“Signals from President-elect Trump’s team that a shake-up of the White House press briefing room could be coming are roiling journalists preparing to cover his second term,” The Hill reports.

“People close to Trump have said in recent days he should dramatically change who gets access to the president, suggesting podcasters, internet personalities and media deemed more friendly to him could replace outlets like the major television networks, The New York Times and The Washington Post in the room’s front rows.”

Donald Trump confirmed that Florida Sheriff Chad Chronister’s nomination for DEA administrator was scuttled over his enforcement of pandemic public health rules: “Besides, he didn’t pull out, I pulled him out, because I did not like what he said to my pastors and other supporters.”

President-elect Donald Trump will appear at Fox Nation’s Patriot Awards on Thursday and receive the “Patriot of the Year” award, Fox News reports.

Brian Stelter: “There’s something deeply cynical about giving the president-elect an award. But isn’t this Fox award thing also kind of… brilliant? Given Trump’s tendency to critique Fox, and especially given his never-ending complaints that the pro-Trump programming is not Trumpy enough, and the Fox base’s devotion to Trump, whoever at Fox thought ‘let’s give him an award!’ is probably in line for a raise right about now.”

“Donald Trump’s second transition was supposed to be different than the first, designed to be ‘orderly’ by advisers who have more eager congressional Republican allies this time around,” Semafor reports.

“Yet the consistent chaos and confusion that defined Trump’s first administration are already descending on Washington.”

“Trump may lose his second major Cabinet nominee in a matter of weeks, as Army veteran and former Fox News host Pete Hegseth faces draining allegations about his personal life and workplace record. That’s on top of a lower-ranked nominee’s sudden withdrawal, Republican clashes over how to structure their legislative agenda next year — and the awkward spillover of private Mar-a-Lago drama via an internal investigation into Trump confidant Boris Epshteyn.”

Jeff Bezos is optimistic about Donald Trump’s second term, and thinks the president-elect has “grown in the past eight years,” the Washington Post reports.

Said Bezos: “He seems to have a lot of energy around reducing regulation and if I can help him do that, I’m going to help him. We do have too much regulation in this country.”

“Congressional Republicans are clashing over sweeping legislation on taxes, energy and immigration that will be the heart of President-elect Donald Trump’s legislative agenda — underscoring the hurdles ahead as the party tries to unify amid thin margins,” Politico reports.

New York Times: “More than once during his early years at the network, Mr. Hegseth’s heavy drinking and raucous behavior at Fox News-related events escalated into episodes that were addressed by company officials or co-workers … At Fox News, the network’s human resources department looked into Mr. Hegseth’s conduct at the ‘Fox & Friends’ Christmas party in 2016 and discussed it with him…”

“The following December, Mr. Hegseth got so drunk at a wedding of a Fox News producer that he struggled to stand upright in a men’s bathroom … Friends asked a producer who was there to get Mr. Hegseth a ride home so he could make it to the set by 6 a.m., they said.”

“The idea of making Ron DeSantis secretary of Defense isn’t going over well with everyone at Mar-a-Lago,” Politico reports.

“While those close to Trump have stressed that the decision is ultimately the president-elect’s, some people in Trump’s orbit are chafing at news that Trump is considering DeSantis for the job. They cite the barbs DeSantis directed at Trump during the primary and his treatment of onetime confidante Susie Wiles, Trump’s incoming chief of staff.”

New York Times: “In the wake of Donald Trump’s election victory, his family business is poised to capitalize on his presidency with a variety of new ventures… And unlike in his first term, the Trump Organization aims to issue a more limited ethics plan that is unlikely to significantly curb its growth.”

“As the inauguration approaches, Eric Trump, Mr. Trump’s second son and the company’s de facto leader, is expected to forgo deals directly with foreign governments. But he is not planning to revive the promise the company made eight years ago to swear off all other foreign deals while his father occupies the White House.”

President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday announced former Sen. Kelly Loeffler as his pick to lead the Small Business Administration, CNN reports.

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.

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.

“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.”

“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.

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.”

Secretary of Defense-designate Pete Hegseth is out with a new op-ed in the Wall Street Journal: “I look forward to an honest confirmation hearing, not a press show trial based on anonymous accusations.”

“President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday picked conservative lawyer Paul Atkins to run the Securities and Exchange Commission, choosing a regulatory skeptic who will be expected to cut red tape and rein in the agency’s enforcement division,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

CNBC: “If confirmed, Atkins would succeed Gary Gensler, a widely reviled figure in the digital currency community for his many efforts to clamp down on the $3.5 trillion crypto market. Trump has promised a easier path for bitcoin and its myriad peers, and the market has soared since his election victory on Nov. 5.”