The Note: Trump Takes to the Bully Pulpit

— -- NOTABLES

--TRUMP LASHES OUT AT CARRIER UNION BOSS: Donald Trump took to Twitter last night to slam the union leader who has been criticizing his Carrier job-saving deal. Trump tweeted, "Chuck Jones, who is President of United Steelworkers 1999, has done a terrible job representing workers. No wonder companies flee country!" While speaking to CNN's Erin Burnett Wednesday night, Jones responded to Trump's tweet, saying, "Well, first of all, that wasn't very damn nice. But with Donald Trump saying that, that must mean I'm doing a good job. Because these people are making a decent wage at Carrier. And I feel like I'm somewhat involved in making that happen. And he does everything he can to keep unions out of his hotels and casinos here in this country, depriving them of making a living wage. So I don't put a whole hell of a lot of faith in whatever he says." More from ABC’s DAVID CAPLAN: http://abcn.ws/2gerHkB

--HOW TRUMP'S TWEETS SEEM TO BE IMPACTING STOCKS AND CEOS: Donald Trump is known for airing his grievances and musings on Twitter, but now his opinions seem to be directly impacting the U.S. stock market and investors. The most recent example came Wednesday morning after the president-elect said that he wants to reduce drug prices in his interview with Time magazine, which named him "Person of the Year." Trump was asked about the rise in biotech stocks following his electoral victory. “I’m going to bring down drug prices. I don’t like what has happened with drug prices," he told Time. Investors were not pleased with those comments. ABC’s MEGHAN KENEALLY has more: http://abcn.ws/2glUbMG

--ANALYSIS -- ABC’s RICK KLEIN: The bully pulpit is being used to bully. In his month as president-elect, Donald Trump has used Tweets to blast protesters upset with his election; threaten a government contract awarded to a company opposing his agenda; falsely claim that he won the popular vote if you only count the votes of legal citizens; and attack a local union head – a private citizen – who went on television to question the accuracy of his claims of saved jobs. This isn’t crossing lines – it’s scribbling over the old ones, and redrawing the boundaries of propriety even before Trump takes office. One question for those who might seek to challenge the president is how they react to this new reality. Trump won’t change – but will efforts to draw him out adjust? When a president reacts to cable news, or online chatter, the spotlight will be on not just the president but on the person or entities under attack.

SPEED READ with ABC’s VERONICA STRACQUALURSI and ADAM KELSEY

TRUMP EXPECTED TO PICK GEN. JOHN KELLY AS DHS SECRETARY. President-elect Donald Trump is expected to nominate Gen. John Kelly for secretary of Homeland Security, according to two top transition officials familiar with the decision. Kelly is a retired four-star general and the former commander of U.S. Southern Command. In addition to his experience leading troops overseas, he is known for his strong knowledge of border issues and the drug trade in South and Central America, ABC’s SHUSHANNAH WALSHE, TOM LLAMAS and ALEXANDER MALLIN report. http://abcn.ws/2gb3Uat

TRUMP PICKS IOWA GOVERNOR AS AMBASSADOR TO CHINA, SCOTT PRUITT TO HEAD EPA AND WWE CO-FOUNDER TO LEAD SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION. Trump named Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad as his pick for the next U.S. ambassador to China, Trump transition spokesman Jason Miller said Wednesday. Branstad, the longest-serving governor in U.S. history, has accepted the offer, ABC’s ARLETTE SAENZ notes. http://abcn.ws/2gU0esz Trump also selected Oklahoma Attorney General and Environmental Protection Agency critic Scott Pruitt as his pick to run the EPA, according to Trump senior adviser Kellyanne Conway. "Attorney General Pruitt has great qualifications and a good record as the AG of Oklahoma," Conway told reporters, according to ABC’s ALEXANDER MALLIN. http://abcn.ws/2hlsfX0 And Trump named former professional wrestling executive Linda McMahon as his pick to lead the Small Business Administration, ABC’s ARLETTE SAENZ reports. McMahon is the co-founder and former chief executive officer of the WWE franchise. http://abcn.ws/2gcDQ9I

NOTED: TRUMP'S FAVORABILITY RATING AT 50 PERCENT according to a national Bloomberg poll out Wednesday. Just 37 percent of Americans polled believe the country is heading in the right direction, while 49 percent feel that the country is heading in the wrong direction. The poll, conducted Dec. 2 through 5, also shows that 55 percent are more optimistic about a Trump presidency from his actions and statements since Election Day, while 35 percent are more pessimistic about the prospect of Trump in the White House. ABC’s VERONICA STRACQUALURSI has more: http://abcn.ws/2gDrfh4

DOLE HELPED TRUMP TEAM WITH TAIWAN CONTACTS OVER 6-MONTH PERIOD. A new federal disclosure document indicates that former senator and presidential nominee Bob Dole facilitated contact between Taiwanese officials and members of Donald Trump’s campaign and transition teams over a six-month period this year. Trump's phone call with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen last week sparked controversy because it marked a break with decades of U.S. policy on China and Taiwan. Dole and his law firm Alston & Bird, worked on behalf of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative (TECRO) to arrange for a series of meetings between Trump advisers and Taiwanese officials, according to documents filed last week with the Department of Justice. ABC’s ARLETTE SAENZ has more. http://abcn.ws/2hjopxJ

FACT CHECKING TRUMP'S $4B BOEING TWEET. President-elect Donald Trump triggered another media firestorm after he tweeted on Tuesday that "costs are out of control" on Boeing's Air Force One project and calling for the contract with the Seattle-based company to be canceled. "We want Boeing to make a lot of money, but not that much money," Trump told reporters later that day at Trump Tower in New York City. According to Trump, the cost of a new Air Force One plane is $4 billion. But how true is that exactly? ABC’s LUIS MARTINEZ and BECKY PERLOW take a look. http://abcn.ws/2gDLqeJ

KELLYANNE CONWAY: WORKING MOMS ‘STILL HAVE TO MAKE CHOICES AND THERE ARE LIMITS.’ Kellyanne Conway, the political pollster who became the first Republican woman to run a presidential campaign, said Wednesday she might not continue to advise President-elect Donald Trump from inside the White House because of her four young children. “My children are 12, 12, 8 and 7, which is bad idea, bad idea, bad idea, bad idea for mom going inside [the White House]," Conway told the audience at Politico's "Women Rule" event at the Park Hyatt Washington. "They have to come first and those are very fraught ages." According to ABC’s MERIDITH MCGRAW, Conway said while there are opportunities for working mothers in the nation's capital, "we still have to make choices and there are limits." http://abcn.ws/2h6s7LP

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT -- STARBUCKS CHIEF CALLS FOR ‘MOVEMENT … OF PEOPLE WHO ARE UNWILLING TO EMBRACE THE STATUS QUO AND RECOGNIZE THE THREAT OF TYRANNY.’ As he prepares to step down from his role as CEO of Starbucks next year, Howard Schultz once again waded into political territory. In a speech in New York earlier this week accepting the Robert F. Kennedy Ripple of Hope Award (Vice President Joe Biden was also a recipient this year), Schultz offered his prescription for the country at what he called “a very serious” moment: “What we need in America today is a movement. We need a movement of a large group of people who are unwilling to embrace the status quo and recognize the threat of tyranny.” Schultz, who was mentioned as potential vice presidential pick for Hillary Clinton and became the center of speculation about a run for the White House, himself, added, “We cannot allow the continuation of the fracturing of the trust and confidence, of the lack of truth, the lack of authentic leadership, to take us in a direction that most of us in this country know is fools good.” FULL SPEECH: http://bit.ly/2h9lCuA

WHO’S TWEETING?

@RonBrownstein: “What we are witnessing is a political threat to the post-World War II [trans-Atlantic] order" But will Trump agree? http://theatln.tc/2ha8VNC

@davidaxelrod: For 6 years, @GOP has promised to "repeal and replace" ACA, while preserving key protections it affords. 6 yrs later, still no viable plan.

@usatoday2016: House GOP PAC quadrupled fundraising record in 2016 http://usat.ly/2hofD1j  via @fschouten

@BradOnMessage: Hillary won 42 of the 50 largest cities. Only 4 of them were decisive in delivering electoral votes: Minneapolis, Portland, DC, Denver = 28

@chrisdonovan: Today is 30 days since election. 0 Trump pressers. Obama had one 3 days after. GWBush 3 (after SCOTUS) Clinton 9 Bush 1 Reagan 2 Carter 2