House Republicans are currently meeting behind closed doors to hold their leadership elections.
As they trickled out of the room, they have been surprised to learn that President-elect Donald Trump has selected GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz to be his attorney general.
GOP Rep. Don Bacon said: “I got really no good comment”
House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole: “I know nothing about it.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer would not say if he would take any blame for Democrats’ lackluster performance this cycle, during his first Capitol press conference since the elections.
Schumer did not weigh in on Trump’s first announcements for cabinet positions, including Fox News personality Pete Hegseth for defense secretary. “There’ll be time to analyze that later,” he told reporters.
The Democratic leader also congratulated Sen. John Thune on his election as GOP leader for next Congress, when Republicans will take over the majority.
President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Rep. Matt Gaetz as his pick for attorney general, according to a post from Trump on Truth Social.
Trump also described Gaetz as a “deeply gifted and tenacious attorney.”
In a post on X, Gaetz said, “It will be an honor to serve as President Trump’s Attorney General!
Trump’s defense secretary pick served in the US military and attained the rank of major
Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary, served in the US military from October 2002 to March 2021 as a member of the National Guard and attained the rank of major.
As an infantry officer, Hegseth deployed three times overseas. From June 2004 to April 2005, he deployed to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. From September 2005 to July 2006, he deployed to Iraq. From May 2011 to January 2012, he was deployed to Afghanistan.
He has been award two Bronze stars for his service, as well as a number of other awards for his time in the military.
What Biden and Trump’s Oval Office meeting looked like
The White House released photos from Wednesday’s Oval Office meeting between President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump, the one-time 2024 presidential rivals.
One of the photos shows the two in the Oval Office with their respective aides, White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients and incoming White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.
Another photo shows the two standing in the Oval Office with their backs to the camera, looking at the portraits and busts in the office. Biden appears to be looking at the portrait of Lincoln.
A third photo released by the White House shows Trump and Biden walking down the White House East Colonnade, Biden smiling as the two walk toward the Oval Office.
