PBS News Hour - Politics

President-elect Donald Trump's new pick to lead his administration's Department of Justice is receiving a much warmer reception on Capitol Hill and within his party. Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi's nomination came just hours after his first choice - scandal-plagued former Congressman Matt Gaetz - withdrew his name from consideration. Laura Barron Lopez has more on Bondi's background. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Among President-elect Trump's promises for his second term is a pledge to slash federal spending. He appointed Elon Musk, the world's richest man, and Vivek Ramaswamy, a biotech company founder, to run an advisory commission. This week, the pair said they're aiming to cut $500 million in annual spending, but there are big questions about that. Amna Nawaz discussed more with Maya MacGuineas. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

New York Times columnist David Brooks and Washington Post associate editor Jonathan Capehart join Amna Nawaz to discuss the week in politics, including President-elect Trump's initial pick to serve as attorney general backs out of consideration and other controversies surrounding Trump's potential Cabinet. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz has withdrawn from the running as Donald Trump's pick for attorney general. Sexual misconduct allegations against Gaetz fueled intense scrutiny, threatening his chances of being confirmed. Laura Barrón-López reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

With Republicans winning the White House and both chambers of Congress, there's been much discussion within the Democratic Party about what went wrong and what it should do to win back voters. Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio is one of the incumbents who came up short this year and has argued the party needs to do more to champion the issues of the working class. He joined Amna Nawaz to discuss more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

As President-elect Trump prepares for a return to the White House, the aides and allies running his transition team have avoided many of the rules guiding the process. So far, the transition has not collaborated with the General Services Administration, the government agency tasked with handing power from one administration to the next. Laura Barrón-López discussed more with Max Stier. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

President elect-Trump's controversial pick for attorney general, former Congressman Matt Gaetz, met with Republican senators on Capitol Hill Wednesday. The meetings come amid mounting pressure on the House Ethics Committee to release a report looking into several allegations against Gaetz, including sexual misconduct. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Claudia Grisales of NPR. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The House Ethics Committee largely operates in secret. Democrats and Republicans are equally represented on the panel regardless of which party is in power. They conduct investigations behind closed doors and generally avoid sharing details outside of finalized reports. The probe of former Rep. Gaetz is straining those norms. Amna Nawaz discussed more with committee member Rep. Mark DeSaulnier. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

President-elect Trump's pick of Linda McMahon as Secretary of Education is already raising alarm bells among critics who feel the role should go to someone with more experience in education. But it has also been met with praise by supporters of parental rights and school choice. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Jon Valant of the Brown Center on Education Policy at the Brookings Institution. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

President-elect Trump has named two more people to his administration: investment banker Howard Lutnick as commerce secretary and Dr. Mehmet Oz to head the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The noted TV personality and heart surgeon will oversee programs that provide health care coverage to about half of all Americans. Amna Nawaz discussed more with Lev Fasher of STAT News. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders