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National

All three Senate majority leader contenders quickly fell in line with President-elect Trump's new demand that they be willing to use a Senate tool to allow him to quickly get his preferred, top administration officials in place.

Why it matters: Trump's demand is a sign of just how aggressively he plans to take action once he's in office. With Senate leadership elections on Wednesday, top contenders are trying to prove they're his preferred partner.

Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.): "We must act quickly and decisively to get the president's cabinet and other nominees in place as soon as possible to start delivering on the mandate we've been sent to execute, and all options are on the table ... including recess appointments," he said in a statement.

Conservative dark horse Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) quickly posted his agreement with Trump on X, saying, "100% agree. I will do whatever it takes to get your nominations through as quickly as possible," which earned him an endorsement from Elon Musk.

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) doubled down on his promise to keep senators in session even over weekends to confirm Trump's cabinet positions, adding "the Constitution expressly confers the power on the President to make recess appointments." A source familiar tells Axios it is something he's discussed with Trump before the tweet.

Zoom in: Trump demanded that any Senate majority leader agree to what are called "recess appointments."

The measure would involve the Senate recessing for more than 10 days to allow Trump to speedily get people he wants in cabinet positions temporarily — avoiding prolonged confirmation processes.

This has been done in previous administrations.

Senate GOP leader candidates pounce on Trump's new demand

Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) said that "all options are on the table..."

Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump arrives to speak during an election night event at the Palm Beach Convention Center

President-elect Donald Trump. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Donald Trump

2020 election

Elections 2024

2024 will be an election year like no other, as President Biden seeks re-election amid economic uncertainty, two wars and questions about his age. His likely foe, former President Trump, faces felony charges and vows revenge on his political enemies. Meanwhile, Americans generally are dissatisfied with those choices and are divided over immigration, race, education and more.

Politics & Policy

Democrats are nursing a wounded party following President-elect Trump's resounding victory. 

Some are blaming President Biden for not stepping aside sooner. Others say the party needs to rework its identity to meet the working class where it's at. 

Either way, a red sun will rise in 2025 — and even for those victorious Republicans, the details of Trump's far-reaching agenda remain uncertain. 

Here's what you may have missed when newsmakers hit the airwaves this Sunday, November 10.

Sen. Bernie Sanders speaks to CNN's Dana Bash during a Nov. 10 "State of the Union" interview about his claim that Democrats abandoned working class people.

Sen. Bernie Sanders speaks to CNN's Dana Bash during a Nov. 10 "State of the Union" interview about his criticism that Democrats abandoned working-class people.

Sen. Bernie Sanders doubled down on his scathing take on the Democratic Party's dilemma Sunday, urging the party to recognize and prioritize the working class. 

The big picture: The senator's comments come after he eviscerated the party last week, saying Vice President Harris' loss was no surprise after Democrats "abandoned" the working class. 

"We are the kitchen table, working-class party of America. And that's why we are a close call in the House right now in a year where the map is bright red across the board," former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) shot back in a New York Times interview.

Driving the news: "Democrats should be proud of standing up for women's rights and abortion rights and gay rights and civil rights, but the emphasis has to be to make it clear that we are prepared to stand with the vast majority of the people, many of whom are falling further and further behind while the people on top do phenomenally well," Sanders said on CNN's "State of the Union."

Asked on NBC's "Meet the Press" about Pelosi's criticism, Sanders questioned, "If you're an average working person out there, do you really think that the Democratic Party is going to the mats, taking on powerful special interests and fighting for you?"

Zoom out: Post-election polling from Democratic strategy group Blueprint found that swing voters' top reason for not choosing Harris was a perception that she was "focused more on cultural issues like transgender issues rather than helping the middle class," Axios' Zachary Basu reports.

While reality depicts a strengthening economy, many Americans remain convinced it is doing worse: A belief Trump effectively harnessed ahead of November's election.

What they're saying: While some Dems have rejected Sanders' argument, others on the Sunday show circuit echoed his message that the party's pitch didn't appeal to the voters it needed most. 

"The reason we didn't win ultimately is we didn't listen enough to people on the ground ... who were saying, talk about the economy, talk about people's economic struggles," Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) said on CBS News' "Face the Nation" Sunday.

Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.), who launched an unsuccessful challenge to Biden's since-retired 2024 run, similarly lamented the party's messaging struggles: "Our product is not the real problem, our packaging, our messengers and our distribution is a real problem."

Phillips continued: "And I think it's fair to say if you ask people what the Democratic brand stands for right now, it's real complicated."

Zoom out: Even after Biden touted himself as the most pro-union president in history, joined a picket line and invested in manufacturing jobs (and after Harris proposed tax cuts for middle-class families, among other measures directed at the working class), Trump secured that sought-after vote.

Sanders says that's because Trump explained the reasons for their troubles, though he also criticized Trump's explanation as "bogus," saying the president-elect blamed economic hardship on "zillions of illegal immigrants coming over and ... eating your cats and dogs." 

But there was a "reason" to explain voters' struggles that resonated nonetheless, Sanders said.

2. GOP gives little clarity on Trump's mass deportation plan

Sen. John Barrasso speaks during an interview aired Sunday with NBC's "Meet the Press."

Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) speaks during an interview aired Sunday with NBC's "Meet the Press."

Trump's team says he plans to launch the "largest mass deportation operation" of undocumented immigrants on Day 1 in office. 

The bottom line: The details of how he'll take on the mammoth and costly task of deporting millions of people remain murky.

Trump told NBC News Thursday there is "no price tag" on his plan — a statement Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), poised to be the Senate majority whip next Congress, echoed Sunday.

"I agree there's no price tag on protecting the safety and security of our country and our citizens," Barrasso told NBC's Kristen Welker on "Meet the Press."

"President Trump is going to enforce the law, and we haven't had that over the last four years," he continued.

By the numbers: While there is no concrete total of how much Trump's lofty goal could cost, several estimates suggest that deporting just 1 million people could cost tens of billions of dollars.

Axios reported in February that to carry out deportations, Trump would mobilize Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents — along with the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, federal prosecutors, the National Guard and state and local law enforcement officers.

Zoom in: Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and other Trump allies reaffirmed Sunday the president-elect would start with "migrants here who have committed crimes."

"How are you going to find them?" CNN's Dana Bash asked Jordan.

"The ones who have committed crimes," Jordan repeated, highlighting the 1.3 million migrants who have already been issued removal orders.

Bash questioned what jurisdiction would execute deportations, to which Jordan replied, "The Department of Homeland Security will work with local law enforcement."

Trump has said he'd target some 15-20 million people.

A September report from the Center for Migration Studies estimated some 11.7 million undocumented immigrants lived in the U.S. as of July 2023.

Asked if Dreamers shielded by former President Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program should be deported, Jordan said, "The country wants the law enforced ... that question will be addressed later on."

Zoom out: Tom Homan, the former acting ICE director, argued on Fox's "Sunday Morning Futures" the plan will be a "cost savings to the American people" and will be a "a well-targeted, planned operation conducted ... by the men of ICE."

Trump has suggested he'd tap Homan, a contributor to Project 2025 who played a role in the Trump-era family separation policy, for his second administration.

Jamal Simmons speaks on a CNN "State of the Union" panel about what to look for in Trump's transition.

Jamal Simmons speaks on a CNN "State of the Union" panel on Nov. 10.

A CNN panelist surprised the rest of the table on "State of the Union" Sunday with the idea that President Biden could hand over the rest of his term to Harris.

Driving the news: Jamal Simmons, Harris' former communications director, proposed that Biden step down "within the next 30 days" and make Harris president.

"It would absolve her from having to oversee the January 6th transition, right, of her own defeat," Simmons added. "It would dominate the news, at a point where Democrats have to learn, drama and transparency and doing things the public want to see."

What they're saying: The suggestion shocked both the show's host Dana Bash and several fellow commentators.

 "Okay, this has now jumped from an internet meme to a Sunday morning show," Bash said after Simmons finished his explanation.

Scott Jennings, who also sat on the panel, joked that Simmons was writing a season of the Netflix political drama "House of Cards."

Zoom in: Simmons continued his thoughts in a thread posted to X.

 "Dems have better policies but we must realize the old rules no longer apply. We are not playing table tennis. We are in a mixed martial arts fight and Americans respond to drama and excitement. We should use that to make our arguments for a better path forward," he wrote.

Reality check: There is no evidence or indication from Biden or the White House that he would leave office early.

Rep. Dean Phillips tears into fellow Democrats over 2024 loss

Bernie Sanders says calls for Sotomayor to step down are not "sensible"

Netanyahu says he spoke three times with Trump in recent days

Rubio throws weight behind Rick Scott for GOP leader

Sunday Snapshot: Democrats do some soul-searching

Sen. Bernie Sanders walks alongside Rep. Nancy Pelosi.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi walks with Senator Bernie Sanders to a Raise The Wage Act news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2019. Photo: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Bernie Sanders

Immigration

Joe Biden

Kamala Harris

Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) laid into his party in a "Fox News Sunday" interview, arguing that Democrats with concerns about President Biden were "suppressed and disenfranchised" during the 2024 primaries.

Why it matters: The onetime Biden primary opponent, who is retiring from Congress this year, appears to be positioning himself as one of Democrats' most vocal internal critics.

"We have a political system ... that really has incentives that actually are working against us. And the corruption has to be addressed," he said to "Fox News Sunday" anchor Shannon Bream. 

"Both parties are subject to it. And I'm going to start telling a lot of truths here in the coming months and years."

Driving the news: Phillips told Bream that Democrats "ignored" his warnings about Biden's age and ability to take on President-elect Trump.

"I think that's what frankly has led to Trumpism, people getting tired, being on the sidelines and their voices diminished," he said.

Phillips said he is "on a mission now to expose the truth and promote transparency, shine some sunlight on reality and hopefully provide some competition for two parties," but stopped short of saying he is leaving the Democratic Party.

Between the lines: Phillips based his 2024 primary challenge against Biden on the argument that the 81-year-old was too old to take on Trump – and perceived by voters as too old to serve as president.

He struggled to gain headway, however, garnering just 20 percent of the vote in the New Hampshire primary while 64 percent of voters wrote in Biden, who was not on the ballot.

He suspended his campaign after Super Tuesday, garnering just four delegates to Biden's 3,905, but Biden later dropped his reelection bid following his disastrous debate performance against Trump in June.

Phillips was ostracized and publicly criticized by many fellow Democrats, including some of his friends in Congress, for his challenge to Biden.

Zoom in: Phillips said he has "heard complaints from many people that they couldn't get to President Biden. They couldn't spend time with him."

"There was this shield that propped him up as being maybe more mentally and physically fit than he was for the campaign ahead," he said.

Phillips suggested Vice President Harris was similarly weak against Trump, saying Biden "was not the only one that could have beaten Donald Trump. He was one of the few that couldn't. And sadly, we ended up elevating yet another candidate who was not positioned well to win."

"I'm going to start telling a lot of truths here in the coming months and years," the retiring House Democrat said on Fox News.

Rep. Dean Phillips, wearing a blue suit and walking through a sandstone corridor with American flags and a chandelier in the background.

Rep. Dean Phillips at the U.S. Capitol on Sept. 12, 2024. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images.

House Democrats

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said Sunday he does not believe Justice Sonia Sotomayor should step down from the Supreme Court before President-elect Trump takes office in January. 

Why it matters: As liberal anxiety swirls following Trump's commanding victory, some are sounding the alarm it could be time for the 70-year-old Sotomayor to relinquish her seat for a replacement on the highest court.

While the senior member of the court's liberal minority is younger than the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg was when she first faced calls to step aside, Democrats are fearful of the opportunity another vacancy could offer Trump.

Ginsburg's refusal to retire paved the way for Trump to name Amy Coney Barrett as her replacement, giving conservatives the 6-3 majority they now hold.

He has already appointed three ideologically aligned justices to the conservative-leaning court. 

Driving the news: Sanders, appearing on NBC's "Meet the Press," said that while he's heard "a little bit" of chatter about the idea, he does not "think that's the sensible approach."

And it seems the justice agrees: The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday that people close to Sotomayor say she has no plans to retire.

Flashback: The suggestion she should step down is not entirely new, though it faces increased urgency with the GOP potentially controlling all three facets of the federal government.

In April, Axios' Sam Baker reported some prominent op-ed writers and law professors had said Sotomayor should step aside while Democrats still control the White House and Senate.

But at the time — and it seems, at the current moment — lawmakers remained supportive of Sotomayor, resisting pundit and activist voices calling for retirement. 

Some also argued it would be wrong to pressure the first Latina justice to give up her historic seat on the bench.

Go deeper: Most Americans back term limits for Supreme Court: poll

Most Americans back term limits for Supreme Court: poll

Sanders said he's heard "a little bit" of chatter about the idea on NBC's "Meet the Press."

Axios

Sunday's top stories

Senate GOP leader candidates pounce on Trump's new demand

Sunday Snapshot: Democrats do some soul-searching

Rep. Dean Phillips tears into fellow Democrats over 2024 loss

Bernie Sanders says calls for Sotomayor to step down are not "sensible"

Netanyahu says he spoke three times with Trump in recent days

MAGA media flexes muscle on race for Senate leader

Democrats' $1.9 trillion bet that blew up

Bernie vs. Nancy: Dems' working-class reckoning

Scoop: Tom Cotton locks down the votes for Senate GOP's #3 job

Trump officially sweeps all 7 swing states

Rick Scott scores major MAGA momentum for Senate Republican leader