Trump Corruption

CNN reports: Vivek Ramaswamy, the co-chair of the proposed Department of Government Efficiency alongside billionaire Elon Musk, has a lengthy history of attacking his partner’s ties to China, frequently referring to Musk as a “circus monkey” and a puppet for the Chinese Communist Party. Ramaswamy’s critiques, reviewed by CNN’s KFile, include pointed remarks about Musk’s 2022 suggestion that Taiwan should …

The Bulwark reports: Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis have personally discussed the possibility of the Florida governor becoming the next secretary of defense amid concerns that sexual assault allegations could engulf the president-elect’s current nominee for the post, Pete Hegseth. “These discussions are real. It’s serious. I can’t say it’s definitely going to happen, but the governor is receptive and …

Raw Story reports: Embattled Donald Trump ally Rudy Giuliani missed a deadline to reply to a motion arguing he should be held in contempt, according to a report. “Mr. Giuliani … was fully aware of Plaintiffs’ Motion for Civil Contempt, as well as the Court’s Order scheduling a hearing on the Motion for December 12, 2024,” said a new filing …

The New York Times reports: President-elect Donald J. Trump’s transition operation announced on Tuesday that it had belatedly signed an agreement with the Justice Department that will allow the F.B.I. to conduct background checks on people Mr. Trump intends to appoint as senior officials in his new administration. F.B.I. background checks have long been a routine part of transitions. Law-enforcement …

CNN reports: Kash Patel, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to run the FBI, was recently informed by the bureau that he had been targeted as part of an Iranian hack, two sources familiar with the matter told CNN. Hackers are believed to have accessed at least some of Patel’s communications, according to one of the sources. Trump transition spokesman Alex Pfeiffer …

The Independent reports: Does Donald Trump want to conquer Canada? The president-elect posted a bewildering image of him and the Canadian flag on top of a mountain just days after suggesting Canada become the U.S.’s 51st state. “Oh Canada,” Trump captioned the AI-generated image. There was just one problem: the mountain range appeared to be the Swiss Alps, with the …

The Hill reports: President-elect Trump’s team outlined the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee benefits for donors over the Jan. 20 weekend, which include a reception with Cabinet picks, a Sunday service and the inaugural ball. In a benefits outline obtained by The Hill, the team highlighted that committee members who give $1 million or raise $2 million receive six tickets to access …

Reuters reports: Donald Trump on Tuesday asked a New York state judge to dismiss the criminal case in which he was convicted in May of 34 felony counts involving hush money paid to a porn star in light of his victory in the Nov. 5 U.S. presidential election. Justice Juan Merchan last month delayed Trump’s previously scheduled Nov. 26 sentencing …

The Guardian reports: There are actually two types of cologne available: “Fight fight fight” and “Victory”. The first one is inspired by Trump’s words after he was shot in the ear, and is apparently a “bold scent” that “delivers rich, robust notes that leave a lasting impression”. Buyers should note, however, that this is “Not just a cologne – it’s …

Bloomberg News reports: Donald Trump Jr. is joining the board of PSQ Holdings Inc., the owner of online marketplace PublicSquare, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The company’s shares more than doubled in New York trading. PublicSquare aims to connect “patriotic” businesses and consumers and has sought to build a so-called “parallel economy,” which it defines as prioritizing …

The Washington Post reports: President-elect Donald Trump offered billionaire investor Stephen Feinberg the job of deputy defense secretary, said people familiar with the matter, a decision that could elevate a longtime political supporter with investments in defense companies that maintain lucrative Pentagon contracts. The pick, which requires Senate confirmation, is not final until announced by Trump, his aides said. Feinberg …

“In the way that he spoke about Putin, the way that he spoke about the North Korean president, obviously, apart from critical remarks he made, there was always a kind of fascination at the sheer power of what these people could do. So my impression always was that he dreamt of actually overriding maybe all those parliamentary bodies that he …

Fox News reports: President-elect Trump suggested to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last week that if a tariff for failing to address trade and immigration issues would kill the neighbor to the north’s economy, maybe it should become the 51st state, sources told Fox News. Last Friday, Trudeau flew to Mar-a-Lago unannounced after Trump threatened to impose sweeping tariffs on …

The Washington Post reports: Oxford’s 2024 Word of the Year is more than a century old, but that doesn’t mean it’s not incredibly relevant in 2024. The winner, announced on Monday by the University of Oxford, was “brain rot” — a term that describes the overconsumption of material or content to the point that it deteriorates one’s mental state. The …

The Associated Press reports: President-elect Donald Trump has named billionaire investment banker Warren Stephens as his envoy to Britain, a prestigious posting for the Republican donor whose contributions this year included $2 million to a Trump-backing super PAC. Trump, in a post on his Truth Social site Monday evening, announced he was selecting Stephens to be the U.S. ambassador to …

“Everybody is talking about the hostages who are being held so violently, inhumanely, and against the will of the entire World, in the Middle East – But it’s all talk, and no action! Please let this TRUTH serve to represent that if the hostages are not released prior to January 20, 2025, the date that I proudly assume Office as …

CNN Business reports: During his second term, President-elect Donald Trump is widely expected to privatize Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the mortgage giants that guarantee 70% of America’s mortgages. Amid a housing market marked by stubbornly high mortgage rates, a long-standing supply shortage and soaring home prices, some economists warn that privatizing these two mortgage behemoths, worth a combined $146 …

Florida Politics reports: A new survey of voters shows that 7 out of 10 Republicans want Lara Trump in the Senate. But those voters don’t live in Florida, where she has been angling for an appointment from Gov. Ron DeSantis. The Victory Insights poll of North Carolina Republicans finds that 69% of them want the Republican National Committee (RNC) Co-Chair …

The Daily Beast reports: At Vets for Freedom, where he held the top post from 2007 to 2012, Hegseth ran up mountain-sized debt and was subject to rumors of spending on parties, or what one former associate of the group told The New Yorker “could politely be called trysts.” A group of donors to the group hired an accountant to …

CNN reports: Karoline Leavitt, President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming White House press secretary, deleted two social media posts she shared after the January 6, 2021, riot at the US Capitol — including a retweet praising then-Vice President Mike Pence for certifying the 2020 election. The post included a video of Pence calling the attack “a dark day in the history of …