will face a confluence of deadlines and campaign promises that will make the early days on the job even more challenging than usual.
By the time the Trump takes office, it’s likely that the US will have hit the debt ceiling, forcing the Treasury Department to use so-called extraordinary measures to allow it to continue paying the nation’s bills on time and in full. And congressional Republicans will be rushing to extend Trump’s landmark 2017 tax cuts act before a multitude of pricey provisions lapse at the end of next year.
Women are invaluable to US military, defense secretary says in response to Hegseth's comments
From CNN’s Haley Britzky and Christian Edwards
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin speaks during a press conference on October 30 in Arlington, Virginia.
Kent Nishimura/Getty Images/File
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he has served with women who’ve done “incredible things,” and they “add significant value” to the United States military.
Austin recounted how he served as a one-star deputy commander of the Third Infantry Division, which he said was “the major element that conducted the assault from Kuwait all the way up to Baghdad” in Iraq in 2003.
“In my command post were several very courageous, very proficient women who did amazing things to support our effort and support their colleagues,” he said.
During his three tours of Iraq and one of Afghanistan, Austin said that “every place I went, there were women doing incredible things, and they were adding value to overall effort” in a wide range of roles, including pilots and operational experts.
“Our women add significant value to the United States military, and we should never change that,” Austin said.
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Vance is bringing some of Trump’s Cabinet picks to Capitol Hill to meet with key GOP senators
From CNN's Alayna Treene and Manu Raju
Vice President-elect JD Vance is bringing some of Donald Trump’s Cabinet picks to Capitol Hill this week for meetings with key Republican senators who will be involved in their confirmation process, three sources familiar with the plans tell CNN.
Vance is expected to sit in on some of the meetings, including those with former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, Trump’s pick for attorney general, and former Fox News host Pete Hegseth, who is slated to run the Department of Defense, the sources said.
Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy, a Republican member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, told CNN that he plans to meet with Gaetz and Vance on Wednesday.
New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump’s pick to serve as the ambassador to the United Nations, as well as former Rep. Doug Collins, who he has selected to serve as Secretary of Veterans Affairs, will also meet with senators this week.
The meetings are expected to place today and tomorrow.
The Senate meetings come as both Gaetz and Hegseth are under intense scrutiny over allegations from their past, leaving questions regarding their staying power in their upcoming confirmation fights.
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Trump taps Linda McMahon to run Education Department
From CNN's Kate Sullivan
Linda McMahon, former Administrator of Small Business Administration, speaks at the Republican National Convention, at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 18.
Brian Snyder/Reuters
President-elect Donald Trump said Tuesday that he’s chosen Linda McMahon, the co-chair of his transition committee, to be Secretary of the Department of Education.
McMahon served as the administrator of the Small Business Administration during Trump’s first term.
CNN reported earlier Tuesday that McMahon was expected to be his pick.
The secretary is the head of the Department of Education and “is responsible for the overall, direction, supervision and coordination of all activities of the Department and is the principal adviser to the president on federal policies, programs and activities related to education in the US,” according to the department’s website.
Some of the Department of Education’s biggest jobs are to administer federal funding appropriated by Congress to K-12 schools and manage the federal student loan and financial aid programs. Trump has pledged to abolish the department. He has not said exactly how he would want to shut the department down, which would require an act of Congress — or what would happen to federally funded education programs if he did.
CNN’s Katie Lobosco contributed reporting to this post.
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Trump announces Howard Lutnick as his pick for Commerce secretary
CNN previously reported the job would go to Lutnick, who has been co-chairing Trump’s transition effort.
Lutnick had been in battle with hedge fund manager Scott Bessent over the role of Treasury secretary after throwing his own name into the mix for the Cabinet position.
In being tapped for Commerce, Lutnick edged out Robert Lighthizer, the US trade representative during Trump’s first term, and Linda McMahon, an administrator of the Small Business Administration from 2017 to 2019, for the role.
What the role involves: The Commerce secretary is tasked with supporting US businesses and often acts as an emissary between other nations to negotiate trade deals and increase foreign investment. There are 13 bureaus housed under the Commerce Department, including the Census Bureau, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Patent and Trademark Office.
Project 2025 — the controversial blueprint for a newly reimagined federal government that Trump tried to distance himself from during the campaign despite numerous ties to its authors — called for NOAA to be “broken up and downsized” and said the agency was part of the “climate change alarm industry.”
The Commerce secretary often works hand-in-hand with other members of the president’s Cabinet tasked with carrying out and advising on economic policy. During Trump’s first term, then-Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross was heavily involved in the heated trade war with China and was a key advocate for levying higher tariffs on the nation.
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Trump selects Dr. Oz to lead Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
From CNN's Aditi Sangal
Mehmet Oz speaks during a town hall in Bell Blue, Pennsylvania, on Monday, May 16, 2022.
Rachel Wisniewski/Bloomberg/Getty Images
President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Dr. Mehmet Oz as his pick to be the administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
Dr. Oz is a cardiothoracic surgeon and television personality, who also ran for the US Senate in Pennsylvania as a Republican and lost. The 64-year-old is an Ohio native who attended medical school at the University of Pennsylvania. He rose to fame as a frequent guest of Oprah Winfrey, eventually launching his own syndicated daytime TV talk show in 2009. He also has connections to Trump. In 2018, Trump appointed Oz to the Presidential Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition, reappointing him to the position in 2020.
CMS oversees everything to do with Medicare and Medicaid, as well as the Affordable Care Act exchanges, which provide health care coverage to more than 150 million people. It is under the umbrella of Department of Health and Human Services, which will be helmed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. if he’s confirmed by the Senate.
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Here are some of the key Cabinet selections Trump has made and what they will oversee
From CNN’s Maureen Chowdhury
President-elect Donald Trump continues to move ahead with his presidential transition, announcing his selection for key Cabinet positions that will help carry out his policies.
Below are some of the key Cabinet positions in each administration and their critical function in running the US government:
Attorney General: The attorney general’s main duty is to represent the US in legal matters as head of the Department of Justice, according to the DOJ’s website. The attorney general oversees the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), among others. He or she also provides advice and opinions “on legal matters to the president and the Cabinet,” the DOJ site said. Trump has selected former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general, a role that is expected to be crucial to Trump’s vision for his second term and will help enforce the president-elect’s policy on immigration, reproductive health and the political retribution he’s vowed to pursue.
Secretary of State: The secretary of state is the head of the State Department, and serves as the president’s primary adviser on the country’s foreign policy and conducts negotiations relating to US foreign affairs, according to the State Department’s website. The secretary is tasked with carrying out the president’s “foreign policies through the State Department and the Foreign Service of the United States,” the department’s website said. Trump has selected Florida Sen. Marco Rubio as his pick for this high-ranking position.
Defense secretary: According to the Defense Department website, “the secretary of defense oversees the Defense Department and acts as the principle defense policymaker and adviser.” The defense secretary’s authority over the US military is second only to the president. Trump has selected Fox News host Pete Hegseth as his pick for this position.
Health and Human Services secretary: The HHS secretary advises the president “on health, welfare, and income security plans, policies and programs of the Federal Government and directs Department staff in carrying out the programs and activities of the Department,” according to the US government manual site. The agencies and offices that fall under HHS include the National Institutes of Health, Center for Disease Control and the Food and Drug Administration. Trump has selected Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for this position.
Homeland Security secretary: The duties of this secretary’s office include counterterrorism efforts, cybersecurity, aviation security, border and port security and enforcement of US immigration laws, according to the Department of Homeland Security’s website. Trump has selected South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem as his pick to lead the agency that’s expected to play a central role in his immigration crackdown.
