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More than a dozen confirmation hearings set for this week as program for Inauguration Day reveals Carrie Underwood will perform for Trump
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Donald Trump’s nominees for senior roles in his incoming administration will be on Capitol Hill this week where Senate committees will scrutinize them as confirmation hearings begin in earnest.
More than a dozen hearings are scheduled, and one senator describes the number and pace as a “train wreck.” Notable picks who will face senators’ questions include Pete Hegseth, Kristi Noem, Pam Bondi, Marco Rubio, and Scott Bessent.
With a week to go before the inauguration, Melania Trump has spoken about her return to the White House. The soon-to-be first lady told Fox & Friends that she was already packed and appeared to be looking forward to resuming her official role.
The line-up for Inauguration Day has also been revealed with country star Carrie Underwood set to perform “America the Beautiful.”
Meanwhile, federal judge Aileen Cannon has ruled that the Justice Department can release volume one of special counsel Jack Smith’s report covering his election interference case against Trump.
The Trump appointee denied a motion to stop the publication of the report by Attorney General Merrick Garland but will not allow the release of volume two, which covers the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case.
Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected to have a call in the coming days.
It comes as a top Trump adviser said it is unrealistic to aim to expel Russian soldiers from every inch of Ukrainian territory.
Trump, who will return as U.S. president on January 20, styles himself as a master dealmaker and has vowed to swiftly end the war in Ukraine but not set out how he might achieve that.
Read on…
Russian officials say the U.S. is a declining power
Carrie Underwood has received backlash on social media after it was revealed she is set to perform at Donald Trump’s inauguration next Monday, January 20.
The country singer, 41, is expected to sing “America the Beautiful.” She has previously declined to comment on politics.
A spokesperson for the Presidential Inaugural Committee confirmed to The Independent that Underwood will be performing at the event.
Kevin E G Perry reports from Los Angeles.
The country singer will sing ‘America the Beautiful’ at the swearing-in ceremony next Monday
Aides to President Joe Biden sent a warning to Russian President Vladimir Putin after they feared that the Russians may attempt to bring the war in Ukraine to the U.S., according to a New York Times report.
This summer, cargo shipments began to catch fire at German, British, and Polish airports and warehouses. Both Washington and the Europeans believed that the Russians were responsible.
In August, the White House grew concerned that the Russians were also planning to bring their sabotage to the U.S., according to secretly obtained intelligence.
Gustaf Kilander reports.
‘The risk of catastrophic error was clear,’ Alejandro Mayorkas says
Ivanka Trump confessed she “hates” the “darkness” of politics and unveiled how she plans to support her father during his second term.
The president-elect’s eldest daughter sat down for an almost two-hour-long interview with The Skinny Confidential podcast. In an episode that aired Monday, she divulged her thoughts about politics and how she plans to be there for President-elect Donald Trump, who will be inaugurated for a second time on January 20.
Ivanka served as an adviser to her father during his first term, but she revealed she actually “hates” politics.
Kelly Rissman has the story.
‘There’s a darkness in that world that I don’t really want to welcome into mine,’ the president-elect’s eldest daughter said about politics
Democrat Senator Dick Durbin, the party’s whip in the upper chamber of Congress, says Senator Marco Rubio is “a good choice to lead the State Department,” as his confirmation hearing nears this week.
He wrote on X: “I met with Pres.-elect Trump’s Secretary of State pick, Marco Rubio. Senator Rubio and I have worked closely together in the Senate on a number of foreign policy issues. I believe he is a good choice to lead the State Department.”
The Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee has announced the initial list of participants in the Presidential Inaugural Parade, which occurs immediately following the swearing-in of President Donald Trump and Senator J.D. Vance.
Nearly 7,500 participants from 23 states represent Americans from all walks of life, including a variety of veterans groups, first responders, high school and university marching bands, and equestrian groups will take part. As is tradition, each branch of the United States Armed Forces will also be represented.
“The committee is grateful and overwhelmed by the outpouring of interest from Americans across the country seeking to participate in one of our nation’s most important and longstanding traditions. With upwards of 7,500 participants joining in the Presidential Inaugural Parade, we are thrilled to honor our country and begin America’s new Golden Era,” said committee co-chairs Steve Witkoff and Kelly Loeffler.
“We are deeply honored to be chosen to participate in this national event,” said Jesse Grapes, president of parade newcomers the Benedictine Schools of Richmond. “This opportunity reflects the discipline, commitment and character of our Cadets and underscores the core values of leadership and service that define our school and larger school community.”
The Butler County First Responders who responded to the first assassination attempt on Trump in July 2024 will represent fellow life-savers nationwide by marching in the parade as well as paying tribute to Corey Comperatore who lost his life that day.
Inaugural parades are a long-lived tradition, dating back to President Washington’s first election when impromptu crowds of supporters followed and cheered behind him as he traveled from Mount Vernon to New York City. Presidents Adams and Jefferson also had spontaneous parades, which continued until the inauguration of President James Madison in 1809, when they became an official part of the event.
Donald Trump is set to take the oath of office in a week, kicking off his term as the 47th president of the United States.
Here’s what you need to know about when Trump’s second term begins:
Trump and Vance will take the oath of office on January 20
U.S. flags at President-elect Donald Trump‘s private Mar-a-Lago club are back to flying at full height.
Flags are supposed to fly at half-staff through the end of January out of respect for former President Jimmy Carter, who died on Dec. 29. A large flag on Trump’s property in Palm Beach was initially lowered to half-staff according to protocol but has since been raised in the days after Carter was buried Thursday in his hometown of Plains, Georgia.
Both President Joe Biden and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis directed that U.S. flags be flown at half-staff for 30 days from the date of Carter’s death — or through Jan. 28.
Trump has expressed annoyance that flags will be at half-staff on Jan. 20 when he takes the oath of office for his second term.
Andrew Georgson has the story.
Trump has expressed annoyance that flags will be at half-staff during the inauguration
Holly Baxter writes:
By this time, you’ll have already seen the video. In it, Donald Trump and Barack Obama cozy up together at Jimmy Carter’s funeral, sharing a private joke or two before proceedings get underway. They lean in toward each other as soon as Obama takes his seat; Trump says something that makes Obama laugh. From a distance, they look like friends.
Read on…
A friendly exchange between the two was reshared by Trump late Sunday, complete with fake subtitles. What that reveals about the current state of MAGA politics is telling, writes Holly Baxter
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