Trump Corruption

They’ll wring every last penny out of the cult: For those worried that there just isn’t enough Trump-branded merch on the market, fear not: Lara Trump is launching her own clothing line. “The LT Brand by Lara Trump Collection isn’t just activewear—it’s a celebration of strength, resilience, and patriotism,” the president-elect’s daughter-in-law wrote in a promotional Instagram post Tuesday. She …

“Yes, these are the ONLY guitars endorsed by President Donald J. Trump! American Eagle Acoustic Guitar: 1,300 were produced, with 1,275 being made available to the public. American Eagle Electric Guitar: 1,300 were produced, with 1,275 being made available to the public. “Each guitar is carefully packaged into a custom guitar box that has been specifically produced to withstand the …

From the Wall Street Journal editorial board: So far President-elect Trump is standing by his choice of Pete Hegseth as Defense Secretary, despite the disclosure that Mr. Hegseth paid a woman in 2020 to settle an allegation of sexual assault in 2017. Press reports say the accusation took Mr. Trump’s transition team by “surprise,” which might be a lesson about …

Politico reports: Two former Georgia election workers are asking a federal judge to hold Rudy Giuliani in contempt of court for repeating false claims that have already led to a $148 million defamation judgment against him. Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss say Giuliani repeated baseless claims on an episode of his podcast last week, saying that they counted fraudulent ballots …

ABC News reports: President-elect Donald Trump’s criminal hush money conviction in New York must be dismissed “to facilitate the orderly transition of Executive power,” Trump’s defense attorneys argued Wednesday in a letter to the court. Defense attorneys Todd Blanche and Emil Bove — both of whom Trump nominated last week to top DOJ posts in his new administration — sought …

CNN reports: Former Rep. Matt Gaetz is quietly urging GOP senators to give him a chance to prove himself suitable to be attorney general amid growing calls from top Republicans to access a House Ethics Committee report expected to detail allegations of sexual misconduct involving the ex-congressman. The pressure is all building ahead of a planned Wednesday meeting of the …

Vanity Fair reports: For now, Donald Trump is reportedly standing by Pete Hegseth, his embattled pick for defense secretary, but some Trump transition officials are beginning to doubt whether the Fox News host can survive the controversy. According to two Republicans close to Trump, the transition team is quietly preparing a list of alternative defense secretary candidates should Trump abandon …

CNN reports: Trump transition co-chair Linda McMahon is expected to be named as secretary of the Department of Education, four sources familiar with the matter told CNN. She is the board chair of the America First Policy Institute, a pro-Trump think tank that was formed in 2021 by McMahon, Larry Kudlow and other advisers from the first Trump administration. McMahon …

The Washington Post reports: A thousand miles from the austere buildings where Washington runs, Donald Trump’s transition team in his Mar-a-Lago resort has begun what a close ally calls a hostile takeover of the federal government. Since his victory, Trump has ignored many of the rules and practices intended to guide a seamless transfer of power and handover of the …

CNBC reports: Walmart’s CFO, John David Rainey, said the retailer could have to raise prices on some items if President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs take effect. “We never want to raise prices,” he said in an interview with CNBC on Tuesday. “Our model is everyday low prices. But there probably will be cases where prices will go up for consumers.” …

“You know, there’s a lot the FCC can do. Broadcasters are differently situated than other speakers. They get free access to a valuable public resource, the airwaves. And they’re licensed by the FCC. And the exchange for that is the extra the public interest. “I think it’s important that we take another look at that and we reinvigorate it. There’s …

Axios reports: Trump will nominate billionaire Howard Lutnick as Commerce secretary, a top transition source tells Axios. The Commerce Department will have a key role in implementing the tariffs Trump has vowed to implement — and Lutnick has been a vocal supporter. Lutnick, co-chair of Trump’s transition, was hoping to become Treasury secretary, but Trump recently soured on the finalists …

USA Today reports: President-elect Donald Trump’s Nov. 26 sentencing date in his New York hush money case has been cancelled as the judge considers how to proceed in light of Trump’s election victory. On Nov. 10, after his victory, Trump lawyer Emil Bove argued in an email to Judge Juan Merchan that the case should also be dismissed based on …

The New York Times reports: President-elect Donald J. Trump plans to attend a SpaceX launch in Texas on Tuesday, according to two people familiar with the planning, in yet another demonstration of the billionaire Elon Musk’s increasing closeness to the incoming president. SpaceX will be conducting its sixth test of its Starship rocket, the largest and most powerful rocket ever …

The New York Times reports: In his private conversations over the past few days, President-elect Donald J. Trump has admitted that his besieged choice for attorney general, Matt Gaetz, has less than even odds of being confirmed by the Senate. But Mr. Trump has shown no sign of withdrawing the nomination, which speaks volumes about his mind-set as he staffs …

Axios reports: President-elect Trump is personally calling senators to press them to confirm former Rep. Matt Gaetz to be his attorney general, according to senators who have spoken with Trump. Trump is digging in on his embattled and controversial nominee and is sending an unmistakable message to Senate Republicans that he expects him to be confirmed. “He clearly wants Matt …

The Washington Post reports: Civil-liberties lawyers alarmed by President-elect Donald Trump’s plan to launch mass deportations of undocumented immigrants sued the federal government Monday for information about how authorities might quickly remove people from the United States. The federal lawsuit alleges that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has failed to respond to requests for basic information about its existing contracts …

The Huffington Post reports: A New York judge has reportedly agreed to postpone the start of Steve Bannon’s trial on charges that he defrauded supporters of President-elect Donald Trump after his defense requested it be pushed back into the new year. Judge April Newbauer moved his Dec. 9 trial start date to Feb. 25, according to Courthouse News and reporter …

CNN reports: Trump’s pick for chairman of the FCC, Brendan Carr, wasted no time in stating his priorities on Sunday night. Just one hour after thanking the president for the appointment, Carr wrote on X, “We must dismantle the censorship cartel and restore free speech rights for everyday Americans.” Musk immediately replied with one word of affirmation: “Based.” Carr has …

The Hill reports: President-elect Trump on Monday recirculated a social media post suggesting his incoming administration will declare an immigration national emergency and use military assets to support his mass deportation pledge, labeling the claim “TRUE!!!” On his Truth Social site, Trump at 4:03 a.m. re-posted Tom Fitton, the president of Judicial Watch, a conservative organization that’s been active, both …