Trump begins endorsing replacements to replenish GOP majority in House as Cabinet picks shrink lead
President-elect Trump began endorsing fellow Republicans this week to replace members of Congress who have vacated their seats to join his Cabinet. The endorsements come amid fears that the party’s razor-thin majority in the House – the size of which still remains undetermined – could be in jeopardy as a result of Trump’s selections from the lower chamber. Trump threw his support behind two Floridians, former GOP state Sen. Randy Fine and the current chief financial officer for the Sunshine State, Jimmy Patronis Jr., both of whom are considering runs for Congress, according to the president-elect. Fine would run in Florida’s 6th Congressional District, a seat that is currently held by Trump’s pick to be his next national security adviser, Rep. Michael Waltz. Patronis would run in Florida’s deep-red 1st District, previously held by former Rep. Matt Gaetz. Gaetz resigned from Congress after Trump nominated him to be attorney general, but allegations of sexual assault and other improprieties prompted Gaetz to withdraw his name from the running. He has denied any wrongdoing. SIZE OF SLIM REPUBLICAN HOUSE MAJORITY HANGS ON 3 UNCALLED RACES Trump, however, has not endorsed anyone to replace Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., the GOP House conference chair, whose solidly red seat in upstate New York will also be up for grabs if she is confirmed by the Senate to be the Trump administration’s ambassador to the United Nations. Republicans in the House of Representatives are on track to have somewhere between a one- and three-vote majority once the few outstanding races are called. There are three races remaining that still need to be called, two in California and one in Iowa. The balance of power in the House currently sits at 219 seats for Republicans and 213 for the Democrats. Republicans must hold 218 to retain their majority. While Waltz, Stefanik and Gaetz’s seats all sit in Republican strongholds, lawmakers have nonetheless signaled concern, particularly, because the ensuing special elections could likely occur within the first weeks or months of Trump’s term and potentially stymie Trump’s ambitions for his first 100 days in office. “I know he’s already pulled a few really talented people out of the House – hopefully no more for a little while until special elections come up, but it shows you the talent that we have and the ability we have,” Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., said last week during a press conference. Scalise is House majority leader. INCUMBENT IOWA REPUBLICAN SAYS DEM HOUSE OPPONENT ‘WASTING TAXPAYER MONEY’ WITH RECOUNT Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., similarly said he did not believe Trump would pluck any more members from the House for his administration, adding that he and Trump broached the topic in discussions. “President Trump fully understands and appreciates the math here, and it’s just a numbers game. You know, we believe we’re going to have a larger majority than we had last time. It’s too early to handicap it, but we are optimistic about that,” Johnson said. “But every single vote will count, because if someone gets ill or has a car accident or a late flight on their plane, then it affects the votes on the floor. So, I think he and the administration are well attuned to that. I don’t expect that we will have more members leaving, but I’ll leave that up to him.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Trump-Vance transition spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Digital that the president-elect “is 100% committed” to working with House leadership, including Speaker Johnson, “to maintain the House GOP majority and immediately get to work in January” to implement the policies that voters elected him on. Fox News Digital politics reporter Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.
Conservative satire outlet censored by Elon Musk-rival Bluesky: ‘Chilling reminder’
The conservative satire outlet the Babylon Bee is calling out X’s rival platform Bluesky for repeatedly censoring its posts and arbitrarily labeling them “intolerance.” Babylon Bee editor-in-chief Kyle Mann told Fox News Digital that Bluesky’s decision to censor their content is a “chilling reminder” of what the social media landscape would look like if Elon Musk had not bought Twitter. The Babylon Bee was suspended from Twitter in 2022 for posting a satirical article calling Adm. Rachel Levine, a Biden administration Cabinet member and a transgender woman, the “man of the year.” Twitter flagged the post as violating its rules regarding “hateful conduct” and suspended the Babylon Bee’s account until they deleted their tweet, which the outlet refused to do. The Babylon Bee’s account remained suspended by Twitter until Musk reinstated it after he gained control. JOE ROGAN ASKS TO TAKE RACHEL MADDOW’S JOB IF ELON MUSK BUYS MSNBC Now, two years later, the Babylon Bee is facing a similar dilemma on Bluesky, which was created by Twitter’s co-founder Jack Dorsey and is widely seen as a direct competitor to X. Bluesky has a similar layout to X but operates on an “authenticated transfer protocol” that creators say allows users more control over what content they access than platforms that operate on a single algorithm. Bluesky’s website states that “our online experience doesn’t have to depend on billionaires unilaterally making decisions over what we see” and “on an open social network like Bluesky, you can shape your experience for yourself.” The platform has seen a significant increase in users in the last several weeks, with 8 million people, many of whom are former X users, joining since Election Day. There are currently 22 million users on Bluesky, which is still considerably lower than X’s user base of over 500 million. ‘PATHETIC’: TOP 10 MEDIA MELTDOWNS FOLLOWING TRUMP’S ELECTION WIN, FROM ON-AIR TEARS TO CLAIMS OF ‘MISOGYNY’ The Babylon Bee made its first post on Bluesky on Nov. 18. It posted the same Rachel Levine article that had gotten them suspended in 2022. The post was quickly flagged and hidden by Bluesky’s moderation service, which labeled it “intolerance.” Users can still see the post by clicking past the intolerance label. The satire site’s creators have now tried reposting the article four times, with each attempt having a similar result. According to Bluesky’s community guidelines, the platform bans “gender identity-based harassment” and anything “promoting hate or extremist conduct that targets people or groups based on their race, gender, religion, ethnicity, nationality, disability, or sexual orientation.” Mann, however, said that “it’s ironic that the platform championing tolerance and freedom from Musk’s influence is itself so intolerant of differing views.” He explained that the outlet “thought it was only fitting to debut the Bee’s account on Bluesky with the article that famously got us banned from Twitter” and that the result highlights the need for Musk’s prioritization of free speech on X. “Bluesky’s censorship policies are eerily reminiscent of the status quo on Twitter before Elon Musk took over,” he said. “It’s chilling to think about what freedom of speech might look like right now in the United States if Musk hadn’t stepped up and freed us from the Twitter tyrants.”
Gavin Newsom threatens intervention if Trump kills Biden’s $7.5K EV tax credit
Gov. Gavin Newsom is already planning on pushing back against President-elect Donald Trump’s policies derailing the current administration’s green energy push. President Joe Biden implemented a tax credit of up to $7,500 to incentivize the purchase of greener vehicles, but Trump is reportedly planning to ax the tax credit when he assumes office, sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. Newsom, in a statement Monday, revealed that he will offer the same EV rebate for Californians in the case that Trump gets rid of the credit. TRUMP PLANNING TO LIFT BIDEN’S LNG PAUSE, INCREASE OIL DRILLING DURING 1ST DAYS IN OFFICE: REPORT “Consumers continue to prove the skeptics wrong – zero-emission vehicles are here to stay,” Newsom said in a statement. “We will intervene if the Trump Administration eliminates the federal tax credit, doubling down on our commitment to clean air and green jobs in California. We’re not turning back on a clean transportation future — we’re going to make it more affordable for people to drive vehicles that don’t pollute,” the governor added. NEBRASKA AG LAUNCHES ASSAULT AGAINST CALIFORNIA’S ELECTRIC VEHICLE PUSH The Golden State EV credits would be funded by a relaunch of the Clean Vehicle Rebate Program, the state’s electric car incentive program that closed in November 2023, according to a press release from the governor’s office. The announcement comes just one week ahead of Newsom’s emergency special session that he called after the election to bolster the blue state’s legal response to any future attacks from the incoming Trump administration. However, Newsom has a long history of hitting back against Trump’s policies, having launched more than 100 lawsuits against the president-elect during his first administration alone.
‘A lot of waste’: Blackburn and Ramaswamy talk DOGE cuts
FIRST ON FOX: Vivek Ramaswamy, who was recently tapped by President-Elect Donald Trump to head the nascent Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) alongside tech billionaire Elon Musk, said there are several “low-hanging fruit” to weed out “a lot of waste” through executive action when Trump takes office. “One of the low-hanging fruit areas is to look at areas under the executive branch, through executive action that we can actually put an end to a lot of the money that hasn’t been authorized by Congress, but it’s still being spent a lot of the waste, fraud and abuse, even in entitlement programs that are resulting in a lot of frictional cost, and ultimately tame the administrative state itself back down to the size that would make our founding fathers proud,” Ramaswamy said on Unmuted, Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn‘s podcast. ‘EFFICIENT AND ACCOUNTABLE’: GOP-LED DOGE BILL AIMS TO SLASH OUTFLOW OF FEDERAL DOLLARS Last week, both Musk and Ramaswamy took to X, formerly Twitter, to say they’ll also focus on defense spending cuts while heading up the DOGE advisory panel. “We need to strengthen our military by focusing on the *effectiveness* of our defense spending, rather than just reflexively increasing the magnitude,” Ramaswamy wrote. DOGE will expire in July 2026, he noted, on the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. “I think it was Reagan who famously said there’s no such thing as a government program that doesn’t live, it’s the best evidence we have for eternal life,” Ramaswamy said. “And you know, I don’t think it has to be that way.” ‘MORNING JOE’ CO-HOSTS HOLD FACE-TO-FACE MEETING WITH TRUMP FOR FIRST TIME IN SEVEN YEARS Blackburn added she has introduced legislation to halt federal salary increases and hiring until recommendations from DOGE are implemented, as well as a bill to reform the federal workforce, advocating for a shift from tenure-based promotions to a merit-based system. “And those are those are things that need to be enacted,” Blackburn said. “We are just so pleased that President Trump has said now’s the time. We’re so pleased that he has said that you and Elon are the people to make this happen.” When announcing the Department of Government Efficiency, Trump said the panel would help his administration “slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.” House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., recently announced a new subcommittee for the 119th Congress to correspond with the Department of Government Efficiency. STATE LAWMAKERS, COMPANIES PREPARE TO PUSH BACK AGAINST DEI, ‘WOKE’ INITIATIVES: EXPERTS House Republicans are also jumping on the train to slash spending. Rep. Stephanie Bice, R-Okla., introduced a new bill last week – the “Decreasing Overlapping Grants Efficiently (DOGE) Act,” – which would establish a system for cutting down on redundant government grants from across multiple departments. “It’s a big undertaking,” Ramaswamy said. “But I do think that if we bring the public along and even allow the public to participate in airing areas where they’re encountering government waste or bureaucracy and surface that we’re able to make this something that isn’t just top down, but also bottom up.” Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.
White House insists Biden, Harris have ‘one of most successful administrations in history’ despite 2024 loss
Just weeks after Vice President Kamala Harris’ overwhelming loss to President-elect Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election, the White House released a memo that hailed the Biden-Harris administration as one of the most successful in history. The memo shared on Monday highlighted how President Biden and Harris took office during the COVID-19 pandemic and a “reeling” economy, before going on to call their administration “one of the most successful administrations in history” which “will be leaving behind the best economy in the world.” “Under President Biden and Vice President Harris’ leadership, 16 million jobs have been created, and we’ve gotten women and people of color back in the labor force at record rates,” the memo stated. “A record 20 million new business applications have been filed, and inflation is down to near pre-pandemic levels.” The White House added that “our success” in these areas was due to “passing and implementing legislation that rebuilt our nation’s infrastructure, made the largest investment in climate action in history, lowered prescription drug costs, and spurred a manufacturing renaissance.” HARRIS DISAPPEARS FROM SPOTLIGHT, VACATIONS IN HAWAII AFTER ELECTION LOSS The memo quotes unnamed “business leaders” calling the U.S. economy “among the best performing economies” in decades. The latest jobs report released earlier this month, however, appears to show a different story. The Labor Department report shows that just 12,000 jobs were created in October, far below estimates of up to 120,000 and were the lowest in four years. The unemployment rate was 4.1%, in line with expectations. The cumulative effect of inflation has continued to weigh on many Americans. TRUMP PLANNING TO LIFT BIDEN’S LNG PAUSE, INCREASE OIL DRILLING DURING 1ST DAYS IN OFFICE: REPORT The Labor Department’s inflation report for October found that the consumer price index — a broad measure of how much everyday goods like gasoline, groceries and rent cost — was up 2.6% from a year ago for the U.S. as a whole, in line with expectations as inflation ticked higher amid a broader cooling trend. Days ahead of the presidential election, Trump campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt argued that “this jobs report is a catastrophe and definitively reveals how badly Kamala Harris broke our economy.” On Election Day, the will of the American people was reflected in the vote totals and appeared to show a referendum on the policies of the Biden-Harris administration. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Trump beat Harris with a resounding 312 electoral votes to Harris’ 226, and with over 2 million more votes in the popular vote. Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser and Fox Business’ Eric Revell contributed to this report.
PAN 2.0 project: Government to launch PAN card with QR code, all you need to know
PAN 2.0 project: The government aims to bring a technology-driven transformation for taxpayers’ registration services while giving certain benefits to the people.
Biden does his final White House Thanksgiving turkey pardoning: ‘Last time to speak here as your president’
President Biden pardoned this year’s national Thanksgiving turkeys “Peach” and “Blossom” on the South Lawn of the White House on Monday – the last time he will partake in the tradition in office. Biden thanked John Zimmerman, chair of the National Turkey Federation, and Zimmerman’s son Grant for participating in the annual White House tradition. The national turkey lobby first presented a turkey to President Truman in the 1940s for Thanksgiving, and President George H.W. Bush began the annual tradition of pardoning turkeys, Biden said. Zimmerman has raised more than 4 million turkeys over his 35-year career, Biden noted. In the last four years, Biden has pardoned other national Thanksgiving turkeys, named “Peanut Butter” and “Jelly,” “Chocolate” and “Chip,” and “Liberty” and “Bell.” PETA PROTESTS BIDEN TURKEY PARDON WITH ‘HELL ON WHEELS’ DISPLAY, SUBLIMINAL MESSAGING TO MAKE PEOPLE GO VEGAN In his remarks, Biden said Zimmerman’s family was from Northfield, Minnesota, which the president and his Agriculture Secretary Tim Vilsack visited last year with “our great friend, the Minnesota governor Tim Walz, talking about transforming rural America back in Minnesota.” Walz ran unsuccessfully for the White House as vice president on the ticket with Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Harris, who was notably absent from Monday’s turkey pardoning ceremony. Biden did not mention Harris, who is reportedly keeping a low profile with close aides and family in Hawaii following her defeat by President-elect Trump. The 82-year-old president did take the opportunity to give thanks for his term in office. HARRIS DISAPPEARS FROM SPOTLIGHT, VACATIONS IN HAWAII AFTER ELECTION LOSS “This event marks the official start of the holiday season here in Washington. It’s also my last time to speak here as your president during the season,” Biden said. “And give thanks and gratitude. So let me say to you, it’s been the honor of my life. I’m forever grateful that today my wife, Jill, and I will travel to Staten Island, New York, for a Friendsgiving with members of the Coast Guard and their families to demonstrate our gratitude for their service and sacrifice – like my son. We’re also keeping our hearts to those who have lost so much who will have an empty seat at the Thanksgiving dinner table tonight, or excuse me, Thursday night.” “May we use this moment to take time from our busy lives, and focus on what matters most. Our families,” Biden added. “In America, we never give up. We keep going. We keep the faith. Just remember who we are. We’re the United States of America. There’s nothing, nothing, nothing beyond our capacity if we do it together. So happy Thanksgiving, America. God bless you all. And may God protect our troops.”
Judge grants Jack Smith request to dismiss Jan. 6 charges against Trump, appeal dropped in Florida docs case
A judge has dropped the charges against President-elect Donald Trump in the D.C. case against him, following a request that Special Counsel Jack Smith made on Monday. The decision concerns the investigation into the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol breach. Fox News Digital previously learned of Smith’s request earlier on Monday. “The Government has moved to dismiss the Superseding Indictment without prejudice,” U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan wrote in a decision. “Defendant does not oppose the Motion…and the court will grant it.” Smith also filed a motion to drop his appeal in his classified records case against Trump – a case that was tossed in July by federal Judge Aileen Cannon. Cannon ruled Smith was unlawfully appointed as special counsel. NEW YORK JUDGE GRANTS TRUMP REQUEST TO FILE MOTION TO DISMISS CHARGES, CANCELS SENTENCING INDEFINITELY The moves come after Smith, earlier this month after Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election, signaled he would begin winding down his case against Trump. The filing went live on the Department of Justice docket on Monday afternoon. Smith had already filed a motion to vacate all deadlines in the 2020 election interference case against Trump in Washington, D.C. – a widely expected move, but one that stopped short of dropping the case against Trump completely. Smith had said his team planned to give an updated report on the official status of the case against Trump on Dec. 2. Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges in the case and took the fight to the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing on the basis of presidential immunity. The high court ruled that Trump was immune from prosecution for official presidential acts, forcing Smith to file a new indictment. Trump pleaded not guilty to those new charges, too. Trump’s attorneys have been seeking to have the election interference charges dropped in Washington, D.C., alleging that Smith was appointed unlawfully. TRUMP’S LEGAL CASES LIKELY TO DIE OUT AMID IMPENDING WHITE HOUSE RETURN, EXPERTS SAY “The American People re-elected President Trump with an overwhelming mandate to Make America Great Again. Today’s decision by the DOJ ends the unconstitutional federal cases against President Trump, and is a major victory for the rule of law,” Trump spokesman and incoming White House communications director Steven Cheung said in a statement. “The American People and President Trump want an immediate end to the political weaponization of our justice system and we look forward to uniting our country.” Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges stemming from both of Smith’s investigations. Smith is expected to resign as special counsel before Trump takes office. Trump posted to his Truth Social Monday afternoon that the cases against him “are empty and lawless and should never have been brought.” TRUMP APPOINTS TULSI GABBARD AS DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE: ‘FEARLESS SPIRIT’ “These cases, like all of the other cases I have been forced to go through, are empty and lawless, and should never have been brought. Over $100 Million Dollars of Taxpayer Dollars has been wasted in the Democrat Party’s fight against their Political Opponent, ME,” Trump posted. “Nothing like this has ever happened in our Country before.” Trump said “state Prosecutors and District Attorneys, such as Fani Willis and her lover, Nathan Wade (who had absolutely zero experience in cases such as this, but was paid MILLIONS, enough for them to take numerous trips and cruises around the globe!), Letitia James, who inappropriately, unethically, and probably illegally, campaigned on ‘GETTING TRUMP’ in order to win Political Office, and Alvin Bragg, who himself never wanted to bring this case against me, but was forced to do so by the Justice Department and the Democrat Party.” Trump added: “It was a political hijacking, and a low point in the History of our Country that such a thing could have happened, and yet, I persevered, against all odds, and WON. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
Judge grants Jack Smith’s request to dismiss Jan. 6 charges, appeal in classified records case against Trump
A judge has dropped the charges against President-elect Donald Trump in the D.C. case against him, following a request that Special Counsel Jack Smith made on Monday. The decision concerns the investigation into the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol breach. Fox News Digital previously learned of Smith’s request earlier on Monday. “The Government has moved to dismiss the Superseding Indictment without prejudice,” U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan wrote in a decision. “Defendant does not oppose the Motion…and the court will grant it.” Smith also filed a motion to drop his appeal in his classified records case against Trump – a case that was tossed in July by federal Judge Aileen Cannon. Cannon ruled Smith was unlawfully appointed as special counsel. NEW YORK JUDGE GRANTS TRUMP REQUEST TO FILE MOTION TO DISMISS CHARGES, CANCELS SENTENCING INDEFINITELY The moves come after Smith, earlier this month after Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election, signaled he would begin winding down his case against Trump. The filing went live on the Department of Justice docket on Monday afternoon. Smith had already filed a motion to vacate all deadlines in the 2020 election interference case against Trump in Washington, D.C. – a widely expected move, but one that stopped short of dropping the case against Trump completely. Smith had said his team planned to give an updated report on the official status of the case against Trump on Dec. 2. Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges in the case and took the fight to the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing on the basis of presidential immunity. The high court ruled that Trump was immune from prosecution for official presidential acts, forcing Smith to file a new indictment. Trump pleaded not guilty to those new charges, too. Trump’s attorneys have been seeking to have the election interference charges dropped in Washington, D.C., alleging that Smith was appointed unlawfully. TRUMP’S LEGAL CASES LIKELY TO DIE OUT AMID IMPENDING WHITE HOUSE RETURN, EXPERTS SAY “The American People re-elected President Trump with an overwhelming mandate to Make America Great Again. Today’s decision by the DOJ ends the unconstitutional federal cases against President Trump, and is a major victory for the rule of law,” Trump spokesman and incoming White House communications director Steven Cheung said in a statement. “The American People and President Trump want an immediate end to the political weaponization of our justice system and we look forward to uniting our country.” Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges stemming from both of Smith’s investigations. Smith is expected to resign as special counsel before Trump takes office. Trump posted to his Truth Social Monday afternoon that the cases against him “are empty and lawless and should never have been brought.” “These cases, like all of the other cases I have been forced to go through, are empty and lawless, and should never have been brought. Over $100 Million Dollars of Taxpayer Dollars has been wasted in the Democrat Party’s fight against their Political Opponent, ME,” Trump posted. “Nothing like this has ever happened in our Country before.” Trump said “state Prosecutors and District Attorneys, such as Fani Willis and her lover, Nathan Wade (who had absolutely zero experience in cases such as this, but was paid MILLIONS, enough for them to take numerous trips and cruises around the globe!), Letitia James, who inappropriately, unethically, and probably illegally, campaigned on ‘GETTING TRUMP’ in order to win Political Office, and Alvin Bragg, who himself never wanted to bring this case against me, but was forced to do so by the Justice Department and the Democrat Party.” Trump added: “It was a political hijacking, and a low point in the History of our Country that such a thing could have happened, and yet, I persevered, against all odds, and WON. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
Special Counsel Smith seeks to dismiss Jan. 6 charges against Trump
Special Counsel Jack Smith is asking a judge to drop all charges against President-elect Donald Trump stemming from Smith’s investigation into the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol breach, Fox News Digital has learned. Judge Tanya Chutkan will need to approve the request before the case is dismissed. After Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election earlier this month, Smith signaled he would begin winding down the case against Trump. The filing went live on the Department of Justice docket on Monday afternoon. Smith had already filed a motion to vacate all deadlines in the 2020 election interference case against Trump in Washington, D.C. – a widely expected move, but one that stopped short of dropping the case against Trump completely. Smith had said his team planned to give an updated report on the official status of the case against Trump on Dec. 2. NEW YORK JUDGE GRANTS TRUMP REQUEST TO FILE MOTION TO DISMISS CHARGES, CANCELS SENTENCING INDEFINITELY Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges in the case and took the fight to the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing on the basis of presidential immunity. The high court ruled that Trump was immune from prosecution for official presidential acts, forcing Smith to file a new indictment. Trump pleaded not guilty to those new charges, too. Trump’s attorneys have been seeking to have the election interference charges dropped in Washington, D.C., alleging that Smith was appointed unlawfully. TRUMP’S LEGAL CASES LIKELY TO DIE OUT AMID IMPENDING WHITE HOUSE RETURN, EXPERTS SAY Smith’s case related to Trump’s alleged improper retention of classified records was dismissed by a federal judge this summer. The judge ruled that Smith was unlawfully appointed as special counsel. There is an appeal still pending in that case, though Smith could drop that, too. “The American People re-elected President Trump with an overwhelming mandate to Make America Great Again. Today’s decision by the DOJ ends the unconstitutional federal cases against President Trump, and is a major victory for the rule of law,” Trump spokesman and incoming White House communications director Steven Cheung said in a statement. “The American People and President Trump want an immediate end to the political weaponization of our justice system and we look forward to uniting our country.” Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges stemming from both of Smith’s investigations. Smith is expected to resign as special counsel before Trump takes office. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.