INSIDER
As Trump picks Florida men for top jobs, new political possibilities open up in the Sunshine State
Read full article: As Trump picks Florida men for top jobs, new political possibilities open up in the Sunshine StateAs President-elect Donald Trump names his picks for his new administration from his private club in Palm Beach and prepares to return to the White House, he’s bringing the Sunshine State with him.
Trump rewards legal defense team, picks lawyer Todd Blanche as No. 2 Justice official
Read full article: Trump rewards legal defense team, picks lawyer Todd Blanche as No. 2 Justice officialPresident-elect Donald Trump has chosen Todd Blanche, an attorney who led the legal team that defended the Republican at his hush money criminal trial, to serve as the second-highest ranking Justice Department official.
What are recess appointments and how could Trump use them to fill his Cabinet?
Read full article: What are recess appointments and how could Trump use them to fill his Cabinet?President-elect Donald Trump is considering recess appointments to skip over Senate confirmations for some of the most powerful positions in the U.S. government.
What Republicans are saying about Matt Gaetz's nomination for attorney general
Read full article: What Republicans are saying about Matt Gaetz's nomination for attorney generalFormer Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz's nomination for attorney general is being met with a variety of reactions from Republicans, including cautious reservation, praise and pointed criticism.
Trump issues early challenge to GOP Senate with defiant nominations
Read full article: Trump issues early challenge to GOP Senate with defiant nominationsJust hours after Republican Sen. John Thune was elected as the incoming Senate majority leader, President-elect Donald Trump presented him with one of his first tests — an announcement that he intends to nominate House Republican Matt Gaetz as attorney general.
Republicans win 218 US House seats, giving Donald Trump and the party control of government
Read full article: Republicans win 218 US House seats, giving Donald Trump and the party control of governmentRepublicans have won enough seats to control the U.S. House, completing the party’s sweep into power and securing their hold on U.S. government alongside President-elect Donald Trump.
Matt Gaetz once faced a sex trafficking investigation by the Justice Department he could now lead
Read full article: Matt Gaetz once faced a sex trafficking investigation by the Justice Department he could now leadPresident-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general, Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, was once embroiled in a sex trafficking investigation by the Justice Department he’s been tapped to lead.
What to know about Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, Trump's pick to serve as attorney general
Read full article: What to know about Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, Trump's pick to serve as attorney generalIn picking Rep. Matt Gaetz as his nominee for attorney general, President-elect Donald Trump is looking to install a fierce loyalist — who has been seen as divisive even within his own party — over some of the more established attorneys whose names had been mentioned for the nation’s top federal prosecutor post.
Trump picks Matt Gaetz for attorney general, Marco Rubio for secretary of state
Read full article: Trump picks Matt Gaetz for attorney general, Marco Rubio for secretary of statePresident-elect Donald Trump says he will nominate Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida to serve as his attorney general, opting for a loyalist who has built a national reputation as a disruptor and has vowed to dramatically overhaul the Justice Department.
Speaker Mike Johnson wins GOP nomination to remain in job, faces full House vote in new year
Read full article: Speaker Mike Johnson wins GOP nomination to remain in job, faces full House vote in new yearRep. Mike Johnson has won the Republican nomination to remain as House speaker, on track to keep the gavel after a morning endorsement from President-elect Donald Trump ahead of a full House vote in the new year.
What to know about airman Roger Fortson's fatal shooting by a Florida sheriff's deputy
Read full article: What to know about airman Roger Fortson's fatal shooting by a Florida sheriff's deputyThe fatal shooting of Roger Fortson by a Florida sheriff’s deputy when the Air Force senior airman opened his door armed with a handgun pointed down happened almost a month ago.
House Republicans ditch their day jobs to stand with Trump, while legislating languishes
Read full article: House Republicans ditch their day jobs to stand with Trump, while legislating languishesLeaving Washington behind, prominent far-right House Republicans who have pushed this Congress into chaos showed up at Donald Trump’s hush money trial.
Matt Gaetz evokes 'standing by' language adopted by Proud Boys as he attends court with Donald Trump
Read full article: Matt Gaetz evokes 'standing by' language adopted by Proud Boys as he attends court with Donald TrumpFlorida congressman Matt Gaetz has evoked language adopted by the far-right Proud Boys extremist group as he supports Donald Trump at his New York hush money trial.
US aid to Ukraine hinges on House Speaker Johnson. His leadership is being tested by the far right
Read full article: US aid to Ukraine hinges on House Speaker Johnson. His leadership is being tested by the far rightU.S. aid for Ukraine is teetering in Congress, and it’s up to House Speaker Mike Johnson to decide what happens next.
Big pay raise for troops in defense bill sent to Biden. Conservatives stymied on cultural issues
Read full article: Big pay raise for troops in defense bill sent to Biden. Conservatives stymied on cultural issuesThe House has passed a defense policy bill that authorizes the biggest pay raise for troops in more than two decades.
Speaker Johnson says he'll make 44,000 hours of Jan. 6 footage available to the general public
Read full article: Speaker Johnson says he'll make 44,000 hours of Jan. 6 footage available to the general publicHouse Speaker Mike Johnson says he plans to publicly release hours of footage from the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
New Speaker Mike Johnson holds favor with conservatives. Can he unite the GOP where others failed?
Read full article: New Speaker Mike Johnson holds favor with conservatives. Can he unite the GOP where others failed?New House Speaker Mike Johnson has inherited many of the same problems that bedeviled Republican leaders with far more experience.
Christian conservatives cheer one of their own as Mike Johnson assumes Congress' most powerful seat
Read full article: Christian conservatives cheer one of their own as Mike Johnson assumes Congress' most powerful seatEvangelical Christian conservatives have long had allies in top Republican leadership in Congress.
Republicans reject Rep. Jim Jordan for House speaker on a first ballot, signaling more turmoil ahead
Read full article: Republicans reject Rep. Jim Jordan for House speaker on a first ballot, signaling more turmoil aheadRepublicans have rejected congressman Jim Jordan for House speaker on the first ballot.
As Republicans split over who will be House speaker, McCarthy positions himself as a de facto leader
Read full article: As Republicans split over who will be House speaker, McCarthy positions himself as a de facto leaderRepublicans have no clear idea who will be U.S. House speaker, leaving an unprecedented power vacuum in Congress.
Trump is inserting himself into the messy race to become the next House speaker. Will it matter?
Read full article: Trump is inserting himself into the messy race to become the next House speaker. Will it matter?Donald Trump’s decision to insert himself into the chaotic race to replace Kevin McCarthy as House Speaker will serve as a test of the former president’s sway with lawmakers as he works to win a second term.
Kevin McCarthy is out as speaker of the House. Here's what's next
Read full article: Kevin McCarthy is out as speaker of the House. Here's what's nextThe House of Representatives has entered uncharted territory after the success of a last-ditch, right-wing effort to remove fellow Republican Kevin McCarthy from the speakership.
Speaker McCarthy ousted in historic House vote, as scramble begins for a Republican leader
Read full article: Speaker McCarthy ousted in historic House vote, as scramble begins for a Republican leaderHouse Speaker Kevin McCarthy has been voted out of the job in an extraordinary showdown, a first in U.S. history.
Rep. Matt Gaetz files motion to oust Speaker Kevin McCarthy, throwing House into new turmoil
Read full article: Rep. Matt Gaetz files motion to oust Speaker Kevin McCarthy, throwing House into new turmoilSpeaker Kevin McCarthy is facing an extraordinary referendum on his leadership of the House after Rep. Matt Gaetz, a longtime critic, moved to launch a vote to oust him from the helm.
Gaetz launches effort to bring down McCarthy, but removing the House speaker is no easy task
Read full article: Gaetz launches effort to bring down McCarthy, but removing the House speaker is no easy taskOne of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's harshest critics is making good on his threat to try to remove the California Republican from his leadership post.
Gaetz says he will seek to oust McCarthy as speaker this week. 'Bring it on,' McCarthy says
Read full article: Gaetz says he will seek to oust McCarthy as speaker this week. 'Bring it on,' McCarthy saysRep. Matt Gaetz says he'll try to remove House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a fellow Republican, from his leadership position this week.
The far right has been feuding with McCarthy for weeks. Here's how it's spiraling into a shutdown
Read full article: The far right has been feuding with McCarthy for weeks. Here's how it's spiraling into a shutdownThe House is in a familiar position with little time left to prevent a government shutdown: It's effectively paralyzed as conservatives feud with Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
McCarthy rejects Senate spending bill while scrambling for a House plan that averts a shutdown
Read full article: McCarthy rejects Senate spending bill while scrambling for a House plan that averts a shutdownHouse Speaker Kevin McCarthy is digging in on his refusal to take up Senate legislation designed to keep the federal government fully running beyond midnight Saturday.
White House preparing for government shutdown as House Republicans lack a viable endgame for funding
Read full article: White House preparing for government shutdown as House Republicans lack a viable endgame for fundingThe White House has direct federal agencies to get ready for a shutdown after House Republicans left town for the weekend with no viable plan to keep the government funded.
Angry and frustrated, McCarthy challenges right-flank colleagues to try to oust him from his post
Read full article: Angry and frustrated, McCarthy challenges right-flank colleagues to try to oust him from his postHouse Speaker Kevin McCarthy is telling fellow Republicans threatening to oust him: Go ahead and try.
Vivek Ramaswamy proposes mass federal layoffs as more GOP hopefuls look to slash US government
Read full article: Vivek Ramaswamy proposes mass federal layoffs as more GOP hopefuls look to slash US governmentRepublican presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy says he wants to reduce the federal employee headcount by half in his first year in office and by 75% during his first term if he makes it to the White House.
House Republicans push off Biden impeachment bid for now as hard-right clamors for action
Read full article: House Republicans push off Biden impeachment bid for now as hard-right clamors for actionHard-right House Republicans pressing to impeach President Joe Biden forced a vote Thursday that sends an impeachment measure to House committees.
House conservatives block GOP bills, voice frustration in response to last week's debt ceiling vote
Read full article: House conservatives block GOP bills, voice frustration in response to last week's debt ceiling voteEleven House conservatives have staged a mini-revolt as part of the fallout from last week’s vote to lift the debt ceiling.
Drag shows on US military bases canceled by Pentagon after Republican criticism
Read full article: Drag shows on US military bases canceled by Pentagon after Republican criticismPresident Joe Biden’s administration has stopped U.S. military bases from hosting drag shows after criticism from some Republicans.
Look who's talking: Biden mostly mum in debt negotiations, while McCarthy can't stop chatting
Read full article: Look who's talking: Biden mostly mum in debt negotiations, while McCarthy can't stop chattingPresident Joe Biden has made a deliberate decision to go quiet as his team gets down to the wire in the debt-limit talks, according to White House officials.
GOP leaders start laying groundwork for more Ukraine aid
Read full article: GOP leaders start laying groundwork for more Ukraine aidRepublicans assuming new positions of leadership in the House and Senate are not waiting for the next funding debate over Ukraine to begin making the case for why the U.S. should continue supporting the war-torn nation.
Chaos in the House: McCarthy's plea, and begging for votes
Read full article: Chaos in the House: McCarthy's plea, and begging for votesJust one vote short of becoming speaker of the House, Republican leader Kevin McCarthy stood up from his chair and asked the defiant Matt Gaetz to change his vote from “present” to “McCarthy.”.
Jan. 6 takeaways: Final revelations from investigation
Read full article: Jan. 6 takeaways: Final revelations from investigationInterview transcripts released by House investigators in recent days give further insight into the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection and the weeks leading up to it, as Donald Trump tried to overturn his defeat in the presidential election.
2 New York Democrats ousted from US House in primary losses
Read full article: 2 New York Democrats ousted from US House in primary lossesTwo New York Democrats were ousted from the U.S. House in primary elections Tuesday after redistricting shuffled congressional districts in one of the nation’s largest liberal states.
Pentagon leaders testily defend efforts on racism, extremism
Read full article: Pentagon leaders testily defend efforts on racism, extremismTop Pentagon leaders are defending the military’s approach to addressing racism and extremism and pushing back against accusations by Republican lawmakers that the effort is creating division and hurting morale.
Gaetz associate pleads guilty to sex trafficking charges
Read full article: Gaetz associate pleads guilty to sex trafficking chargesA Florida politician who emerged as a central figure in the Justice Department’s sex trafficking investigation into Rep. Matt Gaetz has pleaded guilty to six federal charges and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors as part of a plea deal.
Gaetz associate agrees to cooperate in federal investigation
Read full article: Gaetz associate agrees to cooperate in federal investigationA Florida politician who is a central figure in the federal sex trafficking investigation into Rep. Matt Gaetz has agreed to cooperate with federal investigators.
How the Gaetz probe grew from sex trafficking to medical pot
Read full article: How the Gaetz probe grew from sex trafficking to medical potBefore Matt Gaetz rose to national prominence as an ardent backer of Donald Trump, the now-Florida congressman carved out an unusual reputation as a Republican state lawmaker who wanted to liberalize marijuana laws.
Gaetz, Greene flaunt new paths to power, testing GOP leaders
Read full article: Gaetz, Greene flaunt new paths to power, testing GOP leadersFlorida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz and Georgia GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene are presenting top House Republicans with a test of how to handle a new breed of Trump-era, social media-savvy firebrands.
Gaetz, Greene flaunt new paths to power, testing GOP leaders
Read full article: Gaetz, Greene flaunt new paths to power, testing GOP leadersFlorida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz and Georgia GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene are presenting top House Republicans with a test of how to handle a new breed of Trump-era, social media-savvy firebrands.
Gaetz and DeSantis: A friendship that may become a liability
Read full article: Gaetz and DeSantis: A friendship that may become a liabilityThe investigation into Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz threatens to become a liability for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as he runs for reelection ahead of a possible presidential bid in 2024.
Gaetz vows to fight, tries to stay on offensive amid scandal
Read full article: Gaetz vows to fight, tries to stay on offensive amid scandalFlorida Rep. Matt Gaetz, who is embroiled in a federal sex trafficking investigation, has denied wrongdoing and refused to resign — or even lay low — amid mounting political pressure.
Gaetz associate working toward plea deal with prosecutors
Read full article: Gaetz associate working toward plea deal with prosecutorsAn associate of Rep. Matt Gaetz's is working toward a plea deal with federal prosecutors investigating a sex trafficking operation, potentially escalating the legal and political jeopardy facing the Florida congressman.
Pelosi: Remove Rep. Gaetz from committee if claims are true
Read full article: Pelosi: Remove Rep. Gaetz from committee if claims are trueRep. Matt Gaetz is facing accusations of a sexual relationship with an underage girl, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says if the claims are true, then the Florida Republican should at a minimum be removed from the House Judiciary Committee.
Gaetz staying on Judiciary panel, despite investigation
Read full article: Gaetz staying on Judiciary panel, despite investigationDemocrats called for him to step aside from the House Judiciary Committee, which oversees the Justice Department. AdDuring that time, he has remained on both the House Armed Services Committee and on the Judiciary Committee, which has congressional oversight of the Justice Department. The Justice Department has also been looking into whether Gaetz, 38, may have also been involved in relationships with other underage girls, the people said. Gaetz said the allegations were part of an extortion plot by a former Justice Department official, whom he identified as David McGee. The Justice Department did not comment.
Gala ignites political dispute over COVID-19 restrictions
Read full article: Gala ignites political dispute over COVID-19 restrictionsThe New Jersey restaurant that hosted the political gala put on by the New York Republican Club was ordered temporarily closed Friday, Dec. 4, 2020, over potential violations of coronavirus guidelines. (Courtesy New York Republican Club via AP)A New Jersey restaurant that hosted a political gala put on by a New York Republican club was ordered temporarily closed Friday over potential violations of coronavirus guidelines. Phil Murphy, also a Democrat, has tightened restrictions on indoor gatherings recently in response to a surge in COVID-19 cases. New York Young Republican Club President Gavin Wax scoffed at the criticism online, saying the group had done nothing wrong. New York state reported 30,000.
LIVE STREAM: Republican National Convention Day 1
Read full article: LIVE STREAM: Republican National Convention Day 1(Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)WASHINGTON Watch live coverage of the Republican National Convention as President Donald Trump is officially nominated as the partys candidate for president. Featured speakers include Sen. Tim Scott, House Republican Whip Steve Scalise, Rep. Matt Gaetz, Rep. Jim Jordan, Former Ambassador Nikki Haley. Watch live coverage at 8 p.m.:
Conservatives lash out at Liz Cheney over Trump criticism
Read full article: Conservatives lash out at Liz Cheney over Trump criticismRepublican Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio noted Cheney's criticism of Trump on defense and foreign policy and accused her of not supporting the president on his coronavirus response. Leading the criticism was Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, who recounted the confrontation on his podcast, Hot Takes with Matt Gaetz, shortly after it happened. He also tweeted about Cheney, who is the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, and said she should step down from her post as head of the GOP conference. Liz Cheney has worked behind the scenes (and now in public) against @realDonaldTrump and his agenda, Gaetz tweeted. House Republicans deserve better as our Conference Chair.
Ethics panel clears Rep. Gaetz in lease for district office
Read full article: Ethics panel clears Rep. Gaetz in lease for district office(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)WASHINGTON The Office of Congressional Ethics has recommended no further action against a Florida congressman who is paying a donor and former legal client $5,000 a month to rent space for his district office. The independent office has ended a preliminary investigation after finding insufficient evidence to continue the case against Rep. Matt Gaetz. The two-term lawmaker has said he did nothing wrong and that the lease is at or below market rate.The Office of Congressional Ethics opened the inquiry after news reports about the leasing arrangement surfaced in April. The office is a nonpartisan entity that reviews allegations of misconduct against House members, officers and staff, and makes recommendation to the House Ethics Committee. Merrill owns Empire Partners, L.L.C, the company that has billed him for the rent since Gaetz took office in 2017.
Trump to host World Series champion Nationals at White House
Read full article: Trump to host World Series champion Nationals at White HousePresident Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump, third from left, arrive for Game 5 of the World Series baseball game between the Houston Astros and the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park in Washington, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2019. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)WASHINGTON, DC President Donald Trump will welcome the come-from-behind Washington Nationals who will celebrate their World Series victory Monday on the South Lawn of the White House. The Nationals beat the Houston Astros 6-2 on Wednesday to clinch the title in Game 7 of the World Series. They are the first World Series winner with all four victories on the road. ___This story has been updated to correct 2nd paragraph to Nationals as first World Series winner with all four victories on the road.