Donald Trump says ‘something strange is going on’ with drone sightings
Join the each day Inside Washington e-mail for unique US protection and evaluation despatched to your inbox
Get our free Inside Washington e-mail
Get our free Inside Washington e-mail
Donald Trump has claimed ex-Republican congresswoman Liz Cheney “could be in a lot of trouble” after a Home GOP subcommittee referred to as for her to be investigated by the Justice Division over her stewardship of the panel that examined the Capitol riot of January 6 2021, accusing her of witness tampering by “colluding” with Cassidy Hutchinson on her testimony.
The president-elect posted the taunt on his Fact Social platform, thanking Congressman Barry Loudermilk, who led the subcommittee and produced the interim report, for “a job well done”.
Cheney herself has already rubbished Loudermilk’s report as “a malicious and cowardly assault on the truth”.
She added, witheringly: “No reputable lawyer, legislator, or judge would take this seriously.”
In the meantime, Trump has introduced two extra nominees to his incoming administration, naming Florida philanthropist Nicole McGraw because the the subsequent US ambassador to Croatia and, extra surprisingly, ex-NFL star and failed Georgia Senate candidate Herschel Walker as ambassador to the Bahamas.
The Republican additional used his social media account to warn Senate Republicans in opposition to agreeing a take care of Democrats on his nominees to prime cupboard positions.
“I will make my appointments of Very Qualified People in January when I am sworn in,” he declared.
Senators warn that Pete Hegseth’s hearings will echo Brett Kavanaugh’s with fervor from either side
Oliver O’Connell18 December 2024 13:00
ANALYSIS: Trump’s $15m settlement with ABC shook the First Modification’s basis. It’s just the start
Authorized consultants and press organizations are warning that ABC Information settling a defamation case with Donald Trump could have a “chilling effect” on the media going ahead, whereas the president-elect appears decided to show them proper by unleashing extra authorized threats and lawsuits in opposition to information shops and reporters.
In the meantime, journalists are lighting into ABC’s willingness to “obey in advance” and “bend the knee” to Trump, claiming that the community and its company father or mother Walt Disney confirmed the incoming president simply learn how to silence reporters.
Oliver O’Connell18 December 2024 12:41
Why is tech big SoftBank investing over $100 billion within the US?
Trump mentioned the investments in constructing synthetic intelligence infrastructure would create 100,000 jobs, twice the 50,000 promised when Son pledged $50 billion in U.S. investments after Trump’s victory in 2016.
Son, a founder and CEO of SoftBank Group, is understood for making daring selections that typically pay huge and typically don’t. SoftBank has investments in dozens of Silicon Valley startups, together with huge firms like semiconductor design firm Arm and Chinese language e-commerce big Alibaba. The inventory market rally and craze for AI has boosted the worth of its property, nevertheless it’s unclear whether or not its investments will create that many roles.
Oliver O’Connell18 December 2024 12:35
Watch: Silicon Valley pivot towards Republicans is ‘somewhat bit overdue’
Oliver O’Connell18 December 2024 12:29
Watch: May Kamala Harris run once more? May she win the nomination?
Oliver O’Connell18 December 2024 12:05
Trump makes weird 3am claims about Canadians
Right now in late-night posts from the president-elect, Donald Trump wrote this 3:23 a.m. ET after his publish about Liz Cheney:
Nobody can reply why we subsidize Canada to the tune of over $100,000,000 a yr? Is unnecessary! Many Canadians need Canada to change into the 51st State. They’d save massively on taxes and navy safety. I believe it’s a nice concept. 51st State!!!
Oliver O’Connell18 December 2024 11:50
Nigel Farage meets Elon Musk at Mar-a-Lago amid rumours of $100m donation
The British populist met the world’s richest man at Trump’s Florida mansion this week amid rumours the tech mogul is getting ready to donate $100m to Reform UK.
The 2 males met on the the president-elect’s membership on Monday alongside Reform’s new social gathering treasurer Nick Sweet.
In an announcement, Farage and Sweet described their hour-long assembly as “great”.
They didn’t point out cash however mentioned they’d “learned a great deal about the Trump ground game” and would have “ongoing discussions” with the Tesla, SpaceX and X boss on different areas.
“We only have one more chance left to save the West and we can do great things together,” they added.
“Our thanks also to president Trump for allowing us to use Mar-a-Lago for this historic meeting. The special relationship is alive and well.”
The cash could be by far the most important donation in British electoral historical past whether it is certainly handed out.
Right here’s extra from out Whitehall editor Kate Devlin.
Joe Sommerlad18 December 2024 11:40
Elon Musk comes out in opposition to Speaker Mike Johnson’s authorities funding plan
In response to a publish on X by Vivek Ramaswamy, his co-head of the upcoming Division of Authorities Effectivity, Elon Musk has come out in opposition to the plan to maintain the US authorities funded via March 14, 2025, as backed by congressional leaders together with Speaker Mike Johnson.
Ramaswamy wrote in regards to the proposed persevering with decision: “Currently reading the 1,547-page bill to fund the government through mid-March. Expecting every U.S. Congressman & Senator to do the same.”
To which Musk replied: “This bill should not pass.”
Right here’s what it’s essential to know in regards to the invoice:
Oliver O’Connell18 December 2024 11:30
Majority of Individuals say opinion of Trump is unfavorable, new ballot finds
The president-elect’s transition efficiency is continuous to unnerve voters, in response to the newest survey from Reuters/Ipsos, which has discovered that 55 p.c of the US public take an unfavorable view of him.
Simply 41 p.c say they assist the incoming commander-in-chief a month earlier than he takes workplace.
Lacking-in-action incumbent Joe Biden didn’t fare nicely within the ballot both, garnering an approval score of simply 38 p.c as he sees out his single time period.
Donald Trump on the New York Inventory Alternate final week (AP)
Joe Sommerlad18 December 2024 11:20
Lawmakers introduce trio of bills concentrating on China’s function in fentanyl disaster
A bipartisan group of lawmakers has proposed three bills geared toward cracking down on China’s function within the American fentanyl disaster, with measures that might arrange a US process pressure to disrupt narcotics trafficking and pave the way in which for sanctions on Chinese language entities.
China is the dominant supply of chemical precursors utilized by the Mexican cartels to provide fentanyl, whereas Chinese language cash launderers have change into key gamers within the worldwide drug commerce, US authorities say.
The proposed laws would assist maintain China’s Communist Celebration (CCP) accountable for “directly fueling the fentanyl crisis through its state subsidies of precursors,” mentioned the Home of Representatives’ choose committee on China, on which all the sponsors of the bills sit.
One invoice, the CCP Fentanyl Sanctions Act, launched by Democratic Consultant Jake Auchincloss, would codify authorities for the US to chop off Chinese language firms from the American banking system, together with vessels, ports and on-line marketplaces that “knowingly or recklessly” facilitate cargo of illicit artificial narcotics.
“This is state-sponsored poisoning of the American people,” Auchincloss mentioned at an occasion introducing the laws.
“The genesis of this is squarely on the mainland of the People’s Republic of China.”
Two different bills would create a process pressure of US businesses to conduct joint operations to disrupt trafficking networks, and permit for the imposition of civil penalties on Chinese language entities that fail to correctly manifest or comply with formal entry channels when delivery precursors to the US, the committee mentioned.
There’s rising consensus in Republican circles near Donald Trump that Beijing has exploited, even engineered, the artificial opioid epidemic to hurt Individuals, an accusation Beijing denies.
China says it has among the strictest drug legal guidelines on this planet and that the US must curb narcotics demand at house.
China’s anti-drugs authorities have all the time cracked down on incidents linked to lacking drug-making chemical compounds, Lin Jian, a spokesperson for China’s overseas ministry, advised a information convention on Wednesday when requested in regards to the bills.
With little time remaining within the present congressional time period, the bills would possible should be reintroduced subsequent yr after the brand new Congress is sworn in on January 3.
Raja Krishnamoorthi, the highest Democrat on the choose committee, wrote in an article this month that it was “time to get tough” on Beijing over fentanyl.
Joe Sommerlad18 December 2024 11:00
