Trump announces new impeachment legal team
The former president's trial is scheduled to start the week of Feb. 8.
This is Day 12 of the administration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Top headlines:
Biden to visit wounded service members at Walter Reed
President Joe Biden ends a busy week with a visit to wounded service members at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Friday.
The afternoon visit will also mark the first time the new president will ride Marine One, and it's unclear whether he will stop to take questions from reporters the way his predecessor did before boarding the chopper on the White House South Lawn.
Earlier Friday, Biden and Kamala Harris will receive the President’s Daily Brief at the Oval Office as well as an economic briefing with the new Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.
Biden is not expected to sign any new executive orders Friday, though he has been churning them out since he entered office.
Meanwhile, White House press secretary Jen Psaki will hold a briefing this morning at 10 a.m. ET.
'There's an identity crisis in the Republican Party': Rep. Matt Gaetz
Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz on Thursday traveled to House Republican Conference Chair Liz Cheney's home turf to urge Wyomingites to vote her out of office in 2022, arguing that the at-large congresswoman is part of the "establishment power brokers" in Washington and out of touch with the people she represents.
In an interview with ABC News Live Prime following the rally, anchor Linsey Davis pressed Gaetz on how his rally will help his party win back the House, Senate and White House in the next two cycles.
"I want Republicans to win, but to do that, we have to be worthy of winning," Gaetz argued. "Right now, there's an identity crisis in the Republican Party. There are some in Washington who believe that we've got to purge Trumpism ... I think a different view. I think that we've got to get out in the country, and we have to marshal a positive populism that will lead to better candidates, better policies and ultimately a better electoral performance."
-ABC News' Quinn Scanlan
Capitol Police ask for permanent fencing, available back-up forces
Acting U.S. Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman called for permanent fencing and availability of "ready, back-up forces in close proximity of the Capitol" in a statement Thursday. Following the violence on January 6, which led to the death of U.S. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, Pittman had her staff "conduct a physical security assessment" of the Capitol.
"In light of recent events, I can unequivocally say that vast improvements to the physical security infrastructure must be made to include permanent fencing, and the availability of ready, back-up forces in close proximity to the Capitol," Pittman said in a statement. "I look forward to working with Congress on identifying the security improvements necessary to ensure the safety and security of the Congress and the U.S. Capitol."
The Capitol Police Board will have to approve the additional security measures and Congress will have to appropriate funding for it before any permanent fencing is put up. Some members of Congress have already criticized the proposal, citing access to the Capitol building.
"This is the People's House. I am adamantly opposed. There has been no threat briefing given to Members of Congress to justify this proposal," Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., said on Twitter.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told ABC News that he "would tend to defer to the experts," about the security needs for the building. Though he added that there, "should be both safety and the right to access the building."
-ABC News' Benjamin Siegel, Allison Pecorin and Jack Date
McCarthy releases statement following meeting with Trump
House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy met for lunch with former President Donald Trump Thursday afternoon at Mar-a-Lago -- what was once referred to as the "Winter White House" before Biden defeated the incumbent president.
In a statement following their meeting, McCarthy said Trump is committed to helping Republicans win races in the House and Senate in 2022 and stressed the importance of a united front.
“Today, President Trump committed to helping elect Republicans in the House and Senate in 2022. A Republican majority will listen to our fellow Americans and solve the challenges facing our nation. Democrats, on the other hand, have only put forward an agenda that divides us — such as impeaching a President who is now a private citizen and destroying blue-collar energy jobs," the statement reads. "A united conservative movement will strengthen the bonds of our citizens and uphold the freedoms our country was founded on.”
McCarthy's visit comes at a tumultuous time for the Republican Party and one day after he implored GOP colleagues on a conference call to stop attacking each other and to focus on countering the agenda from Democrats and Biden, a person familiar with his remarks confirmed to ABC News.
The California Republican made no mention of what else the two talked about and if Trump spoke with him about McCarthy's comments regarding his role in inciting the Capitol attack.
It's a shift from 15 days ago when McCarthy made a demand of Trump on the House floor to "accept his share of responsibility, quell the brewing unrest and assure President-elect Biden is able to successfully begin his term."
-ABC News' Mariam Khan and Katherine Faulders