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'Hopefully has learned her lesson': Trump gives backhanded praise to his latest nominee

President-elect Donald Trump offered a very peculiar nomination announcement on his Truth Social platform Friday, seeming to attack the very person he appointed to a critical diplomatic role — and warning her to stay in line, even as he said she would deliver "great results" for the country.

"I am pleased to announce Morgan Ortagus as Deputy Special Presidential Envoy for Middle East Peace, to the Honorable Steven Witkoff," wrote Trump. "Early on Morgan fought me for three years, but hopefully has learned her lesson. These things usually don’t work out, but she has strong Republican support, and I’m not doing this for me, I’m doing it for them. Let’s see what happens. She will hopefully be an asset to Steve, a great leader and talent, as we seek to bring calm and prosperity to a very troubled region. I expect great results, and soon!"

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Democrat flags curious new clause in new GOP-led House rules changes

A Massachusetts Democrat flagged a change in the congressional rules that one reporter called a "big deal."

Reporter Jake Sherman of Punchbowl News cited Rep. Jim McGovern's concern over the new GOP rules package, which states that the speaker "cannot entertain a motion that the House suspend the rules except on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays."

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MAGA Republican takes aim at the 'anti-American left' — and pokes fun at their 'grief'

Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) took a victory lap in an op-ed published Friday where he put opponents of President-elect Donald Trump on blast and teased the “leftists” post-election stages of grief.

Writing for the conservative RedState publication, Biggs fumed about what he said were years of lies about Trump and his supporters – and wondered out loud if those who voted against the incoming president would grow to accept his electoral victory, or “get stuck in anger – the second stage of grief?”

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‘Witch Hunt’: Trump spokesman lashes out after Trump ordered to appear for sentencing

A spokesman for Donald Trump took aim at Judge Juan Merchan in a fiery statement after he ordered the incoming president to return to court for sentencing in his New York fraud case on Jan. 10.

Trump communications director Steven Cheung on Friday hurled insults at Merchan, who ruled against Trump’s motion to dismiss the guilty verdict that resulted in 34 felony convictions. Cheung claimed the ruling conflicted with the Supreme Court’s immunity decision last year and criticized the case being brought to begin with.

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Republican calls House speaker vote 'theater of the absurd'

A GOP lawmaker called Friday's House Speaker vote — in which two Republicans were finally convinced to change their ballots but a third still held out — "the theater of the absurd."

Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) posted his congratulations to Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) on X for keeping the speakership before Lawler appeared with CNN's Jake Tapper.

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'Banana republic!' MAGA melts down as judge sets sentencing in Trump's hush money case

Judge Juan Merchan issued a decision on the matter of President-elect Donald Trump's sentencing in the New York criminal hush money case on Friday, ordering the sentencing to move forward on Jan. 10, days ahead of Trump's inauguration.

Merchan said he would not impose prison as a punishment due to the impracticalities of incarcerating a president — and suggested he was inclined to discharge the case without punishment on condition of Trump avoiding rearrest.

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'Calm before the storm': Ex-senator expects 'big thunderclouds' ahead for Mike Johnson

A former senator thinks House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is headed for a coming storm.

Johnson held open the first vote as long as he could Friday for the speaker's chair so he could work out deals to get Republicans to support him after they initially refused to vote for him.

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'Stunning': Legal analyst shocked that judge scheduled sentencing for Trump

Judge Juan Merchan ruled against Donald Trump's motion to dismiss the guilty verdict in the New York fraud case in which Trump was found guilty on 34 counts. Trump must now return to court virtually or in person on Jan. 10.

The judge also took a moment to shame Trump's attorneys, saying, "There have, however, been instances when in written submissions, counsel has come dangerously close to crossing the line of zealous representation and professional advocacy one would respect from members of the bar and officers of the court and this Court has at times, made counsel aware of its observations and concerns. Now, counsel has resorted to language, indeed rhetoric, that has no place in legal filings."

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'Choke point': MSNBC writer outlines path to halting the GOP agenda

Despite its Republican majority, the House of Representatives is "poised to be the biggest likely choke point" for Donald Trump's agenda, according to MSNBC opinion writer Hayes Brown.

Hayes wrote that, "House Republicans will have an extremely narrow margin to work with and a right flank that is more than willing to blow up deals."

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'Do something!' Rep. Stacey Plaskett furious as she's told she can't vote for speaker

A congresswoman from the Virgin Islands rose in the House during the speakership vote on Mike Johnson (R-LA) to protest the more than a century-long refusal of the House to give a vote on the floor to elected officials from U.S. territories.

"I note that the names of representatives from American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia were not called, representing, collectively, 4 million Americans," said Stacey Plaskett to broad applause from the Democratic side of the chamber. "Mr. Speaker, collectively, the largest per capita of veterans in this country."

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'Don't you worry': Kamala Harris consoles Dem senator's young son during swearing-in

Vice President Kamala Harris had the privilege of swearing in another new crop of U.S. Senators on Friday. But one person was having a rough day.

New Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) — who defeated far-right MAGA ally Kari Lake in November — brought his baby daughter and son Michael to the swearing-in ceremony. The boy told Harris, "I'm sorry you didn't win."

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Judge orders Trump to be sentenced days before he takes office

Judge Juan Merchan has called on the President-elect to appear in New York court — in person or virtually — to be sentenced in his hush-money case, in which Trump was found guilty on 34 counts, The Associated Press reported Friday afternoon.

Merchan noted that Trump remains a private citizen until noon on Jan. 20.

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Far-right Republican falls down Capitol steps after speaker vote: report

ABC News is reporting that MAGA loyalist Rep. Virginia Foxx appeared to fall down the stairs at the U.S. Capitol on Friday after the vote for House speaker.

According to reporter John R. Parkinson, Foxx was holding her nose while bleeding and "receiving medical attention."

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