Donald Trump’s transition team is firefighting serious allegations surrounding two of his top cabinet picks – Matt Gaetz for attorney general and Pete Hegseth for defense secretary.
A woman who gave testimony to the House Ethics Committee probing Gaetz claims that she witnessed him having sex with a minor, her lawyer told ABC. Gaetz denies all wrongdoing.
The investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use against the former Florida representative was dropped after Gaetz immediately resigned from the House on Wednesday following Trump’s decision to nominate him to run the Justice Department.
However, there are growing calls for the ethics report to be released.
It comes as the president-elect’s transition team is reportedly “stunned” by a sexual assault allegation regarding Hegseth that only emerged within 48 hours of announcing him for the top defense job, CNN reports.
Trump’s communications director Steven Cheung told the network that Hegseth “has vigorously denied any and all accusations, and no charges were filed.”
Meanwhile, Trump has announced Karoline Leavitt will be his White House press secretary and tapped Doug Burgum to lead the Interior Department and be chair of the newly-created National Energy Council.
Watch: Trump releases new ad saying ‘everyone thought he was done’ after winning presidency
The President-elect has released a new advert on X today to those who voted for him.
Rhian Lubin16 November 2024 16:36
Woman testified to House Ethics Committee she saw Matt Gaetz have sex with minor, her lawyer says
“My client testified to the House Ethics Committee that she witnessed Matt Gaetz having sex with a minor,” Leppard told the outlet.
Gaetz denies any wrongdoing.
Read the full story below.
Rhian Lubin16 November 2024 15:57
Trump aide in charge of mass deportations threatens ‘shock and awe’ on day one of new administration
Oliver O’Connell16 November 2024 15:00
IN DEPTH: Putin and Trump are deluded about one another – and Ukraine will pay the price
Sir Alex Younger, former chief of MI6 from 2014 to 2020, believes both the incoming president and his Russian counterpart overestimate their ability to influence the other.
“I think Trump overestimates his ability to force Putin into a land swap where Putin clearly wants a lot more, when he feels that he is winning and when he has to show [the Russian people] a lot more if he is to justify the appalling sacrifice he’s imposed,” he says. “Trump is underestimating the challenge and overestimating his influence.”
Oliver O’Connell16 November 2024 14:30
Why is RFK Jr facing pushback to his nomination from the right?
Oliver O’Connell16 November 2024 14:00
ANALYSIS: Trump warned his second term would mean ‘retribution’. His alarming cabinet picks show he means it
Trump’s first wave of cabinet nominations and White House appointments, within the week after he won the 2024 presidential election, have stunned members of Congress, veterans and active-duty service members, public health advocates and democratic advocates, who have warned for years that he is building a government of loyalists to fulfill his campaign-trail promises to deliver “retribution” by destroying the “deep state.”
Oliver O’Connell16 November 2024 13:30
AOC: Tulsi Gabbard’s appointment the most worrisome
Oliver O’Connell16 November 2024 13:00
ANALYSIS: Trump’s controversial cabinet picks will cost him political capital. Will they bankrupt him before he even takes office?
And he appears to be repeating one of Bush’s most infamous mistakes.
Oliver O’Connell16 November 2024 12:00
ICYMI: Speaker says he will ‘strongly request’ committee does not release Gaetz’s ethics report
Oliver O’Connell16 November 2024 11:00
How can Trump can bypass FBI background checks and security clearance for his key cabinet picks?
Incoming cabinet members have traditionally faced intensive screening from the FBI with a binary purpose: to help with the Senate confirmation process and to vet nominees for security clearance.
But, despite established procedure, the president does have the power to bypass such checks and grant immediate security clearance to officials.
Oliver O’Connell16 November 2024 10:00
