
Gaetz faces rocky road to confirmation as pressure builds for release of House ethics probe
CNN
Top Senate Republicans are withholding support for President-elect Donald Trump’s pick of Matt Gaetz to serve as attorney general, while Democrats and at least one prominent GOP senator call for the release of an ethics report into the former congressman.
Top Senate Republicans are withholding support for President-elect Donald Trump’s pick of Matt Gaetz to serve as attorney general, while Democrats and at least one prominent GOP senator call for the release of an ethics report into the former congressman. Sen. John Cornyn, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said he “absolutely” wants to see the House Ethics Committee’s findings on Gaetz. “I think there should not be any limitations on the Senate Judiciary Committee’s investigation, including whatever the House Ethics Committee has generated,” he said. A long-awaited report from the ethics panel was expected to be released as soon as Friday, according to two sources familiar with the discussions. But Gaetz resigned from Congress after Trump announced his intent to nominate the Florida Republican to be attorney general and it is now uncertain if the information will ever be made public. Gaetz has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. The Gaetz nomination could set up a major clash between Trump and the new Senate GOP majority as the president-elect has vowed to get his nominees installed. Sen. John Thune, the incoming Senate majority leader, will face an early test over the controversial nomination and can only afford three defections if Republicans end up with 53 seats. Trump has pushed to keep all options on the table to greenlight his nominees, including recess appointments, which would bypass the typical Senate confirmation process.

The Trump administration is preparing to use private military contractors to protect oil and energy assets in Venezuela rather than deploying US troops, according to two sources familiar with the plans, setting up a potential boon for security firms with experience in the region and ties to the administration.

Maria Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader and 2025 Nobel Peace Prize winner, arrives in Washington this week for high-stakes talks with US President Donald Trump on the future of Venezuela following the ouster of Nicolás Maduro. The meeting comes after Trump surprised many by allowing Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, to assume control, dashing opposition hopes for a new democratic era.

Most Americans see an immigration officer’s fatal shooting of Minneapolis resident Renee Good as an inappropriate use of force, a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS finds. Roughly half view it as a sign of broader issues with the way US Immigration and Customs Enforcement is operating, with less than one-third saying that ICE operations have made cities safer.










