Axios

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) on Wednesday revealed that he was "briefly detained" by police at Dulles International Airport earlier this month after mixing alcohol and Ambien.

Why it matters: McCaul is the chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and, thus, a powerful U.S. policymaker on foreign affairs.

President Biden asked President-elect Trump during their two-hour meeting on Wednesday to work together in order to push for a ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas.

Why it matters: Biden wants to use the two months he has left in office to break the prolonged deadlock in the negotiations over a Gaza deal. Trump on the other hand would likely be happy to reach Inauguration Day with one less crisis on his plate.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) won the GOP nomination Wednesday for a full, two-year term in the top job, after running unopposed despite hardliners threatening to put up an challenger.

Why it matters: Johnson will need 218 votes in January to retain his gavel, with a tiny majority to pull it off. But President-elect Trump told Republicans on Wednesday he's 100% with Johnson.

This is no time for complacency in the U.S. race for artificial intelligence against China, Mike Gallagher, Palantir head of defense told Mike Allen at the Axios Future of Defense event in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday.

Why it matters: Gallagher suggested that leveraging software and AI to automate processes could help the Department of Defense reinvest resources into more critical military capabilities.

Democratic colleagues of Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) and former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) were left in disbelief on Wednesday when President-elect Trump nominated both for high-ranking administration roles.

Why it matters: Democrats see a series of increasingly inflammatory and controversial picks coming from the incoming president, and they're using them to build an early case against his administration.

Rep. Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) is set to replace House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) as the chamber's No. 4 Republican.

Why it matters: McClain will be the highest-ranking new face in House GOP leadership, with the top three leaders all staying in their roles and the party poised to maintain its majority.

Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Az.), a former Navy captain, said at an Axios event on Wednesday that he had never heard of Pete Hegseth, President-elect Trump's pick to lead the Pentagon.

Why it matters: Hegseth will need Senate confirmation to serve in the position in an official capacity, and he could require some Democratic support if he bleeds votes from Republicans.

Former President Trump shocked and appalled some Republican lawmakers on Wednesday by announcing plans to nominate Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) for attorney general.

Why it matters: Republican reaction to even Trump's most controversial nominations has been muted so far, but placing the scandal-prone right-winger in the nation's highest law enforcement role is a step too far for many.

President-elect Trump, baffling even his Republican backers, walked out of today's transition-to-power meeting with President Biden and announced he'll nominate Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) as attorney general.

• This came minutes after Trump named former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard to head the U.S. intelligence community — and just over 20 hours after he picked "Fox & Friends Weekend" co-host Pete Hegseth to run the Pentagon.

Why it matters: Trump is taunting his critics with three highly controversial picks for three of the most important jobs in the land.

Republicans will have a majority in the Senate in 2025, AP projected.

Why it matters: This guarantees the GOP at least some control in Congress next year when President-elect Trump returns to the White House.

President-elect Trump said Wednesday that he will nominate Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) to serve as attorney general during his second term.

Why it matters: The Florida congressman, attorney, and pro-Trump firebrand is a highly controversial pick with a history of testy relationships with fellow Republicans on Capitol Hill.

President-elect Trump has narrowed in on Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) for secretary of state, he announced on Wednesday.

Why it matters: Rubio is a foreign policy hawk who was on Trump's vice presidential short list.

President-elect Trump nominated former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard to serve as director of National Intelligence on Wednesday.

The big picture: The onetime Democratic presidential candidate endorsed Trump earlier this year and joined his presidential transition team.

Some Latino left-leaning advocacy groups and pollsters are pushing back on exit polls showing President-elect Donald Trump made historic inroads with Latino voters.

Why it matters: Latino voters, a significant part of the Democratic coalition since 1960, shifted right in the 2024 election, according to exit polls and an Axios analysis of early election results, causing panic among some Democrats about the future of the party.

President-elect Trump threw his unbridled support behind Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), calling him a "tremendous guy" during a closed-door meeting of House Republicans on Wednesday.

Why it matters: Trump's full-throated endorsement, delivered just ahead of internal GOP leadership elections, will likely tamp down the possibility of Johnson defectors — both in the conference vote and during the full floor vote in January.

Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) was elected Senate majority leader Wednesday, ushering in a new era for the Senate GOP after nearly two decades under the helm of Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).

Why it matters: Thune will be tasked with balancing the diverging wings of the Republican Party, from more traditional conservatives to President-elect Trump's MAGA allies.

Defeated Rep. Marc Molinaro (R-N.Y.) is entertaining the idea of trying to return to Congress by running in a soon-to-be-vacant neighboring district.

Why it matters: It wouldn't be the first time Molinaro — a loyalist of House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) – has had to jump northward to get into Congress.

House Democratic leaders are planning a series of "listening sessions" following their disappointing 2024 election performance, but some lawmakers aren't waiting to make their complaints known.

Why it matters: Democrats are engaged in a party-wide blame game over their electoral collapse on Nov. 5 — and even House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) is getting caught up in the finger pointing.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has not given up hope for an end-of-year government funding plan centered on the goal of an omnibus spending package, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: House Republicans want a short-term stopgap funding bill, setting up a clash between the two chambers.

Republicans are feeling positive about the economy for the first time in four years, while the Democratic vibes have plunged, per new data from Morning Consult.

Why it matters: Consumer sentiment used to reflect current economic conditions, but for the past several years it's grown increasingly political.

Sen. John Thune has won the Senate GOP leader race, succeeding Mitch McConnell after an 18-year tenure, according to two sources in the room.

Why it matters: The South Dakota Republican is now the second most powerful man in Washington.

For at least one Fed official, the word to describe the possible impact from President-elect Trump's policies: "uncertain."

Why it matters: Minneapolis Fed president Neel Kashkari tells Axios it is too soon to say how plans at the heart of Trump's agenda — including deportations and across-the-board tariffs — will hit inflation and the labor market.

President Biden hosted President-elect Trump for a meeting at the White House Wednesday, just over a week since Trump resoundingly won the 2024 election.

Why it matters: The traditional meeting between the incoming and outgoing presidents came after Biden vowed to uphold a peaceful transition of power.

The Senate Republican leader race will come down to Sens. John Thune and John Cornyn after Rick Scott received the fewest votes on the first ballot, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: Scott got a huge wave of backing from Trump allies and MAGA influencers, but was unable to make headway with his fellow GOP senators.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) on Wednesday conceded to his members that Democrats are unlikely to win back the House and took responsibility for the outcome, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: The Democratic leader's comments to a closed-door caucus meeting come after several House progressives told Axios they would like him to answer for the election outcome.

Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) picked up two more public endorsements for his Senate GOP leadership bid on Tuesday as senators left a multi-hour discussion about what they want the future of leadership to look like.

Why it matters: On the eve of Wednesday's leadership election, Scott — as well as Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and John Cornyn (R-Tex.) — gave their final pitch and answered colleagues' questions on everything from amendments to the debt ceiling to the border.

The Consumer Price Index rose 2.6% in the 12 months through October — a tick up from the prior month — while the measure that strips out food and energy held at 3.3%, the Labor Department said on Wednesday.

Why it matters: The worst of the inflation shock is over, but price pressures look stubborn and further progress on cooling those may be stalling.

Rep. Lori Trahan (D-Mass.) is seeking reelection as a co-chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: She is the latest piece in House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries' (D-N.Y.) leadership puzzle as ambitious Democrats scramble to fill vacant roles.

More analysts are exploring what the Donald Trump-Elon Musk BFF situation means for Tesla, which has a market cap back above $1 trillion in the election's wake.

What they're saying: A Deutsche Bank note titled "to the victor belong the spoils" lays out a few ways Trump 2.0 could help Tesla.

Scott Bessent, the frontrunner to be President-elect Trump's Treasury secretary, tells Axios criticism by Nobel economists and other experts that Trump's proposals could ignite an inflation bomb belies the campaign's big takeaway — that working-class Americans are struggling financially.

• "The idea that he would recreate an affordability crisis is absurd," Bessent, 62, founder of Key Square Group and a former George Soros money manager, said in a phone interview.

President-elect Trump announced Tuesday that he plans to nominate South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to be the next secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Why it matters: Noem, a Trump loyalist and immigration hardliner, will play a crucial role in implementing Trump's immigration policies, including his plan to carry out mass deportations.

Trump 2.0 will shake up the Pentagon, but how he sharpens or dulls its technological evolution — wielding his radical vibes as a scalpel or hammer, and leaning on disruptive-tech friends — is a work in progress.

The big picture: To start figuring it out, consider these clues.

Pregnant women or those who've given birth in the past year are likelier to be murdered than die from medical causes like preeclampsia or hemorrhaging, a new study in JAMA Network Open concludes.

Why it matters: The findings show how maternal mortality can be influenced by state divorce laws and access to reproductive care, with individuals younger than 25 years and Black women at highest risk.

A new Trump administration is expected to challenge traditions in the famous James Brady Press Briefing Room, sources told Axios.

Why it matters: Confidants of President-elect Trump are considering changes that would give newer, MAGA-aligned voices access to daily press briefings.

A week after the election, Democratic governors and attorneys general are sharpening plans to become the de facto blue state resistance to a second Trump term.

Why it matters: Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis announced Tuesday the creation of the Governors Safeguarding Democracy organization as a leading voice against President-elect Trump's policies — and to provide a playbook for other governors seeking to push back.

The Trump administration's envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, has a major asset: a direct line to Donald Trump, a source close to the president-elect told Axios.

Why it matters: Witkoff faces a crisis in the Middle East and the biggest war between Israelis and Palestinians since 1948 as he starts the job.

President-elect Trump is quickly filling top jobs in his administration, but several potential contenders for such posts have opted out.

Why it matters: At least three GOP senators and a governor, all likely to have key roles in shaping the future of Trump's Republican Party, are focused on other priorities — including some that could set up possible runs for the White House in 2028.

Democratic leaders are increasingly anxious about being left with a big bill from Kamala Harris' campaign, which is likely to end millions of dollars in debt, four people familiar with the matter tell Axios.

Why it matters: Debt beyond a few million bucks could hamper the Democratic National Committee's efforts to rebuild the party over the next four years.

A memorial service for the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre victims on Tuesday honored a World War I veteran and others killed in the atrocity with a monument.

The big picture: Many of the estimated 300 Black residents killed by a white mob that destroyed the thriving, middle-class Black community of Greenwood in Tulsa, Oklahoma, have yet to be identified.

President Biden is expected to meet on Wednesday afternoon with the families of the seven American hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza, according to two sources with knowledge of the issue.

Why it matters: Biden is still pushing for a breakthrough in the stalled hostage-release and ceasefire in Gaza negotiations, and is expected to raise the issue in his meeting with President-elect Trump on Wednesday morning, a source said.

Chip Leighton and I have three things in common: We both love Maine (he lives there; I wish I did), both wrote books, and both love laughing at the dumb-ass things our kids say, Jim writes.

• We have one big difference: He makes enough money making fun of his kids to quit his corporate job — and do it professionally! 

Why it matters: Leighton is out today with a new book — "What time is noon?" — loaded with funny texts from kids.  

• A personal favorite: "How does eating cold turkey help you quit smoking?"

⚡ The quick backstory: Leighton, working in corporate world marketing, was bored during COVID so he hopped on TikTok and started posting funny texts from his kids.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y). is plotting extraordinary measures to stop President-elect Trump's agenda on confirming judges and appointing his administration. But he'll have to decide fast if his No. 2 is up for the job.

Why it matters: Democrats tell Axios they're nervous about whether Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), 79, has the fire to fight Trump nominees as the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) is getting caught up in the ideological infighting plaguing his party, with some members of his left flank dialing up their scrutiny toward him.

Why it matters: Jeffries' loyalists have long touted his reputation as a unifier and coalition-builder, but some progressives are wondering aloud if he has the mettle to take on President-elect Trump.

President-elect Trump nominated Pete Hegseth to serve as Secretary of Defense on Tuesday.

Why it matters: A surprise choice, the TV personality and military vet is a proponent of a non-interventionist "America First" foreign policy, in contrast with Trump's picks for other top national security roles.