Trump’s popular vote total drops below 50 percent as he confirms plan to use military for mass deportations: Live

Donald Trump has confirmed he is prepared to declare a national emergency and use military assets to carry out his mass deportation campaign pledge.

Responding to a Truth Social post from Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch regarding reports that were the case, the president-elect wrote: “TRUE!!!”

As final votes are tallied from the November 5 election, Trump’s share of the popular vote has fallen below 50 percent and his mandate does not appear as sweeping as was first thought.

Nevertheless, as he continues to build his administration, Trump announced his latest nomination — “Warrior for Free Speech” Brendan Carr, who will be chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, the body that regulates US media.

Trump has yet to announce his choice for treasury secretary but two new candidates will reportedly be interviewed at Mar-a-Lago today: former Federal Reserve governor Kevin Warsh and Wall Street billionaire Marc Rowan.

Howard Lutnick, co-chair of Trump’s transition team, and Key Square Capital Management founder Scott Bessant were favorites for the role but there appears to have been second thoughts.

Meanwhile, President Joe Biden has approved the use of American-made long-range missiles by Ukraine in its war against Russia, inspiring a conservative outcry.

Key Points

• Trump’s share of popular vote drops below 50% as true scale of mandate revealed

• Trump confirms he plans to use US military domestically for mass deportation

• Trump Media shares soar as report says company in talks to buy crypto trading platform

• Donald Trump picks Project 2025 co-author to lead FCC

• Morning Joe hosts reveal they went to Mar-a-Lago to ‘restart communications’ with Trump

• ACLU sues ICE for records on how air operations may expand for Trump’s deportation plans

Why MSNBC’s ‘Morning Joe’ hosts traveled to Florida to meet with Trump

04:00 , Oliver O’Connell

Morning Joe co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski visited Mar-a-Lago to meet President-elect Donald Trump, they revealed.

Scarborough and Brzezinski have been highly critical of Trump leading up to the election, calling him “erratic,” slamming his election fraud efforts and warning of “how dark of a place” the US would be if Trump won. But after airing their concerns with a second Trump presidency, the pair met with Trump Friday for the first time in seven years to “restart communications.”

Kelly Rissman reports.

‘Morning Joe’ hosts traveled to meet with Trump and ‘restart communications’

Ukraine: Marjorie Taylor Greene and Donald Trump Jr accuse Biden of trying to start WWIII

03:00 , Oliver O’Connell

Marjorie Taylor Greene and Donald Trump Jr have accused President Joe Biden of trying to start World War III after he gave Ukraine the green light to use US-supplied long-range supersonic missiles to strike inside Russia for the first time.

The Biden administration’s granting of Kyiv’s request to use the ATACMS missiles outside of its own borders marks a change in stance in the president’s final days in office, before President-elect Donald Trump – who has indicated he will limit US support for Ukraine – returns to the White House in January.

The MAGA representative and Donald Trump’s eldest son lashed out at Biden’s decision in fiery posts on X.

James Liddell reports.

Marjorie Taylor Greene and Donald Trump Jr accuse Biden of trying to start WWIII

Why did Trump pick Fox News host Pete Hegseth for defense?

02:00 , Oliver O’Connell

The second in command to the nation’s military could end up being a Fox News pundit who wants to launch a “frontal assault” against top brass, kick women out of combat, and implement Donald Trump’s sweeping agenda for the world’s third-largest standing fighting force.

The president-elect has nominated Pete Hegseth as his secretary of defense, overseeing a budget of roughly $850 billion and roughly 3 million service members and personnel serving in the nation’s oldest-running agency while the US is embroiled in global conflicts in a period of escalating tensions.

Alex Woodward reports.

Why Trump nominated a ‘wholly unqualified’ Fox News host for defense secretary

Doctors worry about RFK Jr’s anti-Ozempic stance (and many of his other views)

01:30 , Oliver O’Connell

Doctors are warning that Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Donald Trump’s nominee to Health and Human Services Secretary, is talking inaccurately about drugs like Ozempic and other similar medications used for treating obesity and diabetes.

In October, Kennedy appeared on Fox News’s Gutfeld! talk show, where he was asked about a study suggesting Ozempic might show promising addressing conditions including drug abuse, sleep apnea, and cognitive decline.

Josh Marcus reports on what he had to say.

Doctors worry about RFK Jr’s anti-Ozempic stance (and many of his other views)

Furious Kremlin – and Trump allies – attack Biden’s ‘escalation’ of Ukraine war

01:00 , Oliver O’Connell

Joe Biden’s decision to let Ukraine strike targets inside Russia with US-made longer-range missiles is an “escalation” of the conflict, Moscow said on Monday as it warned use of the weapons would trigger a “tangible” response.

The Kremlin reacted with fury after the US president eased limits on what targets Kyiv can strike using the American-made Army Tactical Missile System, or ATACMS.

Alastair Jamieson reports.

Kremlin and Trump allies attack Biden’s ‘escalation’ of Ukraine war

Can Trump bypass FBI background checks and security clearance for his key cabinet picks?

00:30 , Oliver O’Connell

The FBI has vetted cabinet picks since President Dwight D Eisenhower was in the White House.

But if he so chooses, Donald Trump, himself a convicted felon, can bypass background checks for those he has nominated for key roles in his administration.

James Liddell explains how.

How Trump can bypass FBI background checks and security clearance for cabinet picks

Profile: Interior secretary nominee Doug Burgum

00:00 , Oliver O’Connell

President-elect Donald Trump has chosen North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum to head the Interior Department.

Trump made the announcement during a speech at a black-tie gala held at Mar-a-Lago on Thursday.

Sam Rkaina reports.

Who is Doug Burgum? Everything to know about Trump’s pick to run Interior Department

ICYMI: Trump feels ‘obligation’ to Americans to work with press, even those who treat him badly

Monday 18 November 2024 23:45 , Oliver O’Connell

In an interview with Fox News Digital this morning, Donald Trump said that it is “vital” to have a “free, fair and open media” and that he feels he has “an obligation” to the American people to work with the press — even those who had treated him “badly beyond comprehension”.

The president-elect also spoke of his meeting with the MSNBC hosts of Morning Joe: “I received a call from Joe Scarborough requesting a meeting for him and Mika [Brzezinski], and I agreed that it would be a good thing if such meeting took place.”

Trump said he met with the two at 8am on Friday morning at Mar-a-Lago and that it was “extremely cordial”.

“Many things were discussed, and I very much appreciated the fact that they wanted to have open communication,” he said. “In many ways, it’s too bad that it wasn’t done long ago.”

The president-elect said they discussed his campaign and his cabinet picks and the meeting ended with an agreement to speak in the future.

He said his obligation is “to be open and available to the press” but added: “If not treated fairly, however, that will end.”

Who’s who in Trump’s prospective administration?

Monday 18 November 2024 23:30 , Oliver O’Connell

President-elect Donald Trump is filling key posts in his second administration, putting an emphasis so far on aides and allies who were his strongest backers during the 2024 campaign.

Here’s a look at who he’s selected so far:

Trump’s Cabinet tracker: Here’s who is among the White House appointments so far

Analysis: Trump warned his second term would mean ‘retribution’. His alarming cabinet picks show he means it

Monday 18 November 2024 23:15 , Oliver O’Connell

Alex Woodward writes:

Trump’s first wave of cabinet nominations and White House appointments, within the week after he won the 2024 presidential election, have stunned members of Congress, veterans and active-duty service members, public health advocates and democratic advocates, who have warned for years that he is building a government of loyalists to fulfill his campaign-trail promises to deliver “retribution” by destroying the “deep state.”

They’re shocking choices, but they shouldn’t be surprising. When Trump formally launched his 2024 campaign from Waco, Texas, he declared himself a “warrior” and the election a “final battle.”

Read on…

Trump promised ‘retribution’ in his second term. His cabinet picks show he means it

What would RFK Jr be in charge of if he joins Trump cabinet?

Monday 18 November 2024 23:00 , Oliver O’Connell

Eric Garcia writes:

When president-elect Donald Trump announced that he would nominate Robert F Kennedy Jr to be his secretary of Health and Human Services, the move shocked many. Kennedy, the son of the late senator from New York and US attorney general, has made a name for himself primarily promoting the bogus link that vaccines cause autism.

It is unclear whether Kennedy could get confirmed, even with a Republican Senate majority. Mike Pence, Trump’s former vice president, made the rare move of denouncing Kennedy as insufficiently opposed to abortion.

Needless to say, almost all, if not all, Democrats will oppose Kennedy’s confirmation. Plenty of Republicans might have some objections as well.

Continue reading…

RFK Jr is Trump’s pick to oversee Health. Here’s all the agencies he could control

Sarah Palin appears miffed at lack of Trump cabinet spot

Monday 18 November 2024 22:45 , Oliver O’Connell

Sarah Palin appears to be miffed that President-elect Donald Trump hasn’t picked her to serve in his cabinet.

As Trump rolls out his cabinet picks, the former vice presidential nominee and governor of Alaska has been busy posting a series of screenshots from her supporters expressing their frustration that she hadn’t been chosen for a cabinet role — perhaps signaling that she shares that frustration.

Kelly Rissman reports.

Sarah Palin’s appears miffed Trump isn’t nominating her for a cabinet spot

Court cancels oral arguments in Trump’s Fani Willis disqualification appeal

Monday 18 November 2024 22:35 , Oliver O’Connell

The Georgia Court of Appeals has canceled the December 5 oral argument it previously scheduled to hear Donald Trump’s appeal seeking to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who charged him in the sprawling 2020 election interference case.

The argument is canceled “until further order of this court”.

The court previously granted a request for the oral argument and as recently as October extended the time allotted to the parties for argument.

It is not clear what led to the hearing’s cancellation. However, as Anna Bower of Lawfare notes, the court is able to issue a ruling on the matter based on the briefs submitted by either side without hearing oral arguments.

Profile: Defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth

Monday 18 November 2024 22:30 , Oliver O’Connell

Pete Hegseth has been nominated for Secretary of Defense under President-elect Donald Trump – but who is the relative unknown to the DC sphere?

Amber Raiken reports.

Who is Pete Hegseth? The Fox News anchor turned nominee for Defense secretary

‘The View’ co-host accuses ‘Morning Joe’ of ‘kissing the ring’ after Trump meeting

Monday 18 November 2024 22:15 , Oliver O’Connell

The View co-host Sunny Hostin has criticized MSNBC’s Morning Joe anchors Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski for visiting President-elect Donald Trump, saying: “I don’t think you need to sit down for 90 minutes at Mar-a-Lago and kiss his ring to be able to speak truth.”

Scarborough and Brzezinski had been highly critical of Trump leading up to the election, but the pair recently revealed they met with the president-elect on Friday for the first time in seven years to “restart communications.”

Kevin E G Perry has the story.

Sunny Hostin accuses Morning Joe hosts of ‘kissing the ring’ after Trump meeting

ACLU sues ICE for records on how air operations may expand for Trump’s deportation plans

Monday 18 November 2024 22:09 , Oliver O’Connell

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is suing US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to obtain records revealing how ICE Air Operations — the network of for-profit, commercial, and privately chartered deportation flights run by ICE — could be expanded to carry out a mass deportation and detention program.

Lawyers for the ACLU said the information is urgent as Donald Trump will take office in just two months and has reiterated his promise to undertake the largest deportation program in US history.

The ACLU says that in 2023 alone, planes chartered by ICE Air Operations deported more than 140,000 people. Flights chartered by ICE are also used to transport people between ICE detention facilities across the country. Immigrants’ rights advocates have continuously raised concerns that ICE’s infrastructure, including its air operations network, could be expanded to assist the Trump administration in its efforts to deport more than 11 million people from the United States.

“For months, the ACLU has been preparing for the possibility of a mass detention and deportation program, and FOIA litigation has been a central part of our roadmap,” said Kyle Virgien, senior staff attorney at the ACLU’s National Prison Project. “A second Trump administration underscores the urgency of our litigation.”

The lawsuit was filed in the US District Court for the Central District of California.

“Little is known about how President-elect Trump would carry out its mass deportation agenda, but what we do know is that this proposal has already instilled fear among immigrant communities,” said Eva Bitran, director of immigrants’ rights at ACLU SoCal. “The public has a right to know how its taxpayer dollars could be used to fund deportation flights that would tear apart not only families, but also our communities.”

Watch: GOP Rep Don Bacon says Senate should see Gaetz report

Monday 18 November 2024 22:05 , Oliver O’Connell

Giuliani demands court delay so he can attend Trump’s inauguration

Monday 18 November 2024 22:00 , Oliver O’Connell

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is asking the court to delay his trial with the pair of election workers he defamed so he can attend Donald Trump’s inauguration.

Giuliani’s trial is scheduled for January 16, 2025, four days before President-elect Trump’s inauguration. The cash-strapped former mayor has now asked the court to adjourn the trial – which is to enforce the $150 million bankruptcy court judgment against Giuliani – until on or after January 22, so that he can attend the inauguration events.

Kelly Rissman has been following the case.

Giuliani demands court delays his trial so he can attend Trump’s inauguration

Gaetz paid two House ethics committee witnesses for sex, lawyer says

Monday 18 November 2024 21:45 , Oliver O’Connell

Two women who testified to the House Ethics Committee told investigators that now-former Republican congressman Matt Gaetz paid both of them for sex, according to their attorney.

One of his clients also told the committee that she had witnessed Gaetz having sex with a third woman who was 17 years old at the time.

“She testified that in July of 2017, at this house party, she was walking out to the pool area, and she looked to her right, and she saw Representative Gaetz having sex with her friend, who was 17,” attorney Joel Leppard told ABC News.

Alex Woodward has the full story.

Matt Gaetz paid two ethics committee witnesses for sex, lawyer says

Is the shine coming off the Musk-Trump bromance for MAGAworld?

Monday 18 November 2024 21:35 , Oliver O’Connell

John Bowden reports on how as Elon Musk pushes his influence on Trump cabinet picks, he starting to fall out with others surrounding the president-elect.

Elon Musk’s bromance with Trump is starting to irritate MAGAworld

Trump appears to be planning to attend SpaceX ‘Starship’ launch tomorrow

Monday 18 November 2024 21:30 , Oliver O’Connell

President-elect Donald Trump appears to be planning to attend a SpaceX “Starship” rocket launch on Tuesday, in the latest indication of founder Elon Musk ‘s influence in the Republican’s orbit.

The Federal Aviation Administration has issued temporary flight restrictions over Brownsville and Boca Chica, Texas area for a VIP visit that coincides with the SpaceX launch window for a test of its massive Starship rocket from its launch facility on the Gulf of Mexico. The flight restrictions put in place over Trump’s home in Palm Beach, Florida when he is there will be lifted briefly while the Texas security measures are in place.

Read the full article here.

Profile: Attorney general nominee Matt Gaetz

Monday 18 November 2024 21:20 , Josh Marcus

Donald Trump has announced he’s going to nominate former Florida Republican congressman Matt Gaetz to serve as attorney general.

In a statement, the president-elect praised Gaetz, 42, who has frequently defended Trump and criticized the various criminal and congressional probes against the Republican.

“On the House Judiciary Committee, which performs oversight of DOJ, Matt played a key role in defeating the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, and exposing alarming and systemic Government Corruption and Weaponization,” Trump wrote on Wednesday, calling Gaetz a “Champion for the Constitution and the Rule of Law.”

Gaetz has faced multiple allegations of wrongdoing of his own, including a federal sex trafficking probe that ended without charges against him and a House ethics inquiry.

Here’s what you need to know about Gaetz, who was once dubbed the “Trumpiest Congressman” in Washington:

Who is Matt Gaetz? Trump’s attorney general nominee who is no stranger to controversy

Trump Media shares soar as report says company in talks to buy crypto trading platform

Monday 18 November 2024 21:13 , Oliver O’Connell

The Financial Times reports that Trump Media is reportedly in “advanced talks” to buy the cryptocurrency trading firm Bakkt. The outlet cited two people with knowledge of the talks.

Shares in both companies soared on the news with the the parent company of Truth Social shooting up by as much as 15 percent in the minutes after the report was published, CNBC reports.

Shares of Bakkt, created by Intercontinental Exchange, which owns the New York Stock Exchange, leaped more than 162 percent triggering repeated trading due to volatility in the price.

The share price of Trump Media has been on a rollercoaster ride since it went public earlier this year in the run-up to the presidential election. The company has reported a $363m net loss on revenues of just $2.6m so far this year, it boasts a market cap above $7bn.

Pennsylvania court rules mail-in ballots without dated signature will not be counted.

Monday 18 November 2024 21:05 , Oliver O’Connell

Mail-in ballots that arrived in time but without a dated signature will bot be counted, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has ordered.

Some county election boards had moved to segregate and count these ballots, citing mixed messages from earlier state court rulings.

The court ruled 4-3 against counting the ballots with two Republican and two Democrat judges forming the majority.

The many controversies of RFK Jr

Monday 18 November 2024 21:00 , Oliver O’Connell

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an anti-vaccine activist and former independent presidential candidate, has been tapped to lead the Department of Health and Human Services under Donald Trump’s government.

Kennedy ran an independent presidential campaign alongside running mate Nicole Shanahan, attempting to rival both Trump and Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. In August, Kennedy suspended his independent campaign for president and backed the now-president-elect.

The 70-year-old has spread misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines, admitted to bizarrely dumping a dead bear cub in Central Park and allegedly engaged in an online relationship with a political reporter despite being married, among other incidents.

Now, he’s Trump’s pick to lead the nation in a mission to “make America healthy.”

Eric Garcia and Katie Hawkinson break down Kennedy’s most notable controversies as he gears up to potentially serve in Trump’s cabinet:

RFK Jr’s controversies: From dumping a bear in Central Park to a brain-eating worm

What have Trump’s cabinet nominees said about climate change?

Monday 18 November 2024 20:40 , Julia Musto

As President-elect Donald Trump‘s picks for his upcoming administration continue to roll in, many have a noticeable link – their stance on climate change.

The former president, who has pledged to “drill, baby, drill,” while in office for his second term, has called climate change a “scam.” Many of his nominees share that thinking.

This year was the warmest in Earth’s record, fueled by the fossil fuel industry’s continued production of greenhouse gas emissions that warm the planet’s atmosphere. Without reductions, Earth could pass worrisome tipping points, with consequences for all of its inhabitants.

Here’s where some of Trump’s cabinet picks stand on the issue:

Here are what Trump’s cabinet picks have said about climate change

He’s joke about it, but could Trump run again in 2028?

Monday 18 November 2024 20:20 , Oliver O’Connell

Donald Trump has repeatedly mused about the prospect of serving a constitutionally-barred third term as president, though his Republican colleagues insist he’s just joking.

Josh Marcus and Alex Woodward take a look.

Trump joked about a third term in 2028. So can he run again?

Biden seeks nearly $100bn in emergency disaster aid after Hurricanes Helene and Milton

Monday 18 November 2024 20:10 , AP

President Joe Biden is requesting nearly $100 billion in emergency disaster aid after Hurricanes Helene and Milton, and other natural disasters.

In a letter Monday to House Speaker Mike Johnson, Biden said he has met firsthand with those harmed by the storms and heard what they need from the federal government. “Additional resources are critical to continue to support these communities,” Biden said.

The largest share of the money, about $40 billion, would go to the main disaster relief fund at the Federal Emergency Management Agency. An additional $24 billion would help farmers and $12 billion would go toward community development block grants administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Johnson, R-La., said Congress will evaluate the request and “we’ll make sure we deliver for the hurricane victims and the people that have suffered from that.”

Watch: CNN breaks down ‘depth’ of Trump’s 2024 victory

Monday 18 November 2024 20:00 , Oliver O’Connell

Speaker Johnson denies consulting with Trump on Matt Gaetz ethics report

Monday 18 November 2024 19:40 , Oliver O’Connell

Speaker Mike Johnson defended his call for the House Ethics Committee to withhold the release of its report on the investigation into Matt Gaetz and allegations that the former congressman engaged in sex crimes.

Johnson appeared across the DC news circuit on Sunday as he continues to ride the waves propelling his ascent in MAGAworld; his interviews with two networks came just hours after the GOP House leader was seen alongside Donald Trumpat the UFC championship at Madison Square Garden.

John Bowden reports.

Mike Johnson denies consulting with Trump on Matt Gaetz ethics report

Trump claims he has an ‘unprecedented’ mandate. Experts say it’s actually very small

Monday 18 November 2024 19:30 , Oliver O’Connell

As the votes were tallied and the Electoral College map turned red, Donald Trump declared to supporters at his election night victory party that the American people had given him “an unprecedented and powerful mandate.” A wave of cabinet nominations consisting of MAGA loyalists and fringe figures in the days that followed showed he really believed it. There was to be no reaching across the aisle.

But Trump’s margin of victory, historically speaking, is very small, as Richard Hall explains.

Despite what he says, Trump actually has a very small mandate

Before Trump returns to White House, Haitian families are fleeing Springfield

Monday 18 November 2024 19:20 , Oliver O’Connell

Haitian families are said to be leaving Springfield, Ohio, in droves over fears they’ll be rounded up and deported following Donald Trump’s re-election, according to reports.

Around 200,000 Haitian immigrants legally live and work in the US under Temporary Protected Status (TPS) – granting them immunity from deportation for a limited time because of emergency conditions in their home nation. Thousands of these have settled in Springfield – a city of about 58,000 residents.

Despite having legal status, the president-elect has signaled that immigrants living under TPS could have their status revoked.

James Liddell has the story.

Haitian families are fleeing Springfield before Trump returns to White House

Watch: State Dept will ensure successful transition to Secretary-designate Rubio

Monday 18 November 2024 19:17 , Oliver O’Connell

Who does Elon Musk want Trump to pick as Treasury secretary?

Monday 18 November 2024 19:00 , Oliver O’Connell

Donald Trump’s search for someone to lead the Treasury Department continued over the weekend while one of his new close allies placed his thumb on the scale.

Elon Musk, the Twitter/X/Tesla/SpaceX CEO and top Trump booster, has been increasingly hanging around Mar-a-Lago and the president-elect himself in the days since Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election. Having put a considerable sum behind backing Republicans this cycle, Musk seems eager for a return on his investment — he is now publicly urging the incoming president towards one of the two men seen as finalists for the job of Treasury secretary.

On Saturday — the same day he appeared alongside the president-elect at the UFC championship at Madison Square Garden — Musk made his appeal public.

John Bowden has the story.

Elon Musk wants this man to be Donald Trump’s Treasury secretary

Alex Jones-affiliated company affiliated seeks to disqualify The Onion’s auction bid on Infowars

Monday 18 November 2024 18:50 , AP

A company affiliated with conspiracy theorist Alex Jones asked a federal judge on Monday to disqualify a bid by the satirical news outlet The Onion to buy Jones’ Infowars at a bankruptcy auction, alleging fraud and collusion.

The company, First United American Companies, which is affiliated with a Jones website that sells dietary supplements, was the only other bidder at the recent auction, offering $3.5 million. In a filing in federal bankruptcy court in Houston, a lawyer for the company asked the judge to declare it the winning bidder instead of The Onion.

The lawyer, Walter Cicack, claimed that the bankruptcy trustee overseeing the auction improperly colluded with The Onion and families of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut in naming The Onion the winning bidder. Cicack also alleged the trustee violated rules for the sale set by the judge, and said the company’s cash offer was twice the amount of The Onion’s.

The bankruptcy auction was held last week as part of the liquidation of Jones’ assets, including Infowars. Proceeds from the sale will go to Sandy Hook families and other creditors. Jones filed bankruptcy in 2022 after he was ordered to pay nearly $1.5 billion in defamation lawsuits filed by the families for calling the 2012 shooting that killed 20 children and six educators a hoax staged by actors to increase gun control.

Ben Collins, CEO of The Onion’s parent company, Chicago-based Global Tetrahedron, issued a statement Monday through a spokesperson.

“We’re obviously disappointed he’s lashing out by creating conspiracies, but we’re also not surprised,” he said, referring to Jones.

The bankruptcy trustee appointed to oversee the sale, Christopher Murray, declined to comment Monday. A lawyer for the Sandy Hook families, Christopher Mattei, also declined to comment.

In a response filed in court later Monday, Murray called the allegations “baseless.” He said the motion by First United American to disqualify The Onion was “a disappointed bidder’s improper attempt to influence an otherwise fair and open auction process.”

Murray also wrote, “Having failed in its prior efforts to bully the Trustee and his advisors into accepting its inferior bid, FUAC now alleges, without evidence, collusion and bad faith in an attempt to mislead the Court and disqualify its only competition in the auction.”

Continue reading the full article.

ICYMI: RFK Jr could soon oversee Health in the US – here’s the areas he will have control over

Monday 18 November 2024 18:40 , Oliver O’Connell

Eric Garcia writes:

When president-elect Donald Trump announced that he would nominateRobert F Kennedy Jr to be his secretary of Health and Human Services, the move shocked many. Kennedy, the son of the late senator from New York and US attorney general, has made a name for himself primarily promoting the bogus link that vaccines cause autism.

It is unclear whether Kennedy could get confirmed, even with a Republican Senate majority. Mike Pence, Trump’s former vice president, made the rare move of denouncing Kennedy as insufficiently opposed to abortion.

Needless to say, almost all, if not all, Democrats will oppose Kennedy’s confirmation. Plenty of Republicans might have some objections as well.

Continue reading…

RFK Jr could soon oversee Health in the US – here’s what he’ll have control over

Ruben Gallego begs Democrats to ditch ‘Ivy League’ advisers

Monday 18 November 2024 18:20 , Oliver O’Connell

Kamala Harris’s defeat to Donald Trump was caused by many factors, and one of them was a surge of Latino support for the GOP ticket even as Democrats were confident that warnings about Trump’s mass deportation plan would prevent that from happening.

Now, one of the Democrats who won on November 5 despite the underperformance of the top of his party’s ticket is warning members of his party to actually listen to Latino voters if they want to win them back for future election cycles.

John Bowden reports from Washington, DC.

After beating Kari Lake, Gallego begs Democrats to ditch ‘Ivy League’ advisers

Trump thinks he can fix golf’s mess

Monday 18 November 2024 18:05 , AP

President-elect Donald Trump boasted during the campaign he would need about 15 minutes to get a deal done between the PGA Tour and the Saudi investors of LIV Golf. That started with four hours on the golf course with PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan.

The Washington Post reported Monahan accepted an invitation from Trump to play golf last Friday at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida.

The PGA Tour confirmed the outing in a statement.

Read the full article here.

Monday 18 November 2024 18:00 , Oliver O’Connell

Kremlin responds after Biden approves Ukraine’s use of long-range missiles in Russia

As Trump threatens to use military, polls show growing support for mass deportation

Monday 18 November 2024 17:40 , Oliver O’Connell

Donald Trump has confirmed the military could be used to carry out mass deportations, just as a new review of polling revealed growing support for his approach to tackling illegal immigration.

The president-elect also suggested a national emergency could be declared on the issue once he is in power when he responded to a supporter’s post on his Truth Social platform on Monday morning.

Alex Woodward reports.

Polls show growing support for mass deportation as Trump threatens to use military

20% of Americans are now getting their news from influencers on X

Monday 18 November 2024 17:20 , AP

About one in five Americans – and a virtually identical share of Republicans and Democrats – regularly get their news from digital influencers who are more likely to be found on the social media platform X, according to a report released Monday by the Pew Research Center.

The findings, drawn from a survey of more than 10,000 U.S. adults and an analysis of social media posts posted this summer by influencers, provide an indication of how Americans consumed the news during the height of the U.S. presidential campaign that President-elect Donald Trump ultimately won.

Continue reading…

20% of Americans are now getting their news from influencers on X

Hovde concedes to incumbent Democrat Baldwin in Wisconsin Senate race

Monday 18 November 2024 17:10 , Oliver O’Connell

Eric Hovde, the Republican challenger to Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin, has conceded the race in a video message. He says that he won’t request a recount as he doesn’t want to add to “political strife”

Senator Baldwin’s lead is just over 27,000 votes, out of more than 3 million cast.

DeSantis addresses upcoming Florida Senate vacancy as Rubio departs for Trump admin role

Monday 18 November 2024 17:00 , Oliver O’Connell

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has released a statement about the upcoming vacancy in the Senate when Florida Senator Marco Rubio departs for his new role as Secretary of State for Donald Trump’s second administration.

It is the role of the governor to appoint an interim senator to serve in the role ahead of a special election likely in the 2026 mid-terms.

DeSantis writes:

Senator Marco Rubio is expected to resign from the Senate to assume duties as Secretary of State when the Trump administration takes power on January 20th, creating a vacancy roughly two months from today.

We have already received strong interest from several possible candidates, and we continue to gather names of additional candidates and conduct preliminary vetting. More extensive vetting and candidate interviews will be conducted over the next few weeks, with a selection likely made by the beginning of January.

Florida deserves a Senator who will help President Trump deliver on his election mandate, be strong on immigration and border security, take on the entrenched bureaucracy and administrative state, reverse the nation’s fiscal decline, be animated by conservative principles, and has a proven record of results.

Watch: CNN breaks down ‘depth’ of Trump’s 2024 victory

Monday 18 November 2024 16:50 , Oliver O’Connell

Trump dance takes the NFL by storm

Monday 18 November 2024 16:41 , AP

Yes. That dance.

The Trump dance takes the NFL by storm

Don Jr hints about ‘backup plans’ if controversial picks don’t get confirmed

Monday 18 November 2024 16:30 , Oliver O’Connell

Donald Trump Jr suggests that his father has “backup plans” if his cabinet picks aren’t confirmed by the Senate.

Matt Gaetz, Pete Hegseth and Robert F Kennedy Jr are receiving the most pushback in President-elect Donald Trump’s list of controversial cabinet picks. But his eldest son told Fox’s Sunday Morning Futures host Maria Bartiromo on Sunday that even if the Senate doesn’t confirm some of his nominees, Trump has a plan B.

Kelly Rissman reports.

Don Jr hints Trump has ‘backup plans’ if controversial picks don’t get confirmed

Watch: Morning Joe hosts reveal they went to Mar-a-Lago to ‘restart communications’ with Trump

Monday 18 November 2024 16:10 , Oliver O’Connell

Trump feels ‘obligation’ to Americans to work with press, even those who treat him badly

Monday 18 November 2024 15:50 , Oliver O’Connell

In an interview with Fox News Digital this morning, Donald Trump said that it is “vital” to have a “free, fair and open media” and that he feels he has “an obligation” to the American people to work with the press — even those who had treated him “badly beyond comprehension”.

The president-elect also spoke of his meeting with the MSNBC hosts of Morning Joe: “I received a call from Joe Scarborough requesting a meeting for him and Mika [Brzezinski], and I agreed that it would be a good thing if such meeting took place.”

Trump said he met with the two at 8am on Friday morning at Mar-a-Lago and that it was “extremely cordial”.

“Many things were discussed, and I very much appreciated the fact that they wanted to have open communication,” he said. “In many ways, it’s too bad that it wasn’t done long ago.”

The president-elect said they discussed his campaign and his cabinet picks and the meeting ended with an agreement to speak in the future.

He said his obligation is “to be open and available to the press” but added: “If not treated fairly, however, that will end.”

Over half of voters were surprised by Trump’s win – including Republicans, new poll reveals

Monday 18 November 2024 15:30 , Joe Sommerlad

A majority of Americans were surprised by Trump’s win in the presidential election – including 43 percent of Republicans, according to exclusive data.

A poll of 1,941 US adults by Prolific, exclusively for The Independent, found that, following months of predictions on a knife’s edge, Americans on all sides ended up being surprised by the final outcome of the White House race.

Some 54 percent of people were at least quite surprised by the outcome of the election, with 14 percent of those “very surprised.”

A third were not very surprised, and 16 percent not surprised at all.

Here’s more from Alicja Hagopian.

Over half of voters were surprised by Trump’s win — including Republicans

Musk is fighting with top Trump adviser on cabinet picks

Monday 18 November 2024 15:20 , Oliver O’Connell

The world’s richest man has appointed himself Donald Trump’s “first buddy” as he plays an influential role shaping the incoming administration, but tension between Trump’s closest allies and Elon Musk is reportedly boiling over.

Musk is clashing with longtime Trump attorney and adviser Boris Epshteyn, including questioning his influence in president-elect’s nominations for his Cabinet and top White House jobs, Axios has reported, citing people familiar with the conversations.

Alex Woodward reports.

Musk is fighting with top Trump adviser on cabinet picks

Trump’s pick of Marco Rubio as secretary of state ignites fears of fiercer US-China rivalry

Monday 18 November 2024 15:15 , Joe Sommerlad

The president-elect once belittled him as “Little Marco” and a “choke artist”, only to then nominate him as his US secretary of state and describe him as “a strong advocate for our nation, a true friend to our allies and a fearless warrior who will never back down to our adversaries”.

The Florida Senator’s appointment as arguably the most powerful diplomat in the world will likely reshape American foreign policy towards allies and rivals alike – and dealing with China’s continued economic, diplomatic and military rise is set to be one of his top priorities.

That Trump moved swiftly to staff his foreign policy and national security team with China hawks is an indication that relations between the two superpowers will deteriorate further, writes Shweta Sharma.

Trump’s pick of Marco Rubio ignites fears of tougher US-China rivalry in second term

House Ethics Committee to meet Wednesday about Gaetz report

Monday 18 November 2024 15:07 , Oliver O’Connell

The House Ethics Committee will meet on Wednesday to discuss its long-awaited report on former congressman Matt Gaetz, CNN reports.

A planned meeting was postponed last week following news of Gaetz’s sudden resignation after his nomination to the post of Attorney General by President-elect Donald Trump.

Even Matt Gaetz’s dad was surprised Trump picked him for attorney general

Monday 18 November 2024 15:00 , Joe Sommerlad

A number of the president-elect’s nominations to his new cabinet have raised eyebrows among political observers, but none more so than Matt Gaetz, who has been tapped to become America’s next attorney general.

Gaetz, 42, is known as a MAGA firebrand on Capitol Hill who was instrumental in the ousting of previous House speaker Kevin McCarthy.

He is also known for being the subject of a Department of Justice (DOJ) sex trafficking investigation and House Ethics Committee probe.

He has never been criminally charged and denies the allegations.

Few, it seems, saw him as a likely head of the DOJ – and, it turns out, that includes Gaetz’s his own father.

Even Matt Gaetz’s dad was surprised Trump picked him for attorney general

MSNBC’s ‘Morning Joe’ hosts traveled to Florida to meet with Trump

Monday 18 November 2024 14:42 , Oliver O’Connell

Morning Joe co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski visited Mar-a-Lago to meet President-elect Donald Trump, they revealed.

Scarborough and Brzezinski have been highly critical of Trump leading up to the election, calling him “erratic,” slamming his election fraud efforts and warning of “how dark of a place” the US would be if Trump won. But after airing their concerns with a second Trump presidency, the pair met with Trump Friday for the first time in seven years to “restart communications.”

Kelly Rissman has the story.

‘Morning Joe’ hosts traveled to meet with Trump and ‘restart communications’

The Trump dance takes the NFL by storm

Monday 18 November 2024 14:30 , Joe Sommerlad

LA Raiders tight end Brock Bowers, Detroit Lions defenders Malcolm Rodriguez and Za’Darius Smith and Tennessee Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley were all doing the president-elect’s signature move at the weekend.

It’s even reached League One in England, thanks to Barnsley FC.

Here’s more.

The Trump dance takes the NFL by storm

CBS’s 60 Minutes sparks right-wing backlash over brutal takedown of Trump’s cabinet picks

Monday 18 November 2024 14:20 , Joe Sommerlad

Host Scott Pelley began Sunday’s show with a monologue dissecting Donald Trump’s choices for his future administration, detailing one-by-one how the likes of Pete Hegseth, Matt Gaetz, Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F Kennedy Jr have “no compelling qualifications” and “no government experience” to take up the jobs they’ve been nominated for.

Trump’s incoming White House Communications Director Steven Cheung took to X shortly after to claim that Pelley’s segment was riddled with “disgusting bias” and was soon joined in his outrage by Elon Musk, Charlie Kirk and many other members of the MAGA-verse.

Here’s more from James Liddell.

60 Minutes sparks right-wing backlash over brutal takedown of Trump’s cabinet picks

RFK Jr dines on McDonald’s with Trump as ex-health sec warns role is ‘life or death’

Monday 18 November 2024 14:10 , Joe Sommerlad

The president-elect’s choice to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) was pictured looking slightly awkward in the company of Don Jr, Elon Musk and Mike Johnson over the weekend as the group posed with boxes of McDonald’s junk food aboard the Republican’s private plane.

That “Make America Healthy Again” agenda already appears to be in jeopardy.

Meanwhile, this is what one of RFK Jr’s predecessors in that office, Kathleen Sebelius, had to tell MSNBC anchor Jonathan Capehart about the seriousness of the role the notorious vaccine sceptic has been nominated to:

“I think that we’re talking about magnitudes of danger beyond erroneously making legal decisions. This is life or death. The HHS affects people from birth to their grave and is intimately connected with every state in the country. So this could be very dangerous. I think it’s totally disqualifying for anyone who seeks to lead the major health agency in this country and one of the leaders in the world to just unequivocally say there is no safe and effective vaccine.

“That in and of itself, from the bully pulpit of HHS, could end up killing people, could end up harming children. My grandson is too young to get a lot of vaccinations yet, and having him exposed to unvaccinated people with polio and measles is a terrifying thought. Having eradicated those diseases as a major health initiative, Jonathan, I think this is absolutely terrifying and people should understand how serious it is.”

Truth Social: Trump hints he will declare national emergency and deploy military to start mass deportation program

Monday 18 November 2024 14:05 , Joe Sommerlad

This was the president-elect early this morning, reposting a claim from Judicial Watch founder Tom Fitton and endorsing it.

Marjorie Taylor Greene and Donald Trump Jr accuse Biden of trying to start WWIII with Ukraine missiles move

Monday 18 November 2024 13:45 , Joe Sommerlad

The president has authorised Ukraine’s use of long-range missiles to strike hundreds of miles inside Russia for the first time, according to reports.

The decision marks a major policy shift and comes after Russia warned that it would interpret the move to permit the use of US-made missiles as an “escalation”.

With Biden leaving office in two months, President-Elect Trump has indicated he will limit American support for Ukraine and has pledged to end the war quickly.

His predecessor’s decision has already led both Donald Trump Jr and Georgia Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene to accuse Biden of attempting to start a Third World War.

James Liddell has more.

Marjorie Taylor Greene and Donald Trump Jr accuse Biden of trying to start WWIII

Trump to interview treasury secretary candidates at Mar-a-Lago

Monday 18 November 2024 13:30 , Joe Sommerlad

The Republican has yet to announce his choice for treasury secretary and two new candidates for the position will reportedly be interviewed at his Mar-a-Lago residence on Monday: former Federal Reserve governor Kevin Warsh and Wall Street billionaire Marc Rowan.

Howard Lutnick, co-chair of Trump’s transition team, and Key Square Capital Management founder Scott Bessant were thought to be first in the line for the role but the incoming president is understood to be having second thoughts, according to The New York Times.

Elon Musk appears to favor Lutnick, hinting at the first significant difference of opinion between the president-elect and his influential backer.

Here’s James Liddell with the very latest.

Trump throws two more names into ring for treasury secretary

Donald Trump picks Project 2025 co-author to lead FCC

Monday 18 November 2024 13:15 , Joe Sommerlad

Donald Trump has announced his latest cabinet pick, nominating Brendan Carr to be chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the body charged with regulating the US media.

Currently a commissioner with the FCC, Carr contributed to the controversial Project 2025 manifesto and was described by the president-elect as “a warrior for Free Speech… [who] has fought against the regulatory Lawfare that has stifled Americans’ Freedoms, and held back our Economy.

“He will end the regulatory onslaught that has been crippling America’s Job Creators and Innovators, and ensure that the FCC delivers for rural America.”

The pundits are already looking ahead to his possible role in realising Trump’s threat to revoke broadcast licences and benefiting Elon Musk.

Hello and welcome!

Monday 18 November 2024 13:10 , Joe Sommerlad

Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of the incoming Donald Trump administration as the president-elect continues to announce appointments to his next administration.