Elon Musk has joined the chorus of conservative and MAGA voices online backing Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) for Senate GOP leader — after calling Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) the "top choice of Democrats."
Why it matters: Musk has become one of the most influential voices in Trump world. If the growing online momentum converts into the president-elect weighing in, the leadership race could be dramatically upended.
Nearly four years ago, the Biden administration and Congressional Democrats made a $1.9 trillion bet in the form of the American Rescue Plan. They lost, as it contributed to a surge in inflation that fueled massive voter discontent and Donald Trump's return to the White House.
Why it matters: In the next recession, politicians and policymakers may be more hesitant to unleash the type of programs that drove America's rapid recovery from the pandemic-induced crisis.
President-elect Trump is taking a very different approach to staffing his second administration:
He's putting a premium (so far) on picking people who are both experienced and MAGA loyalists, transition insiders tell us.
Why it matters: In Trump's first term, many of the top players were either experts or true believers — but rarely both.
The result was a dysfunctional, chaotic administration that, officials recognize in retrospect, could have accomplished a lot more. Trump is determined to fix that, we're told.
