A new Gallup poll released on Thursday showed that Americans are mixed in their expectations for what President-elect Donald Trump might achieve in his second term in office, which begins on January 20.
The poll looked at a number of policy priorities, and predicted he'd succeed with seven while failing at the other eight.
The highest expectation for success in the poll was on immigration, which 68% said they thought he would do.
Other policies the respondents expected he would succeed at were reducing unemployment, keeping the country safe from terrorism, improving the economy, keeping the country out of war, cutting people’s taxes and reducing the crime rate.
Respondents thought Trump would not be successful at healing political divisions in the country, improving the quality of the environment, improving the healthcare system, improving race relations, improving education, substantially reducing the federal budget deficit, improving conditions for minorities and the poor, and reducing the prices of groceries and other items.
On two other items, the respondents were about even: improving the way the federal government works and increasing respect for the U.S. abroad.
In the poll, conducted between December 2 and 18, 51% said they approved of how he's handling the transition.
Of course, Republicans were markedly more bullish on Trump's policy success, while Democrats were much less so.
The main differences between the expectations of Trump now and eight years ago were that reducing prices wasn't on the list (inflation was low at the time) and most Americans in 2016 didn't believe Trump would keep the country out of war.
Trump proved in his first term that he could achieve peace through strength, and he is largely perceived now as a leader who avoids war.
If Trump 2.0 is at all similar to first-term Trump, the economy will go roaring over the next few years.
Immigration will decrease, taxes will go down, and his opponents will look to impeach him a few more times.
Before COVID hit, Trump was widely regarded as a successful president, even if the lefties and the media would never admit it.
Now he has a second chance to show America what he can do and to create a positive legacy to leave us with.
On New Years Eve in Palm Beach, Florida, Melania Trump and her husband danced to the Village People's 1978 "YMCA" anthem to the crowd's amusement.
Donald and Melania Trump danced together to the president-elect's favorite song while at Mar-a-Lago during a New Year's Eve video, as Page Six reported.
Melania swayed to the anthem in Palm Beach, Florida, on Tuesday with her husband, who performed the favored dancing routines at election campaign rallies.
Donald’s eldest child, son Donald Trump Jr., 47, captioned in an Instagram video, showing Melania grooving to the song as she mouthed the lyrics to the track and moved her hands as she bobbed about, saying “It’s fun to stay at the YMCA!!!! Happy new year all!”
The dance moves of the incoming First Lady, which went viral, came as a surprise to users of social media. One user on X expressed their opinion:
"Never in my life did I think Melania Trump would be jamming to YMCA on New Year's. Trump has infected the whole country, including his family and Elon Musk, with his dance moves. Everyone is doing it.'
"Love Melania doping her own moves to YMCA,'" another said. "And how some people can't crack a smile at Trump doing his dance is beyond me."
Elon Musk, Trump's friend and now advisor , was also present. He appeared to be in high spirits as he carried his mini-me son, X AE A-Xii, who wore a suit that was nearly identical to his fathers,. Elon smiled as his son held onto his face for support on his shoulders.
As the club hosted a New Year's Eve celebration on Tuesday night, Trump momentarily addressed reporters in the vicinity of a red carpet that had been set up for the event.
His fleeting appearance onstage was to address the attendees, which included a number of his potential Cabinet members and other positions in his forthcoming administration.
Trump utilizes his tablet's Spotify account to play many songs that were frequently played at his campaign rallies during banquets with friends and family.
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, and Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and X, have all attended breakfasts, luncheons, and other social events at the Mar-a-Lago club.
According to online videos, Mike Love, one of the original members of the Beach Boys, performed the band's greatest hits under an outdoor tent over the weekend. Trump, who was being followed by Secret Service agents, wandered through the audience, swinging his fists to the music.
At other times of the evening, he stood near the pool, swaying his head in time to the music, alongside his wife, Melania.
Trump declared on Friday that the resort is the "Centre of the Universe" on social media, and he also mentioned that Bill Gates had requested to attend the event that evening.
The presence of the Microsoft co-founder amongst the rich and famous at to Mar-a-Lago was not specifically addressed by representatives of Trump and Gates.
According to a court filing that was made on Monday afternoon, the team of special counsel Jack Smith has decided to withdraw from their appeal of the secret materials case against the co-defendants of President-elect Donald Trump.
Instead, they have transferred the matter to the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida, it seems to have finally come to an end, as The Hill reported.
Due to a long-standing policy of the Department of Justice that prohibits the prosecution of a sitting president, Smith decided to withdraw his appeal against Trump last month.
However, his team continued to pursue their appeal against Trump's two co-defendants in the case, Walt Nauta, a longtime Trump aide, and Carlos De Oliveira, an employee of Mar-a-Lago.
In June of 2023, President Trump entered a plea of not guilty to 37 criminal counts related to his handling of classified materials.
Prosecutors claimed that Trump had repeatedly refused to return hundreds of documents that contained classified information ranging from the nuclear secrets of the United States to the capabilities of the nation's defense, and that he had also taken steps to thwart the efforts of the government to retrieve the documents.
In a superseding indictment, the former president, together with Nauta and De Oliveira, entered a plea of not guilty to the allegations that they attempted to destroy surveillance footage at Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence.
After the United States District Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed Smith's lawsuit in July, citing the validity of his appointment as special counsel, Smith filed an appeal with the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, which is located in Atlanta.
On Monday, Smith's legal team decided to withdraw from the case and hand it over to federal prosecutors in Florida.
This decision was made while the appeal was still proceeding, but under the time-constraints of a potentially complicated presidential inaguration coming in just a few weeks.
Markenzy Lapointe, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, has entered his appearance in the matter in a separate filing.
Requests have been made to the office of the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida about the case, but they have yet to offer any further details.
Smith has also been winding down his federal election interference case against Trump following Trump's reelection.
It is anticipated that Smith would give a report on his investigations to Attorney General Merrick Garland in the coming weeks before stepping down from his position as special counsel.
The 2nd Circuit Appeals Court on Monday rejected an appeal by President-elect Donald Trump that held him liable for allegedly sexually assaulting E. Jean Carroll in a New York department store dressing room in the mid-1990s and then defaming her in 2022 by denying the claims.
“Mr. Trump has not demonstrated that the district court erred in any of the challenged rulings,” wrote the 3-judge panel in an unsigned opinion.
Trump communications director Steven Cheung responded to the ruling by saying, the “American People have re-elected President Trump” and have demanded the “swift dismissal of all of the Witch Hunts, including the Democrat-funded Carroll Hoax, which will continue to be appealed.”
Trump's lawyers argued in the appeal that testimony from other women who claimed sexual misconduct by Trump should not have been admitted, and that the Access Hollywood tape, in which Trump claimed to have groped women without their consent should not have been allowed either.
Many courts would consider that evidence to be prejudicial, but that doesn't seem to be an issue for courts that are going after Trump to smear, attack, and punish him for being a successful politician.
Trump has said the allegations against him were politically motivated and denied them repeatedly.
In order to get a new trial in the case, Trump will have to continue his appeal before the full Circuit Court or the Supreme Court.
It's not a great look for the once and future president, but people had every chance to know about the case before November and elected Trump anyway.
In other news, Trump got a win in his defamation case against ABC News and George Stephanopoulos.
The outlet decided to settle with Trump for $15 million after Stephanopoulos said on-air that Trump "raped" Carroll. The courts did not find that he raped her.
ABC News also apologized to Trump and paid $1 million of his legal fees for the suit.
None of the criminal cases against Trump are going anywhere for the next four years while he is president, but the civil cases can still continue, apparently.
A $500 million civil verdict against him is in the hands of an appeals court, and a ruling on the appeal could come soon.
A mjaority of Trump's supporters seem to believe that all litigation against him is politically motivated, so the failure of any appeals will likely only hit his hefty pocketbook, not his reputation.
Attorneys general from Montana and Virginia asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday to uphold the requirement that social media platform TikTok sever its connection with the Chinese Communist Party or be dissolved, denying a request from President-elect Donald Trump for a delay in doing so until his administration can act to resolve the situation.
Both the attorneys general and Trump filed amicus briefs to the high court on the same day, with Trump asking for a pause on the ban so that he could make executive decisions about the ban after he takes office.
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares and Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen said whistleblower reports show that data from TikTok was shared with the CCP, and that the platform and its parent company ByteDance pose a national security risk to the U.S.
Some of the data shared includes Americans' browsing habits and facial recognition data.
"Allowing TikTok to operate in the United States without severing its ties to the Chinese Communist Party exposes Americans to the undeniable risks of having their data accessed and exploited by the Chinese Communist Party," Miyares said in a statement. "Virginians deserve a government that stands firm in protecting their privacy and security.
"The Supreme Court now has the chance to affirm Congress’s authority to protect Americans from foreign threats while ensuring that the First Amendment doesn’t become a tool to defend foreign adversaries’ exploitative practices."
Trump's brief was not in support of either side of the case. Instead, he argued that as president, he had the right to make decisions about the fate of TikTok.
The brief said Trump "has a unique interest in the First Amendment issues raised in this case" and that the case "presents an unprecedented, novel, and difficult tension between free-speech rights on one side, and foreign policy and national-security concerns on the other."
"As the incoming Chief Executive, President Trump has a particularly powerful interest in and responsibility for those national-security and foreign-policy questions, and he is the right constitutional actor to resolve the dispute through political means," Trump's brief said.
The ban would take effect on January 19 if ByteDance does not sell TikTok to an American company. It has not done so.
Trump will be inaugurated on January 20, one day too late to halt the ban or facilitate any resolution short of the ban.
TikTok has about 150 million active monthly users in America that will not be able to access the platform under the ban.
It also generates an estimated six billion dollars for the American economy that will be lost if the platform is banned.
Younger voters who are more active on TikTok do not want to see it banned, so if Trump can broker a solution to the national security risk, that would be to his credit.
Democrats are freaking out over proposed plans by DOGE, or the Department of Government Efficiency, to conduct mass firings of federal workers when President-elect Donald Trump is sworn into office.
Virginia House Speaker Don Scott Jr., a Democrat, wrote a letter to Virginia's unemployment agency warning of the implications that massive layoffs could have as Virginia is home to a large portion of the federal workers that work in Washington D.C.
In that letter, Scott wrote to Virginia Employment Commissioner Demetrios claiming that "We should all be concerned about what these changes mean for the employees raising their families in Virginia, paying taxes in Virginia and calling Virginia home."
The letter continued saying, "Taking President-elect Trump at his word that he will immediately move to downsize the workforce and relocate agencies, we can safely assume that a large portion of our workforce that resides in the commonwealth will be negatively affected."
Democrats are concerned that DOGE purging the federal government of bloat will lead to unemployment but are unconcerned with the massive costs that maintaining a bloated federal workforce costs taxpayers.
Scott's letter attracted a quick response from Senate Minority Leader Ryan McDougle who blasted Scott for focusing on the wrong question.
McDougle stated, "That's the wrong question. The question should be whether we are taking dollars that Virginians are earning and paying to the federal government and whether they are being spent wisely. If the federal government is paying people to do jobs they shouldn't be doing, then that's spending taxpayer dollars unwisely."
Democrats are focused on the wrong issue and are ignoring the massive burden that the federal workforce puts on the American taxpayer.
DOGE co-leader, Vivek Ramaswamy, has been clear that the agency will be outright deleting unnecessary federal departments and trimming down workers in other departments.
Ramaswamy told Fox News, "We expect mass reductions … [and] certain agencies to be deleted outright."
These cuts could be paired with a legislative effort by Senator Joni Ernst to relocate one-third of federal workers outside the District of Columbia-Maryland-Virginia area which will effectively gut D.C.
McDougle used Scott's letter to call attention to Virginia Democrats funneling massive sums towards D.C. instead of supporting Virginia's non-federal workers who actually live and work in the Commonwealth.
McDougle tore into Virginia Democrats saying, "I didn't feel our Democratic friends were as concerned with the millions of dollars going to fund Metro amid [federal workers not being required to] go into the office and having to subsidize them."
Republicans want to prioritize the livelihood of American taxpayers and the best way to do that is to cut back on government waste, much of which comes in the form of unnecessary government workers who enjoy massive salaries and extensive benefits while regular Americans foot the bill.
Cleaning out D.C.'s federal workforce will also make Virginia more competitive for Republicans in national elections as Virginia's federal workers who commute into D.C. are a large reason why Virginia is a Blue state.
Legendary CBS sportscaster and play-by-play analyst Greg Gumbel has died after losing his battle with cancer.
According to a statement from the family released by CBS Sports on Friday, Gumbel passed away after battling an undisclosed cancer but was reportedly well-supported and with his family until the end.
That statement read, "It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of our beloved husband and father, Greg Gumbel. He passed away peacefully surrounded by much love after a courageous battle with cancer. Greg approached his illness like one would expect he would, with stoicism, grace, and positivity."
The statement continued saying, "He leaves behind a legacy of love, inspiration and dedication to over 50 extraordinary years in the sports broadcast industry; and his iconic voice will never be forgotten. Greg's memory will forever be treasured by his family, dearest friends, colleagues and all who loved him. — Marcy & Michelle Gumbel."
While the family has been sparing with the details of Gumbel's cancer, fans were devastated to hear of Gumbel's passing as he has been a fixture in the sports world for decades.
As soon as news of Gumbel's death broke, tributes from around the sporting world poured in from friends and fans alike.
Gumbel has become a nationally recognized figure due to his calling of many important NFL games, especially playoff games. He was also a staple of Selection Sunday and would announce the teams as they were selected for March Madness.
Fellow sports commentator Tim Brando took to X to say, "Last March when we were told Greg Gumbel was taking off from @MarchMadnessMBB on @CBSSports I feared it was something serious. According to published reports my worst fears were true. Apparently he’s died at age 78. A sportscasting GIANT. Greg could do it all."
Once again, Gumbel was very private with his health battle as his death seems to have shocked the sporting community and many of those around him.
Gumbel missed March Madness because of a family health issue which almost made it sound like he wasn't actually involved.
Tragically, that wasn't the case and now the sporting world has lost an iconic voice that many sports fans can instantly recognize and will keep Gumbel's memory alive for years to come.
Announcer Nick Yeoman said in a tribute on X that, "I’m not sure there’s been a more pleasant and easy to listen to voice in the “host” role of an event/studio show than Greg Gumbel. An absolute pillar to CBS’ NFL/MarchMadness coverage for decades. One of those voices you lose but can’t replace."
Two decades of calling play-by-play for the NFL will cement someone in the national consciousness.
While the NFL was his main arena, he also did play-by-play work for Major League Baseball games on both CBS and NBC and anchored coverage of other events, including college football, the College World Series, and even the Olympics.
Gumbel leaves behind a loving family which includes his wife and his daughter who will dearly miss him. Gumbel is also survived by his younger brother, Bryant Gumbel NBC's Today fame.
Hudson Meek, the child actor who had roles in "Baby Driver" and "90 Minutes in Heaven," died December 21 after falling from a moving car two days earlier.
The fall took place in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, and caused blunt-force trauma injuries.
Meek was taken to the hospital after the incident but after treatment for his injuries, he was declared dead two days later.
The exact circumstances of the fall and the events that led up to it were not shared publicly by the family or law enforcement.
Meeks's online obituary described him as a devout Christian, sports fan and avid scuba diver.
He enjoyed the outdoors and played water sports often, and he loved spending time with his friends.
Besides "Baby Driver" and "90 Minutes in Heaven," Meek had television credits in "MacGuyver," "Found," and "Legacies."
He also did voice-overs for McDonald's and Toys-R-Us during the course of his career.
He was in the cast of "The School Duel," an upcoming movie that has already won the Canal+ 50th anniversary prize at the Deauville Film Festival in France this year.
He was “surrounded by friends, family, and the presence of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,” his obituary read.
“Please pray for our family and friends as we all process this sudden and tragic loss,” his mother Lani Wells Meek said.
“Our hearts are broken to share that Hudson Meek went home to be with Jesus tonight,” she wrote on Facebook. “His 16 years on this earth were far too short, but he accomplished so much and significantly impacted everyone he met.”
A celebration of Meek's life is planned for December 28, but details about the event were not given.
A scholarship is being set up in his name at the high school he attended.
Authorities in the field of aviation stated on Thursday that it is highly likely that Russian air defense systems were responsible for the crash of an Azerbaijani airplane that occurred in Kazakhstan.
Various news outlets have gathered information about the crash that resulted in 38 of the 67 individuals that were on board, but much is still unknown, as Breitbart News reported.
On Wednesday, an Embraer 190 belonging to Azerbaijan Airlines was rerouted from Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, to Grozny, a city in Russia located in the North Caucasus. The reasons for the reroute are not yet completely understood.
After traveling in an easterly direction across the Caspian Sea, it was attempting to land at Aktau, Kazakhstan, when it crashed.
It was approximately three kilometers (or about two miles) from Aktau when the plane crashed close to the coast. The video footage from the cellphone that was being shared on the internet appeared to show the airplane making a sharp drop before it crashed into the ground and exploded in a fiery inferno.
All 29 survivors were transported to hospitals by the rescuers.
Thursday was designated as a day of mourning for the whole nation of Azerbaijan.
The national flags were lowered to half-staff, all traffic across the country came to a complete halt at noon, and sirens were sounded from ships and trains.
During a press conference that took place on Wednesday, the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, stated that the jet had to deviate from its intended path due to the weather conditions.
The accident is under investigation by Kazakhstani, Azerbaijani, and Russian authorities. Embraer noted in a statement to The Associated Press that the company is "prepared to provide assistance to all pertinent authorities.
According to Rosaviatsia, the civil aviation authority of Russia, the pilots diverted to Aktau following an emergency on board as a result of a bird incident.
An Azerbaijani lawmaker explicitly pointed the finger at Russia, while officials remained silent. The Azerbaijani news agency Turan was informed by Rasim Musabekov that the aircraft was fired upon in the skies over Grozny. He also urged Russia to issue an official apology.
Some aviation experts believe that the holes observed in the plane's tail section following the accident suggest that it may have been the target of Russian air defense systems attempting to repel a Ukrainian drone attack.
In a significant legal development, President-elect Donald Trump has agreed to a $15 million settlement with ABC News and its anchor George Stephanopoulos. The resolution aims to prevent a costly legal battle and includes specific conditions favorable to both parties.
Trump's defamation lawsuit with ABC and Stephanopoulos concludes with a $15 million agreement and public acknowledgment of a mistaken statement.
The defamation lawsuit, initiated over alleged wrongful claims made during an interview by Stephanopoulos, came to an end with the Southern District of Florida Federal Court filing. Trump's legal team, comprising Alejandro Brito and Richard Klugh, confirmed the agreement, which entails both financial compensation and public rectification.
One of the key settlement conditions included ABC News and Stephanopoulos issuing an editor's note expressing "regret" over statements made during a March 10, 2024, interview. During this exchange, Stephanopoulos inaccurately asserted that Trump had been found liable for rape, confusing it with the actual legal finding of "sexual abuse" under New York law.
To facilitate the settlement, ABC agreed to a $15 million charitable contribution aimed at supporting a future Presidential foundation and museum spearheaded by Trump. Additionally, the network consented to cover $1 million in attorney fees incurred by Trump's legal team.
The lawsuit stemmed from a controversial segment on ABC's "This Week," where Stephanopoulos, in conversation with Rep. Nancy Mace, made erroneous statements regarding Trump's legal predicaments. He repeatedly suggested Trump was found liable for rape, a claim that contradicted the actual court finding.
Specifically, Stephanopoulos queried Mace, "How do you reconcile your support for Trump with the recent testimony?" He added further assertions about court verdicts concerning Trump's conduct. This mischaracterization led to Trump's legal action, claiming defamation.
The urgency to resolve the lawsuit before trials and potential summary judgments likely influenced the swift settlement. The case was scheduled for decisive actions, with U.S. Magistrate Judge Lisette M. Reid setting a late December deadline for depositions and motions.
The closure of the case was officiated by Chief U.S. District Judge Cecelia Altonaga, who approved the dismissal filing. The court documentation read, "Having been advised of the settlement of the parties... the stipulation is approved," thus bringing the legal dispute to a conclusive end.
The finality of this agreement included dismissal "with prejudice," which means the case cannot be reopened, ensuring both ABC News and Trump would handle their respective legal costs without further attempts to litigate on this matter.
ABC News, through a spokesperson, expressed a sense of satisfaction with the settlement outcome. The network was reportedly "pleased" with the resolution, highlighting the mutual benefit in avoiding prolonged legal contention.
This incident underscores the critical importance of accuracy within media reporting, especially concerning high-profile subjects like political figures. Misstatements, particularly concerning legal matters, can swiftly lead to complex legal implications, as evidenced in this case.
The case also highlights the delicate balance between journalistic freedom and legal accountability, where errors in reporting can incur significant financial and reputational costs.
Looking forward, both media outlets and public figures may study this case to glean insights on navigating similar conflicts and maintaining the integrity of public communication.
As this legal chapter concludes, Trump is poised to focus on his forthcoming responsibilities as President-elect while leveraging the settlement to bolster his future initiatives through the proposed foundation.
Meanwhile, ABC News and George Stephanopoulos are likely to reflect on the lessons learned and implement measures to enhance editorial oversight and accuracy, safeguarding against future missteps.
With the completion of this case, the stage is set for both Trump and ABC to move forward, equipped with renewed understanding and strategic caution in their respective arenas.
This resolution not only closes a significant legal dispute but also signals a precedence of accountability in media declarations, impacting how news outlets operate under public scrutiny.