President-elect Donald Trump's transition team has asked senior career diplomats who oversee the U.S. State Department's workforce to step down ahead of Trump's inauguration.
Reuters reported that Dereck Hogan, Marcia Bernicat, and Alaina Teplitz have been asked to step down by the Trump team as they have been in charge of the workforce and internal state department coordination and need to be removed in order for Trump to clean house.
Typically, career foreign service officers continue from one administration to the next while many other federal officials experience turnover when administrations change.
Trump is not interested in keeping anyone from previous administrations on board as it's those career diplomats and officials who undermined Trump's administration the last time around.
Trump promised supporters that he would "clean out the deep state" by firing bureaucrats that he believes are disloyal and that would slow down his agenda.
The news of Trump asking career officials to step down has already ignited panic among the Washington D.C. class of career bureaucrats.
One anonymous official stated, "There's a little bit of a concern that this might be setting the stage for something worse."
The Trump campaign issued a statement in response to those grumblings saying, "It is entirely appropriate for the transition to seek officials who share President Trump's vision for putting our nation and America's working men and women first. We have a lot of failures to fix and that requires a committed team focused on the same goals."
Trump wants to do everything differently and is changing every aspect of American domestic and foreign policy and that will require new people who can be trusted not to protect the old corrupt system.
Trump's foreign policy in particular is going to look entirely different from the typical American foreign policy.
Trump wants peace between Ukraine and Russia and the people who failed to achieve that over the past four years are getting the boot. Trump isn't playing around this time around and understands that he has to clean everyone out if he wants to avoid the pitfalls of his first term.
While Trump wants to end the raging conflicts going on around the globe, Trump also wants to make truly generational changes.
Trump wants to bring Greenland under the control of the United States, whether that be by direct acquisition or diplomatic means. Trump wants Greenland for economic and national security purposes and such a move will cement Trump's status as an extraordinary president.
Trump also wants to retake the Panama Canal which has been under the control of Panama since 1979. All of this will require that those bureaucrats who have called D.C. home for decades must go.
An official in the Biden administration told the Associated Press on Thursday that President Joe Biden won't enforce a ban on TikTok scheduled to take effect on January 19, one day before President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated.
Trump has said he would sign an executive order delaying the ban for 60 or 90 days if a viable offer was on the table to sell to an American buyer or at least one that is an ally of the U.S.
A court denied Trump a stay on the ban, and the Supreme Court upheld the ban on Friday.
The ban was passed by Congress last year and signed by Biden due to the security risks officials felt the app posed. If parent company Byte Dance doesn't divest itself of TikTok by the 19th,
ByteDance Chinese state-owned, and investigations showed that TikTok shared user data with the parent company on more than one occasion.
Trump's view of TikTok has changed since his previous administration, given that TikTok did play a role in increasing the share of younger voters he was able to capture this time around.
“I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok,” Trump said last month.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew has been granted a special seat on the dais for Trump's inauguration.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle want to see the ban's deadline extended. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) spoke to Biden earlier this week about the issue.
“It’s clear that more time is needed to find an American buyer and not disrupt the lives and livelihoods of millions of Americans, of so many influencers who have built up a good network of followers,” Schumer said Thursday on the Senate floor.
Republican Sen. Tom Cotton (AR) blocked legislation that would have extended the ban's timeline, which was put forward by Democrats.
“TikTok is a Chinese Communist spy app that addicts our kids, harvests their data, targets them with harmful and manipulative content, and spreads communist propaganda,” Cotton said.
TikTok contributed over $24 billion to the U.S. economy in 2023, the last year data was available.
Every day in the U.S., the TikTok marketplace sells $7 million in products, and the app supports 224,000 jobs in the U.S.
Some of the previous president's favorite musicians are scheduled to sing at President-elect Trump's inauguration next week, ensuring a star-studded lineup.
Preliminary editions of the inaugural program indicate that three additional performers, including country music sensation Carrie Underwood, would grace the stage during Trump's swearing-in event, as The Independent reported.
“I love our country and am honored to have been asked to sing at the Inauguration and to be a small part of this historic event,” Underwood said.
“I am humbled to answer the call at a time when we must all come together in the spirit of unity and looking to the future,” she continued.
Underwood will perform "America the Beautiful" with the help of the United States Naval Academy Glee Club and the Armed Forces Chorus.
The American Idol star will be joined on stage by opera singer Christopher Macchio, country singer Lee Greenwood, and the Village People, a disco trio from the 1970s.
Notable performances by the Village People include the inaugural ball and a rally in Washington, DC, the day before Trump's swearing-in.
The trio, who are famous for the song "Y.M.C.A.," announced the announcement on social media and reiterated that their music is not targeted at a particular demographic and should be played "without regard to politics."
“Our song Y.M.C.A. is a global anthem that hopefully helps bring the country together after a tumultuous and divided campaign where our preferred candidate lost,” they wrote in a Facebook post.
“Therefore, we believe it’s now time to bring the country together with music which is why VILLAGE PEOPLE will be performing at various events as part of the 2025 Inauguration of Donald J. Trump.”
Macchio will sing the National Anthem at Trump's request, and Greenwood, who sang for Trump before being sworn in in 2017, will perform as Trump leaves to take the oath.
Over four days, the 60th Presidential Inaugural Ceremony will include cabinet receptions, firework displays, a Make America Great Again victory rally, parade, prayer service, and more.
“These special events will honor the rich history and tradition of our great nation, the American people, and the promise our country holds for future generations,” said a statement from the Trump Vance Inaugural Committee schedule.
As part of the celebrations, President Joe Biden is expected to attend, and the soon-to-be First Lady Melania Trump will also partake in tea with the Bidens.
The swearing-in event is set to commence at the United States capitol prior to noon Eastern time on January 20.
In an emotional outburst that took place at one in the morning, Donald Trump attacked Jack Smith.
This came after the special counsel published his report, which concluded that the president-elect attempted to illegally change the results of the 2020 election, as The Daily Mail reported.
According to the findings of the study presented by the Department of Justice, Trump "inspired his supporters to commit acts of physical violence" during the riots that occurred on January 6 and willfully promoted a false narrative about fraud in the 2020 election.
In addition, the long-awaited paper, which was written by Smith, asserted that Trump would have been found guilty of the role he played if he had not been re-elected by voters in a landslide victory the previous year.
In response, Trump unleashed a raging tirade on his social media platform TruthSocial, describing Smith as a "deranged lamebrain prosecutor."
“Deranged Jack Smith... is a lamebrain prosecutor who was unable to get his case tried before the Election, which I won in a landslide,” Trump wrote.
“[He was] was unable to successfully prosecute the Political Opponent of his ‘boss,’ Crooked Joe Biden, so he ends up writing yet another ‘Report”’ based on information that the Unselect Committee of Political Hacks and Thugs ILLEGALLY DESTROYED AND DELETED, because it showed how totally innocent I was, and how completely guilty Nancy Pelosi, and others, were.”
A reference to the House select committee that was led by Representative Bennie Thompson and was responsible for investigating the effort to alter the results of the 2020 election was part of the report.
The document noted that President Trump made the claim that the committee had destroyed evidence because it demonstrated how "totally innocent" he was, but he did not provide any proof to back up his assertion.
Mike Johnson, the Speaker of the House, made an announcement earlier this month that there will be a formal investigation of the House committee in question.
The committee in question included Republicans Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger as members. This action is commonly interpreted as an act of retaliation on behalf of the incoming president.
Smith spoke up for his investigation, saying: “The claim from Trump that my decisions as a prosecutor were influenced or directed by the Biden administration or other political actors is, in a word, laughable.”
Smith has been subjected to consistent criticism by President-elect Trump, and his supporters have suggested that the special counsel should now be prosecuted for his prosecution of the case against him.
In various sections, the report explores Trump's use of influece on the ceremonial role in certifying the election results in Congress as well as his pressure on his subordinate, Mike Pence.
“When it became clear that Trump had lost the election and that lawful means of challenging the election results had failed, he resorted to a series of criminal efforts to retain power”, Smith wrote.
One of the most popular country music superstars in America, Carrie Underwood, has said she will sing "America the Beautiful" at President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration on January 20.
Political reporter Matthew Foldi announced the development by posting a photo of the inauguration program on X, and the Trump transition team confirmed the announcement.
NEWS:@carrieunderwood performing at Donald Trump’s inauguration pic.twitter.com/pek9EdBwkm
— Matthew Foldi (@MatthewFoldi) January 13, 2025
Underwood will perform the song with The Armed Forces Chorus and the United States Naval Academy Glee Club just before Trump is sworn in.
Underwood got her start when she won American Idol in 2005, and she has become one of the top-selling artists of all time.
She has won multiple Grammy Awards and was part of a trend of country music artists crossing over into mainstream music.
Her hits have included "Jesus Take the Wheel," "Blown Away," and "Before He Cheats."
“I love our country and am honored to have been asked to sing at the Inauguration and to be a small part of this historic event,” Underwood told People. “I am humbled to answer the call at a time when we must all come together in the spirit of unity and looking to the future.”
Unlike many other musicians, Underwood has kept her political views private over the years, so it is not known whether she is a Democrat or a Republican.
Underwood is one of several musicians who will perform at the inauguration.
Operatic tenor Christopher D. Macchio will sing the National Anthem and other musical selections.
Macchio performed at many of Trump's rallies and was popular with crowds there.
The U.S. Naval Academy Glee Club will perform “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Combine Choirs will also perform various musical selections.
The Village People will perform at two inaugural events, but not during the inauguration itself.
President-elect Donald Trump has given congressional Republicans the green light to negotiate the state and local tax (SALT) deduction as part of a new tax relief package, with the goal of giving relief to some Americans while not giving tax breaks to the wealthy.
Trump met with blue state GOP lawmakers from the House SALT Caucus, who oppose the current $10,000 SALT deduction cap.
The cap hurts residents of states with higher state and local tax rates, as well as those with higher incomes.
"I think it was productive and successful," Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) said of the meeting. "The president supports our efforts to increase the SALT deduction. He understands that mayors and governors in blue states are crushing taxpayers and wants to provide relief from the federal level."
Trump knows he needs to find the sweet spot between giving relief to squeezed middle-class taxpayers and avoiding relief for the wealthy who people perceive don't really need it.
"He gave us a little homework to work on, a number that could provide our middle class constituents with relief from the high taxes imposed by our governor and mayor, and at the same time, you know, something that can build consensus and get to [a 218-vote majority]," Malliotakis said.
"I think we pretty much know that it's not going to be a complete lifting of the SALT cap. There’s not an appetite within Congress or even among American taxpayers to lower taxes for the ultra-wealthy.
"Our efforts are really targeted to middle-class families, and that's what we're focused on in trying to achieve the right balance."
But Trump recognizes that some of his constituents were ill-served by the SALT cap, and he has spoken previously about making that right.
He posted on Truth Social last September that he would "get SALT back, lower your taxes, and so much more."
The negotiation is part of a massive reconciliation bill that needs to please nearly every Republican in order to pass without any Democrat support.
The Republican majority in the Senate is bigger than that in the House, which is only two seats until at least April.
Monday on his Verdict podcast, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) suggested that a good compromise to the SALT issue could be ending the marriage penalty on the deduction.
Currently, the cap is $10,000 whether filing single or married joint. Making the married joint cap $20,000 would equalize the cap for married couples while not extending tax relief to those with very high incomes in most cases.
Rory Callum Sykes, a British-born former child actor, was found dead at his family’s home in Malibu that burned down from the massive wildfires that broke out this week.
Sykes is known for his appearance on the Australian TV series Kiddy Kapers and for his inspirational story dealing with cerebral palsy and as a result, had extreme difficulty walking and taking care of himself.
Nonetheless, Sykes inspired many with his tenacity through many surgeries & therapies in order to improve his ability to walk and restore his sight.
It was the news that Sykes had died at his home in Malibu that really drove home just how devastating and horrific the wildfires in southern California are and the death toll is likely to climb when the situation is finally under control and investigators begin searching burned homes.
Malibu is one of the many affluent communities in southern California that were devastated by raging wildfires driven by hurricane-force winds.
The news of Sykes's death was confirmed by his mother, Shelley Sykes, who also starred in the 1998 reality series.
Sykes confirmed in a statement on X, “It is with great sadness that I have to announce the death of my beautiful son @Rorysykes to the Malibu fires yesterday."
Sykes claimed in her post, "I couldn’t put out the cinders on his roof with a hose because the water was switched off by Las Virgenes Municipal Water. Even the 50 brave firefighters had no water all day."
Sykes claimed that she was “heartbroken” by her son’s death, describing him as a “true humanitarian," who was an inspiration to many. Yet this is just one of many tragedies that have occurred as a result of these devastating fires.
So far, the multiple wildfires that broke out have been some of the most destructive in California history and hundreds of firefighters are still battling to save billions of dollars in real estate.
So far, the death toll stands at 11 people, with the confirmed death toll expected to rise in the coming days. Some fires are under control but other fires are still stubbornly burning despite the winds slacking.
The wildfires in Los Angeles were exacerbated by a water shortage as many fire hydrants went dry due to the system not being prepared for such demands. Further complicating the situation, multiple major reservoirs in southern California were empty further stretching water supplies.
Los Angeles and other cities simply were not prepared for a devastating wildfire despite years of warnings from insurance companies and other observers.
Northern California is where most of the big fires happen but there is a clearer distinction between the wet and dry seasons. Meanwhile in southern California, there simply hasn't been enough rain and the conditions were dry with fuel loads high from multiple past wet seasons.
State and city governments were criminally unprepared for a wildfire event that many predicted and in the aftermath of this horrible tragedy, those responsible must be held accountable for the destruction and loss of life that could have been prevented.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) has confirmed that he will "absolutely not" be appointing himself to replace Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL).
During an event in Jacksonville, Florida, on Friday, media asked DeSantis if he was planning on appointing himself to Rubio's seat and leaving his place in Florida's governor's mansion.
Rubio has been nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to be his secretary of state and it's up to DeSantis to name Rubio's replacement.
DeSantis told reporters, "Absolutely not. It's funny, you know, these people write these things … and anytime they're talking about anything I'm doing, they're just making it up, right?"
DeSantis appears content with remaining in Florida after a failed presidential campaign in the 2024 GOP primary. The sentiment is that DeSantis isn't ready for national politics and needs to stay in Florida for a few more years.
DeSantis was emphatic in his statement that he would not replace Rubio and didn't mince words in calling out media rumor mills that suggested he was planning on leaving for the Senate.
DeSantis continued by saying, "I mean, they'll talk to someone because [they'll] say, 'Oh, someone familiar with the governor's thinking.' Understand, that means they don't know what the hell they're talking about. That means somebody is saying, 'Well, I know how the governor thinks. He's probably saying this.' So they try to do grist for the mill."
Essentially, there was never any solid indication of DeSantis appointing himself and it was pure rumor peddling by the mainstream media.
DeSantis ended off by saying, "I was never in consideration for that. Trust me, we're doing well here, and we're going to continue to do that. And so, it was never something that I considered."
DeSantis's failed presidential campaign did genuine damage to his stock nationally and he seems to understand that fact. DeSantis was seen as a rising star prior to the GOP primary and some still see him that way but he needs to keep up the good work in Florida.
Under DeSantis's watch, Florida has become a successful state that has attracted thousands of new migrants from failing blue states. If he can continue pushing Florida to succeed until his term is over, he will be in a great position to run in 2028.
As for who will end up replacing Rubio in the Senate, the latest a replacement will be named is January 20th, the day of Trump's inauguration as the 47th President of the United States.
DeSantis explained, "I told people we would [fill Rubio's seat] in the first half of January, and I think we're probably on course to do that, but clearly we will have somebody in place ready to go on Jan. 20. I think it's important."
Another announcement will likely come in the next week ahead of Trump's inauguration as it's critical that the GOP have its full Senate complement while nomination hearings are underway.
President-elect Donald Trump was sentenced to an unconditional discharge with no penalty in the financial document fraud case against him after the U.S. Supreme Court decided Thursday not to step in to block Friday's sentencing hearing.
"After careful analysis, this court determined that the only lawful sentence that permits entry of judgment of conviction is an unconditional discharge," Merchan said Friday. "At this time, I impose that sentence to cover all 34 counts."
Merchan had signaled that he did not plan to impose any jail time on Trump, which factored into the Supreme Court's decision. The discharge means he will also not have any probationary period or requirements.
Trump said the Supreme Court decision was a "fair" one.
The vote was 5-4, with Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett voting with the three liberals on the court.
The sentence makes him officially a convicted felon. Merchan said that his status as incoming president was the reason for the discharge and wished Trump "Godspeed" in his second term in office.
Trump addressed the court before the sentencing, once again saying that the trial was a "witch hunt" and should never have happened.
His lawyers said he will still appeal the conviction, and the discharge preserves the right for him to do so.
Despite the lack of punishment, having 34 felonies on his record is still a black mark that he doesn't want or feel he deserves.
Having a prior criminal record could make any further convictions more serious for him and lead to harsher sentences.
Trump is set to take office on January 20 as the first convicted felon ever to do so, but the charges were without a doubt politically motivated as he said.
In one of the great ironies of the last two years, the criminal indictments against Trump actually helped him in the polls and may have played a major part in the success of his candidacy.
Supporters and some objective observers felt that he was being railroaded and that prosecutors were attempting to prevent his re-election, and those views made his support stronger.
It was good to see such tactics by Democrats fail, and gives great hope for our democracy going forward.
The nomination of former Wisconsin Representative Sean Duffy for Secretary of Transportation has unexpectedly garnered support from Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman, who has declared his intention to back the candidate, as Breitbart News reported.
In his X post, Fetterman announced the news and detailed a friendly meeting between the two lawmakers, where they discussed infrastructure safety and made a lighthearted reference to their respective football teams.
“I enjoyed meeting @SeanDuffyWI and expect to vote YES on his nomination,” Fetterman tweeted, adding a light-hearted touch to the political discourse by mentioning their discussion on football. “We agreed on many things, especially appreciating him quietly acknowledging the Steelers are better than the Packers.”
Sean Duffy, the nominee for Secretary of Transportation under Donald Trump, had previously posted, prompting this statement. Duffy had already said how much he had enjoyed talking to the PA lawmaker.
The nominee commented, saying “I enjoyed talking to @SenFettermanPA today! We didn’t quite agree on football, though lots to commiserate over lately in the NFC and AFC playoff races. We both know that safe roads and bridges in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin aren’t a partisan issue, but are a safety need for all Americans.”
On Tuesday, Fetterman of Pennsylvania spoke with FOX News' Special Report' anchor Bret Baier, who asked Fetterman why meeting with Trump's nominees for cabinet positions is "controversial."
"I'm open to hear from everyone, and I don't know why that's controversial," Fetterman said.
"And I also would like to remind everyone on the Democratic side, that's the way democracy works. Trump won, and now they're going to run the table, and so they get to pick those kinds of people, and if you don't have to agree with all of it, but I want to find a way to work together on a bunch of them."
I enjoyed talking to @SenFettermanPA today! We didn't quite agree on football, though lots to commiserate over lately in the NFC and AFC playoff races. We both know that safe roads and bridges in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin aren't a partisan issue, but are a safety need for all… pic.twitter.com/QFwqLxybko
— Sean Duffy (@SeanDuffyWI) January 8, 2025
Fetterman and Duffy's conversation highlights the possibility of bipartisan cooperation on infrastructure issues; both states are concerned about their outdated transportation networks.
The pragmatic approach to government exhibited by Fetterman—a Democrat—in supporting a Republican nominee demonstrates a focus on the interests of the community rather than party lines.
Many people in political and social circles have taken issue with Fetterman's outspoken position on Duffy's nomination.
While some see it as a welcome diversion from the heated political climate, others worry about what it could mean for party allegiance and campaign tactics.
The incoming administration's legislative agenda may see increased bipartisan cooperation as a result of this engagement.