Axios

House Democrats are poised to have a last-minute fight on their hands over a key leadership role charged with steering the party's political messaging.

Why it matters: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and his two top deputies are all slated to run for reelection unopposed, making this likely the most contested role in senior leadership.

President-elect Trump on Thursday said he will nominate Jay Clayton to be U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

The big picture: It's one of the country's most powerful prosecutorial offices and is often responsible for policing financial fraud.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has fanned the flames of vaccine misinformation and elevated unfounded claims about corruption within the FDA.

Why it matters: Now, he's President-elect Trump's pick to lead America's health agencies — including the ones he has lambasted for years.

Vaccine company stocks fell sharply Thursday on reports that President-elect Donald Trump would nominate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as secretary of health and human services.

Why it matters: Trump's pick, which was confirmed after markets closed, puts one of the nation's foremost vaccine skeptics in charge of America's health care agencies.

Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy appear to be soliciting applicants to work at the newly announced Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), according to a social media post Thursday.

The big picture: The initiative, which President-elect Trump said would be advising from "outside of government," is looking to hire "small-government revolutionaries willing to work 80+ hours per week on unglamorous cost-cutting."

A sprawling movement built around concerns over the food supply and drug industry profiteering is poised to shake up health policy in the new Trump administration — and is already stoking disinformation concerns.

Why it matters: Trump has now picked the leader of the "Make America Healthy Again" campaign, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as his nominee for health secretary — meaning he could soon have the power to implement some of the MAHA agenda.

President-elect Trump has asked Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to serve as secretary of health and human services, Trump confirmed on Thursday.

Why it matters: Trump's pick would put one of the nation's foremost vaccine skeptics in charge of America's health care agencies.

A U.S. district court judge consented to a request from a Jan. 6 defendant to delay his trials after President-elect Trump's win, agreeing that his White House return could make the proceedings a moot point.

Why it matters: The judge's decision could set a precedent, prompting others handling Jan. 6 defendants cases to reach similar conclusions despite DOJ opposition.

Democrats are scrambling for any way to force the release of what many expect to be a damning House Ethics Committee report into former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.).

Why it matters: Gaetz's abrupt resignation from Congress on Wednesday, after President-elect Trump said he'll nominate him for attorney general, put a sudden halt to the panel's investigation into him.

Nearly 90 lawmakers sent a letter to President Biden in late October calling on him to sanction two Israeli ultranationalist ministers for "incentivizing" violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinian civilians in the occupied West Bank.

Why it matters: The U.S. has sanctioned several Israeli organizations for supporting violence by extremist settlers against Palestinians but has stopped short of taking action against Israel's Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir and Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich.

Sen. Joe Manchin (I-W.V.) suggested Thursday that he is open to voting for Democratic judicial nominees, even if they can't secure any Republican support.

Why it matters: Manchin pledged in the past he would only vote for nominees who could get at least one GOP vote. His reversal could be key to Democrats reaching a key milestone on federal judges.

President-elect Trump's intent to nominate Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) to serve as attorney general has stunned lawmakers on both sides of the aisle and set up a tough confirmation battle in the GOP-controlled Senate.

Why it matters: Trump's selection of Gaetz was his middle finger to critics but also ensured that the head of the Justice Department would be someone willing to impose his more controversial policies.

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody sued FEMA officials Thursday for allegedly neglecting hurricane victims in households supporting President-elect Trump.

Driving the news: The lawsuit comes after a series of claims that the federal agency has a bias against Republicans and is diverting funds meant for natural disaster cleanup to house migrants.

As President-elect Trump rolls out his Cabinet picks, he has called on the Senate to allow for recess appointments — a process that would allow him to install officials without congressional approval.

Why it matters: By demanding recess appointments, Trump is asking the Senate to surrender its advise-and-consent role for Cabinet confirmations, a key lever in the system of checks and balances against presidential power.

The Trump administration is reportedly expected to pursue the demolition of electric vehicle tax credits that provide discounts of up to $7,500 on new EVs.

Why it matters: Those incentives have encouraged EV adoption at a time when climate advocates say it's critical to transition away from fossil fuels. But Trump has bashed the credits, which were included in the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.

Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) has talked with RNC co-chair Lara Trump about her interest in filling the Senate seat set to be vacated by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) — and is now pushing for her selection, he told Axios.

Why it matters: Scott brings a Florida angle to a broader MAGA push to install a Trump in the Senate. "I hope that's exactly who [Florida Gov. Ron] DeSantis picks," Scott said of President-elect Trump's daughter-in-law.

The global trade order is set to come under new pressure as President-elect Trump returns to the White House. But companies' pushes to reshore business activity and reduce dependence on China are already well underway, per a new survey.

Why it matters: The incoming Trump administration — with its promises of big tariffs and pressure on companies to move activity inside U.S. borders — may accelerate shifts in how multinationals manage their supply chains. But it doesn't change their direction.

President-elect Trump has nominated former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard to serve as his director of national intelligence.

Why it matters: If confirmed, the ex-Democrat turned MAGA ally would head the country's vast intelligence community despite having little experience in the field.

Elon Musk's X platform continues to be the dominant social discourse app in America, garnering 30 times more daily visits in the U.S. on average during the general election than rival platforms, according to data from Similarweb.

• X also saw a larger usage bump on Election Day than its rivals.

Why it matters: The relationship between Musk and Trump is growing closer by the day, Axios' Mike Allen and Jim VandeHei report.

• Trump has already begun to leverage Musk's authority on the platform to successfully amplify his demand for Senate Republicans to allow recess appointments for his Cabinet picks.

Of note: The post-election week saw users, including The Guardian, leave X in a small protest and join Bluesky, which has seen over a million downloads in a few days and crossed the 15 million user mark.

What to watch: Trump's publicly traded social media platform Truth Social is currently valued at over $6 billion, but still barely makes money.

• It's unclear how Trump plans to leverage the platform as president, but his posts typically garner more interactions on X.

A unified government under GOP control may signal better returns for investors than a divided Congress would have, according to an analysis by WT Wealth Management.

Why it matters: With the GOP narrowly retaining control of the House, Republicans now have a clearer pathway to pursue the business-friendly agenda that President-elect Trump promised during the campaign.

President-elect Trump picked Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) for attorney general for one, big, telling reason: Gaetz will proudly do the dirty work on controversial legal topics that others won't.

Why it matters: Get used to this. It's your future foretold: On some topics, Trump wants to seem reasonable. On others — like anything related to his suspicion of a hostile "deep state" — he demands his own personal, controllable wrecking ball.

In vintage 2017 fashion, President-elect Trump has set Washington ablaze by announcing, in rapid succession, three of the most provocative nominations in modern political history.

Why it matters: Early signs that Trump 2.0 was assembling a curiously conventional cabinet — Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) for secretary of state, Rep. Michael Waltz (R-Fla.) for national security adviser — have gone up in flames.

Rudy Giuliani's attorneys filed a motion to withdraw from his defense on Wednesday in his damages case involving two Georgia election workers he defamed. Giuliani's spokesperson told Axios they did not inform him of the action.

Why it matters: The filing from attorney Kenneth Caruso, on behalf of himself and co-counsel David Labkowski, comes the day before a deadline the case judge set for President-elect Trump's former lawyer to turn over assets to the election workers or face possible sanctions that could include contempt of court.

Republicans will hang on to their narrow House majority, AP projects — a win for House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) after two years of turmoil in Congress' lower chamber.

Why it matters: President-elect Trump will enjoy total control of Congress when he enters office, paving the way for his sweeping right-wing policy agenda.

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) resigned from Congress just before the House Ethics Committee was set to hold a potentially pivotal meeting on its investigation into the Florida congressman, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: Gaetz's resignation, just hours after Trump announced his nomination for attorney general, puts a swift end to the panel's wide-ranging probe.

Here's one instance where money does buy happiness: when you give it away.

• Why it matters: The joy of getting money seems to fade, while the joy of giving it stays strong, The Wall Street Journal reports.

💼 Case in point: In one study, University of Chicago researchers compared the relative happiness you get from giving vs. getting.

• Participants got $5 a day for five days and were instructed to spend it the same way every day. But some were told to spend the cash on themselves *(such as buying a coffee) — and others, on someone else (leaving a tip in the jar at the coffee shop).
• They all started with similar happiness levels. But those who spent the money on themselves reported that the joy of doing so diminished day by day.

Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) said at an Axios event Wednesday that there won't be a mass deportation that includes going door to door.

The big picture: President-elect Trump has vowed to crack down on immigration and start mass deportations on day one of his presidency.

Amid Washington's coming MAGA influx, newly-elected Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) will be surrounded by power players with long ties to establishment Washington.

Why it matters: Thune, 63, who first came to the Hill as a House member from South Dakota 27 years ago, has key Trump allies — but also deep ties downtown, and staffers who've been with him for as long as a couple decades.

The nomination of MAGA fire-breather Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general has put soon-to-be Senate Majority Leader John Thune on the hot seat.

Why it matters: President-elect Trump is daring Senate Republicans to defy him, just days after Thune agreed to consider recess appointments to speed up confirmations.

Melania Trump declined a White House invitation on Wednesday, and is unlikely to move back to Pennsylvania Avenue full time during President-elect Trump's second term.

The big picture: Melania Trump kept a relatively low profile during the campaign, and has signaled she will take a different approach to the role of first lady the second time around.

Special Counsel Jack Smith asked a federal court in Florida on Wednesday to pause his appeal related to President-elect Trump's classified documents case that was dismissed.

Why it matters: It's the latest indication that Smith is winding down his prosecutions against Trump, the first convicted felon to win the White House.