Trump Administration

Mediaite reports: Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe seemed to make the suggestion that Joe Biden won’t be president despite winning the 2020 Election over Donald Trump. On Sunday, Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo interviewed Ratcliffe and asked for his reaction to the people Biden has picked. After Bartiromo slammed Biden’s picks for their involvement with “the Russia hoax,” she asked …

The New York Times reports: Attorney General William P. Barr is considering stepping down before President Trump’s term ends next month, according to three people familiar with this thinking. One said Mr. Barr could announce his departure before the end of the year. It was not clear whether the attorney general’s deliberations were influenced by Mr. Trump’s refusal to concede …

Roll Call reports: “If President Trump had worn a mask then and urged everyone to wear a mask then back in April the way Joe Biden is right now, wouldn’t we be in much better shape?” Wallace asked. “Well, Chris, I welcome Vice President Biden to the club. Since the middle of April…” Azar started to say. Wallace interjected to …

“You have the power to call in a special legislative session because right now if we lose these two Senate seats, guess who’s casting the deciding vote in this country for our government? It will be Kamala Harris.” – White House press secretary Kayleigh McEneny, calling out Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp in a tacit acknowledgement that Joe Biden won the …

The Washington Post reports: Two historian groups, an independent archive and a watchdog organization are suing President Trump and other administration officials to ensure compliance with records laws, the groups announced this week. With Trump facing “potential legal and financial exposure once he leaves office,” the groups said, “there is a growing risk that he will destroy records of his …

Bloomberg News reports: A deadline set by the Trump administration for the forced sale of TikTok’s U.S. assets came and went Friday without a final deal. While the deadline has been extended multiple times, TikTok isn’t expected to receive a new one, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the decision isn’t yet public. TikTok is still …

CNN reports: The Trump administration prevented President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team from meeting with its counterparts at Pentagon intelligence agencies this week, according to a former senior intelligence official familiar with intelligence transition discussions. The slowdown means the Biden team has not yet been able to meet with officials from the military intelligence agencies within the Defense Department — including …

Law & Crime reports: Formally rescinding acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf’s memo on the grounds that he was illegally appointed, a federal judge on Friday ordered the DHS to unfurl the welcome mat on its website and invite aspiring Dreamers to make first-time requests for consideration under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). The Homeland Security website must also …

It starts with just a trickle: White House communications director Alyssa Farah resigned from her post Thursday after three-and-a-half years in the Trump administration. Farah, 31, began her White House tenure as press secretary under Vice President Pence, before joining the Defense Department as press secretary last September, and returned to the White House as communications director in April. She …

The Associated Press reports: The official serving as President Donald Trump’s eyes and ears at the Justice Department has been banned from the building after trying to pressure staffers to give up sensitive information about election fraud and other matters she could relay to the White House. Heidi Stirrup, an ally of top Trump adviser Stephen Miller, was quietly installed …

The New York Daily News reports: It might be time for Attorney General William Barr to start packing his bags. President Trump suggested Thursday that he may fire Barr over his affirmation that there’s no evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 election. “Ask me that in a number of weeks from now,” Trump said in the Oval Office after …

Mediaite reports: Chris Johnson, a White House reporter for the Washington Blade — the oldest LGBTQ+ newspaper in the United States — confronted McEnany about Trump’s World AIDS Day speech, noting that the president failed to mention the LGBTQ+ community. “The president honored World AIDS Day yesterday in a way that no president has before, with the red ribbon there,” …

NBC News reports: Over 25 PPP loans worth more than $3.65 million were given to businesses with addresses at Trump and Kushner real estate properties, paying rent to those owners. Fifteen of the properties self-reported that they only kept one job, zero jobs or did not report a number at all. The loans to Trump and Kushner properties included a …

CNN reports: The Justice Department is investigating a potential crime related to funneling money to the White House or related political committee in exchange for a presidential pardon, according to court records unsealed Tuesday in federal court. The case is the latest legal twist in the waning days of President Donald Trump’s administration after several of his top advisers have …

The Associated Press reports: In a veiled swing at President-elect Joe Biden’s education plans, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on Tuesday blasted the push for free college as a “socialist takeover of higher education” that could damage the nation’s economy. Speaking at an online conference hosted by the Education Department’s Federal Student Aid office, DeVos did not mention Biden by name. …

The Associated Press reports: Attorney General William Barr said Tuesday the Justice Department has not uncovered evidence of widespread voter fraud that would change the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. His comments come despite President Donald Trump’s repeated claims that the election was stolen, and his refusal to concede his loss to President-Elect Joe Biden. In an interview, Barr …

Raw Story reports: Speaking on Fox News this Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany accused Playboy reporter Brian Karem of sexism, saying that he should be investigated by the White House Correspondents’ Association. “If you’re a female woman in the Republican Party who takes that podium, guess what your worry is — having a Playboy reporter shout questions at …

Axios reports: White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows has summoned FDA commissioner Stephen Hahn to the West Wing for a 9:30am meeting Tuesday to explain why he hasn’t moved faster to approve the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine, two senior administration officials told Axios. The meeting is shaping up to be tense, with Hahn using what the White House will likely …

Fox News reports: Dr. Scott Atlas, President Trump’s special adviser on the coronavirus pandemic, formally resigned from his post on Monday, Fox News has learned. Atlas, who spoke with the president on Monday, joined the administration in August, and was considered a Special Government Employee (SGE), serving a 130-day detail. Atlas’ role is set to expire this week. Fox News …

Via press release from the White House: The First Family is celebrating their fourth Christmas in the White House. This year’s theme, “America the Beautiful,” is a tribute to the majesty of our great Nation. From coast to coast, our country is blessed with boundless natural wonders. The timeless treasures represented in this year’s holiday showcase remind us of the …