Trump Rounds Out His Administration, Threatens New Tariffs

President-elect Donald Trump has largely filled major administration positions after his victory over Kamala Harris earlier this month.

Major picks include Florida Sen. Marco Rubio as secretary of state, Army National Guard major and political commentator Pete Hegseth as defense secretary, hedge fund manager Scott Bessent as treasury secretary, and former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi as attorney general (replacing the withdrawn nominee Matt Gaetz).

Susie Wiles, his co-campaign manager and daughter of sportscasting legend Paul Summerall, will become his chief of staff, the first woman to hold that position.

On the policy front, Trump has threatened to raise tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China, intending to implement a 25% tariff on all goods entering the United States from Canada and Mexico, as well as a 10% tariff on all Chinese imports, on top of existing tariffs. These sweeping measures would affect a wide range of products, potentially impacting automotive manufacturing, agriculture, and consumer goods.

Trump has stated that these tariffs will remain in place until certain conditions are met. For Canada and Mexico, the tariffs would be lifted when the flow of illegal immigrants and drugs, particularly fentanyl, into the United States is controlled. For China, the country would need to halt the export of illegal drugs to the US before the additional tariff would be removed.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has visited Mar-a-Lago in an effort to begin talks with Trump prior to the tariff implementation. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has taken a more aggressive approach, threatening retaliatory tariffs and blaming American drug consumption for the opioid crisis.

 

GOP Achieves Narrow House Majority

Republicans have won 220 seats in the US House of Representatives, two more needed to win the majority. One California seat remains too close to call, with the Democratic challenger leading the GOP incumbent by nearly 200 votes as of November 30. A GOP victory in the seat would bring the Republicans to 221 seats, one less than their majority after the 2022 midterm elections.

While the Republican majority will be narrow and will make passing President-elect Trump’s agenda more difficult, it remains a welcome development for the GOP given most election prognosticators predicting a Democratic majority in the House. Republicans managed to offset losses in New York (partially through redistricting), California, and Oregon through picking up seats in North Carolina (largely through redistricting), Pennsylvania, Michigan, Alaska, and Colorado.

The narrow majority may make Speaker Mike Johnson’s political calculus more difficult given Trump’s poaching of Elise Stefanik, Michael Waltz, and Matt Gaetz (since withdrawn but not returning to House) for his administration. With the three resignations, the House majority becomes 220-213.

 

Syrian Rebels Enter Aleppo in First Major Offensive in Years

Syrian rebel forces captured parts of Aleppo, Syria’s second largest city, in the first major offensive since 2020. Pro-government forces reportedly put up little substantive opposition as rebel forces advanced towards Aleppo.

Neither side has sought to make large scale advances since the 2020 ceasefire agreement. The Syrian government’s major allies, Iran (through their proxy Hezbollah) and Russia, have since been bogged down by their own conflicts in Lebanon and Ukraine respectively, creating an opening for rebel forces to begin a large scale offensive.

 

Trump Poised to Regain Presidency After Clinching 270 Votes

Former President Donald Trump is projected by Decision Desk HQ to win the 2024 presidential election, defeating his Democratic rival Vice President Kamala Harris. As of 12:30 AM CST, Trump is projected to win Georgia, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina, giving him the 270 electoral votes needed to win. He is also leading in Nevada, Arizona, Michigan, and Wisconsin. 

Harris Campaign Co-Chair Cedric Richmond told the crowd at Harris's election night party at Howard University that Harris would not be addressing the crowd this night and for them to return home.

Trump meanwhile is heading towards his election night watch party in Palm Beach, Florida. He was previously at Mar-a-Lago watching election results.