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Donald Trump has met with Joe Biden at the White House to discuss a transition schedule, with their opening sitdown warm and cordial in tone.
On a busy day in Washington DC, Republican senators also elected a new majority leader in place of Mitch McConnell, with South Dakota’s John Thune coming out on top.
The president-elect has meanwhile announced that tech billionaire Elon Musk and ex-Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy will head a new “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE), tasked with cutting the cost of government, stripping away regulations and restructuring federal agencies.
Musk responded by pledging that DOGE “will send shockwaves through the system, and anyone involved in government waste, which is a lot of people”.
The incoming 47th president unveiled a number of other appointments to his new administration on Tuesday, picking John Ratcliffe, his director of national intelligence from 2020 to 2021, to be his next CIA director and Fox News host Pete Hegseth as secretary of defense.
Trump also revealed that Mike Huckabee has been chosen as his new ambassador to Israel, Steven Witkoff will be his special envoy to the Middle East, and William Joseph McGinley his White House counsel.
Thune elected as first new Senate GOP leader in nearly two decades
John Thune was elected in a secret ballot and is set to take over as the new Senate majority leader in January at the beginning of the new Congress.
Thune is the first new Republican Senate leader in 18 years, following the longest-serving Senate leader Mitch McConnell.
The South Dakota Senator will take on the leadership of the Republican Senate caucus as the GOP takes control of both chambers of Congress as well as the White House.
Thune is the current Republican whip, and at 63, he’s seen as relatively young by GOP leadership standards. He succeeds McConnell, 82, and won in the second round of voting against John Cornyn, 72.
Republicans are set to govern with a 53-seat majority in the Senate as they take on cutting taxes, cracking down on immigration, and looking at energy policy.
Gustaf Kilander13 November 2024 17:22
Watch: Trump’s new defense secretary ‘can’t remember washing hands once over last decade’ in bizarre resurfaced footage
Trump’s defense secretary ‘can’t remember washing hands once over last decade’
President-elect Donald Trump’s new defense secretary once said that he could not remember washing his hands in ten years in bizarre footage that has resurfaced following his appointment. In 2019, Fox News host Pete Hegseth declared on air that he has not washed his hands for 10 years because “germs are not a real thing”. He said he believes that germs do not exist because they cannot be seen with the naked eye. Mr Trump will nominate Mr Hegseth to his Cabinet, the latest in a flurry of announcements about the shape of the incoming administration.
Joe Sommerlad13 November 2024 17:15
John Thune elected new Senate GOP leader
South Dakota Senator John Thune has been elected the new Senate GOP leader by a margin of 29 votes to 24 for Texas Senator John Cornyn, according to Punchbowl.
Thune won re-election in 2022, meaning that he’s not up for election again until 2028 when Trump’s second term will be coming to an end.
Gustaf Kilander13 November 2024 17:05
Thune and Cornyn advance to second ballot – Scott eliminated
Senators John Thune and John Cornyn have advanced to the second ballot in the Senate Republican election for majority leader, according to Politico.
Senator Rick Scott has been eliminated.
The vote total was 23 votes for Thune, 15 for Cornyn, and 13 for Scott.
Gustaf Kilander13 November 2024 16:59
First lady joins Biden and Trump and presents handwritten letter for Melania
Here’s a grinning Joe Biden at his meeting with Trump just now.
According to the pool report, the two men were joined by First Lady Dr Jill Biden and she gave their guest a handwritten letter of congratulations to pass on to Melania Trump, which also expressed her team’s readiness to assist with the transition.
Joe Sommerlad13 November 2024 16:35
In pictures: Trump and Biden meet at White House for traditional transition sitdown
Here are the 46th and 47 presidents pictured together in the Oval Office just now in front of a roaring log fire:
Their remarks lasted about a minute, with Trump observing “politics is tough” and adding: “And in many cases it’s not a nice world. But it’s a nice world today.”
He also thanked Biden for his invitation, who replied simply: “You’re welcome.”
Trump added that the transition between their two administrations would be “as smooth as it can get and I very much appreciate that Joe.”
The men subsequently met in private without the press pack present, with Trump apparently getting a laugh by joking about bringing an end to term limits.
Joe Sommerlad13 November 2024 16:21
Musk brags he will not need the 530 days Trump has given him to improve government
As we await the president-elect’s arrival at the White House to meet the current commander-in-chief – in what could be a very awkward meeting indeed – here’s his new efficiency czar boasting on X about easy it will be for him to streamline the federal government.
Joe Sommerlad13 November 2024 16:15
Live: Trump and Biden to meet at the White House
You can watch a livefeed of Donald Trump’s upcoming meeting with Joe Biden in the Oval Office via our YouTube channel below.
Joe Sommerlad13 November 2024 15:55
Trump announces four more advisers joining White House staff
Here’s the latest HR news out of Mar-a-Lago as the Trump transition team confirms reporting earlier this week that Stephen Miller will join his second administration as assistant to the president, deputy chief of staff for police and homeland security adviser.
In addition, Trump’s former caddy and long-time social media adviser Dan Scavino will return as assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff, James Blair will be an assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs and Taylor Budowich will serve as assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel.
“Dan, Stephen, James and Taylor were ‘best in class’ advisors on my winning campaign, and I know they will honorably serve the American people in the White House,” quoth Trump.
“They will continue to work hard to Make America Great Again in their respective new roles.”
Joe Sommerlad13 November 2024 15:50
Source: politics.einnews.com…
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