December 7, 2024 - Presidential transition news

Our live coverage of the Trump administration’s transition has ended for the day. Follow the latest updates or read through the posts below.

Sen. Joni Ernst on Capitol Hill on December 5, 2024.

Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa on Saturday again called for a thorough vetting of Pete Hegseth — President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Pentagon — as he faces a tough confirmation process amid a series of allegations related to his workplace behavior and treatment of women.

Ernst’s comments come after Hegseth, a veteran and former Fox News host, traveled to the US Capitol this week to shore up support with key senators who will vote on his confirmation. Ernst was one of several Republicans who declined to endorse him, instead calling for further vetting. Amid calls for more vetting, Hegseth’s name was submitted to the FBI for a background check, his attorney told CNN on Thursday.

Following Trump’s selection of Hegseth, a 2017 sexual assault allegation against him surfaced. Hegseth paid the accuser as part of a settlement agreement that included a confidentiality clause, CNN previously reported. Hegseth has denied the allegation, claiming the encounter was consensual, and no charges were filed.

Ernst is a veteran who’s taken on sexual assault in the military and has spoken publicly about being a survivor of sexual assault. CNN previously reported that the Iowa senator’s name was floated as a potential replacement for Hegseth.

Ernst said Saturday that she is looking forward to meeting with Hegseth next week and stressed that he will face “a very thorough vetting” before his nomination could move forward.

The Iowa senator said she would like to hear more from Hegseth about “the role of women” in the US military and how to get “the Pentagon through a clean audit.” Hegseth has criticized efforts to allow women into combat roles.

Outgoing Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell subtly criticized President-elect Donald Trump’s foreign policy views during a Saturday speech at the Reagan National Defense Forum.

Drawing on former President Ronald Reagan’s firm Cold War stance, McConnell warned in his remarks in Simi Valley, California, that some influential voices are ignoring key lessons from that era as global threats continue to escalate.

Trump has repeatedly criticized global alliances such as NATO and expressed reluctance on US involvement in foreign conflicts, including continuing US aid to Ukraine in its fight against Russia. McConnell is a staunch supporter of US aid to Kyiv and said earlier this year amid attacks from the Trump wing of the GOP that “every argument” against Ukraine aid is “wrong.”

Though McConnell is stepping down from his party leadership position in January, he will chair the all-important Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense. The Kentucky Republican has emphasized that he wants to focus the rest of his time in office on beating back the isolationist strain in his party.

McConnell was honored Saturday with the “Peace Through Strength” award alongside outgoing Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. McConnell stressed that renewing America’s leadership on the world stage requires a steadfast commitment to “peace through strength.”

Austin used his remarks to announce a $1 billion military aid package for Ukraine as he forcefully argued for US leadership around the world.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan on Saturday stressed the need for a “seamless” transition with President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming national security team, saying officials are in contact with their successors.

Sullivan noted that while the need for a smooth transition is always true, it is particularly important now given the multitude of conflicts around the globe, from the war in Gaza to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

President-elect Donald Trump attends a viewing of the launch of the sixth test flight of the SpaceX Starship rocket on November 19, in Brownsville, Texas.

On top of maintaining the House, Republicans will take control of the Senate and the White House in January, handing them complete control of Washington for the first time since early 2019.

While the incoming Trump administration and Republicans on Capitol Hill have big ideas about how to spend their political capital, they will be limited by slim majorities in the House and Senate.

For a better idea of what to expect, I talked to CNN congressional correspondent Lauren Fox. Our conversation, edited for style and length, is below:

What will be the signature legislative achievement of Trump 2.0?

FOX: If they stick with the current order that they’re talking about — which is by the way, not a sure thing — but let’s say that they try to tackle immigration first, the budget process in the Senate that allows you to pass a bill with 51 votes, known as reconciliation, has a lot of limited parameters around what you can actually do.

So Republicans can’t do wide, sweeping immigration policy changes through that first bill.

But what they could do is invest a lot of money in border security. They could basically plus up how much they’re spending on those priorities, and they could move some money around. That could still be really significant for the Trump administration, because Trump talked about the border so much and because Republicans campaigned on that issue.

Read more on Fox’s answers about Congress here.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump meets Britain's Prince William, Prince of Wales at the UK Ambassador's Residence on the day of the reopening ceremonies of the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral on December 7, in Paris, France.

President-elect Donald Trump met with Prince William on Saturday evening at the UK ambassador’s residence in Paris following the Notre Dame reopening ceremony.

Trump was scheduled to meet Prince William earlier Saturday, but the meeting was delayed due to poor weather.

President-elect Donald Trump has left Notre Dame following the cathedral’s reopening ceremony, along with other high-profile guests, including tech billionaire Elon Musk, first lady Jill Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Fifty heads of state and government have been invited to attend a dinner hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace. Trump is expected to attend and mingle with other foreign leaders, including a “private pull aside” with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

The reopening ceremony lasted around two hours. It was led by Paris Archbishop Laurent Ulrich and featured a choir performance, the sounding of Notre Dame’s grand organ — France’s largest instrument — and remarks from Macron.

President-elect Donald Trump is expected to meet with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni after the Notre Dame reopening ceremony Saturday, a source familiar with the plans told CNN.

The two will meet at a reception held by French President Emmanuel Macron, the source added, describing the meeting as a “private pull aside.”

Meloni was elected this summer as the prime minister of Italy, leading the most far-right government since the fascist era of Benito Mussolini. She entered Italy’s crowded political scene in 2006 and co-founded the Brothers of Italy in 2012, a party whose agenda is rooted in Euroskepticism and anti-immigration policies.

Trump is also expected to mingle with several other foreign leaders at the dinner reception.

Trump’s meeting with Britian’s Prince William, which was scheduled for Saturday afternoon but delayed due to poor weather, is now expected to take place later in the day.

Following the dinner reception, Trump is expected to fly back to Florida.

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What Elon Musk's presence at Notre Dame reopening signals

01:10 • Source: CNN

What Elon Musk's presence at Notre Dame reopening signals

01:10

Tech billionaire Elon Musk has arrived at Notre Dame Cathedral to attend the reopening ceremony.

He’s one of the VIP guests invited alongside some religious officials and world leaders, including President-elect Donald Trump.

More context: Musk has emerged as a key player in Trump’s orbit and has been tapped by the president-elect to co-lead the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency. Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, spent more than a quarter of a billion dollars to get Trump elected, CNN reported this week.

French President Emmanuel Macron (L) and his wife Brigitte Macron (R) pose with US President-elect Donald Trump (C) outside Notre-Dame Cathedral ahead of a ceremony to mark the re-opening of the landmark cathedral, in central, Paris on December 7, 2024. Around 50 heads of state and government are expected in the French capital to attend the ceremony marking the rebuilding of the Gothic masterpiece five years after the 2019 fire which ravaged the world heritage landmark and toppled its spire. Some 250 companies and hundreds of experts were part of the five-year restoration project at a cost of hundreds of millions of euros.

President-elect Donald Trump has entered Notre Dame for the Parisian cathedral’s reopening.

Trump walked down the right side of the nave through thousands of attendees, including heads of state, major business leaders and Catholic dignitaries. The president-elect was greeted to a small round of applause as he approached the front of the cathedral, where he was assigned a seat between French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte. Set to be seated on the other side of the French first lady was her American counterpart, Jill Biden.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky greeted to a standing ovation as he approached his seat.

Also in attendance at the ceremony:

The event will begin with a speech from Macron.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had a “good and productive trilateral meeting” with US President-elect Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace on Saturday.

“We all want this war to end as soon as possible and in a just way,” Zelensky said in a post on X, adding that the three countries have agreed to continue working together.

Zelensky also said of the president-elect: “President Trump is, as always, resolute.”

Trump and Zelensky were originally set to hold separate consecutive talks with Macron.

Some background: Zelensky said last week that he wants to work “directly” with Trump and that he is open to his ideas, highlighting Kyiv’s eagerness to keep its most important ally onside as Russia intensifies its attacks.

The United States is the single largest provider of military assistance to Ukraine in the country’s fight against Russia. Trump has cast doubts on continued US aid to Kyiv and has repeatedly claimed the war would not have started if he had been president. In July, he said he could settle the war in one day, without saying how he would do so.

President-elect Donald Trump has arrived at Notre Dame for the famed cathedral’s reopening ceremony.

He came from the Élysée Palace, where he met with French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

President-elect Donald Trump will now meet Britain’s Prince William after the Notre Dame reopening ceremony, according to Kensington Palace.

Prince William will also now only meet with first lady Jill Biden at the ceremony, Kensington Palace said, citing delays due to weather.

French President Emmanuel Macron poses with US President-elect Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky before a trilateral meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris on December 7.

President-elect Donald Trump’s meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron ahead of the Notre Dame Cathedral reopening ceremony lasted just over half an hour at the Élysée Palace.

Trump and Zelensky were originally set to hold separate consecutive talks with Macron.

Remember: The United States is the single largest provider of military assistance to Ukraine in the country’s fight against Russia. Trump has cast doubts on continued US aid to Kyiv and has repeatedly claimed the war would not have started if he had been president. In July, he said he could settle the war in one day, without saying how he would do so.

Zelensky said at the end of November he wanted to work “directly” with Trump and was open to his ideas.

He also said Russia’s war with his country could end next year and that he was awaiting Trump’s proposals on resolving the conflict.

The two met at Trump’s New York base in Trump Tower in September. Zelensky characterized his conversations with Trump during that visit as “warm, good, constructive.”

French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed US President-elect Donald Trump to the Elysee Palace on Saturday with the pair’s now-customary grappling handshakes, as Trump visited for a meeting ahead of the reopening ceremony for the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

Speaking to reporters before they met privately, Macron and Trump both expressed optimism about the future of their relationship and fondly recalled Trump’s first time in office — a broadly friendly but occasionally turbulent period in US-France relations.

Macron, whose government is under threat of collapse after a parliamentary revolt, grinned throughout Trump’s remarks and audibly agreed with Trump’s assessment.

“We had a good time together and we had a lot of, a lot of success, really great success working together on defense and offense, too,” Trump continued. “And it certainly seems like the world is going a little crazy right now.”

As the men met in Paris, with an estimated 50 fellow world leaders either in town or en route, Bashar al-Assad’s Russian- and Iranian-aligned regime in Syria appeared to be nearing collapse, with rebel forces threatening to encircle the capital city of Damascus.

Macron called Trump’s visit “a great honor for French people,” then recalled Trump’s response to the Notre Dame fire five years earlier.

France's President Emmanuel Macron welcomes US president-elect Donald Trump before a meeting at The Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris on December 7. Trump makes his first international trip since his election win, preparing for a day of intense diplomacy before attending the reopening ceremony for the Notre Dame cathedral restored after the 2019 fire.

US President-elect Donald Trump has arrived at the Elysée Palace to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron.

Trump arrived in Paris early on Saturday to attend the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral, his first trip overseas since he won the US presidential election in November.

Macron was the first foreign leader to congratulate Trump after he became just the second US president to win a nonconsecutive term.

Macron is also meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later in the afternoon, and Trump is meeting with Britain’s Prince William ahead of the Notre Dame Cathedral reopening ceremony.

President-elect Donald Trump weighed in Saturday on the escalating situation in Syria, where opposition forces have reportedly seized control of several cities and are advancing on Damascus. He posted on social media: “THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT. LET IT PLAY OUT. DO NOT GET INVOLVED!”

Trump also argued that if Syrian rebels are able to force out President Bashar al-Assad, “it may actually be the best thing that can happen” to Russia, which he argued is too preoccupied with the war with Ukraine to stop the rebel fighters.

The president-elect also blamed the Obama administration for failing to enforce the 2013 “red line” that stated that Syria’s use of chemical weapons would mean US military action.

Reiterating his “America First” stance, Trump argued that Syria is not the US’ fight. “Syria is a mess, but is not our friend,” he wrote, urging a hands-off approach.

While in office, Trump ordered the launch of a military strike in 2017 on a Syrian government airbase in response to a chemical weapons attack that killed dozens of civilians.

He ordered 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at the airbase that was home to the warplanes that carried out the chemical attacks in what was the first direct military action taken by the US against the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the country’s civil war.

His decision at the time marked a dramatic shift in his position on whether the US should take military action against the Syrian president’s regime — which Trump opposed during his first campaign for president.

This post has been updated with additional details.

President-Elect Donald Trump unveiled a new line of fragrances under the brand name “Trump Perfumes & Colognes” in a post Saturday on Truth Social.

The collection, named “Fight, Fight, Fight,” is designed to embody the spirit of victory and is also what Trump yelled after being shot this summer. “I call them Fight, Fight, Fight, because they represent us WINNING,” Trump wrote.

The new fragrance line is being marketed as the ideal holiday gift and is available for purchase at gettrumpfragrances.com. The collection includes cologne for men and perfume for women, each priced at $199. Notably, the “Victory” line has already sold out on the website.

“Here are my new Trump Perfumes & Colognes! I call them Fight, Fight, Fight, because they represent us WINNING. Great Christmas gifts for the family. Go to https://gettrumpfragrances.com/. Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!”

Britain's Prince William speaks during the ceremony for the 12th annual Tusk Conservation Awards at The Savoy Hotel on November 27, in London, England.

Prince William will meet with US President-elect Donald Trump in Paris on Saturday, Kensington Palace has announced.

The pair will meet while they are both in the French capital for the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral, which was heavily damaged after being engulfed in flames in 2019.

More than five years later, after intensive restoration, the Parisian landmark is officially being reopened on Saturday.

William will be attending the reopening ceremony on behalf of the United Kingdom, the palace said. He will also meet with US first lady Jill Biden, who he last saw at the coronation of his father King Charles III in London last year.

The prince last met with Trump during his state visit to the UK in 2019. This will be Trump’s first overseas trip since his election in November to a second term in office.

Donald Trump arrives at an election night watch party in West Palm Beach, Florida, on November 6.

President-elect Donald Trump is in Paris on Saturday to attend the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral, his first overseas trip since his election victory in November.

Trump’s team had been in discussions for days with French President Emmanuel Macron’s office regarding the visit, and the US president-elect was invited by the French government to attend the reopening, sources familiar with the plans told CNN.

Trump and Macron worked together closely throughout the first Trump administration, with their relationship being described as somewhat of a “bromance,” though at times they appeared hostile toward one another.

Macron was the first foreign leader to congratulate Trump after he became only the second US president ever to win a nonconsecutive term, writing on X: “Congratulations, President @realDonaldTrump. Ready to work together as we did for four years. With your convictions and mine. With respect and ambition. For more peace and prosperity.” Later that evening, Trump and Macron spoke by phone, Macron’s office said.

More on the visit: As soon as the invitation was received, Trump told his team he wanted to attend as he has long held a fascination with Notre Dame, which was severely damaged by a fire in 2019. At the time, Trump watched footage of the fire while aboard Air Force One, commenting on social media: “So horrible to watch the massive fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Perhaps flying water tankers could be used to put it out. Must act quickly!”