Donald Trump Poll News

Rep. Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz., will keep his seat in Arizona after fending off a challenge from Democrat Kirsten Engel, according to The Associated Press’ race call Wednesday night.

The race for the 6th Arizona Congressional District seat was tight, with Ciscomani receiving 49.6% of the vote compared to Engel’s 47.9%. Unofficial election results on the state’s website show he only leads Engel by 7,020 votes.

Democrats were hoping to flip the seat after a tight race between the same candidates in 2022.

Ciscomani’s win completed the congressional races in Arizona and secured a Republican majority in the U.S. House by hitting the 218 threshold.

REPUBLICANS PROJECTED TO KEEP CONTROL OF HOUSE AS TRUMP PREPARES TO IMPLEMENT AGENDA

Rep. Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz., will keep his seat in Arizona’s 6th Congressional District after beating Democrat Kirsten Engel in a closely watched race. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images/File)

Ciscomani has brandished bipartisan credentials and fought off a conservative challenger in July, where he touted the endorsement of President-elect Donald Trump.

“Congressman Juan Ciscomani is doing an incredible job representing the great people of Arizona’s 6th Congressional District,” Trump said on Truth Social in May. “Juan is working hard to Secure our Border, Defend our Wonderful Military and Veterans, Promote Election Integrity, and Expand American Jobs and the Economy.”

REP. CISCOMANI FENDS OFF PRIMARY CHALLENGE FROM FELLOW REPUBLICAN AHEAD OF TIGHT ELECTION

Ciscomani had embraced border security as a key issue, with the state being at the front of the historic crisis at the southern border.

“I have been consistent in my willingness to work with anyone – on either side of the aisle – to address the crisis at the border,” Ciscomani told Fox News Digital in September. “However, Vice President Harris’ visit to the border smells like nothing more than a photo opportunity to try and score political points.”

Engel had hit Ciscomani on the question of abortion, and in a recent debate revealed that she has experienced a miscarriage.

Kirsten Engel speaks during a campaign rally in support of Democrat presidential candidate Kamala Harris in Tucson, Ariz., on Oct. 18, 2024. (Rebecca Noble/AFP/Getty Images)

“I’m a woman. I’ve had complications. I’ve had miscarriages,” she said in October, according to Arizona Central. “This is not something that we leave to politicians. Last time I checked, Juan, you’re not a doctor. I don’t trust you with my health care. I’m sorry, I don’t trust you with my daughter’s health care. We need to leave this to women and their doctors.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

She also challenged his claim to be a moderate.

“You present yourself as a moderate, but you cave to the extremists in your party. The extremists are driving the dysfunction. They are scaring seniors because if they are in control, they will do these things,” she said.

Arizona, which had a number of close House and Senate races, was also seen as a key swing state for the presidential election.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

The Biden administration is moving to charge oil and gas companies a new fee on methane emissions, but opponents of the rule suggest such efforts could be short-lived under incoming Republican leadership.

On Tuesday, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it will try to “incentivize” the oil and gas industry to reduce methane emissions by imposing a Waste Emissions Charge, allowed under the Inflation Reduction Act. 

Under the Biden administration’s new rule, certain oil and gas facilities would be charged $900 per metric ton of “wasteful” emissions in CY 2024, $1,200 for CY 2025 and $1,500 for CY 2026.

The charge would be applied to high-emitting facilities and those with emissions of “more than 25,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year to the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program,” according to the EPA.

TRUMP TAPS FORMER NEW YORK REP LEE ZELDIN TO LEAD EPA

A flag with the Environmental Protection Agency logo flies at its headquarters in Washington, D.C. (Robert Alexander)

Opponents of the new rule are already making plans to avert the proposed methane fee.

In a press release Tuesday, the American Petroleum Institute released a policy road map for the incoming Trump administration and hit back against the EPA’s final rule.

TRUMP TO INSTALL ‘ENERGY CZAR’ TO DISMANTLE BIDEN CLIMATE RULES: REPORT

Included in the suggested plan was for the Trump administration to “end EPA’s methane fee that misinterprets Congressional intent and does little beyond increasing the cost of production for American oil and natural gas.”

Pumpjacks operate in the Belridge oil field near McKittrick, California, on Nov. 3, 2021. (Mario Tama)

The Western Caucus also slammed the charge, but highlighted that the incoming administration will make changes to the current EPA’s agenda.

“The lame-duck Biden Administration will do everything they can to sabotage traditional energy sources in their final days,” said Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash. “The EPA’s Waste Emissions Charge rule will further increase energy costs by placing an effective tax on America’s oil and gas industry that will be passed directly to consumers. Luckily, this administration’s days are numbered, and I look forward to helping a unified Republican government reduce energy costs across rural and Western America.”

President-elect Trump recently tapped former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to head the EPA under his administration, which is likely to derail many of the Biden administration’s energy policies.

President-elect Trump selected former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to head his administration’s Environmental Protection Agency. (Al Drago)

The EPA has suggested, meanwhile, that the Waste Emissions Charge will improve the vital industry.

“The final Waste Emissions Charge is the latest in a series of actions under President Biden’s methane strategy to improve efficiency in the oil and gas sector, support American jobs, protect clean air, and reinforce U.S. leadership on the global stage,” EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan said in a statement. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Maggie Coulter, a lawyer at the Center for Biological Diversity, also praised the rule, saying that “while we expect the next administration to recklessly greenlight fossil fuel extraction, it’s heartening to see this effort to make polluters pay for their leakage of the super climate pollutant methane.”

The Fox News Decision Desk can project that Republicans will keep their majority in the House of Representatives.

The number of seats the party will hold depends on the outcome in a handful of remaining districts.

There are nine races yet to be called. They are: Alaska’s at-large district, California’s 9th, 13th, 21st, and 45th districts, Iowa’s 1st district, Maine’s 2nd district, Ohio’s 9th district and Oregon’s 5th district.

Republicans soared to the 218 threshold for majority after Republican Juan Ciscomani was elected in Arizona’s 6th District. The first-term Republican won a rematch against Democrat Kirsten Engel, whom Ciscomani narrowly defeated in the 2022 midterms.

‘ILLEGAL, UNCONSTITUTIONAL AND VOID’: GEORGIA JUDGE STRIKES DOWN NEW ELECTION RULES AFTER LEGAL FIGHTS

Speaker Mike Johnson.  (Getty Images)

In a statement, The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) said that the majority win came after a “historically tumultuous cycle,” saying that they “never lost focus and never stopped working.”

“They said it couldn’t be done, but the American people have spoken. As Chairman of the NRCC it has been my mission since day one to hold our House majority. Today it is clear that we accomplished that mission. Even through a historically tumultuous cycle our team never lost focus and never stopped working,” NRCC Chairman Richard Hudson said in a release on Wednesday night.

“Americans are fed up with extreme Democrats who threw open the border, set inflation on fire, and invited drugs and crime to flood our communities,” he said. “With a Republican House majority, President Donald Trump back in the White House, and a new Senate majority, help is on the way. I am looking forward to working with my newly elected colleagues to clean up Democrats’ mess with an America First agenda.”

WATCH:

Mike Johnson, whose rise to speaker last year ended a leadership battle in the House, is likely to continue serving as the 56th Speaker.

It comes despite a tumultuous term for the House GOP marked by fierce public infighting over government spending and the first-ever ouster of a speaker of the House.

SPEAKER JOHNSON RIPS ‘LACK OF LEADERSHIP’ IN BIDEN ADMIN’S HELENE RESPONSE: ‘ALARMED AND DISAPPOINTED’

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. (Getty Images)

Republicans’ chances of keeping the House majority seemed like a pipe dream in October 2023. Congress was paralyzed while GOP lawmakers fought behind closed doors to select a new leader after ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., was booted by all House Democrats and eight Republican rebels.

Those odds improved significantly when Democrats had their own leadership crisis as top liberals pressured President Biden to drop out of the race after his disastrous debate against former President Trump.

Vice President Kamala Harris gave Democrats an enthusiasm and funding boost when she took over Biden’s mantle, but it was not a big enough bump to carry their House candidates through November.

CLUB FOR GROWTH POURS $5M INTO TIGHT HOUSE RACES AS GOP BRACES FOR TOUGH ELECTION

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., told Fox News Digital late last month that he anticipated the battle for control to come down to roughly 40 or 45 races.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“There’s really only about 10% — roughly 45 seats — that are truly competitive. And, by that, I mean the really battleground districts are about half Republican-held and about half Democrat-held,” Scalise said.

“We’re going around the country helping the incumbents on the Republican side or in tough races. But, also, we’re working on those challengers who have a real opportunity to flip a seat from Democrat to Republican.”

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub. 

U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., described President-elect Trump’s choice of Rep. Matt Gaetz to serve as his next attorney general as a “God tier kind of trolling.” 

Speaking with reporters, Fetterman acknowledged some of Trump’s picks were good but stopped short of putting Gaetz in that category. 

“It’s just kind of like a God tier kind of trolling just to trigger a meltdown,” he said. “But, really, the Dems’ opinions on Gaetz, that’s not really what’s interesting. The good ones are going to come by my colleagues on the other side, the GOP, on how they can justify voting for that j— off.”

TED CRUZ GETS BEHIND RICK SCOTT FOR LEADER IN BLOW TO FELLOW TEXAN JOHN CORNYN

President-elect Trump and Matt Gaetz (Getty )

Aside from Gaetz, Trump has nominated Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., to serve as secretary of state and Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., for ambassador to the United Nations. Those were serious picks, Fetterman said. 

He also noted that Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., served as attorney general of Missouri before being elected to Congress.

“He would have been a solid pick. And then you put out someone like that,” Fetterman said of Gaetz’s selection. “That’s just nothing but trolling. The interesting answers are going to come from my colleagues on the GOP that they’re going to vote or justify voting for that mess.”

Gaetz could face an uphill battle to get confirmed by the Senate. 

REPUBLICANS TO HUDDLE BEHIND CLOSED DOORS TO ELECT MCCONNELL’S SUCCESSOR WEDNESDAY

U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., criticized President-elect Trump’s pick of Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., to become the U.S. attorney general.  (Getty Images)

“He will never get confirmed,” a Republican senator, granted anonymity to speak freely, told Fox News Digital. Another Senate Republican source said, “Ain’t gonna happen.”

Gaetz resigned from the House of Representatives Wednesday after Trump announced his nomination. 

The House Ethics investigation is investigating Gaetz over allegations of sexual misconduct, illicit drug use and accepting improper gifts. 

Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss., who chairs the Ethics Committee, said that “once a member is no longer a member of Congress, then ethics has no jurisdiction. So, if Matt Gaetz were to be appointed as the attorney general, the ethics investigation [which] is currently ongoing would cease at that point.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

In addition to the ethics investigation, Gaetz was at one point being investigated by the Department of Justice (DOJ) in a yearslong probe into sex trafficking allegations. 

Last year, Gaetz’s office said the DOJ ended its investigation and determined he would not be charged with any crimes.

Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind, Julia Johnson and Kelly Phares contributed to his report.  

President-Elect Donald Trump has proposed a dramatic shakeup in American education: “disbanding” or drastically reducing the power of the Department of Education (DOE), a move that would shift control and funding of public schools back to local communities.

While Trump’s specific plan and choice of secretary have yet to be announced, Neal McCluskey, the director for educational freedom at libertarian think tank Cato Institute, said there’s a high likelihood Trump’s agenda of shuttering the DOE could be carried out through “block granting.”

“Block granting is a little easier for people to understand, because it takes money and it doesn’t just suddenly go away from states and districts, it keeps it,” McCluskey told Fox News Digital in an interview. “It just gives them more control over it.”

TRUMP’S FORMER EDUCATION SECRETARY SAYS SHE IS ‘VERY OPEN’ TO DISCUSSION ABOUT RETURNING TO PREVIOUS POST

US President Joe Biden, right, and President-elect Donald Trump shake hands during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“This would be a pretty big change if it went from the federal government giving out money with all kinds of rules and regulations through a whole bunch of different programs, to the federal government consolidating almost every K-12 and giving them the money,” he said.

McCluskey noted a shift in the federal government’s role in education, moving from funding support to more direct control, particularly until the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in 2015, which rolled back some federal oversight due to backlash against standardized testing and federal mandates. While ESSA reduced federal intervention, he believes funding pressures keep pushing Washington to influence school operations.

“I think that higher education, the Department of Education, has proved itself to be just a bad administrator,” McCluskey said. “The bungling of simplifying FAFSA, the student aid for. It’s sort of ironic that it’s making it easier, making the form easier that they just couldn’t handle.”

“I also think the programs are really bad,” he added.

BETSY DEVOS JOINS TRUMP’S CALL TO ‘DISBAND’ THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND ‘RE-EMPOWER’ FAMILIES

President-Elect Donald Trump has proposed a dramatic shakeup in American education. (iStock)

While McCluskey acknowledged a legitimate role for federal civil rights enforcement, he argued it should be housed within the Department of Justice, not education. He cautioned against overreach, particularly with “Dear Colleague” letters from the Office of Civil Rights, which, he argued, altered policies unilaterally without formal changes in the law.

In 1979, Congress passed and President Jimmy Carter signed the Department of Education Organization Act, leading to the creation of the department, which began its operations in May 1980 under the Carter administration. In his 1982 State of the Union address, former President Reagan called for shuttering the department.

McCluskey said the DOE started largely as a political move to gain National Education Association support and initially focused on K-12 and student-aid funding.

Although intended to equalize funding between low- and high-income communities, its role expanded over time to include accountability measures, especially from the Reagan era onward, as concerns grew about educational quality and outcomes. 

DEM REP RUBEN GALLEGO BEATS KARI LAKE IN BATTLE FOR ARIZONA SENATE SEAT

Former Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, Rep. Byron Donalds, Cade Brumley, Rep. Virginia Foxx, Tiffany Justice, Oklahoma public education superintendent Ryan Walters and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin could be possible contenders for the DOE secretary role.  (iStock)

This push for accountability led to the “A Nation at Risk” report in 1983 and eventually to the No Child Left Behind Act in 2002, positioning the federal government as a major driver of standards and test-based accountability. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP   

However, backlash against centralized standard testing like Common Core led to a retreat from heavy oversight, and today the department’s primary roles are K-12 funding support, federal student aid management, and civil rights enforcement, he said.

So far, Fox News Digital has learned former Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, Rep. Byron Donalds, Cade Brumley, Rep. Virginia Foxx, Tiffany Justice, Oklahoma public education superintendent Ryan Walters and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin could be possible contenders for the DOE secretary role.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Trump-Vance transition team for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Joshua Comins contributed to this report.

House Republicans have reached an agreement on raising the motion to vacate threshold.

Currently, House GOP Conference rules dictate that just one lawmaker is needed to call for a motion to vacate the chair, which would trigger a chamber-wide vote on removing the speaker.

But the deal, brokered during a meeting hosted by Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and involving lawmakers from the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus and the pragmatic Main Street Caucus, would raise the one-person threshold to nine.

JOHNSON BLASTS DEM ACCUSATIONS HE VOWED TO END OBAMACARE AS ‘DISHONEST’

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., may get some breathing room with some new rules agreements. (Getty Images)

In exchange, Main Street Caucus members agreed to withdraw several proposed changes to House GOP rules that would have punished Republicans who vote against the will of the majority.

The one-person threshold was part of a deal that ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., struck with conservatives in January 2022 in order to win the gavel.

That eventually came back to haunt him when Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., triggered the vote that ultimately led to his ouster by all House Democrats and eight Republicans in October 2023.

It’s also been a threat over Johnson’s head since he took over for McCarthy.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., notably triggered a vote to oust Johnson using the same rule in March. Enough House Democrats helped Republicans block the House-wide vote, however, by voting to “table” it indefinitely.

HOUSE LEADERS MOVE QUICKLY TO CONSOLIDATE POWER IN SHOW OF CONFIDENCE FOR REPUBLICAN MAJORITY

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., left, triggered ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s, R-Calif., ouster via motion to vacate. (Getty)

House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md., and Main Street Caucus Chairman Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., confirmed the deal in brief comments to reporters on Wednesday evening.

“ This started because Dr. Harris reached out this morning. He said, ‘Listen, we’ve got to cut a deal. We need to come together.’ Unity is important,” Johnson said.

“We spent more than an hour together. We made good progress. We understood that we had an opportunity to set the motion to vacate at a higher number…the motion to vacate will be set at nine, and in return for getting rid of some amendments that probably would have divided this conference.”

 The Main Street Caucus chair said Harris “did a good job of explaining to mainstream leadership why those amendments would have divided the Republican conference.”

Moderate and rank-and-file Republicans have been pushing to raise the threshold since late last year, arguing it would just continue to fuel chaos within the House GOP.

But GOP hardliners insisted it empowered members who were not in House Republican leadership.

A fifth person who spoke with Fox News Digital stressed the deal was tentative, categorizing it as a “proposed” deal and adding, “It isn’t over until it is.”

House Republicans are expected to vote on proposed changes to their conference rules on Thursday.

DEMS PRIVATELY FRET ABOUT LOSING HOUSE AFTER GOP VICTORY IN WHITE HOUSE, SENATE

Johnson was chosen as speaker after McCarthy was ousted. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The news comes just after Johnson won a unanimous vote by House Republicans to be their speaker again, two more sources told Fox News Digital.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Conservative critics of Johnson’s handling of foreign aid and government spending had threatened to delay his victory by forcing a secret ballot vote rather than awarding him unanimous consent.

But they appeared to back off from that threat after the meeting, which delayed leadership elections by roughly an hour and a half.

Fox News Digital reached out to Johnson’s office for comment.

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., resigned from the House of Representatives on Wednesday, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., announced.

Gaetz gave House GOP leaders his resignation notice on the same day President-elect Trump tapped him to be his Attorney General.

“I think out of deference to us, he issued his resignation letter effective immediately,” Johnson said. “That caught us by surprise a little bit. But I asked him what the reasoning was, and he said, well, you can’t have too many absences.”

The speaker pointed out that Florida state law gave the governor “about an eight-week period” to fill a House vacancy and that by doing so, “we may be able to fill that seat as early as Jan. 3.”

Johnson said he’s already in contact with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on the matter.

This is a breaking story and will be updated…

Special counsel Jack Smith is asking an appeals court to halt his appeal against President-elect Trump for his alleged mishandling of classified and top-secret documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

Smith did the same in the D.C. election interference case last week.

Special counsel Jack Smith speaks to members of the media at the Department of Justice building in Washington, D.C. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The news comes after Fox News confirmed that Smith will be stepping down before Trump takes office.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

President-elect Trump announced Tuesday he had chosen South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to lead the Department of Homeland Security, an agency that addresses border security, emergency relief and cybersecurity.

In his announcement Tuesday evening, Trump emphasized Noem’s moves as governor to send National Guard soldiers to the southern border in Texas, arguing she is “very strong” on border security.

“She will work closely with ‘Border Czar’ Tom Homan to secure the border and will guarantee that our American homeland is secure from our adversaries. I have known Kristi for years and have worked with her on a wide variety of projects. She will be a great part of our mission to make America safe again,” Trump said in a statement.

EX-TRUMP OFFICIAL PREDICTS ‘ENTIRE MINDSET CHANGE’ AT SOUTHERN BORDER, HAILS ‘FANTASTIC’ PICK TO LEAD DHS 

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem gestures as she speaks at the Calvin Coolidge Foundation conference at the Library of Congress Feb. 17, 2023, in Washington, D.C.  (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Noem said she was “honored and humbled” by the selection.

“With Donald Trump, we will secure the border and restore safety to American communities so that families will again have the opportunity to pursue the American dream,” she said.

Noem, a former member of Congress, was elected governor of the state in 2018 and won re-election in 2022. She has three children with her husband, Byron.

TRUMP’S ‘BORDER CZAR’ WARNS DEM GOVS REJECTING TRUMP DEPORTATION PLAN: ‘GET THE HELL OUT OF THE WAY’

Noem’s selection came as a surprise to some political watchers, but a source familiar with the appointment told Fox News Digital Noem had set a precedent for other states by sending National Guard soldiers, rather than more generic assistance, to the border. She also brings experience of other parts of the agency’s mission.

Noem banned TikTok from state-owned devices in 2022, citing the company’s ties to China. Separately, Dakota State University has one of the top cyber units in the country, and cybersecurity is the fastest growing industry in South Dakota, an expansion encouraged by Noem. The governor’s website says the state has invested $90 million to equip DSU in expanding cyber programs and allowing high school students to take classes for college credit. The state said last year the sector has added thousands of jobs in a few years and grown by 25%.

Noem has in-depth experience with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) because the state has dealt with flooding, including in June when there were record-setting floods in the state. FEMA sparked controversy over its handling of hurricanes this year and is likely to be under significant scrutiny in the months and years ahead.

A group claiming to be from India sits in the shade of the border wall to be picked up by Border Patrol after crossing through the border fence in the Tucson Sector of the U.S.-Mexico border, Aug. 29, 2023, in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument near Lukeville, Ariz.  (AP Photo/Matt York, File)

With respect to border security, Noem has backed a pause on accepting migrants from terrorist hot spots. As governor, she pledged in 2021 not to take any more migrants from the Biden administration. She is particularly in line with President-elect Trump on border security and prioritizing national security and public safety threats for deportations, a source noted to Fox News Digital.

“My message to illegal immigrants is — Call me when you’re an American,” she said on Facebook in 2021. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS

Noem briefly sparked controversy this year when she revealed in a memoir she had shot and killed a family dog that she said had become a danger to people. 

While her appointment was a surprise to some, she has received backing from major figures, including former acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf.

“Gov. Noem is a fantastic pick,” he said. “She has been a successful governor and has been forward-leaning and helping to support the Border security mission with her National Guard. She also has extensive experience working with FEMA on natural disasters. I’m certain she will succeed.”

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who has been on the front lines of the crisis, said it was an “excellent selection.”

“Governor Noem is a border hawk who has worked with me to secure the Texas border,” he said on X.

“She has a no nonsense, rule of law approach, that will repair America from the carnage caused by Biden‘s open border policies.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The pick follows a number of other hawkish appointments to Trump’s administration. This week, he announced former Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Tom Homan will be the “border czar.”

On Wednesday, Trump officially announced that Stephen Miller, who spearheaded many immigration policies in Trump’s first term, will serve as assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security adviser. 

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., was selected to lead the GOP conference again during a closed-door vote on Wednesday.

It comes after President-elect Donald Trump addressed House Republicans earlier in the day and said he was “100%” behind Johnson, multiple sources in the room told Fox News Digital.

Several hard-line GOP members are still holding out their support, however, over his handling of government spending and foreign aid in the current Congress.

JOHNSON BLASTS DEM ACCUSATIONS HE VOWED TO END OBAMACARE AS ‘DISHONEST’

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., talks with reporters in the U.S. Capitol after the last votes of the week on Thursday, September 12, 2024.  (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

It’s been a meteoric rise for the Louisiana Republican, who was a relatively little-known lawmaker when he was elected to succeed former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., after he was ousted by all House Democrats and eight fellow Republicans.

Johnson has endured much of the same chaos as McCarthy while presiding over a razor-thin House majority, with GOP rebels weaponizing the small margin in efforts to force the conference to pass more conservative policy.

SHUTDOWN STANDOFF LOOMS IN CONGRESS’ FINAL WEEKS BEFORE TRUMP’S RETURN TO WHITE HOUSE

Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted last year. (Getty Images)

But Johnson did not face any significant challengers on Wednesday, nor was he expected to with House Republicans on track to hold onto the chamber majority in the 119th Congress.

It could be a different story in January, when he will need a majority of the entire House chamber to be elected speaker.

McCarthy infamously had to endure 15 rounds of House votes and was forced to make concessions to a small group of holdouts in exchange for their support.

HOUSE LEADERS MOVE QUICKLY TO CONSOLIDATE POWER IN SHOW OF CONFIDENCE FOR REPUBLICAN MAJORITY

President-elect Trump has endorsed Johnson. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

With Johnson projected to win just a slim single-digit majority again, he can afford little opposition – or risk paralyzing the House under a new Trump administration.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., and Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., ran uncontested for their current roles and are expected to win.

West Palm Beach, Fla.— President-elect Donald Trump has announced more than a dozen Cabinet picks just a week after he was declared victorious in his race against Vice President Kamala Harris, reflecting his commitment to putting “America first,” the campaign told Fox News Digital. 

“The American people re-elected President Trump by a resounding margin, giving him a mandate to implement the promises he made on the campaign trail — and his Cabinet picks reflect his priority to put America First. President Trump will continue to appoint highly qualified men and women who have the talent, experience and necessary skill sets to Make America Great Again,” Trump-Vance transition spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Digital when asked about Trump’s speedy roll-out of Cabinet picks. 

Trump sailed to victory last week after securing electoral votes from toss-up states such as Pennsylvania and Georgia. All in, he earned 312 electoral votes — sweeping all seven of the battleground states — and won the popular vote. 

“America first” and “Make America Great Again” were hallmarks of Trump’s campaign, including during his historic rally at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan last month.

“We stand on the verge of the four greatest years in the history of the U.S.A. With your help from now until Election Day, we will restore America’s promise. We will put America first, and we will take back the nation that we all love,” he said at MSG. “We bleed the same blood. We share the same home, and we salute the same great American flag. We are one people, one family and one glorious nation under God. We will never give in. We will never give up. We will never ever back down, and we will never, ever, ever surrender. Together, we will fight, fight, fight, and we will win, win, win.”

TRUMP PICKING CABINET AT BREAKNECK SPEED COMPARED TO 2016

President Joe Biden meets with President-elect Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Washington. (Evan Vucci/Associated Press)

Shortly after his win at the ballot box, Trump began rolling out his picks for his Cabinet. As of Wednesday afternoon, Trump has announced 17 names for his administration, including Susie Wiles as his chief of staff, longtime ally Dan Scavino as his deputy chief of staff and Fox News co-host Pete Hegseth as secretary of defense.

Trump has announced the picks via emails to the media and supporters, coming at a faster pace than in 2016, when he was elected to his first term in the Oval Office, Fox News Digital found earlier this week.  

Trump announced on Nov. 11, for example, that New York Rep. Elise Stefanik will serve as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. During the 2016 transition cycle, Trump announced then-Gov. Nikki Haley of South Carolina would fill that same role on Nov. 23. Haley went on to run unsuccessfully in 2024 for the GOP presidential nomination.

LOYALTY MATTERS: TRUMP PICKS ALLIES AND SUPPORTERS TO FILL OUT HIS ADMINISTRATION

Representative Elise Stefanik, a Republican from New York, speaks to members of the media ahead of a campaign event with former US President Donald Trump, not pictured, at Madison Square Garden in New York, US, on Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024. The Republican presidential nominee returns to his hometown on Sunday for an event at an iconic venue that has been a magnet for celebrities and the center of some of the nation’s biggest cultural moments- an attempt to command the media spotlight and mobilize supporters about a week before Election Day on Nov. 5.  (Adam Gray/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

He also tapped Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., to serve as his national security adviser, announcing that pick on Tuesday, about three days ahead of his announcement for the same role in 2016, when he chose former Army Gen. Mike Flynn for the position about 10 days after Election Day. 

Rep. Michael Waltz (R-FL) attends the 2024 Concordia Annual Summit on September 23, 2024 in New York City. (John Nacion/Getty Images)

Trump also announced he chose former New York Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, a pick Trump didn’t make until Dec. 7, 2016, when he tapped Scott Pruitt to serve in the role.

ELON MUSK, VIVEK RAMASWAMY TO LEAD TRUMP’S DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY

Trump’s first pick for his administration, Susie Wiles for chief of staff, was announced the day after the election, while his 2016 announcement of Reince Priebus as chief of staff was made five days after the election. 

Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump greets his campaign manager Susie Wiles (L) during an election night event at the West Palm Beach Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, on November 6, 2024. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)

“Susie is tough, smart, innovative, and is universally admired and respected. Susie will continue to work tirelessly to Make America Great Again. It is a well deserved honor to have Susie as the first-ever female Chief of Staff in United States history. I have no doubt that she will make our country proud,” Trump said after the selection of Wiles.

Trump briefly traveled to Washington, D.C., Wednesday, where he met with congressional Republicans and then went to the White House for a meeting with President Biden before heading back home to Florida.

“I look forward… to having a smooth transition. We’ll do everything we can to make sure you’re accommodated, what you need,” Biden said during a short portion of the meeting when reporters were granted access to the Oval Office. 

Trump added that “politics is tough, and in many cases it’s not a very nice world, but it is a nice world today.”

“I appreciate very much the transition that’s so smooth. It will be as smooth as it can get, and I very much appreciate that,” Trump continued.

President Joe Biden meets with President-elect Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Washington. (Evan Vucci/Associated Press)

Trump was joined by high-profile officials on his transition team and upcoming administration, including Wiles and tech billionaire Elon Musk. 

TRUMP’S PICKS SO FAR: HERE’S WHO WILL BE ADVISING THE NEW PRESIDENT

Musk endorsed Trump over the summer and soon began campaigning for him, most notably in the key battleground state of Pennsylvania. Trump announced on Tuesday evening that Musk and former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy will lead a new task force he is calling the Department of Government Efficiency. 

“I am pleased to announce that the Great Elon Musk, working in conjunction with American Patriot Vivek Ramaswamy, will lead the Department of Government Efficiency (“DOGE”). Together, these two wonderful Americans will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies – Essential to the ‘Save America’ Movement,” Trump said in his announcement. 

Trump announced Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy would be leading the Department of Government Efficiency (“DOGE”) on Tuesday, November 12, 2024.  (Getty Images)

“It will become, potentially, ‘The Manhattan Project’ of our time. Republican politicians have dreamed about the objectives of “DOGE” for a very long time. To drive this kind of drastic change, the Department of Government Efficiency will provide advice and guidance from outside of Government, and will partner with the White House and Office of Management & Budget to drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before,” the announcement continued. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Trump is expected to continue quickly announcing his Cabinet picks as he continues establishing his administration ahead of Jan. 20. Trump had pledged throughout the campaign to “make America great again” for voters of all political stripes, putting emphasis on gutting some federal agencies and even dismantling them altogether, such as the Department of Education. 

Fox News’ Michael Lee, Brooke Singman and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report. 

While President-elect Donald Trump has yet to announce who will be at the helm of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), he has indicated several steps he would take to slash “gender-affirming” care for minors across the country.

In a video posted to Truth Social in February 2023, Trump said his plan “to stop the chemical, physical and emotional mutilation of our youth” would involve issuing an executive order directing all federal agencies to halt any programs that support or promote sex changes at any age.

“I will then ask Congress to permanently stop federal taxpayer dollars from being used to promote or pay for these procedures and pass a law prohibiting child sexual mutilation in all 50 states,” Trump said in the video.

TRUMP TO PICK FLORIDA’S RUBIO TO SERVE AS SECRETARY OF STATE

President-elect Donald Trump, left, and President Biden meet on Nov. 13, 2024. (AP)

Trump announced plans to ban any hospital or healthcare provider involved in gender-transition treatments for minors from participating in Medicaid and Medicare. He also pledged to support legal actions allowing affected individuals to sue doctors who performed these procedures on minors.

“The Department of Justice will investigate Big Pharma and the big hospital networks to determine whether they have deliberately covered up horrific long-term side effects of sex transitions in order to get rich at the expense of vulnerable patients,” Trump added.

Trump honed in on transgender issues during the last leg of his campaign with a successful ad that focused on men in women’s sports and Vice President Kamala Harris’ track record of ushering in sex change procedures for incarcerated people in California.

HOUSE LEADERS MOVE QUICKLY TO CONSOLIDATE POWER IN SHOW OF CONFIDENCE FOR REPUBLICAN MAJORITY

A transgender flag unfurled on a pole. Texas SB 14 would ban gender-affirming treatments and therapies for transgender youth if signed by Gov. Greg Abbott. (Getty Images)

“Kamala is for they/them, President Trump is for you,” the narrator of Trump’s campaign ad said. Experts say the TV spot had a substantial influence on swing voters.

Over the last four years, the Biden-Harris administration used federal agencies, including the Department of Justice, to expand access to surgical procedures for minors. Under Biden, HHS created a regulation that interpreted “sex discrimination” within the Affordable Care Act to include gender identity and sexual orientation.

The expanded definition under Title IX meant that any medical provider not offering sex change procedures for any age was at risk of losing federal funding under the Biden-Harris regulation. The rule was blocked by the Supreme Court in August. 

GOP REP. MIKE WALTZ TAPPED TO BE TRUMP’S NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER

President Biden, right, meets with President-elect Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

In June, health officials in the Biden administration urged the international transgender health nonprofit, World Professional Association for Transgender Health, to omit the age limit in its guidelines for transgender surgical procedures for adolescents – and succeeded – according to unsealed court documents.

More than 25 states in the U.S. have enacted bans and restrictions on surgical procedures and hormonal prescriptions for transgender youth. Roughly 24 states still permit gender transition surgeries and drugs for children.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

In recent days, Trump has been announcing his administration’s appointments much quicker than he did during his first term. HHS candidates Fox News Digital has learned include Robert F. Kennedy Jr., former Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, Eric Hargan, former HUD Secretary Ben Carson, Seema Verma, Paul Mango, Joseph Ladapo, Roger Severino, Brian Blase and Joe Grogan.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Trump-Vance transition team for comment.

Trump 2024 campaign senior advisors Dan Scavino and Stephen Miller are among four new cabinet picks announced by the Trump-Vance transition team on Wednesday as the president-elect continues to fill up his incoming administration at breakneck speed.

Scavino will return to the White House as an assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff. He was the director of social media for the Trump 2016 presidential campaign and has worked alongside the president-elect ever since, including serving as the White House’s director of social media in Trump’s first term in office. 

Scavino “remains one of President Trump’s longest serving and most trusted aides,” a statement released by the Trump-Vance transition team.

Scavino was also held in contempt of Congress in 2022 after a month-long refusal to comply with a subpoena from the House committee’s investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. He claimed executive privilege and the Department of Justice refused to prosecute him.

FORMER ICE DIRECTOR TOM HOMAN ‘HONORED’ TO BE APPOINTED TRUMP’S BORDER CZAR: ‘WE HAVE TO FIX IT’

Dan Scavino speaks at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally on Oct. 27, 2024. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Miller has been named as the deputy chief of staff for policy and Homeland Security advisor. Miller previously served in the Trump White House as senior advisor to the president for policy, where he helped craft many of Trump’s hard-line speeches and plans on immigration. 

Since Trump left office, Miller has served as the president of America First Legal, an organization of former Trump advisors fashioned as a conservative version of the American Civil Liberties Union, challenging the Biden administration, media companies, universities and others over issues such as freedom of speech, religious freedom, and national security.

Miller has advocated for mass deportations during a second Trump term, during which he will serve as an assistant to the president.

WHO IS SUSIE WILES, TRUMP’S WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF? 5 THINGS TO KNOW

Stephen Miller speaks during a Trump campaign rally at Lancaster Airport on Nov. 3, 2024 in Lititz, Pennsylvania. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

The announcement came shortly before President-elect Trump met with President Biden at the White House.

Meanwhile, James Blair will be the president and deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs. Blair was the political director for both the Trump 2024 campaign and the Republican National Committee, managing hundreds of staff and overseeing a wide portfolio of political operations and programs, per the statement.

Blair was key to Trump’s economic messaging during his winning White House comeback campaign this year, a driving force behind the candidate’s “Trump can fix it” slogan and his query to audiences this fall if they were better off than four years ago.

Taylor Budowich will serve as the president-elect’s deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel. 

CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The announcement came shorty before President-elect Trump met with President Biden at the White House. (AP Photo/Evan Vucc)

Prior to joining the Trump 2024 campaign, Budowich served in a senior role in the Save America, Trump’s leadership political action committee (PAC) , and as CEO of the pro-Trump Super PAC, MAGA Inc.

Like Scavino and Miller, Blair and Budowich will also serve as assistants to the president-elect.

“Dan, Stephen, James, and Taylor were ‘best in class’ advisors on my winning campaign and I know they will honorably serve the American people in the White House,” President-elect Trump said via the statement. “They will continue to work hard to Make America Great Again in their respective new roles.”

Fox News’ Danielle Wallace and the Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Senate Minority Whip John Thune will be the new Republican Senate leader and the majority leader of the upper chamber in the new Congress. 

In January, he will succeed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who is the longest-serving party leader in Senate history. 

Sources told Fox News Digital that no candidate reached a majority on the first secret ballot. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., received the least amount of votes and was knocked out of the race. The second secret ballot was between only Thune and Cornyn. 

The senator received at least 27 votes from the 53-member conference during a secret ballot in the old Senate chamber on Wednesday morning. 

REPUBLICANS TO HUDDLE BEHIND CLOSED DOORS TO ELECT MCCONNELL’S SUCCESSOR WEDNESDAY

The new Senate GOP leader was chosen on Wednesday. (Reuters)

Each of the candidates made a final pitch to their fellow Republican senators late Tuesday night during a forum held by Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah. 

Scott walked out of the meeting with two new public endorsements from both Lee and Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn. A source familiar told Fox News Digital that Blackburn had asked multiple questions during the discussion, including “how they would give conservatives a more meaningful voice in the Senate and for specific details as to how they would immediately implement President Trump’s mass deportation operation.”

RICK SCOTT GAINS NEW SENATE ENDORSEMENTS OUT OF CANDIDATE FORUM ON EVE OF LEADER ELECTION

Blackburn backed Scott after the forum. (REUTERS/Mike Segar)

Despite this, one source with knowledge told Fox News Digital that Scott’s pitch didn’t convince everyone. “Scott’s remarks didn’t do much to impress or sway members,” they said. “He focused more on his time as a businessman instead of priorities for the Senate.”

JOHN THUNE SNAGS 2 MORE ENDORSEMENTS IN COMPETITIVE GOP LEADER RACE TO SUCCEED MCCONNELL

Scott has received a number of high-profile endorsements from external figures. (Reuters)

Prior to the elections, Thune had received public endorsements from Sens. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., Mike Rounds, R-S.D., Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., John Hoeven, R-N.D., and a source confirmed to Fox News Digital that National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Chairman Steve Daines, R-Mont., was privately encouraging other senators to support Thune. 

Scott had the most public support, with Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Ron Johnson, R-Wis., Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., Rand Paul, R-Ky., Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., and Marco Rubio, R-Fla., also backing him. 

DEM REP RUBEN GALLEGO BEATS KARI LAKE IN BATTLE FOR ARIZONA SENATE SEAT

The new leader will succeed McConnell. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

Cornyn had only received one public endorsement from Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo.

The majority of GOP senators did not disclose ahead of time who they were casting their ballots for.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Rubio and Hagerty gave the two nominating speeches for Scott, while Daines and Rounds did so for Thune. It’s unclear who gave nominating speeches for Cornyn. 

The new leader will assume the role in January. 

Top Democratic Party officials are concerned that the Harris-Walz campaign crossed the finish line with tens of millions of dollars in debt that could now be the party’s problem.

Party officials are now scrutinizing how the campaign spent its funds, having raised over $1 billion before Election Day. FEC filings already show shocking payments to celebrities like Oprah Winfrey and tens of millions in event spending and social media influence.

“How do you raise a historic amount of money and not win a single swing state?” one Harris aide told Axios. “The honest answer is: I don’t know. It seems we lost the national narrative, and that’s what we need to diagnose.”

Reports say the Harris campaign expected a delayed result on Election Day, and officials were planning to continue fundraising as votes were counted in the following days.

HARRIS CAMPAIGN REPORTEDLY SPENT 6 FIGURES ON ‘CALL HER DADDY’ PODCAST WITH FEWER THAN 1 MILLION YOUTUBE VIEWS

The Harris campaign raised over $1 billion, but Democratic officials are concerned it ended the race in massive debt. (Megan Mendoza/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

That reality never materialized, however, as it quickly became apparent that President-elect Trump ran away with the victory.

FEC filings show the Harris campaign made two $500,000 payments to Oprah Winfrey’s production company, Harpo, on Oct. 15, a month after Winfrey appeared with Harris at a town hall event and weeks before Oprah was on stage with Harris at a Philadelphia rally before Election Day.

HARRIS CAMPAIGN AND ALLIES SPENT MORE THAN $1.4B ON POLITICAL ADS IN LOSING RACE AGAINST TRUMP

While Winfrey herself denied accepting any payment, Harpo claimed the payments were meant to cover production costs for the surrounding event.

Oprah Winfrey’s production company, Harpo, accepted two $500,000 payments from the Harris campaign. (Getty Images)

The campaign also gave $4 million to Village Marketing Agency, a company that connects clients with social media influencers.

The long list of celebrities that joined Harris on the campaign trail included Beyoncé, Bon Jovi, Ricky Martin, Jennifer Lopez and Bruce Springsteen.

The Washington Examiner also reported that the Harris campaign spent over $12 million on digital media consultants and “spent six figures on building a set for Harris’s appearance on the popular Call Her Daddy podcast with host Alex Cooper.”

The Harris campaign spent tens of millions on concert-like rallies and huge television ads. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

The campaign spent at least $15 million on “event production,” FEC records show, with many payments lining up with high profile events and concerts with celebrity attendees or performers.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“The truth is this is just an epic disaster, this is a $1 billion disaster,” Lindy Li, Harris surrogate and DNC National Finance Committee member, told “Fox & Friends Weekend” on Saturday.

Fox News’ Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.

EXCLUSIVE: President-elect Donald Trump is expected to soon appoint a Ukrainian peace envoy to lead negotiations on ending the war with Russia, multiple sources told Fox News Digital. 

“You’re going to see a very senior special envoy, someone with a lot of credibility, who will be given a task to find a resolution, to get to a peace settlement,” one of the sources said. 

“You’re going to see that in short order.” 

The job is not expected to be a salaried role – from 2017 to 2019, Kurt Volker had served as special representative to Ukrainian negotiations on a volunteer basis. 

TRUMP’S FIRST CABINET PICKS DECIDEDLY NOT ISOLATIONISTS: UKRAINE, ISRAEL BREATHE A SIGH OF RELIEF

Trump has been rolling out appointee names at lightning pace of those he wants to fill his Cabinet and advise him on top issues. 

 Trump is expected to soon appoint a Ukrainian peace envoy to lead negotiations on ending the war with Russia, multiple sources told Fox News Digital (AP/Evan Vucci)

He picked Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., to serve as his national security advisor and sources have told Fox News he’s settled on Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., to lead the State Department. 

Trump has designated Steven Witkoff to be his special envoy to the Middle East. 

Trump has long insisted he could negotiate an end to the war with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Few details have been given about how he would do this. 

A report last week by the Wall Street Journal suggested Vice President-elect Vance’s controversial suggestions from the campaign trail are now being pushed by multiple advisers close to the president-elect.

A woman stands in the backyard of her house destroyed by a Russian air strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine October 10, 2024. REUTERS/Stringer

TRUMP TEAM REACTS TO REPORT PRESIDENT-ELECT TOLD RUSSIA’S PUTIN NOT TO ESCALATE WAR WITH UKRAINE

Some advisers are reportedly encouraging Trump to push Kyiv to agree to terms that would freeze the frontlines by creating an 800-mile-long demilitarized zone and allow Russia to keep the land it has illegally seized, which amounts to roughly 20% of Ukraine.

It has also been suggested that Kyiv should agree not to pursue NATO membership for 20 years, a stipulation that critics of this plan argue kowtows to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

A Washington Post report on Sunday also claimed Trump had spoken with Putin, where the president-elect told the Russian leader not to escalate the war. Trump’s transition team would not confirm or deny the call. 

Fox News’ Caitlin McFall contributed to this report. 

After President-elect Donald Trump announced that Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will lead the Department of Government Efficiency, an effort to root out government waste, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., criticized Trump’s decision, suggesting he had tapped two people to execute the job of one person.

“The Office of Government Efficiency is off to a great start with split leadership: two people to do the work of one person,” Warren said in a post on X, sarcastically adding, “Yeah, this seems REALLY efficient.” 

Musk and Ramaswamy “will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies,” Trump said in a statement.

ELON MUSK, VIVEK RAMASWAMY TO LEAD TRUMP’S DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY

Left to right: Vivek RamaswamySen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Elon Musk. (Getty Images)

Trump noted that the department, nicknamed “DOGE,” “will provide advice and guidance from outside of Government, and will partner with the White House and Office of Management & Budget to drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.”

Musk has invited the public to share their thoughts about what should and should not be slashed.

“All actions of the Department of Government Efficiency will be posted online for maximum transparency. Anytime the public thinks we are cutting something important or not cutting something wasteful, just let us know! We will also have a leaderboard for the most insanely dumb spending of your tax dollars. This will be both extremely tragic and extremely entertaining,” he tweeted.

ELON MUSK SAYS ‘ALL ACTIONS’ TAKEN BY DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY WILL BE ONLINE: ‘TRANSPARENCY’

Vivek Ramaswamy at the campaign rally at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 27, 2024, in New York City.  (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Ramaswamy dropped his bid for the GOP presidential nomination and endorsed Trump back in January.

“DOGE will soon begin crowdsourcing examples of government waste, fraud, & and abuse. Americans voted for drastic government reform & they deserve to be part of fixing it,” he tweeted.

Warren also criticized Trump’s decision to tap Pete Hegseth for Defense Secretary, claiming that he is not qualified for the role.

PSAKI AND SEN. WARREN AGREE TRUMP’S BEHAVIOR ‘PUTS US ALL AT RISK’

Sen. Elizabeth Warren speaks on the last day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, on Aug. 22, 2024. ( SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

“A Fox & Friends weekend co-host is not qualified to be the Secretary of Defense. I lead the Senate military personnel panel. All three of my brothers served in uniform. I respect every one of our servicemembers. Donald Trump’s pick will make us less safe and must be rejected,” she declared in a post on X.

Hegseth is an author and Army veteran who earned two Bronze Stars and a Combat Infantryman’s Badge, according to his website.

His last day with Fox was Tuesday.

Trump said in a statement that Hegseth “will be a courageous and patriotic champion of our ‘Peace through Strength’ policy.”

Control of the House of Representatives remains undecided, with Republicans sitting just two seats away from a majority as of Wednesday morning.

The Associated Press has yet to call 12 House races across the country. In one of those 12 races, California’s 47th Congressional District, Republican candidate Scott Baugh has conceded in the open race against Democrat Dave Min.

Alaska

At-Large District

Democratic incumbent Rep. Mary Sattler Peltola is in a tight race in Alaska’s at-large congressional district, where she is trailing Republican entrepreneur Nick Begich.

As of Wednesday morning, Begich holds a three-point lead at 49.1% of the vote compared to Peltola’s 45.8%. The vote count sits at 142,023 to 132,473 with roughly 91% of the vote counted.

SHUTDOWN STANDOFF LOOMS IN CONGRESS’ FINAL WEEKS BEFORE TRUMP’S RETURN TO WHITE HOUSE

Republicans are just two seats away from holding a majority in the House of Representatives, allowing House Speaker Mike Johnson, left, to keep his job and clearing the way for President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda. (Getty Images)

Arizona

6th Congressional District

The race in Arizona’s 6th Congressional District is tight, with Republican incumbent Rep. Juan Ciscomani holding a narrow lead.

The first-term lawmaker holds a two-point advantage over former Democratic state lawmaker Kirsten Engel as of Wednesday morning. The vote count sits at 196,293 to 189,426, with 90% of votes counted.

California

9th Congressional District

Democratic incumbent Josh Harder leads Republican challenger Kevin Lincoln by four points.

While Harder asserted victory in the race on Tuesday evening, Lincoln has not conceded, and The Associated Press has not called the race.

The district had about 74% of the vote recorded as of Wednesday, and Harder’s lead sits at over 7,000 votes.

13th Congressional District

Republican Rep. John Duarte is leading former Democratic State Assembly member Adam Gray in California’s 13th.

Roughly 70% of the vote has been counted, and Duarte holds a 51% to 49% lead. The contest is separated by just over 3,000 votes as of Wednesday morning.

21st Congressional District

Incumbent Democratic Rep. John Costa leads his Republican challenger, Michael Maher, in a 51.7 % to 48.3% race as of Wednesday morning.

So far, 79% of the vote has been counted, and Costa’s lead is just over 5,000 votes.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., faces a steep path toward securing a Democratic majority in the House. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

41st Congressional District

Republican incumbent Rep. Ken Calvert holds a 51.3% to 48.7% lead over Democratic challenger Will Rollins. Roughly 79% of the vote has been counted as of Wednesday, and Calvert’s lead sits at over 8,000 votes.

45th Congressional District

Incumbent Republican Rep. Michelle Steel leads her Democratic challenger Derek Tran with 50.4% of the vote as of Wednesday. Roughly 87% of the votes have been counted, and Steel’s lead has shrunk to 2,272 votes.

47th Congressional District

Republican Scott Baugh, a former state assembly member, conceded the race to Democratic state Sen. Dave Min in the race to succeed outgoing Democratic Rep. Katie Porter in California’s 47th Congressional District.

Min holds a one-point lead, with nearly 86% of the vote counted. The race was rated Lean Democrat by the Fox News Power Rankings.

With Min’s lead at nearly 6,000 votes, The Associated Press has yet to call the result.

Iowa

1st Congressional District

Republican incumbent Rep. Mariannet Miller-Meeks holds a razor-thin lead over challenger Christina Bohannan with 99% of the vote counted. Miller-Meeks’ lead sits at 731 votes.

GOP REP. MIKE WALTZ TAPPED TO BE TRUMP’S NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER

Maine

2nd Congressional District

Democratic incumbent Jared Golden holds a razor-thin lead over Republican challenger Austin Theriault as of Wednesday.

With 98% of the votes counted, Golden’s lead sits at 726 votes. The state is conducting ranked-choice tabulation this week.

Ohio

9th Congressional District

Democratic incumbent Marcy Kaptur leads her Republican challenger, Derek Merrin, by less than one point with 99% of the votes counted. Kaptur’s lead sits at just under 1,200 votes as of Wednesday.

Oregon

5th Congressional District

Republican incumbent Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer is trailing her Democratic challenger, Janelle Bynum, by nearly three points with 91% of the votes counted Wednesday.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Bynum’s lead sits at just over 10,000 votes.

Fox News’ Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.

Elon Musk, who was selected by President-elect Donald Trump to head the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) with former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, shared some insight on X on Tuesday into how the department will operate.

Musk said that the department will take suggestions and concerns from everyday Americans regarding how the government spends money.

“Anytime the public thinks we are cutting something important or not cutting something wasteful, just let us know!” Musk said in part in the X post.

Musk also said all the department’s actions “will be posted online for maximum transparency.”

TRUMP’S PICKS SO FAR: HERE’S WHO WILL BE ADVISING THE NEW PRESIDENT

Trump announced on Tuesday that entrepreneurs Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will be leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). (Getty Images)

“We will also have a leaderboard for [the] most insanely dumb spending of your tax dollars. This will be both extremely tragic and extremely entertaining,” he wrote.

When announcing the new department on Tuesday, Trump said its purpose will be to “dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure federal agencies.”

“DOGE” will advise and guide the administration by utilizing knowledge from outside of government and will partner with the White House and the Office of Management and Budget to “drive large scale structural reform.”

TRUMP’S FIRST CABINET PICKS DECIDEDLY NOT ISOLATIONISTS: UKRAINE, ISRAEL BREATHE A SIGH OF RELIEF

Musk and Ramaswamy will head the Department of Government Efficiency, which will partner with the White House and the Office of Management and Budget to slash excess regulations and cut wasteful expenditures, among other things. (Soeren Stache/picture alliance via Getty Images)

Musk and Ramaswamy, both of whom are successful entrepreneurs, have been adamant about their desires to cut unnecessary spending in order to reduce the government’s debt of at least $35 trillion.

“This will send shockwaves through the system, and anyone involved in government waste, which is a lot of people!” Musk said.

Ramswamy also said he and Musk “will not go gently” shortly after Trump announced their new roles.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Musk and Ramaswamy are the latest additions to Trump’s administration after a busy few days loaded with appointments.

President-elect Donald Trump has announced many additions to his administration in the days following his victory in the presidential election. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

The latest include South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem for Homeland Security secretary, Fox News’ Pete Hegseth for defense secretary, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee as ambassador to Israel, and John Ratcliffe for CIA director.

Just over a week after his sweeping election victory, former and future President Trump returns to the White House on Wednesday.

Trump is returning to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., his first time back in nearly four years, at the invitation of the man he knocked out of the 2024 White House race: President Biden.

The two presidents will sit down in the Oval Office around 11 a.m. ET, according to the White House.

For Biden, who ended his re-election bid in July a month after his disastrous debate performance against Trump reignited questions over whether the 81-year-old president was physically and mentally up for another four years in the White House and sparked calls for him to drop out of the race, the meeting with his predecessor and now successor may be awkward.

LOYALTY MATTERS: TRUMP PICKS ALLIES AND SUPPORTERS TO FILL OUT HIS SECOND ADMINISTRATION

President Biden and former President Trump are shown during their debate in Atlanta on June 27, 2024. (Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Trump spent years verbally eviscerating Biden and his performance in the White House. And even after Biden ended his re-election bid, Trump continued to slam the president and his successor atop the Democrats’ 2024 ticket, Vice President Harris.

HERE ARE THE DEMOCRATS WHO MAY RUN FOR THE WHITE HOUSE IN 2028

And Biden for a couple of years has labeled Trump a threat to the nation’s democracy.

But Biden, a traditionalist, wants to ensure a smooth transition between administrations.

President Biden, Vice President Harris, Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough and Maj. Gen. Trevor Bredenkamp attend a ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia on Nov. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

“I assured him that I’d direct my entire administration to work with his team,” the president said of his call last week with Trump after the election when he made the invitation. 

VANCE IS THE FRONT-RUNNER, BUT HERE’S WHO ELSE MAY RUN FOR THE 2028 GOP PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION

Trump’s team, in an apparent change of tone toward Biden, said the president-elect “looks forward to the meeting.”

Biden’s offer to Trump to visit the White House was an invitation he himself was never accorded.

Donald Trump (Evan Vucci/AP)

Four years ago, in the wake of his election defeat at the hands of Biden, Trump refused to concede and tried unsuccessfully to overturn the results.

Breaking with longstanding tradition, Trump didn’t invite Biden to the White House. And two weeks after the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters aiming to upend congressional certification of Biden’s Electoral College victory, Trump left Washington ahead of the presidential inauguration of his successor, becoming the first sitting president in more than a century to skip a successor’s inauguration.

“President Biden’s decision to welcome President-elect Trump to the White House is a tribute to normalcy in the presidential transition process. What was denied to Joe Biden following his election is being restored to Biden’s credit,” veteran political scientist Wayne Lesperance told Fox News.

Lesperance, the president of New Hampshire-based New England College, called the invitation by Biden “a remarkable gesture in that it legitimizes Trump’s return to power by the nation’s leading Democrat and, hopefully, will be met with a commitment to orderly transitions in the future.”

The meeting will be the first between Biden and Trump since they faced off in their one and only debate on June 27 in Atlanta. The two presidents, along with Harris and Trump’s running mate, now-Vice President-elect Sen. JD Vance, stood next to each other on Sept. 11 in New York City’s Lower Manhattan at ceremonies for the 23rd anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

This will be Trump’s second meeting at the White House with a departing president.

Eight years ago, after defeating Democrat nominee Hillary Clinton, Trump sat down at the White House with President Obama, who was finishing up his second term.

“We now are going to want to do everything we can to help you succeed. Because, if you succeed, then the country succeeds,” Obama told Trump at the time.

CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

While a tradition, the meeting between the incoming and outgoing presidents is not mandated.

A big question mark heading into the meeting: Will the vice president join Biden and Trump for any portion of the gathering?

Harris phoned Trump last week and congratulated him on his victory over her.

The last time a sitting vice president ran for president and lost was 24 years ago when then-Vice President Al Gore narrowly lost to then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush.

Gore ended up joining Bush and outgoing President Clinton in the Oval Office for what was said to be a very awkward meeting.