National Politics

By David Culver and Rachel Clarke, CNN (CNN) — As he stood inside the echoing hall of the prison, Matt Gaetz seemed impressed. “There’s a lot more discipline in this prison than we see in a lot of the prisons in the United States,” said Gaetz, then a congressman, now announced as President-elect Donald Trump’s

CNN Editorial Research (CNN) — Here’s a look at the life of former Commerce Secretary Wilbur L. Ross Jr. Personal Birth date: November 28, 1937 Birth place: Weehawken, New Jersey Birth name: Wilbur Louis Ross Jr. Father: Wilbur Louis Ross Sr., a lawyer Mother: Agnes (O’Neill) Ross, a teacher Marriages: Hilary (Geary) Ross (October 9,

By Holmes Lybrand, CNN (CNN) — The FBI announced on Thursday the arrest of a Texas man who allegedly created and disseminated ISIS propaganda and wanted to commit a “9/11-style” attack in the United States. The man, Anas Said, was arrested last week outside of his apartment in Houston, Texas. His arraignment and detention hearing

By Jennifer Hansler, CNN Washington (CNN) — Nearly 90 congressional Democrats are calling on President Joe Biden to impose sanctions on two far-right Israeli government officials for their roles in inciting settler violence in the West Bank. “Violent settlers, fueled by the inflammatory rhetoric and incitement to violence by members of the Israeli cabinet, including

By Tami Luhby, Tierney Sneed and Rene Marsh, CNN (CNN) — President-elect Donald Trump and Elon Musk have big ambitions for making the federal government leaner and more efficient by reviewing its budget and operations from top to bottom. Musk, the world’s richest person who owns or runs several companies, has warned that his goals

By Eric Bradner, Kayla Tausche and Kristen Holmes, CNN (CNN) — In the days after President-elect Donald Trump’s victory, allies described his transition effort as far more disciplined than his first post-victory period in 2016. Then, a 24-hour stretch — that started with Trump’s selection of Fox News host Pete Hegseth as defense secretary on

By Jeremy Herb and Haley Britzky, CNN (CNN) — President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary Pete Hegseth has railed against women in combat, voiced support for troops accused and in some instances, convicted of war crimes, and advocated for the firing of the military’s most senior officers accused of supporting so-called woke policies. Though

By Sean Lyngaas and Holmes Lybrand, CNN (CNN) — As Donald Trump conducts a free-wheeling transition from his Mar-a-Lago estate, drawing flocks of business moguls, contractors, foreign dignitaries and anyone looking for jobs in the new administration, the federal agencies charged with protecting the president-elect and his communications face a daunting task. Security at Mar-a-Lago

By Katelyn Polantz, CNN (CNN) — The lawyers who have been representing Rudy Giuliani are trying to quit his debt enforcement case because of disagreements with him, according to new court filings, as a Friday deadline nears for the former New York City mayor to turn over many of his most valuable possessions to two

By Aileen Graef, Annie Grayer and Sarah Ferris, CNN (CNN) — House Republicans announced Wednesday night an agreement to raise the threshold to invoke a motion to vacate the speaker’s chair, in exchange for amendment changes. The motion to vacate rule currently allows just a single member of Congress to call for a no-confidence vote

By Kaitlan Collins, CNN (CNN) — President-elect Donald Trump is seriously considering naming his lead attorney Todd Blanche to serve as the next deputy attorney general, the second-highest position in the Justice Department, according to two people familiar with his thinking. Blanche has represented Trump for the last 18 months and defended him during his

By Manu Raju, Sarah Ferris and Annie Grayer, CNN (CNN) — The House Ethics Committee was due to meet this week to vote on releasing a report about Matt Gaetz, who resigned from Congress on Wednesday after President-elect Donald Trump announced his intention to nominate the Florida congressman to serve as attorney general, according to

By Ethan Cohen and Piper Hudspeth Blackburn, CNN (CNN) — The incredibly tight Pennsylvania race between Democratic Sen. Bob Casey and Republican challenger Dave McCormick will head to a recount, Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt announced Wednesday. While provisional and mail ballots are still being counted, unofficial results show the race to be

By Marshall Cohen, CNN (CNN) — Eric Hovde, the Wisconsin Republican who nearly unseated Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin, acknowledged this week that he lost the election but also raised questions about the legitimacy of the result as he mulls requesting a recount. Even as they celebrate President-elect Donald Trump’s victory, right-wing figures such as tech

By Haley Talbot, CNN Washington (CNN) — House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul was detained at Dulles Airport earlier this month when he appeared intoxicated after the congressman said he had consumed the sleep aid Ambien and alcohol. During the incident, first reported by Semafor and confirmed to CNN by a spokesperson for the congressman,

By Andrew Kaczynski, CNN (CNN) — New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for US ambassador to the United Nations, is now refusing to stand by her previous push for Ukraine’s NATO membership — a stance she once framed as critical to regional stability. Her office also declined to say whether she still