Trump team hasn't signed transition agreements with the Biden administration yet, White House press secretary says
The Trump transition team has not yet signed two agreements with the Biden administration for the transition to the new administration, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters at the daily briefing.
"As of now, the Trump-Vance transition team has not yet entered [into] the agreements with the White House and the General Services [Administration]," she told reporters about the agreements, which are meant to ensure a smooth transition between administrations.
Brian Hughes, a spokesperson for the Trump-Vance transition team, said in a statement this afternoon, “The transition team and GSA are still having conversations regarding the agreement, and we will update you once a decision is made.”
Jean-Pierre said today that Biden’s chief of staff, Jeff Zients, has reached out to the co-chairs of the Trump transition team, Linda McMahon and Howard Lutnick, and will “leave that line of communication open.”
“We’re going to be helpful here,” Jean-Pierre said. “We want to have an effective, efficient transition of power.”
NBC News reported in October that both Trump and Harris were supposed to enter into memorandums of understanding (MOUs), or agreements, with the GSA by Sept. 1 and MOUs with the White House by Oct. 1 as part of the transition process.
The Trump campaign missed the deadlines, while Harris’ campaign entered into the agreements in September.
The GSA agreement provides campaigns with access to office space and equipment, information technology and staff assistance from the federal government, while the agreement with the Biden White House requires the submission by the Trump team of an ethics plan.
In a letter sent to Trump and Vance last month, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, Rep. Jamie Raskin, of Maryland, said it appeared Trump could be trying to flout fundraising reporting requirements and rules designed to prevent conflicts of interest in the incoming administration by not signing the agreements.
Trump names campaign manager Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff
Trump today said Susie Wiles will be White House chief of staff in his forthcoming administration, his campaign said.
Wiles, a Florida native, will be the first female White House chief of staff.
“Susie Wiles just helped me achieve one of the greatest political victories in American history, and was an integral part of both my 2016 and 2020 successful campaign,” Trump said in a statement. “Susie is tough, smart, innovative and is universally admired and respected.”
Biden doesn't plan to pardon his son, White House press secretary reiterates after the election
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre reiterated today that Biden does not plan to pardon his son Hunter.
"His son Hunter is also up for being sentenced next month. Does the president have any intention of pardoning him?" a reporter asked today at the White House briefing.
"We’ve been asked that question multiple times. Our answer stands, which is 'no,'" Jean-Pierre replied.
While the White House has said Biden will not pardon his son, who in June was found guilty on federal gun charges and in September pleaded guilty to all charges in a federal tax case, today's statement was the first time the Biden administration has reiterated his stance since Trump was elected Tuesday.
Hunter Biden is scheduled to be sentenced in both cases in December.
Democrat Eugene Vindman wins House seat in Virginia's 7th Congressional District, NBC News projects
Democrat Eugene Vindman wins the House seat in Virginia's 7th Congressional District, NBC News projects.
Vindman drew national attention when he and his brother, Alexander, reported a 2019 phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that was at the center of Trump’s first impeachment. (Trump was acquitted.) Vindman will succeed Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger, who did not seek re-election and decided instead to run for governor next year.
Vindman defeated Republican Derrick Anderson, whom he said he spoke with by phone today.
"While we disagree on many issues, as two US Army Soldiers, we both want to see our country succeed, and I will take our shared desire to put the mission first to Congress and represent everyone in the 7th regardless of who they voted for," Vindman said of his opponent in a statement this afternoon.
White House and DNC hit back at Bernie Sanders' criticism of Democrats
Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison criticized Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., for saying the Democratic Party had "abandoned" working-class people, writing on X that his remarks were "straight up BS."
In a statement yesterday, Sanders also said that Democratic leadership “defends the status quo” and that “the American people are angry and want change.”
"This is straight up BS," Harrison wrote back. "Biden was the most-pro worker President of my life time. ... There are a lot of post election takes and this one ain’t a good one."
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the Biden administration “respectfully” disagrees with Sanders’ assessment that the Democratic Party has abandoned working-class people. She cited Biden's union support and the country's low unemployment rates.
"I think you can talk to unions, you could see the jobs that we’ve been able to create to disprove that," Jean-Pierre said at today's White House briefing. "This is a president that cares certainly about the people who do get forgotten, the people who are not able to make ends meet."
A precinct-by-precinct breakdown mapping how Trump won Pennsylvania
Trump’s 2024 victory was powered by an overall voter shift in most places and most demographics compared with 2020 — with a new analysis of precinct data in pivotal Pennsylvania coloring in additional details about how he won.
The NBC News Decision Desk collected and monitored precinct-level vote results in 50 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties, totaling more than 8,300 of the state’s roughly 9,000 precincts. The granular data provides a detailed insight into what was happening neighborhood to neighborhood and block to block in the country’s biggest battleground state.
A tale of two constitutional amendments: In Florida, right to abortion fails, right to fish and hunt passes
Trump's victory Tuesday was powered in part by support from men amid a significant gender gap — and the unofficial results of two ballot questions in Florida provide an interesting contrast.
The amendment aiming to create a right to an abortion before fetal viability or to protect the health of the mother received about 55% of the vote. But in a state that requires 60% to pass a constitutional amendment, it fell short.
Meanwhile, an amendment establishing a constitutional amendment to "preserve forever fishing and hunting" secured 67% of the vote, according to an unofficial tally from the Florida secretary of state's office, leading it to be enshrined into law.
Democrats had been hopeful that energy surrounding the abortion amendment could help them overperform in a state that's been drifting rightward in recent years. Instead, the measure failed, their statewide candidates lost, and one of the only forthcoming changes to the state constitution after this election will be enshrining the right to fish and hunt.
The president of El Salvador says he spoke to Trump
El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele said he has spoken to Trump and congratulated him on his victory, adding that they spoke about various topics.
"We had an interesting conversation about his podcast strategy, the bullet that nearly killed him, the incredible people around him, the sometimes harmful effects of U.S. aid funds, Soros-backed NGOs, and our shared commitment to tackling the challenges ahead," he wrote on X.
Bukele attended the Conservative Political Action Conference in February. Today, Trump told NBC News that he has spoken to "probably" 70 world leaders since he became president-elect.
Fed chair says he won’t resign if Trump asks him to
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said today that he would not resign if Trump asked him to.
Asked whether he would step down amid chatter that Trump’s advisers had suggested he do so, Powell replied, “No.”
Trump nominated Powell as Federal Reserve chairman in 2017 in his first administration.
Powell also said that he is not legally required to leave if he is asked to do so and that his staff had determined that the president lacked the capacity under the law to demote, at will, him or any other Fed governors.
Harris lost running mate Tim Walz's home county in Minnesota
Harris failed to carry the county that was home to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, her vice presidential running mate, for 20 years.
Before he was elected governor, Walz lived in Mankato, which is in Blue Earth County. Trump defeated Harris there 49.6% to 48.3%.
In 2020, Biden won the county, beating Trump 50.8% to 46.4%.