Trump delivers first rally-style speech since election win as he threatens to retake Panama Canal: Live

Donald Trump has named the producer behind The Apprentice as his special envoy to the UK.

The president-elect said Mark Burnett would bring “a unique blend of diplomatic acumen and international recognition” to the role.

British producer Mr Burnett helped build Mr Trump’s profile but distanced himself from the tycoon during the 2016 presidential contest.

Announcing the envoy role, Mr Trump said: “It is my great honor to appoint Mark Burnett as the special envoy to the United Kingdom.

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Republicans are calling for Elon Musk to be the new speaker of the House amid contentious negotiations over a spending deal to avoid a government shutdown.

“The Speaker of the House need not be a member of Congress . . . Nothing would disrupt the swamp more than electing Elon Musk,” Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky wrote on X on Thursday. “Think about it . . . nothing’s impossible (not to mention the joy at seeing the collective establishment, aka ‘uniparty,’ lose their ever-lovin’ minds).”

Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia also piped in on X: “DOGE can only truly be accomplished by reigning in Congress to enact real government efficiency. The establishment needs to be shattered just like it was yesterday. This could be the way.”

Josh Marcus has the full story.

Trump accused Panama of “ripping off” American vessels by charging “exorbitant prices” to use the vital waterway that acts as a shortcut linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

Without it, ships would be forced to sail a much farther distance around South America’s rocky Cape Horn.

Trump was referring to the 1977 treaty over the canal’s status, which transferred control of the canal from the U.S. to Panama at the end of the 20th century.

President-elect Donald Trump’s team has snapped back at claims that Elon Musk is running the show after the billionaire played a significant role in tanking a spending bill that would have averted a government shutdown.

“Stop the steal of your tax dollars!” Musk wrote on his social media platform X that he threatened funded primary challenges against anyone who voted for the budget deal, a threat Trump later echoed in a post of his own.

The optics that Musk is pulling the strings have prompted Trump’s incoming White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, to hit back about who is really in charge.

Wielding his influence on the social media platform he owns, X, Musk sent out more than 150 posts urging Republicans to break from the bill backed by the current Speaker of the House Mike Johnson.

Ariana Baio reports.

After the debacle in Congress this week, all eyes are now on Mike Johnson ahead of a vote in two weeks as to whether he should stay on as Speaker.

Earlier this week we reported he could be challenged for the speaker’s chair in the new year as Republican critics draw up a list of potential replacements.

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Lara Trump dropped out of the running for the Senate on Saturday evening, teasing a “big announcement” to come in January.

“After an incredible amount of thought, contemplation, and encouragement from so many, I have decided to remove my name from consideration for the United States Senate,” Trump shared in a post on X.

“I do have a big announcement that I’m excited to share in January, so, stay tuned,” she added.

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Democratic Rep. Dan Goldman of New York suggested Thursday night that Elon Musk would provide President-elect Donald Trump with a “windfall” if the incoming commander-in-chief does the bidding of the X owner.

The Tesla CEO was successful in his efforts to take down a continuing resolution that was set to allow the government to remain funded through Christmas, forcing Speaker Mike Johnson back to the drawing board.

Musk tweeted against the bill Wednesday before Trump did the same, pushing for it to be voted down. Speaker Mike Johnson then withdrew the bill before introducing a shorter version Thursday which was rejected even as it was backed by both Musk and Trump.

Gustaf Kilander reports.

Trump accused Panama of “ripping off” American vessels by charging “exorbitant prices” to use the vital waterway that acts as a shortcut linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

Without it, ships would be forced to sail a much farther distance around South America’s rocky Cape Horn.

Trump was referring to the 1977 treaty over the canal’s status, which transferred control of the canal from the U.S. to Panama at the end of the 20th century.

It was hailed as one of President Jimmy Carter’s greatest accomplishments, but Trump slammed the 39th president for “foolishly giving it away for one dollar.”

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