Trump cabinet latest updates: Pam Bondi nominated as new AG pick after Matt Gaetz steps down

Nikki Haley has launched into a blistering critique of Donald Trump’s cabinet picks Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F Kennedy Jr, slamming the former as “a Russian, Iranian, Syrian, Chinese sympathizer.”

The former United Nations Ambassador in Trump’s first administration raised major concerns about Gabbard, who was picked as director of national security, and RFK Jr, who was nominated Health and Human Services secretary, during her SiriusXM show Nikki Haley Live on Wednesday.

James Liddell reports.

Matt Gaetz has withdrawn himself from consideration for the role of Donald Trump’s attorney general.

The former Florida congressman announced he was ending his bid to head up the Justice Department on Thursday, saying he had become “a distraction” to the future Trump-Vance administration.

His withdrawal comes following a week of intense scrutiny over resurfaced allegations of wrongdoing, including a federal sex trafficking probe – that ended without charges – and a House ethics inquiry. He vehemently denies the allegations.

Josh Marcus and Rhian Lubin break down what you need to know.

Bill O’Reilly, the former Fox News host, has argued that President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet picks will not have any sway over policy in his next administration.

The 75-year-old appeared on NewsNation on Wednesday night, saying that Trump is likely to concentrate power at the White House and simply have his department leaders follow his directives.

The commentator compared Trump’s incoming administration to that of Franklin D. Roosevelt, saying that the president-elect will put in place a structure where cabinet members will simply follow his lead.

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President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet is proving to be one of the most controversial in recent memory, including a number of people who face sexual misconduct allegations.

Trump himself has been accused of sexual misconduct by more than two dozen women. He has bragged about grabbing women “by the p***y.” A jury found him liable for sex abuse against former Elle columnist E. Jean Carroll.

Still, he has been elected twice to serve as president. He has denied all the accusations against him.

“This is not a good time for survivors or victims. People are not going to speak up because, look, it’s falling on deaf ears. No one cares,” one of Trump’s accusers previously told The Independent after he was re-elected.

Now, he’s nominated a number of individuals who also face claims of engaging in or tolerating sexual misconduct.

Karoline Leavitt, Trump-Vance transition spokeswoman said: “The American people re-elected President Trump by a resounding margin giving him a mandate to implement the promises he made on the campaign trail — and his Cabinet picks reflect his priority to put America First. President Trump will continue to appoint highly-qualified men and women who have the talent, experience, and necessary skill sets to Make America Great Again.”

Kelly Rissman looks at some of the contentious picks Trump has made for his inner circle.

Ellen DeGeneres and her wife, Portia de Rossi, have reportedly listed their Montecito estate and relocated to rural England following Donald Trump’s presidential win.

The former TV host, 66, and her wife, 51, have fled the country and plan to “never return” to the U.S., sources told The Wrap.

The couple of 16 years has move to the Cotswolds in South West England, the outlet reports, and their Montecito mansion, about 90 miles north of Los Angeles, has either already been privately listed or will be on the market soon.

Inga Parkel has more.

Alabama Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville questioned the validity of the 2020 election during an appearance on Steve Bannon’s War Room podcast with an offensive rant in which he called President Joe Biden a “bedridden dementia patient.”

Bannon, President-elect Donald Trump’s former White House chief strategist, asked Tuberville about the Democrats, saying “They’re there to fully stop Donald Trump and hopefully take their plans to take the House in two years and impeach him, right?”

Tuberville said the Democrats’ plan “was accelerated because they stole the election from President Trump and they were able to get four years with a bedridden dementia patient.”

Gustaf Kilander reports.

The incoming Trump administration didn’t waste time on Thursday after Matt Gaetz announced he was dropping his bid to become attorney general, announcing former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi would seek the top position at the Justice Department instead.

Bondi, who served as Florida’s attorney general from 2011 to 2019, is both an experienced public official and a long-time Trump ally.

Josh Marcus reports.

A resurfaced clip of President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Education getting body slammed in the wrestling ring by Kane, who is now a Republican mayor, has gone viral.

WWE co-founder Linda McMahon was announced as one of Trump’s cabinet picks on November 19 with critics and WWE fans questioning her qualifications for the role.

Brittany Miller has more.

The incoming Trump administration’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., has a history of scathing criticisms against the president-elect, including comparing him to Hitler and branding his supporters “belligerent idiots” and “outright Nazis.”

The remarks, many of which were made on Kennedy’s “Ring of Fire” radio show in 2016, were uncovered by CNN.

Josh Marcus reports.

A former military chief has hit back at Donald Trump’s Defense Secretary nominee over remarks made about women serving in the armed forces.

General Mark Milley, who served as the 20th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that the US military “must be and always should be” standards-based, as he called out the comments by Pete Hegseth.

Hegseth, a military veteran and former Fox News host, was announced as the President-elect’s choice for secretary of defense last week, in a move that caused consternation across the political aisle. He served 13 years as a part-time member of the National Guard, culminating in the rank of major.

Mike Bedigan reports.