President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday announced former Sen. Kelly Loeffler as his pick to lead the Small Business Administration, CNN reports.
Trump Picks Billy Long as IRS Commissioner
President-elect Donald Trump said he wants Billy Long, a former congressman from Missouri, to be the next commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, the New York Times reports.
Long was a professional auctioneer and a real estate agent for three decades before joining Congress in 2011, serving six terms until 2023.
Pelosi Backing ‘Some’ Insurgent Democrats
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) told Axios that she is supporting “some” insurgent efforts by House Democrats to topple older committee ranking members.
Jeffries Stays Out of the Way as Democrats Mutiny
“House Democrats are poised to unseat several senior committee leaders, and Hakeem Jeffries is letting it happen,” Politico reports.
“It’s akin to a mutiny, especially given Democrats’ typical deference to seniority in who leads panels. But party lawmakers are increasingly anxious about the incoming Trump administration and full GOP control of Congress. Many feel it’s crucial to have leaders who are proven fighters and can effectively push back on Republican priorities like harsh limits on legal immigration.”
“It echoes the argument many used when they called on President Joe Biden to step off the ticket over the summer.”
Bill Cassidy Gets a Primary Challenger
Louisiana State Treasurer John Fleming (R) announced that he is running for the U.S. Senate in 2026 for the seat currently held by Sen. Bill Cassidy (R), WBRZ reports.
Cassidy who voted to convict Trump after he was impeached post January 6.
Biden White House Is Discussing Preemptive Pardons
“President Joe Biden’s senior aides are conducting a vigorous internal debate over whether to issue preemptive pardons to a range of current and former public officials who could be targeted with President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House,” Politico reports.
“Biden’s aides are deeply concerned about a range of current and former officials who could find themselves facing inquiries and even indictments, a sense of alarm which has only accelerated since Trump last weekend announced the appointment of Kash Patel to lead the FBI. Patel has publicly vowed to pursue Trump’s critics.”
“The White House officials, however, are carefully weighing the extraordinary step of handing out blanket pardons to those who’ve committed no crimes, both because it could suggest impropriety, only fueling Trump’s criticisms, and because those offered preemptive pardons may reject them.”
Michael Whatley to Remain RNC Chair
Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley has agreed to remain in the role following President-elect Donald Trump’s request for him to stay, Politico reports.
Bill Maher Threatens to ‘Quit’ Show Over Trump Win
Bill Maher “may quit,” his HBO show because he’s “shitting his pants” over having to talk about “very hostile” Donald Trump, the Daily Beast reports.
Said Maher: “I did all the Trump stuff before anybody. I called him a con man before anybody I did. He’s a mafia boss. I was the one who said he wasn’t going to concede the election. I’ve done it. I’ve seen this fucking thing play out.”
Trump Will Be Interviewed on Meet the Press
President-elect Donald Trump agreed to sit down with NBC News’ Kristen Welker in an exclusive interview airing on Meet the Press on Sunday, Dec. 8.
The interview will take place on Friday and marks his first network interview since winning the election.
Russian General Calls U.S. Chairman of Joint Chiefs
“Gen. Valery Gerasimov, the architect of President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, called President Biden’s top military adviser last week and talked about how to manage escalation concerns between the two countries,” the New York Times reports.
“The rare phone call took place last Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving and just six days after Russia launched a new, nuclear-capable, intermediate-range ballistic missile at Ukraine that Mr. Putin said was in response to Ukraine’s use of American and British weapons to strike deeper into Russia.”
Nadler to Relinquish Top Judiciary Post
Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) “plans to step down as the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee next term, succumbing to calls for generational change as his party prepares to confront a second Trump administration,” the New York Times reports.
“Mr. Nadler, the 77-year-old dean of New York’s congressional delegation, had been facing a direct challenge from a close ally, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD). Mr. Raskin, 61, was said to have secured the votes necessary to defeat him.”
Hegseth’s Nomination Could Hinge on One Senator
“Pete Hegseth’s continued viability as President-elect Donald Trump’s defense secretary nominee may depend on whether he can persuade Senator Joni Ernst, a Republican from Iowa and a key skeptic, to back his confirmation during a meeting on Capitol Hill this afternoon,” the New York Times reports.
“If he emerges from the meeting with an endorsement, it could shore up support for his beleaguered nomination, which has been flagging amid allegations that Mr. Hegseth committed sexual assault, engaged in public drinking to excess, sexually pursued female subordinates and mismanaged two nonprofit veteran advocacy groups.”
Appeasement in the New Age of Trump
David Frum: “It is an ominous sign that Morning Joe felt it had to apologize for something I said on air.”
No-Confidence Vote Topples French Government
“A no-confidence vote in the French parliament on Wednesday has triggered the collapse of the government, plunging the country into political chaos and stoking anxiety about the euro zone’s second biggest economy,” the Washington Post reports.
“Prime Minister Michel Barnier’s administration becomes the shortest-serving government in the modern French republic and the first in six decades to be toppled by a no-confidence vote. Although the motion was put forward by a leftwing alliance, the swing votes of Marine Le Pen and her far-right lawmakers, wielding unprecedented influence, were key to its passage.”
“The trouble is, there’s no obvious cast of characters who could form a stable government.”
Trump Changes His Mind About White House Counsel
“Donald Trump has changed his mind about his White House’s top lawyer, elevating David Warrington to the role of White House counsel just three weeks after initially giving the job to veteran GOP lawyer William McGinley,” Politico reports.
Ramaswamy Called Musk a ‘Circus Monkey’ and ‘Puppet’
Vivek Ramaswamy, the co-chair of the proposed Department of Government Efficiency alongside billionaire Elon Musk, has a lengthy history of attacking his partner’s ties to China, frequently referring to Musk as a “circus monkey” and a puppet for the Chinese Communist Party, CNN reports.
Said Ramaswamy, in 2022: “I have no reason to think Elon won’t jump like a circus monkey when Xi Jinping calls in the hour of need.”
Raskin Appears to Have the Votes to Oust Nadler
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) is quickly locking down support to take the top Democratic spot on Judiciary and could beat current ranking member Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), Politico reports.
Said one lawmaker: “I just don’t see how Jerry pulls it out.”
Republicans Don’t Agree on Tax Cut Strategy
Punchbowl News: “If you need further evidence that it won’t be easy to extend the 2017 Trump tax cuts, here you go.”
“During a private lunch today on the first floor of the Capitol, House Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason Smith (R-MO) again criticized incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s plan to pass an extension of the Trump tax cuts only after clearing a number of the president-elect’s other legislative priorities, including new funding for border security and energy policy…”
“Smith said if Republicans don’t work on one single package that includes all of their policies, taxes will increase or the GOP will have to work with Democrats which is ‘not what anyone wants.'”
