Trump decide for DEA walks away from job as Hegseth scandals threaten protection function: Live

On Sunday night, Biden announced he had granted his son clemency for “offenses against the United States which he has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 1, 2014 through December 1, 2024.”

Presidents can grant clemency, including both pardons (forgiving federal criminal offenses) and commutations (reducing penalties) for federal convictions. Presidents cannot pardon those convicted of state crimes.

So what does the president’s pardon cover?

Far-right provocateur and pardoned felon Dinesh D’Souza has issued an apology over false accusations he made in his 2022 election conspiracy theory movie 2000 Mules, acknowledging that his claims about illegal “ballot trafficking” during the 2020 presidential election were misleading and inaccurate.

In a lengthy statement posted to his website on Sunday, D’Souza said that his movie — which asserts that “mules” were paid to fraudulently deposit harvested ballots in swing states — had relied on “cell phone geolocation data” provided by conservative non-profit group True the Vote. That data, D’Souza noted, had turned out to be false.

Justin Barangoa reports.

Following his exit from Trump’s first administration, the right-wing operative has benefited from his close association with the president-elect.

In particular, Patel has flogged a suite of products aimed at the MAGA crowd, bringing in hundreds of thousands of dollars from Trump-aligned businesses.

Here’s a look at his MAGA merchandise ventures:

Sheriff Chad Chronister, Donald Trump’s pick to serve as Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration has withdrawn himself from consideration for the role.

He wrote on X: “To have been nominated by President-Elect @realDonaldTrump to serve as Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration is the honor of a lifetime. Over the past several days, as the gravity of this very important responsibility set in, I’ve concluded that I must respectfully withdraw from consideration. There is more work to be done for the citizens of Hillsborough County and a lot of initiatives I am committed to fulfilling. I sincerely appreciate the nomination, outpouring of support by the American people, and look forward to continuing my service as Sheriff of Hillsborough County.”

Mike Bedigan reports.

Donald Trump’s attorneys are calling on the judge overseeing his hush money case to toss it altogether, pointing to President Joe Biden’s pardon of his son Hunter, and raising the idea that presidential “immunity” should apply to the president-elect.

The “disruptions to the institution of the Presidency violate the Presidential immunity doctrine because they threaten the functioning of the federal government,” attorneys wrote in a 72-page filing made public on Tuesday.

Alex Woodward has the details.