On Monday, U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon allowed the release of the volume of special counsel Jack Smith’s report dealing with President-elect Trump’s efforts to block the peaceful transfer of power.
In a five-page ruling, Cannon denied an effort by Trump and his two co-defendants in the Mar-a-Lago documents case to block the release of both volumes of the report, noting that prosecutors argued the election inference report has little to do with the ongoing trial against the two men.
“Based on these representations, the Court sees an insufficient basis to grant emergency injunctive relief as to Volume I,” Cannon wrote.
However, Cannon ordered a Jan. 17 hearing on whether to release the Mar-a-Lago report, something Attorney General Merrick Garland said he planned to keep sealed from the public given the ongoing prosecution into valet Walt Nauta and property manager Carlos de Oliveira.
Special Counsel Jack Smith resigned from the Department of Justice on Friday, days after finishing his criminal investigations into President-elect Donald Trump and ahead of his inauguration.
According to a footnote in a court filing sent to U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon on Saturday afternoon, Smith concluded his investigations on Tuesday and would depart from the DOJ on Friday. The court filing from DOJ officials asked Cannon not to further extend a court order she issued in January to block the release of Smith’s report into Trump temporarily.
CNN’s Manju Raju predicted President-elect Trump’s Cabinet nominees will cruise through the confirmation process.
Raju’s colleague Jim Acosta kicked off a segment on Monday morning by noting that “13 of President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet picks will be on Capitol Hill this week for their confirmation hearings before the Senate,” including Secretary of Defense-designate Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State-designate Marco Rubio.
“Manu, are any of these picks in jeopardy? What do you think?” asked Acosta.
“Right now, it appears that a lot of them — if not all of them — will be confirmed. But there are still questions about how they will perform at this, these critical sometimes make-or-break moments during these confirmation hearings,” answered Raju. “Do they stumble? Do they offer any ammunition to one side or the other?”
He continued:
But for the moment, the Republicans are in line. And that’s really all that these nominees need in order to be confirmed. Remember, in order to get confirmed by the United States Senate, you need to have a simple majority of support. That means for the Republican-led Senate, which is 53-47, they can afford to lose three Republican senators on any party line vote. At the moment, we’re not hearing any opposition from Republican senators, many of them keeping their cards close to the vest. But there are several ones that we’re watching very closely this week.
One of them, Pete Hegseth, coming before the Senate Armed Services Committee tomorrow. He has had a number of controversies emerge, including allegations of sexual assault back in 2017, allegations of excessive drinking on the job, and mismanagement of a veterans organization that he headed up. He has denied all of that. How does he perform when he is asked about that at the hearings?
President-elect Donald Trump’s former adviser Steve Bannon is not afraid to publicly go to battle against billionaire businessman Elon Musk, calling him “truly evil” during a recent interview.
In an interview with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, as highlighted by Mediaite, Bannon sharply criticized Musk, who was tapped by Trump to co-lead the “Department of Government Efficiency.”
“I will have Elon Musk run out of here by Inauguration Day,” Bannon said. “He is a truly evil guy, a very bad guy. I made it my personal thing to take this guy down.”
Trump is set to take office for the second time next Monday. Musk’s influence in the next administration remains unclear but he has been tapped to help lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) which is tasked with cutting wasteful government spending.
Bannon criticized Musk over the continued debate over H-1B visas. Musk is supportive of the work program that allows the U.S. to attract international talent. Trump’s base, however, is not supportive of the program, fueling a fight over the topic.
Musk himself was once an H-1B visa holder, as he is from South Africa.
“This thing of the H-1B visas, it’s about the entire immigration system is gamed by the tech overlords, they use it to their advantage, the people are furious,” Bannon said.
He slammed Musk’s heritage, calling South Africans the most racist people on Earth.
“He should go back to South Africa,” Bannon said. “Why do we have South Africans, the most racist people on Earth, white South Africans, we have them making any comments at all on what goes on in the United States?”
Bannon continued to pile on the criticism, saying Musk has a maturity of a “little boy” and only has an interest in increasing his wealth.
President Joe Biden hugs his family during the 59th Presidential Inauguration ceremony in Washington, Jan. 20, 2021. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris took the oath of office on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol. (DOD Photo by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Carlos M. Vazquez II)
The House Judiciary Committee Chair Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) said the panel will continue its investigation into Hunter Biden’s criminal activity in a Thursday interview with Politico.
“We think we need to look at David Weiss, the special counsel,” Jordan told the outlet.
“There will be some additional work we need to do, I think, there because when we deposed him, he wasn’t willing to — he didn’t answer any questions, really, because it was [an] ongoing investigation,” he added.
He criticized President Biden for pardoning his son ahead of his exit from the White House on all crimes committed in a 10-year period.
“I didn’t agree with it. I think a lot of Americans didn’t,” Jordan said.
But he added that “the president can pardon anyone he wants to pardon.”
Jordan’s committee launched a broad probe into Hunter Biden and his uncle James Biden for alleged unethical business dealings which prompted their testimony before members of Congress last year.
Ted Eytan from Washington, DC, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
Ohio Senator JD Vance officially resigned from the Senate ahead of being sworn in as vice president on January 20.
Vance, who has served in the Senate since early 2023, resigned around two years into his six-year Senate term.
“I hereby resign my office as a United States Senator from the State of Ohio, effective January 10, 2025,” Vance said in the resignation letter to Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine that is circulating online.
“As I prepare to assume my duties as Vice President of the United States, I would like to express that it has been a tremendous honor and privilege to serve the people of Ohio in the Senate over the past two years,” Vance added.
Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) noted in a post on X that he “will really miss having” Vance as a Senate colleague.
“Over the last two years, he’s become a dear friend and trusted ally,” Lee noted. “But the Senate’s loss is also the Senate’s gain, as he is about to become the president of the Senate—a job that belongs to the vice president.”
“To the people of Ohio, I extend my heartfelt gratitude for the privilege of representing you in the United States Senate. When I was elected to this office, I promised to never forget where I came from, and I’ve made sure to live by that promise every single day,” Vance said in a statement about his Senate resignation.
“The American people have granted President Trump an undeniable mandate to put America first, both at home and abroad. Over the next four years, I will do all that I can to help President Trump enact his agenda. Together, we will make America stronger, safer, and more prosperous than ever before,” he added.
President-elect Trump has named a number of nominees to flesh out his incoming Administration…
Check back in to stay up-to-date on the Trump administration:
Vice President JD Vance
Status: Certified
Current: Kamala Harris
Vice President JD Vance, an Ohio Senator and author of the bestselling book Hillbilly Eulogy, will be confirmed. The certification of the election will occur on Jan. 6 2025.
White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles
Status: Appointed
Current: Ron Klain
Trump announced the appointment of Wiles as White House chief of staff. This position does not require Senate confirmation.
Wiles will make history as the first woman White House Chief of Staff.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio
(Miami – Flórida, 09/03/2020) Presidente da República Jair Bolsonaro durante encontro com o Senador Marco Rubio..Foto: Alan Santos/PR
Status: Confirmed
Trump nominated Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to succeed Antony Blinken as Secretary of State.
Blinken was confirmed on January 26, 2021, by a vote of 78-22.
Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent
Status: Confirmed
Senate Finance Committee lawmakers voted Tuesday to confirm President Donald Trump’s nominee for Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, a 16-11 vote of approval that sends his confirmation to the Senate for a full floor vote.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth
Status: Announced
Current: Ret. Gen. Lloyd Austin
Trump announced the selection of Fox News contributor Pete Hegseth as his nominee for secretary of Defense. Hegseth has faced an uphill road to confirmation over allegations of sexual assault and alcohol abuse which he has vehemently denied.
Sen. Joni Ernst recently annoucned her plans to support Hegseth’s confirmation in a statement:
I appreciate Pete Hegseth’s responsiveness and respect for the process. Following our encouraging conversations, Pete committed to completing a full audit of the Pentagon and selecting a senior official who will uphold the roles and value of our servicemen and women — based on quality and standards, not quotas — and who will prioritize and strengthen my work to prevent sexual assault within the ranks. As I support Pete through this process, I look forward to a fair hearing based on truth, not anonymous sources.
1/5/24 UPDATE: According to three sources, Senate Majority Leader John Thune told incoming President Trump that Hegseth has the votes to be confirmed, though he refused to publicly comment on the matter
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem
Status: Announced
Current: Alejandro Mayorkas
Trump tapped South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to serve as the next Secretary of Homeland Security.
HOLY SH*T 🚨 DHS Secretary Kristi Noem fully supports Donald Trump’s deportation plan 🔥
Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Status: Announced
Current: Xavier Beccera
President-elect Donald Trump announced Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has his choice to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). RFK Jr. previouslt ran against Trump as an Independent before suspending his campaign and endorsing the Republican.
Attorney General Pam Bondi
Status: Announced
Current: Merrick Garland
President-elect Donald Trump nominated Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi to the key Cabinet position in late November after former Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew his nomination.
Trump initially nominated Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz to be Attorney General but he withdrew from consideration after it became clear he would not muster the required support for confirmation. Congress recently released an ethics report finding the former lawmaker “engaged in sexual misconduct, used illicit drugs, “shared inappropriate images or videos on the House floor, misused state identification records, converted campaign funds to personal use, and/or accepted a bribe, improper gratuity, or impermissible gifts.”
Gaetz has not been charged with any crimes.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard
Status: Announced
Current: Avril Haines
Trump tapped former Democrat presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard to be his Director of National Intelligence.
In a statement, Trump said, “For over two decades, Tulsi has fought for our Country and the Freedoms of all Americans. As a former Candidate for the Democrat Presidential Nomination, she has broad support in both Parties – She is now a proud Republican! I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community, championing our Constitutional Rights, and securing Peace through Strength.”
United Nations Ambassador Elise Stefanik
Status: Announced
Current: Linda Thomas-Greenfield
“I am honored to nominate Chairwoman Elise Stefanik to serve in my Cabinet as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. Elise is an incredibly strong, tough, and smart America First fighter,” Trump said in a statement to the New York Post.
Stefanik, chairwoman of the House Republican Conference, also released a statement:
“I am truly honored to earn President Trump’s nomination to serve in his Cabinet as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations,” Stefanik told the Post. “During my conversation with President Trump, I shared how deeply humbled I am to accept his nomination and that I look forward to earning the support of my colleagues in the United States Senate. President Trump’s historic landslide election has given hope to the American people and is a reminder that brighter days are ahead — both at home and abroad.”
FBI Director Kash Patel
Gage Skidmore Flickr
Status: Announced
Current: Christopher Wray
“Kash did an incredible job during my First Term, where he served as Chief of Staff at the Department of Defense, Deputy Director of National Intelligence, and Senior Director for Counterterrorism at the National Security Council. Kash has also tried over 60 jury trials,” Trump posted to Truth Social shortly after his announcement.
“This FBI will end the growing crime epidemic in America, dismantle the migrant criminal gangs, and stop the evil scourge of human and drug trafficking across the Border. Kash will work under our great Attorney General, Pam Bondi, to bring back Fidelity, Bravery, and Integrity to the FBI.”
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Lee Zeldin
Status: Announced
Trump announced on November 11, 2024, that he had selected Zeldin as his nominee for administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency in his second presidential term.
After the announcement, Zeldin posted on X: “We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI. We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water.”
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum
Status: Announced
Current: Deb Haaland
Donald Trump (R) announced on November 14, 2024, that he had selected Burgum as his nominee for secretary of the interior in his second presidential term. This appointment requires Senate confirmation.
Trump also said Burgum would lead the National Energy Council, a newly formed group consisting of “all Departments and Agencies involved in the permitting, production, generation, distribution, regulation, transportation, of ALL forms of American Energy.” In a statement, Trump said, “Doug Burgum will protect our Nation’s Natural Resources, restore our fabulous Oil and Gas advantage, and Make America, and its Energy, Dominant and Great Again!”
Energy Secretary Chris Wright
Status: Announced
Chris Wright is Donald Trump’s (R) announced nominee for secretary of Energy in his second presidential term.
In a statement Trump said, “Chris has been a leading technologist and entrepreneur in Energy. He has worked in Nuclear, Solar, Geothermal, and Oil and Gas. Most significantly, Chris was one of the pioneers who helped launch the American Shale Revolution that fueled American Energy Independence, and transformed the Global Energy Markets and Geopolitics.”
Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy
Status: Confirmed
Duffy, the former five-term Republican Congressman, was advanced out of committee with a 28-0 vote during a brief Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee hearing.
In a statement, Trump said, “Sean will use his experience and the relationships he has built over many years in Congress to maintain and rebuild our Nation’s Infrastructure, and fulfill our Mission of ushering in The Golden Age of Travel, focusing on Safety, Efficiency, and Innovation.”
Administrator of the Small Business Administration, Kelly Loeffler
Kelly served in the U.S. Senate in 2020, where she brought her private-sector experience to Washington. She served on key committees including Agriculture, Joint Economic, HELP, and Veterans Affairs – championing conservative values, pro-growth policies, advocating for small businesses, and passing legislation to strengthen economic resilience.
As co-owner of the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream for a decade, Senator Loeffler helped position the franchise as a platform to empower women through sports, demonstrating her commitment to community impact.
After her Senate service, Kelly founded Greater Georgia Action, an election integrity advocacy and voter registration non-profit, as well as RallyRight, a conservative tech startup – while serving on several corporate and philanthropic boards.
Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins
Brooke Leslie Rollins is from Glen Rose, Texas, a small agricultural community in the American heartland. She grew up working summers on her family’s farm in Minnesota, barrel racing, and raising livestock for 4-H and Future Farmers of America. She proudly served as a Texas State FFA Officer and worked for the National FFA Organization.
Rollins most recently served as the Founder, President and CEO of the America First Policy Institute. Prior to that, she was Director of the Domestic Policy Council and Assistant to the President for Strategic Initiatives in the last White House under President Donald Trump. In these roles, she helped lead the transformational domestic policy agenda of the Trump Administration, enacting the President’s vision and leading to historic achievements for the American people.
Rollins graduated with honors from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Science in agricultural development and was the first woman in university history to be elected student-body president. After earning her Juris Doctor with honors at the University of Texas School of Law, she served as Governor Rick Perry’s policy director before building and leading the Texas Public Policy Foundation for fifteen years.
Rollins and her husband, Mark, reside in Fort Worth, Texas, with their four children.
Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick
Howard W. Lutnick has been nominated to serve as the 41st United States Secretary of Commerce. During President Trump’s 2024 election campaign, he was the Co-Chair of the Trump-Vance Transition Team.
Before entering public service, Mr. Lutnick was a prominent figure on Wall Street for over three decades, simultaneously serving as Chairman and CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P. and BGC Group, as well as Executive Chairman of Newmark. He joined Cantor Fitzgerald in 1983 and quickly rose through the ranks, becoming President and CEO at just 29 years old.
Tragedy struck on September 11, 2001, when terrorists attacked the World Trade Center and Cantor Fitzgerald lost 658 of its 960 New York-based employees, including Mr. Lutnick’s brother and his best friend. He emerged from these events with an indomitable sense of purpose to rebuild the firm to honor those lost, support their families, and become a beacon of hope for those who remained.
In the days after the attacks, Mr. Lutnick launched the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund, which donated $180 million to families of his coworkers who died on 9/11. He has donated more than $100 million to victims of terrorism, natural disasters, and other emergencies around the world.
Mr. Lutnick served on the Board of Directors of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum and Weill Cornell Medicine. He was named the Financial Times Person of the Year in 2001 and Ernst & Young’s United States Entrepreneur of the Year in 2010. Howard also received the Department of the Navy’s Distinguished Public Service Award, the highest honor granted to non-military personnel by the Navy.
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Scott Turner
Scott Turner, from Richardson, Texas, is a visionary leader with a distinguished career in public service, business, and professional sports. As Executive Director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council, he led more than 200 policy actions to revitalize economically distressed communities. Turner served as Founder and CEO of the Community Engagement & Opportunity Council (CEOC), dedicated to revitalizing communities through mentorship, sports, and economic opportunity.
Turner served as a Texas State Representative for the 33rd District (2013–2017) and played nine seasons in the NFL. He also served as an Associate Pastor at Prestonwood Baptist Church. He holds a degree in Speech Communications from the University of Illinois and an honorary doctorate from Dallas Baptist University. Scott and his wife, Robin, are active in their church and community and are proud parents of Solomon, a recent University of Illinois graduate.
Secretary of Labor, Lori Chavez-DeRemer
Lori Chavez-DeRemer has dedicated over two decades of her life to public service, beginning in 2002 on the Happy Valley Parks Committee in Oregon. She later served on the Happy Valley City Council, becoming council president, and was elected as the city’s first Latina mayor in 2010, serving two successful terms. Under her leadership, Happy Valley became Oregon’s fastest-growing community, with initiatives that strengthened working families and small businesses.
In 2022, Lori was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for Oregon’s 5th Congressional District, making history as the first Republican woman and one of the first Latinas elected to Congress from Oregon. She served on the Agriculture, Education and Workforce, and Transportation and Infrastructure Committees, championing practical solutions and securing critical investments for her constituents.
Lori is also a successful small businesswoman and the first in her family to graduate from college, earning a business administration degree. She and her husband, Dr. Shawn DeRemer, her high school sweetheart, founded an anesthesia management company and several medical clinics across the Pacific Northwest. A proud wife and mother, Lori is passionate about advocating for businesses, workers, and families across the country.
Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Doug Collins
An Air Force Reserve colonel, chaplain and Iraq War veteran with more than 20 years of military experience, Doug Collins knows the complex issues facing veterans across the country.
As a longtime congressman and attorney, Collins has a deep understanding of the federal government and the policy expertise to solve complex problems, cut through red tape and get things done for those who have worn the uniform. Over eight years in Congress, Collins helped scores of veterans solve their Department of Veterans Affairs problems, and he will put that expertise to work making VA more user-friendly, so veterans won’t need outside help to navigate the department’s bureaucracy.
As a congressman, Collins championed bipartisan legislation like the First Step Act, the Music Modernization Act and the Defend Trade Secrets Act. Collins’ efforts in support of the First Step Act earned him the 2019 Allegheny College Prize for Civility in Public Life.
When it comes to veterans policy, Collins voted for some of the most important VA reforms in recent history, including the Veterans, Access, Choice and Accountability Act, the VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act and the MISSION Act.
Check back for updates…
The article was published with permission from Official Trump Tracker.
On Friday, New York Judge Juan Merchan sentenced President-elect Donald Trump, making him the first felon to become President.
Merchan sentenced Trump to an unconditional discharge, which eschews any prison time or probation but cements his status as a convicted felon.
“After careful analysis and obedience of government mandates, pursuant of law, the court feels the only sentence is an unconditional discharge, which is a lawful and permissible sentence for falsifying business records,” Merchan said.
“I impose that sentence for all 34 counts, and sir, I wish you godspeed as you pursue your second term in office,” he said.
Trump, in remarks virtually to the judge inside the courtroom, said that his experience throughout his criminal case in Manhattan has been “very terrible,” calling it a “tremendous setback for New York and the New York court system.”
“He said I was falsifying business records; I was calling a legal expense a legal expense,” Trump said, reiterating a defense argument from trial.
“It’s an injustice of justice,” he added.
🚨 Donald Trump’s FIRST Post on Truth without having Merchan’s unconstitutional gag order 🔥
Trump was found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records in the Manhattan case in May 2024.
Friday’s sentencing comes after multiple efforts to appeal the decision. On Thursday, the Supreme Court rejected Trump’s final effort to stay sentencing proceedings.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
The Georgia Republican Party’s State Executive Committee has voted to expel former GOP Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan from being associated with the party.
The unanimous vote was finalized on Jan. 6, cutting Duncan’s ties to the GOP after years of accusations of disloyalty.
The resolution makes several allegations against Duncan, including accusations that he undermined GOP candidates, endorsed Democrat opponents and used his affiliation with the Republican Party for personal gain.
In a post on X, Duncan suggested that the resolution was not a good use of the party’s time.
“Hard to believe this is a good use of time for a party that’s only got a limited amount of time to figure out mass deportations, world peace and global tariffs. Learn how to take a victory lap not light another dumpster fire @JoshMcKoon,” he wrote, calling out the Georgia GOP chair.
According to the resolution, Duncan is “banned from all property owned or leased by the Georgia Republican Party and all events held by or under the authority of the Georgia Republican Party.”
The Georgia GOP said Duncan is prohibited from qualifying as a candidate for the Georgia Republican Party. The group also said his previous GOP nominations for lieutenant governor and, before that, the state House of Representatives, both races in which he won the primary and general elections, have been expunged.
The resolution demanded Duncan cease calling himself a Republican for personal profit or to undermine and sabotage the Republican Party and its candidates.
The resolution claims Duncan undermined and sabotaged some Republican candidates, including current Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and failed 2022 Senate candidate Herschel Walker.
It also notes Duncan’s public endorsements during the 2024 presidential race of President Biden and, when Biden dropped out, his subsequent endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris as a violation of his allegiance to the GOP.
The Georgia GOP additionally said Duncan, in his role as a CNN commentator, used his Republican title to “attack the Republican Party.”
The state party also urged media outlets to refer to Duncan as an “expelled Republican” in future references.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D) asked Georgia’s top court to review her disqualification from the election subversion case against President-elect Trump and several allies.
In a petition filed late Wednesday to the Supreme Court of Georgia, Willis said the state’s midlevel appeals court “overreached” its authority in “all directions” when it decided she should be removed from the prosecution over her past romantic relationship with a top prosecutor on the case.
“No Georgia court has ever disqualified a district attorney for the mere appearance of impropriety without the existence of an actual conflict of interest,” Willis’s office wrote. “And no Georgia court has ever reversed a trial court’s order declining to disqualify a prosecutor based solely on an appearance of impropriety.”
Georgia’s Court of Appeals disqualified Willis and her office from the 2020 election case last month in a 2-1 decision over her inappropriate romance with former special prosecutor Nathan Wade.
The state’s high court, controlled by justices appointed by Republican governors, must first decide whether to take up the appeal at all.
Even if the court hears Willis’s appeal and rules in her favor, she may not have a chance to resurrect the case until 2029 — after Trump has left office — since legal experts agree sitting presidents cannot be criminally prosecuted.
If it lets the appeals court’s ruling stand, the case would be handed off to the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia, a nonpartisan state agency. The agency could then send the case to another district attorney’s office, which would decide whether to proceed, appoint a special prosecutor or handle the case itself.
Willis’s case is one of the remaining criminal prosecutions against Trump.
