For those who don&#8217;t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week&#8217;s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.
With just 24 hours to go before President-elect Donald Trump was set to take the oath of office for the second time, most of the conversations on Sunday&#8217;s political talk shows were focused on what people expected to see happen not just in the coming days, but through the end of Trump&#8217;s second term.
The predictions ran the gamut from the straightforward to the outrageous, and as one might expect, split pretty evenly along party lines.
ABC News host Jonathan Karl opened &#8220;This Week&#8221; by saying, &#8220;We come on the air this morning on the precipice of a historic moment, one that feels more like the beginning of a new era than a new presidency.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
“We come on the air this morning on the precipice of a historic moment, one that feels more like the beginning of a new era than a new presidency.” <a href="https://twitter.com/jonkarl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JonKarl</a> has the latest on Donald Trump’s return to Washington: <a href="https://t.co/DK1VYkzLWF">https://t.co/DK1VYkzLWF</a> <a href="https://t.co/CyrF40EIEz">pic.twitter.com/CyrF40EIEz</a>
&mdash; This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1880981125557891496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Karl also spoke to Jon Finer, who used his last moment in the spotlight to help President Joe Biden claim credit for the ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Hamas terrorists who have been holding a number of hostages since October 7, 2023.
While Finer did concede that Trump&#8217;s team had offered &#8220;significant support&#8221; for a deal, he added, &#8220;Ultimately, at the end of the day, it was our team that was in the driver&#8217;s seat for the negotiations directed by President Biden with their support.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
White House&#39;s Jon Finer says there was “significant support&quot; from Trump team for ceasefire deal.
“But ultimately, at the end of the day, it was our team that was in the driver&#39;s seat for the negotiations directed by President Biden with their support.” <a href="https://t.co/2SkuZsOFWq">https://t.co/2SkuZsOFWq</a> <a href="https://t.co/zTTHOjjVgV">pic.twitter.com/zTTHOjjVgV</a>
&mdash; This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1881000371570536689?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) broke from several members of his party and said that he would attend Trump&#8217;s inauguration – but he also signaled that he expected more bad than good from a second Trump administration.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla says he will attend President-elect Trump’s inauguration.
When asked about his expectations for Trump&#39;s new term, Padilla adds, “Hoping for some good, but preparing for some bad if the first administration was any indicator.” <a href="https://t.co/Qh0en8mR8n">https://t.co/Qh0en8mR8n</a> <a href="https://t.co/mUcLETG90J">pic.twitter.com/mUcLETG90J</a>
&mdash; This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1881033463093969189?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
On CBS News&#8217; &#8220;Face the Nation,&#8221; Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) also predicted disaster from the implementation of Trump&#8217;s stated policies. He specifically commented on plans for mass deportations — which he said would hit like &#8220;an absolute gut punch&#8221; — and the tariffs Trump has threatened to impose, which he argued would cause pain to American consumers.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) says he&#39;s hearing &quot;significant concerns from many sectors&quot; of Virginia&#39;s economy that President-elect Donald Trump&#39;s plans for massive deportation raids will be &quot;an absolute gut punch,&quot; and that Trump&#39;s threat of massive tariffs will add &quot;a lot of pain&quot; for… <a href="https://t.co/9KtTE0s3yu">pic.twitter.com/9KtTE0s3yu</a>
&mdash; Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1881030830832632007?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Despite what many of the Democratic politicians were warning about, a new CBS News poll seemed to indicate that the American people were ready to see the change they&#8217;d voted for: &#8220;A majority of Americans say they are optimistic about Donald Trump&#8217;s second term, a CBS News poll finds one day before the president-elect&#8217;s inauguration, with high expectations for the economy after he returns to office.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
A majority of Americans say they are optimistic about Donald Trump&#39;s second term, a CBS News poll finds one day before the president-elect&#39;s inauguration, with high expectations for the economy after he returns to office.<a href="https://twitter.com/SalvantoCBS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SalvantoCBS</a> breaks down what we&#39;re seeing: <a href="https://t.co/wXABLCOVNc">pic.twitter.com/wXABLCOVNc</a>
&mdash; Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1881039442477232421?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Green Beret veteran and incoming National Security Adviser Michael Waltz laid out a number of executive actions Trump could take in the early days of this administration, particularly with regard to the southern border and the Mexican drug cartels.
&#8220;I don&#8217;t want to get ahead of the announcements, but we have to deal with them with what they are. We cannot have a situation where we have paramilitary gangs that are shooting down aircraft with heavy weapons, controlling 30% of our neighbor, Mexico, and controlling whole swaths of our border,&#8221; Waltz said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
President-elect Trump&#39;s flurry of expected executive orders after taking office could include action against Mexican drug cartels operating in the U.S., incoming Trump national security adviser <a href="https://twitter.com/michaelgwaltz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@michaelgwaltz</a> says, telling <a href="https://twitter.com/margbrennan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@margbrennan</a> that Trump was &quot;clear on the campaign trail… <a href="https://t.co/JQ1bFbIV26">pic.twitter.com/JQ1bFbIV26</a>
&mdash; Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1881009600171811145?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
On NBC News&#8217; &#8220;Meet the Press,&#8221; House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries tried to run cover for Biden and the concerted effort made by Democrats and media to hide his obvious mental decline from the American people.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The Art of the Dodge: Hakeem Jeffries Flails and Squirms When Confronted Over Biden Gaslighting<a href="https://t.co/AbFMpzOxgk">https://t.co/AbFMpzOxgk</a>
&mdash; RedState (@RedState) <a href="https://twitter.com/RedState/status/1881169781505564887?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Host Kristen Welker spoke with Trump himself, who confirmed that deportations would be a priority.
&#8220;It&#8217;s clear that mass deportations will be in focus&#8230;he said that the deportations will begin very early and very quickly,&#8221; Welker said of their conversation.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
&quot;It&#39;s clear that mass deportations will be in focus&#8230;he said that the deportations will begin very early and very quickly.&quot; &#8211; <a href="https://twitter.com/kwelkernbc?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KWelkerNBC</a> on her conversation with President-elect Trump, discussing his day one priorities. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SundayTODAY?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SundayTODAY</a><a href="https://t.co/DJFzTPHj5N">https://t.co/DJFzTPHj5N</a>
&mdash; TODAY (@TODAYshow) <a href="https://twitter.com/TODAYshow/status/1880970261811654849?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) also spoke to Welker about what to expect in the coming weeks — and he said that, after multiple reports suggesting that mismanagement of government had contributed to the devastation wrought by the wildfires in the Los Angeles area, he was not ready to commit to sending monetary relief to California without condition.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Speaker Johnson ‘won’t commit’ to disaster relief for California without conditions <a href="https://t.co/xf4vO3eVxo">https://t.co/xf4vO3eVxo</a>
&mdash; Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) <a href="https://twitter.com/MeetThePress/status/1880990356176507305?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The X account for CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union&#8221; referred to Trump&#8217;s plan for deportation by stating that &#8220;immigration raids&#8221; were in the offing — and quoted Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) as saying that he hoped they&#8217;d begin &#8220;right away because that&#8217;s what the American people voted on.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Rep. <a href="https://twitter.com/Jim_Jordan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Jim_Jordan</a> tells <a href="https://twitter.com/DanaBashCNN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DanaBashCNN</a> he hopes Trump begins immigration raids &quot;right away because that&#39;s what the American people voted on.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/1qsZQ2py7L">pic.twitter.com/1qsZQ2py7L</a>
&mdash; State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1881049044518101377?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Republican commentator Scott Jennings took a similar position, saying that he too expected big moves on immigration in the early days of the administration: &#8220;The insanity stops tomorrow when Trump takes over. It&#8217;s what the American people voted for.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Robust immigration debate on <a href="https://twitter.com/CNN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@cnn</a> this afternoon. My take? The insanity stops tomorrow when Trump takes over. It’s what the American people voted for! <a href="https://t.co/fYpyueFtSO">pic.twitter.com/fYpyueFtSO</a>
&mdash; Scott Jennings (@ScottJenningsKY) <a href="https://twitter.com/ScottJenningsKY/status/1881120311221068275?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
And over on MSNBC, former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki painted a very grim picture of an America where the president only cared about certain people — kind of like the America that existed under the thumb of Biden&#8217;s administration. 
<a href="https://store.dailywire.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoo-O6e3kIAbk33d8_pN9WQPMDhQnZJQqGPSWLwTl-kA6z3RiP1a"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-861629" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/INAUG_MERCHBANNER-2-1024x391.png" alt="" width="1024" height="391" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/INAUG_MERCHBANNER-2-1024x391.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/INAUG_MERCHBANNER-2-300x115.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/INAUG_MERCHBANNER-2-768x293.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/INAUG_MERCHBANNER-2-1536x587.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/INAUG_MERCHBANNER-2-2048x782.png 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
&#8220;All of the evidence from the first term&#8230; all of the early indicators, even the visuals, suggest that starting tomorrow&#8230; we&#8217;re going to be back in a place where some citizens mean much more to the president than others,&#8221; she complained.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/jrpsaki?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jrpsaki</a> on Trump’s inauguration: “All of the evidence from the first term&#8230; all of the early indicators, even the visuals, suggest that starting tomorrow&#8230; we&#39;re going to be back in a place where some citizens mean much more to the president than others.”… <a href="https://t.co/n8oHprztV4">pic.twitter.com/n8oHprztV4</a>
&mdash; Inside with Jen Psaki (@InsideWithPsaki) <a href="https://twitter.com/InsideWithPsaki/status/1881031000362267070?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Republican Presidential Nominee Donald Trump Holds Election Night Event In West Palm Beach

Spin Cycle: Today, The World Either Ends Or It Begins Again

ABC News

CBS News

Donald Trump

Media

MSNBC

NBC News

Politics

For those who don&#8217;t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week&#8217;s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.
On Sunday, as multiple wildfires still rage out of control in California, what to do about them and how to prevent such a tragedy from happening in the future was top of mind on many of the political talk shows. As one might expect, media personalities were quick to jump to the aid of Democrats — who are often only too happy to politicize natural disasters when they occurred in red states — were desperate to put a stop to the criticism being leveled at California&#8217;s leadership (or lack thereof) with regard to the fires.
Deanne Criswell, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), joined host Jonathan Karl on ABC News&#8217; &#8220;This Week&#8221; to discuss the &#8220;dangerous situation&#8221; still unfolding in Southern California.
&#8220;The red flag warnings have been reissued, the winds are coming back, and we still want to make sure that people are in a safe place,&#8221; Criswell said. The winds had abated enough to allow for air support to fly in water and fire retardant over the last day, but they are expected to pick up again and the situation is still extremely volatile.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
FEMA&#39;s Deanne Criswell tells <a href="https://twitter.com/jonkarl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JonKarl</a> that the wildfires in California are still creating a “dangerous situation.” 
“The red flag warnings have been reissued, the winds are coming back, and we still want to make sure that people are in a safe place.” <a href="https://t.co/DaiAqGdfIK">https://t.co/DaiAqGdfIK</a> <a href="https://t.co/E6hxHKtpFs">pic.twitter.com/E6hxHKtpFs</a>
&mdash; This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1878450715128975494?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Criswell, fresh off her agency&#8217;s scandalous behavior in the southeast — refusing to knock on doors and offer federal assistance where signs supporting President-elect Donald Trump were visible — assured Karl that the federal government was prepared to handle the aftermath of the devastating fires in addition to what was already on their plate.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
FEMA&#39;s Deanne Criswell tells <a href="https://twitter.com/jonkarl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JonKarl</a> that the agency has funding to support the wildfire response in California, as well as “recoveries from Hurricanes Helene and Milton and the other 179 declarations that we had last year alone across the United States.” <a href="https://t.co/9L2wIzgR1g">https://t.co/9L2wIzgR1g</a> <a href="https://t.co/anOvr3S7Ko">pic.twitter.com/anOvr3S7Ko</a>
&mdash; This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1878458844906508571?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) also spoke to Karl about the fires ravaging his home state, praising firefighters and likening the devastation to that seen in war zones. &#8220;The heartbreak is just overwhelming,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
“The heartbreak is just overwhelming.” 
California Sen. Adam Schiff tells <a href="https://twitter.com/jonkarl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JonKarl</a> that the level of devastation in his home state due to the wildfires reminds him of visiting war zones, praises firefighters for the “extraordinary job they’re doing.” <a href="https://t.co/ztBCpzSppZ">https://t.co/ztBCpzSppZ</a> <a href="https://t.co/XL43g6Prb4">pic.twitter.com/XL43g6Prb4</a>
&mdash; This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1878466548186104113?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Schiff suggested that the best response to the fires would be to put forth an independent commission to review what had transpired. &#8220;What went right in our response? What went wrong in it?&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Sen. Adam Schiff calls for an independent commission to review the response to the California wildfires. 
“What went right in our response? What went wrong in it?” <a href="https://t.co/nf9CAUZ2iH">https://t.co/nf9CAUZ2iH</a> <a href="https://t.co/Pj3azIxjvm">pic.twitter.com/Pj3azIxjvm</a>
&mdash; This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1878469879013023760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The new California senator, elected to fill the seat that was initially vacated when the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) passed away, also called on President-elect Trump to join with California in an effort to prevent future disasters.
Schiff, who spent the majority of Trump&#8217;s last term attempting to either impeach him or simply smear him as a Russian asset, claimed on Sunday, &#8220;It’s going to be really important for the incoming president to work with all of us in California to make sure that we get the resources we need to put out these flames &#8230; to get the relief to get back on our feet.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
“It’s going to be really important for the incoming president to work with all of us in California to make sure that we get the resources we need to put out these flames &#8230; to get the relief to get back on our feet,” California Sen. Adam Schiff says. <a href="https://t.co/ANK2epHI2F">https://t.co/ANK2epHI2F</a> <a href="https://t.co/ygCxGG6ESk">pic.twitter.com/ygCxGG6ESk</a>
&mdash; This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1878472726098120968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
On CBS News&#8217; &#8220;Face the Nation,&#8221; FEMA&#8217;s Criswell also spoke with host Margaret Brennan — and she argued that despite the growing evidence to the contrary, California had been adequately prepared to confront the massive blaze.
&#8220;I think that they were very prepared,&#8221; Criswell said — despite multiple reports of budget cuts to local fire departments, empty reservoirs, and empty fire hydrants. She went on to blame the excessive winds — which are a common problem in Southern California — for the difficulties first responders have faced in battling the fires. &#8220;[They] have never seen 100 mph winds that are fueling the fire.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
When asked why the Los Angeles area was so unprepared for these wildfires, <a href="https://twitter.com/FEMA_Deanne?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FEMA_Deanne</a> says, &quot;I think that they were very prepared.&quot; But she adds the firefighters &quot;have never seen 100 mph winds that are fueling the fire.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/JELhORdFoE">pic.twitter.com/JELhORdFoE</a>
&mdash; Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1878468188821709048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA) echoed Schiff&#8217;s sentiments in calling for bipartisan efforts in helping California to rebuild.
&#8220;These wildfires don&#8217;t have any political affiliation,&#8221; she told Brennan. &#8220;They don&#8217;t belong to any political party. This devastation has affected thousands upon thousands of people who just ran out of their homes with nothing in their hands, and are trying to rebuild, and they need help.&#8221;
She called on President-elect Trump and newly re-elected House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) to visit the affected area, saying that they need to &#8220;witness the devastation for themselves.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
There are plans to invite President-elect Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson to the areas of California afflicted by the wildfires and &quot;witness the devastation for themselves,&quot; says Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA).
&quot;These wildfires don&#39;t have any political affiliation,&quot; she says.… <a href="https://t.co/Lhb9U7F7M8">pic.twitter.com/Lhb9U7F7M8</a>
&mdash; Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1878471777275216065?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) also weighed in, noting that if the federal government was going to assist California after obvious failures in preparation, that there would be &#8220;strings attached&#8221; to any funding provided.
&#8220;It has to do with being ready the next time because this was a gross failure this time,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
&quot;There will be strings attached&quot; to any disaster and recovery aid Congress will &quot;ultimately&quot; approve for the California wildfires, says Senate Majority Whip <a href="https://twitter.com/SenJohnBarrasso?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenJohnBarrasso</a>.
&quot;It has to do with being ready the next time because this was a gross failure this time,&quot; he tells… <a href="https://t.co/ym9WvXaDoa">pic.twitter.com/ym9WvXaDoa</a>
&mdash; Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1878474881836220742?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Meanwhile, Governor Gavin Newsom joined NBC News&#8217; &#8220;Meet the Press&#8221; — where he said that Trump had not yet responded to an invitation to tour the damaged areas of his state.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Trump has not responded to invitation to survey L.A. wildfire damage, Gov. Newsom says <a href="https://t.co/OP9KQebWTM">https://t.co/OP9KQebWTM</a>
&mdash; Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) <a href="https://twitter.com/MeetThePress/status/1878455402188128749?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Saying that the fires would be viewed as one of the worst natural disasters to be recorded in American history, Newsom also claimed that he still had complete confidence in the leadership in place — including L.A.&#8217;s Democratic Mayor Karen Bass, who was on a taxpayer-funded trip to Africa when the fires began.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Gov. Newsom says he has ‘faith in our leaders’ as L.A. Mayor Karen Bass faces scrutiny <a href="https://t.co/l6WlHoYtdP">https://t.co/l6WlHoYtdP</a>
&mdash; Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) <a href="https://twitter.com/MeetThePress/status/1878474534153506999?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

TOPSHOT-US-WEATHER-FIRE

Spin Cycle: Wildfires Rage, And Politicians Fan The Blame

Adam Schiff

California

FEMA

Fires

Fox News Sunday

For those who don&#8217;t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week&#8217;s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.
Sunday&#8217;s narrative focused primarily on the terrorist attack that took place last week in New Orleans — along with a concerted effort to drive conversation away from the terror risk posed by the open southern border and toward the threat of homegrown terrorism.
As soon as it was clear that the truck attack in New Orleans had been motivated by radical Islamist ideology — coupled with conflicting reports about the truck that was used and whether it had recently crossed the border — a number, President-elect Donald Trump among them, pointed to the porous border and questioned whether more such attacks might be possible or even imminent.
But Democrats and legacy media were quick to put distance on the topic of the border and the crisis that has unfolded there under the Biden-Harris administration&#8217;s lax policies — and they emphasized the fact that at least in this particular case, the perpetrator was an American citizen who had been radicalized.
On ABC News&#8217; &#8220;This Week,&#8221; Chief Justice correspondent Pierre Thomas raised the question of how exactly the New Orleans terror suspect had been radicalized — specifically, whether ISIS had recruited him or he had come to them.
&#8220;The main focus of the investigation right now: trying to figure out if the suspect was radicalized on his own or if someone from ISIS directed him in anyway,&#8221; Thomas told anchor George Stephanopoulos.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/PierreTABC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PierreTABC</a> has the latest on the New Year&#39;s Day truck attack in New Orleans.
“The main focus of the investigation right now: trying to figure out if the suspect was radicalized on his own or if someone from ISIS directed him in anyway.” <a href="https://t.co/8o1oMWvGZN">https://t.co/8o1oMWvGZN</a> <a href="https://t.co/dhsDNS4kDu">pic.twitter.com/dhsDNS4kDu</a>
&mdash; This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1875911278952149161?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas doubled down on that narrative, saying outright that the border was not part of the problem, at least in this current case.
&#8220;The assailant who perpetrated the terrorist attack in New Orleans was born in the United States, raised in the United States and served in our armed forces. It is not an issue of the border,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
“The assailant who perpetrated the terrorist attack in New Orleans was born in the United States, raised in the United States and served in our armed forces. It is not an issue of the border,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas says. <a href="https://t.co/rRMUv9vl3M">https://t.co/rRMUv9vl3M</a> <a href="https://t.co/CdxBxDH9S1">pic.twitter.com/CdxBxDH9S1</a>
&mdash; This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1875918619726557449?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
He went on to add that officials had noted a &#8220;significant increase&#8221; in &#8220;homegrown violent extremism&#8221; in recent years, specifically over the last decade.
&#8220;It&#8217;s a very difficult threat landscape,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Homeland Security Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas tells George Stephanopoulos that officials have seen a “significant increase” over the last 10 years in “homegrown violent extremism.”
“It is a very difficult threat landscape.” <a href="https://t.co/r02W91CgMN">https://t.co/r02W91CgMN</a> <a href="https://t.co/yVFQAGxKQg">pic.twitter.com/yVFQAGxKQg</a>
&mdash; This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1875916246870286446?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
On CBS News&#8217; &#8220;Face the Nation,&#8221; former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also addressed the idea of violent extremism coming from domestic sources, claiming that it was a deterrent for women who might otherwise run for office.
&#8220;Women are known to be more, shall we say, ethical, than men,&#8221; Pelosi claimed, giving no evidence to support her theory. &#8220;And so, when they go after women candidates, they go after their ethics. And they&#8217;ll say this, that and the other thing. And then the child comes home from school crying because somebody said a bad thing about mom on TV. And nobody wants that.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The threat of domestic violent extremism is discouraging women from running for public office, says <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerPelosi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpeakerPelosi</a>, telling <a href="https://twitter.com/margbrennan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@margbrennan</a> that women candidates are attacked particularly for their ethics.
&quot;Women are known to be more, shall we say, ethical, than men. And so, when… <a href="https://t.co/ZXOhIkrCdU">pic.twitter.com/ZXOhIkrCdU</a>
&mdash; Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1875939269451063489?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Pelosi then pivoted to January 6th, as Congress prepares to certify the results of the 2024 presidential election, claiming that the American people had only voted for President-elect Trump a second time because they were more worried about their bank accounts than the threat of violence.
&#8220;They just had a different view as to what was in their interest, economically and the rest,&#8221; she told his Margaret Brennan.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerPelosi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpeakerPelosi</a> says she doesn&#39;t believe the American people disregarded the Jan. 6, 2021 U.S. Capitol attack by voting to reelect Donald Trump, but &quot;they just had a different view as to what was in their interest, economically and the rest.&quot; Trump&#39;s continued efforts to falsely… <a href="https://t.co/km4MOA8SGp">pic.twitter.com/km4MOA8SGp</a>
&mdash; Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1875938011424391179?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
On &#8220;State of the Union,&#8221; CNN anchor Jake Tapper pressed Sen. Jim Banks (R-IN) on the issue — asking specifically whether Trump had jumped the gun when he linked terror threats in the United States to the porous border and the lax immigration policies under Biden and Harris.
&#8220;Wasn&#8217;t that premature given that this was an American citizen?&#8221; Tapper asked.
Banks pushed back, noting that former President Barack Obama had referred to ISIS as &#8220;the JV team of terrorism, and obviously they&#8217;re not.&#8221; He went on to note that Trump had essentially cut ISIS off at the knees during his first term and was prepared to do the same again.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/jaketapper?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jaketapper</a> presses GOP <a href="https://twitter.com/SenatorBanks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenatorBanks</a> on his and Trump&#39;s comments connecting the New Orleans terror attack to Biden&#39;s border policies: &quot;Wasn&#39;t that premature?&quot; <a href="https://t.co/MhN6BNWdKe">pic.twitter.com/MhN6BNWdKe</a>
&mdash; State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1875938781854884319?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
NBC News took a different tack and a different direction, with the focus primarily on the end of Biden&#8217;s presidency and the imminent certification of Trump&#8217;s victory.
On &#8220;Meet the Press,&#8221; after addressing the New Orleans attack, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer ran defense for Biden — and his surrogates in the Democratic Party and legacy media — claiming that no one had misled the American people with regard to the president&#8217;s obvious mental decline.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Schumer says ‘we didn’t’ mislead Americans on Biden’s mental acuity: Full interview <a href="https://t.co/IfpizHdPFR">https://t.co/IfpizHdPFR</a>
&mdash; Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) <a href="https://twitter.com/MeetThePress/status/1875917176646799800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
On NBC&#8217;s soon to be spun off affiliate MSNBC, former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki was laser-focused on her favorite target: Trump. Her guests joined her to discuss the upcoming sentencing in his Manhattan hush-money trial and how that was likely to impact the beginning of the presidency.
&#8220;The final thing that&#8217;s important to note is by sentencing Donald Trump this Friday, [Judge Merchan] will trigger Donald Trump&#8217;s appellate rights …&#8221; guest Andrew Weissmann noted. &#8220;It gives finality to the trial court&#8217;s ruling here, and it sends a message about this case to the public.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/AWeissmann_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AWeissmann_</a>: “The final thing that&#39;s important to note is by sentencing Donald Trump this Friday, [Judge Merchan] will trigger Donald Trump&#39;s appellate rights… It gives finality to the trial court&#39;s ruling here, and it sends a message about this case to the public.”… <a href="https://t.co/a9SsufKIDz">pic.twitter.com/a9SsufKIDz</a>
&mdash; Inside with Jen Psaki (@InsideWithPsaki) <a href="https://twitter.com/InsideWithPsaki/status/1875985476621947244?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

NOLANEWS

Spin Cycle: New Orleans Terror Attack Was Not About The Border, Stop Talking About The Border

Alejandro Mayorkas

Border Crisis

Chuck Schumer

Fox News

George Stephanopoulos

Jake Tapper

Legacy Media

Nancy Pelosi

New Orleans

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said during an interview over the weekend that Republicans were united to deliver President-elect Donald Trump&#8217;s agenda now that they have full control of the U.S. government.
Thune made the remarks during an interview that aired Sunday on CBS News&#8217; &#8220;Face The Nation&#8221; with Margaret Brennan.
&#8220;We have unified control. We have the majorities in the House, the Senate, the White House, but the majority in the House is incredibly narrow, which creates some unique management challenges,&#8221; he said. &#8220;But they&#8217;ve worked around them, and we will work around them and work with the Trump administration, the President and his team, on an agenda that he campaigned on, and that many of our colleagues here in the Senate and the House campaigned on, and so we&#8217;re excited about the opportunity.&#8221;
He said that Republican leaders &#8220;expect to deliver on what the American people asked us to do.&#8221;
&#8220;I think when it comes to the big issues, securing the border, rebuilding the military, strengthening the economy, you know, generating energy dominance for this country, those are all things on which we agree,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And so I think as we proceed forward, you know, with respect to even narrow margins, I think we&#8217;re going to have hopefully a very unified effort when it comes to those core issues. We&#8217;ll disagree on the margins and the process and all that sort of thing, but when it comes to the things we need to get done for the American people, that we think move the country in the right direction, those are all things I think we agree on.&#8221;
Thune said that Republicans are going to use the budget reconciliation process to pass a historic investment in border security and immigration enforcement.
WATCH:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Full interview: Senate Majority Leader John Thune" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8BwDzrkNmY8?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Sen. John Thune

Thune: Republican Leaders ‘Expect To Deliver’ Trump’s Agenda To America

John Thune

CBS News National/Legal correspondent Jan Crawford said the quiet part out loud — during a panel discussion on the network&#8217;s Sunday morning talk show &#8220;Face the Nation&#8221; — when she conceded that the most &#8220;under-reported&#8221; story of 2024 was President Joe Biden&#8217;s &#8220;obvious cognitive decline.&#8221;
Guest host and chief Washington correspondent Major Garrett raised the topic during Sunday morning&#8217;s broadcast, looking first to Crawford for her take on which story went unreported or under-reported in 2024 — and her reaction was immediate.
Outkick founder Clay Travis shared video of the exchange along with the following caption: &#8220;CBS News journalist roundtable says Joe Biden’s clear mental and physical decline was the most underreported story of 2024. But true self reflection would demands question — why was that? The answer is because most legacy media are Democrat propagandists.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
CBS News journalist roundtable says Joe Biden’s clear mental and physical decline was the most underreported story of 2024. But true self reflection would demands question — why was that? The answer is because most legacy media are Democrat propagandists. <a href="https://t.co/mVQzfpUxUv">pic.twitter.com/mVQzfpUxUv</a>
&mdash; Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClayTravis/status/1873730094528938346?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 30, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Under-covered and under-reported, that would be, to me, Joe Biden’s obvious cognitive decline that became undeniable in the televised debate,&#8221; Crawford began.
&#8220;At the presidential debate with Donald Trump?&#8221; Major Garrett pressed her to continue.
&#8220;Unquestioned,&#8221; Crawford confirmed. &#8220;And it’s starting to emerge now that his advisers kind of managed his limitations, which has been reported in &#8216;The Wall Street Journal,&#8217; for four years. And yet he insisted that he could still run for president.&#8221;
&#8220;We should have much more forcefully questioned whether he was fit for office for another four years, which could have led to a primary for the Democrats. It could have changed the scope of the entire election,&#8221; Crawford added, noting that legacy media&#8217;s complete lack of curiosity regarding Biden&#8217;s obvious decline may have contributed to the Democrats&#8217; loss in 2024.
&#8220;Yet still, incredibly, we read in &#8216;The Washington Post&#8217; that his advisers are saying that he regrets that he dropped out of the race &#8230; that he thinks he could have beaten Trump. And I think that is either delusional or they’re gaslighting the American people,&#8221; Crawford concluded.
Robert Costa pointed out then that Biden&#8217;s position — and the position taken by some family members and aides — has always been that he is fine and not at all impaired.
&#8220;President Biden has said repeatedly he was sick during the debate June 27th in Atlanta,&#8221; Costa noted. &#8220;And he&#8217;s always been fine and he leaves [office] fine. That is his position, the position of many of his top aides as well, even though there is that reporting.&#8221;

President Biden Speaks To The Department Of Labor

CBS Correspondent Suddenly Wants To Discuss How Media Helped Cover Up Biden’s Cognitive Decline

CBS Correspondent Suddenly Wants To Discuss How Media Helped Cover Up Biden's Cognitive Decline

Face The Nation

Joe Biden

For those who don&#8217;t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week&#8217;s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.
With just a few days remaining in 2024 — and only 20 more until President-elect Donald Trump once again takes the Oath of Office and returns to the White House — the media conversations on Sunday largely focused on two things: what people should take away from 2024, and what they expect 2025 will bring.
The common threads — with a few exceptions — were as to be expected from legacy media and the majority of their guests: a white-washed picture of President Joe Biden&#8217;s tenure in the Oval Office, juxtaposed with predictions of disarray among Republicans when Trump returns to the presidency.
ABC&#8217;s Jonathan Karl pushed the division narrative on &#8220;This Week,&#8221; drawing on recent debate within the Republican Party over legal immigration and the H1-B visa program, sparked by some <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/reason-im-in-america-elon-and-other-trump-allies-battle-it-out-over-foreign-worker-visa-program" target="_blank" rel="noopener">comments made</a> by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy.
Karl quoted The Washington Post as saying that Musk had &#8220;incited a MAGA Civil War&#8221; when he posted on X about the program and argued that the United States should be bringing in qualified and competent foreign workers, particularly in technology-related fields.
Musk argued that competition in business should be like it is in &#8220;pro sports&#8221; and that America should draft the best team even if it was necessary to go outside the U.S. to do so.
His comments quickly sparked fierce debate as some argued that the H1-B visa program was being used to import cheaper labor rather than simply to build the best team.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, the leaders of President-elect Trump&#39;s new &quot;Department of Government Efficiency,&quot; have found themselves at odds with some of Trump&#39;s far-right supporters over their support for H-1B visas. <a href="https://twitter.com/jonkarl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JonKarl</a> has more: <a href="https://t.co/Y6WksrBsBh">https://t.co/Y6WksrBsBh</a> <a href="https://t.co/hZf8dNH0fT">pic.twitter.com/hZf8dNH0fT</a>
&mdash; This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1873377657783513349?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Karl also pressed Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) about another division point within the party — namely the fact that several Republicans in the House had not yet endorsed House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) in his bid to keep the leadership post.
Lawler noted that a failure to re-elect Johnson as Speaker — and quickly — could hold up the certification of Trump&#8217;s November 5th electoral victory. Lawler also said that he believed Johnson would win the necessary votes to retain his position.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
GOP Rep. Mike Lawler offers support for Mike Johnson ahead of House speakership vote. 
“We can&#39;t get anything done unless we have a speaker, including certifying President Trump&#39;s election on Jan. 6.” <a href="https://t.co/vUflVrPDmG">https://t.co/vUflVrPDmG</a> <a href="https://t.co/2hf9kTPR0W">pic.twitter.com/2hf9kTPR0W</a>
&mdash; This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1873382326329135535?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Karl also brought in retiring Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), who predicted that Trump&#8217;s America First foreign policy would only stand to benefit adversaries such as Communist China and Russia.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Sen. Ben Cardin, outgoing chair of Senate Foreign Relations Committee, tells <a href="https://twitter.com/jonkarl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JonKarl</a> that President-elect Trump&#39;s threats to seize the Panama Canal could drive allies toward Russia and China.
“These are treaty obligations which our allies rely upon.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/YDN8aunfYb">https://t.co/YDN8aunfYb</a> <a href="https://t.co/4MbyoBBEeJ">pic.twitter.com/4MbyoBBEeJ</a>
&mdash; This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1873394886352707809?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
On CBS News&#8217; &#8220;Face the Nation,&#8221; political correspondent Caitlin Huey-Burns said that the American people should closely watch how Trump handles the immigration issue, saying that it remained to be seen if Trump&#8217;s &#8220;base is satisfied and whether the general public gets what they voted for on that.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/CHueyBurns?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CHueyBurns</a>&#39; &quot;story to watch&quot; in 2025 is how President-elect Donald Trump handles immigration in his second term, after making the issue a cornerstone of his 2024 campaign, and whether his &quot;base is satisfied and whether the general public gets what they voted for on that.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/aWbvYQir5E">pic.twitter.com/aWbvYQir5E</a>
&mdash; Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1873406270226727198?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
National correspondent Jan Crawford predicted another battle over the Supreme Court — and soon — saying that she believed Justice Samuel Alito might retire while Trump had a solid Senate majority: &#8220;I think that Donald Trump will probably get his fourth nomination to the Supreme Court.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
&quot;I think that Donald Trump will probably get his fourth nomination to the Supreme Court,&quot; either in 2025 or 2026, says <a href="https://twitter.com/JanCBS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JanCBS</a>, predicting Justice Sam Alito will retire. <a href="https://t.co/BFhrEaE2Is">pic.twitter.com/BFhrEaE2Is</a>
&mdash; Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1873406415983046750?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
And the prediction from correspondent Ed O&#8217;Keefe: &#8220;Speaker Johnson won&#8217;t be speaker by the end of 2025.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
&quot;Speaker Johnson won&#39;t be speaker by the end of 2025,&quot; says <a href="https://twitter.com/edokeefe?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@edokeefe</a> as his political prediction for the upcoming year. <a href="https://t.co/wtKE4euieq">pic.twitter.com/wtKE4euieq</a>
&mdash; Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1873406592013816308?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
And from Scott MacFarlane: &#8220;You&#8217;re going to see a lot of retirements in odd numbered years, including 2025.&#8221;
&#8220;They&#8217;re getting thousands of threats a year on their lives, on their families, the travel is exhausting, and we&#8217;re coming into a relatively polarizing political moment with Trump coming back into office,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
&quot;You&#39;re going to see a lot of retirements in odd numbered years, including 2025,&quot; <a href="https://twitter.com/MacFarlaneNews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MacFarlaneNews</a> predicts for the upcoming year, given the challenging environment elected officials currently face.
&quot;They&#39;re getting thousands of threats a year on their lives, on their families,… <a href="https://t.co/XT1vwrtrNT">pic.twitter.com/XT1vwrtrNT</a>
&mdash; Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1873406669335478461?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
On CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union,&#8221; Democrat Karen Finney attempted to rewrite President Biden&#8217;s history, claiming that the people would look favorably on Biden&#8217;s handling of the economy and would credit him with leading the country out of the COVID-19 pandemic.
&#8220;Joe Biden’s record with regard to the things that he’s accomplished, I think will stand the test of time,” she said, &#8220;It was very disturbing to learn late in the year about just how bad, how poor his health has become. And like many, I did not realize that it had gotten to that point. That being said, I think he’s still look, he showed up for the job. He got the work done. I think some of the accomplishments also in the Middle East and foreign policy will also stand the test of time.&#8221;
Republican commentator <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-really-ugly-chapter-scott-jennings-destroys-dem-panelist-defending-bidens-legacy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scott Jennings</a> pushed back, however, arguing that Finney had left out a few key details.
&#8220;Look, I think he’s going to I think he’s going to leave office in disgrace! The Hunter Biden pardon was disgraceful. He’s going to be remembered largely for inflation and for the disastrous Afghanistan pullout,” Jennings continued, going on to argue that he expected things to look worse and worse for Biden and his administration as time went on.
&#8220;And I think as we continue to we’re just getting the first draft of this now. But as we continue to learn about the massive cover-up that went on, not about his health, but about his mental acuity to cover that up, the efforts that were undertaken by the White House staff, by his family, not in the last couple of months, but for all four years,” he said. “I think it’s going to be a really ugly chapter. It’s a diminished presidency because of it.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🚨<a href="https://twitter.com/ScottJenningsKY?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ScottJenningsKY</a> just dismantled a CNN panel as they attempted to defend Joe Biden’s legacy:
&quot;I think he&#39;s going to leave office in disgrace.&quot;
&quot;The Hunter Biden pardon was disgraceful. He&#39;s going to be remembered largely for inflation and for the disastrous Afghanistan… <a href="https://t.co/V8dvlGW6LT">pic.twitter.com/V8dvlGW6LT</a>
&mdash; Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) <a href="https://twitter.com/WesternLensman/status/1873383595630281212?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
On &#8220;Fox News Sunday,&#8221; guest Cal Thomas told anchor Shannon Bream that legacy media was &#8220;the biggest loser&#8221; of the year, laying out a series of stories that they either covered in a biased manner or neglected to cover at all.
&#8220;They covered up for Biden’s mental acuity decline. They covered up on the Hunter Biden laptop. Facebook and other social media covered up on the New York Post story about the Hunter Biden laptop,&#8221; Thomas said. &#8220;The 51 intelligence agencies who the ‘Russia, Russia, Russia’ thing signed off saying it was true. The media followed all of this. And I think it’s a disgrace to the profession that I’ve been a part of for a half a century. I wish that we’d get some new blood in the media to actually practise journalism instead of practicing politics.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🔥 WATCH: “A disgrace to the profession!” — Fox News Sunday guest Cal Thomas slams liberal media as the biggest losers of 2024 for “covering up” the decline of Joe Biden:
“They covered up for Biden’s mental acuity decline. They covered up on the Hunter Biden laptop. Facebook and… <a href="https://t.co/MIofG4dXXO">pic.twitter.com/MIofG4dXXO</a>
&mdash; TV News Now (@TVNewsNow) <a href="https://twitter.com/TVNewsNow/status/1873512720580186155?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

President-Elect Donald Trump Meets With Biden, Congressional Leaders In Washington

Spin Cycle: The 2024 Post-Mortem, And The 2025 Predictions

For those who don&#8217;t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week&#8217;s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.
As politicians head home from Capitol Hill for Christmas — with less than one month to go before President-elect Donald Trump takes the Oath of Office and assumes the presidency for the second time — the talking points have clearly been issued. Everyone, from members of Congress to pundits to the hosts of ABC&#8217;s &#8220;The View,&#8221; is complaining about billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk and whether or not his influence on the incoming Trump administration is outsized.
Much of the conversation centered around the recent fight over a last-minute deal on a continuing resolution to avert a government shutdown just before members of Congress left for the Christmas holiday, and the fact that Musk — along with Trump and a host of others — had taken to X to pan the 1,500-plus page deal originally supported by House Speaker Mike Johnson. That deal fell through, in part due to widespread exposure of what it actually included, forcing lawmakers to try again.
There were several obvious lessons that could be learned from this particular situation — chief among them that Congress could have reached a deal long before the previous one had expired, thus eliminating the need for an 11th-hour stopgap measure entirely. They also could have learned that if such a situation was truly unavoidable, the people might appreciate the transparency of a clean bill that only addressed the truly emergent funding needs.
According to most Democrats — and even a handful of Republicans — the only thing worth learning from that scenario was that Elon Musk, because he owns the social media platform X and has Trump&#8217;s ear, must necessarily have too much influence over the policies that will shape the incoming administration.
From ABC&#8217;s &#8220;The View&#8221; to the House floor, courtesy of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/whoopi-airs-fever-dream-on-live-tv-says-musk-and-vance-could-be-plotting-hostile-takeover" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Whoopi Goldberg</a> and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) respectively, came the too-clever-by-half labeling of the SpaceX CEO: &#8220;President Musk.&#8221;
That tone continued into the Sunday morning political shows as both the hosts and their guests reacted to the question of Musk&#8217;s influence — and whether or not Trump was happy about it.
On ABC&#8217;s &#8220;This Week,&#8221; former Governor Chris Christie argued that Trump might be fine with Musk having a bit of the spotlight for the time being, but insisted that was likely a temporary scenario — and that if Musk overstepped or Trump needed to blame someone else for something, the bloom would quickly come off the rose.
Christie began by suggesting that Musk was &#8220;intoxicated&#8221; by the adoration that came with being in Trump&#8217;s orbit and that at least for the moment, the entrepreneur had a lot of influence. &#8220;I used to say this to General Kelly when he first became chief of staff,&#8221; Christie continued. &#8220;Today you&#8217;re trading at 100 cents on the dollar. You will trade to zero, the only question is how long will it take.&#8221;
Christie did not put a timeframe on how long he thought Musk might last, but instead described how he believed it would happen, saying that Musk would likely be pushed aside &#8220;when Trump believes that something has gone wrong and he needs someone to blame — and Musk becomes the person to blame.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
After spending deal chaos sparks scrutiny of the Trump-Musk dynamic, former GOP Gov. Chris Christie says Musk&#39;s influence will end &quot;when Trump believes that something has gone wrong and he needs someone to blame — and Musk becomes the person to blame.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/zmltd1MLQj">https://t.co/zmltd1MLQj</a> <a href="https://t.co/WhQTdSWYY0">pic.twitter.com/WhQTdSWYY0</a>
&mdash; This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1870847302190956992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 22, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
On CBS&#8217; &#8220;Face the Nation,&#8221; Rep. Tony Gonzales defended the relationship between Trump and Musk, saying he was like a &#8220;prime minister&#8221; in the recent battle over funding — but that in that role, he had amplified the concerns being voiced by regular Americans.
&#8220;We have a president, we have a vice president, we have a speaker — it feels like — as if Elon Musk is our prime minister,&#8221; Gonzales said, and while he conceded host Margaret Brennan&#8217;s point that he was obviously &#8220;unelected,&#8221; he argued that much of what Musk had done was shine a light on all of the unnecessary and wasteful things that had been included in the first funding package. &#8220;He has a voice, and a large part — a lot of that voice is a reflection of the voice of the people.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) on &quot;Face The Nation&quot; compared Elon Musk to an unelected prime minister after the Tesla CEO got involved in a tumultuous funding fight on Capitol Hill that previewed dynamics under a GOP-controlled Washington. <a href="https://t.co/E9eGZpe4Nz">https://t.co/E9eGZpe4Nz</a>
&mdash; Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1870899943902151036?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 22, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) pushed back on the prevailing narrative on CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union,&#8221; telling host Dana Bash that it was clear to him that although Musk continued to work in an advisory capacity, Trump was still the one holding all the marbles.
After first explaining that the contents of the funding bill had been made largely available to the general public because Elon Musk had bought Twitter (now X), Hagerty said that social media-enforced transparency had forced lawmakers to face direct feedback from their constituents. That, he said, was what had ultimately led them to a cleaner CR.
&#8220;I think President Trump is clearly the leader,&#8221; Hagerty said when challenged directly, saying that he&#8217;d met with both Trump and Musk together and had no concerns that the SpaceX CEO was elbowing his way into undue influence of the incoming president.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
“I think President Trump is clearly the leader.”<a href="https://twitter.com/SenatorHagerty?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenatorHagerty</a> dismisses the suggestion by Democrats that Elon Musk, not Donald Trump, is calling the shots in the Republican Party. <a href="https://t.co/B0fnKLTwve">pic.twitter.com/B0fnKLTwve</a>
&mdash; State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1870879629810061388?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 22, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Later on the show, Republican pundit <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/scott-jennings-nukes-democrats-claiming-musk-is-in-charge-i-invite-them-to-pick-up-the-wsj" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scott Jennings</a> mocked the Democrats for complaining about the &#8220;unelected&#8221; and &#8220;billionaires&#8221; steering Trump on policy, noting that even the mainstream press was finally waking up to the fact that President Joe Biden had not been the one calling the shots in the current administration.
&#8220;I hear Democrats criticizing the idea that we have unelected people with too much influence over the government,” Jennings said, in reference to the myriad claims that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/whoopi-airs-fever-dream-on-live-tv-says-musk-and-vance-could-be-plotting-hostile-takeover" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Musk</a> was controlling the outcome of the recent government shutdown-averting continuing resolution.
“I invite them to pick up the Wall Street Journal from this week and find out that unelected people have been running the government for the last four years,” he said. The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-details-emerge-about-white-houses-cover-up-of-bidens-cognitive-decline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">article</a> he mentioned laid out concerns — voiced by officials from within Biden’s White House — that Biden was not capable of even hosting long meetings, mush less large unscripted events, without fears of a major slip. Others had weighed in on his decision to seek a second term in office, saying that they were unsure how he would have the capacity to finish out his current term, much less embark upon another.
&#8220;I hear Democrats criticizing the influence of billionaires on our politics, when you’ve got this Soros punk running around collecting Democrat politicians like my kids collect Pokemon cards,” he said. “I think all of the criticism of Musk coming from the left is totally hypocritical, totally over the top, and he is doing something interesting: bringing some transparency to the federal government, it’s not a terrible thing.&#8221;
Trump himself addressed the media narrative from the stage at Turning Point USA&#8217;s America Fest in Phoenix, Arizona, saying that he had no concerns about Musk usurping the office. &#8220;No, he’s not going to be president, that I can tell you,” Trump said. &#8220;You know why he can’t be [president]? He wasn’t born in this country. But the fake news knows that.”

Donald Trump Watches SpaceX Launch Its Sixth Test Flight Of Starship Spacecraft

Spin Cycle: The Talking Points Have Been Issued, And The Show Musk Go On

Elon Musk

For those who don&#8217;t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week&#8217;s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.
With less than two weeks to go before Christmas — and just over a month before President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated to serve a second term in the White House — the news cycle is as jumbled as ever. Some of the focus remains overseas, as unrest continues to to rule the day in Syria after the fall of Bashar al-Assad — but things at home are also quite literally &#8220;up in the air&#8221; as rumors swirl about mysterious drone sightings over states along the east coast.
After multiple reports of the strange aerial phenomena — many of which seem to be concentrated in northern New Jersey — local officials have admitted to being completely baffled and federal authorities have done little to dispel fears that all is not exactly what it seems.
During the week, the FBI <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dhs-fbi-release-statement-about-drone-sightings-in-new-jersey" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released a statement</a> alongside the Department of Homeland Security, claiming that the majority of the sightings had likely been manned aircraft operating in a lawful manner — and while they could not give a definitive answer on what the people were seeing, they were certain that the public was not at any risk.
On ABC&#8217;s &#8220;This Week,&#8221; Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas admitted that some of the sightings were, in fact, drones — but again said that he did not believe anyone was in danger.
&#8220;There’s no question that drones are being sighted…There are thousands of drones flown every day in the United States — recreational drones, commercial drones,&#8221; Mayorkas said, apparently suggesting that the things people were seeing were not really anything out of the ordinary.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
“There’s no question that drones are being sighted…There are thousands of drones flown every day in the United States — recreational drones, commercial drones.&quot;
DHS Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas responds to numerous aerial sightings reported across East Coast. <a href="https://t.co/VM1aZSe1W6">https://t.co/VM1aZSe1W6</a> <a href="https://t.co/7v5CSSjzbe">pic.twitter.com/7v5CSSjzbe</a>
&mdash; This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1868300474199253481?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Mayorkas also responded to claims that the drones were potentially being sent or operated by foreign adversaries, saying that he did not have any information leading him to believe that. Mayorkas told ABC host George Stephanopoulos that he had heard of &#8220;no foreign involvement with respect to the sightings in the Northeast.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas tells <a href="https://twitter.com/GStephanopoulos?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GStephanopoulos</a> that his agency knows “of no foreign involvement with respect to the sightings in the Northeast” of aerial drones. 
“We are vigilant in investigating this matter.” <a href="https://t.co/EyuPQmaS8n">https://t.co/EyuPQmaS8n</a> <a href="https://t.co/KiLQoU8pgU">pic.twitter.com/KiLQoU8pgU</a>
&mdash; This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1868306745950425331?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
But former Governor Chris Christie (R-NJ) also weighed in on the issue, and he pointed out the fact that the longer the American people went without any definitive answers, the more likely it was that conspiracy theories would run wild about what they could be seeing.
&#8220;I&#8217;ve lived in New Jersey my whole life,&#8221; the former governor explained. &#8220;This is the first time that I&#8217;ve noticed drones over my house.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
“I’ve lived in New Jersey my whole life. This is the first time that I’ve noticed drones over my house.”
Former NJ Gov. Chris Christie warns that conspiracy theories will grow if the federal government does not address reported aerial sightings. <a href="https://t.co/MkRObTfDiQ">https://t.co/MkRObTfDiQ</a> <a href="https://t.co/e206NSI4Se">pic.twitter.com/e206NSI4Se</a>
&mdash; This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1868313041911050312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Many local officials don&#8217;t appear convinced but the explanations offered thus far, either:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Sheriffs and other local officials in New Jersey are demanding more action from the federal government following a spate of drone sightings that has confused authorities and sparked alarm among residents. <a href="https://twitter.com/GioBenitez?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GioBenitez</a> has the latest: <a href="https://t.co/yTqK0GprGa">https://t.co/yTqK0GprGa</a> <a href="https://t.co/ULsbf3Zx8U">pic.twitter.com/ULsbf3Zx8U</a>
&mdash; This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1868298476666208532?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Rp. Michael Waltz (R-FL) joined CBS News&#8217; &#8220;Face the Nation&#8221; to discuss the issue as well, and he argued that the failure to address the situation showed the obvious gaps in the official capacity to handle such things.
&#8220;We need to get to the bottom of it,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And I think the Biden administration is working to do that.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Rep. <a href="https://twitter.com/michaelgwaltz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@michaelgwaltz</a> says drones being spotted above some East Coast states demonstrate “gaps in our agencies, gaps in our authorities,” saying, &quot;We need to get to the bottom of it, and I think the Biden administration is working to do that.&quot;
But Waltz, President-elect Trump&#39;s… <a href="https://t.co/VUtPlqpAcj">pic.twitter.com/VUtPlqpAcj</a>
&mdash; Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1868339235394400700?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) also joined host Margaret Brennan on Sunday&#8217;s broadcast of &#8220;Face the Nation,&#8221; and she called for &#8220;more transparency&#8221; on the issue.
&#8220;This just can&#8217;t be, no one knows why this huge drone is over their house,&#8221; she said, promising to work with the incoming administration to get to the bottom of it.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) says senators &quot;need a briefing&quot; and &quot;more transparency&quot; on the mysterious drones seen over the East Coast, though she notes the Biden administration &quot;has repeatedly assured people that they are safe.&quot; She said she plans to work with the incoming… <a href="https://t.co/cAXsNuBuyJ">pic.twitter.com/cAXsNuBuyJ</a>
&mdash; Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1868343536820617238?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Klobuchar also took some time to discuss a slew of pardons and commutations issued by President Joe Biden as his presidency nears its end.
While Biden&#8217;s Thanksgiving weekend pardon for his embattled son Hunter Biden certainly raised the most eyebrows — on both sides of the political aisle — Klobuchar noted that just by sheer volume, Biden was testing the limits of what she found to be acceptable.
Klobuchar first said that she was among those who did not like the fact that Biden had pardoned his son — but then said she also worried about the some 1500 sentence commutations he issued in the past week.
She proposed an &#8220;outside board&#8221; to aid the president in selecting cases for pardons or sentence commutations &#8220;instead of people just doing it in the middle of the night, and people in the White House — this makes no sense to me.&#8221;
&#8220;This whole process cries out for reform, because otherwise you undermine the justice system,&#8221; she added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) says she&#39;s not comfortable with some of President Biden&#39;s decisions when he commuted the sentences of nearly 1,500 people last week, and also &quot;didn&#39;t agree&quot; with Biden&#39;s pardon of his son, Hunter. 
She says there should be &quot;some kind of an outside… <a href="https://t.co/KQELzzydm7">pic.twitter.com/KQELzzydm7</a>
&mdash; Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1868343326040023273?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) told NBC anchor Kristen Welker on &#8220;Meet the Press&#8221; that Biden had set a &#8220;dangerous&#8221; precedent when he pardoned Hunter — and he urged the president to consider the possibility of preemptive pardons &#8220;very seriously.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
BERNIE SANDERS: The pardon of Hunter Biden sets a dangerous precedent. 
 <a href="https://t.co/6PjpwQtSjO">pic.twitter.com/6PjpwQtSjO</a>
&mdash; Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/1868365660092613044?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
But on CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union,&#8221; retiring Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) said that despite having often been at odds with Trump himself, he was not overly concerned that the president-elect might use the Justice Department to attack those who had opposed him.
&#8220;I&#8217;m not particularly worried about criminal investigations,&#8221; he told anchor Jake Tapper. &#8220;I think President Trump is likely to try and focus on the future.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
&quot;I&#39;m not particularly worried about criminal investigations.&quot;<a href="https://twitter.com/SenatorRomney?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenatorRomney</a> shrugs off concerns he could face retribution from Trump, telling <a href="https://twitter.com/jaketapper?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jaketapper</a>, &quot;I think President Trump is likely to try and focus on the future.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/wtExtxZ1kN">pic.twitter.com/wtExtxZ1kN</a>
&mdash; State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1868296795446497514?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

G20 Leaders’ Summit in Rio De Janeiro

Spin Cycle: Here Come The Drones … And The Pardons

Spin Cycle: Here Come The Drones ... And The Pardons

Amy Klobuchar

Bernie Sanders

Chris Christie

Mike Waltz

Mitt Romney

For those who don&#8217;t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week&#8217;s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.
Most of the world had eyes on Syria while the regime of Bashar Al-Assad crumbled under the attack of terrorist rebels — and while most of the Sunday morning political shows did devote some time to the breaking news out of the Middle East, there was still a lot of focus directed at President-elect Donald Trump and his nominees for certain high-ranking cabinet posts.
This Sunday, however, instead of the parade of panic-stricken guests complaining about how each Trump nominee was more existentially dangerous than the last, the tone was more reserved. In addition, the guests seemed willing — or perhaps resigned to the inevitability — to work with Trump&#8217;s nominees or at least hear them out in confirmation hearings and interviews.
On ABC&#8217;s &#8220;This Week,&#8221; for example, host Martha Raddatz spoke with Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) about Trump&#8217;s plan for the Department Of Government Efficiency (DOGE) that will be helmed by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk and former Republican presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy.
Khanna, who said that he had spoken to Musk about DOGE, appeared to agree with Senator <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/elon-musk-is-right-bernie-sanders-blesses-at-least-one-doge-planned-spending-cut" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bernie Sanders</a> (I-VT), who has said that he can at least get behind DOGE&#8217;s plan to audit the Pentagon.
&#8220;I think when there comes to defense, getting better defense for value and cutting costs, there can be huge bipartisan cooperation,&#8221; Khanna said on Sunday, noting that Musk had disrupted what had previously been a closed system — with regard to defense contractors such as Lockheed and Boeing — when he moved ahead with SpaceX during the Obama administration.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna on his discussions with Elon Musk about the new Department of Government Efficiency: “I think when there comes to defense, getting better defense for value and cutting costs, there can be huge bipartisan cooperation.” <a href="https://t.co/QGEu8xRtpF">https://t.co/QGEu8xRtpF</a> <a href="https://t.co/zkal88pP21">pic.twitter.com/zkal88pP21</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1865789644920471726?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Raddatz also spoke with Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) about Trump&#8217;s plan to tackle the border crisis, and he noted that the president-elect had specifically chosen nominees he believed would be ready and willing to tackle the problems at hand.
&#8220;The appointees that have been made by President Trump to secure our nation on day one are going to get this under control,&#8221; Donalds said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
On immigration, GOP Rep. Byron Donalds tells <a href="https://twitter.com/MarthaRaddatz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MarthaRaddatz</a>, “The appointees that have been made by President Trump to secure our nation on day one are going to get this under control.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/TZ3HACd3U0">https://t.co/TZ3HACd3U0</a> <a href="https://t.co/QjnvzijbF2">pic.twitter.com/QjnvzijbF2</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1865792448011612318?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
CBS host Margaret Brennan pivoted on &#8220;Face the Nation&#8221; from the breaking news about Assad to a question for Rep. Mike Turner about former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) — Trump&#8217;s nominee to serve as Director of National Intelligence — who left the Democratic Party and recently became a Republican.
Brennan pointed to Gabbard&#8217;s history of questioning intelligence reports — showing that Assad was guilty of attacking people within his own country with chemical weapons — and asked Turner whether he believed that disqualified her from serving in Trump&#8217;s administration.
Turner said that he trusted the Senate to do its job and properly question and vet all of the nominees who have been put forth, adding, &#8220;I obviously differ a great deal in a number of areas with both her judgment and her background and experience.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH) says about Tulsi Gabbard, President-elect Donald Trump&#8217;s pick for Director of National Intelligence: &#8220;I obviously differ a great deal in a number of areas with both her judgment and her background and experience.&#8221;
He adds that he trusts &#8220;the Senate&#8217;s… <a href="https://t.co/xy6RMJCfWp">pic.twitter.com/xy6RMJCfWp</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1865787878434824605?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
On CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union,&#8221; Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) struck a more conciliatory tone — and even said that he was open to voting for several of Trump&#8217;s nominees.
&#8220;I think I need to keep an open mind,&#8221; Durbin said, noting that he would be happy to see colleague Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) confirmed as the next Secretary of State. As for Trump&#8217;s second choice to serve as Attorney General, Pam Bondi — as well as proposed FBI Director Kash Patel — Durbin said that he&#8217;d reserve judgment until after he saw the results of an FBI background check.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“I think I need to keep an open mind.”
@SenDurbin tells <a href="https://twitter.com/jaketapper?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jaketapper</a> he&#8217;s open to voting for Pam Bondi and Kash Patel but says he wants to see the results of any FBI background check first. He also says Sen. Marco Rubio will be &#8220;an excellent Secretary of State.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/cMLyx4y9yp">pic.twitter.com/cMLyx4y9yp</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1865789187082830268?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) also spoke with anchor Jake Tapper on Sunday, and he said that he saw a clear path to confirmation for Pete Hegseth, Trump&#8217;s nominee to lead the Pentagon.
&#8220;There’s been absolutely no ‘noes’ from Republican senators,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/SenMullin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenMullin</a> tells <a href="https://twitter.com/jaketapper?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jaketapper</a>, “There’s been absolutely no ‘noes’ from Republican senators” yet on Hegseth’s nomination and says he believes Hegseth will ultimately be confirmed. <a href="https://t.co/jQlSCS5a2c">pic.twitter.com/jQlSCS5a2c</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1865787572066119808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Mullin also defended Gabbard, saying that she is &#8220;perfect for the position&#8221; of DNI.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/SenMullin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenMullin</a> says Tulsi Gabbard is “perfect for the position&#8221; of Director of National Intelligence despite her history of defending the recently fallen Assad regime. <a href="https://t.co/hsWhsvdvS9">pic.twitter.com/hsWhsvdvS9</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1865787221489389704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
President-elect Trump defended his own nominees in a wide-ranging interview that aired Sunday on NBC&#8217;s &#8220;Meet the Press,&#8221; but he worked in a few direct hits aimed at anchor Kristen Welker in the process.
&#8220;It’s amazing. I wish you could be a — you know, you have such potential. If you could be just — just non-biased. You hurt yourself so badly,&#8221; he told her.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
WATCH: <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> nukes NBC Meet The Press host Kirsten Welker:
“It’s amazing. I wish you could be a &#8212; you know, you have such potential. If you could be just—just non-biased. You hurt yourself so badly.” <a href="https://t.co/44P6yPbMJr">pic.twitter.com/44P6yPbMJr</a>
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) <a href="https://twitter.com/SteveGuest/status/1865881889845694815?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Senator Dick Durbin

Spin Cycle: The Confirmations Have Only Just Begun, And Even Dems Seem Resigned To Their Fate

2024 Election

For those who don&#8217;t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week&#8217;s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.
President-elect Donald Trump wrapped up the Thanksgiving holiday with a few more appointments, and while nearly every major announcement has garnered media attention — whether warranted or not — the one that ruffled the most feathers was his decision to name longtime adviser Kash Patel as the incoming head of the FBI.
On Sunday morning, the political shows were stacked with guests who either criticized Patel and argued that Trump should not have appointed him or defended current FBI Director Christopher Wray — whom Trump would have to fire in order to give Patel the Bureau&#8217;s top job.
ABC&#8217;s &#8220;This Week&#8221; led the charge with President Joe Biden&#8217;s National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, who claimed that Wray had done an excellent job primarily because he had not allowed politics to influence his work.
Host Jonathan Karl opened his discussion with Sullivan by noting that Patel had accused him directly of being a part of the &#8220;deep state&#8221; and named him specifically as being one of the &#8220;60 corrupt actors of the first order.&#8221;
&#8220;Well, I&#8217;m not going to speak to President-elect Trump&#8217;s nominees. I&#8217;ll let him and his transition team speak to that,&#8221; Sullivan said, arguing that President Joe Biden had simply allowed Wray — who had previously been appointed by Trump — to stay on because that was the way things should be done. Wray, he said, had &#8220;served with distinction&#8221; and &#8220;served entirely insulated from politics.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
After President-elect Trump taps longtime ally Kash Patel to lead the FBI, national security adviser Jake Sullivan tells <a href="https://twitter.com/jonkarl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JonKarl</a> that the current FBI director Christopher Wray has “served with distinction” and “served entirely insulated from politics.” <a href="https://t.co/Y24FUIAHnv">https://t.co/Y24FUIAHnv</a> <a href="https://t.co/c1mJnYp5NA">pic.twitter.com/c1mJnYp5NA</a>
&mdash; This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1863227276357193739?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Karl also brought in Senator Mike Rounds (R-SD), who first noted that Trump had the right to nominate or appoint anyone he wanted but then also defended Wray&#8217;s performance on the job.
Rounds pointed out the fact that Trump was certainly not the first president to choose people who had been loyal to him, but that he had never had any issues with the way that Wray had conducted himself on a professional level.
&#8220;I don&#8217;t have any complaints about the way that he&#8217;s done his job right now,&#8221; Rounds said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
GOP Sen. Mike Rounds emphasizes support for current FBI director Christopher Wray, whom President-elect Donald Trump intends to fire and replace with the loyalist Kash Patel.
&quot;I don&#39;t have any complaints about the way that he&#39;s done his job right now.” <a href="https://t.co/kWuayc3WWv">https://t.co/kWuayc3WWv</a> <a href="https://t.co/Fs0iHRkQid">pic.twitter.com/Fs0iHRkQid</a>
&mdash; This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1863246477960642995?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
On NBC&#8217;s &#8220;Meet the Press,&#8221; Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) fretted that Patel would only be interested in protecting Republicans or those who had supported Trump if he were to take charge of the FBI.
Murphy noted that he and several other elected officials had been the targets of bomb threats over the holiday weekend and added, &#8220;One of the things that I&#8217;m concerned about is that Kash Patel is gonna only care about protecting Republicans and not care about protecting every single member of the American population, every single one of us who occasionally gets met with these kind of threats.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Sen. Chris Murphy says he’s ‘concerned’ Kash Patel would only protect Republicans as FBI director <a href="https://t.co/deO8kcbDtO">https://t.co/deO8kcbDtO</a>
&mdash; Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) <a href="https://twitter.com/MeetThePress/status/1863245684574396460?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
On CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union,&#8221; Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) continued the hand-wringing, complaining that worries from the Trump camp about a &#8220;deep state&#8221; were unfounded — even after a first term that saw dozens if not hundreds of unelected bureaucrats attempting to undermine his agenda.
&#8220;Apparently [Wray] has demonstrated too much independence and objectivity in the job for Donald Trump, who wants much more of a personal loyalist in the position, and that&#8217;s why he&#8217;s gone to Kash Patel,&#8221; Raskin complained.
&#8220;I mean, the deep state,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;Nobody&#8217;s ever defined it, apparently. Just means anybody who doesn&#8217;t do the will of Donald Trump.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🚨NEW: Jamie Raskin is not happy about the nomination of Kash Patel to head FBI — 
— says &#39;Deep State’ is made up — “just means anybody who doesn&#39;t do the will of Donald Trump.&quot;
“Apparently [Wray] has demonstrated too much independence and objectivity in the job for Donald… <a href="https://t.co/lob05HZtnC">pic.twitter.com/lob05HZtnC</a>
&mdash; Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) <a href="https://twitter.com/WesternLensman/status/1863233966980948163?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
CNN also brought in Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY), asking him whether he had &#8220;any reservations&#8221; about Trump&#8217;s decision to bring Patel into that particular role.
Lawler said that he was not concerned, noting that Trump had campaigned on a promise to reform the FBI but that he didn&#8217;t expect Patel to take that charge any further than necessary.
&#8220;I don&#8217;t think the American people are interested in a revenge tour,&#8221; he said,
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Republican <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMikeLawler?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepMikeLawler</a> tells <a href="https://twitter.com/kasie?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kasie</a> “I don&#39;t think the American people are interested in a revenge tour” but says he has no reservations about Kash Patel’s nomination to be FBI director. <a href="https://t.co/BqKYOBJI6w">pic.twitter.com/BqKYOBJI6w</a>
&mdash; State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1863259420211184027?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
And as Tiffany Smiley pointed out during a panel discussion later in the show, the fact that Patel made certain Washington D.C., insiders very nervous was actually more of a selling point for a broad swath of the population.
&#8220;There&#8217;s a lack of trust in the FBI with the American people &#8230; Donald Trump wants change agents. The fact that people here in D.C. — D.C. insiders and people within the FBI — don&#8217;t want Kash is a really good sell to the American people.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/SmileyForWA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SmileyForWA</a>: &quot;There&#39;s a lack of trust in the FBI with the American people&#8230; Donald Trump wants change agents. The fact that people here in DC &#8212; DC insiders and people within the FBI &#8212; don&#39;t want Kash is a really good sell to the American people.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/9phpburoGv">pic.twitter.com/9phpburoGv</a>
&mdash; Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) <a href="https://twitter.com/TrumpWarRoom/status/1863264889059385809?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Arizona Candidates Kari Lake And Blake Masters Rally Supporters In Tucson

Spin Cycle: Everybody’s In A Panic Over Kash Patel

Spin Cycle: Everybody's In A Panic Over Kash Patel

kash patel

Former CBS News reporter Catherine Herridge revealed just a taste of what her former network had on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hunter-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hunter Biden</a> and his father, President Joe Biden, prior to the 2022 midterm elections — and she said that much of the information was either reported after an intentional delay or scrapped altogether.
Herridge, who left Fox News for CBS in 2019 and was subsequently let go by CBS in early 2024, had done some serious digging on the Bidens and specifically on the now-infamous laptop that Hunter left behind at a Delaware repair shop — but much of what she found she now says that CBS would not let her report.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
EXCLUSIVE: The Untold Story Of The Hunter Biden Reporting At CBS, “I wanted the cleanest copy of the laptop data, the same data that was provided to the FBI…”
The full +22 minute video goes in depth on the controversy surrounding my investigation starting in October 2020.… <a href="https://t.co/58stp0oNXi">pic.twitter.com/58stp0oNXi</a>
&mdash; Catherine Herridge (@C__Herridge) <a href="https://twitter.com/C__Herridge/status/1861440661930553503?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Herridge explained in a brief video posted to X on Monday that her first goal had been to get as close to the primary source as humanly possible. &#8220;I wanted the cleanest copy of the laptop data, the same data that was provided to the FBI,&#8221; she said.
She went on to say that CBS had finally allowed a story verifying that the laptop was real and the data on it had not been manipulated — but that the network had not wanted to go ahead with the story prior to the 2022 midterm elections even though she had it ready to go.
&#8220;When we did the story, we did it after the midterms. I argued against that because it was ready before the midterms,&#8221; she said. &#8220;My training is that you should always do the story when it&#8217;s ready to go, you should not be dictated by the political cycle.&#8221;
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/gift-guide/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CHECK OUT THE DAILY WIRE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE</a>
Herridge then detailed a few other items of interest she&#8217;d found while studying the laptop data — and said that CBS had been uninterested in pursuing the leads she presented.
&#8220;For example, in the text messages, there&#8217;s unfortunately the use of the &#8216;N-word,&#8217; the liberal use of the &#8216;N-word.&#8217; And I thought this was worth another story but I was told that it&#8217;s not something that interested CBS News,&#8221; she said.
Herridge also noted that during a forensic review of the laptop, she&#8217;d found &#8220;half a dozen emails that were likely used by Joe Biden.&#8221;
&#8220;I thought that was a story,&#8221; she said, but CBS was unwilling to move on that without the contents of those emails — which could have taken years to get.
&#8220;There were a lot of reasons I was told not to do it, not to pursue it,&#8221; she concluded.

Joe Biden and Hunter Biden

Here’s A Taste Of What CBS News Had On The Bidens — And Delayed Or Didn’t Report At All

Here's A Taste Of What CBS News Had On The Bidens — And Delayed Or Didn't Report At All

2022 Midterms

Hunter Biden

Journalism

For those who don&#8217;t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week&#8217;s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.
Now that the 2024 presidential election is in the rearview mirror — not to mention the fact that President-elect Donald Trump has a decisive mandate to govern along with a solid majority in the incoming Senate — media appears content to pass the time leading up to the holidays and the now inevitable Trump transition by casting doubt on every nomination and appointment he makes.
On ABC News&#8217; &#8220;This Week,&#8221; host Jonathan Karl kicked off the show by attempting to cast doubt on the process, suggesting that Trump was rushing — and perhaps being less than thorough — to fill out his White House and his cabinet, and fretting about the lack of FBI background checks thus far.
&#8220;Donald Trump has chosen nearly all of his Cabinet nominees and senior White House staff, making his picks at a record pace and bypassing the typical vetting process — no FBI background checks yet for any of them,&#8221; Karl said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8220;Donald Trump has chosen nearly all of his Cabinet nominees and senior White House staff, making his picks at a record pace and bypassing the typical vetting process — no FBI background checks yet for any of them,” <a href="https://twitter.com/jonkarl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JonKarl</a> reports. <a href="https://t.co/2oJUrLxdzs">https://t.co/2oJUrLxdzs</a> <a href="https://t.co/YW5gcJ5utk">pic.twitter.com/YW5gcJ5utk</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1860687045066207330?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
As for Trump&#8217;s efforts to get the incoming Republican Senate majority to back his nominees, Karl said that he&#8217;d been told that &#8220;Senate Republicans would have no choice but to get in line – or see their political careers go down.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8220;A top Trump lieutenant told me Senate Republicans would have no choice but to get in line – or see their political careers go down.” <a href="https://twitter.com/jonkarl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JonKarl</a> has the latest on President-elect Donald Trump&#8217;s transition and Cabinet nominations: <a href="https://t.co/MN4JyASUOz">https://t.co/MN4JyASUOz</a> <a href="https://t.co/H3yFRDsFqD">pic.twitter.com/H3yFRDsFqD</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1860690915565723865?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) joined Karl to discuss the situation, and he noted that Trump expected to &#8220;hit the ground running,&#8221; which was why he was attempting to have all of his nominees ready for hearings and confirmation votes as soon as he was sworn in. He also argued that Trump&#8217;s cabinet would face the kind of accountability that President Joe Biden&#8217;s never had.
&#8220;Massive failures on his watch, massive failures by his Cabinet members,&#8221; Hagerty said. &#8220;President Trump will fire people that don’t do their job well.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
GOP Sen. Bill Hagerty says there have been “zero consequences in President Biden’s Cabinet.”
“Massive failures on his watch, massive failures by his Cabinet members … President Trump will fire people that don’t do their job well.” <a href="https://t.co/KdNiJx0rfz">https://t.co/KdNiJx0rfz</a> <a href="https://t.co/3nlOWQGjNF">pic.twitter.com/3nlOWQGjNF</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1860699833041867212?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Karl also brought in Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), who complained that without background checks, she did not feel that she could do her job in the confirmation process properly: &#8220;I want to make a decision on each one of them on the merits, as I&#8217;ve done in the past, and I can&#8217;t do that without the background checks.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Sen. Amy Klobuchar emphasizes the importance of FBI background checks for Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees.
“I want to make a decision on each one of them on the merits, as I&#8217;ve done in the past, and I can&#8217;t do that without the background checks.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/WKLUEDPARu">https://t.co/WKLUEDPARu</a> <a href="https://t.co/qGlDtGy9C2">pic.twitter.com/qGlDtGy9C2</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1860710701284696466?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
On CBS News&#8217; &#8220;Face the Nation,&#8221; host Margaret Brennan spoke with Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) about Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth — and she attacked his position on women serving in combat roles.
&#8220;Our military could not go to war without the women who wear this uniform,&#8221; Duckworth said, appearing to conflate Hegseth&#8217;s position — that women should not serve in direct combat — with an opposition to women in the military altogether. &#8220;And frankly, America&#8217;s daughters are just as capable of defending liberty and freedom as her sons &#8230; [It] shows his lack of understanding of where our military is.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8220;He&#8217;s just flat-out wrong,&#8221; Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a veteran who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee, says about defense secretary pick Pete Hegseth&#8217;s belief that women should not serve in combat roles.
&#8220;Our military could not go to war without the women who wear… <a href="https://t.co/BcXQHfgQ9D">pic.twitter.com/BcXQHfgQ9D</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1860716659570246020?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Duckworth also made an appearance on CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union,&#8221; where she told anchor Dana Bash that she believed former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard — chosen by Trump to be his Director of National Intelligence — was &#8220;compromised&#8221; and &#8220;someone who is wholly backing and supportive of Putin.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8220;I think she&#8217;s compromised.&#8221;
.<a href="https://twitter.com/TammyDuckworth?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TammyDuckworth</a> slams Director of National Intelligence pick Tulsi Gabbard in an interview with <a href="https://twitter.com/DanaBashCNN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DanaBashCNN</a>. <a href="https://t.co/HTNBz9TMWx">pic.twitter.com/HTNBz9TMWx</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1860710539233542569?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) pushed back on Duckworth&#8217;s attacks on Gabbard, saying, &#8220;For her to say ridiculous and outright dangerous words like that is wrong.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“For her to say ridiculous and outright dangerous words like that is wrong.”<a href="https://twitter.com/SenMullin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenMullin</a> reacts to Sen. Duckworth calling Trump&#8217;s nominee for intel chief Tulsi Gabbard “compromised” and “someone who is wholly backing and supportive of Putin.” <a href="https://t.co/2eXscKwASr">pic.twitter.com/2eXscKwASr</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1860721047722487868?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO) also defended Gabbard during an appearance on NBC&#8217;s &#8220;Meet the Press.&#8221; He told host Kristen Welker that calling her a Russian asset, as Duckworth essentially had, amounted to a &#8220;slur.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
‘It’s a slur’ to call DNI pick Tulsi Gabbard a foreign asset, says GOP Sen. Schmitt <a href="https://t.co/kaRpjFJXrC">https://t.co/kaRpjFJXrC</a>
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) <a href="https://twitter.com/MeetThePress/status/1860694119099592813?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Gov. Ron DeSantis Visits “Hannity”

Spin Cycle: The Hand-Wringing Continues Over Trump Cabinet Picks

Menu