Hegseth served in the US Army and did tours in Guantanamo Bay, Iraq and Afghanistan
Pete Hegseth has been selected by President-elect Trump to serve as his secretary of defense.
“I am honored to announce that I have nominated Pete Hegseth to serve in my Cabinet as The Secretary of Defense. Pete has spent his entire life as a Warrior for the Troops, and for the Country. Pete is tough, smart and a true believer in America First,” Trump said in a statement.
“Pete is tough, smart and a true believer in America First. With Pete at the helm, America’s enemies are on notice – Our Military will be Great Again, and America will Never Back Down,” Trump said. “Nobody fights harder for the Troops, and Pete will be a courageous and patriotic champion of our ‘Peace through Strength’ policy.”
Elon and Vivek making changes to the Federal Bureaucracy… They will work together to liberate our Economy, and make the U.S. Government accountable to “WE THE PEOPLE.”
President-elect Donald Trump announced he has picked Tesla CEO and X owner Elon Musk and entrepreneur and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to “lead the Department of Government Efficiency.”
In a press release from the Trump-Vance transition team, Trump praised Musk and Ramaswamy as being “wonderful Americans” who would “pave the way” for his administration to “dismantle Government Bureaucracy” and “slash excess regulations.”
“I am pleased to announce that the Great Elon Musk, working in conjunction with American Patriot Vivek Ramaswamy, will lead the Department of Government Efficiency (‘DOGE’). Together, these two wonderful Americans will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies — Essential to the ‘Save America’ Movement,” Trump said in his statement.
The press release continued:
It will become, potentially, “The Manhattan Project” of our time. Republican politicians have dreamed about the objectives of “DOGE” for a very long time. To drive this kind of drastic change, the Department of Government Efficiency will provide advice and guidance from outside of Government, and will partner with the White House and Office of Management & Budget to drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.
I look forward to Elon and Vivek making changes to the Federal Bureaucracy with an eye on efficiency and, at the same time, making life better for all Americans. Importantly, we will drive out the massive waste and fraud which exists throughout our annual $6.5 Trillion Dollars of Government Spending. They will work together to liberate our Economy, and make the U.S. Government accountable to “WE THE PEOPLE.” Their work will conclude no later than July 4, 2026 – A small Government, with more efficiency and less bureaucracy, will be the perfect gift to America on the 250th Anniversary of The Declaration of Independence. I am confident they will succeed!
John Ratcliffe, who served as President-elect Trump’s principal intelligence advisor during his first presidential term, has been picked to serve as the director of the Central Intelligence Agency during Trump’s second term.
Ratcliffe is one of several appointees announced in the past week who will fill key positions during Trump’s second term.
“From exposing fake Russian collusion to be a Clinton campaign operation, to catching the FBI’s abuse of Civil Liberties at the FISA Court, John Ratcliffe has always been a warrior for Truth and Honesty with the American Public,” Trump said in a statement. “When 51 intelligence officials were lying about Hunter Biden’s laptop, there was one, John Ratcliffe, telling the truth to the American People.”
Trump honored Ratcliffe in 2020 with the National Security Medal, the highest honor for distinguished achievement in the field of intelligence and national security.
“I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation’s highest Intelligence positions,” said Trump. “He will be a fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans, while ensuring the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.”
President-elect Donald J. Trump is appointing Tulsi Gabbard, the former Democratic presidential candidate, as Director of National Intelligence. The Iraq War veteran, noted for her opposition to neoconservative “forever wars,” campaigned for Trump during the 2024 presidential election, arguing a vote for Democratic candidate Kamala Harris was tantamount to “a vote for Dick Cheney.”
“I am pleased to announce that former Congresswoman, Lieutenant Colonel Tulsi Gabbard, will serve as Director of National Intelligence,” Trump confirmed in a statement on the appointment, adding: “For over two decades, Tulsi has fought for our Country and the Freedoms of all Americans.”
“As a former Candidate for the Democrat Presidential Nomination, she has broad support in both Parties – She is now a proud Republican! I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community, championing our Constitutional Rights, and securing Peace through Strength. Tulsi will make us all proud!” he added.
Matt Gaetz (R-FL) has resigned from his congressional seat after President-elect Donald Trump nominated him to serve as Attorney General in his administration.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) announced and confirmed that Gaetz’s resignation was “effective immediately” and that a special election will be held in his congressional district.
Mike Johnson revealed that Gaetz stepped down from his post due to a state law that gives an “8-week period to select and fill a vacant seat.”
“If you start the clock now, if you do the math, we may be able to fill that seat as early as Jan. 3 when we take the new oath of office for the new Congress,” Johnson explained of Gaetz’s reasoning.
“Few issues in America are more important than ending the partisan Weaponization of our Justice System. Matt will end Weaponized Government, protect our Borders, dismantle Criminal Organizations and restore Americans’ badly-shattered Faith and Confidence in the Justice Department,” he said.
“On the House Judiciary Committee, which performs oversight of DOJ, Matt played a key role in defeating the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, and exposing alarming and systemic Government Corruption and Weaponization,” he added.
President-elect Donald Trump has named Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik as his pick for UN ambassador.
“I am honored to nominate Chairwoman Elise Stefanik to serve in my Cabinet as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. Elise is an incredibly strong, tough, and smart America First fighter,” Trump said in a statement, confirming CNN’s reporting Sunday that Stefanik was offered the role.
The New York congresswoman, the fourth-ranking House Republican, has been a strong ally of the president-elect and a major fundraiser for the GOP.
The choice of Stefanik signals a more combative US posture toward the UN. Stefanik has frequently criticized the international organization, particularly over its criticism of Israel, and last month said the Biden administration should consider a “complete reassessment” of US funding for the UN if the Palestinian Authority continues to pursue a push to revoke Israel’s UN membership.
President-elect Donald Trump has tapped former Rep. Lee Zeldin to lead the Environmental Protection Agency.
In a statement on Monday, Trump praised Zeldin’s background as a lawyer and said he’s known the former New York congressman for a long time.
“He will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet,” Trump said. “He will set new standards on environmental review and maintenance, that will allow the United States to grow in a healthy and well-structured way.”
A source confirmed to Fox News Digital that Trump has selected South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) to fill the all-important role of Secretary of Homeland Security, a position held for the last four disastrous years by Alejandro Mayorkas. (We’ll get back to Mayorkas in a bit.)
The Department of Homeland Security is responsible for everything from border security and immigration to disaster response and the US Secret Service.
But under Mayorkas and Biden-Harris, Homeland Security has been complicit in the never-ending surge of illegal aliens into this country, a disastrous (lack of) response to deadly Hurricane Helene, and two assassination attempts against Trump over the course of just 64 days.
Noem… would work with former acting ICE Director Tom Homan, who on Sunday was announced as Trump’s “border czar,” and Stephen Miller, former senior advisor to Trump during his first term, who was tapped as White House deputy of staff for policy on Monday.
It was also announced Monday night that Trump is expected to choose Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) as his secretary of state. In addition, the president-elect has asked Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL) to serve as his national security adviser, according to a source familiar.
Biden-Harris Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell announced Saturday a federal disaster relief official who advised her survivor assistance team to ignore homes displaying Trump signs in Lake Placid, Florida, following Hurricane Milton has been fired.
Criswell said in a post on X:
More than 22,000 FEMA employees every day adhere to FEMA’s core values and are dedicated to helping people before, during and after disasters, often sacrificing time with their own families to help disaster survivors.
Recently, a FEMA employee departed from these values to advise her survivor assistance team to not go to homes with yard signs supporting President-elect Trump. This is a clear violation of FEMA’s core values & principles to help people regardless of their political affiliation.
This was reprehensible. I want to be clear to all of my employees and the American people, this type of behavior and action will not be tolerated at FEMA and we will hold people accountable if they violate these standards of conduct.
We take our mission to help everyone before, during and after disasters seriously. This employee has been terminated and we have referred the matter to the Office of Special Counsel. I will continue to do everything I can to make sure this never happens again.
Multiple government employees told the Daily Wire that Washington also relayed this message verbally.
The employees told the outlet that “at least 20 homes with Trump signs or flags” were skipped from the end of October and into November — about the same time as the final weeks of the 2024 presidential election.
The report said, “It is unclear whether the same guidance was issued elsewhere in the country.”
One of the employees wrote in a whistleblower complaint filed to DHS: “If they had damage or lost power for over thirty-six hours, it was my duty to inform them of benefits to which they are entitled through FEMA.”
The employee added, “This behavior raises significant concerns of discrimination against United States citizens because of their political views… . These actions not only undermine the integrity of our agency and create a hostile work environment for those who may hold differing political beliefs but they also threaten the very democracy of our country.”
President-elect Donald Trump has reportedly tapped Massad Boulos, the Lebanese-American father-in-law of Trump’s daughter, Tiffany, to lead U.S. negotiations with Lebanon to end the war between Hezbollah and Israel.
The Boulos family has Christian Arab roots and is part of a global business empire.
The Times of Israel reported:
Lebanese-American businessman and Donald Trump surrogate Massad Boulos revealed in a recent interview days before the election that he will serve as the US point man for Lebanon in the incoming administration, tasked with negotiating with Beirut to secure a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.
“I will be responsible for negotiating with the Lebanese side in order to reach an agreement, and Trump will appoint someone familiar with the Israeli file to negotiate with the Israelis,” Boulos told the Lebanese broadcaster Al-Jadeed in what appears to be one of the first revelations regarding now President-elect Trump’s personnel.
Boulos joined the Trump inner circle after his son Michael married the former president’s daughter Tiffany in 2022. He helped Trump make significant inroads in the Arab American in yesterday’s election.
