Trump transition live updates: In a flurry of nominations, Trump announces 7 picks

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Last updated: Saturday, November 23, 2024 4:27AM GMT
In a flurry of nominations, Trump announces 7 picks
President-elect Donald Trump continues to announce his picks for top jobs inside his administration.

Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, President-elect Donald Trump's pick for attorney general, said Thursday he is withdrawing his name for the role -- just a day after Gaetz spoke with Republican senators on Capitol Hill about the nomination process.

Trump has named Pam Bondi, the former attorney general of Florida, as his new pick for the role.

Another controversial Cabinet pick, Pete Hegseth, is on the Hill on Thursday with Vice President-elect JD Vance to make his case for the secretary of the Department of Defense job.

Meanwhile, Trump continues to announce his picks for top jobs inside his administration.

KABC logo
Nov 22, 2024, 3:24 PM

List: Trump's picks for cabinet, key roles in next administration

President-elect Donald Trump is naming cabinet members and adding other key positions to his administration.

These team members will have a direct impact on implementing Trump's policies in his second term.

MORE | Here's a look at the president-elect's other appointees so far.

This combo image shows from left: Pete Hegseth, Kristi Noem and John Ratcliffe.
This combo image shows from left: Pete Hegseth, Kristi Noem and John Ratcliffe.
Nov 21, 2024, 3:00 PM GMT

New details of Hegseth sexual assault claim documented in police report

The woman who accused Pete Hegseth of sexual assault in 2017 told police at the time that he took her phone and blocked her from leaving his hotel room on the night of the incident, according to a 22-page police report obtained by ABC News.

The report, compiled in Oct. 2017 by the Monterey Police Department, provides graphic new details of an alleged altercation that now threatens to derail Hegseth's bid to become President-elect Donald Trump's Defense Secretary.

The report documents a police investigation that did not result in charges against the former Fox News star. It includes interviews with the woman, who is identified only as Jane Doe, and Hegseth, who told police that the encounter was consensual.

ABCNews logo
Nov 21, 2024, 2:00 PM GMT

Comer to create 'DOGE' House Oversight subcommittee: Source

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer is set to create a new "Delivering on Government Efficiency (DOGE)" subcommittee to work with Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy's incoming Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in the next Congress, a source familiar with the plans tells ABC News.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene will chair the new subcommittee, which will "support the Oversight and Accountability Committee's mission to root out waste, fraud and abuse in the federal government," the source said.

Lawmakers involved in the future subcommittee have already met with members of the White House "DOGE" team, including Ramaswamy, who support the House Oversight Committee's endeavor and are already working together, the source said.

"The subcommittees will be officially established early next year when the Oversight and Accountability Committee meets to ratify its rules for the 119th Congress," the source said.

-ABC News' Will Steakin

ByAllison Pecorin ABCNews logo
Nov 21, 2024, 12:27 AM GMT

Tillis slams colleagues for missing judiciary votes in fiery floor speech

In a fiery floor speech on Wednesday, North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis took his GOP colleagues to task for missing votes on Monday that he said could have helped Republicans block the Democratic effort to install lame-duck lifetime judiciary appointments.

Trump has made clear he wants Republicans to make every effort to block Democrats from advancing judicial nominations.

The Senate is again expected to be in quite late Wednesday evening trying to process judicial nominations, a process necessary because Republicans are objecting to placing votes on these nominees on the Senate calendar.

Republicans will be powerless to stop this if all Democrats show up to vote, as Democrats have the majority necessary to move nominees through. But there were enough Democratic absences on Monday that a full Republican showing could have defeated some of the nominations.

Tillis didn't mince words on the Senate floor Wednesday as he called out his colleagues for missing votes.

"I think the American people are on board with me: We have to show up for work, right?" he said.

"We've got work to do here and I understand there are all kinds of good reasons but there's no excuse to let Chuck Schumer force these judicial nominations down our throat," Tillis said. "We've got to show up for work."

ByAllison Pecorin ABCNews logo
Nov 21, 2024, 12:22 AM GMT

Gaetz says meetings have been 'going great,' not focused on Ethics Committee activity

Reporters caught former Rep. Matt Gaetz re-entering the Capitol on Wednesday evening to continue meetings he has been having with senators and Vice President-elect JD Vance.

"It's been going great," Gaetz, Trump's pick for attorney general, said. "Senators have been giving me a lot of good advice. I'm looking forward to a hearing. Folks have been very supportive, and they've been saying we are going to get a fair process. So it's a great day of momentum for the Trump-Vance administration."

Asked if he had any reaction to the House Ethics Committee being deadlocked on whether to release its report on him, Gaetz said he hasn't been tracking the developments.

"I'll be honest with you, I've been focused on what we've got to do to reform the Department of Justice. I've been meeting with senators. I haven't been paying much attention to that," Gaetz said.

Gaetz said he hasn't spoken to Trump today but "had a great time with the vice president-elect talking about how we are going to end weaponization at the Department of Justice."

"We are going to tackle fentanyl. We are going to ensure that we don't have the DOJ involved in censorship anymore and make sure that we get the country back on track and are there for President Trump's total fulfillment of his promise on his immigration agenda," Gaetz continued.

Asked if he was confident he could be confirmed, Gaetz dodged.

"It was a great day," he said.