Laura Coates Live

President Joe Biden’s decision to pardon his son has left some Democrats fuming over his choice to repeatedly and unequivocally claim that he would never take that step, even though a pardon long appeared possible to Hunter Biden’s legal team. Multiple officials who recently worked for Joe Biden said they never believed the president or White House aides speaking on his behalf when they insisted in recent months that a pardon for Hunter Biden was off the table. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When President-elect Donald Trump said Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy would recommend major cuts to the federal government in his administration, many public employees knew that their jobs could be on the line. Now they have a new fear: becoming the personal targets of the world’s richest man – and his legions of followers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As Trump ramps up plans for mass deportations, he is also vowing new tariffs on his first day in office. President-elect Donald Trump on Monday promised massive hikes in tariffs on goods coming from Mexico, Canada, and China starting on the first day of his administration, a policy that could sharply increase costs for American businesses and consumers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Special counsel Jack Smith is dropping the federal election subversion and the mishandling of classified documents cases against President-elect Donald Trump, seeking the cases’ dismissal in court filings Monday. Trump has said he would fire Smith once he retook the office, shattering previous norms around special counsel investigations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President-elect Donald Trump named billionaire Scott Bessent as his pick to serve as the next secretary of the Department of the Treasury. Plus, Trump announced his picks for critical remaining public health roles in his incoming administration -- Dr. Janette Nesheiwat as US surgeon general; Dr. Marty Makary as US Food and Drug Administration commissioner; and Dr. Dave Weldon, a former congressman from Florida, as director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hours after his first pick to run the nation’s top law enforcement agency dropped out, President-elect Donald Trump named former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi as his new choice to run the Justice Department. Trump made the announcement in a post on social media Thursday evening – the same day that former Rep. Matt Gaetz, whom the president-elect had selected for the role last week, withdrew from consideration. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The New York Times obtained a document assembled by federal investigators detailing the trail of payments to various women made by former Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz, who President-elect Trump picked as his nominee for attorney general. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President-elect Donald Trump has selected Sean Duffy, a former US representative and Fox Business host, as his choice for Transportation secretary. Duffy is part of a growing list of loyalists to play key roles in Trump’s administration, some of whom have sparked controversy. Key positions Trump has yet to fill are secretaries of Treasury and Education. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team was in the middle of announcing new Cabinet picks this week when they were informed of a sexual assault allegation about one of his previous selections, Pete Hegseth, stunning several members of Trump’s team who have since raised questions about the viability of his nomination, according to two people close to the situation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President-elect Donald Trump has picked Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be his next secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, a choice that would add to Trump’s list of provocative picks whose confirmation processes will test the loyalty of Senate Republicans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida to serve as his attorney general. “Few issues in America are more important than ending the partisan Weaponization of our Justice System,” Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform. “Matt will end Weaponized Government, protect our Borders, dismantle Criminal Organizations and restore Americans’ badly-shattered Faith and Confidence in the Justice Department.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President-elect Donald Trump announced Tuesday that Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency” in his second administration. The announcement of Ramaswamy and particularly Musk, who leads companies with existing, lucrative government contracts, raises immediate questions about potential conflicts of interest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President-elect Donald Trump is likely to pick Florida Sen. Marco Rubio as his secretary of state, two people familiar with his thinking told CNN, as he rounds out his national security team in a second term. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi suggested in an interview Friday that President Joe Biden’s late departure from the presidential race could have hampered Democrats’ ability to beat Donald Trump. “Had the president gotten out sooner, there may have been other candidates in the race,” Pelosi said during an interview. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Almost immediately after it became clear that Donald Trump was on his way to reelection Tuesday night, phones began pinging in the president-elect’s orbit and the conversation at several of the dining tables in the Mar-a-Lago ballroom turned to who would staff a second Trump term. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It is no disputing the sweep of Donald Trump’s White House victory. But, there are many unanswered questions about the road ahead and serious concerns about how he will lead the nation. Trump’s win of the popular vote for the first time is prompting Republicans to claim a mandate to carry out Mr. Trump’s most aggressive items on his America first agenda. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

All across the United States, from Arizona to Pennsylvania, Michigan to Georgia, and battlegrounds in between, the final hours are underway in one of the closest and most consequential presidential races ever. CNN can project Donald Trump will win the battleground state of North Carolina. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Donald Trump said former Rep. Liz Cheney is a “war hawk” who should be fired upon, as he raged against one of his most prominent intra-party critics while campaigning Thursday night in Arizona. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Trump — who altered reality for tens of millions of Americans by claiming he was cheated out of power four years ago — is creating a sinister threat to the 2024 election and spinning a legacy of fractured trust that could taint presidential votes long after he’s left the stage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Harris said she “strongly” disagrees with criticizing anyone based on how they vote, after remarks from President Joe Biden sparked backlash from many who interpreted them as referring to Trump supporters as “garbage.” Trump and his allies quickly seized on them to accuse Harris, by extension, of looking down on Americans who back the Republican presidential nominee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices