Republicans

The Daily Beast reports: RNC co-chair Lara Trump attacked Democrats for “constant mudslinging” before immediately turning around and dismissing her father-in-law’s swearing, racism and petty personal attacks as simply “who he’s always been.” Host Howard Kurtz immediately reached for his notes and shot back: “But couldn‘t Democrats say the same because during the campaign Trump called Harris ’dumb‘, cursed her …

The Guardian reports: A caged Bengal tiger was wheeled on to the field of Tiger Stadium in Louisiana’s capital of Baton Rouge for the first time in nearly a decade before kick-off of Saturday night’s football game between the state’s flagship university and its Alabama counterpart, fulfilling the wishes of the state’s Republican governor, Jeff Landry. The tiger in question …

Politico reports: A conservative lawyer working on Donald Trump’s transition, Mark Paoletta, offered a stark warning to career Justice Department lawyers Monday that those who refuse to advance Trump’s agenda should resign or face the possibility of being fired. “Once the decision is made to move forward, career employees are required to implement the President’s plan,” Paoletta wrote in a …

The Hill reports: Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) is no longer in the running to become the next attorney general in President-elect Trump’s incoming administration. Schmitt, a top ally of the former president, told Trump’s transition team that he’s withdrawing his name from consideration to become the nation’s top cop. The former Missouri attorney general will instead refocus his attention on …

The Hill reports: Republicans began scrambling to replace Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) as House GOP conference chair almost immediately after news broke that President-elect Trump had picked her to serve at the United Nations, with two contenders announcing their bids. Rep. Lisa McClain (R-Mich.), the House GOP conference secretary, told The Hill she is running for Stefanik’s old post, as …

CNN reports: President-elect Donald Trump has offered Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik the job as US ambassador to the United Nations, two sources familiar told CNN on Sunday. The New York congresswoman, the fourth-ranking House Republican, has been a strong ally of the president-elect and a major fundraiser for the GOP. Once a Trump skeptic — and occasional outright critic — …

“We now have a situation in the state of Florida. You notice on election night the other day that nobody was worrying about how Florida was going to come out. In fact, the Florida Democratic Party, most recently, changed its mascot, and they chose a very beautiful, nice Florida panther. “The only problem is that is an endangered species, but …

Politico Playbook reports: This morning, we have a news flash for Scott’s overzealous allies: Congratulations, your campaign appears to be backfiring, badly. MAGA posters began targeting the GOP senators listed as backing Cornyn or Thune, while others openly threatened primaries and called senators “traitors.” There’s just one problem: There’s probably no group of Republicans more insulated from an outside pressure …

The Insider reports: Elon Musk is backing Sen. Rick Scott of Florida to lead the GOP in the Senate. “Rick Scott for Senate Majority Leader!” Musk wrote in an X post on Sunday, a few hours after he posted a poll asking who should take up the position. When this article went live Monday, 1,088,220 votes were registered on Musk’s …

NBC News reports: Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., on Sunday dodged when asked if Trump should seek to preserve the DOJ’s independence from the White House, telling moderator Kristen Welker that former President John F. Kennedy previously appointed his brother Robert F. Kennedy as attorney general and that Trump can “choose who he wants.” On Sunday, Barrasso also dodged questions about …

Mediaite has the transcript: CNN ANCHOR DANA BASH: Trump has repeatedly threatened to prosecute Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Barack Obama, Liz Cheney, Nancy Pelosi, Adam Schiff, General Mark Milley, Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, New York AG Letitia James. Do you support him using the Justice Department to go after the people who disagree? JIM JORDAN: What I support it stopping …

The Hill reports: Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) said Sunday that President-elect Trump has “no enemies list” after Trump made headlines for referring to his opponents as “the enemy within.” “For the American people who have been listening to these lies from the Democratic left, I will tell you, this is not something that Donald Trump has ever spoken to, or …

Atlanta’s NBC affiliate reports: Former Georgia U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler has been chosen to help lead President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration efforts, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News. Inaugural committees are not bound by federal campaign contribution limits, so it’s an opportunity for donors and corporate interests to express their unlimited support for the second Trump administration. Trump’s first …

The New York Times reports: President-elect Donald J. Trump said on Saturday that he would not invite Nikki Haley, his former ambassador to the United Nations, or Mike Pompeo, his former secretary of state, to join his incoming administration. Mr. Trump’s announcement on Truth Social, his social media platform, was an early indication of the decision-making process of the president-elect …

Florida Politics reports: In his second try for leadership of the Republican Senate caucus (and the Senate, given the results of Tuesday’s election), Rick Scott has backing from a group of thought leaders on the Right who run the gamut from fellow legislators to commentators and activists. Among the names rolled out Friday as a package: U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson; …

The Hill reports: South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) said Friday that Democratic governors who have pledged to resist President-elect Trump’s immigration policies are being “extremely irresponsible” and should instead seek dialogue with the incoming administration. “If I had a new president in the White House, and even if he wasn’t from my political party, the first thing I would …

Politico reports: House Armed Services Chair Mike Rogers is under consideration to be President-elect Donald Trump’s Defense secretary, according to three people familiar with the deliberations. Rogers, a conservative Alabama Republican and among the most strident of defense hawks in the House, would be a dark horse in a field of potential Trump Pentagon picks. Rogers has chaired Armed Services …

The Texas Tribune reports: The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents on Thursday unanimously directed its flagship university to disband an LGBTQ+ studies minor, months after conservative lawmakers and websites accused the program of promoting “liberal indoctrination” on campus. The LGBTQ Studies minor is one of 14 minors and 38 certificate programs that administrators said were “low-producing,” according to …

“With President Trump’s decisive victory this week, we are concerned that the Office of Special Counsel may attempt to purge relevant records, communications, and documents responsive to our numerous requests for information. “The Office of the Special Counsel is not immune from transparency or above accountability for its actions. “We reiterate our requests, which are itemized in the attached appendix …

“Some conservative estimates say that there are at least 15 million illegals who have come into the country on Joe Biden’s watch. It’s my hope that we deport every single one of them that we can. “And it starts with deporting violent criminals who are in the United States, who came here illegally, who have committed violent crimes. “I think …