“Republicans who control Pennsylvania’s state Senate said they will stop blocking a Democrat from taking his seat in the chamber after his unsuccessful GOP challenger lost another bid in court Tuesday to overturn the results of the close race,” the AP reports.
Biden Picks More Women for Cabinet Than Predecessors
“President-elect Joe Biden has chosen more women for his cabinet than his six predecessors had at the start of their administrations, according to new research from the Brookings Institution, after women played a key role in his November election win,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
Trump Plans to Live at Mar-a-Lago
“Donald Trump plans to fly to his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida the morning of Joe Biden’s inauguration, where several current White House staff are expected to work for him or his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, after his presidency,” Bloomberg reports.
“Trump intends to live at the Palm Beach resort, the people said, though some of his future neighbors are trying to stop him from taking up permanent residence.”
Trump Reconciles with Steve Bannon
President Trump has repeatedly spoken by phone with Steve Bannon in recent weeks to seek advice on his campaign to overturn his re-election defeat, reconciling with his once-estranged ex White House strategist, Bloomberg reports.
Trump Taking Departure Photos with Staff
Donald Trump is taking departure photos with White House staffers today, according to the Washington Post.
Murkowski Says Impeachment Was ‘Appropriate’
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) responded to Wednesday’s House passage of a single article of impeachment against President Trump, calling the action “appropriate” in a statement, and adding that she would “consider the arguments of both sides” in the Senate trial, Axios reports.
Will Chief Justice Preside Over Impeachment Trial?
Roll Call: “The Constitution states, ‘When the President of the United States is tried the Chief Justice shall preside.’ Roberts presided over Trump’s first impeachment trial a year ago, just the third such trial in history.”
“But what happens when Trump leaves office on Jan. 20 — before the trial starts — and becomes a former president of the United States? Must the chief justice still preside over the trial? Could he choose to do so? Or does [that role] fall to the presiding officer of the Senate, the new vice president, Kamala Harris? Or can the Senate have its president pro tempore, at that time Vermont Democratic Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, preside? … Constitutional and congressional experts have no certain answer.”
Dozens on Terrorist Watch List Took Part in Capitol Riot
“Dozens of people on a terrorist watch list were in Washington for pro-Trump events Jan. 6, a day that ended in a chaotic crime rampage when a violent mob stormed the U.S. Capitol,” the Washington Post reports.
“The majority of the watch-listed individuals in Washington that day are suspected white supremacists whose past conduct so alarmed investigators that their names had been previously entered into the national Terrorist Screening Database, or TSDB, a massive set of names flagged as potential security risks.”
Melania Leaves Quietly
CNN: “First lady Melania Trump has spent the last several weeks operating inside a gray area of what might happen … The outgoing first lady hasn’t done anything of significance as the weeks of her tenure come to a close. She hasn’t established an office for continuing her platform in the post-White House years, according to a source familiar with her activities. Nor has she helped with the onboarding of incoming first lady Jill Biden — with whom she has still not made contact…”
“The only thing Trump has done, besides pack the White House, work on photo albums of her time as first lady and oversee photo shoots of a rug and decorative items, is make a convoluted statement about the events of last Wednesday, five days after they occurred.”
Pentagon Won’t Host Farewell Ceremony for Trump
“The Pentagon, in a break with recent tradition, will not host an Armed Forces Farewell tribute to President Trump,” Defense One reports.
Trump Struggles to Find Lawyers for Impeachment Trial
“President Trump, on the eve of facing a historic second impeachment trial for inciting the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol last week, is having trouble finding a legal team to defend him,” Bloomberg reports.
“Allies of the outgoing president have been canvassing Washington’s legal landscape looking for representation but so far are coming up short. Lawyers who defended him in the previous impeachment trial, including Jay Sekulow and White House Counsel Pat Cipollone, have said no this time.”
“Other lawyers who have defended Trump at times, including former Florida attorney general Pam Bondi, Eric Herschmann, Pat Philbin and Marc Kasowitz aren’t interested in joining a team this time, the people said. Some of the lawyers who don’t want a role have privately said what Trump did was indefensible.”
Bitcoin Payments Made to Activists Before Capitol Mob
“On Dec. 8, someone made a simultaneous transfer of 28.15 bitcoins — worth more than $500,000 at the time — to 22 different virtual wallets, most of them belonging to prominent right-wing organizations and personalities,” Yahoo News reports.
“Now cryptocurrency researchers believe they have identified who made the transfer, and suspect it was intended to bolster those far-right causes. U.S. law enforcement is investigating whether the donations were linked to the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol.”
D.C. Attorney General Seeks to Interview Trump’s Son
“The D.C. Attorney General’s office has notified Donald Trump Jr. that it wishes to interview him as part of a lawsuit alleging that President Trump’s 2017 inaugural committee improperly funneled money to the president’s business,” the Washington Post reports.
Snapchat Will Permanently Ban Trump
“Snapchat will permanently ban President Trump’s account on Jan. 20, after locking it indefinitely last week following the Capitol siege,” Axios reports.
Trump’s $200 Drug Discount Cards Won’t Happen
“The White House will not be able to make good on President Donald Trump’s campaign promise to give older Americans discount cards to use for medicine, citing time pressures and still-unfinished planning,” Politico reports.
Ivanka Made Agents Rent a $3,000 per Month Toilet
“Many U.S. Secret Service agents have stood guard in Washington’s elite Kalorama neighborhood, home over the years to Cabinet secretaries and former presidents. Those agents have had to worry about death threats, secure perimeters and suspicious strangers. But with the arrival of Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, they had a new worry: finding a toilet,” the Washington Post reports.
“Instructed not to use any of the half-dozen bathrooms inside the couple’s house, the Secret Service detail assigned to President Trump’s daughter and son-in-law spent months searching for a reliable restroom to use on the job… After resorting to a porta-potty, as well as bathrooms at the nearby home of former president Barack Obama and the not-so-nearby residence of Vice President Pence, the agents finally found a toilet to call their own.”
“But it came at a cost to U.S. taxpayers. Since September 2017, the federal government has been spending $3,000 a month — more than $100,000 to date — to rent a basement studio, with a bathroom, from a neighbor of the Kushner family.”
Nikki Haley Unveils PAC Ahead of Possible 2024 Bid
Former Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley announced her new political action committee on Wednesday in an email to her supporters amid speculation over a possible 2024 presidential bid, The Hill reports.
Biden Picks Jaime Harrison for DNC Chair
“President-elect Joe Biden plans to name Jaime Harrison at his pick to lead the Democratic National Committee, part of an effort to bolster the committee ahead of what are already expected to be challenging midterm elections for the party,” the New York Times reports.
