Gaetz, Gabbard and Rubio are on Trump’s list

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President-elect Donald Trump is still choosing his nominees for his second term in the White House — and making some surprising choices.

Trump announced on Wednesday that he chose to do so Matt Gaetzthe troublemaker who, as attorney general, has been a fierce critic of the Justice Department even while under investigation by it.

He also spoke to a former congressman and army veteran Tulsi Gabbard as his nominee for director of national intelligence, a Cabinet-level position. Gabbard is a former Democrat who has become one of Trump’s most outspoken supporters.

But there are still plenty of crucial roles Trump can fill as he prepares for a second term. He will even have full control of Congress in 2025, after Republicans manage to win enough seats keep the House on Wednesday.

Stay tuned for live updates from the USA TODAY Network.

Nikki Haley hits back at her old boss.

The former Republican governor of South Carolina, who served as Donald Trump’s first UN ambassador, lashed out at the newly elected president after he announced she would not get a job in his new administration.

“I will not invite former Ambassador Nikki Haley, or former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, to join the Trump Administration as it is currently being formed,” Trump wrote on Truth Social last week. “I really enjoyed and appreciated working with them previously, and I would like to thank them for their service to our country.”

Haley, who was highly critical of Trump during her own failed bid for the Republican nomination earlier this year, said on her radio show on SiriusXM that despite Trump’s public statement, she had already made it known she wanted no role in his new presidency . administration.

“I know the game he played,” she said. “I don’t have to play that game.” She later added, “He can be superficial at times, and I think he showed that.”

– Michael Collins

Matt Gaetz resigned from Congress shortly after President-elect Donald Trump announced plans to nominate the Florida Republican as attorney general.

Gaetz, a rabble-rouser who has represented Florida’s 1st Congressional District since 2017, resigned immediately on Wednesday following Trump’s decision to make him the nation’s chief law enforcement officer.

Gaetz’s resignation came just days before the House Ethics Committee was set to decide whether to issue a report on its investigation into allegations that he engaged in sexual misconduct and illegal drug use and accepted improper gifts. Gaetz’s resignation effectively ends that investigation.

Gaetz was also investigated by the Justice Department, which Trump has put him in charge of, on suspicion of having sex with a 17-year-old girl and paying her expenses to travel with him. The department ended the investigation last year without charging him.

– Michael Collins

Matt Gaetz’s appointment as attorney general has sparked criticism

Donald Trump’s choice Representative Matt Gaetz for Attorney General indicated a like-minded approach to overhauling the Justice Department after both men were under criminal investigation.

But the choice also led to the first criticism of Trump’s Cabinet choices, as senators questioned whether Gaetz would be a serious choice to become the nation’s top law enforcement official.

After Trump announced Gaetz’s nomination, the Florida Republican became a Republican has resigned “with immediate effect”. setting up a special election for the West Florida district.

Check out USA TODAY’s five tips of the surprising announcement.

-Bart Jansen

Trump chooses Tulsi Gabbard as his director of national intelligence

Trump on Wednesday selected a former congressman and army veteran Tulsi Gabbard as his nominee for director of national intelligence, a Cabinet-level position.

“I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that defined her illustrious career to our intelligence community, defending our constitutional rights and securing peace through strength,” Trump said in a statement.

Gabbard was a Democrat when she served in the Hawaii House of Representatives from 2013 to 2021. She ran for president in the 2020 Democratic primary before leaving the party in 2022 and becoming a Republican this year.

− Tom Vanden Brook and Erin Mansfield

Marco Rubio nods to Secretary of State

Donald Trump confirmed Wednesday that he has been elected senator. Marco RubioR-Fla., to serve as secretary of state in his next administration.

Rubio has deep foreign policy experience and has transformed from an opponent of Trump to a close ally who was a finalist to serve as Trump’s vice president.

He is currently the top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Rubio, a Cuban American, would be the first Latino to become secretary of state.

Rubio has expressed support for Ukraine’s war efforts against Russia, but voted against additional aid to the country last year. He recently said that the war in Ukraine will end with “a negotiated solution”, something Trump has also supported. He also advocated a tough approach to American adversaries such as China, Russia, Iran, Cuba and Venezuela.

Trump and Rubio, 53, faced off during the 2016 Republican primaries, which turned nasty when they insulted each other. But they repaired their relationship and worked together on shared foreign policy goals during Trump’s first administration. They grew closer during the 2024 campaign, when Rubio was shortlisted to become Trump’s running mate and campaigned relentlessly for him.

− Riley Beggin and Zac Anderson