OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.

Missouri GOP Sen. Josh Hawley is calling on all Republicans to work with President-elect Donald Trump and get his Cabinet in place.

During an interview on Fox News with host Jesse Watters, Hawley said that it is critical for the U.S. Senate, which will be controlled by Republicans in January, to allow Trump to assemble his Cabinet that “reflects his agenda.”

“I saw your colleague hold up a sign on the Senate floor with a big zero. Zero Democrats in the Senate voted against any of Biden’s cabinet nominees. Zero. And look what these nominees did in Biden’s cabinet. They wrecked the country, they blew open the border, they spent trillions of dollars. Zero Democrats are against them. Are Republicans comfortable voting against President Trump’s picks?” Watters asked.

“I sure hope not. I mean, listen, I think that the president deserves to have a cabinet that reflects his agenda, that’s going to implement his agenda. And you made this point just a second ago, Jesse. I think the thing that really the press and the establishment hates so much is how broad this coalition is. They can’t believe that people like RFK and Tulsi Gabbard are in this coalition and in this cabinet, and it just reflects the breadth of President Trump’s mandate, the breadth of President Trump’s coalition,” Hawley said.

“This isn’t your typical cabinet and that’s as it should be. It reflects the winning majority coalition Donald Trump put together,” he added.

Watters then asked: “So is the president-elect burning up the phones? Is he making threats? I know some people are threatening primaries against some of these Republican senators if they don’t vote yes.”

“I think the president is absolutely weighing in. That’s my sense as I visited with him, that he’s calling people and saying, ‘Listen, give these people a shot.’ Don’t go out there and say, ‘I’m against him, I’m against her, I will never vote yes.’ Don’t say this stuff. Let them speak. Hear their views. I mean, at least let them go through the process and testify and support Trump. I mean, stand by him as he assembles a cabinet that reflects his agenda and it reflects the mandate that he’s gotten from the American people,” Hawley said.

“Yeah, I mean, these guys are all going to make their own call. I get it. I understand the politics of it. But if they go down in flames, a couple of these guys, as Trump gets inaugurated, you’re going to have the Republican Senate injure the incoming president politically, do damage to him politically, hurt him as he had momentum, and he hasn’t even deregulated the government, hasn’t cut anything, hasn’t even had any legislation passed. They’re just going to kneecap him out of the gate?” Watters asked the Republican lawmaker.

“Yeah, that’s exactly what we cannot afford, Jesse. This is a coalition that is a majority coalition. Let’s not lose sight of the fact. And this is my message to all of my colleagues: Let’s not lose sight of the fact that this is the leader of our party who just won a decisive victory in both the Electoral College and the popular vote. He deserves to have a cabinet that will implement his agenda and will deliver on the promises he made to the American people, and it’s the Senate’s job to help get him that cabinet. So let’s move forward here full steam ahead,” Hawley responded.

Watters concluded by saying: “Okay. Well, these are going to be some feisty hearings, and I think ‘Jesse Watters Primetime’ will be here to cover it in a fair way, because that’s all you can ask.”

“I think the president is absolutely weighing in. That’s my sense as I visited with him, that he’s calling people and saying, ‘Listen, give these people a shot.’ Don’t go out there and say, ‘I’m against him, I’m against her, I will never vote yes.’ Don’t say this stuff. Let them speak. Hear their views. I mean, at least let them go through the process and testify and support Trump. I mean, stand by him as he assembles a cabinet that reflects his agenda and it reflects the mandate that he’s gotten from the American people,” Hawley said.

“Yeah, I mean, these guys are all going to make their own call. I get it. I understand the politics of it. But if they go down in flames, a couple of these guys, as Trump gets inaugurated, you’re going to have the Republican Senate injure the incoming president politically, do damage to him politically, hurt him as he had momentum, and he hasn’t even deregulated the government, hasn’t cut anything, hasn’t even had any legislation passed. They’re just going to kneecap him out of the gate?” Watters asked the Republican lawmaker.

“Yeah, that’s exactly what we cannot afford, Jesse. This is a coalition that is a majority coalition. Let’s not lose sight of the fact. And this is my message to all of my colleagues: Let’s not lose sight of the fact that this is the leader of our party who just won a decisive victory in both the Electoral College and the popular vote. He deserves to have a cabinet that will implement his agenda and will deliver on the promises he made to the American people, and it’s the Senate’s job to help get him that cabinet. So let’s move forward here full steam ahead,” Hawley responded.

Watters concluded by saying: “Okay. Well, these are going to be some feisty hearings, and I think ‘Jesse Watters Primetime’ will be here to cover it in a fair way, because that’s all you can ask.”

OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.

A sizeable majority of registered voters approve of President-elect Donald Trump’s performance as he prepares for his second term in the White House, according to a new poll.

The Harvard CAPS/Harris poll found that 54% of respondents approve of Trump’s leadership, while 40% disapprove. The high approval rating is driven by strong support from 91% of Republicans, along with 49% of independents and 22% of Democrats who also expressed approval, The Hill reported this week.

The poll comes as President-elect Donald Trump transitions into office, set to be sworn in on January 20. He has announced several high-profile Cabinet nominations, including Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) for Secretary of State and Representative Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) for United Nations Ambassador. More controversial picks include former Representative Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) for Attorney General and Fox News host Pete Hegseth for Secretary of Defense.

The poll revealed that at least a plurality of respondents approve of Trump’s performance across most age groups, with a majority among those aged 18 to 24, 25 to 34, 35 to 44, and 45 to 54. Among those aged 55 to 64, more approve than disapprove, while a slight majority of respondents aged 65 and older expressed disapproval, the outlet added, citing the results.

Trump’s 54% approval rating as president-elect is 12 points higher than the 42% approval for President Biden, according to the same poll. Biden’s rating has remained consistent in recent months, and for some months before he dropped his reelection bid in July, his approval rating dipped into the upper 30s. Vice President Kamala Harris, meanwhile, consistently polled even lower than Biden.

During his presidency, Trump’s approval rating in Gallup surveys never reached 50%, peaking at 49% on a few occasions. Pollster Mark Penn emphasized the importance of this latest poll for Trump’s ability to govern effectively in his second term.

“It’s a good start. He is above 50 in job approval so far — it will be important for him to stay above that level to govern effectively,” Penn told The Hill.

Approval of the Republican Party saw a slight increase, rising from 46% last month to 49% this month, while approval for the Democratic Party declined from 47% to 44%. Meanwhile, just over a quarter of voters (26%) believe the country is on the right track, marking a 4-point drop from October.

With just 62 days remaining in office, Biden already appears to be winding down his term.

On Monday, the commander-in-chief was notably absent from the traditional group photo at the final Group of 20 (G20) summit of his presidency. Officials attributed the no-show to a timing issue, though it marked a striking omission from the global gathering that took place in Brazil.

The 81-year-old President and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau arrived after the official group photo had already been taken. According to the Associated Press, other world leaders were seen mingling and chatting after posing for the picture, having smiled and exchanged warm gestures during the photo session.

The timing left Chinese President Xi Jinping prominently positioned at the center of the group of leaders, posed against the blue skies and waters of Rio de Janeiro. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, meanwhile, was less conspicuous, standing in the back row.

“A senior Biden administration official, who was not authorized to comment publicly, said Biden and other leaders missed the photo because of ‘logistical issues,’” the AP noted, adding: “Biden had intended to be part of the photo, but it occurred earlier than scheduled.”

Just days earlier, Biden made headlines when he appeared to wander off alone into the Amazon rainforest after delivering a speech on climate change at the COP29 summit in Brazil, Breitbart News reported.

A video of Biden walking away from the podium quickly went viral after being shared on social media. It didn’t take long for Hollywood celebrities—once among his most vocal supporters—to join in ridiculing the seemingly aimless actions of the 81-year-old leader.

Footage from Brazil. Biden, having finished his speech, simply turned around and went into the rainforest 🍌 pic.twitter.com/SdDPAl6CNL

— Katie Liane (@TheKaterPotater) November 18, 2024

OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.

President-elect Donald Trump is continuing to rapidly build out his next administration, nominating his former acting attorney general, Matthew Whitaker, to be the U.S. ambassador to NATO.

“Matt is a strong warrior and loyal Patriot, who will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended,” Trump said in a statement. “Matt will strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability – He will put AMERICA FIRST.”

Trump has consistently criticized NATO member countries for insufficient defense spending, correctly arguing that the U.S. bears an outsized burden while many European allies fail to contribute their fair share. His choice for ambassador is expected to champion this stance, which is likely to raise some concerns among NATO allies across the Atlantic.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday named Matt Whitaker, a former acting attorney general from his first presidency, as the U.S. ambassador to NATO, the cornerstone Western military alliance whose member countries Trump has criticized for not spending enough money on… pic.twitter.com/7eB3KVNLjj

— Voice of America (@VOANews) November 21, 2024

The president-elect has wasted no time in naming who he wants to appoint to various positions within his next administration after he’s sworn in on Jan. 20. Per CBS News, here is a list of nominations thus far:

• White House chief of staff: Susie Wiles
• Secretary of State: Marco Rubio
• Attorney General: Matt Gaetz
• Deputy attorney general: Todd Blanche
• HHS secretary: Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
• Office of Management and Budget Director: Russ Vought
• U.N. ambassador: Elise Stefanik
• “Border czar”: Tom Homan
• Defense Secretary: Pete Hegseth
• Secretary of Veterans Affairs: Doug Collins
• National security adviser: Michael Waltz
• Interior Secretary: Doug Burgum
• Secretary of Energy: Chris Wright
• Secretary of Transportation: Sean Duffy
• Secretary of Commerce: Howard Lutnick
• Secretary of Education: Linda McMahon
• White House counsel: William McGinley
• U.S. Ambassador to NATO: Matthew Whitaker
• Secretary of Homeland Security: Kristi Noem
• CIA director: John Ratcliffe
• Director of National Intelligence: Tulsi Gabbard
• EPA administrator: Lee Zeldin
• Solicitor general: Dean John Sauer
• FCC chairman: Brendan Carr
• Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator: Dr. Mehmet Oz
• U.S. Ambassador to Israel: Mike Huckabee
• U.S. ambassador to Canada: Pete Hoekstra
• U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York: Jay Clayton
• Department of Government Efficiency: Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy
• Deputy chief of staff: Dan Scavino
• Deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security adviser: Stephen Miller
• Deputy chief of staff for Legislative, political and public affairs: James Blair
• Deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel: Taylor Budowich
• Presidential Personnel Office head: Sergio Gor
• White House communications director: Steven Cheung
• White House press secretary: Karoline Leavitt

Most of those nominees will have to be approved by the Senate. Meanwhile, Republicans are holding on to a small majority in the House, though reports Wednesday said Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur claimed victory, securing her 22nd term in the U.S. House of Representatives after a tightly contested race in Ohio’s 9th Congressional District.

The Associated Press called the race at 1:02 p.m. EST, declaring Kaptur the winner over Republican state Rep. Derek Merrin. With nearly all precincts reporting, Kaptur edged out Merrin with 48.27% of the vote to his 47.63%, a margin of just 2,382 votes.

Libertarian candidate Tom Pruss drew approximately 4% of the vote, further narrowing the competition but more than likely taking votes away from Merrin.

As the longest-serving woman in House history, Kaptur celebrated her victory in a district significantly reshaped by recent redistricting, making it one of the most competitive in the country. Her re-election preserves a Democratic hold on the seat, even as Republicans strengthen their majority in the House.

Derek Merrin, a fourth-term state representative and a strong ally of President-elect Donald Trump, mounted a formidable challenge in a campaign defined by sharp contrasts. With the race now settled, Democrats hold 213 seats in the House, while Republicans, bolstered by gains in other districts, have secured a narrow majority with 218 seats.

At 78, Kaptur was regarded as one of the most vulnerable incumbents in this year’s congressional races. Her campaign for Ohio’s 9th Congressional District was among the most expensive, with total spending surpassing $23 million, according to OpenSecrets, a nonpartisan organization monitoring campaign finances.