Matt Gaetz admits to womanizing and partying too much as he slams House’s move to release ethics report: Live
Former Florida congressman says ‘not criminal’ that he partied in his thirties, and now lives a different life
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The results of an ethics investigation into now-former congressman Matt Gaetz will be made public after a secret vote to share the report in the final days of 2024.
Members of the House Ethics Committee voted again earlier this month, reversing a decision to withhold the findings of a long-running probe into allegations of sexual misconduct and drug use.
The report is expected to be made public as lawmakers prepare to leave Washington for the holidays, CNN reported. Gaetz, 42, responded on X, arguing his actions in his thirties were “not criminal” and he now leads a different life.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump has claimed ex-Republican congresswoman Liz Cheney “could be in a lot of trouble” after a House GOP subcommittee called for her to be investigated by the Justice Department over her stewardship of the panel that examined the Capitol riot of January 6, 2021, accusing her of witness tampering by “colluding” with Cassidy Hutchinson on her testimony.
The president-elect posted the taunt on Truth Social, thanking Congressman Barry Loudermilk, who led the subcommittee and produced the interim report, for “a job well done”.
Cheney herself has already rubbished Loudermilk’s report as “a malicious and cowardly assault on the truth”.
Trump-backed lawmaker roasted after apparently mistaking Star Wars prop for captured drone
Trump backs idea to make the Postal Service – which is included in the Constitution – private
Trump sues Des Moines Register and top pollster for survey released the day before the election
Judge refuses to toss out bribery charge against NYC mayor
Biden attends mass on 52nd anniversary of death of wife and daughter
Per the White House:
The President, the First Lady, and their family are attending a private memorial mass at St. Joseph on the Brandywine Church.
Today is the anniversary of the death of President Biden’s first wife Neilia Hunter Biden and their one-year-old daughter Naomi.
Trump meets TikTok CEO as platform fights US ban
Donald Trump reportedly met with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew on Monday to discuss the app’s potential ban by the US government.
The two men reportedly had a meeting at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, according to NBC News.
In the days leading up to the meeting, Trump had expressed some degree of sympathy for the company, saying he had a “warm spot” for the app, and promising that he’d “take a look” at the ban.
Read more:
Trump meets TikTok CEO as platform fights US ban
President-elect tried to ban TikTok in 2020 but changed his tone on it once he realized it could help him win
Johnson chatted with Musk and Ramaswamy about stopgap bil
After the future heads of the Department of Government Efficiency expressed their disapproval of the continuing resolution to fund the federal government through until March 14, 2025, they apparently had a group chat with Speaker Mike Johnson.
He told Fox News that he spoke with Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy about the stopgap bill.
Johnson told the network: “They say, ‘This is not directed to you, Mr. Speaker, but we don’t like the spending.’ I said, guess what fellas? I don’t either.”
Musk also asked: “Ever seen a bigger piece of pork?”
Senators warn that Pete Hegseth’s hearings will echo Brett Kavanaugh’s with fervor from both sides
Senate Republicans fear that the confirmation hearings for secretary of defense nominee Pete Hegseth will be a repeat of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s heated 2018 hearings.
Both Kavanaugh and Hegseth have been accused of sexual misconduct and have rejected the allegations. Hegseth’s plan to release his accuser from a nondisclosure agreement is setting up the hearing to be filled with tension and fervor from both Democrats and Republicans.
Hegseth is set to push ahead with his nomination despite warnings from Senate Republicans that he’s likely to face a frenzy of uncomfortable questions about the sexual misconduct allegations and the claims against him of excessive drinking and financial mismanagement.
Read more:
Senators warn that Pete Hegseth’s hearings will echo Brett Kavanaugh’s
Texas Republican Senator tells secretary of defense nominee confirmation hearings will be ‘miserable experience’
ANALYSIS: Trump’s $15m settlement with ABC shook the First Amendment’s foundation. It’s just the beginning
Legal experts and press organizations are warning that ABC News settling a defamation case with Donald Trump will have a “chilling effect” on the media going forward, while the president-elect seems determined to prove them right by unleashing more legal threats and lawsuits against news outlets and reporters.
Meanwhile, journalists are lighting into ABC’s willingness to “obey in advance” and “bend the knee” to Trump, claiming that the network and its corporate parent Walt Disney showed the incoming president just how to silence reporters.
Continue reading...
After the $15 million ABC settlement, is Trump going to keep going after the press?
“Many in free press circles are holding their breath,” one First Amendment expert told The Independent. “There is concern that we are embarking on some scary times.”
Why is tech giant SoftBank investing over $100 billion in the US?
Japanese tycoon Masayoshi Son and President-elect Donald Trump have announced plans for technology and telecoms giant SoftBank Group to invest $100 billion in projects in the United States over the coming four years.
Trump said the investments in building artificial intelligence infrastructure would create 100,000 jobs, twice the 50,000 promised when Son pledged $50 billion in U.S. investments after Trump’s victory in 2016.
Son, a founder and CEO of SoftBank Group, is known for making bold choices that sometimes pay big and sometimes don’t. SoftBank has investments in dozens of Silicon Valley startups, along with big companies like semiconductor design company Arm and Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba. The stock market rally and craze for AI has boosted the value of its assets, but it’s unclear whether its investments will create that many jobs.
Who is Masayoshi Son?
Why is tech giant SoftBank investing over $100 billion in the US?
Japanese tycoon Masayoshi Son has joined President-elect Donald Trump in announcing plans by technology and telecoms giant SoftBank Group to invest $100 billion in projects in the United States
Watch: Silicon Valley pivot toward Republicans is 'a little bit overdue’
Watch: Could Kamala Harris run again? Could she win the nomination?
Trump makes bizarre 3am claims about Canadians
Today in late-night posts from the president-elect, Donald Trump wrote this 3:23 a.m. ET after his post about Liz Cheney:
No one can answer why we subsidize Canada to the tune of over $100,000,000 a year? Makes no sense! Many Canadians want Canada to become the 51st State. They would save massively on taxes and military protection. I think it is a great idea. 51st State!!!
Nigel Farage meets Elon Musk at Mar-a-Lago amid rumours of $100m donation
The British populist met the world’s richest man at Trump’s Florida mansion this week amid rumours the tech mogul is preparing to donate $100m to Reform UK.
The two men met at the the president-elect’s club on Monday alongside Reform’s new party treasurer Nick Candy.
In a statement, Farage and Candy described their hour-long meeting as “great”.
They did not mention money but said they had “learned a great deal about the Trump ground game” and would have “ongoing discussions” with the Tesla, SpaceX and X boss on other areas.
“We only have one more chance left to save the West and we can do great things together,” they added.
“Our thanks also to president Trump for allowing us to use Mar-a-Lago for this historic meeting. The special relationship is alive and well.”
The money would be by far the largest donation in British electoral history if it is indeed handed out.
Here’s more from out Whitehall editor Kate Devlin.
Farage meets Musk at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago mansion amid rumours of $100m donation
Donation could be the largest in British electoral history as tech billionaire continues his feud with Keir Starmer
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments