Today in one sentence: Trump named Matt Gaetz his pick as attorney general, Fox News Host Pete Hegseth his choice for secretary of defense, John Ratcliffe to lead the CIA, Tulsi Gabbard to serve as the director of national intelligence, and billionaires Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy as co-heads of the new Department of Government Efficiency; Republicans will keep control of the House of Representatives; Senate Republicans chose Sen. John Thune to be their new leader, while House Republicans unanimously nominated Speaker Mike Johnson to lead their conference again when the new Congress convenes in January; House Democrats will introduce a resolution clarifying that the Constitution’s two-term limit for presidents applies even if the terms are not consecutive after Trump quipped he can't run in 2028 unless Republicans "do something"; special counsel Jack Smith plans to finish his report and resign before Trump takes office; and consumer prices rose 2.6% in October compared to a year ago.

1/ Trump named Matt Gaetz his pick as attorney general. Trump called Gaetz, once the subject of a Justice Department sex-trafficking investigation involving a 17-year-old girl, a “deeply gifted and tenacious attorney” who would end the “the partisan Weaponization of our Justice System.” Although Republicans will control the Senate, it unclear if Gaetz will have a path to confirmation. Trump, however, has suggested the idea of Congress going into recess so he could bypass the Senate confirmation process and install nominees. (New York Times / Associated Press / Wall Street Journal / NBC News / Politico / Bloomberg / CNBC)

2/ Trump named Fox News Host Pete Hegseth his choice for secretary of defense and John Ratcliffe to lead the CIA. Trump also tapped Tulsi Gabbard to serve as the director of national intelligence. Gabbard has been accused of spreading “actual Russian propaganda,” being a “Russian asset,” and condemned as a “traitor” by both Republicans and Democrats. Hegseth, a co-host of “Fox & Friends,” is a veteran of the Army National Guard, where he did tours of duty in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay as an infantry officer. He’s called the U.S. the military ineffective, “woke,” mused about firing the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and said allowing women to serve in combat has made the military less lethal. If confirmed by the Senate, Hegseth would take over the federal government’s biggest department, an $850 billion budget and a workforce of nearly three million civilian workers and military service members despite having never held a senior government post. (Axios / NPR / Politico / New York Times / Wall Street Journal / Washington Post / Axios / Associated Press / Politico / New York Times / CNN)

3/ Trump named billionaires Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy as co-heads of the new Department of Government Efficiency that will “dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies - Essential to the ‘Save America’ Movement.” DOGE – a reference to a meme cryptocurrency – will operate outside of the federal government, but will work with the White House Office of Management and Budget to implement its recommendations. Trump called it “the Manhattan Project” of this era that would deliver “drastic change.” (NBC News / NPR / New York Times / Wall Street Journal / Politico / CBS News)

  • Who’s in Trump’s new administration so far:

  • Matt Gaetz, Attorney General
    Marco Rubio, Secretary of State
    Pete Hegseth, Defense Secretary
    Mike Waltz, National Security Advisor
    Kristi Noem, Homeland Security Secretary
    Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence
    John Ratcliffe, CIA director
    Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, Department of Government Efficiency
    Elise Stefanik, UN Ambassador
    Tom Homan, “Border Czar”
    Lee Zeldin, EPA Administrator
    Susie Wiles, Chief of Staff
    Stephen Miller, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy
    Mike Huckabee, Ambassador to Israel
    Steve Witkoff, Special Envoy to the Middle East
    William McGinley, White House Counsel

4/ Republicans will keep control of the House of Representatives, handing Trump unified control of the government. Democrats will have virtually no check on Trump as a result. Republicans will hold at least 218 seats in the in the 435-member chamber starting in January. In the Senate, Republicans control 53 seats – short of the 60-vote threshold required to defeat a filibuster. (NBC News / CNN / CNBC / Bloomberg)

5/ Senate Republicans chose Sen. John Thune to be their new leader, while House Republicans unanimously nominated Speaker Mike Johnson to lead their conference again when the new Congress convenes in January. Thune replaces Mitch McConnell, who has been the top ranking Republican in the Senate since 2007. (NPR / Washington Post / New York Times / Axios / NBC News)

6/ House Democrats will introduce a resolution clarifying that the Constitution’s two-term limit for presidents applies even if the terms are not consecutive after Trump quipped he can’t run in 2028 unless Republicans “do something.” While meeting with House Republicans, Trump joked: “I suspect I won’t be running again unless you say, ‘He’s so good we’ve got to figure something else out.’” Trump has joked or floated the idea of serving longer than two terms going back at least to 2019, including his desire of being a dictator. Although term limits are already enshrined in the Constitution in the 22nd Amendment and there’s little chance Speaker Mike Johnson would bring such a resolution to the floor for a vote, Democrats nevertheless plan to reaffirm that the 22nd Amendment “applies to two terms in the aggregate as President of the United States” and that it “applies to President-elect Trump.” (New York Times / NBC News / USA Today / New Republic)

7/ Special counsel Jack Smith plans to finish his report and resign before Trump takes office. Smith reportedly plans to wind down both investigations into Trump – efforts to overturn the 2020 election; hoarding classified documents – with the goal to not leave any significant part of his work for others to complete. Between Trump’s re-election last week, the Justice Department policy that a sitting president cannot be prosecuted for crimes, and the Supreme Court’s ruling that Trump has immunity for certain acts taken as president, the two investigations reached an end, as the combined protections effectively placed Trump beyond the reach of legal accountability for now. (New York Times / NBC News)

8/ Consumer prices rose 2.6% in October compared to a year ago. While slightly higher than September’s 2.4%, the inflation figures were in line with economists’ expectations. Inflation has eased considerably since peaking at a 40-year high of 9.1% in June 2022. In response, the Federal Reserve is expected to lower interest rates for a third and final time this year at their meeting in mid-December. (NBC News / ABC News / Wall Street Journal / CNBC / New York Times / CNN)

🔍 Dept. of Context and Consequence.

A deeper look at today’s headlines – why it matters and what’s at stake.

  1. Trump’s plans for military purges, fossil fuel expansion, and government overhaul shape Senate GOP leadership vote. Republican senators will soon choose a new Senate majority leader, with Trump-backed Rick Scott vying for the role to support Trump’s agenda. Trump’s proposed initiatives include an executive order to purge high-ranking military officials he deems disloyal, backing fossil fuel expansion, and creating a “Department of Government Efficiency” led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to reduce bureaucracy. Key Trump cabinet picks, such as Pete Hegseth for defense, reveal a prioritization of loyalty over experience, raising concerns among defense experts and even corporate leaders like ExxonMobil’s CEO. These actions may test the Senate’s historical role as a guardrail against unchecked executive power. (Heather Cox Richardson)

  2. Why Democrats’ reliance on urban and nonprofit networks has weakened their traditional base. In his conversation with Ezra Klein, Michael Lind argues that the Democratic Party’s shift toward centralized, urbanized networks and heavy reliance on nonprofits has weakened its appeal among working-class voters, contributing to a decline in support from Black, Hispanic, and union voters. Lind describes how, since the Obama era, a nonprofit-based coalition in urban centers has steered the Democratic agenda away from working-class concerns toward priorities set by influential donors, ultimately narrowing the party’s base. Klein and Lind discuss the consequences of this dynamic, suggesting Democrats must reconnect with working-class voters by reducing the influence of single-issue advocacy groups and re-establishing a broad coalition if they hope to remain competitive. (New York Times)

  3. Democrats face long-term Senate disadvantage as GOP gains control and Senate map grows tougher. Daniel Block argues that the Democrats’ Senate majority prospects have dimmed significantly following GOP gains in the 2024 election, leaving Democrats with little room for error in future cycles. The Senate’s structure, heavily skewed toward Republican-leaning states, forces Democrats to win nearly all competitive seats to hold the chamber—an increasingly difficult task as the electoral map narrows. Without a strategy to broaden appeal in red states, Democrats risk prolonged legislative gridlock and diminished influence over Cabinet and judicial appointments, even if they regain the presidency in 2028. (The Atlantic)

  4. Paul Krugman warns Trump’s deportation plans may shock his voters with inflation and economic disruption. Economist Paul Krugman argues that Trump’s plans for mass deportations, led by key appointees like Stephen Miller, could disrupt the U.S. economy, particularly through sharply rising food prices due to labor shortages in agriculture and meatpacking. Krugman explains that many Trump supporters remain unaware of the economic importance of immigrant labor and are likely to be blindsided by the increased grocery costs and broader inflation these policies could induce. He also suggests Trump may misrepresent economic data to mask these effects, a tactic commonly seen in authoritarian regimes. (The New Republic)

  5. Trump’s mass deportation plans likely to raise prices, cut jobs for U.S. workers, economists warn. Economists suggest Trump’s proposed deportation policies could reduce workforce availability and raise costs across industries that rely on immigrant labor, from construction to caregiving. Deporting millions of noncitizens would likely increase prices for goods and services and decrease U.S. employment rates as businesses face shortages of labor. Research indicates that similar past policies led to slower economic growth, and experts anticipate that deportations on this scale would lead to inflation and potentially cut hundreds of thousands of jobs held by U.S.-born workers. The impact on sectors like housing and elder care could be severe, affecting both economic stability and service availability in essential areas. (New York Times)

  6. Europe braces for Trump’s second term as global rightward shift dampens opposition. Following Trump’s 2024 re-election, both in the U.S. and Europe, reactions have been marked by resignation rather than the intense resistance seen in 2016. Trump’s popular vote win and solid Electoral College margin, contrasting with his initial narrow victory, has left opponents feeling muted and anxious, with many activists fatigued after a long campaign season. European leaders are preparing for potential rifts in transatlantic relations, as Trump’s ties with nationalist leaders and planned U.S. policy shifts on trade and Ukraine create a more divided and uncertain political landscape in Europe. (Politico)

  • 📅 From Election Day to Inauguration Day.

  • Nov. 20: Biden’s Birthday – NO WTFJHT
    Nov. 26: Trump is sentenced.
    Nov. 27-28: Thanksgiving – NO WTFJHT
    Dec. 11: Deadline for governors to certify the election and submit their slate of electors.
    Dec. 17: Electors formally vote for president and VP.
    Dec. 20: Government funding expires.
    Dec. 24-25: Christmas – NO WTFJHT
    Dec. 31-Jan 1., 2025: New Year’s – NO WTFJHT
    Jan. 3: Members of the 119th Congress are sworn in.
    Jan. 6: Congress counts Electoral College ballots.
    Jan. 20: Trump’s Presidential Inauguration.

  • The midterm elections are in 720 days.