Today in one sentence: Trump confirmed that he plans to declare a national emergency "on day 1" to use the military to carry out "the largest deportation program in American history"; the Trump transition team is compiling a list of current and former U.S. military officers involved in the withdrawal from Afghanistan for possible court-martial; House Speaker Mike Johnson said he’d "strongly request" that the House Ethics Committee not release its report into allegations of sex trafficking, corruption, and drug use by Matt Gaetz; Trump’s pick for secretary of defense paid a woman who accused him of sexual assault as part of a nondisclosure agreement; Trump’s transition team is skipping the traditional FBI background checks to vet some Cabinet nominees; and Mike Johnson said "there may be a function" to facilitate the use of recess appointments so Trump can appoint his Cabinet nominees outside of the Senate confirmation process.

1/ Trump confirmed that he plans to declare a national emergency “on day 1” to use the military to carry out “the largest deportation program in American history.” Trump responded “TRUE!!!” at 4:08 am to a post on his personal social media network that his incoming administration is “prepared to declare a national emergency and will use military assets to reverse the Biden invasion through a mass deportation program.” There are an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the U.S. – about 3% of the total U.S. population. (Politico / New York Times / ABC News / Bloomberg / Washington Post / Axios)

  • ACLU sues ICE for transparency on Trump’s mass deportation plans and private deportation flights. The ACLU filed a lawsuit against ICE, accusing the agency of withholding information about its deportation operations, including contracts with private airlines and conditions on deportation flights. The lawsuit comes as Trump prepares to implement mass deportations, a campaign promise with few disclosed details. Advocates seek to uncover ICE’s practices, citing concerns over human rights abuses and misuse of taxpayer dollars. ICE has faced criticism for opaque operations and mistreatment of detainees, including shackling families and inadequate oversight of private contractors. (Washington Post)

2/ The Trump transition team is compiling a list of current and former U.S. military officers involved in the withdrawal from Afghanistan for possible court-martial. A 2022 independent review by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction blamed both the Trump and Biden administrations for the chaotic 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan. Nevertheless, the Trump team reportedly wants to create a commission to investigate the withdrawal, determine who was directly involved in the decision-making for the military and whether the military leaders could be charged with treason for following Biden’s order to withdraw all U.S. forces from Afghanistan. Trump has called the withdrawal a “humiliation” and “the most embarrassing day in the history of our country.” (NBC News)

3/ House Speaker Mike Johnson said he’d “strongly request” that the House Ethics Committee not release its report into allegations of sex trafficking, corruption, and drug use by Matt Gaetz, Trump’s nominee for attorney general. “That is not the way we do things in the House,” Johnson said. “I think that would be a terrible precedent to set.” Gaetz resigned from Congress days before a House panel was set to vote on releasing a report on the allegations against Gaetz. His resignation ended the Ethics panel’s jurisdiction over him. The House Ethics Committee, meanwhile, will meet Wednesday to discuss and potentially vote to release the report anyway. Both Republican and Democratic members of the Senate Judiciary Committee want the report released for Senate consideration on whether to confirm Gaetz for attorney general. House Ethics Chair Michael Guest said the Ethics Committee will make its own decision about releasing the report, regardless of Johnson’s opinion. (CNN / CBS News / Politico / CNBC / Politico / Axios)

  • A woman who attended a 2017 party with Matt Gaetz told the House Ethics Committee she witnessed him having sex with a minor. The account corroborates the testimony of the then-minor, who told the committee that she had sex with Gaetz when she was 17 years old. (CBS News)

4/ Trump’s pick for secretary of defense paid a woman who accused him of sexual assault as part of a nondisclosure agreement. Pete Hegseth denied any wrongdoing, and maintains that he is innocent and the sexual encounter was consensual. Neverthless, Hegseth agreed to pay an undisclosed amount to the woman as part of a confidentiality settlement to deter his accuser from going forward with a lawsuit. Hegseth believed a lawsuit could have gotten him fired from Fox News, where he was then a host. The alleged sexual assault took place after midnight on Oct. 8, 2017, at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa. The woman filed a complaint with the Monterey Police Department four days later alleging that she had been sexually assaulted by Hegseth. The city of Monterey said investigators found the woman had “contusions” on her right thigh. No charges were filed. Hegseth reportedly was not vetted before Trump tapped him to be Defense Secretary. (Washington Post / CBS News / Politico)

  • Trump’s Pentagon pick flagged over extremist-linked tattoo and dismissal of military extremism concerns. Pete Hegseth was flagged in 2021 as a potential “insider threat” due to a tattoo associated with white supremacist groups. Hegseth has dismissed concerns about extremism in the military as fabricated and has criticized efforts to remove extremists from the ranks. His controversial views and past actions, including defending convicted war criminals and minimizing the role of veterans in the January 6 Capitol attack, raise alarm about his fitness to lead the Pentagon. (Associated Press)

5/ Trump’s transition team is skipping the traditional FBI background checks to vet some Cabinet nominees. Instead, Trump is using private companies, claiming the traditional process can be slow, which sometimes reveals embarrassing and politically damaging information. The protocol was established after World War II to make sure nominees don’t have unknown foreign ties or other national security concerns. (CNN)

  • 💭 Why does this matter? Bypassing FBI vetting for high-level government appointments sets a concerning precedent for national security. FBI background checks are designed to identify potential risks, including undisclosed foreign ties or ethical breaches, ensuring that appointees are fit for sensitive roles. Circumventing these safeguards exposes critical government operations to vulnerabilities, undermining public trust in the integrity of the administration. Additionally, such actions could embolden future administrations to disregard institutional checks and balances, weakening the framework of accountability essential for democratic governance.

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

  • Marco Rubio, Secretary of State
    Pete Hegseth, Defense
    Matt Gaetz, Attorney General
    Doug Burgum, Interior
    Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Health and Human Services
    Chris Wright, Energy
    Dough Collins, Veterans Affairs
    Kristi Noem, Homeland Security
    Mike Waltz, National Security
    Lee Zeldin, EPA
    Elise Stefanik, UN Ambassador
    Susie Wiles, Chief of Staff
    Elon Musk, Department of Government Efficiency
    Vivek Ramaswamy, Department of Government Efficiency
    Tulsi Gabbard, National Intelligence
    John Ratcliffe, CIA director
    Mike Huckabee, Ambassador to Israel
    Steve Witkoff, Special Envoy to the Middle East
    Bill McGinley, White House Counsel Tom Homan, “Border Czar”
    Dan Scavino, Deputy Chief of Staff
    Stephen Miller, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy

6/ House Speaker Mike Johnson said “there may be a function” to facilitate the use of recess appointments so Trump can appoint his Cabinet nominees outside of the Senate confirmation process. Johnson noted that there’s “a very partisan atmosphere” in Washington, which could hinder the process of Senate confirmations. “But if this thing bogs down, it would be a great detriment to the country, to the American people.” A recess appointment is when a president unilaterally bypasses the Senate to confirm Cabinet nominees when both the House and Senate are not in session for at least 10 days. “We’ll evaluate all that at the appropriate time, and we’ll make the appropriate decision,” Johnson added. “There may be a function for that. We’ll have to see how it plays out.” (NBC News / Axios)

  • 💭 Why does this matter? If Trump proceeds with this constitutional maneuver, it would mark a significant escalation in the expansion of presidential power. The Senate’s confirmation authority is a cornerstone of the system of checks and balances designed to limit executive overreach. Undermining this process could set a precedent for future presidents to bypass legislative oversight, weakening a critical safeguard against authoritarian tendencies. It reflects broader challenges to institutional norms under Trump’s leadership.

✏️ Notables.

  1. A group of armed, masked individuals waving flags with swastikas on them marched through the streets of Columbus, Ohio. Police said the individuals were “armed with firearms.” The White House, city, state, and Jewish community leaders in Ohio condemned the group. (Washington Post / WBNS 10TV / ABC News / NBC News)

  2. Trump’s allies were told to stop using the word “camps” during the current presidential transition because “apparently some people think it makes us look like Nazis.” Trump’s team is steering clear of describing proposed migrant detention centers as “camps” due to negative historical connotations, despite prior use of the term by his advisers like Stephen Miller. The incoming administration plans a significant expansion of detention facilities, potentially involving military construction, to support mass deportations. Critics draw parallels to fascist regimes, while Trump’s allies seek to reframe the narrative by emphasizing “targeted arrests” and downplaying the scale of operations. (Rolling Stone)

  3. Haitians flee Springfield, Ohio, after Trump win fuels deportation fears and economic uncertainty. After Trump’s re-election and his promise to end Temporary Protected Status for Haitian immigrants, many are leaving out of fear of deportation. The exodus threatens local businesses and the economy, as the Haitian community has revitalized neighborhoods and filled essential jobs. False rumors, heightened anti-immigrant rhetoric, and neo-Nazi activity have exacerbated tensions, leading many to seek safer locations. Experts note that immediate deportations are unlikely due to legal processes, but the economic and social impacts on Springfield are already being felt. (The Guardian)

  4. Trump team targets Biden’s EV tax credit, potentially reshaping U.S. electric vehicle market. Trump’s transition team, led by oil executive Harold Hamm, plans to eliminate the $7,500 EV tax credit as part of broader tax reforms, arguing it reduces government costs and helps extend expiring Trump-era tax cuts. Tesla supports the move, as Elon Musk believes it will harm competitors more than his company. Critics, including automakers and unions, warn this could cripple the U.S. EV industry, harm efforts to compete with China’s heavily subsidized EV market, and jeopardize thousands of auto jobs tied to Biden’s pro-EV policies. (Reuters)

  5. Trump team prioritizes easing federal restrictions on self-driving vehicles to boost Tesla and autonomous tech rollout. Trump’s transition team is pursuing a federal framework for self-driving cars, a move that could accelerate autonomous vehicle adoption and directly benefit Tesla. Elon Musk has made autonomous technology a cornerstone of his business. Current regulations limit manufacturers to deploying 2,500 self-driving cars annually, hindering mass production of vehicles without human controls. The proposed changes aim to eliminate regulatory hurdles, though safety concerns and past legislative failures suggest challenges ahead. (Bloomberg)

  6. Biden authorized Ukraine to use American long-range weapon for strikes inside Russia. The missiles, known as the Army Tactical Missile System, or ATACMS, can travel about 190 miles. Ukraine is authorized to use the weapons to target in and around Kursk — the same region where some 10,000 North Korean troops were deployed. The policy shift, influenced by North Korea’s involvement and escalating Russian aggression, aims to bolster Ukraine’s defenses two months before Trump takes office. (NPR / Wall Street Journal / New York Times)

🔍 Dept. of Context and Consequence.

News analysis and opinions on today’s key headlines – why they matter and what’s at stake.

  1. Democrats face messaging challenges as Trump leverages “ambient information” to shape public opinion. The Democrats’ reliance on detailed policy and micro-targeting was outpaced by Trump’s strategy of spreading broad, resonant narratives across national platforms. By tapping into “ambient information” — ideas and beliefs that circulate widely regardless of truth — Trump shaped public perceptions in ways Democrats struggled to counter. Harris’s campaign, while policy-focused and community-oriented, failed to break through a media environment dominated by Trump’s broad and sometimes misleading messaging, highlighting the power of vibes over data in modern elections. (New Yorker)

  2. Democrats struggle with lack of partisan social media platforms as online discourse shifts right. Right-wing platforms like Truth Social, Gab, and Parler have grown in influence, while X under Elon Musk has amplified Trump’s agenda, leaving Democrats with fewer social media avenues for political discourse. Major platforms like Facebook and Instagram have de-emphasized politics, creating an online imbalance that favors conservative messaging. Efforts to create left-leaning spaces, like Bluesky, remain in their infancy, putting Democrats at a disadvantage in shaping public opinion online. (New York Times)

  3. Social media influencers redefine news, engaging 20% of Americans, led by 37% of under-30s. Pew Research Center’s report explores the growing influence of social media news influencers, revealing that 1 in 5 Americans—37% among young adults—rely on them for current events. These influencers operate primarily on platforms like X and Instagram, with 77% unaffiliated with traditional media. Content trends lean toward political discourse, with slightly more right-leaning voices (27%) than left (21%). The study underscores their critical role in reshaping media consumption, especially among digitally native audiences. (Pew Research Center)

  4. Democrats’ inflation gamble backfires as economic missteps fuel political defeat. Biden’s aggressive $1.9 trillion stimulus, designed to avoid past recovery mistakes, contributed to post-pandemic inflation, undermining Democrats’ political standing. Rising costs of living outpaced voter appreciation for job growth and economic recovery efforts, allowing Trump to exploit economic dissatisfaction. Internal debates over spending and messaging, combined with external factors like global supply chain disruptions, further hindered Democrats’ ability to address inflation effectively, sealing their electoral losses. (Wall Street Journal)

  5. Trump’s campaign against the media mirrors autocratic strategies, reshaping U.S. press freedoms. Trump has used tactics like regulatory threats and leadership pressure to influence media outlets, including CNN and The Washington Post, making them more cautious in their coverage. These actions, combined with shifts in social media policies, have reduced media independence and raised concerns about press freedom and accountability. (Columbia Journalism Review)

  6. Trump’s proposed appointments signal deliberate attempts to dismantle core democratic institutions. Timothy Snyder argues that Trump’s proposed Cabinet appointments are strategically chosen to destabilize essential pillars of American democracy, including health, law, administration, defense, and intelligence. Figures like Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Matt Gaetz, Elon Musk, and Tulsi Gabbard represent a coordinated effort to undermine the government by eroding public trust, compromising national security, and dismantling critical systems. Snyder warns that this “decapitation strike” could irreparably damage the United States, urging bipartisan resistance to prevent national collapse. (Timothy Synder)

  • 📅 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 715 days.