Trump taps GOP campaign lawyer as White House counsel

President-elect Donald Trump will install William McGinley, a Republican campaign lawyer and former Trump White House adviser, as the White House counsel in the next administration, the Trump-Vance transition said Tuesday. McGinley will be at the helm in one of the most powerful positions in the West Wing. As White House counsel, McGinley will provide […]

Conservatives are mounting a symbolic challenge to Johnson’s speakership

House conservatives are planning to mount a symbolic challenger to Speaker Mike Johnson during Wednesday’s internal leadership election, according to two people familiar with the effort. Conservatives have been discussing how to signal their frustration with Johnson for days, deliberations POLITICO first reported. They have talked about having a lawmaker actually run against the Louisiana […]

Durbin: Replacing Sotomayor before new Congress not ‘realistic’

Senate Judiciary Chair Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said Tuesday that talk in Washington about Justice Sonia Sotomayor retiring and filling a Supreme Court vacancy before Democrats cede control of the chamber is “idle speculation” and not “realistic.” “Whoever makes those calls [for a retirement] can’t count,” Durbin said. “Take a look at the calendar and tell […]

Former Utah Rep. Chris Stewart in the mix for top Trump intel job

Former Rep. Chris Stewart is a candidate to serve as director of national intelligence in Donald Trump’s administration, according to three people with knowledge of the discussions. Stewart, a senior member of the House Intelligence Committee during his congressional tenure, was a staunch defender of Trump, particularly during the former president’s first impeachment regarding his […]

Frey, Herbster in mix for Agriculture secretary

Sarah Frey, founder of Frey Farms, and longtime Trump ally Charles Herbster are among the list of names President-elect Donald Trump is considering tapping as his Agriculture secretary, according to four people familiar with the transition. Both are GOP donors and outsiders to the federal government. Trump has yet to wade into final decisions about […]

Elon Musk brings all the deregulation hype to X

Elon Musk’s role in Donald Trump’s administration hasn’t been announced, but the billionaire and Tesla CEO is already sharing some of his enthusiasm for the incoming president and his deregulatory desires on social media. Musk, who owns the social media platform X, has been posting regularly about politics, deregulation and incoming Trump administration personnel. The […]

Meet the new members: The first transgender member of Congress

The new member: Rep.-elect Sarah McBride (D-Del.) How they got here: McBride claimed Delaware’s sole House seat, defeating former state trooper and retired businessman John Whalen, 58 percent to 42 percent. Inside the campaign: The historic nature of her candidacy has not gone unnoticed, but issues like expanding access to health care, reducing costs and […]

Breaking down Donald Trump’s deportation agenda

Carlos Trujillo may not be a household name, but he was instrumental in helping President-elect Donald Trump hone his message and win a historic number of Latino voters last week. Trujillo, who’s been a senior adviser to Trump since his 2016 presidential run and served in his first administration, believes the Republican’s decisive victory ushered […]