President-elect and Republicans say they have a . But an uneasy question is emerging: Will there be any room for dissent in the U.S. Congress?
Even before taking office, Trump is , in particular, to dare defy him over the nominations of , and other controversial choices for his .
Follow the AP鈥檚 Election 2024 coverage at: .
Here鈥檚 the latest:
Key Nevada swing county certifies election results
A key swing county in Nevada voted 3-1 Friday to certify the election results, months after it initially refused to sign off on the primary results.
Washoe County later reversed course on the primary when county lawyers made clear that state law mandates approval absent clerical errors.
Commissioners Friday heard more than two hours of public comment that ranged from praise for transparency in ballot counting to criticism of unsubstantiated claims of mishandling computer thumb drives, unsecured piles of ballots and scanners subject to cyber hacking. One woman warned commissioners that 鈥淧resident Trump will be coming for you鈥� if they certified the vote.
In Clark County, home to Las Vegas, commissioners certified the results after more than an hour of public comment, including election conspiracy theorists twice breaking into the pledge of allegiance in unison. Some thanked the county commissioners for running a smooth election while others questioned how Donald Trump and the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, Sam Bown, lost in the county despite Trump winning the state.
All 17 counties in Nevada certified election results that now go to the secretary of state鈥檚 office for the statewide canvass set for Nov. 26. Losing candidates have until Nov. 20 to request a recount.
Trump taps campaign press secretary Karoline Leavitt for same post in White House
President-elect Donald Trump has named Karoline Leavitt, his campaign press secretary, to serve as his White House press secretary.
Leavitt, 27, currently a spokesperson for Trump鈥檚 transition, would be the youngest White House press secretary in history. That distinction previously went to Ronald Ziegler, who was 29 when he took the position in 1969 in Richard Nixon鈥檚 administration.
Trump said Friday in a statement that Leavitt did a 鈥減henomenal job鈥� on his campaign, describing her as 鈥渟mart, tough鈥� and as someone who 鈥渉as proven to be a highly effective communicator.鈥�
The White House press secretary typically serves as the public face of the administration and historically has held daily briefings for the press corps.
Leavitt, a New Hampshire native, is seen as a staunch and camera-ready advocate for Trump who is quick on her feet and delivers aggressive defenses of the Republican in television interviews.
She was a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump, before joining his 2024 campaign. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing to incumbent Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas.
During Trump鈥檚 first term in office, Leavitt worked in the White House press office. She then became communications director for New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, whom Trump has tapped to serve as his U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
Jill Biden gets building named for her at Delaware community college where she used to teach
First lady Jill Biden鈥檚 name is now on a building at the Delaware community college where she once taught.
Biden attended Friday鈥檚 dedication of the Jill T. Biden Student Success Center at Delaware Technical Community College 鈥� Stanton Campus in Newark, Delaware.
She started teaching English at Delaware Tech in 1993 and left in 2009 after her husband, Joe Biden, became vice president and they moved to Washington. She then started teaching English and writing at Northern Virginia Community College鈥檚 campus in Alexandria, which she has continued while she serving as first lady.
Biden often says teaching 鈥渋sn鈥檛 just what I do, it鈥檚 who I am.鈥�
鈥淚 tell my students that you never know where life will take you and today is my own reminder of that,鈥� she said at the dedication ceremony. 鈥淓ven though Joe and I have been to God knows how many dedication ceremonies, I never imagined that anything would be named after me.鈥�
A plaque bearing her likeness also was unveiled.
Larry Kudlow will not be in next Trump administration
Larry Kudlow, the Fox Business host who served as Trump鈥檚 former director of the National Economic Council, will not be taking a job in his next administration.
Fox 撸奶社区 Media said in a statement Friday that Kudlow 鈥渞ecently signed a new deal to continue hosting his eponymous program on FOX Business and has no plans to leave his current role helming one of the highest rated shows on the network.鈥�
Kudlow had been considered a possible contender to lead the National Economic Council or the Treasury Department.
Trump defense pick had been flagged by fellow service member as possible 鈥業nsider Threat鈥�
Pete Hegseth, the Army National Guard veteran and Fox 撸奶社区 host , was flagged as a possible 鈥淚nsider Threat鈥� by a fellow service member due to a tattoo he has that鈥檚 associated with white supremacist groups.
Hegseth, who has downplayed the role of military members and veterans in the and railed against the Pentagon鈥檚 subsequent efforts to address extremism in the ranks, has said he was pulled by his District of Columbia National Guard unit from guarding Joe Biden鈥檚 January 2021 inauguration. He鈥檚 said he was unfairly identified as an extremist due to a cross tattoo on his chest.
This week, however, a fellow Guard member who was the unit鈥檚 security manager and on an anti-terrorism team at the time, shared with The Associated Press an email he sent to the unit鈥檚 leadership flagging that鈥檚 been used by white supremacists, concerned it was an indication of an 鈥淚nsider Threat.鈥�
Trump officially taps North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum to serve as Secretary of the Interior
Trump has also picked Burgum to serve as chair of a new National Energy Council.
Trump had revealed his cabinet pick at a gala Thursday night, but issued a statement Friday confirming his pick.
He says the new energy council Burgum will lead will be 鈥渧ery important鈥� and consist of all departments and agencies involved in energy permitting, production, generation, distribution, regulation and transportation.
鈥淭his Council will oversee the path to U.S. ENERGY DOMINANCE by cutting red tape, enhancing private sector investments across all sectors of the Economy, and by focusing on INNOVATION over longstanding, but totally unnecessary, regulation,鈥� he said.
Burgum will also have a seat on the National Security Council, he says.
Trump ran on a platform of dramatically expending gas and oil drilling, often repeating the mantra, 鈥淒rill baby, drill.鈥�
Burgum grew close to Trump during the campaign and the governor was one of Trump鈥檚 finalists for running mate.
President-elect Trump has added two new people to his White House staff
Steven Cheung will be communications director and Sergio Gor will run the personnel office. Both have worked with Trump for years and their positions could prove highly influential in the new administration.
Speaker Johnson says he 鈥榮trongly request鈥� Ethics Committee not release its report on Gaetz
House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters Friday the House Ethics Committee should not release its highly-anticipated report into now former Rep. Matt Gaetz after his nomination to be attorney general.
鈥淚鈥檓 going to strongly request that the Ethics Committee not issue the report, because that is not the way we do things in the House,鈥� Johnson said. 鈥淎nd I think that would be a terrible precedent to set.鈥�
His comments are a departure from his remarks Wednesday, when he said, 鈥淭he Speaker of the House is not involved in that and can鈥檛 be involved in that.鈥�
This comes as the bipartisan panel faces growing pressure from the Senate to conclude its years-long probe into the Florida Republican and release the findings in a report before his Cabinet confirmation process begins. But now that Gaetz has resigned from Congress, the committee technically has no jurisdiction over him and would have to conclude its investigation. It鈥檚 unclear if lawmakers will vote to release the report anyway given the circumstances.
Trump鈥檚 pick to lead Defense Department was accused of sexual assault in 2017
Pete Hegseth, a popular Fox 撸奶社区 host who is Donald Trump鈥檚 nominee to lead the Department of Defense, was accused of sexual assault in 2017 after a speaking appearance at a Republican women鈥檚 event in Monterey, California, according to a statement released by the city. No charges were filed in the case.
Hegseth鈥檚 attorney, Timothy Parlatore, told The Associated Press the allegations were 鈥渃ompletely false.鈥�
鈥淭his was investigated by the police at the time and they found no evidence,鈥� Parlatore said.
Monterey City officials declined to release a police report that documented the accusations and instead issued Thursday night in response to press inquiries.
Sen. Dick Durbin: Trump's Justice Department picks show he'll 鈥榳eaponize鈥� the department
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin, D-Ill., says President-elect Donald Trump鈥檚 picks to lead the Justice Department show 鈥渉e intends to weaponize the Justice Department to seek vengeance.鈥�
Trump this week announced he intends to nominate former Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz, one of his fiercest defenders in Congress, as attorney general and two of his personal lawyers, Todd Blanche and John Sauer, as deputy attorney general and solicitor general. Blanche led the legal team that defended Trump at his hush money trial earlier this year and Sauer successfully argued his presidential immunity case before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Durbin said Trump 鈥渧iewed the Justice Department as his personal law firm during his first term鈥� and that the picks show that they're poised to 鈥渄o his bidding.鈥�
鈥淭he American people deserve a Justice Department that fights for equal justice under the law,鈥� Durbin said. 鈥淭his isn鈥檛 it.鈥�
Trump wants to end 鈥榳okeness鈥� in education. He's vowed to use federal money as leverage
vision for education revolves around a single goal: to rid America鈥檚 schools of perceived 鈥� 鈥� and 鈥渓eft-wing indoctrination.鈥�
The president-elect wants to forbid classroom lessons on gender identity and structural racism. He wants to abolish offices. He wants to keep out of girls鈥� sports.
Throughout his campaign, the Republican depicted schools as a political battleground to be won back from the left. Now that he鈥檚 won the White House, he plans to use federal money as leverage to advance across the nation.
Trump鈥檚 education plan pledges to cut funding for schools that defy him on a multitude of issues.
Hakeem Jeffries says transparency is always best when it comes to high-ranking officials
But he鈥檚 not ready to declare whether the House Ethics Committee should give its investigative report of former Rep. Matt Gaetz to senators weighing his nomination for attorney general.
Jeffries says he needs to speak with the lead Democrat on the panel and he doesn鈥檛 want to get ahead of that discussion.
Jeffries also says he won鈥檛 respond to every Trump nomination or statement, calling it a 鈥渄istraction.鈥� He encouraged the Senate to fulfill its constitutional responsibilities.
鈥淎dvice and consent should mean something. It certainly doesn鈥檛 mean rolling over and giving any administration, Democratic or Republican, what they want,鈥� Jeffries said.
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries questions Trump's Cabinet picks
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries says Donald Trump promised on the campaign trail that America would have the best administration possible, but his nominees so far raise the question of whether the president-elect is fulfilling that promise.
Speaking to reporters Friday, Jeffries particularly singled out Trump鈥檚 choice of anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.
鈥淚s Robert F. Kennedy Jr., by way of example, the best America has to offer? Will he and others give us the best opportunity to make a difference in the lives of the American people?"
He says the answer is clear.
Transgender-rights advocates say the election of Trump and his allies marks a major setback
for Donald Trump and other candidates whose reinforced a widespread backlash against trans rights. For America鈥檚 movement, it adds up to one of the most sustained setbacks in its history.
For transgender Americans, it鈥檚 personal: There is palpable fear of potential steps to further marginalize them. But there's also a spirit of resilience 鈥� a determination to persevere in seeking acceptance and understanding.
鈥淚 just went through an election where I couldn鈥檛 watch a sports event on TV without seeing a commercial where trans people were portrayed as monsters,鈥� said Jennifer Finney Boylan, a transgender author who teaches at Barnard College in New York.
Anti-trans momentum has been growing for several years, with Republican-governed states enacting dozens of laws restricting trans people鈥檚 options for medical care, sports participation and public restroom access.
Voters held divided views on Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
That's according to AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 120,000 voters nationwide. About 4 in 10 voters had a very or somewhat favorable opinion of Kennedy, and roughly 4 in 10 had a very or somewhat unfavorable view. Slightly more than 1 in 10 did not know enough about Kennedy to have an opinion.
Kennedy鈥檚 anti-vaccine stance may be at odds with many voters鈥� interests, if he鈥檚 confirmed to lead the Health and Human Services Department. About half of voters said they wanted the government to be 鈥渕ore involved鈥� in ensuring children are vaccinated for childhood diseases. About one-quarter said the government鈥檚 current involvement is 鈥渁bout right,鈥� and only about 2 in 10 wanted the government less involved. Roughly 3 in 10 parents of children under 18 years old want the government less involved, compared to about 2 in 10 voters without children under 18.
About 6 in 10 voters said they wanted the government more involved in ensuring that Americans have health care coverage, and a similar share said they wanted the government to take a bigger role in forgiving medical debt. About three-quarters wanted the government more involved in lowering the cost of prescription drugs. In an election where pocketbook concerns were a primary focus, more than half of voters said they were 鈥渧ery concerned鈥� about their health care costs.
WHO says global vaccine efforts have saved an estimated 154 million lives
In a report released in April, the U.N.鈥檚 World Health Organization said global immunization efforts have saved an estimated 154 million lives over the past half-century, roughly equivalent to six lives every minute of every year. More than 101 million lives were those of children.
Asked in Geneva on Friday about the nomination of anti-vaccine activist to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, WHO spokesperson Dr. Margaret Harris told reporters it鈥檚 up to member countries 鈥� the U.S. is one of the biggest funders and sources of technical support to the U.N. agency 鈥� to decide who they appoint.
She also said vaccines were 鈥渁bsolutely critical鈥� to good health outcomes.
鈥淰accines are the reason so many more of us have survived to adulthood than we ever did before,鈥� said Harris. 鈥淰accine-preventable diseases have disappeared in the communities 鈥� where vaccination has been widely available and has been widely taken up.鈥�
Trump is already testing Congress and daring Republicans to oppose him
After a resounding , delivering what President-elect and Republicans said is a , an uneasy political question is emerging: Will there be any room for dissent in the U.S. Congress?
Trump is laying down a gauntlet even before taking office , in particular, to dare defy him over the nominations of , and other controversial choices for his .
The promise of , with the Republican Party鈥檚 sweep of the White House and , is making way for a more complicated political reality as congressional leaders confront anew what it means to line up with Trump鈥檚 agenda.
The Associated Press
