CNN – US Politics

By Kristen Holmes, Kaitlan Collins and John Towfighi, CNN (CNN) — President-elect Donald Trump has named his transition co-chair Linda McMahon as his pick to serve as the next secretary of the Department of Education. The decision, which Trump announced Tuesday night confirming CNN’s earlier reporting, took shape after it became clear that McMahon would

CNN By Kristen Holmes, Kaitlan Collins and Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN (CNN) — Donald Trump announced Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick as his pick for secretary of the Department of Commerce on Tuesday, selecting his transition co-chair for a key role in an administration that the president-elect has promised will enact sweeping tariffs. “He will lead

By Tami Luhby, Kate Sullivan and Alayna Treene, CNN (CNN) — President-elect Donald Trump has picked Dr. Mehmet Oz to serve as the administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, a key federal agency that oversees health insurance coverage for more than 150 million Americans. “I have known Dr. Oz for many years,

CNN By Paula Reid, Kara Scannell, Jeremy Herb and Lauren del Valle, CNN (CNN) — The Manhattan district attorney’s office said Tuesday it would agree to postpone Donald Trump’s sentencing in his hush money case to give prosecutors time to litigate the president-elect’s expected motion to dismiss the case. In a letter to Judge Juan

CNN By John King, CNN Kellerton, Iowa (CNN) — Shanen Ebersole believes if people better understood her life they would better understand her unapologetic vote for Donald Trump. “The majority of people who voted for Trump are not the far-right crazies,” Ebersole said in an interview. “That is not who we are. We are simple

By John King, CNN Kellerton, Iowa (CNN) — Shanen Ebersole believes if people better understood her life they would better understand her unapologetic vote for Donald Trump. “The majority of people who voted for Trump are not the far-right crazies,” Ebersole said in an interview. “That is not who we are. We are simple Americans

By Sarah Ferris, Manu Raju and Annie Grayer, CNN (CNN) — Former Rep. Matt Gaetz is quietly urging GOP senators to give him a chance to prove himself suitable to be attorney general amid growing calls from top Republicans to access a House Ethics Committee report expected to detail allegations of sexual misconduct involving the

By Kayla Tausche and Kevin Liptak, CNN Rio de Janeiro (CNN) — A major decision by the United States to allow Ukraine to fire long-range missiles deeper inside Russian territory has complicated a potential western diplomatic thaw with Russia as dozens of world leaders gather this week. Sunday’s decision was viewed by many western leaders

By Paula Reid, Kara Scannell, Jeremy Herb and Lauren del Valle, CNN (CNN) — The Manhattan district attorney’s office said Tuesday it would agree to postpone Donald Trump’s sentencing in his hush money case to give prosecutors time to litigate the president-elect’s expected motion to dismiss the case. In a letter to Judge Juan Merchan,

By Kevin Liptak and Kayla Tausche, CNN Rio de Janeiro (CNN) — President Joe Biden’s exit from the world stage this week was less of a dramatic mic drop and more of a slow fade from view, a low-key conclusion to a lengthy foreign policy career whose legacy is now under threat by Donald Trump.

By Haley Britzky and Oren Liebermann, CNN (CNN) — China rejected a meeting with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during a conference in southeast Asia this week, marking the latest turn in a tumultuous relationship between the two countries’ defense leaders. Austin sought to meet with his Chinese counterpart, Dong Jun, at the ASEAN Defense Ministers’

By Kristen Holmes, Kaitlan Collins and Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN (CNN) — Donald Trump announced Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick as his pick for secretary of the Department of Commerce on Tuesday, selecting his transition co-chair for a key role in an administration that the president-elect has promised will enact sweeping tariffs. “He will lead our

CNN By Morgan Rimmer, Manu Raju and Haley Talbot, CNN (CNN) — A House Republican is pushing to ban transgender women from women’s restrooms at the US Capitol, two weeks after history was made with the election of America’s first out transgender person to Congress. South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace on Monday introduced a resolution

By Hannah Rabinowitz and Evan Perez, CNN (CNN) — Attorney General Merrick Garland, nearing the end of his tenure leading the Justice Department, told career prosecutors Monday that they are the “backbone” of the Justice Department and urged them to continue to “uphold the rule of law.” In his first public comments since President-elect Donald

CNN By Mary Kay Mallonee, CNN (CNN) — The former Federal Emergency Management Agency employee who was fired earlier this month after being accused of skipping homes of Donald Trump supporters while providing relief in Florida after Hurricane Milton told CNN on Monday night that she was simply following FEMA protocol. “What I’d like for

By Mary Kay Mallonee, CNN (CNN) — The former Federal Emergency Management Agency employee who was fired earlier this month after being accused of skipping homes of Donald Trump supporters while providing relief in Florida after Hurricane Milton told CNN on Monday night that she was simply following FEMA protocol. “What I’d like for the

By Sarah Ferris and Annie Grayer, CNN (CNN) — Hakeem Jeffries nearly became House speaker. Instead, he’s steering the Democratic Party through an identity crisis and hoping to avoid an ugly intraparty civil war. Even without the gavel, many Democrats across Washington say House Minority Leader Jeffries — a 54-year-old New Yorker with centrist roots

By Morgan Rimmer, Manu Raju and Haley Talbot, CNN (CNN) — A House Republican is pushing to ban transgender women from women’s restrooms at the US Capitol, two weeks after history was made with the election of America’s first out transgender person to Congress. South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace on Monday introduced a resolution to

By Tierney Sneed and Paula Reid, CNN (CNN) — Two women testified to the House Ethics Committee that they were paid for “sexual favors” by former Rep. Matt Gaetz, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general, a lawyer for the two women told CNN’s Erin Burnett on Monday. Additionally, one of the women testified to

By Kristen Holmes, Annie Grayer, Sarah Ferris and Manu Raju, CNN (CNN) — President-elect Donald Trump is doubling down on his efforts to ensure former Rep. Matt Gaetz is confirmed as attorney general, calling some senators directly to discuss the Florida Republican and ask for their support, two sources familiar with the outreach told CNN.

By Arit John and Sarah Ferris, CNN (CNN) — Just two weeks after a bruising presidential election, the race to lead the Democratic Party has begun in earnest, with Minnesota Democratic party chair Ken Martin and former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley entering the race this week. Martin and O’Malley have kicked off a roughly three-month

By Kate Sullivan and Alexandra Skores, CNN (CNN) — President-elect Donald Trump announced Monday he has selected former congressman and recent Fox Business co-host Sean Duffy to serve as the next secretary of the Department of Transportation. Duffy served in the US House of Representatives from 2011 to 2019, representing Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District. He

By Sean Lyngaas, CNN (CNN) — A Russian man has been extradited from South Korea to the US to face charges in connection with a ransomware gang that allegedly extorted more than $16 million from victims around the world, US prosecutors said Monday. 42-year-old Evgenii Ptitsyn is accused of administering the sale, distribution and operation

By Kayla Tausche, CNN (CNN) — President-elect Donald Trump is casting a wider net for Treasury secretary after jockeying among his top two candidates sent him looking for an alternative solution, according to multiple people familiar with the process. Trump is now considering Kevin Warsh, a former investment banker and former Federal Reserve governor whom

By Betsy Klein, CNN Washington (CNN) — The Biden administration is sending a roughly $100 billion request to Congress to help Americans impacted by a series of major and record-breaking natural disasters in 2023 and 2024, including Hurricanes Helene and Milton, calling on lawmakers to pass the needed relief with “bipartisan and bicameral support.” It

By Jennifer Hansler, CNN (CNN) — The Biden administration on Monday imposed sanctions on Israel’s largest settlement development organization as part of the latest US actions targeting those fomenting instability in the occupied West Bank. The administration has issued a number of rounds of sanctions after President Joe Biden issued an executive order in February

By Kevin Liptak, CNN Rio de Janeiro (CNN) — Donald Trump’s influence is already causing behind-the-scenes drama as Group of 20 talks are getting underway here this week after one of Trump’s top global allies put up resistance to a joint leaders’ statement, a move diplomats interpreted as meant to curry favor with the incoming

By Paula Reid and Tierney Sneed, CNN (CNN) — Accounts of parties involving drugs, alcohol and young women that were allegedly attended by President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general, Matt Gaetz, are in the hands of House ethics investigators under pressure to release its findings on the former Florida congressman. The evidence related to

CNN Analysis by Stephen Collinson, CNN (CNN) — Donald Trump is refusing to back down over his Cabinet picks in the first clash in an epic battle he will wage against Washington when he takes office next year. The coming days will show whether Matt Gaetz, Tulsi Gabbard, Pete Hegseth and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

By Kevin Liptak, CNN Rio de Janeiro (CNN) — When President Joe Biden worked to burnish his climate legacy in the Brazilian Amazon on Sunday, the unspoken presence of Donald Trump shadowed the historic stop. A sitting American president had never before set foot in the Amazon rainforest, and Biden wanted to use his presence

By Ariel Edwards-Levy, CNN (CNN) — Support for deporting undocumented immigrants has grown since Donald Trump was last in office, a review of recent polling finds – as have nativist sentiments more broadly. But the level of public backing for mass deportation varies significantly depending on the framing of the question, suggesting there are limits

CNN By Kevin Liptak, Natasha Bertrand and Oren Liebermann, CNN (CNN) — President Joe Biden has authorized Ukraine to use powerful long-range American weapons inside Russia, according to two US officials familiar with the decision, as North Korean troops deploy in support of Moscow’s effort. The decision comes as Moscow has deployed nearly 50,000 troops

By Kevin Liptak, Natasha Bertrand and Oren Liebermann, CNN (CNN) — President Joe Biden has authorized Ukraine to use powerful long-range American weapons inside Russia, according to two US officials familiar with the decision, as North Korean troops deploy in support of Moscow’s effort. The decision comes as Moscow has deployed nearly 50,000 troops to

By Katie Lobosco and Devan Cole, CNN Washington (CNN) — President-elect Donald Trump has laid out some big changes for education in the US. Much of his platform focuses on rolling back the federal government’s role in schools and giving states and parents more of a say in what children learn, with the goal of

CNN Analysis by Stephen Collinson, CNN (CNN) — Donald Trump is refusing to back down over his Cabinet picks in the first clash in an epic battle he will wage against Washington when he takes office next year. The coming days will show whether Matt Gaetz, Tulsi Gabbard, Pete Hegseth and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

By Hannah Rabinowitz, Steve Contorno, Annie Grayer, Paula Reid, Evan Perez and Katelyn Polantz, CNN (CNN) — When President-elect Donald Trump tapped Matt Gaetz for attorney general, he elevated a MAGA firebrand with a penchant for stoking controversy and a history of getting out of trouble to lead a Justice Department that has investigated both

By Fredreka Schouten, CNN (CNN) — The cryptocurrency industry’s leading super PACs plowed $131 million into congressional races this election cycle to help elect dozens of pro-crypto lawmakers, while individual billionaires with crypto interests spent millions to help return Donald Trump to the White House. Now, they are determined to change how Washington treats their

By Kaanita Iyer, Zachary Cohen and Kaitlan Collins, CNN (CNN) — President-elect Donald Trump’s defense secretary pick, Pete Hegseth, paid a woman who accused him of sexual assault in a settlement agreement that included a confidentiality clause, according to Hegseth’s attorney. Attorney Timothy Parlatore said Hegseth denies assaulting the woman and has characterized the October

By Kristen Holmes, Lauren Fox, Pamela Brown, Jamie Gangel and Steve Contorno, CNN (CNN) — President-elect Donald Trump is pressing forward with his decision to put forward former Rep. Matt Gaetz as attorney general, despite widespread unease on Capitol Hill about entrusting the Justice Department to a figure with limited legal experience who has recently

By Ella Nilsen, CNN (CNN) — President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday named Chris Wright, the CEO of Denver-based fracking company Liberty Energy, as his pick to be the next secretary of the Department of Energy. Wright will also serve as a member on the newly formed Council of National Energy, which Trump said will consist

By Tami Luhby, CNN (CNN) — Seeking to woo targeted groups of voters during his campaign, President-elect Donald Trump rolled out plans for a sweeping array of tax breaks, including promises to eliminate levies on tips, overtime pay and Social Security benefits, for millions of Americans. Now comes the harder part – actually keeping all

By Gregory Krieg, CNN (CNN) — For Democratic pro-Palestinian activists, Donald Trump’s reelection delivered a bitter vindication. Led by the Uncommitted National Movement, they spent months pushing and pleading with the Biden administration to scale back its support for Israel’s war in Gaza. Their warning had been consistent and direct: Not only did Democrats risk

By Eric Bradner, CNN (CNN) — President-elect Donald Trump is set to make his return to Madison Square Garden on Saturday night, visiting the New York City landmark arena for an Ultimate Fighting Championship event. Trump’s trip to his hometown, and the arena where he held a controversial rally less than two weeks before Election

By Steve Contorno, CNN (CNN) — In mid-September, as tech billionaire Elon Musk intensified his efforts to elect Donald Trump as president, a wave of letters arrived at the Department of Transportation, asking the agency to turn over any emails and text messages that federal workers sent about the world’s wealthiest man and his sprawling

By Kevin Liptak and Kayla Tausche, CNN Lima, Peru (CNN) — President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, closed the book on their diplomatic relationship Saturday, meeting for a final time amid uncertainty over what the next Donald Trump presidency might portend for their two countries’ ties. As they opened the talks on

By Priscilla Alvarez and Phil Mattingly, CNN Washington (CNN) — The incoming Trump administration’s plans to implement strict border measures, strike down Biden-era policies and kick off the detention and deportation of migrants at large scale are underway and starting to come into focus, according to four sources familiar with the plans. President-elect Donald Trump

By Casey Gannon and Kaanita Iyer, CNN (CNN) — The attorney who represents two women who were witnesses in the House Ethics Committee probe into former congressman Matt Gaetz said Friday that one of his clients told the panel she saw the congressman having sex with a minor. “My client testified to the House Ethics

CNN By Katelyn Polantz, CNN (CNN) — Rudy Giuliani has turned over his 1980 Mercedes-Benz convertible, his luxury watch collection and a diamond ring, marking a partial end to a saga where the former mayor of New York City has tried to outrun the court system as two Georgia election workers try to collect on

CNN By Kristen Holmes and Kaitlan Collins, CNN (CNN) — President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team was in the middle of announcing new Cabinet picks this week when they were informed of a sexual assault allegation about one of his previous selections, Pete Hegseth, stunning several members of Trump’s team who have since raised questions about

By Katelyn Polantz, CNN (CNN) — Rudy Giuliani has turned over his 1980 Mercedes-Benz convertible, his luxury watch collection and a diamond ring, marking a partial end to a saga where the former mayor of New York City has tried to outrun the court system as two Georgia election workers try to collect on a

By Kristen Holmes and Kaitlan Collins, CNN (CNN) — President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team was in the middle of announcing new Cabinet picks this week when they were informed of a sexual assault allegation about one of his previous selections, Pete Hegseth, stunning several members of Trump’s team who have since raised questions about the

CNN By Ali Main, Annie Grayer and Sarah Ferris, CNN (CNN) — House Speaker Mike Johnson said on Friday that he does not think a House Ethics Committee report on allegations related to Matt Gaetz should be released and is “going to strongly request that the Ethics Committee not issue the report.” Johnson called on

By Kit Maher, Michael Williams and Piper Hudspeth Blackburn, CNN West Palm Beach, Florida (CNN) — President-elect Donald Trump on Friday elevated two of his campaign’s spokespeople to top communications roles in his incoming administration. Trump named his campaign’s spokesman, Steven Cheung, as his White House communications director. His campaign’s national press secretary, Karoline Leavitt,

By Ali Main, Annie Grayer and Sarah Ferris, CNN (CNN) — House Speaker Mike Johnson said on Friday that he does not think a House Ethics Committee report on allegations related to Matt Gaetz should be released and is “going to strongly request that the Ethics Committee not issue the report.” Johnson called on the

By Sara Murray, Zachary Cohen, Evan Perez and Pamela Brown, CNN (CNN) — Donald Trump is weighing a push from right-wing allies to nominate Kash Patel to lead the FBI, one of the clearest indications the president-elect plans to stick by his vow to fire Director Christopher Wray before his 10-year term ends and replace

By Kylie Atwood and Kevin Liptak, CNN (CNN) — President-elect Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner is seen as being pivotal to the incoming administration’s Middle East efforts, even though he is not likely to take a formal job within it, regional diplomats and Trump allies told CNN. Trump’s Middle East team has been taking shape

By Evan Perez, Zachary Cohen, Holmes Lybrand and Kristen Holmes, CNN (CNN) — President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team is bypassing traditional FBI background checks for at least some of his Cabinet picks while using private companies to conduct vetting of potential candidates for administration jobs, people close to the transition planning say. Trump and his allies

By Casey Tolan, Scott Glover and Kyung Lah, CNN Monterey, California (CNN) — Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s pick for secretary of defense, was involved in a police investigation into an alleged sexual assault in 2017, local officials in California confirmed Thursday night. In a statement, a spokesperson for the city government of Monterey, California, said

By Kaanita Iyer, CNN (CNN) — President-elect Donald Trump has chosen North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum to serve as his next secretary of the Department of the Interior. Trump revealed his pick during a gala at his Mar-a-Lago resort Thursday evening, seemingly changing his mind in real time on when to make the announcement as

CNN By Alexandra Banner, CNN (CNN) — Look up at the night sky this weekend for a celestial double feature. November’s full moon will shine bright today as the last supermoon of the year. Sky-gazers may also be able to see the Leonid meteor shower as it reaches its peak on Saturday night into early

CNN By David Culver and Rachel Clarke, CNN (CNN) — As he stood inside the echoing hall of the prison, Matt Gaetz seemed impressed. “There’s a lot more discipline in this prison than we see in a lot of the prisons in the United States,” said Gaetz, then a congressman, now announced as President-elect Donald

By Michael Williams, CNN (CNN) — President-elect Donald Trump has announced former congressman Doug Collins as his pick to run the Department of Veterans Affairs. “We must take care of our brave men and women in uniform, and Doug will be a great advocate for our Active Duty Servicemembers, Veterans, and Military Families to ensure

By Tierney Sneed and Jeremy Herb, CNN (CNN) — President-elect Donald Trump is turning to his personal criminal defense team to fill out top roles at the US Justice Department in his second term. Trump on Thursday announced that Todd Blanche is his pick for deputy attorney general and Emil Bove, another member of his

By Kevin Liptak and Kayla Tausche, CNN Lima, Peru (CNN) — When President Joe Biden’s aides were planning his visit to South America this week for a pair of leaders’ summits, two vastly different scenarios were in play. In one, Biden arrived as the confident statesman burnishing a legacy and preparing to hand off to

By Oren Liebermann, CNN (CNN) — The Pentagon has received hundreds of reports of new UFO sightings, including “several particularly interesting cases,” according to the director of the office that investigates these reports, but reiterated it found no evidence of alien activity. The Pentagon, working with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI)

CNN By Alexandra Banner, CNN (CNN) — Look up at the night sky this weekend for a celestial double feature. November’s full moon will shine bright today as the last supermoon of the year. Sky-gazers may also be able to see the Leonid meteor shower as it reaches its peak on Saturday night into early

By Kaitlan Collins, Kristen Holmes and Aaron Pellish, CNN West Palm Beach, Florida (CNN) — President-elect Donald Trump has picked Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be his next secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, a choice that would add to Trump’s list of provocative picks whose confirmation processes will test the loyalty

By David Culver and Rachel Clarke, CNN (CNN) — As he stood inside the echoing hall of the prison, Matt Gaetz seemed impressed. “There’s a lot more discipline in this prison than we see in a lot of the prisons in the United States,” said Gaetz, then a congressman, now announced as President-elect Donald Trump’s

CNN Editorial Research (CNN) — Here’s a look at the life of former Commerce Secretary Wilbur L. Ross Jr. Personal Birth date: November 28, 1937 Birth place: Weehawken, New Jersey Birth name: Wilbur Louis Ross Jr. Father: Wilbur Louis Ross Sr., a lawyer Mother: Agnes (O’Neill) Ross, a teacher Marriages: Hilary (Geary) Ross (October 9,

CNN Editorial Research (CNN) — Here is a look at the life of the Tulsi Gabbard, US director of national intelligence. Personal Birth date: April 12, 1981 Birth place: Leloaloa, American Samoa Birth name: Tulsi Gabbard Father: Mike Gabbard, Hawaii state senator Mother: Carol (Porter) Gabbard, former Hawaii Board of Education member Marriages: Abraham Williams

By Manu Raju and Lauren Fox, CNN (CNN) — Top Senate Republicans are withholding support for President-elect Donald Trump’s pick of Matt Gaetz to serve as attorney general, while Democrats and at least one prominent GOP senator call for the release of an ethics report into the former congressman. Sen. John Cornyn, a member of

By Holmes Lybrand, CNN (CNN) — The FBI announced on Thursday the arrest of a Texas man who allegedly created and disseminated ISIS propaganda and wanted to commit a “9/11-style” attack in the United States. The man, Anas Said, was arrested last week outside of his apartment in Houston, Texas. His arraignment and detention hearing

By Devan Cole, CNN Washington (CNN) — A federal judge on Thursday agreed to delay a trial set for next month for a US Capitol riot defendant, saying there is a “real possibility” that President-elect Donald Trump could pardon him after taking office next year. William Pope had been set to go on trial early

By Jennifer Hansler, CNN Washington (CNN) — Nearly 90 congressional Democrats are calling on President Joe Biden to impose sanctions on two far-right Israeli government officials for their roles in inciting settler violence in the West Bank. “Violent settlers, fueled by the inflammatory rhetoric and incitement to violence by members of the Israeli cabinet, including

By Eric Bradner, Kayla Tausche and Kristen Holmes, CNN (CNN) — In the days after President-elect Donald Trump’s victory, allies described his transition effort as far more disciplined than his first post-victory period in 2016. Then, a 24-hour stretch — that started with Trump’s selection of Fox News host Pete Hegseth as defense secretary on

By Jeremy Herb and Haley Britzky, CNN (CNN) — President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary Pete Hegseth has railed against women in combat, voiced support for troops accused and in some instances, convicted of war crimes, and advocated for the firing of the military’s most senior officers accused of supporting so-called woke policies. Though

By Sean Lyngaas and Holmes Lybrand, CNN (CNN) — As Donald Trump conducts a free-wheeling transition from his Mar-a-Lago estate, drawing flocks of business moguls, contractors, foreign dignitaries and anyone looking for jobs in the new administration, the federal agencies charged with protecting the president-elect and his communications face a daunting task. Security at Mar-a-Lago

By Katelyn Polantz, CNN (CNN) — The lawyers who have been representing Rudy Giuliani are trying to quit his debt enforcement case because of disagreements with him, according to new court filings, as a Friday deadline nears for the former New York City mayor to turn over many of his most valuable possessions to two

By Aileen Graef, Annie Grayer and Sarah Ferris, CNN (CNN) — House Republicans announced Wednesday night an agreement to raise the threshold to invoke a motion to vacate the speaker’s chair, in exchange for amendment changes. The motion to vacate rule currently allows just a single member of Congress to call for a no-confidence vote

By Kaitlan Collins, CNN (CNN) — President-elect Donald Trump is seriously considering naming his lead attorney Todd Blanche to serve as the next deputy attorney general, the second-highest position in the Justice Department, according to two people familiar with his thinking. Blanche has represented Trump for the last 18 months and defended him during his

By Manu Raju, Sarah Ferris and Annie Grayer, CNN (CNN) — The House Ethics Committee was due to meet this week to vote on releasing a report about Matt Gaetz, who resigned from Congress on Wednesday after President-elect Donald Trump announced his intention to nominate the Florida congressman to serve as attorney general, according to

By Ethan Cohen and Piper Hudspeth Blackburn, CNN (CNN) — The incredibly tight Pennsylvania race between Democratic Sen. Bob Casey and Republican challenger Dave McCormick will head to a recount, Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt announced Wednesday. While provisional and mail ballots are still being counted, unofficial results show the race to be

By Marshall Cohen, CNN (CNN) — Eric Hovde, the Wisconsin Republican who nearly unseated Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin, acknowledged this week that he lost the election but also raised questions about the legitimacy of the result as he mulls requesting a recount. Even as they celebrate President-elect Donald Trump’s victory, right-wing figures such as tech

By Haley Talbot, CNN Washington (CNN) — House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul was detained at Dulles Airport earlier this month when he appeared intoxicated after the congressman said he had consumed the sleep aid Ambien and alcohol. During the incident, first reported by Semafor and confirmed to CNN by a spokesperson for the congressman,

By Andrew Kaczynski, CNN (CNN) — New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for US ambassador to the United Nations, is now refusing to stand by her previous push for Ukraine’s NATO membership — a stance she once framed as critical to regional stability. Her office also declined to say whether she still

CNN By Hannah Rabinowitz, Holmes Lybrand, Annie Grayer, Evan Perez and Katelyn Polantz, CNN (CNN) — President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida to serve as his attorney general. “Few issues in America are more important than ending the partisan Weaponization of our Justice System,” Trump wrote Wednesday in a post

By Hannah Rabinowitz, Holmes Lybrand, Annie Grayer, Evan Perez and Katelyn Polantz, CNN (CNN) — President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida to serve as his attorney general. “Few issues in America are more important than ending the partisan Weaponization of our Justice System,” Trump wrote Wednesday in a post on

By Jeremy Herb and Katie Bo Lillis, CNN (CNN) — President-elect Donald Trump said Wednesday he’s selected former Democratic congresswoman-turned Trump supporter Tulsi Gabbard as his pick to be director of national intelligence. The selection of Gabbard is sure to set off a major confirmation fight. Gabbard, an Army National Guard veteran, unsuccessfully ran for

CNN Analysis by Stephen Collinson, CNN (CNN) — Donald Trump’s increasingly provocative Cabinet picks have left some Republican senators aghast and Washington in shock. But they really shouldn’t. Because the outrage is the point. The president-elect reached a new level on Wednesday, announcing Florida Republican Matt Gaetz — one of his most zealous agents of

By Stephen Collinson, CNN (CNN) — Republicans have secured their monopoly on power in Donald Trump’s new Washington, retaining their majority in the House of Representatives, CNN projected Wednesday, ushering in a dramatic new era of right-wing populist rule. The GOP’s control of both chambers of Congress – won after Republicans were projected to hold

By Kevin Liptak, Sam Fossum and Samantha Waldenberg, CNN Washington (CNN) — President Joe Biden will meet for a final time this week with Chinese President Xi Jinping as he prepares to hand over power — and the reins of the world’s most consequential bilateral relationship — to President-elect Donald Trump in January. The meeting,

By Michelle Shen, CNN Washington (CNN) — The election of Republican Sen. John Thune of South Dakota as the next leader of his party in the chamber – putting him on track to become Senate majority leader next year – tasks a key ally of Mitch McConnell with shepherding the agenda of President-elect Donald Trump

CNN By Alexandra Banner, CNN (CNN) — Several major retailers earned a grade of “F” for failing to protect consumers from toxic chemicals in the products they sell, a new report says. Before you start your holiday shopping, see which stores have removed harmful plastics and replaced them with safer alternatives. Here’s what else you

By Curt Merrill, Way Mullery, Lou Robinson, Henrik Pettersson, Gillian Roberts, Janie Boschma and Annette Choi, CNN (CNN) — President-elect Donald Trump has moved swiftly to announce his selections for his next Cabinet and key administration posts. Since CNN projected on November 6 that Trump would win election for a second term, the incoming president

By Katie Bo Lillis, CNN (CNN) — Inside the US intelligence community, a deep wariness about a second Trump administration has set in, stoked by memories of the antagonistic relationship the nation’s spy agencies had with Donald Trump the last time he was president. But when news broke Tuesday evening that Trump had selected as

By Tami Luhby, CNN (CNN) — Though President-elect Donald Trump has often promised to protect Social Security, he has not explained exactly how he would save the beloved – but financially troubled – entitlement program. Nor did he take any meaningful steps to shore up Social Security during his first term in the White House.

By Hannah Rabinowitz and Evan Perez, CNN (CNN) — The Justice Department has charged a man for allegedly leaking highly classified US intelligence about Israel’s plans for retaliation against Iran, according to court documents and a person familiar with the case. Asif W. Rahman was indicted last Thursday for willfully retaining and transmitting national defense

By Paula Reid, Evan Perez, Hannah Rabinowitz and Katelyn Polantz, CNN (CNN) — Special counsel Jack Smith intends to step down before President-elect Donald Trump takes office and is discussing the mechanics of winding down the federal prosecutions against him with Justice Department leadership, a DOJ official familiar with the discussions said. Trump has threatened

By Eric Bradner, CNN (CNN) — In choosing South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem as his homeland security secretary, President-elect Donald Trump is tapping a long-time loyalist to helm an agency that’s expected to play a central role in his immigration crackdown. She will work closely with two immigration hardliners, incoming deputy chief of staff for