President Trump ordered the Justice Department to investigate Democratic lawmakers he accused of 'threatening' Republicans with impeachment and other forms of punishment, calling it 'extortion at the highest level.' The order came days after Democrats swept the midterm elections.
President Trump announced that Stephen Miller will replace Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff, days after Republicans suffered sweeping midterm losses. Wiles will move to Trump's political operation while Miller, the architect of the administration's hardline immigration policies, takes over Monday.
Three senior Justice Department officials resigned in the days following the midterm elections, including Jason Reding Quiñones, who oversaw the 'grand conspiracy' probe into Trump's political foes, and John Eisenberg, the assistant attorney general for the National Security Division. The departures follow Harmeet Dhillon's resignation from the Civil Rights Division.
Jason Reding Quiñones, the South Florida-based US attorney tasked with leading a sweeping probe into alleged conspiracies by former Obama administration officials over Russia collusion claims, resigned from the Department of Justice. He is the first senior DOJ official to depart following Democrats' sweeping midterm victories.
Several newly elected Democratic senators, including Annie Andrews and Chris Van Hollen, have signaled skepticism about Chuck Schumer retaining his leadership role as Democrats prepare to take control of the Senate. Jon Stewart also publicly called for Schumer to step down.
Incoming Democratic congressional leaders are eyeing President Trump's tariffs on Canada as their first legislative target when they take control of Congress in January, with Senate Finance Committee chair-designate Ron Wyden citing 'overwhelming support' for repeal.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is fighting to keep his job as a House impeachment vote looms next week, posting a defiant 'fight, fight, fight' video that watchdog groups say likely violated federal law by using government resources for partisan messaging.
The White House Office of Public Liaison informed roughly 3,000 conservative groups that it was monitoring their public statements following severe Republican midterm losses, raising concerns about political intimidation.
President Trump signed a proclamation designating the Oval Office and Cabinet Room as national landmarks, an attempt to prevent future presidents from altering his gold-accented redesign, though legal experts questioned its enforceability.
OpenAI announced new commitments for its data center projects, including dropping non-disclosure agreements with public officials and pledging greater community engagement, in response to the midterm backlash against AI infrastructure.
OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar told CNBC the company will press ahead with US data center expansion plans despite Democratic midterm victories that fueled fears of tighter scrutiny. OpenAI leaders also began reckoning with the political environment and rebranding data centers as 'compute campuses.'
Meta President Dina Powell McCormick said Democratic wins in the midterm elections will significantly complicate the company's ability to build data centers, acknowledging the industry has 'not done enough' to win public support.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth authorized the National Guard to expand its presence in Washington D.C. with military tactical vehicles, Humvees, and patrol boats, even as House Democrats floated impeachment and calls for his removal mounted after the midterm losses.
Incoming Democratic congressional leaders are planning a wave of AI legislation, marking a sharp shift from the Republican-led Congress that largely declined to restrict AI development. A congresswoman also called for a ban on artificial superintelligence.
