Donald Trump is hiring an old associate from his reality TV days for a diplomatic post in his second administration.
Mark Burnett, the British producer who created NBC's The Apprentice, will serve as Trump's special envoy to the United Kingdom.
"With a distinguished career in television production and business, Mark brings a unique blend of diplomatic acumen and international recognition to this important role," Trump wrote on Truth Social on Saturday.
The position is a separate from that of U.S. Ambassador to the U.K., for which Trump has nominated billionaire donor Warren Stephens.
Special envoy positions are more limited in scope and do not require Senate confirmation.
"Mark will work to enhance diplomatic relations, focusing on areas of mutual interest, including trade, investment opportunities, and cultural exchanges," Trump said.
In addition to The Apprentice, Burnett created hit shows like Shark Tank, Survivor, and the Voice, winning 13 Emmy awards in all.
Burnett said in a statement: "I am truly honoured to serve The United States of America and President Trump as his Special Envoy to the United Kingdom."
Trump was already an iconic real estate mogul when The Apprentice debuted in 2004. The series, in which Trump famously bellowed "you're fired!" to the losing contestant, further established his reputation as a tough, savvy businessman.
Trump's life, and the course of political history, were forever changed in 2015 when he ran for the presidency. He became a pariah in show business virtually overnight, as millions of American "deplorables" who had been dismissed by the political establishment embraced Trump as their champion.
Almost a decade after his first stunning upset against Hillary Clinton, Trump has defied the odds again in a spectacular comeback - and he is enjoying newfound popularity after surviving assassination and an avalanche of politically charged legal cases on his path back to the White House.
As he prepares for his second term, Trump is hiring primarily loyalists. When Trump first came to Washington as a political novice, he relied on insiders who frequently obstructed his agenda.
In 2010, Burnett gushed to the BBC about Trump, calling him "fearless" and "a big strong, tough guy."
"He is a very, very down-to-earth normal guy and he's a really, really loyal friend and, as I've seen him with many other people, not the kind of enemy you would want," said Burnett at the time.
There are fireworks currently going off within the ranks of the North Carolina Supreme Court, and it's due to a razor-thin ballot margin regarding an associate justice seat.
According to WUNC, Republican Jefferson Griffin isn't giving up his fight to claim the seat over election winner and Democrat Allison Riggs. He's urging the state's high court to take up his ballot protest.
So far, there have been two recounts in the wake of the election, as Riggs has reportedly held onto a 700-vote lead over Griffin since Election Day.
Griffin believes he has a solid chance at claiming victory, as he's protesting some 60,000 ballots that he claims were filled with irregularities, making them, in his view, invalid.
So far, Griffin, a judge on the North Carolina Court of Appeals, hasn't had much in the way of success in convincing the court that the ballots are invalid.
WUNC noted:
Last week, the North Carolina State Board of Elections dismissed Griffin's protests, finding they lacked sufficient evidence, and that the GOP candidate failed to adequately notify affected voters.
The outlet noted:
Normally, Griffin first would have filed an appeal in state Superior Court. But on Wednesday, Griffin filed a writ of prohibition, seeking to circumvent the typical appeals process and went right to the North Carolina Supreme Court, asking the justices to prevent certification of the election and invalidate the 60,000-plus challenged ballots.
Griffin argued that Supreme Court intervention is needed due to the timeline of the certification process taking place in North Carolina.
The appeals court judge wants the state's high court to issue a stay on the matter by Dec. 23, giving ample time to wrap up his legal fight to have the votes invalidated.
The only problem is that the North Carolina elections board argued that Griffin has overstated the urgency of the matter.
Griffin is going all out in his fight, as he reportedly seeking court rulings "on provisions of the federal Help America Vote Act and the National Voter Registration Act."
Jefferson Griffin Files Protests to Safeguard Election Integrity #NCPOL #NCCourts pic.twitter.com/vEQOt2yxAL
— NCGOP (@NCGOP) November 19, 2024
Griffin definitely has support on the Republican side. Many X users applauded his efforts.
"Good!! Keep up the great work and make the cheaters accountable for the first time!! Just like PA we need to keep our focus on free and fair elections! When we count until they find votes to win then no one believes the outcome," one X user wrote.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) once ruled Capitol Hill with an iron fist and was involved in every scrap and dispute within the ranks of her own party, often the decision-maker and final say in many matters.
However, according to Axios, that's no longer the case. The outlet cited a number of Democrats who have confirmed that Pelosi has largely detached herself from refereeing internal fights and is taking a different approach.
The new way Pelosi is handling business within the Democratic Party is a massive change from where she was just a few years ago.
The latest example of backing away from internal situations, such as backing certain members for committee positions, is very much apparent, according to Axios' sources on the matter.
The outlet said several Democrats reported Pelosi's new "model" of working within the Democratic Party and not involving herself in important issues like using her influence to ensure certain Democratic members get certain committee assignments.
The outlet noted:
During her reign, Pelosi "would actively have her hands on these races" and would "prevent them from even happening" in some cases, said one veteran House Democrat.
It added:
If folks are looking for this narrative that Nancy Pelosi was behind the curtain orchestrating [things], I don't think that happened," said Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.)
"That's not what happened here. I think it is a different model," another unnamed House Democrat reportedly told the outlet.
Even worse for Pelosi, who at one point could essentially snap her fingers and make anyone have any job they wanted, some of the people she did decide to back ultimately lost their internal races for committee assignments.
Pelosi recently had hip surgery, which kept her largely out of the internal races, according to the outlet.
Several Democrats reported that while Pelosi was sought for "counsel" for some candidates running for committee assignments, her involvement otherwise was limited.
Reportedly, an ally of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) told the outlet they "haven't heard people talking so much" about Pelosi and her role and influence in the races.
Axios noted:
Pelosi did some campaigning for her candidates, as Axios has reported. But numerous House Democrats said Tuesday that activity appeared to be fairly limited and fell short of a true whip operation.
It seems as if Pelosi's days of whipping candidates and policies to her liking are fading, if not completely over.
With help from Chuck Schumer (D-Ny.) and some Senate Republicans, President Biden has officially surpassed Donald Trump's record on confirming federal judges.
Schumer was able to confirm Biden's final two judges on Friday before Congress was set to split for the year. The lame duck Biden is now leaving office with 235 judges, just one more than the 234 that Trump confirmed in his first term.
Earlier in the week, Trump had urged Senate Republicans not to "fast-track" Biden's judicial nominees before Congress goes home for Christmas. Trump argued the seats should be left open for him to fill after his historic re-election.
“To all Senate Republicans: NO DEAL WITH DEMOCRATS TO FAST TRACK NOMINATIONS AT THE END OF THIS CONGRESS,” Trump wrote. "I won the biggest mandate in 129 years. I will make my appointments of Very Qualified People in January when I am sworn in,” Trump added.
Despite Trump's demand, Senate Republicans honored a Thanksgiving agreement they made with Schumer not to block votes on Biden's remaining district court nominees.
In exchange, Schumer had promised to leave open four circuit court positions for Trump, but it turned out Schumer had not conceded anything of value. Democrats admitted they never had the votes for those seats, anyway.
To make matters worse, one of the circuit judges who was set to retire, James Wynn of the 4th Circuit, reversed his decision to stop Trump from replacing him. Two liberal district court judges have done the same.
Even with liberal judges engaging in brazen dirty politics, Republicans opted to play nice with Schumer and Biden.
“It’s not right that — that happened, but my understanding is that we have an agreement not to go forward with those appellate judges,” Senator Rick Scott (R-Fl.) told the Washington Examiner.
With Republicans staying out of the way, Schumer successfully confirmed Benjamin Cheeks to the federal district court in Southern California and Serena Murillo to the be district judge for the Central District of California. Both of the votes passed along party lines Friday.
President Biden has prioritized adding minorities and women to the federal judiciary, fulfilling an explicit pledge to confirm a black woman, Ketanji Brown Jackson, to the Supreme Court. Trump had more impact on the highest court in the land, appointing three Supreme Court picks compared to Biden's one.
Biden also confirmed fewer circuit court judges than Trump - with 45 for Biden to Trump's 54. Still, Biden left a seismic impact in terms of demographics: the vast majority of Biden's judges are non-white, and about two-thirds are women, something Democrats have celebrated as a win for so-called diversity.
“When I ran for President, I promised to build a bench that looks like America and reflects the promise of our nation. And I’m proud I kept my commitment to bolstering confidence in judicial decision-making and outcomes,” Biden said in a statement Friday.
While Biden's judges will serve for life, his influence will be mitigated by a second term of Trump.
"Let me assure you, by January 20th of 2029, Trump will be bragging about getting 240 judges,” incoming Senate Judiciary chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Ia.) said.
The chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Michael McCaul (R-Tx.), went rogue Tuesday and issued a statement claiming that the recent drones sighted around the U.S. are from China - as the government maintains that everything is normal.
Breaking with the Biden administration's assessment that the drones are harmless, McCaul said their behavior suggests they are here to spy on the U.S.
“We need to identify who is behind these drones,” he said. “My judgment based on my experience is that those that are over our military sites are adversarial and most likely are coming from the People’s Republic of China.”
The reports of drones started in New Jersey and started spreading along the East Coast, leading to public concern and speculation about the drones' origin and purpose. The Biden administration has attributed the drone sightings to a combination of benign causes, including hobbyist drones and commercial aircraft, but skepticism abounds.
McCaul said the Biden administration "can't explain" why drones are being sighted near military installations. At least one air base, in Ohio, shut down last weekend because of drone sightings.
“We want answers but the response I’m getting is ‘We don’t know whose drones these are,'” McCaul told reporters Tuesday.
“I was with the NASA administrator, Bill Nelson, he said that these drones have been reported over military sites, military bases. I would not think those are friendly. I would think those are adversarial,” McCaul said.
The House Intelligence Committee received a briefing Tuesday from the FBI, CIA, and Office of the Director of National Intelligence. The intelligence community has publicly assessed that the drones are not a threat.
"We assess that the sightings to date include a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones, and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and stars mistakenly reported as drones," a joint statement from the Pentagon, FBI, Department of Homeland Security, and FAA said.
A Chinese spy balloon famously flew across the U.S. early last year, prompting criticism of President Biden's delayed response in shooting it down.
This week, President-elect Trump fueled speculation that the Biden administration is engaged in a cover-up over the recent drones.
"Our military knows and our president knows. And for some reason, they want to keep people in suspense," Trump told reporters at Mar-A-Lago.
“I can’t imagine it’s the enemy,” Trump added. “Because if it was the enemy, they’d blast it out — even if they were late, they’d blast it. Something strange is going on. For some reason they don’t want to tell the people, and they should.”
They say that a mother's work is never finished, and that's an adage that Melania Trump is keeping close to her heart.
The wife of President-elect Donald Trump is anxious for her son Barron's protection as he enters on his adult life, insiders told People, with mother and son remaining in close contact.
The former and future First Lady has long endeavored to keep her son out of the political fray, and she does not see her duties as a mother lessening with her son attracting more public attention than ever.
“Melania worries about the hate in the country and how it falls on her son, who is innocent of any of this,” a source told People.
According to sources, Melania wants her son to make friends, but she has encouraged him to beware of "haters" with ulterior motives.
"She wants to encourage him to make friends, be super careful of the haters which can be anywhere — especially on college campuses these days — and keep him mentally healthy by having open communication with him and the rest of her immediate family."
Melania's guarded attitude has no doubt been influenced by her own experiences with being double crossed by former associates who went on to blast her in public.
And her concern for her son's safety is certainly justified after an election year that saw her husband, Donald, survive two assassination attempts as his political rivals compared him to Hitler.
Barron has constant Secret Service protection while he attends college classes at New York University's Stern School of Business. Melania and her son talk about their unique experiences with being in the spotlight, sources told People, and she does what she can to give him a normal life.
“She is and has been a good sounding board for him. They talk about life as it is and how they are in the spotlight," the source adds. "She tries to normalize his life. If that is even possible.”
Earlier this year, Melania confirmed that Barron is living at his family's Trump Tower residence in Manhattan while he attends school nearby. While he remains physically and emotionally connected to his mother, Barron is said to be a popular student on campus.
The college freshman may not be able to have a typical life, but he has found a safe way to socialize with peers through online gaming.
Meanwhile, a day is coming when Melania will have to make room for another woman in Barron's life, with insiders describing him as quite the ladies' man at school.
"He’s tall and handsome. A lot of people seem to think he’s pretty attractive — yes, even liberal people like him," a source said.
Melania Trump thanked a crowd of supporters at Mar-A-Lago for "being there" for her and her son Barron through a turbulent year.
2024 was a roller coaster for the Trump family, marked by lawfare, two harrowing assassination attempts, and finally, Donald Trump's triumphant re-election victory.
In a rare display of vulnerability, Melania expressed her gratitude Sunday night, telling a throng of supporters: "For being there for myself and Barron - thank you for that."
While Melania has long endeavored to shield her son from the political spotlight, that is liable to change as Barron, her only child with Donald Trump, enters adulthood.
"Melania worries about the hate in the country and how it falls on her son, who is innocent of any of this," a source told People.
This year, Melania's relationship with her son entered a new phase as Barron went off to college at New York University, even as the threats to her family became more real than ever.
As her husband survived not one but two assassination attempts, Melania became more outspoken with her own political views, condemning Donald's rivals for inciting hatred against him.
Melania's political convictions were also hardened by a frightening experience impacting her son, who was allegedly blacklisted from her bank, she confessed in her memoir, blasting the incident as an example of "cancel culture" run amok.
Now, Melania is set to reprise her role as First Lady, as Barron matures into a confident young gentleman with a bright future ahead.
Like his mother, Barron remains a mysterious figure known for his stoic aura. He is well-liked by his college peers, especially the ladies.
"He’s tall and handsome. A lot of people seem to think he’s pretty attractive — yes, even liberal people like him," a source told People.
Melania Trump is a "mama bear" to be sure - and she remains a strong support for her son as he goes off into the world.
"She wants to encourage him to make friends, be super careful of the haters which can be anywhere — especially on college campuses these days — and keep him mentally healthy by having open communication with him and the rest of her immediate family," another source told People.
It's definitely going to be an adjustment for Melania to let go of Barron, who has long been the center of her emotional universe. But there are indications that Melania is ready to embrace political responsibilities with renewed vigor, as her increasingly vocal public role suggests.
Kash Patel is building enough support in the Senate to be confirmed as FBI director, Republican senator Eric Schmitt (Mo.) said.
Patel's confirmation would place a Donald Trump loyalist in charge of an agency that has spent years targeting Trump and his supporters.
During Trump's first presidential term, while working as a staffer on the House Intelligence Committee under Devin Nunes, Patel played a prominent role in uncovering the FBI's surveillance abuses against Trump's 2016 campaign.
Despite alarmist media coverage about Patel's plans for FBI reform, the Trump ally is securing support from Republican senators.
Senator Eric Schmitt told ABC's This Week that Patel is the right fit, citing his broad experience and the need for a reform-minded leader at the FBI.
"I do think Kash Patel is the right man for the job. He served as chief of staff for the Department of Defense. He was a prosecutor and public defender and let’s review the tape here," Schmitt said.
FBI director Christopher Wray announced his upcoming resignation last week. Although appointed by Trump, Wray lost the trust of Trump and most of his supporters as the FBI increasingly waded into domestic politics.
"The FBI was involved in spying on President Trump in 2016. The FBI was involved in the Hunter Biden laptop coverup," Schmitt said. "They pre-bunked that story with big tech. The FBI has investigated Catholics because they attend traditional Latin Mass, and the FBI has investigated parents who show up to school board meetings because under the us auspice of the Patriot Act."
"That agency is in desperate need of reform. Kash Patel is very qualified and I think he’ll get the support in the Senate," he said.
Criticism of Patel has centered on his alleged plans to seek retribution on Trump's behalf. Trump has sent mixed signals about whether he will turn the FBI against his former persecutors, telling NBC News last week that he would let Patel decide what to do.
"I think he’s going to do what he thinks is right,” Trump said. “If they think that someone was dishonest, or crooked or corrupt politicians, I think he probably has an obligation to do it.”
Patel's growing support is likely good news for Trump's other controversial Cabinet nominees, like Pete Hegseth and Tulsi Gabbard, who have faced similar backlash over their plans to shake up Washington.
Even children know that saying "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas" isn't going to cut it anymore, as most Americans want to hear the latter.
First Lady Jill Biden found that out in the most humiliating way last week at a U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots event held at the White House. A few of the children in the audience were quick to correct her political correctness.
According to the Daily Mail, as she entered the room and began talking, she shouted "Happy Holidays!" to the people in the room, only to be corrected by one of the children.
The child shouted back, "Happy Christmas!" sending the room into an uproar with an obviously-embarrassed first lady scrambling for her next sentence.
Video of the embarrassing situation for Jilly Biden quickly made the rounds across social media as she was brutally mocked for being corrected -- properly -- by a child.
Jill Biden: "Hello kids. Happy Holidays!"
Kids in the crowd: "Happy CHRISTMAS!" pic.twitter.com/aPCT1kj7kO
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) December 13, 2024
The Daily Mail noted:
The First Lady greeted children at the White House on Friday to mark the festive season at the Marine Corps' 'Toys for Tots' event, welcoming military families: 'Hello! How are you? Happy Holidays!'
Social media absolutely destroyed the first lady for trying her PC greeting on the kids -- especially given that it was a Marine Corps event specifically for a Christmas-based cause.
Jill Biden scrambled after the correction and tried to make a funny moment out of the situation before finally saying "Happy holidays and Merry Christmas" as she prepared to leave the room.
Still, the damage was already done, and the mockery was thick.
Social media uses held nothing back as they torched the first lady for having her woke, PC garbage greeting trampled by a small child.
"Merry Christmas is the proper statement. Christmas is a national holiday," one X user wrote.
Another X user wrote, "I’ll never understand the whole “Happy Holidays” thing. It is starting to creep into Australia too. I presume it is an American saying. However it has now been hijacked by those who are anti-Christmas."
One can be sure that the parents of that child are proud right about now.
As Democrats in Congress and their media allies worked overtime to torpedo former Republican lawmaker Matt Gaetz as President-elect Donald Trump's attorney general, at least one Dem found herself in potentially big trouble.
According to the Washington Examiner, House Ethics Committee ranking member Susan Wild (D-PA) is thought to have been at the center of a leak related to a controversial report regarding Gaetz's internal investigation.
Now, House Republicans are considering disciplinary actions against her, which could include a censure resolution.
Republicans would need to bring the resolution to the floor no later than next week, as Wild is set to leave Congress in January.
Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) has reportedly been asked for his "view" on whether or not to bring the resolution to punish Wild to the House floor.
"House Ethics discussions are confidential, and House Ethics has no jurisdiction over individuals not serving in Congress. There must be consequences for ‘leaking,’" Perry said in a post on X.
He added, "How can anyone have any faith in the House Ethics Committee when one of its own members are engaged in unethical practices."
While I am not leading this effort, I am being asked my view on a censure of Rep. Wild. House Ethics discussions are confidential and House Ethics has no jurisdiction over individuals not serving in Congress. There must be consequences for “leaking.”
How can anyone have any…
— Rep. Scott Perry (@RepScottPerry) December 13, 2024
Notably, Wild has been absent from recent Ethics Committee meetings discussing the report.
While it wasn't clear exactly why she skipped the meetings, a spokesperson for her office released a statement to The Hill.
"Rep. Wild was frustrated by the manner in which the report was handled and didn’t feel it was fruitful to participate in any further meetings on its ‘potential’ release. Characterizing it as anything more is inaccurate. There will be no further statement," Jed Ober, Wild’s chief of staff, wrote.
Penny received mixed reactions to his announcement, with many doubting that anything will happen to her.
"House ethics what a joke. Are they going to get a strongly worded letter in their file or fired by the American people? If you people in Congress won't do your job, we the people will do it for you. Despicable," one X user wrote.
Another X user wrote, "It is time that Republicans did something other than cower to socialist democrats."