memeorandum: WATCH: Dem Rep. Jasmine Crockett Goes Nuts During Hearing, Starts Shouting About the ‘White Man’ (Bonchie/RedState)

7:25 PM ET, November 20, 2024

Top Items:

House Ethics panel does not agree to release the Gaetz report — The House Ethics Committee on Wednesday did not agree to release the long-anticipated report into Matt Gaetz. “There was not an agreement by the committee to release the report,” Chair Michael Guest (R-Miss.) told reporters after the meeting ended.

Will Steakin / ABC News:

Gaetz sent over $10K in Venmo payments to 2 women who testified in House probe, records suggest — House investigators also obtained a $750 check from Gaetz, said sources. — Matt Gaetz talks before President-elect Donald Trump speaks during an America First Policy Institute gala at his Mar-a-Lago estate …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Washington Post, New Republic, Crooked Media, Slate, Decider, Raw Story, The Hill, The Independent, Rolling Stone, Forbes and Mediaite

Michael S. Schmidt / New York Times:

Federal Inquiry Traced Payments From Gaetz to Women — A document prepared by federal investigators bolsters claims by women who say they were hired for sex by Matt Gaetz, President-elect Donald J. Trump's choice for attorney general, who denies wrongdoing.

Discussion: Sun-Sentinel and New Republic

Politico:

House Democrat pledges to force a vote to release the Gaetz report — Illinois Democrat Sean Casten is trying to force a vote on the House floor about releasing the House Ethics Committee's report on Matt Gaetz, who is President-elect Donald Trump's pick to lead the Justice Department.

Discussion: The Hill, Washington Examiner, Axios, Washington Times, New Republic and Daily Caller News Foundation

The Hill:

House Ethics Committee to keep Gaetz report under wraps — The House Ethics Committee met Wednesday but did not release its report on former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), resisting significant pressure to release its findings after President-elect Trump selected the controversial Florida Republican to be his attorney general.

Discussion: CBS News, HuffPost, NOTUS, Washington Examiner, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, UPI, Associated Press, Trending Politics …, Roll Call, NPR, Talking Points Memo and WCMH-TV

Washington Post:
House panel was told Gaetz paid two women $10,000, in part for sex

Discussion: Vanity Fair, Decider, CNN, Press Herald, ABC News, Axios and NBC News

Wall Street Journal:

Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy: The DOGE Plan to Reform Government — Following the Supreme Court's guidance, we'll reverse a decadeslong executive power grab. — Our nation was founded on the basic idea that the people we elect run the government. That isn't how America functions today.

Discussion: USA Today, Washington Examiner, Business Insider, UPI, Slow Boring, New Republic, The Daily Caller, The Post Millennial, Fox Business, Forbes, RedState, The Independent, E&E News and Bloomberg

Julia Shapero / The Hill:

Musk, Ramaswamy lay out plans for ‘mass’ federal layoffs, rule rollbacks under Trump — Tech entrepreneurs Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy said Wednesday that their brand-new government efficiency panel will identify “thousands” of regulations for President-elect Trump to eliminate …

Discussion: Reuters

Axios:

Trump rages as absent Senate Republicans help confirm Biden judges … - Trump posted Wednesday on “X”: “The Democrats are trying to stack the Courts with Radical Left Judges on their way out the door. … Democrats confirmed two more judges on Wednesday by 50-48 margins, with Republican Sens. Ted Cruz …

Discussion: Washington Examiner, HuffPost, The Gateway Pundit, PoliticusUSA and The Independent

Elizabeth Urban / International Business Times:
Trump Accidentally Helps Dems Get Key Judicial Nominees Approved By Taking Republicans To SpaceX Launch

Discussion: Washington Examiner, The Hill, Salon, Default, New Republic, Washington Times, Vanity Fair, New York Magazine, Fox News, CBS News, The Daily Beast, Daily Caller News Foundation, CNBC, ABC7 and Forbes

Carl Hulse / New York Times:
Past Nominees Have Been Undone by Far Less Than What Surrounds Trump Picks

Discussion: Florida Politics, Raw Story and Bloomberg

Mychael Schnell / The Hill:

Speaker Johnson announces policy barring trans women from Capitol bathrooms — Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) announced on Wednesday that transgender women are not permitted to use bathrooms in the Capitol that match their gender identity, taking a stance on the hot-button issue that has overtaken the Capitol in recent days.

Discussion: Vox, Daily Mail, Trending Politics …, Townhall, The Independent, The Gateway Pundit, RedState, Speaker of the House …, USA Today, ABC News, Associated Press, Washington Examiner and CNN

Arthur Delaney / HuffPost:

Mike Johnson Announces Transgender Bathroom Ban In Capitol — The speaker's announcement is aimed in particular at incoming transgender congresswoman Sarah McBride. — LOADING — WASHINGTON ― House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) announced Wednesday that transgender lawmakers and staff …

Discussion: Axios, UPI, The American Spectator, New Republic, The Hill, ABC News and Washington Post

Anthony Adragna / Politico:
Johnson announces policy barring transgender women from Capitol women's bathrooms

Patrick Marley / Washington Post:

Republicans in North Carolina pass sweeping changes to consolidate power — The last-minute inclusions in a lame-duck bill will strip the incoming Democratic governor and attorney general of significant authority before the GOP loses its legislative supermajority.

Discussion: Washington Examiner, NBC News, New York Times, Associated Press, WHEC.com, Pluribus News, The Guardian, NC Newsline, Anderson Alerts and Slate

Will Doran / WRAL-TV:
NC House votes to strip power from incoming Democratic governor, AG as part of Helene aid bill

Discussion: WUNC, NC Newsline, Anderson Alerts, Mother Jones and governor.nc.gov

David Nir / The Downballot:
Morning Digest: In stunning turnaround, Democrat takes lead in North Carolina Supreme Court race

Discussion: Anderson Alerts, Associated Press, Digby's Hullabaloo, NC Newsline, WBTV-TV, The Gateway Pundit, WHEC.com, RedState and Balloon Juice

Brian Steinberg / Variety:

MSNBC Faces Potential for Big Changes in Comcast Cable Spin-Off — MSNBC fans who are disappointed in the progressive-leaning network after Donald Trump's victory in the 2024 election may no longer have it to kick around. — The cable-news outlet could have to consider changing its name …

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, New York Post, Trending Politics …, New York Times, Mediaite, PoliticusUSA, Washington Examiner and Instapundit, more at Mediagazer »

Washington Post:

Trump's education pick once incorrectly claimed to have education degree — Linda McMahon, in a questionnaire for a 2009 post on a Connecticut state education board, incorrectly said she had a bachelor's degree in education, according to news reports. — Linda McMahon, President-elect …

Bonchie / RedState:

WATCH: Dem Rep. Jasmine Crockett Goes Nuts During Hearing, Starts Shouting About the ‘White Man’ — The House of Representatives is becoming more of an insane asylum every day, and Rep. Jasmine Crockett is the perfect example of that. During a hearing on Wednesday, the Texas congresswoman went nuts …

Discussion: Twitchy, Daily Caller News Foundation, Trending Politics … and The Post Millennial

Aaron Blake / Washington Post:

Mandate? Fuller election results increasingly show GOP gains were small. — A holistic look — down to the state legislative level — reinforces the fact that early Trump and GOP claims to a huge “mandate” were overblown. — From the moment he claimed victory in the 2024 presidential election …

Discussion: Salon, Breitbart, CNN and Washington Times

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:

Graham urges GOP senators not to join Gaetz ‘lynch mob’ — Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.) urged his fellow Republican senators Wednesday not to join what he called the “lynch mob” calling for former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) to withdraw his nomination to serve as attorney general because of allegations …

Discussion: Washington Times, Roll Call, CBS News, RedState, Fox News, Mediaite, New Jersey Online, Townhall, Washington Examiner, ABC News, Raw Story, New York Post, The Gateway Pundit and New Republic

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Senate Democrats ask FBI for files on Gaetz sex trafficking probe

Discussion: HuffPost, The Gateway Pundit, NOTUS, Politico, CNBC, Raw Story, Washington Times and ABC News

Steven Overly / Politico:

Raimondo's urgent mission: Leave no cash for Trump — With a massive legacy program hanging in the balance, the Commerce secretary wants to get billions in microchip money out the door in the next two months. — Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo is on an urgent mission …

Discussion: The Mahablog, Patterico's Pontifications, Daily Caller News Foundation and Fox News

Politico:
Playbook: The real divide roiling Democrats

Discussion: NBC News, The Guardian and CBS News

Zack Budryk / The Hill:

Judge rules Youngkin administration can't pull Virginia out of greenhouse gas agreement — A Virginia court ruled Wednesday that Gov. Glenn Youngkin's (R) administration cannot withdraw from an interstate carbon emission-capping compact without approval from the state Legislature.

Discussion: Washington Examiner, Blue Virginia, Virginia Political Newsletter, Associated Press, Cardinal News and Virginia Mercury

Avery Lotz / Axios:

Exclusive: GOP senator demands “extensive” vetting for Trump health appointees … - To her, “that means a background check, it means extensive committee investigations and questionnaires and public hearings,” she told Axios' Peter Sullivan. — Collins, who called for additional federal funding …

Discussion: Bangor Daily News and Raw Story

New York Post:

Please, Mr. President, ditch this dreadful duo — Gabbard and Gaetz — In January 2017, shortly after taking office for the first time, President Donald Trump had already issued 19 executive actions, and this paper dubbed him DON NONSTOP. — To which second-term Trump says: “Hold my Diet Coke.”

Discussion: Breitbart, The Independent and Mediaite

Joe Stanley-Smith / Politico:

Merkel eviscerates ‘emotional’ Trump in upcoming memoir — The former German chancellor painted a scathing picture of the president-elect — and hinted at a playbook for dealing with him. — European politicians preparing for United States President-elect Donald Trump's second term …

Discussion: Reuters

Nathaniel Weixel / The Hill:

Biden awards the Medal of Freedom to Cecile Richards, former Planned Parenthood president — President Biden awarded on Wednesday the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Cecile Richards, an abortion rights activist and former president of Planned Parenthood. — During a private ceremony …

Discussion: ABC News and Washington Times

Ed O'Keefe / CBS News:

Trump taps Russ Vought, one of the authors of Project 2025, to lead budget office again — President-elect Donald Trump is expected to name Russ Vought to lead the Office of Management and budget, according to two sources close to the transition. — If confirmed, this will be Vought's second time in the role.

Discussion: New Republic, Democrats, Bloomberg, Mediaite, Washington Post, The American Conservative, Breitbart, ABC News and Politico

Sidney Blumenthal / The Guardian:

Trump's cabinet picks are agents of his contempt, rage and vengeance — With them, Trump will tear down any person or institution that tried to restrain his worst impulses or hold him accountable — “Shock” suddenly became the most commonly uttered word in habitually nonplussed Washington DC.

Discussion: The Hill and PolitiFact

Sharon Udasin / The Hill:

Biden administration offers alternatives for Colorado River's long-term operations — Biden administration officials on Wednesday announced several potential alternatives for the Colorado River's long-term management, as the expiration date for the current rules approaches.

Discussion: USA Today, Los Angeles Times and The Colorado Sun

Anthony Adragna / Politico:

Luna: Johnson blocked proxy voting for new moms — Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) said Wednesday that Speaker Mike Johnson has blocked her proposal to allow new mothers to vote by proxy for several months from being included in the rules package for the next Congress.

Discussion: The Hill and Washington Examiner