Trump news live: Cabinet picks party at Mar-a-Lago as president-elects jokes about Elon Musk’s stay

Donald Trump joked about his new bromance with billionaire Elon Musk at Mar-a-Lago, after appointing him to fix government effiiciency.

‘I believe in high IQs and his is as high as it can get. What a job he does. He likes this place, I can’t get him out of here! He likes this place,’ Trump said.

At the end of the event, Musk mounted the stage.

‘The public has given us a mandate that could not be more clear. The people have spoken, the people want change,’ he said.

Musk has been a constant presence at Trump’s club since the results of the presidential election came in on November 5.

Since then he has been at Trump’s side and the president-elect’s granddaughter has even referred to him as ‘uncle’.

Donald Trump hosted a star-studded Mar-a-Lago bash where he issued a stark warning to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. while announcing a novel plan to start his presidency two months early.

The president-elect gave a speech at the America First Policy Conference Thursday night as guests including Sylvester Stallone attended the gala at his Palm Beach, Florida club.

Trump addressed the stars of the conservative movement and singled out his selection to lead Health and Human Services.

‘Today I nominated him for, I guess, if you like health and you like people that live a long time, it’s the most important position,’ Trump said about RFK Jr.

He then issued five words of caution to the former Democrat.

‘Don’t get too popular, Bobby,’ he said.

Trump added: ‘You know, you’ve reached about the level. We want you to come up with things and ideas and what you’ve been talking about for a long time, and I think you’re going to do some unbelievable things. Nobody’s going to be able to do it like you, and boy does he feel it in his heart.’

Donald Trump’s whirlwind cabinet selection process is continuing to accelerate, with potential Treasury pick Scott Bessent expected at Mar-a-Lago today.

Bessent is a wealthy investor who previously worked for Soros Fund Management, the firm overseen by billionaire George Soros. He was a top fundraiser for Trump’s campaign and has deep Trump family ties, having been friends with Trump’s late brother Robert.

In case Trump had any doubts Bessent would align with his push to slap big tariffs on imports, he penned an op-ed for Fox News where he wrote that ‘tariffs have a long and storied history as both a revenue-raising tool and a way of protecting strategically important industries in the U.S.’ He is being backed publicly by Trump ally Steve Bannon, after breaking his silence about the job days ago. He also told the network ‘I think under Donald Trump we can have a golden age for the next four years.’

But in a twist that echoes Dick Cheney’s famous VP search for George W. Bush, Trump transition co-chair Howard Lutnick is also interested in the job. He is the CEO of investment firm Cantor Fitzgerald, and has been helping Trump sort through applications for top government jobs.

Pete Hegseth, the Fox News host picked by Donald Trump to become Secretary of Defense, was investigated over a sexual assault allegation in 2017, according to multiple reports.

Officials in Monterey, California released a brief statement about the alleged incident.

It occurred between midnight and 7am on October 8, 2017 at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel.

A police report was filed with Monterey Police Department several days later.

The alleged victim was described as having ‘contusions to right thigh’.

Timothy Parlatore, a former Trump lawyer, told Vanity Fair: ‘This allegation was already investigated by the Monterey police department and they found no evidence for it.’

Vanity Fair reported that Hegseth told the Trump team the incident was a consensual sexual encounter.

Trump communications director Steven Cheung said: ‘Mr. Hegseth has vigorously denied any and all accusations and no charges were filed.

‘We look forward to his confirmation as United States Secretary of Defense so he can get started on Day One to Make America Safe and Great Again.”

Three people ‘with knowledge of the matter’ told Axios the current ambassador to Japan is eyeing a run to replace Jaime Harrison, who is believed unlikely to seek a second term that begins in March, Axios reported.

Observers agree that the Democrats’ stunning loss of the White House and Senate while allowing Republicans to keep control of the House of Representatives this month ensures there will be a change of the DNC leadership.

‘If they said, “Well, what should we do? Who should lead the party?” I would take Ambassador Rahm Emanuel, and I would bring him back from Japan and I would appoint him chairman of the Democratic National Committee,’ Axelrod, a CNN regular, said on his podcast, ‘Hacks on Tap.’

Emanuel does come with baggage, however, especially during a tumltuous term as mayor of Chicago that saw public outcry over the handling of the fatal shooting of a black teen by a whiten police officer and for a family trip to Cuba during the travel ban.

And some in the party may be wary of falling back to the Obama handlers for a solution to the current disarray after years of catering to the pressures of its progressive flank.

Axios noted that Emanuel’s ‘don’t take no for an answer’ energy could also be a double-edge sword – seen as an asset for the role by some while his brash style could also hurt his chance to become chairman.

In order to become a confirmed Cabinet official, a nominee must receive support from the majority of senators during a floor vote usually following a hearing.

But Trump declared on Truth Social that he wants to use the ‘recess appointment’ process in order to get his Cabinet picks into office more quickly.

Billionaires Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy have started hiring for their newly formed Department of Government Efficiency, but applicants must be subscribed to X to submit their resumes.

President-elect Donald Trump tapped the Tesla CEO and former Republican presidential candidate duo to run the newly-created department dubbed DOGE on Tuesday.

Trump said DOGE the duo will ‘dismantle’ the $6.5 trillion federal government by co-leading the ‘Manhattan Project of our time.’

The department announced on X – owned by Musk – that they are hiring team members.

One of the requirements for applicants is to pay for a premium membership to the platform so they can submit their resumes.

‘We are very grateful to the thousands of Americans who have expressed interest in helping us at DOGE. We don’t need more part-time idea generators,’ DOGE said.

‘If that’s you, DM this account with your CV. Elon & Vivek will review the top 1% of applicants.’

Users must pay for a verified X account to send messages to DOGE. The premium level membership, which costs $84 annually, gives users a verified account.

Sylvester Stallone compared Donald Trump to the Founding Fathers, calling him ‘the second George Washington’ at a star-studded Mar-a-Lago bash.

The legendary actor, 78, introduced the president with high praise Thursday night at a party for the America First Policy Conference.

He started by talking about how his fictional character Rocky was ‘gonna go through a metamorphosis and change lives, just like President Trump.’

Then he made a remark about Trump that was out of this world.

‘We are in the presence of a really mythical character. I love mythology and this individual does not exist on this planet,’ Stallone said. ‘Nobody on earth could have pulled off what he pulled off. I am in awe.’

Amid the applause, he finished by comparing Trump to one of America’s founding fathers.

‘I’ll just say this and I mean it, when George Washington defended his country, he had no idea that he was gonna change the world because without him, you could imagine what the world would look like,’ he said.

‘Guess what? We got the second coming of George Washington. Congratulations!’

Cardi B hit back at critics who claim she was paid to appear at a Kamala Harris’ campaign rally in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and endorse the vice president.

The hip-star spoke out as several celebrities have come under fire for receiving payment after making key endorsements on the campaign trail.

Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Productions was paid $1 million for a town hall event in Michigan where she endorsed Harris.

But Cardi B swore on her three children that she did not receive money for the celebrity appearance.

‘I didn’t get paid a dollar and that’s on my three!!’ she wrote on social media in response to a question from conservative show host Candace Owens.

‘I actually came out of pocket for glam and travel because it’s somewhere I wanted to be,’ she said.

Addressing Owens, Cardi B added, ‘Like please girl you know damn well I’ll argue you down about politics FOR FREE.’

Other celebrities who endorsed Harris and participated in campaign events included Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Eminem, Lizzo, and Megan Thee Stallion.

Under fire from critics including her hometown Chicago newspaper, Oprah Winfrey is now seeking to explain the $1 million fee paid to her production company for a town hall event supporting Kamala Harris.

Before the election, Winfrey’s Harpo Productions helped stage a star-studded town hall event for the vice president in Michigan as the billionaire entertainment mogul enthusiastically endorsed Harris to be the next president of the United States.

The Harris campaign footed the bill for organizing the town hall and made a $1 million payment to Winfrey’s production company, Harpo Productions.

When first publicly confronted by TMZ with the news on Monday, Winfrey appeared to give a denial.

‘Not true’ she said, when a cameraman asked her about the payment. ‘I was paid nothing. Ever.’

But Winfrey is now scrambling to clarify her remarks in an Instagram post on The Shade Room show account.

‘Usually I am reluctant to respond to rumors in general, but these days I realize that if you don’t stop a lie, it just gets bigger,’ she wrote.

Winfrey said her production team billed the $1 million fee to the Harris campaign to host the Michigan event on her behalf.

Ilhan Omar had no patience or good graces for a pro-Israel protester who told her to ‘Go to Gaza, sweetheart.’

Omar has been accused of antisemitism and anti Israeli-sentiment during her time in Congress, even being kicked off the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Since the October 7 terror attack on Israeli soil that killed over 1,000 innocent civilians, Omar has lobbied for a cut in military aid to Israel and a ceasefire between the Jewish state and Hamas.

On Wednesday, she faced protesters near Capitol Hill hectoring her about her anti-Israeli views, with one telling her: ‘Go to Gaza, sweetheart.’

Omar’s response was brief and blunt: ‘F**k you!’

The protests came from the pro-Israeli group US Betar, which had been questioning Omar as she was heading from her office to an elevator.

‘Why do you stand with Hamas? Why don’t you condemn Hamas? Do you like Hamas and Hezbollah?’

After Omar’s vulgar response, she immediately gets in the elevator and the doors close.

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz did not commit to backing Matt Gaetz for attorney general when asked Thursday.

Cruz demurring on the matter is the latest incident highlighting Congress’ hesitancy to get behind Donald Trump’s nominee.

Both Republicans and Democrats have bristled at the idea Gaetz could be the top law enforcement official in the U.S.

When Newsmax host Bianca de la Garza pressed Cruz on whether he would vote for Gaetz on Thursday, Cruz avoided answering head on, saying instead he’d rather the former Florida lawmaker go through confirmation hearings first.

‘The question is, will he make it through confirmation? Will you vote to confirm him? What do you think of him as a pick?’ de la Garza asked.

Cruz did not answer ‘yes.’

The Republican replied: ‘As for that particular nomination, look, we have a process under the Constitution where the Senate provides advice and consent. And I trust that process.’

‘That nominee, like every other will, will have a vigorous vetting, will have confirmation hearings. And every nominee is going to be going to be judged on the merits.’

A woman reportedly testified to the House Ethics Committee that Matt Gaetz had sex with her when she was 17 years old.

Gaetz had been the subject of a yearslong House Ethics Committee probe for alleged drug use and sexual misconduct.

But he resigned from Congress on Wednesday after Donald Trump announced him as his pick for attorney general, sparking backlash.

Gaetz’s resignation leaves the Ethics Committee without jurisdiction over the Florida Republican, even as the panel was set to vote on Friday on whether it would release its report on the investigation it conducted.

The committee apparently subpoenaed the woman – now in her 20s – at the center of the sex probe this summer.

She sat for multiple days of testimony where she talked about Gaetz and her having sex when she was a minor in high school, sources close to the probe told ABC News.

The accuser reportedly ‘represented that she was an adult’ on the website where she met Gaetz’s friend Joel Greenberg, who in 2022 was sentenced to 11 years in prison for sex trafficking a minor.

‘These allegations are invented and would constitute false testimony to Congress. This false smear following a three-year criminal investigation should be viewed with great skepticism,’ Gaetz said in a statement.

Donald Trump’s nomination of Robert F Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services sent shares of major drug companies crashing today.

Moderna stock tumbled seven percent following the announcement of RFK Jr as his most senior health chief, as Pfizer’s fell three percent and Novavax saw its shares drop five percent.

The idea of one of the country’s foremost vaccine skeptics heading up health policy has many health experts in government nervous, but he has earned praise from the left and right for his plans to crack down on harmful food ingredients that aren’t allowed abroad and emphasize exercise and healthy eating over taking pills.

As HHS boss, Kennedy would be in charge of America’s three healthcare agencies — the CDC, FDA and the NIH —and would have the power to bring in many of those changes and more.

Kennedy’s ‘Make America Healthy Again’ tapped into the frustration at the fact that the US spends more on healthcare than any other country yet is among the sickest, with a lower life expectancy than peer nations like the UK, Canada and Australia.

He claims this contradiction is being driven by corporate interests putting profits over Americans’ health when it comes to vaccines, medications and food and drink.

Kennedy has promised to purge swathes of the workforce at the country’s health agencies and stem the revolving door of staff leaving to lobby for food and drug companies.

Donald Trump announced on Thursday that North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum – a wealthy former software company executive – would be his pick to head the Interior Department.

Trump was speaking on stage during a gala at his Mar-a-Lago resort when he seemed to debate whether he would spoil the surprise early, before naming Burgum.

‘He’s going to head the Department of Interior, and it’s going to be fantastic,’ a tuxedo-wearing Trump said, adding that he would make an official announcement on Friday.

We have a big announcement and I won’t tell you the exact name, I think he’s an incredible person, he’s got an unbelievable wife named Kathryn,’ Trump said.

‘So I won’t tell you his name, it might be something like Burgum, he’s from North Dakota. He’s going to be announced tomorrow for a big position.’

Trump then acknowledged Burgum, who was in the crowd for the star-studded party at the America First Policy Conference.

‘We’re gonna do things with energy and with land, interior, that is going to be incredible and so I look forward to doing the formal announcement, although this is a pretty big announcement right now,’ Trump added.

He then congratulated Kathryn Burgum before once again promising the official announcement Friday.