What to watch in Washington today
- President-elect Donald Trump named multiple people he intends to nominate for Cabinet positions today, including Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., to be secretary of state; controversial Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., to be attorney general; and former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard to be the director of national intelligence. The Gaetz pick in particular stunned many Senate Republicans, who warned his road to confirmation is not likely to be smooth.
- Republicans will maintain control of the House, NBC News projected. The victory gives Republicans all elements of power in Washington and will allow Trump to quickly fill his Cabinet and advance his agenda.
- Trump and President Joe Biden met at the White House this morning — Trump's first time in the building since he left office in 2021. Melania Trump rejected first lady Jill Biden's invitation to meet today.
- Senate Republicans elected John Thune, R-S.D., as their next majority leader. Thune said after the vote that he and Trump had spoken, and the president-elect met with all House Republicans this morning.
Rep. Matt Gaetz has offered his resignation, Mike Johnson says
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters tonight that Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., offered his resignation from the House today. Trump announced earlier that he wants Gaetz to be attorney general.
"I think out of deference to us, he issued his resignation letter effective immediately of Congress," Johnson said. "That caught us by surprise a little bit, but I asked him what the reasoning was, and he said, 'Well, you can’t have too many absences.'"
Because Gaetz's letter has not yet been announced on the House floor, it has not officially gone into effect. There will eventually be a special election to replace him.
House Republicans announce deal to raise the threshold needed to oust the speaker
Speaker Mike Johnson and two different factions of House Republicans announced a deal tonight to raise the threshold needed to force a vote on ousting the speaker from one member to nine.
As of now, the House rules allow any one member to introduce a resolution declaring the office of the speaker vacant, known informally as the motion to vacate. Johnson, R-La., brought out the leaders of the conservative House Freedom Caucus and the more moderate Main Street Caucus to announce that the threshold would be raised to require nine members to introduce such a resolution — a frequent request among members upset by the proceedings that led to Speaker Kevin McCarthy's ouster last year.
The change would go into the rules for the 119th Congress, which need to be voted on when the new House is sworn in on Jan. 3.
“We began to negotiate,” Main Street Caucus Chair Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., said, standing alongside Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris, R-Md. “We spent more than an hour together. We made good progress. We understood that we had an opportunity to set the motion to vacate at a higher number than one."
The threshold will be raised in exchange for "getting rid of some amendments that probably would have divided this conference,” the Main Street Caucus chair said.
For most of congressional history, the rules allowed any one member to try to oust a speaker. That changed when Democrats took the majority in 2019 and modified the rules to allow a vacancy resolution to be brought only “if offered by direction of a party caucus or conference” — a much higher bar.
When Republicans took back the chamber last year, they changed the rules to lower the threshold back to one, and McCarthy soon afterward became the first speaker whose position was vacated during a term.
Jill Biden says in Philadelphia that 'sometimes it can be hard to see' how we're connected to our history
At an event in Philadelphia today counting down to the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, first lady Jill Biden reflected on how moments in American history relate to the current state of the nation.
"Sometimes it can be hard to see how that history connects to us, right now — how those pieces of the past can be a part of our present and our future," she said after she discussed the impact of childhood trips to historic places in the city.
"That’s why this project is so important," she added, referring to the initiative Philadelphia 250.
The initiative's mission as described on its website is "to ignite the passions of the people of Philadelphia with the revolutionary spirit of the Declaration of Independence—to create a commemoration that is truly by the people, for all people."
Jack Smith asks court to pause appeal in classified documents case
Special counsel Jack Smith today asked the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to hit pause on his appeal of Trump’s classified documents case, which is going through the appeals process at his behest after a federal judge dismissed the case in July.
Smith asked the appeals court to stay a Friday deadline and give his team until Dec. 2 to allow it time to “assess this unprecedented circumstance and determine the appropriate course going forward consistent with Department of Justice policy” in light of Trump’s election last week.
Trump pleaded not guilty to charges in Florida that he willfully retained national defense information after he left office and that he directed the deletion of security video at his Mar-a-Lago resort.
Smith's request mirrors one he has already made in the Washington, D.C., election interference case, which a judge granted last week.
NBC News reported today that according to a source familiar with the matter, Smith and his team plan to resign before Trump's second term begins.
The Justice Department’s long-standing position is that it cannot charge a sitting president with a crime, and all cases Smith brought against Trump were brought after he left office.
Top House Democrats acknowledge falling short of taking the chamber's majority
Top Democratic leaders in the House released statements acknowledging that their party fell short of securing the majority. NBC News has projected that Republicans will hold a trifecta: the White House, the Senate majority and the House majority.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., congratulated Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and the Republican conference.
"In the new Congress, House Democrats will continue to seek bipartisan common ground on any issue, whenever and wherever possible, to make life better for the American people, while pushing back against far right extremism whenever necessary," Jeffries said in a statement.
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair Suzan DelBene of Washington said in a statement that House Democrats "consistently outperformed the top of the ticket, despite the difficult headwinds that faced us."
In a similar statement, Democratic House Whip Katherine Clark of Massachusetts said her party "will extend the hand of bipartisanship to any Republican willing to improve the lives of everyday Americans, and we will fight any attempt to drain the wages of working people into the pockets of billionaires."
Pennsylvania Senate race heads to a recount
Pennsylvania’s Senate race is heading to a recount, which the narrow margin between Republican Dave McCormick and Democratic Sen. Bob Casey triggered automatically under state law.
Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt announced today that the unofficial results showing a narrow race have led to a recount. Schmidt noted in his announcement that counties must begin the recount no later than Nov. 20 and that they must complete the process by noon Nov. 26. The results will not be published until Nov. 27.
DOJ officials express shock and outrage at Gaetz selection
Justice Department officials expressed outrage and shock at Trump's announcement that he wants Gaetz to be the attorney general.
"What the f--- is happening?" asked a Justice Department source, who added that Gaetz should not be confirmable.
"He is uniquely qualified. How many other prospective attorneys general had previous experience as the subject of a criminal investigation?" said another source, referring to Gaetz's being investigated for possible sex trafficking, though charges ultimately were not filed.
A senior Justice Department official said the announcement was "absolutely unbelievable," while another said he or she "did not see this coming."
A former Justice Department official described employees and other law enforcement officials as being stunned and in disbelief. The source feared that Gaetz could fundamentally harm the department's future.
The Justice Department officials were granted anonymity for fear of retaliation.
House GOP announces results of leadership elections
House Republicans elected Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Mich., to be the House Republican conference chair in the 119th Congress, the conference announced on X.
She will take over for Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y. McClain defeated Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Fla., for the role.
Republicans also re-elected Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., as the chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee and Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., as policy chair.
Stefanik also announced on X that Rep. Blake Moore, R-Utah, will be vice chairman of the House GOP conference.
Trump baffles Republican senators by picking Matt Gaetz for attorney general
Reporting from Washington, D.C.
Trump stunned Senate Republicans by announcing today that he will nominate Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., to be U.S. attorney general.
Gaetz, a Trump loyalist known for being a rabble-rouser in Congress, will need a majority of the Senate to be confirmed as the nation’s top law enforcement officer. Republicans will have a majority of 52 or 53 seats beginning Jan. 3, depending on the outcome of the Pennsylvania Senate race. That means Gaetz won’t have a large margin for error, assuming every Democrat opposes him.
Some Senate Republicans said the process won’t be smooth sailing for Gaetz.
Members of Congress react with surprise to Trump's pick of Matt Gaetz to be attorney general
Republicans win control of the House, giving Trump a clear pathway to implement his policy agenda. NBC News correspondents Julie Tsirkin, Ken Dilanian, Courtney Kube and Garrett Haake and The New York Times’ chief White House correspondent, Peter Baker, join Meet the Press NOW moments after Trump picks Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., to lead the Justice Department.
FBI confirms new details about Chinese hack of U.S. telecoms
The FBI is confirming that the hack of telecom infrastructure by Chinese government actors enabled “the theft of customer call records data, the compromise of private communications of a limited number of individuals who are primarily involved in government or political activity, and the copying of certain information that was subject to U.S. law enforcement requests pursuant to court orders.”
"We have identified that PRC-affiliated actors have compromised networks at multiple telecommunications companies to enable the theft of customer call records data, the compromise of private communications of a limited number of individuals who are primarily involved in government or political activity, and the copying of certain information that was subject to U.S. law enforcement requests pursuant to court orders," the FBI said in a statement, using the initialism for the People's Republic of China.
The last item is particularly significant, given previous reports that the hacking targeted U.S. intelligence collection pursuant to top-secret orders under the Federal Intelligence Surveillance Act. NBC News has reported that the hack allowed the Chinese to target phones connected to the Trump and Harris campaigns.
Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., chairman of the Intelligence Committee, has called it “one of the most serious breaches” he has ever seen.
Gaetz on House ethics investigation into him: 'None of their business'
Gaetz is also being investigated by the bipartisan House Ethics Committee, which is looking into whether he engaged in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use.
Gaetz told the committee in September that he is finished cooperating with the panel, which he said asked him for a list of adult sexual partners over the last seven years.
In a letter to the committee and later to reporters, Gaetz blasted the investigation as “not the business of Congress.”
“They’re just nosy is what they are, and it’s none of their business,” Gaetz told NBC News in September.
Gaetz has history of criminal and ethics investigations
Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., whom Trump today said he will nominate to be his attorney general, has been under federal criminal investigation in the past involving allegations of sex-trafficking of a 17-year-old girl. The investigation did not lead to charges.
Gaetz was notified on Feb. 15, 2023, that he would not be charged. His attorneys told NBC News at the time, “We have just spoken with the DOJ and have been informed that they have concluded their investigation into Congressman Gaetz and allegations related to sex trafficking and obstruction of justice and they have determined not to bring any charges against him.”
In 2021, federal investigators also looked into Gaetz’s travel to the Bahamas with women and specifically whether those women were paid to travel for sex, which could violate federal law, a law enforcement official and another person familiar with the matter said.
Investigators were also looking into whether Gaetz and one of his associates used the internet to search for women they could pay for sex, the sources said.
At the time of the reporting, a Gaetz spokesperson said: “Rep. Gaetz has never paid for sex, nor has he had sex with an underage girl. What began with blaring headlines about ‘sex trafficking’ has now turned into a general fishing exercise about vacations and consensual relationships with adults."
Gaetz was also investigated over allegations he showed fellow members nude photos of women on his phone while on the House floor.
Gaetz is a lawyer, as Trump noted in his announcement, and he is in good standing with the Florida Bar — not that he ever practiced law for very long before he was elected to the Florida House in 2010. The bar briefly labeled him as “delinquent” in 2021 for failing to pay a $265 fee, but it reinstated him, and he remains licensed to practice law in Florida.
A former Trump attorney from his first term also testified during the House Jan. 6 hearings that Gaetz wanted a blanket pardon from the then-president.
Gaetz “wanted a pardon, as I recall, from the beginning of time up until that day, for anything,” Eric Herschmann, an attorney in the Trump White House, told the committee.
Former contender for attorney general congratulates Gaetz
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who was a contender to be Trump's nominee for U.S. attorney general, reacted to Gaetz's being chosen.
"There are few people I trust more to take on the deep state and end the weaponization of the justice department. Matt Gaetz has been a stalwart defender of liberty, and Texas has his back," he wrote on X.
In September, NBC News reported that Paxton was being considered along with Sen. Mike Lee of Utah.
Matt Whitaker, who was also a possible pick, wrote "Congratulations" to Gaetz on X.
Mike Johnson to be the Republican nominee for speaker
House Republicans just now voted to nominate Mike Johnson for re-election as speaker in January, the House Republican Conference said on X.
Republicans chose Johnson by a unanimous voice vote, according to a source in the room. That means no secret ballot was needed.
House Republicans also re-elected Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana and Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota to their current positions.
Johnson will still need 218 votes on the House floor in January to secure the speakership. As of now, he is just the Republican nominee.
House Republicans react to Gaetz selection behind closed doors
House Republicans, huddled behind closed doors for their own leadership elections, reacted in real time to the selection of their colleague Matt Gaetz to attorney general.
The news was met with a range of reactions, from gasps to “oh, my gods,” according to two members in the room. Some GOP House members still harbor immense anger at Gaetz for orchestrating the ouster of Speaker Kevin McCarthy last year.
House Foreign Affairs Chair McCaul ‘briefly detained’ by police after appearing drunk at airport
Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, the chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, was briefly detained after an interaction with police at Dulles International Airport near Washington, D.C., a spokesperson for McCaul told NBC News.
The spokesperson said that McCaul was not arrested and was not threatening to anyone but that police approached him because he appeared to be drunk and needed help. McCaul was then able to phone a family member to pick him up from the airport to bring him back to Washington.
According to the spokesperson, McCaul, who is a nervous flyer, took the drug Ambien to help him sleep on a flight back home to Texas and inadvertently missed his flight.
While he was working to rebook his flight, the Ambien, which he had mixed with several alcoholic drinks, made him disoriented and he locked himself out of his phone, the spokesperson said.
Steve Bannon reacts to attorney general choice
In a phone call, Steve Bannon responded to the news that Trump intended to nominate Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., for attorney general.
“President Trump is going to hit the Justice Department with a blowtorch, and Matt Gaetz is that torch," he said.
Bannon was recently released from prison after having served a term for contempt of Congress. Bannon was a Trump adviser during his previous administration.
Trump nominates Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general
In a Truth Social post, Trump said he was nominating Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general. Gaetz is a graduate of William and Mary Law School, which Trump mentioned in the announcement.
"Matt will end Weaponized Government, protect our Borders, dismantle Criminal Organizations and restore Americans’ badly-shattered Faith and Confidence in the Justice Department," he wrote. "He is a Champion for the Constitution and the Rule of Law."
Gaetz replied in a post on X, saying, "It will be an honor to serve as President Trump’s Attorney General!"
In September, Gaetz told the House Ethics panel that he would "no longer voluntarily participate" in the committee's investigation into whether he engaged in sexual misconduct or illicit drug use. The latest development in the ethics probe comes after the Department of Justice in 2023 decided not to charge Gaetz, who was being investigated for possible sex trafficking at the time.
Thune says he spoke with Trump after majority leader election
Thune said he spoke over the phone with Trump after winning the Senate majority leader race earlier today.
"Senate Republicans are excited and ready to get to work implementing President Trump’s agenda on behalf of the American people," he wrote in a post on X.
Trump congratulated him and the new leadership, writing that Thune "will do an outstanding job."
Rep. Troy Nehls says Republicans should fully embrace Trump agenda
After Trump's speech to the House GOP conference, Texas Rep. Troy Nehls said that GOP leaders need to fully embrace all of Trump's agenda and do as he says.
"There’s no question he’s the leader of our party," Nehls said. "So now he’s got a mission statement, his mission and his goals and objectives, whatever that is. We need to embrace it, all of it, every single word in his mission statement."
"If Donald Trump says jump 3 feet high and scratch your head, we all jump 3 feet high and scratch your heads. That’s it," he said.
Nehls also called Trump "the greatest thing since sliced bread" and that he is "really never wrong."
Trump nominates Marco Rubio for secretary of state
Trump has officially announced that Florida Sen. Marco Rubio will become his nominee for secretary of state. NBC News reported on his selection on Monday.
"Marco is a highly respected leader, and a very powerful Voice for Freedom. He will be a strong advocate for our nation, a true friend to our allies, and a fearless warrior who will never back down to our adversaries," Trump said in a statement.
Rubio accepted the nomination in a post on X, writing that the position comes with "tremendous responsibility" and that he is "honored."
"As Secretary of State, I will work every day to carry out his foreign policy agenda. Under the leadership of President Trump we will deliver peace through strength and always put the interests of Americans and America above all else," he said.
House Democrat to introduce resolution reiterating that Trump can serve only two terms
Reporting from WASHINGTON
Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., plans to file a resolution in the House tomorrow that would express support for the 22nd Amendment of the Constitution, which sets the term limits for the president of the United States.
Term limits are already enshrined in the Constitution, so the resolution would have little tangible effect and it’s unclear if it will receive a vote on the House floor, which is controlled by Republicans. However, he could potentially introduce it as a privileged resolution to force Republicans to vote on the matter.
The resolution, obtained by NBC News, reaffirms that the 22nd Amendment “applies to two terms in the aggregate as President of the United States” and reaffirms that it “applies to President-elect Trump.” The resolution lists a number of instances in which Trump has joked or floated the idea of serving longer than two terms in the White House or being a dictator.
The resolution was first reported by The New York Times.
Trump praises Musk in House GOP meeting but jokes, 'I can't get rid of him'
In the meeting with House Republicans this morning, Trump spoke very fondly of Elon Musk, according to two lawmakers in the room. Trump praised Musk for the amount of time the billionaire tech CEO dedicated to the election.
At one point Trump joked that Musk was spending a lot of time with him, saying, “Elon won’t go home. I can’t get rid of him.”
Both lawmakers emphasize that this was said in jest, and that Trump spent a significant amount of time complimenting Musk, who also attended this morning’s meeting.
After the House GOP conference meeting at the Hyatt Regency, Musk, Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz and some staff peeled off and went straight to the plane to wait for Trump.
Musk and Gaetz were waiting for Trump on his plane while he was at the White House meeting with Biden. They have been chatting, according to the source.
White House press secretary says that Biden's criticism of Trump from the campaign 'still stands'
During a press briefing at the White House, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked whether Biden apologized to Trump for calling him a "threat to democracy" during the campaign.
"What he said still stands," Jean-Pierre told reporters, adding, "And it’s not just him, you heard this from former staffers, from the former Chief of Staff John Kelly, from others."
She said that despite Biden's belief, "what we also want to be clear about is listening to the will of the people" and maintaining respect for the institutions of the presidency.
Jean-Pierre also said that reporters shouldn't only point out that Biden called Trump a threat to democracy, saying, "We should not just put this at the president. [Trump’s] own people said this.”
Republican Ken Calvert wins re-election to the U.S. House in California's 41st congressional district, NBC News projects
Republican Ken Calvert wins re-election to the U.S. House in California's 41st congressional district, NBC News projects.
Republican Juan Ciscomani wins re-election to the U.S. House in Arizona's 6th congressional district, NBC News projects
Republican Juan Ciscomani wins re-election to the U.S. House in Arizona's 6th congressional district, NBC News projects.
Biden climate official addresses concerns about progress under Trump
Ahead of the upcoming United Nations climate change conference in Azerbaijan, White House national climate adviser Ali Zaidi alongside John Podesta, who are both representing the U.S. at the summit, are hearing concerns from global leaders about Trump’s potential impact on climate progress.
In an interview with NBC News, Zaidi emphasized the potential economic opportunities in pursuing climate solutions — a clear call out to Trump’s messaging on the trail while also highlighting the work the Biden administration has established in that realm.
Zaidi maintained that Biden’s climate policy was built to outlast his administration and that “there’s not going to be a four-year pause button on this global crisis” from the rest of the world in terms of action.
Asked what concerns him about possible future U.S. policy, Zaidi said, “We’re in a fragile inflection point in this manufacturing renaissance that we’ve finally been able to cultivate the United States.” He added, “how do we make sure that regardless of the transition in prioritization and policy preference in Washington, that we continue to foster hope and economic opportunity. If we do that, that will be the engine for climate ambition and clean energy progress in the United States.”
McConnell calls Thune's election to majority leader 'well deserved'
In a statement, outgoing Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell congratulated Thune, calling his election to be the next majority leader "well deserved."
“John Thune’s election is a clear endorsement of a consummate leader. The confidence our colleagues have placed in John’s legislative experience and political skill is well deserved," McConnell said.
“The American people elected Republicans to restore stability and order after four years of Washington Democrats’ failure," he added. "John Thune will take the reins with a tremendous opportunity to lead this transformation, and Senate Republicans stand behind him, ready to get to work.”
Republicans win the House, NBC News projects, as Trump’s party takes full control of Washington
Republicans will maintain control of the House of Representatives by the thinnest of margins, NBC News projected Wednesday, handing President-elect Donald Trump and his party all the levers of power in Washington.
A Republican-controlled Congress will allow Trump to quickly fill out his Cabinet and other top administration roles and advance his agenda for at least the next two years. Last week, Republicans flipped three Democratic Senate seats to win control of the upper chamber.
Thune claims ‘mandate’ to unwind ‘damage’ from Biden, Harris and Schumer
Standing alongside the new Republican leadership in the Senate, Thune said that his priority as leader will be to reverse actions done by current leader Chuck Schumer and President Biden.
"We will do the job that the founders intended us to do in the United States Senate and that the American people intend us to do. And that, right now, after this mandate election coming out of the American people, is to work with this president on an agenda that unwinds a lot of the damage of the Biden Harris Schumer agenda, and puts in place new policies that will move our country forward in a different direction," he said.
Who will be the Senate Republican leaders in the next Congress?
Senate Republicans have voted in their leadership lineup for the next Congress.
The new leaders starting in January will include John Thune, of South Dakota, as majority leader; John Barrasso, of Wyoming, as assistant majority leader; Tom Cotton, of Arkansas, as Republican Conference chair; Shelley Moore Capito, of West Virginia, as Republican Policy Committee chair; James Lankford, of Oklahoma, as Republican Conference vice chair; and Tim Scott, of South Carolina, National Republican Senatorial Committee chair.
Elon Musk and Matt Gaetz chat on Trump's plane while waiting Biden meeting to end
Tech mogul Elon Musk and Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., both Trump allies, were waiting for the president-elect on his plane while he was at the White House meeting with Biden and have been chatting, a source on the plane said.
After the House Republican Conference meeting at the Hyatt Regency in Washington, D.C., Musk, Gaetz and some staff peeled off and went straight to the plane to wait for Trump.
Israel says the former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, tapped by Trump to be the next U.S. ambassador to Israel, is a welcome choice. Meanwhile, the amount of aid flowing into Gaza is increasing but humanitarian organizations warn that parts of Gaza remain on the brink of famine. NBC’s Richard Engel reports for the "TODAY" show.
White House press secretary says Trump-Biden meeting was 'substantive'
During a press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre described Trump and Biden's two-hour meeting today as "substantive" and "an exchange of views."
She added that the two spoke about “important items on Congress’ to-do list for the lame duck session" and added that Biden "reiterated what he said to the president-elect the day after the election ... we will have an orderly transition and a peaceful transition of power."
House elections are proceeding with nominating speeches
House Republicans are continuing to hold their leadership candidates forum and elections today at the Hyatt Regency in Washington, D.C.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, of Louisiana, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, of Louisiana, and Whip Tom Emmer, of Minnesota, are running unopposed as of this point. The race to replace Rep. Elise Stefanik, of New York, as Republican Conference chair is down to two member: Rep. Lisa McClain, of Michigan, and Rep. Kat Cammack, of Florida.
We saw many Republicans leave the Hyatt after Trump’s speech concluded, but nominating speeches for candidates seeking leadership spots continued.
Elections are held by secret ballot behind closed doors, and the winner just needs a simple majority. Uncontested races could be decided by unanimous consent, which potentially could upset Freedom Caucus members.
If Johnson wins a simple majority today, he will be the speaker nominee and will need to win 218 votes on the House floor on Jan. 3 when the new Congress convenes.
Trump praises Musk at meeting with House Republicans
In the meeting with House Republicans this morning, Trump spoke very fondly of Elon Musk, who also attended the meeting, according to two lawmakers in the room.
Trump praised Musk for the amount of time the billionaire tech CEO dedicated to the election. Musk set aside his company, didn’t ask for anything in return and didn’t ask to be in the Cabinet, Trump said. Musk only asked if he could help Trump save the country, one of the lawmakers said of the president-elect’s comments.
At one point Trump joked that Musk was spending a lot of time with him, saying, “Elon won’t go home. I can’t get rid of him,” the lawmakers said, emphasizing that was said in jest. Trump spent a significant amount of time complimenting Musk.
Scott says he'll 'do everything possible' to advance Trump's agenda
In a statement, Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., said after his lost bid for Senate majority leader that he would help Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., accomplish Trump's agenda.
"I am optimistic. I ran for leader with one mission: to fundamentally change how the Senate operates and upend the status quo so we can actually start representing the voters who put us here," he said.
"While it isn’t the result we hoped for, I will do everything possible to make sure John Thune is successful in accomplishing President Trump’s agenda," Scott added.
He also thanked Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, for "running a great race."
Loyalty, trust and a ‘hammer’ for Trump: a preview of Vance’s vice presidency
In the memoir that made him famous, Vance practically apologized for the book’s existence, writing that he had “accomplished nothing great” in his life — “certainly nothing that would justify a complete stranger paying money to read about it.”
Nearly a decade later, Vance, now 40, is the vice president-elect and potential heir to a political movement that has realigned the Republican Party.
History will remember him for more than “Hillbilly Elegy,” his bestseller that was made into a movie. What for, exactly, depends on the path Vance charts when Trump returns to the Oval Office — and if it leads to his one day calling that office his own.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer congratulates Thune
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., congratulated Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., on being elected the next Republican leader.
“I look forward to working with him," Schumer said in remarks on the Senate floor. "We’ve done many bipartisan things here in the Senate together, and I hope that continues. As you know, I strongly believe that bipartisanship is the best and often the only way to get things done in the Senate."
Schumer also discussed his priorities for his remaining time as leader, emphasizing the importance of avoiding a government shutdown before the Dec. 20 funding deadline. "Otherwise, we’ll have a shutdown right before Christmas, something no sane person could possibly want,” he said.
Sen. John Barrasso elected GOP majority whip
Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., has been elected to be the Republican majority whip, the No. 2 spot in GOP leadership, his spokesperson told NBC News.
Like Thune, Barrasso, the Republican Conference chairman, is an establishment Republican, and he did not have an opponent in his bid for the whip spot.
Thune says 'Republican team is united' behind Trump's agenda
Thune said after the vote that he's "extremely honored" to have earned the support of his fellow senators and "beyond proud of the work we have done to secure our majority and the White House.”
“This Republican team is united behind President Trump’s agenda, and our work starts today,” he said.
Thune will hold a news conference with the new Senate Republican leadership team following the Republican Conference meeting, his office said.
Democrats won 4 big Senate races in states Harris lost. Their ads looked very different.
Vice President Kamala Harris couldn’t win Wisconsin, Michigan, Nevada or Arizona. But her party still did: Democratic Senate candidates in each of those battlegrounds emerged victorious, even as voters rejected Harris.
Long before Election Day, the winning candidates’ messages diverged from that of the top of the ticket.
In more than a half-billion dollars in ad spending over just three months, Harris painted a picture of what she would do as president, but she spent little airtime selling what she and the Biden administration achieved. That dynamic was core to the paid media strategy of both the official Harris campaign and the main super PAC supporting her, which sought to make a subtle break with Biden and offer voters two competing economic visions for the future, between her and Trump.
Sen. John Thune elected Senate majority leader
Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., has been elected the next Republican leader, three sources familiar with the vote said. The tally was 29-24 to elect him.
Thune, the Senate Republican whip and an establishment figure, beat out Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Rick Scott, R-Fla., for the position.
Sen. Rick Scott is out of majority leader race
Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., is out of the running for the chamber's majority leader after the first ballot, two sources with direct knowledge of the voting tell NBC News. Sens. John Thune, R-S.D. and John Cornyn, R-Texas, are still in the running. Senate Republicans are now on the second ballot.
The first ballot saw 23 votes for Thune, 15 for Cornyn and 13 for Scott.
Scott was the more divisive figure of the candidates, having been a longstanding critic of Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and aligning himself with Trump, also a McConnell critic — and vice versa.
Who's also sitting in on the Biden-Trump meeting?
White House chief of staff Jeff Zients and Trump's incoming White House chief of staff Susie Wiles are joining the meeting between Biden and the president-elect, according to a senior White House official.
Voting begins in first round of Senate GOP election
Senate Republicans have begun voting on the first ballot for majority leader, Sen. Mike Lee of Utah confirmed in a post on X.
The race is between Sens. John Thune of South Dakota, John Cornyn of Texas, and Rick Scott of Florida.
Before Oval Office meeting with Biden, Trump says: 'It's a nice world today'
Biden and Trump spoke briefly to reporters before their closed-door Oval Office meeting at the White House, sitting in front of a roaring fire.
Biden congratulated Trump and called for a smooth transition to the next administration.
"We get a chance to talk about some of that today, so welcome, welcome back," he said, according to the White House.
Trump thanked Biden and responded, "Politics is tough, and it's in many cases not a very nice world, but it is a nice world today, and I appreciate it very much — a transition that's so smooth, it'll be as smooth as it can get, and I very much appreciate that."
"You're welcome," Biden said.
The two men shook hands, and didn't answer shouted questions from the media.
The office of first lady Jill Biden said that she joined Biden in greeting Trump at the White House this morning and gave Trump a letter for Melania Trump.
"She gave Mr. Trump a handwritten letter of congratulations for Mrs. Trump, which also expressed her team’s readiness to assist with the transition," her office said.
Democratic Govs. Pritzker and Polis launch group to 'protect American democracy' during Trump's term
A pair of blue-state governors have launched an effort they say is designed to protect American democracy during Trump’s second term in office.
The initiative — called Governors Safeguarding Democracy — will be led by Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, who said the effort was intended to “protect state-level institutions of democracy” via the legislative, budgetary, executive and administrative powers granted to governors.
“At this critical moment in our history, we must unite to protect the foundations of our democracy and ensure our institutions withstand threats and persevere in their mission to improve the lives of our people,” Pritzker said in a statement.
“Governors Safeguarding Democracy will serve as a powerful force in state-level efforts to ensure that our democracy lives up to our ideals and thrives for generations to come,” he added.
The announcement marks the latest effort by Democratic governors to shield their states from Trump and his policies in the days since the election.
The initiative — supported by the Governors Action Alliance, a nonprofit led by many Democrats — will focus on implementing and reinforcing “affirmative strategies to protect the rule of law” and “key state institutions to protect executive agencies, elections, state courts, and other core democratic bodies,” the group said in its statement.
Trump addresses House GOP conference, jokes about 'running again'
During his first meeting of the day, Trump addressed the House GOP conference and touted his accomplishments for the election, calling it a "very nice gathering."
Members started clapping and cheering and all of them stood up after Trump walked in. Then House Speaker Mike Johnson played his entrance music. Elon Musk came in after Trump took the stage, walked across the buffer and then was escorted to a seat in the front row.
“Isn’t it nice to win? It’s nice to win. It’s always nice to win. A lot of good friends in this room,” he said.
As the press was being led out, Trump joked, “I suspect I won’t be running again unless you say, “He’s so good, we’ve got to figure something else.”
This comment was met with some chuckles throughout the room and he noted, of the press, “The people leaving now in the back will write that I said that.”
Johnson introduced Trump. Reps. Elise Stefanik (who has been chosen by Trump to be U.S. ambassador to the U.N.), Steve Scalise, Tom Emmer and Richard Hudson were also on stage.
How the Senate leadership nominations will begin
Each candidate will have two senators give a nominating speech, followed by a speech from the candidate himself.
Sen. John Cornyn will be nominated by Sens. Thom Tillis and James Lankford, according to a source with direct knowledge.
For Sen. John Thune, Sens. Steve Daines and Mike Rounds will be giving nominating speeches.
For Rick Scott: Sens. Marco Rubio and Bill Hagerty will be giving nominating speeches.
This process could take several hours.
Democrat Dave Min wins U.S. House seat in California's 47th congressional district, NBC News projects
Democrat Dave Min wins U.S. House seat in California's 47th congressional district, NBC News projects.
Min, a law professor, has championed issues of reproductive rights, gun violence and climate action, polling well in areas like Irvine that have a younger population. Meanwhile, Scott Baugh, a former member of the state Assembly, has campaigned on border security, the fentanyl crisis and crime, generally performing well in areas with an older electorate.
Melania Trump won't be attending Trump's meeting at the White House today
Former first lady Melania Trump won't be attending today's meeting at the White House, her office said in a post on X.
"Her husband’s return to the Oval Office to commence the transition process is encouraging, and she wishes him great success," the post said.
Vance arrives for Senate leadership elections
Vance is here for the Senate Republican leadership elections. He did not say how he would vote.
The vice president-elect gets a vote because he will technically be a part of the new Congress when it’s sworn in Jan. 3 until the inauguration Jan. 20.
Trump arrives in Washington, D.C.
Trump's plane has landed at Joint Base Andrews, where he will meet with the House Republican Conference, followed by a meeting with Biden at the White House.
Elon Musk may already be overstaying his welcome in Trump’s orbit
Elon Musk was handed a major win last evening when Trump announced that the Tesla and SpaceX CEO would co-lead a new Department of Government Efficiency with Vivek Ramaswamy.
The announcement reinforces the closeness that Musk appears to have managed to achieve with Trump, even after the election. But for some people in Trump’s orbit, Musk’s presence has felt overbearing.
Musk has been so aggressive in pushing his views about Trump’s second term that he’s stepping on the toes of Trump’s transition team and may be overstaying his welcome at Mar-a-Lago, according to two people familiar with the transition who have spent time at the Palm Beach, Florida, resort over the past week.
Biden to meet with families of hostages today at the White House
Biden will meet with families of American hostages at the White House this afternoon, according to a U.S. official and two sources familiar with the plans. They met with national security adviser Jake Sullivan yesterday.
More from the U.S. official: “The Biden-Harris Administration has regularly met with families of those held hostage in Gaza at the White House throughout the past year and President Biden has met with them on several occasions, and we continue to work to get a deal done as soon as possible to bring the hostages home to their families.”
Musk to meet House Republican Conference with Trump this morning
An adviser to Trump says that Elon Musk will join the president-elect this morning in Washington, D.C., for his meeting with the House Republican Conference. Musk has spent the last week in Palm Beach with Trump.
Senate Republicans to choose new leader as Mitch McConnell steps down
Senate Republicans will meet behind closed doors Wednesday to elect a new leader, capping a battle that has divided the party and pitted a candidate backed by vocal MAGA allies of President-elect Donald Trump against two long-serving senators with institutional knowledge and deep relationships in the body.
The three-way race features Sens. John Thune of South Dakota, the current whip; John Cornyn of Texas, a former whip; and Rick Scott of Florida, an underdog candidate who just won a second term. Senate Republicans held a candidate forum Tuesday evening after Congress returned from a lengthy recess.
The secret ballot election is set for Wednesday morning; incumbent and newly elected senators will be able to vote, and it’s unclear who will win.
Vivek Ramaswamy says the federal government needs a 'massive downsizing'
Vivek Ramaswamy, who Trump said would co-lead a new Department of Government Efficiency with Elon Musk, said in a post on X this morning that the federal government needs to significantly shrink.
"Over the last 2 years, the Supreme Court has ruled that the administrative state is behaving in wildly unlawful ways," he claimed without citing examples of such overreach. "But slapping the bureaucracy on the wrist won’t solve the problem, the only right answer is a massive downsizing."
In June, the Supreme Court overturned a longstanding precedent that allowed federal agencies some deference in interpreting the law when drafting regulations.
In his post, Ramaswamy was reacting to Trump's official statement about his and Musk's appointments. The president-elect said that the effort will be "potentially, 'The Manhattan Project' of our time," referring to the top-secret program that developed and produced the first atomic weapons, which were eventually used against Japan toward the end of World War II.
Special counsel Jack Smith and his team to resign before Trump takes office
Special counsel Jack Smith and his team plan to resign before Trump takes office, a source familiar with the matter said.
Smith’s office was evaluating the best path for winding down its work on the two outstanding federal criminal cases against Trump, as the Justice Department’s long-standing position is that it cannot charge a sitting president with a crime.
House Republicans to meet with triumphant Trump and elect leadership team
Reporting from Washington
House Republicans are scheduled to elect a leadership team today that is expected to be little changed from their current one — thanks to the Trump-powered GOP sweep that appears likely to keep them in charge of the House for another two years.
Republicans are expected to nominate Johnson, an ally of Trump, to continue as speaker in the 119th Congress. Johnson and his fellow Republicans have declared victory in last week’s House elections, though several competitive races remain outstanding and NBC News has yet not projected which party will control the chamber.
Johnson will need to win over just half of his conference, an easy hurdle after Republicans performed well in the elections. But he could face a symbolic challenge in the closed-door election today. Rep. Andy Harris of Maryland, the new chairman of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus, said it’s unclear whether the group will nominate someone to run against Johnson, adding that “having two people in a race is kind of the norm” in America.
Biden to host Trump at White House in symbolic peaceful transfer of power
Reporting from Washington
Trump will return to Washington today — entering the White House for the first time since he was voted out of office — to meet with Biden for a ceremony meant to signal the peaceful transfer of power.
Trump did not extend to Biden the same meeting in 2020, as he refused to concede the election results and worked to delay Biden’s taking office. Vice President Kamala Harris conceded defeat last week before a crowd of supporters in Washington after Trump won a decisive victory in the 2024 race.
One unanswered question is whether Vice President-elect JD Vance will be a part of today’s trip to Washington. As of last night, a source familiar with the discussions told NBC News, Vance has yet to hear from Harris about any kind of outreach about a potential visit or otherwise since the election last week.