National Politics

By Natasha Bertrand and Haley Britzky, CNN Washington (CNN) — “Get Pete Hegseth on the phone!” It was March 2018, and then-President Donald Trump was meeting with his Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary, Dr. David Shulkin, about how to reform veteran health care. But it was Hegseth, then a Fox News personality, whose opinion Trump

By Gregory Krieg, Kristen Holmes and Alayna Treene, CNN (CNN) — The Notre Dame Cathedral provided the luminous backdrop for President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the geopolitical stage Saturday, when French officials put an ornate line under the five-year project to restore the soaring landmark with a reopening ceremony featuring dozens of world leaders. Trump,

By Evan Perez and Holmes Lybrand, CNN (CNN) — While President-elect Donald Trump’s controversial pick for defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, is beginning the process to undergo an FBI background check, the intensive review may not provide the answers that either Democrats or Republicans are seeking. That’s because a nominee doesn’t “pass” a background check, and

By Michael Conte and Alex Marquardt, CNN Washington (CNN) — The family of Austin Tice, a freelance journalist held in Syria since 2012, said they have new confirmation that he remains alive and well. In a news conference, the family also expressed deep frustration with the Biden administration for telling them in a meeting Friday

CNN By Michael Conte and Alex Marquardt, CNN Washington (CNN) — The family of Austin Tice, a freelance journalist held in Syria since 2012, said they have new confirmation that he remains alive and well. In a news conference, the family also expressed deep frustration with the Biden administration for telling them in a meeting

By Fredreka Schouten and David Wright, CNN (CNN) — Democrats emerged from their bruising election losses in November with a decidedly mixed financial picture, new federal filings show. The Democratic National Committee appeared flush with cash, despite recent post-election staff cuts, and a leading liberal super PAC appeared to have tens of millions of dollars

By Tami Luhby, CNN (CNN) — The fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson has revealed many Americans’ fury and frustrations with their health insurance coverage. They have taken to social media to relay their stories, even as others have said they like their coverage. CNN would like to talk to readers about their experiences

By John Fritze, CNN (CNN) — The Supreme Court agreed Friday to decide whether the families of victims of terrorist attacks in Israel may sue the Palestinian Authority in federal court for hundreds of millions of dollars in damages. The Supreme Court agreed to hear two cases: one from family members who sued the Palestinian

By Katelyn Polantz, CNN (CNN) — A January 6 defendant on Friday taunted a federal judge’s decision to send him immediately to prison for one year for his role in the US Capitol riot, shouting as he was being handcuffed that President-elect Donald Trump would pardon him. The rioter, Philip Sean Grillo of New York

By Devan Cole, CNN (CNN) — A federal judge has rejected a challenge to the Naval Academy’s use of race in its admissions practices, ruling that the school has “established a compelling national security interest” in maintaining diversity within the US military. While the ruling issued Friday by US Senior District Judge Richard Bennett, a

By Sarah Ferris, Annie Grayer and Clare Foran, CNN (CNN) — Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez announced on Friday that she is jumping into the race to be the top Democrat on the influential House Oversight Committee. The New York Democrat wrote in a letter to colleagues, “I write to you today to seek your support to

By Kaanita Iyer, CNN (CNN) — Pete Hegseth’s name has been submitted to the FBI for a background check, his attorney told CNN Thursday, as some lawmakers call for more vetting of President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to run the Pentagon. “He received the forms yesterday from the FBI, and we’re working on them right now,”

By Fredreka Schouten, David Wright and Alex Leeds Matthews, CNN (CNN) — Elon Musk plowed at least $260 million into efforts to send Donald Trump back to the White House, new filings show – a massive infusion that makes him one of the largest single political underwriters of a presidential campaign and underscores the outsized

CNN By Casey Tolan, Curt Devine, Rob Kuznia and Brian Stelter, CNN Minneapolis (CNN) — When President Donald Trump first considered Pete Hegseth for a Cabinet position in 2017 and 2018, he marveled at a soldier who seemed straight out of central casting. The telegenic Fox News host, a decorated combat veteran with a chiseled

By Casey Tolan, Curt Devine, Rob Kuznia and Brian Stelter, CNN Minneapolis (CNN) — When President Donald Trump first considered Pete Hegseth for a Cabinet position in 2017 and 2018, he marveled at a soldier who seemed straight out of central casting. The telegenic Fox News host, a decorated combat veteran with a chiseled jaw

By Kristen Holmes, Jeremy Herb and Alayna Treene, CNN (CNN) — Donald Trump’s allies are scrambling to save Pete Hegseth after the president-elect’s pick to lead the Pentagon struggled to win over skeptical Republicans in a flurry of meetings on Capitol Hill this week. Trump is still standing by his choice, telling Hegseth he wants

By Katie Lobosco, CNN Washington (CNN) — President-elect Donald Trump has named Billy Long, a former Republican congressman from Missouri, to head the Internal Revenue Service, signaling plans to oust current Commissioner Danny Werfel before his term expires in 2027. Replacing Werfel, who was picked by President Joe Biden, could mean a major shift at

By Clare Foran, Sarah Ferris, Haley Talbot and Annie Grayer, CNN (CNN) — House Republicans voted on Thursday to block a Democrat-led effort to release a long-awaited Ethics Committee report on allegations against former GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida. The House took a step to effectively shut down a resolution from Democrats that would