Ed Kilgore: “Unlike in his first term, Donald Trump seems determined to hit the ground running when he takes office again on January 20, 2025. He clearly believes his narrow win over Kamala Harris and the congressional trifecta the Republican Party won by the smallest possible margin give him an unconditional popular mandate to do whatever he wants. And so far, Republican lawmakers have demonstrated little interest in pushing back on the president-elect’s extreme policy plans and rogue gallery of Cabinet nominees.”

“But there’s only so much that can be done in a day, even when you’re president, and Congress has its own priorities. So how quickly can Trump and his Republican allies enact his agenda?”

“President-elect Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he would appoint Devin Nunes, a former member of Congress who had used his role as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee to try to delegitimize the Trump-Russia investigation, to head an independent advisory board on espionage policy,” the New York Times reports.

“The organization — the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board — dates back to the early Cold War and consists of private citizens with top-level security clearances who are supposed to help the White House analyze spy agency effectiveness and planning. Its members do not need Senate confirmation, so presidents can pick whomever they want for it.”

President-elect Donald Trump has picked Richard Grenell, a close advisor on foreign policy and intelligence issues, to be his presidential envoy for special missions, USA Today reports.

Said Trump: “Ric will work in some of the hottest spots around the World, including Venezuela and North Korea.”

President-elect Donald Trump has expressed a keen interest in privatizing the U.S. Postal Service in recent weeks, a move that could shake up consumer shipping and business supply chains and push hundreds of thousands of federal workers out of the government, the Washington Post reports.

Amid rumors of Donald Trump Jr.’s split from fiancée Kimberly Guilfoyle in favor of Palm Beach socialite Bettina Anderson, a source told People magazine that Don Jr. “has been seeing Anderson for ‘about 6 months’ and ‘even took her on a trip to Alaska and introduced her around as his girlfriend when he was still very much with Kim.’”

Said a separate source: “Don Jr. has always wanted to look good in his father’s eyes. … Someone like Bettina, who is and has been a model, and is in Waspy circles of Palm Beach is something that would impress him.”

Trump loyalist Kash Patel’s chances to become the head of the FBI are looking better and better, Politico reports.

Playbook: “Patel is clearly trying to shed the reputation that he earned over the years in Washington as a brash and voluble Trump sycophant, but it remains to be seen whether he will be able to withstand increasing scrutiny of his record — and questions about his character — as he continues to meet with senators and as a confirmation hearing looms in the new year.”

Bank of America, the second-largest U.S. lender, and investment bank Goldman Sachs plan to contribute to President-elect Donald Trump’s inaugural committees, but have yet to decide on the amount, Reuters reports.

“President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance will attend the annual Army-Navy game in Landover, Maryland, on Saturday, and they are bringing some guests who are sure to stir debate,” Fox News reports.

“In what will be the 125th meeting of the Black Knights and Midshipmen, a source tells Fox that Trump is taking Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth to the highly anticipated football clash, while Vance confirmed on social media that he will have Marine veteran Daniel Penny by his side.”

“More than a dozen congressional Democrats plan to sit out President-elect Trump’s inauguration, and many more are anxiously grappling with whether to attend,” Axios reports.

“Not every Democrat skipping the ceremony will do so to protest Trump — but a formal boycott is materializing as a first act of resistance against the incoming president.”

Wall Street Journal: “Titans of the business world are rushing to make inroads with the president-elect, gambling that personal relationships with the next occupant of the Oval Office will help their bottom lines and spare them from Trump’s wrath.”

“In the weeks since the election, Trump and his advisers have been flooded with calls from c-suite executives who are eager to get face time with the president-elect and his team at Mar-a-Lago, the private Florida club where the transition team conducts much of its planning for the second term. A business consultant close to Trump is advising corporate clients to engage with Trump in any way they can and emphasize common goals, such as tax and regulatory changes. Clients are already angling for spots on whatever business advisory panels the new president may form.”

Axios: CEOs court Trump at Mar-a-Lago.

New York Times: “Of the more than 80 personnel announcements Mr. Trump has made since Election Day, 45 have been announced in social media posts and emails that he has sent after 6 p.m. Many have come after 10 p.m., prompting a wave of social media chatter and television coverage that sometimes continues throughout the night and into the early morning hours.”