Trump’s controversial nominees Patel, Gabbard and Hegseth on Capitol Hill in attempt to win over senators: Live

President-elect Donald Trump’s controversial nominees, Kash Patel, Pete Hegseth, and Tulsi Gabbard, are all on Capitol Hill on Monday as they work to win over senators to get confirmed.

Patel has been nominated to serve as Trump’s FBI director, Hegseth as secretary of defense, and Gabbard as director of national intelligence.

This comes as Trump’s pledge to pardon people prosecuted for their part in the Capitol riot of January 6 2021 on his “first day” back in the White House – made during his Meet the Press interview with Kristen Welker on NBC on Sunday – has already inspired the first defendant to request a delay to their upcoming trial, hopeful of winning a reprieve.

Trump promised to act “quickly” on the matter but did offer the caveat that his administration would review “independent cases” rather than issue a blanket clemency order.

Meanwhile, ex-Republican representatives Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger have hit back at the president-elect for suggesting during the same interview that they should be jailed for participating in the House panel that investigated the attempted insurrection.

Cheney called his comments “a continuation of his assault on the rule of law and the foundations of our republic.”

Key Points

• Donald Trump pledge to pardon Jan 6 ‘hostages’ on first day inspires defendant to request trial delay

• Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger hit back at Trump over jail threat

• Trump taps lawyer Alina Habba for top White House post

• Lara Trump announces resignation as RNC co-chair

• Trump vows to end birthright citizenship in wide-ranging NBC interview

Trump’s surgeon general pick accidentally set off handgun that killed her father

20:55 , Gustaf Kilander

Donald Trump’s pick for US Surgeon General was involved in a tragic gun accident that killed her father when she was only 13 years old.

Dr Janette Nesheiwat was a teenager when she accidentally knocked a loaded gun over, which fired upon impact and fatally shot her father in the head.

The incident occurred in February 1990 at her family’s home in Umatilla, Florida, according to a report by the New York Times.

Graig Graziosi reports.

Trump’s surgeon general pick accidentally set off handgun that killed her father

Hegseth says he had ‘very good meeting’ with key senator

20:35 , Gustaf Kilander

Trump’s pick for secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, told CNN on Monday that he had a “very good” meeting with Iowa Senator Joni Ernst, who has appeared skeptical of the former Fox & Friends host.

But the 44-year-old didn’t say if the senator would back him.

“It was a very good meeting with the senator,” Hegseth told CNN. “I’ve known her for 10 years. The more we talk the more we’re reminded, as two combat veterans, how dedicated we are to defense. She has been dedicated to making the Pentagon work for warfighters for a long time …. I appreciate her commitment to the process and we look forward to working together.”

Gabbard meets with Iowa senator who has appeared skeptical of Hegseth

20:15 , Gustaf Kilander

Why is Biden letting Trump take the spotlight already? Insiders are divided

19:55 , Gustaf Kilander

Donald Trump won’t be sworn in for his second term as president for more than a month, yet by some measures one could infer that Joe Biden has largely given up acting as America’s head of state.

When world leaders gathered in Paris over the weekend to celebrate the reopening of the iconic Notre Dame cathedral, the sitting American president was nowhere to be found. Instead, only his wife, First Lady Jill Biden, was there to represent the US government. Joe Biden remained in Washington, apparently due to an unspecified scheduling conflict.

Andrew Feinberg has more.

Why is Biden letting Trump take the spotlight already? Insiders are divided

Trump’s claim that Democrats are ‘fighting hard’ to keep the Electoral College sparks confusion

19:35 , Gustaf Kilander

President-elect Donald Trump took to his Truth Social platform on Sunday night and declared that Democrats were “fighting hard” to make all future presidential elections based “exclusively” on the Electoral College.

The curious late-night post prompted many to wonder if the incoming president was trolling liberals after finally winning the popular vote on his third try. At the same time, some progressives hoped that Trump’s assertion could lead conservatives to be “radicalized” against the notion of relying on states’ electoral votes to determine presidential elections.

Justin Baragona reports.

Trump’s claim that Dems are ‘fighting’ to keep Electoral College sparks confusion

Trump calls on China to help end ‘madness’ between Russia and Ukraine: ‘World is waiting’

19:15 , Gustaf Kilander

Donald Trump called on China to help broker a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine as the incoming US president revealed he had communicated with Xi Jinping.

The conflict had caused enormous losses to both Russia and Ukraine, Mr Trump said, and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky “would like to make a deal” to end the “madness”.

Mr Zelensky was yet to respond to the claim.

Shweta Sharma has more.

Trump calls on China to help end ‘madness’ between Russia and Ukraine

Kash Patel meets with John Cornyn

18:55 , Gustaf Kilander

Trump to launch two new Saudi Arabia projects weeks before White house return

18:35 , Gustaf Kilander

The Trump Organization has said it has leased its brand to two new real estate projects in Saudi Arabia.

The news comes just weeks before President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House. His close ties to Saudi Arabia’s crown prince and day-to-day ruler, Mohammed bin Salman, drew heavy criticism after the 2018 killing of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi columnist for the Washington Post who had written critically about the monarchy.

The company will partner with Dar Global, a London-based luxury real estate developer that will lease the Trump brand but fully own and develop the projects in the Saudi capital, Riyadh. The two have partnered on other projects in the region, including the development of a golf resort in neighboring Oman.

AP reports.

Trump to launch two new Saudi Arabia projects weeks before White house return

Adam Kinzinger has three-word response after Trump threatens to put him in jail

18:15 , Gustaf Kilander

Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger gave a succinct response to President-elect Donald Trump’s suggestion that the Illinois Republican and his colleagues on the January 6 House panel should be jailed.

When asked during a wide-ranging Sunday interview on “Meet the Press” what he would do on his first day back in the White House, Trump said that each Congress member who sat on the bipartisan committee investigating the Capitol attack “should go to jail” for “what they did.” That group includes only two Republicans, Kinzinger and former Rep. Liz Cheney.

The retired Illinois congressman wrote on his Substack: “Bring it on.”

Kelly Rissman has more.

Adam Kinzinger has three-word response after Trump threatens to put him in jail

Trump says Prince William is more attractive in real life: ‘Some people look better in person’

17:55 , Joe Sommerlad

“Er, thanks I guess,” says the Prince of Wales.

Here’s Athena Stavrou on a back-handed compliment.

Trump says Prince William is more attractive in real life

Federal employees scrub social media accounts of any negative posts about Trump as they scramble to save jobs

17:35 , Joe Sommerlad

Thousands of US civil servants are taking steps to protect themselves from plans to slash the number of federal employees as promised by Trump and his allies, according to The Washington Post.

Some federal employees are removing posts from X and Facebook, with one official who testified in the former president’s first impeachment inquiry considering filing retirement papers as others are taking steps to move to possibly safer agencies.

Gustaf Kilander has more.

Federal employees scrub social media accounts of any negative posts about Trump

Mitch McConnell gets standing ovation after speech with indirect swipe at Trump

17:15 , Joe Sommerlad

Speaking at the annual Reagan National Defense Forum at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, on Saturday, the outgoing GOP Senate leader bemoaned the current state of his party compared to when Ronald Reagan was in power and cautioned it against isolationism.

“Within the party Ronald Reagan once led so capably, it is increasingly fashionable to suggest that the sort of global leadership he modeled is no longer America’s place,” McConnell said

Then, in a nod to Trump’s campaign slogan, he added the following declaration, drawing a round of applause.

“But let’s be absolutely clear: America will not be made great again by those who are content to manage our decline.”

Rhian Lubin reports.

Mitch McConnell gets standing ovation after speech with indirect swipe at Trump

Democrat says he’s open to ‘bipartisan cooperation’ with Musk’s DOGE

16:55 , Joe Sommerlad

Representative Ro Khanna has signaled that he is open to “bipartisan cooperation” with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

The California congressman, who says he has known Musk for over 10 years, told Martha Raddatz on ABC’s This Week yesterday about his recent conversations with the billionaire on his mission to cut government spending in Trump’s second administration.

“I think when it comes to defense, getting better defense for value and cutting costs, there can be huge bipartisan cooperation,” Khanna said.

Rhian Lubin has more.

Democratic rep says he’s open to ‘bipartisan cooperation’ with Elon Musk’s DOGE

Lara Trump is stepping down as RNC co-chair. So what’s next?

16:35 , Joe Sommerlad

As we mentioned earlier, the incoming president’s daughter-in-law announced on Sunday night that she was stepping down from from the Republican National Committee.

So what lies ahead for the aspiring country-rock singer and clothing retailer?

Justin Baragona takes a look.

Lara Trump is stepping down as RNC co-chair. So what’s next?

Supreme Court declines to lift Trump’s hush money gag order

16:17 , Joe Sommerlad

Joseph Nierman, the right-wing YouTuber/podcaster behind the Good Lawgic account, had asked America’s highest court, with its six-three conservative bias, to toss out New York justice Juan Merchan’s gag order in Donald Trump’s hush money case because it blocks the president-elect from publicly commenting on witnesses and jurors.

Nierman’s 31-page application earlier this year claimed that the order unconstitutionally blocks him from “obtaining newsworthy comment” from Trump “about such issues which appear to potentially place Judge Merchan in direct conflict with his obligations.”

Today, the justices rejected his request but did not cite a reason for doing so.

Eric Trump says US can be crypto superpower with ‘sensible’ regulation

15:55 , Joe Sommerlad

Speaking to CNBC’s Dan Murphy from the UAE a week after Bitcoin hit $100,000 in value for the first time, Trump’s middle son had this to say on cryptocurrency: “The modern banking system is antiquated. It’s just a matter of time before crypto not only catches up, but just really leaps ahead. And so, we’re incredibly excited on a lot of fronts.

“I think America will be the crypto capital of the world. I fully support it. My father fully supports it. Our family, you know, is fully embracing it. We believe in DeFi [decentralized finance].

“We believe that’s the way of the future. And again, America, you know, better lead the way, otherwise we’re going to leave a lot behind.”

While that will be music to the ears of crypto bros, the younger Trump was more cautious on the question of regulation.

“The people in the crypto industry are frustrated that no-one’s ever put together a sensible plan as to how to regulate an industry. They’re fine with regulation, but they just want guidelines, and they’ve said that,” he said.

“We will have a clear road map, and hopefully the rest of the world follows that. Hopefully we can lead by example, because that’s what we should do as Americans. And hopefully we truly are the crypto superpower of the world.”

In the same interview, he described Elon Musk as “the modern-day Albert Einstein” and, if anyone would know a genius when he sees one, it’s Eric Trump.

Team Trump discord over Kemi Badenoch’s meeting with JD Vance

15:35 , Joe Sommerlad

The newly-elected British Conservative Party leader believes she has found a new political ally in Vice President-elect JD Vance after the two met over the weekend – but not everyone in Team Trump is happy.

David Maddox has more.

Team Trump discord over Kemi Badenoch’s meeting with JD Vance

Trump pledge to pardon Jan 6 ‘hostages’ on first day inspires first defendant to request trial delay

15:15 , Joe Sommerlad

We could see much more of this from people prosecuted over their part in the Capitol riot of January 6 2021 after the president-elect promised during his Meet the Press interview with Kristen Welker yesterday to issue pardons on his first day back in the White House.

Trump did offer the caveat that his administration would be looking at “independent cases” rather than issuing a blanket clemency order but also said he would be acting “quickly” on the matter.

He further suggested that the likes of Liz Cheney, Adam Kinzinger and Bennie Thompson that investigated the attempted insurrection on behalf of the House of Representatives “should go to jail”.

White nationalist who dined with Trump arrested for battery

14:55 , Joe Sommerlad

Far-right influencer Nick Fuentes is due in court later this month after a woman accused him of pepper-spraying her when she showed up at his suburban Chicago home following his “Your body, my choice” post on X.

According to court documents, the 57-year-old woman approached Fuentes’ home in Berwyn on November 10, shortly after his address was leaked following his post, The Chicago Tribune reported.

Berwyn is a Chicago suburb of about 54,000 people.

The woman told the newspaper in a November 15 interview that her friends encouraged her to go to Fuentes’ home to see if rumors were true that he had been receiving prank deliveries after his post on X.

She said she made a video of herself on the sidewalk in front of his’ home.

Another woman pulled up in her car and told her to ring the doorbell.

She alleged that Fuentes opened the door before she could ring the bell, pepper-sprayed her, screamed an expletive and took her phone.

Fuentes, 26, faces a battery charge in connection with the incident, the newspaper reported.

He is due to appear in court on December 19 and has posted mugshots of himself on his X account along with “Free me (racial slur).”

White nationalist Nick Fuentes who dined with Trump is arrested for battery of woman

Outside Mar-a-Lago with Trump’s strange new fan club

14:25 , Joe Sommerlad

In West Palm Beach, Eric Garcia meets the MAGA superfans who are camping outside Trump’s estate at all hours.

Outside Mar-a-Lago with Trump’s strange new fan club

Democrat calls Tusi Gabbard’s past comments on Syria ‘concerning’

13:55 , Joe Sommerlad

Michigan Representative Dan Kildee suggests Trump’s nominee for director of national intelligence could be about to face tough questions about her past sympathy for Bashar al-Assad after the dictator was overthrown and driven from his country into exile in Russia over the weekend.

Kremlin says no Trump talks since his appeal to end ‘madness’ of war

13:30 , Joe Sommerlad

The Kremlin has said this morning that it has had so far had no contact with Trump or his team after the president-elect called for an immediate ceasefire and negotiations between Ukraine and Russia to end “the madness” of war.

Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine has left tens of thousands of dead, displaced millions and triggered the biggest crisis in relations between Moscow and the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.

Trump said Ukraine had lost some 400,000 soldiers while Russia had lost 600,000 dead and wounded. Russia does not disclose its losses but Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky said 43,000 soldiers had been killed in the war and that there had been 370,000 wounded soldiers.

Asked if there had been any contact with Trump or his team, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “No, there have still been no contacts.”

Peskov said the Kremlin had made its position clear during a rare Sunday statement.

The Kremlin said yesterday that Russia was open to talks but that they had to be based on agreements reached in Istanbul in 2022 and on current realities on the battlefield where Russian forces have been pushing forward at their fastest rate since the early days of the war.

Trump, who has vowed to swiftly end the conflict, is returning to the White House at a time of Russian ascendancy. Moscow controls a chunk of Ukraine about the size of the American state of Virginia and is advancing at the fastest pace since the early days of the 2022 invasion.

Vladimir Putin has said that Ukraine must not join the Nato military alliance and that Russia should be left fully in control of four Ukrainian regions his troops partially control at the moment for a peace deal to be done.

Reuters reported last month that Putin is open to discussing a Ukraine ceasefire deal with Trump but rules out making any major territorial concessions and insists Kyiv abandon ambitions to join Nato.

SNL’s cold open sees Matt Gaetz and Hunter Biden visit Church Lady

13:10 , Joe Sommerlad

Saturday Night Live roasted “poor little” Matt Gaetz and Hunter Biden in its cold open sketch over the weekend as the two scandal-plagued figures paid a visit to Dana Carvey’s Church Lady following the “most satanic year in history.”

Katie Hawkinson has more.

SNL’s cold open sees ‘poor little’ Matt Gaetz and Hunter Biden visit Church Lady

Trump’s team weighs withholding massive research grants from ‘woke’ universities

12:50 , Joe Sommerlad

The president-elect’s team is considering withholding massive research grants from “woke” schools they claim lack academic freedom.

Dr Jay Bhattacharya, Trump’s nominee to head the National Institutes of Health, a physician and economist at Stanford, reportedly wants to target so called “cancel culture” at a number of top progressive universities, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Those with knowledge of Bhattacharya’s thinking told the newspaper that he’s considering linking the doling out of billions in federal research grants to a measure of “academic freedom” on campuses and punishing those that apparently don’t adequately embrace perspectives championed by conservatives.

Gustaf Kilander has more.

Trump’s team looking at withholding massive research grants from ‘woke’ schools

Can you pass the Trump test? Prospective administration members being asked to prove their loyalty

12:30 , Joe Sommerlad

Those interviewing for positions within the incoming Trump administration will need to do more than prove their qualifications for the job, with new reports claiming the must answer a series of strategic questions to prove their allegiance to the president-elect.

At least nine people who were interviewed for jobs or were involved in the process told The New York Times that questions about January 6, the validity of the 2020 election and their voting decisions were brought up.

Those questions are seemingly designed to weed out prospective administration members who do not display an obvious fealty to Trump above all other considerations.

Ariana Baio has more.

Prospective Trump administration members subject to loyalty test: report

Sunday TV roundup: Republicans defend Hegseth, attack Gaetz and question Musk

12:10 , Joe Sommerlad

Here’s a look at some of the key exchanges from the weekend’s political shows, featuring Markwayne Mullin attempting to cast doubt on Pete Hegseth’s alleged drinking problem, ex-speaker Kevin McCarthy reigniting his feud with Matt Gaetz and John Bolton mockingly accusing Elon Musk of usurping JD Vance.

Lara Trump announces resignation as RNC co-chair

11:51 , Joe Sommerlad

Donald Trump’s ambitious daughter-in-law announced on X late last night that she will be stepping down as co-chair of the Republican National Commitee and is leaving the role to Michael Whatley.

She is now being tipped to run for Marco Rubio’s soon-to-be-vacant Florida Senate seat and recently admitted to the Associated Press that she is considering other roles, commenting: “It is something I would seriously consider,

“If I’m being completely transparent, I don’t know exactly what that would look like.

“And I certainly want to get all of the information possible if that is something that’s real for me.

“But yeah, I would 100 percent consider it.”

Watch: Trump praises Prince William as ‘a good man’ at Notre Dame meeting

11:30 , Joe Sommerlad

Donald Trump’s four-word remark to Prince William during historic Notre Dame meeting

Social media mocks Trump-Macron meeting

11:10 , Joe Sommerlad

The two leaders were reunited in the French capital on Saturday and immediately resumed grappling for supremacy in the handshake stakes, a familiar trope from Trump’s first term.

Here’s Ariana Baio with a roundup of the many memes that inspired.

‘The handshake battles continue’: Social media mocks Trump-Macron meeting

Trump calls for Putin to reach peace with Ukraine after Syria collapse

10:50 , Joe Sommerlad

Not long after meeting Zelensky, the president-elect called on Vladimir Putin to end his invasion and reach an “immediate ceasefire” agreement with Kyiv, his case rendered all the more urgent by events in Damascus.

“Too many lives are being so needlessly wasted, too many families destroyed, and if it keeps going, it can turn into something much bigger, and far worse,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Saturday night.

“I know Vladimir well. This is his time to act. China can help. The World is waiting!”

John Bowden brings us this one.

Trump calls for Putin to reach ceasefire with Ukraine after Syrian government falls

Trump meets Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky on return to world stage in Paris

10:30 , Joe Sommerlad

The American president-elect met Zelensky in Paris on Saturday, with the latter describing their first in-person talks since the former’s November election win as “good and productive”.

Trump arrived in France for a ceremony to mark the reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral, destroyed by a fire in 2019, in a return to the world stage at a time when leaders are jostling for his attention.

The meeting with Zelensky was brokered and attended by French President Emmanuel Macron, who played a key role in the service at the cathedral despite the current turmoil dominating French politics.

Here’s a full report from Tom Watling.

Trump talks ending Ukraine war with Zelensky in return to world stage

Trump uses Jill Biden to hawk ‘Fight, Fight, Fight’ Christmas colognes

10:10 , Joe Sommerlad

The president-elect is continuing the never-ending grift this holiday season, this time cheekily using a picture of the first lady to shill perfume to conservatives under the slogan: “A fragrance your enemies can’t resist!”

Here’s Katie Hawkinson’s report.

Trump trolls Jill Biden in ad for perfume: ‘A fragrance your enemies can’t resist’

Recap: Trump vows to end birthright citizenship in wide-ranging NBC interview

09:50 , Joe Sommerlad

Here’s a look back at what else the president-elect had to tell Welker on NBC yesterday, with his threats against immigrants making most of the headlines:

There were plenty of other troubling answers, however, from his still only having “concepts of a plan” on healthcare to his weak responses on not crying election fraud this time around and on ending the war in Ukraine to some decidedly vague and even contradictory comments on tariffs and the economy.

Here’s John Bowden on birthright citizenship and mass deportations.

Trump vows to end birthright citizenship

Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger hit back at Trump over jail threat

09:30 , Joe Sommerlad

Ex-Republican representatives Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger have hit back at Trump for suggesting during his big NBC interview that aired yesterday that they should be jailed for participating in the House panel that investigated the Capitol riot of January 6 2021.

Here’s the president-elect talking to Kristen Welker on Meet the Press and saying he felt the committee members should be behind bars but that he would leave any vindictive prosecutions to his picks for attorney general and FBI director, Pam Bondi and Kash Patel:

This is what Cheney had to say in a statement to The New York Times by way of response:

“Here is the truth: Donald Trump attempted to overturn the 2020 presidential election and seize power.

“He mobilized an angry mob and sent them to the United States Capitol, where they attacked police officers, invaded the building and halted the official counting of electoral votes.

“Trump watched on television as police officers were brutally beaten and the Capitol was assaulted, refusing for hours to tell the mob to leave.

“This was the worst breach of our Constitution by any president in our nation’s history.

“Donald Trump’s suggestion that members of Congress who later investigated his illegal and unconstitutional actions should be jailed is a continuation of his assault on the rule of law and the foundations of our republic.”

Kinzinger did his talking on CNN:

Here’s John Bowden on Trump’s original threat.

Trump says Liz Cheney and other Jan 6 committee members should be jailed

Donald Trump taps lawyer Alina Habba for top White House post

09:00 , Joe Sommerlad

Good morning!

Donald Trump has announced a further slew of nominees to his new administration, the most well-known of which is his personal lawyer Alina Habba, who will be his White House counselor.

Posting on Truth Social late on Sunday, the president-elect described Habba, a MAGA favorite last seen dancing on stage at his final rallies of the presidential campaign, as a “tireless advocate for Justice, a fierce Defender of the Rule of Law, an invaluable Advisor to my Campaign and Transition Team”.

He continued: “She has been unwavering in her loyalty and unmatched in her resolve. Standing with me through numerous ‘trials,’ battles, and countless days in Court.

“Few understand the Weaponization of the ‘Injustice’ System better than Alina, who has fought relentlessly against the full force of Lawfare with courage and an unshakable commitment to Justice.

“As a first generation American of Middle Eastern Heritage, she has become a role model for women in Law and Politics, most recently being named Chaldean Woman of the Year.”

The advocate, who has represented Trump, pretty unsuccessfully, at his hush money and civil fraud trials and in the sexual assault case brought against him by E Jean Carroll, expressed her delight at the news:

He also named three more members of his State Department, reporting to Marco Rubio, assuming the latter is confirmed by the Senate.

Hegseth’s lawyer threatens extortion lawsuit against woman who accused him of sex assault

08:15 , John Bowden

The attorney for Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to be defense secretary, has threatened the woman who accused Hegseth of sexual assault with an extortion lawsuit if he’s not confirmed for the top Pentagon spot.

Tim Parlatore argued on CNN that the woman may not be guilty of extortion in the criminal sense, but that she could be taken to court for civil extortion if a lawsuit was filed.

Hegseth’s lawyer threatens extortion lawsuit against sex-assault accuser

Team Trump discord over Kemi Badenoch’s meeting with J. D. Vance

07:16 , John Bowden

Newly elected Tory leader Kemi Badenoch hopes to have found a new political ally in vice president elect JD Vance after the two met - but not everyone in Magaworld is happy, reports our political editor David Maddox.

Team Trump discord over Kemi Badenoch’s meeting with J. D. Vance

Trump threatens push to end 14th amendment

06:15 , John Bowden

Donald Trump used his interview on Meet the Press to outline what may be an end goal of his anti-immigration push: a redefinition of what it means to be an American citizen.

The president-elect told NBC’s Kristen Welker that he plans to push to end the 14th amendment’s protections for birthright citizenship, which guarantees citizenship to any person born in the US or its territories.

“[W]e’re going to have to get it changed,” Trump said of the 14th amendment. “We’ll maybe have to go back to the people. But we have to end it.”

“We’re starting with the criminals, and we got to do it. And then we’re starting with others, and we’re going to see how it goes,” he added. Of the word “others”, he clarified: “Others are other people outside of criminals.”

Trump vows to end birthright citizenship

RFK Jr shares bizarre shirtless workout video claiming he’s ‘practicing moves for my confirmation hearing’

05:15 , John Bowden

Robert F Kennedy Jr, nominee for Health and Human Services Secretary, has flexed his own health and fitness regime in a bizarre shirtless workout video.

The video, posted last week on X, captures a ripped RFK Jr pulling himself up before performing a flip over an exercise machine to the beat of Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger.” The 70-year-old completes the pull-up-rollover without knocking into another shirtless man, in sweatpants and a hat, doing a headstand on the machine above him.

RFK Jr posts workout video claiming he’s ‘practicing moves for confirmation hearing’

GOP senator offers curious defense for Pete Hegseth drinking claims: ‘There’s a lot of alcohol that flows through Washington’

04:15 , John Bowden

Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin offered up an unusual defense for Donald Trump’s defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth amid claims he has a drinking problem.

This week, NBC News reported that Hegseth’s drinking habits worried a number of his former colleagues at Fox News, who claimed that he often smelled of alcohol before going on air. Hegseth would complain about being hungover and acted like “the rules didn’t apply to him,” according to ten current and former Fox News employees who spoke to the outlet.

Katie Hawkinson has more:

GOP senator offers curious defense for Pete Hegseth drinking claims

Biden promises to bring US journalist Austin Tice home as he calls fall of Assad ‘a moment of historic opportunity for Syria’

03:15 , John Bowden

President Joe Biden said that Syria and the broader Middle East faced a “historic opportunity” for peace and the establishment of a new Syrian state with the fall of Bashar Al-Assad’s government on Sunday.

The US president spoke from the White House and called the moment a positive development while warning that it was important to ensure that an “independent” Syrian government that “served all Syrians”.

Read more coverage of today’s biggest story:

Biden promises to bring Austin Tice home, calls fall of Assad ‘historic opportunity’

Trump names Alina Habba as counselor to president

02:45 , Andrew Georgeson

Trump announced on Sunday evening that Alina Habba, one of his personal attorneys and fierce media surrogate, will serve as as counselor to the president. She also served as a senior advisor on Trump’s campaign.

NewsWorldAmericasUS politics Can you pass the Trump test? Prospective administration members asked to prove their loyalty

01:15 , John Bowden

Those interviewing for positions within the incoming Trump administration will need to do more than prove their qualifications for the job, with new reports claiming the must answer a series of strategic questions to prove their allegiance to Donald Trump

At least nine people who were interviewed for jobs or were involved in the process told the New York Times that questions about January 6, the validity of the 2020 election and their voting decisions were brought up.

Prospective Trump administration members subject to loyalty test: report

Trump hits out at Obama as he says U.S. should not get involved in Syria conflict: ‘Not our fight’

00:30 , John Bowden

Donald Trump criticized former President Barack Obama on Saturday ahead of the fall of the Assad regime, saying the U.S. should not get involved nor should it have ever inserted itself in the matter.

In keeping with his isolationist foreign policy, the president-elect wrote on Truth Social that the United States “should have nothing to do with” the situation in Syria – where rebels are currently trying to take over the capital in an attempt to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad’s government.

Trump hits out at Obama and says U.S. should not get involved in Syria conflict

NewsWorldAmericas An Alabama couple were ardent Trump supporters. Then their trans son told them he wanted to die

Sunday 8 December 2024 23:45 , John Bowden

Carolyn Fisher will never forget the moment her son told her he wanted to die.

It was November 3, two days before the presidential election. Fisher’s 16-year-old non-binary son, who uses he/they pronouns, was part of an online suicide pact with three other transgender and non-binary teens in Florida, Alabama and Tennessee. The friends who’d met on Discord had agreed to die by suicide if former president Donald Trump won the 2024 election.

For one Alabama family, Trump’s anti-trans rhetoric nearly cost them their son’s life

Biden adds to the nation’s list of national monuments during his term as Trump presidency nears

Sunday 8 December 2024 23:00 , John Bowden

U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt did in 1906 what Congress was unwilling to do through legislation: He used his new authority under the Antiquities Act to designate Devils Tower in Wyoming as the first national monument.

President Joe Biden has created six monuments and either restored, enlarged or modified boundaries for a handful of others. Native American tribes and conservation groups are pressing for more designations before he leaves office.

Biden adds to the nation's list of national monuments during his term. There's an appetite for more

Team Trump discord over Kemi Badenoch’s meeting with J. D. Vance

Sunday 8 December 2024 22:10 , John Bowden

Newly elected Tory leader Kemi Badenoch hopes to have found a new political ally in vice president elect JD Vance after the two met - but not everyone in Magaworld is happy, reports our political editor David Maddox.

Team Trump discord over Kemi Badenoch’s meeting with J. D. Vance

‘The handshake battles continue’: Trump and Macron mocked as duo’s intense greeting spotted again

Sunday 8 December 2024 21:33 , John Bowden

Donald Trump’s meeting with Emmanuel Macron this weekend was a target of mockery after social media users noticed that the two men appeared to engage in one of their memorably long, white-knuckled handshakes while in France for the reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral.

‘The handshake battles continue’: Social media mocks Trump-Macron meeting

Biden promises to bring US journalist Austin Tice home as he calls fall of Assad ‘a moment of historic opportunity for Syria’

Sunday 8 December 2024 21:15 , John Bowden

President Joe Biden said that Syria and the broader Middle East faced a “historic opportunity” for peace and the establishment of a new Syrian state with the fall of Bashar Al-Assad’s government on Sunday.

The US president spoke from the White House and called the moment a positive development while warning that it was important to ensure that an “independent” Syrian government that “served all Syrians”.

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Biden promises to bring Austin Tice home, calls fall of Assad ‘historic opportunity’

Hegseth’s lawyer threatens extortion lawsuit against woman who accused him of sex assault

Sunday 8 December 2024 20:55 , John Bowden

The attorney for Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to be defense secretary, has threatened the woman who accused Hegseth of sexual assault with an extortion lawsuit if he’s not confirmed for the top Pentagon spot.

Tim Parlatore argued on CNN that the woman may not be guilty of extortion in the criminal sense, but that she could be taken to court for civil extortion if a lawsuit was filed.

Hegseth’s lawyer threatens extortion lawsuit against sex-assault accuser

Trump threatens push to end 14th amendment

Sunday 8 December 2024 20:35 , John Bowden

Donald Trump used his interview on Meet the Press to outline what may be an end goal of his anti-immigration push: a redefinition of what it means to be an American citizen.

The president-elect told NBC’s Kristen Welker that he plans to push to end the 14th amendment’s protections for birthright citizenship, which guarantees citizenship to any person born in the US or its territories.

“[W]e're going to have to get it changed,” Trump said of the 14th amendment. “We'll maybe have to go back to the people. But we have to end it.”

“We’re starting with the criminals, and we got to do it. And then we’re starting with others, and we’re going to see how it goes,” he added. Of the word “others”, he clarified: “Others are other people outside of criminals.”

Trump claims he’ll deport ‘criminals’ – but also vows to end birthright citizenship

White nationalist Nick Fuentes who dined with Trump is arrested for battery of woman

Sunday 8 December 2024 20:16 , John Bowden

Nick Fuentes, America’s best-known white nationalist, is now facing a court date after a confrontation with a woman at his front door.

According to court documents, the 57-year-old woman approached Fuentes’ home in Berwyn on Nov. 10, shortly after his address was leaked following a post he made mocking the idea of sexual consent.

White nationalist Nick Fuentes who dined with Trump is arrested for battery of woman

Donald Trump’s four-word remark to Prince William during historic Notre Dame meeting

Sunday 8 December 2024 19:55 , John Bowden

President-elect Donald Trump praised the future King of England during a historic meeting in France.

Trump met with Prince William on Saturday at the British Embassy in Paris after attending the reopening ceremony of the Notre Dame Cathedral.

SNL’s cold open sees ‘poor little’ Matt Gaetz and Hunter Biden visit Church Lady after ‘most satanic year in history’

Sunday 8 December 2024 19:35 , John Bowden

Saturday Night Live roasted “poor little” Matt Gaetz and Hunter Biden in its cold open sketch as the two scandal-plagued figures paid a visit to Church Lady following the “most satanic year in history.”

The Florida Republican had been nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to serve as Attorney General but, days later, removed himself from consideration amid intense scrutiny over a House Ethics Committee inquiry regarding allegations of wrongdoing, including claims he had sex with a 17-year-old girl. Gaetz has denied all wrongdoing and has not been charged with a crime.

SNL’s cold open sees ‘poor little’ Matt Gaetz and Hunter Biden visit Church Lady

Zelensky says meeting with Trump ‘good and productive’ despite Trump’s NBC threat to cut off aid

Sunday 8 December 2024 19:16 , John Bowden

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has described his first in-person talks with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump since November’s U.S. election as “productive” as the pair discussed ending the war as soon as possible.

Trump arrived in Paris for a ceremony to mark the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral, destroyed by a fire in 2019, in a return to the world stage at a time leaders are jostling for his attention.

The meeting with Zelensky was brokered and attended by French President Emmanuel Macron, who played a key role in the service at the cathedral amid turmoil in French politics.

On the 35-minute three-way meeting on Saturday night, Zelensky described it as “good and productive,” adding: “We all want this war to end as soon as possible and in a just way. We spoke about our people, the situation on the ground, and a just peace.”

But Trump on Sunday said that Ukraine should “probably” expect US military aid to end under his presidency.

Trump suggests he won’t direct Pam Bondi to prosecute his enemies, with a caveat

Sunday 8 December 2024 18:55 , John Bowden

Donald Trump says he thinks his enemies should be in jail — but he promises he won’t direct his attorney general to do it.

In his interview with Meet the Press, airing Sunday, the president-elect said that the members of the now-defunct House January 6 investigation “should be jailed.”

“Honestly, they should go to jail,” he said.

But he insisted as well that he would not direct the Justice Department to arrest Cheney or the other members – or to go after his political rivals.

“I want her to do what she wants to do. I’m not going to instruct her to do it,” he said of Pam Bondi, his nominee for attorney general.

“I’m not looking to go back into the past,” he added, when asked if he would seek to prosecution Biden family members, including President Joe Biden. “I’m looking to make our country successful. Retribution will be through success.”

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Trump says Liz Cheney and other Jan 6 committee members should be jailed

Senator on key committee gives bizarre defense for Pete Hegseth’s alleged alcohol abuse: everybody does it in DC

Sunday 8 December 2024 18:29 , John Bowden

An Oklahoma senator who sits on the Armed Services panel gave a rather interesting response when asked by CNN’s Jake Tapper whether Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of defense, had a drinking problem — and specifically whether drinking at 10 in the morning would be indicative of such a problem.

“When you're talking about drinking at ten in the morning, that's a drinking problem,” suggested Tapper in the interview.

Well, then there's a lot of politicians that have a drinking problem,” responded Mullin. “And there's probably a lot of media that has a drinking problem too.”

Watch below:

Trump says Liz Cheney and other Jan 6 committee members should be jailed

Sunday 8 December 2024 17:35 , John Bowden

Donald Trump told NBC in a wide-ranging interview that he believes members of the January 6 committee should be thrown in jail, though he stopped short of outright threatening to use the Justice Department to do so.

“Honestly, they should go to jail,” he told Meet the Press moderator Kristen Welker.

Though, he added: “I’m not looking to go back into the past,” when asked if he would seek the prosecution of the Biden family, including President Joe Biden. “I’m looking to make our country successful. Retribution will be through success.”

Trump says Liz Cheney and other Jan 6 committee members should be jailed