Republicans

Mother Jones reports: Pete Hegseth and the Trump camp have spent recent days push back against two simultaneous controversies: allegations that Hegseth has “extremist” tattoos, as some critics have charged, and that Hegseth was previously investigated by police in California over a sexual misconduct claim. On X, Hegseth has retweeted posts expressing support for him, including one that reads, “The …

The Hill reports: Calls from Republicans are intensifying for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) to pick President-elect Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump to replace his secretary of State pick, Marco Rubio, in the Senate. On Thursday, Florida Sen. Rick Scott (R) said he hopes Trump picks his daughter-in-law, echoing his colleagues Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Katie Britt (R-Ala.). Florida Rep. …

The Huffington Post reports: On Friday a federal judge in Texas struck down a new rule from the Biden administration aimed at extending overtime protections to millions of workers. Judge Sean D. Jordan of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas ruled that the Labor Department went beyond its authority in issuing the regulation earlier this year. …

The Daily Beast reports: In the wake of President-elect Donald Trump’s decision to appoint ex-Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard as his Director of National Intelligence, reports have resurfaced of her ties to a religious sect described as a “cult”—a connection that has the potential to throw her nomination, which requires Senate confirmation, into jeopardy. She reportedly met her husband, Abraham Williams, …

CNN reports: Donald Trump is weighing a push from right-wing allies to nominate Kash Patel to lead the FBI, one of the clearest indications the president-elect plans to stick by his vow to fire Director Christopher Wray before his 10-year term ends and replace him with a loyalist. Even among Trump loyalists, Patel is widely viewed as a controversial figure …

The Hill reports: Speaker Mike Johnson said he does not think the House Ethics report into Matt Gaetz should be released, as the former representative faces a Senate confirmation for attorney general. “I’m going to strongly request that the Ethics Committee not issue the report, because that is not the way we do things in the House,” Johnson said. “And …

The Wall Street Journal reports: Senate Republicans warned that attorney general pick Matt Gaetz would struggle to win the support needed for confirmation and said the close ally of President-elect Donald Trump would face intense scrutiny over sexual-misconduct allegations if he continued to seek the post. Trump can afford to lose the support of no more than three GOP senators …

Politico reports: Mike Pence is urging Senate Republicans to not confirm Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. as Health and Human Services secretary, calling his nomination by President-elect Donald Trump “deeply concerning.” “I believe the nomination of RFK Jr. to serve as Secretary of HHS is an abrupt departure from the pro-life record of our administration and should be deeply concerning to …

CBS News reports: Pete Hegseth, the Army veteran turned Fox News host selected by President-elect Donald Trump to be defense secretary during his second term was investigated for an alleged sexual assault in 2017, Monterey, Calif. officials confirmed. The incident allegedly occurred somewhere between a minute before midnight on Oct. 7, 2017 and 7 a.m. on Oct. 8, 2017 at …

The Sioux Falls Argus Leader reports: “I’m willing to grind through it and do it the old-fashioned way,” Thune told South Dakota reporters Wednesday afternoon as part of a press call when he was asked about the possibility of recess appointments for Trump’s cabinet members. Recess appointments are a process under which Senate leadership would dismiss the chambers and allow …

“It’s my understanding that it’s not supposed to go public. So if it’s not supposed to under the rules, it shouldn’t go public. “There are very few people who have the cross-examination skills he does, and I want someone in the Justice Department who’s not going to say moms and dads in school board meetings need to be investigated. “I …

Federalist CEO Ben Domenech writes on his Substack: Matt Gaetz is a sex trafficking drug addicted piece of shit. He is abhorrent. His eyes are permanently rimmed with the red rings of chemical boosters. In person, he smells like overexposed Axe Body Spray and stale Astroglide. The fact that he boasted on the floor to multiple colleagues in the House …

Axios reports: The Republican-led House Ethics Committee cancelled a planned meeting regarding its investigation of former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), two sources familiar with the matter confirmed to Axios. Republican members of the committee — which is split 50-50 between the two parties — met Thursday night, both sources confirmed to Axios. The panel had been set to vote on …

The New York Times reports: President-elect Donald J. Trump has tapped Gov. Doug Burgum of North Dakota to run the Interior Department, leading the new administration’s plans to open federal lands and waters to oil and gas drilling.  Governor Burgum, 68, has longstanding ties to fossil fuel companies and acted as a liaison between the Trump campaign and the oil …

The Military Times reports: President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday announced former Georgia congressman Doug Collins as his pick to be the next Veterans Affairs Secretary, filling another key Cabinet post with a military veteran. The announcement of Collins, 58, came as a surprise to many within the veterans community, since he had not been mentioned in recent reports for candidates …

ABC News reports: The woman who was at the center of a yearslong Justice Department investigation into sex trafficking allegations surrounding Rep. Matt Gaetz testified to the House Ethics Committee that the now-former Florida congressman had sex with her when she was 17 years old, sources familiar with the investigation told ABC News. Over the summer, the House Ethics Committee …

The Washington Examiner reports: Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) plans to run for a sixth term in the Senate, buoying Republicans’ hopes of retaining her seat in 2026. Collins would be one of the most vulnerable incumbents heading into a less favorable Senate map for Republicans next cycle. She could also face political headwinds with President-elect Donald Trump returning to the …

“I think it is critically important that we root out the partisan bias that under Joe Biden has infected the Department of Justice, as it infected the FBI. Joe Biden has weaponized our law enforcement and used it to target his political enemies. That has to end. “As for that particular nomination, look, we have a process under the Constitution …

The Washington Post reports: In January 2017, Tulsi Gabbard, then a Democrat representing Hawaii’s 2nd District in the House of Representatives, took a trip to Syria on a “fact-finding mission” that perhaps raised more questions than it answered. And, she divulged, she met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whose regime is backed by Iran and Russia and stands accused of …

“There are rumors that have come up to the Hill of a secretive project within the Department of Defense involving the manipulation of human genetics with what is described as non-human genetic material for the enhancement of human capabilities, hybrids. “Are any of you familiar with that? Yes, or no?  Are there any accounts of UAPs emerging from or submerging …