{"id":133616,"date":"2024-12-05T14:17:01","date_gmt":"2024-12-05T07:17:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=133616"},"modified":"2024-12-05T14:17:01","modified_gmt":"2024-12-05T07:17:01","slug":"the-house-gops-math-problem-from-the-politics-desk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=133616","title":{"rendered":"The House GOP&#8217;s math problem: From the Politics Desk"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"\"><em>Welcome to the online version of\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/link.nbcnews.com\/join\/5cj\/nbc-news-politics-signup\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>From the Politics Desk<\/em><\/a><em>, an evening newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team\u2019s latest reporting and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail.<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"\"><em>In today\u2019s edition, national political reporter Bridget Bowman and senior congressional reporter Scott Wong examine the House GOP&#8217;s math problem after the final race call of the 2024 elections. Plus, we dive into the latest with Pete Hegseth&#8217;s embattled bid to lead the Defense Department. <\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/link.nbcnews.com\/join\/5cj\/nbc-news-politics-signup\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Sign up to receive this newsletter in your inbox every weekday here.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<hr class=\"\"\/>\n<h2 class=\"\">Democrats flip final House seat of the 2024 elections, narrowing Republicans\u2019 majority<\/h2>\n<h3 class=\"\">By Bridget Bowman and Scott Wong<\/h3>\n<p class=\"\">The final race Washington was waiting on from last month\u2019s election has officially been called: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/2024-elections\/house-results\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NBC News projected<\/a> Wednesday morning that Democrat Adam Gray defeated GOP Rep. John Duarte in California\u2019s 13th District after weeks of ballot counting.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">The result means Republicans will control 220 seats to Democrats\u2019 215 next year. That will leave Republicans with even less margin for error as they try to advance President-elect Donald Trump\u2019s agenda, as they can lose only two votes on legislation if Democrats are united in opposition.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Further complicating the math for House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is the fact that Trump has chosen two sitting GOP members for his Cabinet: Elise Stefanik of New York to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and Mike Waltz of Florida to be national security adviser.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">And Republicans are already going to be down a lawmaker in the new Congress. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., resigned from the House last month after Trump selected him to be the next attorney general. But Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration amid allegations of sexual misconduct. He has said <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/congress\/matt-gaetz-says-doesnt-plan-rejoin-congress-withdrawing-name-attorney-rcna181378\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">he does not plan to join the next Congress<\/a> even though he won re-election in November.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">If the Stefanik and Waltz resignations happen simultaneously, Johnson could be operating with just a one-seat majority: 217 to 215.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">The special general elections in Florida to replace Gaetz and Waltz won\u2019t take place until April 1. Once Stefanik resigns from Congress, Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul has 10 days to declare a special election in New York, which must occur 70 to 80 days after the proclamation, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nysenate.gov\/legislation\/laws\/PBO\/42\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">according to state law<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/2024-election\/democrats-flip-final-house-seat-2024-elections-republicans-rcna182554\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read more \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n<hr class=\"\"\/>\n<h2 class=\"\">Pete Hegseth, Trump\u2019s embattled defense pick, vows to fight on<\/h2>\n<h3 class=\"\">By Scott Wong, Frank Thorp V and Rebecca Shabad<\/h3>\n<p class=\"\">Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump\u2019s embattled pick for defense secretary, brushed aside suggestions Wednesday that he would drop out and said he had spoken to Trump, who he said urged him to \u201ckeep going, keep fighting.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">\u201cI spoke to the president-elect this morning. He said: \u2018Keep going, keep fighting. I\u2019m behind you all the way.\u2019\u201d Hegseth told CBS News in the Capitol. \u201cWhy would I back down? I\u2019ve always been a fighter. I\u2019m here for the fighters. This is personal and passionate for me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">But his nomination appeared to be in serious jeopardy Tuesday and Wednesday after a series of news reports raised more questions about his treatment of women and his history with alcohol.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">On Wednesday, Hegseth\u2019s mother, Penelope Hegseth, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/donald-trump\/pete-hegseths-mother-defends-sons-fitness-lead-pentagon-changed-man-rcna182786\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">defended her son<\/a> on \u201cFox and Friends\u201d and addressed a 2018 email she wrote amid his divorce that accused him of mistreating women for years. The New York Times <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/11\/29\/us\/politics\/pete-hegseth-mother-email.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">published details<\/a> of the email last week.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Hegseth showed no signs of calling it quits, holding a flurry of meetings with lawmakers on both sides of the Capitol and engaging in a media blitz to salvage his nomination, including writing an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/opinion\/ive-faced-fire-before-i-wont-back-down-writes-pete-hegseth-defense-secretary-19433fa4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">op-ed in The Wall Street Journal<\/a> titled: \u201cI\u2019ve Faced Fire Before. I Won\u2019t Back Down.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">In response to the allegations, Hegseth referred reporters to an interview he recorded on former Fox News host Megyn Kelly\u2019s SiriusXM show earlier in the day, in which he said he does not have a drinking problem and denied that he raped a woman in Monterey, California, in 2017.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">\u201cAbsolutely not. Absolutely not,\u201d he said when he was asked whether he raped the woman. \u201cI\u2019ve been honest about that encounter, starting with law enforcement. &#8230; I may have been drinking, but I was cognizant of enough to remember every single detail.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">\u201cI\u2019m not here to say that my conduct was good,\u201d he continued. \u201cBeing in a hotel room with someone that\u2019s, you know, not the person you\u2019re with is not OK. I own up to that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">\u00a0Hegseth also said he is \u201cnot going to have a drink at all\u201d if he is confirmed as defense secretary, saying he wants Trump, senators and U.S. troops to know that he can be called 24\/7 and will be \u201cfully dialed in.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">NBC News reported <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/donald-trump\/trump-considers-replacing-pete-hegseth-embattled-secretary-defense-pic-rcna182777\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Wednesday morning<\/a> that Trump is considering replacing Hegseth amid the opposition to his nomination. Others Trump could tap to lead the Pentagon, sources familiar with the decision-making said, are Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa; Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis; Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn.; and Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., his current pick for national security adviser.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/congress\/-back-embattled-hegseth-says-trump-told-keep-fighting-rcna182855\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read more \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n<hr class=\"\"\/>\n<h2 class=\"\">The Trumpification of Joe Biden<\/h2>\n<h3 class=\"\">By Chuck Todd<\/h3>\n<p class=\"\">President Joe Biden\u2019s decision to pardon his son Hunter has earned plenty of criticism \u2014 and most of it, even the harsh partisan-tinged kind of criticism, has real merit. There\u2019s no defense of the pardon beyond this one: He\u2019s a father, and what parents wouldn\u2019t use whatever power they had to help their children in crisis?<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">I\u2019m not going to pretend that, facing a similar circumstance, I wouldn\u2019t have made the same decision \u2014 do whatever it takes to protect my child even if it means destroying my own legacy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">That is what makes criticism of Biden\u2019s decision complicated. There\u2019s a human element to this that\u2019s tragic on so many levels. It truly does meet the definition of \u201cShakespearean,\u201d an overused description in today\u2019s world that nevertheless is a perfect fit for this event.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Now, the question is: How much damage has Biden done under the auspices of protecting his son?\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Presidential acts are permission slips. Once a president has done something unprecedented, it means there\u2019s a precedent. And once one president tries something and gets away with it, I promise you, a future one will try something similar.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Well, welcome to a new precedent. The president has now overturned a jury of fellow American citizens, not some kangaroo court, who convicted his son. And he cleared him of not just the charges he has faced, but also of any future charges he could face from anything he may have done over a 10-year period from 2014 (when Hunter first tried to do business in Ukraine) to now.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">\u00a0Who knows whether Donald Trump grants pardons before he leaves office that read almost identical to the Hunter Biden pardon \u2014 but that he makes the dates to June 15, 2015 (the day he rode down the escalator), to Jan. 20, 2029, his last day in office? Whatever the chances are, they have surely gone up.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">More importantly, Biden has now borrowed Trump\u2019s rhetoric to describe what he views as Hunter\u2019s experience with the justice system. What kind of precedent will we have set if both parties accept the premise that whoever\u2019s elected is going to politically prosecute his or her opponents? It\u2019s part of Biden\u2019s rationale for the pardon. And it will surely be Trump\u2019s rationale for future pardons.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">What\u2019s the general public supposed to think of the justice system now? The leading Republican in the country (Trump) and the leading Democrat in the country (Biden) have both claimed the system is unjust because of politics.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/elections\/chuck-todd-trumpification-joe-biden-rcna182705\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read more from Chuck \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"\"><strong>\u2696\ufe0f Related read:<\/strong> The judge who presided over the California tax fraud case against Hunter Biden called out the president for mischaracterizing and minimizing the charges against his son in announcing why he was pardoning him. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/joe-biden\/judge-hunter-biden-case-calls-presidents-pardon-statement-attempt-rewr-rcna182825\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read more \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n<hr class=\"\"\/><br class=\"\"\/><\/p>\n<div class=\"summary-box\" data-testid=\"summary-box\">\n<div class=\"summary-box__content\">\n<h2 class=\"summary-box__headline\">\ud83d\uddde\ufe0f Today\u2019s top stories<\/h2>\n<ul class=\"summary-box__items\">\n<li><strong>\u2696\ufe0f<\/strong> <strong>SCOTUS on transgender rights:<\/strong> The Supreme Court\u2019s conservative majority Wednesday leaned toward upholding a Tennessee law that restricts gender transition treatments, appearing not to believe that the law constitutes a form of sex discrimination that would mean courts have to give it close scrutiny. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/supreme-court\/supreme-court-tackles-state-bans-treatments-transgender-youth-rcna182517\">Read more \u2192<\/a> <\/li>\n<li>\ud83c\udfdb <strong>The states on transgender rights:<\/strong> A measure to bar Montana state Rep. Zooey Zephyr, the state\u2019s first transgender legislator, from using women\u2019s restrooms at the state Capitol failed to advance Tuesday, with several Republicans voting against it. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/nbc-out\/out-politics-and-policy\/measure-ban-trans-montana-lawmaker-zooey-zephyr-womens-bathroom-fails-rcna182733\">Read more \u2192<\/a> <\/li>\n<li><strong>\ud83d\udc40 Trump transition watch, part 1:<\/strong> Trump announced that Peter Navarro would serve be \u201csenior counselor for trade and manufacturing.\u201d Navarro, a top White House aide during Trump\u2019s first term, went to prison this year for defying a congressional subpoena from a House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/donald-trump\/trump-picks-peter-navarro-went-prison-defying-jan-6-committee-subpoena-rcna182843\">Read more \u2192<\/a> <\/li>\n<li><strong>\ud83d\ude80 Trump transition watch, part 2:<\/strong> Trump said he plans to nominate billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Isaacman has flown to space twice on commercial SpaceX missions but has not worked in the federal government. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/science\/space\/trump-picks-billionaire-jared-isaacman-lead-nasa-rcna182840\">Read more \u2192<\/a> <\/li>\n<li><strong>\ud83d\udcbc Trump transition watch, part 3:<\/strong> Trump said he will select David Warrington, his longtime personal lawyer and general counsel to his campaign, to be White House counsel. Trump announced last month that William McGinley would take the job, but he said Wednesday he would instead be counsel to the &#8220;Department of Government Efficiency.&#8221; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/donald-trump\/live-blog\/trump-transition-hegseth-allegations-desantis-live-updates-rcna182862#rcrd65146\">Read more \u2192<\/a> <\/li>\n<li><strong>\ud83d\udc6a Family ties:<\/strong> As Trump assembles a senior staff and Cabinet for his second administration, there are notable absences: his children. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/donald-trump\/trumps-children-white-house-roles-second-term-rcna181703\">Read more \u2192<\/a> <\/li>\n<li><strong>\ud83d\udd0e Digging into Kash Patel:<\/strong> Trump\u2019s pick for FBI director, Kash Patel, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/health\/health-news\/trump-fbi-director-kash-patel-vaccine-detox-supplements-rcna182434\">promoted a supplement line<\/a> this year that purports without evidence to help people \u201cdetox\u201d from Covid vaccines. He also has vowed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/donald-trump\/kash-patel-said-come-journalists-now-hangs-fbi-candidacy-rcna182661\">to &#8220;come after&#8221; the media<\/a> , but he later emphasized that his comments apply only if people &#8220;broke the law.&#8221; <\/li>\n<li><strong>\u27a1\ufe0f Deportation preparation:<\/strong> Trump transition officials are exploring building immigration detention facilities on a plot of land the state of Texas recently purchased along the Rio Grande. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/immigration\/texas-offering-land-trump-mass-deportation-facilities-rcna182627\">Read more \u2192<\/a> <\/li>\n<li>\ud83c\udf51 <strong>Georgia on my mind<\/strong> : Trump\u2019s attorneys asked a Georgia appeals court to dismiss the Fulton County racketeering case against him because a &#8220;sitting president is completely immune from indictment or any criminal process, state or federal.&#8221; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/donald-trump\/trump-lawyers-move-dismiss-georgia-election-interference-case-rcna182910\">Read more \u2192<\/a> <\/li>\n<li><strong>\ud83d\udd35 Moving on:<\/strong> Longtime Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., said he was dropping his bid to remain the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee and endorsed Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., who announced just two days ago that he would challenge Nadler for the coveted job. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/congress\/longtime-rep-nadler-drops-bid-remain-top-democrat-judiciary-panel-chal-rcna182908\">Read more \u2192<\/a> <\/li>\n<li>\ud83d\uddf3 <strong>On to 2026, part 1:<\/strong> Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, a longtime Democrat, is launching an independent campaign for governor of Michigan, shaking up the early stages of the race to succeed term-limited Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2026. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/elections\/detroit-mayor-mike-duggan-launches-independent-run-michigan-governor-rcna182842\">Read more \u2192<\/a> \ud83d\uddf3 <\/li>\n<li><strong>On to 2026, part 2:<\/strong> Louisiana Treasurer John Fleming announced he would challenge Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., who voted to convict Trump after his 2021 impeachment trial. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/congress\/gop-sen-bill-cassidy-draws-primary-challenger-trump-impeachment-rcna182940\">Read more \u2192<\/a> <\/li>\n<li><strong>\ud83d\udcfa Mark your calendar:<\/strong> NBC News\u2019 Kristen Welker will conduct an exclusive interview with Trump to air Sunday on \u201cMeet the Press.\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/donald-trump\/live-blog\/trump-transition-hegseth-allegations-desantis-live-updates-rcna182862\/rcrd65157?canonicalCard=true\">Read more \u2192<\/a> <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<hr class=\"\"\/>\n<p class=\"\"><em>That\u2019s all from the Politics Desk for now. If you have feedback \u2014 likes or dislikes \u2014 email us at <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/mailto:politicsnewsletter@nbcuni.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong><em>politicsnewsletter@nbcuni.com<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"endmark\"><em>And if you\u2019re a fan, please share with everyone and anyone. They can sign up <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/link.nbcnews.com\/join\/5cj\/nbc-news-politics-signup\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong><em>here<\/em><\/strong><\/a><em>. <\/em><\/p>\n<hr class=\"\"\/><br class=\"\"\/><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1660802\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/house-gop-math-problem-politics-desk-rcna182939\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Welcome to the online version of\u00a0From the Politics Desk, an evening newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team\u2019s latest reporting and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=133616\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8629],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-133616","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-u-s","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/133616","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=133616"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/133616\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=133616"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=133616"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=133616"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}