Republicans

The Hill reports: Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) has been elected Senate majority leader, setting the stage for him to replace retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who has held the top Senate GOP leadership job for the past 18 years. Thune has served as Senate Republican whip, the No. 2-ranking position in the Senate GOP leadership, since 2019, and largely managed …

NBC News reports: Senate Republicans will meet behind closed doors Wednesday to elect a new leader, capping a battle that has divided the party and pitted a candidate backed by vocal MAGA allies of President-elect Donald Trump against two long-serving senators with institutional knowledge and deep relationships in the body. The three-way race features Sens. John Thune of South Dakota, …

The Daily Beast reports: Republican senators, some of whom will have to vote for Hegseth for him to be confirmed, were surprised when asked about the news Tuesday. “Wow,” Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski said, per NBC reporter Frank Thorp. “I’m just surprised because the names that I’ve heard for Secretary of Defense have not included him.” Alabama’s Tommy Tuberville reportedly …

Politico reports: House conservatives are planning to force an internal vote on Mike Johnson’s speakership during Wednesday’s leadership election instead of throwing in an alternate candidate, two people familiar with the discussions told POLITICO. Johnson’s critics in the House Freedom Caucus have been deliberating for days over how to push back against proposed internal rules changes and send a message …

Mediaite reports: Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL) and Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) publicly called on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to nominate President-elect Donald Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump as the replacement for Marco Rubio’s soon-to-be-vacant Florida Senate seat, Tuesday. After it was announced that Trump intended to pick Rubio to serve as secretary of State in the second Trump administration, speculation …

The Hill reports: Republican Senate candidate Eric Hovde questioned the Wisconsin election results that reflect his loss to incumbent Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D) in a Tuesday video posted on the social platform X. Hovde said he went from receiving “congratulations” calls to doubting a shocking loss after over 100,000 new absentee ballots were reported. Decision Desk HQ/The Hill declared Baldwin the …

Politico reports: House GOP leadership is urging  Trump to refrain from tapping any more Republican members for his administration — at least for now. Republicans have not officially clinched the House majority yet, though they’re expected to do so with a narrow margin, likely just a handful of seats more than Democrats. Meanwhile, Trump has already named two House Republicans, …

“At the end of the day, I’ll always believe that, by God’s grace, we did our duty [on January 6] to support and defend the Constitution of the United States of America. I don’t think the president should pardon anyone who assaulted a police officer at the United States Capitol on January 6. “Karen and I are literally praying that …

Axios reports: Incoming Sen. Jim Justice (R-WV) was told he could not bring his bulldog “Babydog” onto the Senate floor on Tuesday during orientation, three sources in the room tell Axios. Babydog is a political celebrity, often accompanying Justice to events and famously taking the stage at the Republican National Convention. But she apparently won’t be at his side during …

Via press release from Texas AG Ken Paxton: Attorney General Ken Paxton sued U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland and the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) to prevent potential destruction of any records from Jack Smith’s corrupt investigation into President Donald Trump. On November 8, Attorney General Paxton made a Freedom of Information Act request to the DOJ requesting records related …

Newsweek reports: President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday named Mike Huckabee as nominee for U.S. ambassador to Israel. “I am pleased to announce that the Highly Respected former Governor of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee, has been nominated to be The United States Ambassador to Israel,” Trump said in a statement. He continued, “Mike has been a great public servant, Governor, and Leader …

CBS News reports: CBS News Miami’s Jim DeFede, citing conversations with multiple Republican sources, reports that several scenarios are being discussed for how DeSantis may proceed. James Uthmeier, who serves as DeSantis’s chief of staff, could act as a caretaker in the Senate role until 2026. This move would give DeSantis the option to run for the Senate seat himself …

The Associated Press reports: A new Louisiana requirement that the Ten Commandments be displayed in every public classroom by Jan. 1 was temporarily blocked Tuesday by a federal judge who said the law is “unconstitutional on its face.” U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles in Baton Rouge said the law had an “overtly religious” purpose, and rejected state officials’ claims …

Mediaite reports: Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) trashed the U.S. military, claiming the fighting force is incapable of winning a war in its current state. “We need to build our military up. Our military right now, Laura, is a disaster. Absolute disaster. We couldn’t beat anybody right now. We’ve got some good people in the military. But the structure of it, …

CNN reports: President-elect Donald Trump has selected South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem as his next secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, according to two people familiar with the selection. Noem will be tapped to take over the agency as two key immigration hardliners — Stephen Miller and Tom Homan — are slated to serve in senior roles, signaling Trump …

The New York Times reports: President-elect Donald J. Trump is expected to name Senator Marco Rubio of Florida as his secretary of state, three people familiar with his thinking said on Monday, as Mr. Trump moves rapidly to fill out his foreign policy and national security team. Mr. Trump could still change his mind at the last minute, the people …

The Wall Street Journal reports: President-elect Donald Trump has asked Rep. Mike Waltz, a Green Beret veteran who served in Afghanistan, the Middle East and Africa, to be his White House national security adviser, according to people familiar with the discussion. The national security adviser, a highly influential post appointed by the president that doesn’t require Senate confirmation, coordinates among …

Ars Technica reports: The Republican who is likely to lead the Federal Communications Commission under President-elect Donald Trump detailed how he would run the agency when he wrote a chapter for the conservative Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025. Carr, a longtime opponent of net neutrality rules and other broadband regulations, has also made his views clear numerous times when opposing rulemakings …

USA Today reports: Former New York Rep. Michael Grimm was left paralyzed from the chest down following a “devastating” horseback riding accident in September, according to a new fundraiser organized by the politician’s trust. Grimm, who represented New York in the U.S. Congress from 2011 to 2015, is recovering after being thrown from a horse in September 2024, a GoFundMe …

The New York Post reports: President-elect Donald Trump has selected former Rep. Lee Zeldin to serve as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, The Post can exclusively report. Zeldin, 44, served four terms as a Republican congressman repping Long Island before losing the 2022 New York governor’s race to Kathy Hochul by a surprisingly close margin. “We will accomplish all …