President Donald Trump will embark on his first official trip of his second term on Friday, focusing on areas impacted by natural disasters in North Carolina and California. The visit will include meetings with victims of Hurricane Helene in North Carolina and those affected by devastating wildfires in California, as he emphasizes the need for better disaster preparedness and response.
Jack Smith, the special counsel who led federal prosecutions against Donald Trump, resigned from the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Friday, according to court filings.
President Joe Biden sharply criticized reporters during a press interaction Sunday, declaring he knows “more world leaders” than they’ve encountered in their “whole goddamn life.” The remarks followed a question about whether President-elect Donald Trump poses a threat to democracy.
The resignation of U.S. Representative Matt Gaetz from Florida’s 1st Congressional District was formally recorded Friday in the U.S. House of Representatives. This development came as U.S. Representative Mike Johnson was elected House Speaker. Gaetz’s resignation concludes his tenure in the 118th Congress and the 119th Congress following a tumultuous series of events.
Rep. Michelle Steel, R-Calif., is under consideration to serve as the U.S. ambassador to South Korea in President-elect Donald Trump’s administration. Steel, the first Korean-American woman elected to Congress, recently lost her reelection bid by a narrow 604-vote margin. Discussions about her appointment come amid heightened interest in South Korea due to significant political upheaval.
Rep. Kay Granger, a longtime Republican congresswoman from Texas, has been located in a memory care nursing facility after being absent from the Capitol for six months.
Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland has stepped down, citing a clash with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over how to handle President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed 25% tariffs on Canadian imports.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell suffered another fall on Tuesday, this time after a lunch meeting with Republican senators, according to a report by Punchbowl News’s John Bresnahan. McConnell required medical attention and was seen leaving the area in a wheelchair, with reports indicating he sustained a cut to his face.
