Trump delivers Mar-a-Lago speech with Elon Musk and new HHS RFK Jr in attendance: Live updates
Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. were in attendance for Donald Trump’s first public speech since winning the White House
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Your support makes all the difference.President-elect Donald Trump spoke publicly for the first time since winning the White House at the America First Policy Institute gala at Mar-A-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida on Thursday night.
Those in attendance included billionaire Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who were recently named co-chairs of Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency. While speaking, Trump announced that North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum will be his nominee to lead the Department of the Interior.
Matt Gaetz, Trump’s pick for attorney general, was also in attendance. Gaetz resigned from his seat representing Florida in the House in light of the news on Wednesday. This will effectively end the House Ethics probe into allegations of sexual misconduct and drug use made against him.
“I don’t think it’s a serious nomination for the attorney general,” Alaska Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski said.
Members of both parties have called for the House Ethics report to be released.
Trump also nominated former independent presidential candidate and anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist Robert F Kennedy Jr to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.
“For too long, Americans have been crushed by the industrial food complex and drug companies who have engaged in deception, misinformation, and disinformation when it comes to Public Health,” Trump said in statement.
RFK Jr’s many controversies: From dumping a bear in Central Park to a worm eating his brain
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Trump picks RFK Jr to lead Health and Human Services as they vow to make America healthy
Trump’s Cabinet tracker: Who has been tapped to carry out his agenda
Who is Doug Burgum? All you need to know about Trump’s pick to run the Interior Department
RFK Jr to be nominated as Health Secretary, Donald Trump Jr confirms
Donald Trump Jr confirmed reports on Thursday that Robert F Kennedy Jr will be nominated to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.
Trump picks RFK Jr to lead Health and Human Services as they vow to make America healthy
Donald Trump will nominate vaccine skeptic and conspiracy-spreader Robert F Kennedy Jr to lead America’s largest public health body, the Department of Health and Human Services.
Politico first reported the nomination on Thursday shortly followed by CNN; it was not something that came as a surprise, as Trump’s own press secretary Karoline Leavitt had referred to RFK Jr as qualified and mentioned him as someone who would likely be nominated to join the incoming administration in a Fox News interview the same day.
Of course, the head of Donald Trump’s White House transition team — the man supposedly leading the staff search for the incoming president — had assured CNN as recently as October 30 that RFK Jr would specifically not be nominated to lead HHS.
But Thursday’s news would be in line with reporting from The Independent and other outlets pointing to one reality: the breakneck pace at which these decisions are being made by Trump himself, in some cases while his top staff are not part of the conversation.
Trump picks RFK Jr to lead Health and Human Services: report
Kennedy ran as independent candidate while attacking Covid-era lockdown rules, and has referred to vaccines as unproven and dangerous
Former Ethics Committee counsel calls for release of Gaetz report
The Chief Counsel of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, Donald Sherman, wrote in a letter to the chairman and ranking member of the House Ethics Committee that they must release the report into allegations against attorney general nominee Matt Gaetz.
“While Mr. Gaetz can no longer be sanctioned by the Committee or the House, nothing in Committee or House rules bars the Committee from sharing its report, findings and exhibits with the public,” the former House Ethics Committee counsel wrote in a letter.
Report: Gorka and Anton possible picks for deputy national advisor
Trump advisors Sebastian Gorka and Michael Anton are both possible picks to serve as deputy national security advisor, according to Politico.
The president-elect has already announced that Florida Rep Michael Walz, a former Green Beret, will serve as his national security advisor.
Both Anton and Gorka would be controversial picks with some pushback to be expected.
Report: Trump expected to nominate RFK Jr to lead Health Department
Trump is expected to nominate former independent presidential candidate and anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist Robert F Kennedy Jr to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, Politico reported.
In his victory speech on election night, Trump said: “He’s going to help make America healthy again … He wants to do some things, and we’re going to let him get to it.”
“Go have a good time, Bobby,” he added.
Tulsi Gabbard claimed she was on a terrorist watchlist. She’s now set to lead America’s spy network
President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to be the director of national intelligence has stunned the intelligence community she’s set to lead.
Tulsi Gabbard, a Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii until 2021 and a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020, has no formal intelligence experience and she has claimed that she’s on a terror watchlist.
Gabbard announced at a Trump rally last month that she was joining the Republican Party and in September, she said in a video shared on X that she and her husband had been flagged as a “domestic terror threat” in July which she blamed on her rightward shift.
Tulsi Gabbard claimed she was on a terrorist watchlist. She’s now set to be the DNI
Western intelligence official says Gabbard appointment may prompt allies to share less information with Washington
JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon won’t be joining Trump admin
Donald Trump announced on Thursday that JP Morgan Chase CEO will not be joining his administration.
“I respect Jamie Dimon, of JPMorgan Chase, greatly, but he will not be invited to be a part of the Trump Administration. I thank Jamie for his outstanding service to our Country!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Sadiq Khan: Donald Trump targeted me because of my skin colour
Sadiq Khan has taken aim once again at Donald Trump, saying his policies are “sexist, homophobic, Islamophobic and racist”.
The London mayor had a long-running row with Mr Trump during his first term in the White House, which began after Mr Khan criticised the president’s pledge to ban Muslims from the US, describing the policy as “ignorant”.
During his first term in office, Mr Trump described the mayor as “a stone-cold loser” and “very dumb”.
Sadiq Khan: Donald Trump targeted me because of my skin colour
The mayor’s comments come despite insistence from the government that Labour will be able to work closely with the incoming Republican administration
Who is Matt Gaetz? From sex-trafficking allegations to public spats, the AG nominee is no stranger to controversy
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? The Attorney General nominee who is no stranger to controversy
Trump loyalist’s appointment as attorney general could trigger huge shift in how Department of Justice investigates January 6 riot
Republican senator emphasizes ‘weaponization’ of DoJ when asked about Gaetz allegations
Sen Bill Hagerty of Tennessee told Andrea Mitchell of MSNBC, “It’s amazing that you are more upset about allegations than you are about the weaponization” of the Department of Justice when asked about the litany of personal allegations against Attorney General nominee Matt Gaetz.
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