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Trump transition live updates: Scott Bessent offered treasury secretary job

Bessent has been a frequent presence at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club this week.

Last Updated: November 22, 2024, 8:10 PM EST

Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, President-elect Donald Trump's pick for attorney general, said Thursday he is withdrawing his name for the role -- just a day after Gaetz spoke with Republican senators on Capitol Hill about the nomination process.

Trump has named Pam Bondi, the former attorney general of Florida, as his new pick for the role.

Another controversial Cabinet pick, Pete Hegseth, is on the Hill on Thursday with Vice President-elect JD Vance to make his case for the secretary of the Department of Defense job.

Meanwhile, Trump continues to announce his picks for top jobs inside his administration.

Nov 12, 3:45 pm

Tracking those Trump has named to serve in his Cabinet, administration

Ahead of his return to power in January, Trump is announcing who he wants to fill Cabinet positions and other key roles inside his administration.

They include some of his staunchest allies on Capitol Hill and key advisers to his 2024 campaign.

Here is a running list of the people Trump has selected, or is expected to select, to serve in his administration.

Nov 19, 2024, 10:16 AM EST

Musk backs Gaetz for AG amid allegations: 'Gaetz will be our Hammer of Justice'

Billionaire Elon Musk is throwing his support behind Matt Gaetz, President-elect Donald Trump's pick for attorney general, as allegations continue to surface surrounding what witnesses told the House Ethics Committee regarding the former congressman.

"Matt Gaetz has 3 critical assets that are needed for the AG role: a big brain, a spine of steel and an axe to grind," Musk wrote on X. "He is the Judge Dredd America needs to clean up a corrupt system and put powerful bad actors in prison."

"Gaetz will be our Hammer of Justice," he added.

Musk also directly addressed the allegations against Gaetz, stating that he considers them "worth less than nothing."

Musk's public support for Gaetz comes as the billionaire continues to play a large role in Trump's transition, as ABC News has previously reported.

Nov 18, 2024, 7:56 PM EST

Speaker Johnson says he hasn't discussed Gaetz ethics drama with Trump

House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters Monday he has not talked to Trump about a draft report on the House Ethics Committee's investigation into former Rep. Matt Gaetz -- as members on both sides of the aisle call on the speaker to release the draft despite Gaetz’s resignation and the committee’s lack of jurisdiction over former members.

"I have not discussed the ethics report with President Trump. And as you know, I've spent a lot of time with him,” Johnson, R-La., said. "He respects the House and the parameters, and he knows that I would not violate any of those rules or principles, and so it has not been discussed."

The speaker also said he hasn't discussed the report with Trump's advisers.

"They're busy filling the Cabinet," he said. "This has not been a subject of our discussion."

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson speaks at a press conference for House Republicans, following their leadership meeting, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Nov. 13, 2024.
Nathan Howard/Reuters

Johnson reiterated his position against the release of the draft report. He also brushed off the fact that there is some precedent for its release following a member's exit from Congress, saying the House is now in a "different era."

"I've made this really clear. There's a very important principle that underlies this, and that is the House Ethics Committee has jurisdiction over members of Congress -- not former members, not private citizens, not someone who's left the institution," he said. "I think that's a really important parameter for us to maintain. I think it's important for the institution itself."

Johnson said that he would not support a private viewing of the report for senators under the "same principle."

-ABC News' John Parkinson, Isabella Murray and Lauren Peller

Nov 18, 2024, 7:43 PM EST

Top Dem on House Ethics Committee says Gaetz report should be released

The top Democrat on the House Ethics Committee -- Pennsylvania Rep. Susan Wild -- told reporters Monday that she believes the committee's report on former Rep. Matt Gaetz should be disclosed to the public.

"You either are going to disclose it or you're not going to disclose it. So, and there's plenty of precedents in the Ethics Committee to disclose the report even after a member has resigned," Wild said.

Rep. Susan Wild, D-Pa., attends an event to call attention to the "sexual and gender-based violence that Hamas perpetrated on Oct. 7th and since then against Israeli women," in Rayburn Building on Feb 14, 2024.
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images, FILE

Wild, who is leaving office at the end of this session, said it'll take "one or more" Republicans to join Democrats on the committee to achieve a majority vote to release the report.

Asked if that's a possibility, Wild said she hasn't talked to all of the members and doesn't know, but she stressed that all eight members of the ethics panel now have access to the draft report.

"I believe there will be a unanimous Democratic consensus that it should be released," she added.

Wild said there is a scheduled committee meeting on Wednesday, but said it "remains to be seen" what the chairman's agenda is.

"But I believe we should vote on whether we are to disclose it [Gaetz report] or not, and we'll see what happens after that," she said.

House Ethics Committee Chairman Michael Guest, R-Miss., told reporters Monday that he has read the Gaetz report but declined to comment further due to the confidentiality of the committee.

-ABC News' Lauren Peller, John Parkinson and Isabella Murray

Nov 18, 2024, 6:30 PM EST

Trump nominates Sean Duffy as transportation secretary

Trump announced Monday he is nominating former Wisconsin Rep. Sean Duffy for transportation secretary.

The position requires Senate confirmation.

"He will prioritize Excellence, Competence, Competitiveness and Beauty when rebuilding America’s highways, tunnels, bridges and airports," Trump said in a statement. "He will ensure our ports and dams serve our Economy without compromising our National Security, and he will make our skies safe again by eliminating DEI for pilots and air traffic controllers."

Duffy co-hosts "The Bottom Line" on Fox Business and is a Fox News contributor.

Rep. Sean Duffy questions Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell during his testimony before a House Financial Services Committee hearing on the "Semiannual Monetary Policy Report to Congress", at the Rayburn House Office Building, July 18, 2018.
Mary F. Calvert/Reuters, FILE

-ABC News' Hannah Demissie

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