Trump sues Des Moines Register, top pollster for ‘brazen election interference,’ fraud over Harris poll
FIRST ON FOX: President-elect Donald Trump is suing the Des Moines Register and its top pollster J. Ann Selzer for “brazen election interference” and fraud over its final 2024 presidential poll showing Vice President Kamala Harris leading him in Iowa, despite his ultimate victory in the state by more than 13 percentage points, Fox News Digital has learned. The lawsuit was filed Monday night in Polk County, Iowa under the Iowa Consumer Fraud Act and related provisions. It says it seeks “accountability for brazen election interference committed by” the Des Moines Register (DMR) and Selzer “in favor of now-defeated former Democrat candidate Kamala Harris through use of a leaked and manipulated Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll conducted by Selzer and S&C and published by DMR and Gannett in the Des Moines Register on Nov. 2, 2024.” The lawsuit is also against the parent company of the Des Moines Register, Gannett, which also owns other publications, including USA Today. FIRST ON FOX: GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS AND ABC APOLOGIZE TO TRUMP, ARE FORCED TO PAY $15 MILLION TO SETTLE DEFAMATION SUIT “Contrary to reality and defying credulity, defendants’ Harris Poll was published three days before Election Day and purported to show Harris leading President Trump in Iowa by three points; President Trump ultimately won Iowa by over thirteen points,” the lawsuit states. Selzer released her final Des Moines Register-sponsored poll of Iowa just three days before the election, on Nov. 2, showing Vice President Kamala Harris leading Trump by three points. That shock poll showed a seven-point shift from Trump to Harris from September, when he had a four-point lead over the vice president in the same poll. But Trump ultimately beat Harris in Iowa by more than 13 percentage points. Selzer’s poll, though, had been hyped up by the media ahead of the elections, as her polling predictions in previous elections had been historically accurate. Trump attorneys said Selzer’s prediction of Harris’ three point lead in “deep-red Iowa was not reality, it was election-interfering fiction.” Trump attorneys said Selzer had “prided herself on a mainstream reputation for accuracy despite several far less publicized egregious polling misses in favor of Democrats” and said she “would have the public believe it was merely a coincidence that one of the worst polling misses of her career came just days before the most consequential election in memory, was leaked and happened to go against the Republican candidate.” SHOCK POLL HAS HARRIS LEADING TRUMP IN IOWA WITH 3-POINT SHIFT TOWARD VICE PRESIDENT IN RED STATE “The Harris Poll was no ‘miss’ but rather an attempt to influence the outcome of the 2024 Presidential Election,” the lawsuit states, adding that “defendants and their cohorts in the Democrat Party hoped that the Harris Poll would create a false narrative of inevitability for Harris in the final week of the 2024 Presidential Election.” “Instead, the November 5 election was a monumental victory for President Trump in both the Electoral College and the Popular Vote, an overwhelming mandate for his America First principles, and the consignment of the radical socialist agenda to the dustbin of history.” The lawsuit notes that Selzer, after more than 35 years in the industry, “retired in disgrace from polling less than two weeks after this embarrassing rout.” Trump lawyers argued that “left-wing pollsters have attempted to influence electoral outcomes through manipulated polls that have unacceptable error rates and are not grounded in widely accepted polling methodologies.” FORMER POLLSTER ANN SELZER HITS BACK AT CRITICISMS OVER IOWA POLL: ‘THEY ARE ACCUSING ME OF A CRIME’ “While Selzer is not the only pollster to engage in this corrupt practice, she had a huge platform and following and, thus, a significant and impactful opportunity to deceive voters,” the lawsuit states. “As Selzer knows, this type of manipulation creates a narrative of inevitability for Democrat candidates, increases enthusiasm among Democrats, compels Republicans to divert campaign time and money to areas in which they are ahead, and deceives the public into believing that Democrat candidates are performing better than they really are.” The lawsuit states that Democrats’ “need for fake polling was even more acute than usual in the 2024 Election, given Harris’s many fatal weaknesses as a candidate and lack of appeal to critical swaths of the traditional Democrat base.” Trump attorneys are suing under the Iowa Consumer Fraud Act, alleging that defendants “engaged in an ‘unfair act or practice’ because the publication and release of the Harris Poll ‘caused substantial, unavoidable injury to consumers that was not outweighed by any consumer or competitive benefits which the practice produced.’” They also said consumers were “badly deceived and misled as to the actual position of the respective candidates in the Iowa Presidential race.” “Moreover, President Trump, the Trump 2024 Campaign, and other Republicans were forced to divert enormous campaign and financial resources to Iowa based on the deceptive Harris Poll,” the lawsuit states, adding that consumers of the Des Moines Register and Iowans who contributed to Trump’s 2024 campaign were “similarly deceived.” Trump is demanding actual damages upon trial of the case; statutory damages three times the actual damages suffered; an order enjoining defendants’ “ongoing deceptive and misleading acts and practices relating to the Harris Poll and compelling defendants to disclose all information upon which they relied to engage in the deceptive and misleading acts relating to the Harris Poll; attorneys’ fees and costs associated with the case; and any other relief as deemed just and proper by the court. The lawsuit Monday night comes just hours after the president-elect said during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago that he planned to sue the Des Moines Register and Selzer. The lawsuit comes days after ABC News and its top anchor George Stephanopoulos reached a settlement with Trump in his defamation suit, resulting in the network paying the president-elect $15 million. The settlement was publicly filed on Saturday, revealing the agreement to avoid a costly trial. According to the settlement, ABC News will pay $15 million as a charitable contribution to a
Trump unveils picks for his future ambassadors to Japan, Austria and other countries: ‘PUT AMERICA FIRST’
President-elect Trump announced his nominations for U.S. ambassadors to five countries on Monday, including Austria and Japan. In a series of Truth Social posts on Monday night, the incoming president detailed his picks for the U.S. ambassadors to Japan, the Dominican Republic, Austria, Luxembourg and Uruguay. Each nominee will need to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Trump named George Edward Glass, a former U.S. ambassador to Portugal, to serve as the incoming U.S. ambassador to Japan. “As a former President of an Investment Bank, George will bring his business acumen to the Ambassador’s position,” Trump said of Glass. “George graduated from the University of Oregon, served as Alumni President, and on its Board of Trustees. He will always PUT AMERICA FIRST. Congratulations George!” TIDE TURNS FOR HEGSETH AS TRUMP’S DEFENSE SECRETARY NOMINEE GOES ON OFFENSE Leah Francis Campos, the sister of “Fox & Friends Weekend” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy and sister-in-law to incoming Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, was also picked to be an ambassador. Trump nominated her to serve as U.S. ambassador to the Dominican Republic. “Leah served our Country as a CIA Case Officer before becoming Senior Advisor for the Western Hemisphere on the House Foreign Affairs Committee,” the Republican wrote. “Leah will take her love of Country, and commitment to our National Security and Prosperity, to her post as U.S. Ambassador to the Dominican Republic. Congratulations Leah!” GET TO KNOW DONALD TRUMP’S CABINET: WHO HAS THE PRESIDENT-ELECT PICKED SO FAR? Trump also announced Arthur Graham Fisher, the president of Fisher Realty, as his pick for U.S. ambassador to Austria. “He has been consistently ranked as a top broker in the area, and the State of North Carolina, representing many of the most astute clients in America,” the incoming president wrote. “Art has been a staunch supporter of America First Policies, and will make us proud in Austria!” Trump added that Stacey Feinberg and Lou Rinaldi will serve as U.S. ambassadors to Luxembourg and Uruguay, respectively. HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FROM FOX NEWS ON THE TRUMP TRANSITION “As a Producer of Broadway musicals, a motivational speaker, and a Board Member of the Women Founders Network, Stacey is committed to supporting women in launching their careers, and scaling their businesses to unprecedented success,” Trump wrote of Feinberg. “Stacy will be GREAT, and make America proud!” Of Rinaldi, Trump called his nominee a “successful businessman, entrepreneur, and longtime friend,” who grew up in Uruguay. “Lou is a great golfer, and will be in a Country with some terrific courses. Having grown up in Uruguay, he possesses an intimate understanding of the Country’s culture and history,” Trump’s statement read. “His expertise and background make him exceptionally qualified to advance U.S. interests, and strengthen the longstanding partnership between the United States and Uruguay.” Fox News’ Deirdre Heavy contributed to this report.
Top Harris aide hypes radical activist who said ‘America deserved 9/11’ while plotting future for Dems
A top aide on Vice President Harris’ failed presidential campaign recently called for more cultural voices like the vocal anti-America and anti-Israel Twitch star, Hasan Piker, who previously faced backlash for saying that “America deserved 9/11.” Harris’ former deputy campaign manager, Rob Flaherty, said during a recent interview that Democrats are “losing hold of culture” and laid out a strategy for them to develop a “whole thriving system” ahead of future elections. “We need a whole thriving ecosystem,” Flaherty told Semafor. “It’s not just Pod Save America, though I think we should have more of them. It’s not just Hasan Piker. We should have more Hasan Pikers. It’s also the cultural creators, the folks who are one rung out who influence the nonpartisan audience. Those things all need to happen together.” “The reality is it’s not going to be big media organizations. It’s going to be a network and a constellation of individual personalities, because that’s how people get their information now,” he added. KAMALA HARRIS AIDE ADMITS DEMOCRATS ‘LOSING HOLD OF CULTURE’ AS INFLUENCER MEDIA SHIFTS RIGHT Flaherty, who previously served as the director of digital strategy for the Biden White House, is likely to face backlash for calling for “more Hasan Pikers” due to Piker’s past controversial comments. Piker, who previously raised more than $1 million for Palestinian aid, has used his platform with millions of followers to downplay and justify terrorist attacks such as Oct. 7 and 9/11 as acts of resistance in recent years. During a 2019 livestream, Piker praised the “brave f—ing soldier” who wounded conservative U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, while he was deployed to Afghanistan as a Navy SEAL, asking, “Didn’t he go to war and, like, literally lose his eye because some mujahideen, a brave f—ing soldier, f—ed his eyehole with their d—?” He went on to say that “America deserved 9/11, I’m saying it,” before later walking it back and saying it was “inappropriate.” However, in another stream this year, Piker joked about 9/11 again, saying, “Oh my god, 9/11 2 is going to be so sick” and “give Saudi Arabia a nuke so they can do 9/11 2.” In another stream, Piker broadcast propaganda from the Houthis, an Iranian-backed group in Yemen that has been designated by the U.S. as a terrorist group. Instead of explicitly addressing the materials as questionable propaganda, the streamer instead expressed sympathy and admiration for the group. “They do musicals about, like, their f—ing actions all the time,” Piker said of the terrorist propaganda. “They love walking over like the American flag and the Israeli flag, side by side.” “They do not care about the heavy missiles … they will literally take the war to them no matter what. … For them, it’s an act of resistance. You know what I mean?” he added. “It doesn’t matter if f—ing rapes happened on Oct. 7,” Piker said in a May 22 stream. “It doesn’t change the dynamic [of Palestinians and Israelis] for me.” FOX NEWS ‘ANTISEMITISM EXPOSED’ NEWSLETTER: TRUMP’S WARNING TO HAMAS GIVES HOSTAGES’ FAMILIES NEW HOPE During an April 18 stream, Piker also expressed that Hamas was the “lesser evil” next to the Israeli military. While Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and others have been on Piker’s platform, Dem Rep. Ritchie Torres of New York wrote a letter this year to top executives at Twitch and Amazon expressing “alarm about the amplification of antisemitism on Twitch at the hands of Hasan Piker” and said Piker has “emerged as the poster child for the post-October 7th outbreak of antisemitism in America.” “Outside the context of October 7th, Mr. Piker has even joked and mused about men date-raping women on a college campus and has posted an image of a handgun on top of a United States Senator in what appears to be open invitation to gun violence against a sitting elected official,” Torres said. “Inviting one’s followers to shoot an elected official, whether it be done in earnest or in jest, is the kind of threat that warrants serious attention from federal law enforcement.” Piker’s Twitch streams regularly hit more than a million views and often have as many as 30,000 viewers at a given time. Fox News Digital reached out to Flaherty for comment but did not receive a response. Fox News’ Andrea Margolis contributed reporting.
Judge rejects Trump request to toss Bragg charges in New York on basis of presidential immunity
Judge Juan Merchan on Monday rejected Trump attorneys’ request to dismiss charges brought against him by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg on the basis of presidential immunity. The ruling comes after President-elect Trump and his team in July requested Merchan overturn his guilty verdict in New York v. Trump, citing the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling that presidents have immunity for official acts. Merchan ruled that the evidence presented in the trial was related “entirely to unofficial conduct and thus, receive no immunity protections.” “Further, even if this Court were to deem all of the contested evidence, both preserved and unpreserved, as official conduct falling within the outer perimeter of Defendant’s Presidential authority, it would still find that the People’s use of these acts as evidence of the decidedly personal acts of falsifying business records poses no danger of intrusion on the authority and function of the Executive Branch, a conclusion amply supported by non-motive-related evidence,” Merchan writes. Merchan also argued that the Court said “if error occurred regarding the introduction of the challenged evidence, such error was harmless in light of the overwhelming evidence of guilt.” TRUMP ATTORNEYS FILE MOTION TO DISMISS ‘FAILED LAWFARE’ CASE IN NEW YORK, CITING HUNTER BIDEN PARDON Merchan rejected that request, but has yet to rule on President-elect Trump’s formal motion to dismiss the case altogether. “Today’s decision by deeply conflicted, acting Justice Merchan in the Manhattan DA Witch Hunt is a direct violation of the Supreme Court’s decision on immunity, and other longstanding jurisprudence,” Trump spokesman and incoming White House communications director Steven Cheung told Fox News Digital. “This lawless case should have never been brought, and the Constitution demands that it be immediately dismissed, as President Trump must be allowed to continue the Presidential Transition process, and execute the vital duties of the presidency, unobstructed by the remains of this, or any other, Witch Hunt.” Cheung added: “The sooner these hoaxes end, the sooner our country can unite behind President Trump for the betterment of all Americans.” Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree stemming from the yearslong investigation related to alleged hush money payments run by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. Former Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance initiated the investigation, and Bragg prosecuted Trump. After an unprecedented six-week trial in New York City, a jury found the president guilty on all counts. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a former president has substantial immunity for official acts committed while in office. In the formal motion in July, Trump attorney Todd Blanche pointed to the Supreme Court’s immunity decision, and argued that certain evidence of “official acts” should not have been admitted during the trial. Specifically, Blanche argued that testimony from former White House Communications Director Hope Hicks; former Special Assistant to the President Madeleine Westerhout; testimony regarding The Special Counsel’s Office and Congressional Investigations and the pardon power; testimony regarding President Trump’s response to FEC Inquiries; his presidential Twitter posts and other related testimony was impermissably admitted during trial. Meanwhile, Trump attorneys, earlier this month, officially requested to “immediately” dismiss charges against the president-elect in New York v. Trump, declaring the “failed lawfare” case “should never have been brought.” TRUMP REQUESTS NY JUDGE OVERTURN GUILTY VERDICT, INDICTMENT AFTER SCOTUS IMMUNITY RULING Trump attorneys said the case “would never have been brought were it not for President Trump’s political views, the transformative national movement established under his leadership, and the political threat that he poses to entrenched, corrupt politicians in Washington, D.C. and beyond.” Trump lawyers said that “wrongly continuing proceedings in this failed lawfare case disrupts President Trump’s transition efforts and his preparations to wield the full Article II executive power authorized by the Constitution pursuant to the overwhelming national mandate granted to him by the American people on November 5, 2024.” Bragg, last month, requested to Judge Juan Merchan that the case be stayed until the end of Trump’s second term, but Trump attorneys noted that the Office of Legal Counsel in the Justice Department concluded that “the categorical prohibition on the federal indictment of a sitting president…even if the case were held in abeyance…applies to this situation.” They added that Bragg’s “ridiculous suggestion that they could simply resume proceedings after President Trump leaves Office, more than a decade after they commenced their investigation in 2018, is not an option.” This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Schumer seeks legislation giving local officials authority to ‘swiftly’ respond to drone sightings
Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., announced Monday that he will move to advance drone legislation this week that will give local officials more authority to respond to the growing concerns of drone sightings. Reports of drones flying over New Jersey and New York, particularly near military research facilities and Trump’s Bedminster golf course, have prompted lawmakers to press the Biden administration for more transparency when it comes to who is flying the suspected unmanned aircraft and why the government is not doing anything about them. Schumer has called on Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to “quickly deploy” any drone-detecting tools that are available to help New York and New Jersey deal with the mysterious drone sightings that started a few weeks ago. “This week, I will also come to the floor of the Senate to seek passage of legislation that will give local officials greater authority to swiftly respond to these sightings,” Schumer said while speaking on the Senate floor on Monday. “The reports of the past few weeks have ignited immense anxiety and confusion for millions of people living across the Northeast. Thankfully, there is no reason to believe these drone sightings pose a national security threat, but even so they can be disruptive if they fly over restricted airspace particularly near airports or bases.” SCHUMER REQUESTS 360-DEGREE RADAR SYSTEM FOR NY, NJ TO DETECT DRONES He continued, saying there was no shortage of reports of possible drone activity, yet there are few answers being provided about where some of the drones originated from and who was operating them. Local officials lack the resources and authority to find the underlying cause of the matter, Schumer added. NJ DRONE SIGHTINGS COULD BE A ‘CLASSIFIED EXERCISE’: FORMER CIA OFFICER Along with seeking the Senate’s help in passing the legislation, Schumer also urged the DHS to take all necessary action to deploy as many drone-detecting resources as possible. One of those technologies is the Robin Radar System, which, according to its website, notes “bird, bat, or drone, our 360° radar systems log thousands of observations, scanning every second to track and classify with precision.” DRONE MYSTERY CONTINUES IN NEW JERSEY AS EXPERTS OFFER NEW THEORIES ABOUT SIGHTINGS Schumer said systems like Robin would go a long way to help local officials collect real data about where these drones are coming from. “I want to see a flock of ROBIN-like technology systems deployed across the New York City metro area,” he said. “So, we need the Department of Homeland Security to spring into action.” The House Intelligence Committee will receive a classified briefing on the drone activity on Tuesday afternoon, a source familiar with the matter told Punchbowl News. The news agency also said Biden administration officials from the FBI, Department of Defense, CIA, and Office of the Director of National Intelligence will hold the briefing. Fox News Digital’s Alex Nitzberg contributed to this report.
Senate advances NDAA, teeing up final passage for annual defense policy bill
The Senatevoted to advance its annual $895 billion defense policy bill, a signal that the legislation is on track to pass despite Democratic grumblings over a transgender care provision. A vote to invoke cloture, or pass an agreement to limit debate, on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passed the Senate 63 to 7 on Monday evening. The bill now heads to a final vote later this week. The legislation passed the House last week 281-140, with 16 Republicans voting no. Only 81 Democrats voted yes – 124 voting no – a much larger margin than in years passed when the legislation typically enjoyed bipartisan support. The 1,800-page bill details how $895.2 billion allocated toward defense and national security will be spent. It will be voted on more than two months after the start of the fiscal year. The $895.2 billion represents a 1% increase over last year’s budget, a smaller number than some defense hawks would have liked. A significant portion of the legislation focused on quality-of-life improvements for service members amid record recruitment issues, a focus of much bipartisan discussion over the last year. That includes a 14.5% pay increase for junior enlisted troops and increasing access to child care for service members while also providing job support to military spouses. The measure authorizes a 4.5% across-the-board pay raise for all service members starting Jan. 1. The NDAA typically enjoys wide bipartisan support, but this year’s focus on eliminating “woke” policies was hard for some Democrats to stomach. PENTAGON ANNOUNCES NEW COUNTER-DRONE STRATEGY AS UNMANNED ATTACKS ON US INTERESTS SKYROCKET The policy proposal to prohibit Tricare, the military’s health care provider, from covering transgender services for the minor dependents of service members has raised concerns, prompting the leading Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Adam Smith of Washington, to reconsider his support for the bill. “Blanketly denying health care to people who clearly need it, just because of a biased notion against transgender people, is wrong,” he said in a statement. “This provision injected a level of partisanship not traditionally seen in defense bills.” The goal of that provision is to prevent any “medical interventions that could result in sterilization” of minors. Other provisions, like a blanket ban on funding for gender transition surgeries for adults, did not make their way into the bill, neither did a ban on requiring masks to prevent the spread of diseases. The bill also supports deploying the National Guard to the southern border to help with illegal immigrant apprehensions and drug flow. Another provision opens the door to allowing airmen and Space Force personnel to grow facial hair; it directs the secretary of the Air Force to brief lawmakers on “the feasibility and advisability” of establishing a pilot program to test out allowing beards. HERE IS WHO IS VYING FOR POWER IN SYRIA AFTER THE FALL OF BASHAR AL-ASSAD Democrats are also upset the bill did not include a provision expanding access to IVF for service members. Currently, military health care only covers IVF for troops whose infertility is linked to service-related illness or injury. But the bill did not include an amendment to walk back a provision allowing the Pentagon to reimburse service members who have to travel out of state to get an abortion. The bill extends a hiring freeze on DEI-related roles and stops all such recruitment until “an investigation of the Pentagon’s DEI programs” can be completed. It also bans the Defense Department from contracting with advertising companies “that blacklist conservative news sources,” according to an internal GOP memo. The memo said the NDAA also guts funding for the Biden administration’s “Countering Extremist Activity Working Group” dedicated to rooting out extremism in the military’s ranks. The annual defense policy bill also does not authorize “any climate change programs” and prohibits the Pentagon from issuing climate impact-based guidance on weapons systems. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., touted $31 billion in savings in the legislation that would come from cutting “inefficient programs, obsolete weapons, and bloated Pentagon bureaucracy.” The compromise NDAA bill, negotiated between Republican and Democrat leadership, sets policy for the nation’s largest government agency, but a separate defense spending bill must be passed to allocate funds for such programs.
DC councilman recommended for expulsion as he faces bribery charges
A Washington, D.C. committee tasked with investigating bribery allegations against City Councilmember Trayon White Sr. voted on Monday to recommend the lawmaker be expelled for allegedly accepting over $150,000 in bribes. The committee voted unanimously to recommend White be expelled, after reviewing a report that found “substantial evidence” that the councilman violated the D.C. Code of Conduct while in office. Following the vote, D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson released a statement about the committee’s decision. “Let’s cut through the legal jargon. Trayon White is accused of taking bribes,” Mendelson said. “The prosecutors have established probable cause, our own independent investigation found substantial evidence that he took bribes, and public servants are prohibited from taking bribes. This is quintessential corruption. DC COUNCILMEMBER FACING FEDERAL BRIBERY CHARGES WINS LANDSLIDE RE-ELECTION, BUT COLLEAGUES MAY OUST HIM “There is only one remedy: to remove the corruption from our body,” the councilman later added. “This incident has damaged the public trust necessary for government to function well. Anything less than expulsion will not rectify the situation.” Over the summer, White was arrested on a federal bribery charge after being accused of accepting over $150,000 from an associate in exchange for extending violence interruption contracts. In response to the allegations, the ad hoc committee of the council commissioned an independent investigation, which was conducted by the law firm Latham and Watkins LLP. DC COUNCILMAN STUFFED POCKETS WITH ENVELOPES OF CASH IN ALLEGED BRIBERY SCHEME, FEDS ALLEGE The report was provided to the council last week, and it included an in-depth analysis along with 29 supporting exhibits, FOX 5 in DC reported. After reviewing documents, interviews, emails and texts, investigators found “substantial evidence that Councilmember White violated Council Rules and several provisions of the Code of Official Conduct.” The investigators specifically said White accepted cash from business owners in exchange for agreeing to meet with and influence government officials who approve their contracts, the station reported. FBI ARRESTS DC COUNCILMAN WHO IN 2018 ACCUSED JEWISH FINANCIERS OF ‘CLIMATE MANIPULATION’ The report also claimed White had a ledger detailing the profits he intended to earn, including a kickback of 3% of the grants he helped renew. Mendelson and White did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on the matter. The station reported that White spoke before the meeting on Monday, saying, “I do want to say that there has been no clear evidence of nobody in all these interviews saying that I tried to grab them. And so, I’m confident to that.” The council needed a five-sixths vote to adopt a resolution of expulsion, which is the most severe punishment available. A proceeding on the expulsion is to be held within 45 days, during which time White will be able to defend himself. White’s federal bribery charge trial is on the calendar to begin in January 2026. He faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted. Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman contributed to this report.
First on Fox: Trump Small Business Administration pick Loeffler to meet with GOP senators
EXCLUSIVE – Former Sen. Kelly Loeffler of Georgia will make her first visit to Capitol Hill since President-elect Trump nominated her to steer the Small Business Administration (SBA) in his second term in the White House. Fox News has learned that Loeffler will meet on Tuesday with roughly a dozen Republican senators. Among those she’ll huddle with are Sen. John Barasso of Wyoming, who ranks third in GOP Senate leadership and is the incoming Majority Whip, and Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, the incoming chair of the Senate Small Business Committee. Loeffler, who hails from a family of small business owners and entrepreneurs, was raised working on the family farm in Illinois. After becoming the first in her family to graduate college, she spent nearly three decades working her way up in the private sector. Along with her husband Jeff, Loeffler built a Fortune 500 financial services and technology company from 100 employees to 15,000. CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING ON THE TRUMP TRANSITION Loeffler later launched another company, named Bakkt, as its founding CEO and first employee. She was also a part owner of the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream. HEAD HERE FOR THE FULL LIST OF WHOM TRUMP’S PICKED TO TOP ADMINISTRATION POSITIONS “As an entrepreneur and business leader who founded startups and helped build a Fortune 500 company, Senator Loeffler looks forward to meeting with her former colleagues this week to discuss empowering America’s job creators,” Loeffler spokesperson Caitlin O’Dea told Fox News in a statement. “She is honored to be President Trump’s choice to lead the SBA, and, if confirmed, looks forward to advancing his agenda to make the small business economy great again.” Loeffler and her husband have long been major donors to Republican causes and and candidates, including Trump. Loeffler serves as co-chair of the president-elect’s inaugural committee. Trump called Loeffler, a longtime ally, “tremendous fighter” as he announced her nomination as SBA administrator. And Ernst, in a statement, said that “as a successful business owner, Kelly knows what it takes to innovate and create jobs that support American families, and I am confident that she will fight to get Washington bureaucrats off the backs of our nation’s small businesses.” While successful in the business world, Loeffler was not well known until becoming a politician. After GOP Sen. Johnny Isakson resigned from the Senate at the end of 2019 due to his deteriorating health, Republican Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia appointed Loeffler to fill Isakson’s unexpired term until the next regular election. Loeffler narrowly lost to Democrat Raphael Warnock in a runoff election in January 2021, after no candidate topped 50% of the vote in a crowded field of contenders in the November 2020 Senate election.
Trump dispels rumors he will seek to ban polio vaccine: ‘Not going to happen’
President-elect Donald Trump dispelled rumors Monday that his administration would seek to ban the polio vaccine, telling reporters Monday, “that’s not going to happen.” Questions about how Trump’s nominee for Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has made a name for himself challenging the efficacy of vaccines, and on Friday the New York Times published a report that raised concerns he will attempt to ban the polio vaccine. According to the report, a lawyer assisting Kennedy with staffing the department, previously petitioned to pause the distribution of 13 vaccines while working for nonprofit Informed Consent Action Network, including a vaccine for polio. The report spurred criticism of Kennedy’s nomination, including from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who said “efforts to undermine public confidence in proven cures are … dangerous.” When asked by reporters during a press conference from Trump’s Mar-A-Lago resort whether his administration would ban the vaccine, Trump replied “No,” but said he wanted Kennedy “to come back with a report as to what he thinks” about the polio vaccine. RFK JR SET TO FACE ABORTION, VACCINE SCRUTINY IN SIT-DOWNS WITH SENATORS ON CAPITOL HILL “We’re going to have reports – nothing is going to happen very quickly,” Trump told reporters. “I think you’re going to find that [Kennedy] is much – he’s a very rational guy. I found him to be very rational.” “You’re not going to lose the polio vaccine, that’s not going to happen,” Trump reiterated. Trump pointed out to reporters that he has friends who have been affected by the poliovirus and noted how when they took the vaccine “it ended.” He also lauded Dr. Jonas Salk, inventor of the first polio vaccine, for his efforts to help people like his friends. NOBEL LAUREATES CRITICIZE RFK JR. HHS NOMINATION OVER ‘LACK OF CREDENTIALS,’ VACCINE STANCE While Trump’s response squashed rumors his administration was planning on banning the polio vaccine, he did raise concern about the rising rates of autism in the United States, which Kennedy has linked to vaccines in the past. “We’re going to look into finding why the Autism rate is so much higher than it was 20, 25, 30 years ago,” Trump said during his response about banning the polio vaccine. “I mean it’s, like, 100 times higher. There’s something wrong and we’re going to try finding that.” In response to an inquiry about the future of the polio vaccine, a Trump transition team spokesperson said, “Mr. Kennedy believes the Polio Vaccine should be available to the public and thoroughly and properly studied.”
Fox News Politics: The DNC’s Blue Christmas
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump transition, exclusive interviews and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening… – Biden admin expected to offer California waiver to ban gas-powered cars by 2035: report – RFK Jr set to face abortion, vaccine scrutiny in sit-downs with senators on Capitol Hill – Mitt Romney predicts the GOP’s 2028 presidential standard-bearer Vice President Kamala Harris tried to encourage Democratic staffers facing layoffs from the DNC on Sunday, telling them that their “spirit will not be defeated.” Harris made the comments during the DNC’s holiday celebration in Washington, D.C., on Sunday. She spoke alongside President Biden and first lady Jill Biden at the event, which played host to staffers who were let go from the DNC without severance packages after the election. “This holiday season, like any time of the year, let us really be conscious of all the blessings we have. Let us celebrate the blessings we have; let us celebrate and advance the blessings we have yet to create,” Harris said. “And let us always remember our country is worth fighting for, and our spirit will not be defeated.” Read more. FINAL PUSH: Biden expected to grant CA waiver for gas car ban before Trump admin takes over…Read more ‘OUR MILITARY KNOWS’: Trump says Biden admin has answers to drone mystery…Read more BACK ON THE BENCH: Republicans fume over judicial unretirements taking away vacancies for Trump to fill…Read more ‘DID I AT LEAST LOOK COOL?’: Trump adviser collapses on stage while giving speech at Young Republican gala…Read more TIME TO CALL: Trump can save Syrian Kurds from Turkish aggression…Read more ‘IS THAT A SERIOUS QUESTION?’: Trump tangles with reporter asking about Iran preemptive strikes…Read more KENNEDY TO CONGRESS: RFK Jr set to face abortion, vaccine scrutiny in first hill meetings since Trump selection…Read more MONEY TALKS: Showdown over $36T US debt crisis looms in Congress, new data show…Read more ‘SO IMPORTANT’: Paris Hilton urges GOP-led House to pass bipartisan Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act…Read more ‘REAL ANSWERS’: Schumer asks DHS to deploy 360-degree radar tech amid drone mystery…Read more RED TAPE RIP-OFF: Business group accuses California regulators of gangster behavior…Read more ‘TARGETED ASSASSINATIONS’: Venezuelan expert sounds alarm about what’s next if sanctuary city policies continue…Read more ‘VIOLATED THE LAW’: State AG sues New York doctor who allegedly prescribed abortion medication by mail…Read more ‘BRING THEM ALL HOME’: Israeli hostages’ families hold Central Park rally, call on Biden, Trump to get loved ones from Hamas…Read more ‘MATH’ PROBLEM: Economists pan Hochul’s ‘inflation refunds’ as inflationary…Read more ‘MAKE LIFE MULTIPLANETARY’: Elon Musk moves to make Starbase, Texas, the official ‘gateway to Mars’…Read more ‘LOST CONTROL’: Investigator’s eye in the sky tumbles to ground during approach to mystery drone…Read more IDENTIFY, TRACK, MITIGATE: Government demands more counter-drone powers as current authorities set to expire…Read more Get the latest updates on the Trump presidential transition, incoming Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.