WASHINGTON — This week in Washington was marked by the horrific and tragic midair collision between an Army Blackhawk and an American Airlines plane over the Potomac and the rollout and retraction by the Trump administration of a temporary freeze on government funding to states, local governments and non-profit organizations.

The freeze on $3 trillion worth of government programs provoked chaos and panic and was reversed after a group of non-profits procured a court-mandated stay. But the effort to cut off federal funds continues.

Trump’s Office of Management and Budget said it is conducting a review of 2,600 federal programs with an eye to singling out those that promote diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies, facilitate abortions or run afoul of any policy or activity Trump doesn’t like.

So, it’s highly likely the Trump administration will try to freeze government funding again, this time in a more surgical but still impactful manner.  And that attempt is likely to have to be defended in a federal court as it will be challenged as an illegal and unconstitutional impoundment by the executive branch of monies appropriated by Congress.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison joined 22 other Democratic attorneys general this week to sue to stop Trump’s initial attempt to freeze funding and is likely to continue to battle the issue in court.

Democratic members of Congress who are waging a public relations campaign against Trump’s attempt to eliminate programs, are also weighing a court challenge.

As far as the plane crash, President Trump blamed his Democratic predecessors – former Presidents Obama and Biden – and DEI policies for the disaster. But he provided no evidence to back up his allegations.

Meanwhile, fireworks broke out at several confirmation hearings this week, including one for Secretary of Health and Human Services nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

In a heated exchange, Sen. Tina Smith, D-MN, brought up Kennedy’s comments against the use of antidepressants, particularly among younger Americans, and his stated link of these anti-depressants to school shooters.

“In fact, most school shooters were not treated for anti-depressants,” she said.

Kennedy said he was talking about many factors that contributed to the shootings and that anti-depressant medications such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), have serious side effects and need more research.

“I just want to have good science,” he said.

Smith told Kennedy that when she was younger, she was treated with an SSRI medication, therapy and other options to live a happier life. She said RFK Jr.’s comments stigmatized those suffering from depression.

“And I’m very concerned that this is another example of your record of sharing false and misleading information that actually really hurts people,” Smith said.

From DFL to DNC?

Minnesota DFL Chairman Ken Martin has helped many candidates during his career in politics, but now he’s on the ballot on Saturday as the Democratic National Committee elects a new chairman.

While there are a number of Democrats vying for the job, including failed presidential candidate Marianne Williamson and former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, the race is considered a two-person battle between Martin and Ben Wikler, the chairman of the Wisconsin Democratic Party.

Candidates have differed a little on nuts-and-bolts issues.

There’s been unanimity among the candidates that, after November’s devastating defeat at the ballot box, there is  an urgent need to improve the Democratic party’s brand, especially among working-class voters and the nation’s labor unions.

However,  Wikler, 43,  is known for his fundraising prowess, which likely played a part in his ability to win endorsements from big names in the Democratic Party, including Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Martin, meanwhile, has been promoting his winning strategy in Minnesota, where the DFL has won every statewide election since he was elected chairman of the state party in 2011.

Martin, 51, has spent his whole life in Democratic politics, and was a senior at Eden Prairie High School when he joined Paul Wellstone’s campaign for U.S. Senate.

He says he has secured commitments from about 200 of the 448 party officials who will cast a vote Saturday at the Gaylord National Resort in Oxon Hill, Md., a suburb of Washington, D.C.

Whoever wins that election will replace outgoing DNC chairman Jaime Harrison and take over a party that’s in crisis and has no obvious leader. The party has also failed to coalesce around a strategy to address the problems that cost them electoral losses in November and has no unified strategy to stop President Trump’s agenda.

In case you missed it:

Reporter Peter Callaghan explained why gridlock continues in the state House – and now in the state Senate and when a resolution to the problems brought by GOP electoral wins in November and other unexpected occurrences could be resolved.

After U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has dropped its policy against entering schools and churches to detain immigrants, reporter Winter Keefer looked at policies the St. Paul and Minnesota school districts are adopting to protect their students.

A new, expanded travel ban is in the works thanks to one of the many executive orders President Trump signed this past week. Similar to the “Muslim ban” that he established in his first term in office, this new travel ban will impact Minnesota’s Somali population and many foreign students who want to attend college in the state – and even some who are already attending classes.

Your questions and comments

A reader reacted to a story about migrants, both undocumented and with permission to work and live temporarily in the United States, who work on Minnesota farms and ranches, and their fates under the new Trump administration.

One reader wrote: “I’ve been wondering about the ag (agricultural) industry, and how you’d think it would have been OBVIOUS to it/them that Trump’s deportation plans would kneecap their businesses, yet there was no huge swell of (Kamala) Harris support from them. Nary a peep, as far as I could tell!”

Please keep your comments, and any questions, coming. I’ll try my best to respond. Please contact me at aradelat@minnpost.com.

Ana Radelat

Ana Radelat is MinnPost’s Washington, D.C. correspondent. You can reach her at aradelat@minnpost.com or follow her on Twitter at @radelat.

The post D.C. Memo: Tragic crash in D.C. and funding freeze falls apart appeared first on MinnPost.

WASHINGTON — The first Trump administration threatened to take federal money, mainly policing funds from states, counties and cities that they deemed “sanctuaries” for undocumented immigrants.

President Trump wants to do that again, but his new administration has upped the ante. Officials at the Justice Department this week have told federal prosecutors across the nation to investigate any official who defies efforts to deport undocumented aliens. The U.S. attorneys were ordered to prosecute those officials on charges that could send them to prison.

The Washington Post first reported that the Justice Department has issued a memo referencing a “newly established Sanctuary Cities Enforcement Working Group,” which will work within the Justice Department to “take legal action” against state and local policies that clash with the administration’s immigration enforcement goal.

At the center of the dispute is how state and local officials respond to requests from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to hold detained immigrants so federal agents could pick them up for deportation. The requests to keep these immigrants incarcerated are known as “detainers.”

Some jurisdictions refuse to comply with detainers because they say civil immigration enforcement is the role of the federal government, not state and local law authorities.

ICE considers Anoka, Dakota, Hennepin and Ramsey counties as “sanctuary counties” because they decline to hold non-citizens on ICE detainers. But a key Trump adviser has expanded the definition of sanctuary counties in the state to include 12 Minnesota counties.

America First Legal, a conservative organization founded Stephen Miller,  who is now White House chief of staff, sent warning letters to 249 elected officials across the country in December, including those in Anoka, Cottonwood, Dakota, Hennepin, Jackson, Kandiyohi, Lincoln, Lyon, Nobles, Pipestone, Ramsey and Wantowan counties. The letters warned the officials they could face prosecution if they failed to detain immigrants for ICE.

“We have identified your jurisdiction as a sanctuary jurisdiction that is violating federal law,” the letter said. “Such lawlessness subjects you and your subordinates to significant risk of criminal and civil liability. Accordingly, we are sending this letter to put you on notice of this risk and insist that you comply with our nation’s laws.”

Minnesota’s Department of Public Safety declined to answer questions about the state’s detainer policy.

But Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison on Thursday joined his blue-state counterparts in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont in sending a joint statement blasting the memo that threatened local officials.

“It is well-established — through longstanding Supreme Court precedent — that the U.S. Constitution prevents the federal government from commandeering states to enforce federal laws,” the attorneys general wrote. “While the federal government may use its own resources for federal immigration enforcement, the court ruled in Printz v. United States that the federal government cannot ‘impress into its service — and at no cost to itself — the police officers of the 50 States.’”

The statement also said “this balance of power between the federal government and state governments is a touchstone of our American system of federalism.”

During Trump’s first administration, the Justice Department sought to withhold federal funding from jurisdictions deemed as sanctuaries to pressure them to abandon their policies. But – after a string of lawsuits – just a few federal grants were conditioned on cooperation with ICE.

Trump again tried to withhold money from “sanctuary” jurisdictions this week through an executive order he signed on Tuesday. A federal judge in San Francisco promptly blocked the order nationwide, arguing it unlawfully withheld federal funds from cities and counties.

Trump unleashed a torrent of other executive orders this week aimed at curbing immigration and speeding the deportation of undocumented immigrants. One would end the constitutional guarantee that all children born in this country have the right to U.S. citizenship by barring the children of undocumented immigrants from that status. That executive order has also been blocked temporarily by a federal judge.

Hegseth confirmation likely 

It looks like controversial Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth is on the verge of confirmation.

The Senate on Thursday advanced Hegseth’s nomination on a 51-49 vote, despite an affidavit this week from the candidate’s former sister-in-law that alleged he was emotionally abusive to his ex-wife, at one time causing her to hide in a closet for her safety, and had a history of drunken and aggressive behavior.

Two Republicans, Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine, joined all Democrats in voting against the nomination on the procedural vote that allows Hegseth’s confirmation vote to occur as early as Friday. But there would have to be an additional two GOP defections to block the nominee and that’s not likely.

Hegseth, a Minnesota native, admitted during his confirmation hearing that he was “not a perfect person” but he vigorously denied the allegation that he sexually assaulted a woman in 2017 or that he mismanaged the finances of two veterans’ groups he ran before joining Fox News in 2014.

But the nominee has admitted to having adulterous affairs.

That seemed to concern Murkowski, who said in a lengthy post that “while the allegations of sexual assault and excessive drinking do nothing to quiet my concerns, the past behaviors Mr. Hegseth has admitted to, including infidelity on multiple occasions, demonstrate a lack of judgment that is unbecoming of someone who would lead our armed forces.”

“The leader of the Department of Defense must demonstrate and model the standards of behavior and character we expect of all servicemembers, and Mr. Hegseth’s nomination to the role poses significant concerns that I cannot overlook. … I regret that I am unable to support Mr. Hegseth,” Murkowski wrote.

The affidavit by former sister-in-law Danielle Hegseth, who was married to the nominee’s brother, said “I believe Hegseth to be an erratic, volatile person with an alcohol abuse problem.”

She also said Hegseth’s former wife, Samantha, at times feared for her safety and had a code word if she needed help to get away from her husband. The affidavit was requested by the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island.

Hegseth’s attorney, Tim Parlatore said Hegseth denies the new allegations and that they are a product of a vindictive former sister-in-law who divorced his brother.

In case you missed it:

• A new president and a new Congress gives a boost to Rep. Pete Stauber’s efforts to help usher in cobalt and nickel mining in the Iron Range.
• Peter Callaghan explains how the DFL committed “unforced errors” that cost the party its majorities in the state legislature.
• Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and the city’s police department are pushing back on Trump administration threats to a new consent decree aimed at reforming the Minneapolis police after the killing of George Floyd.

Your questions and comments

A reader commented on the decision to move Donald Trump’s inauguration to inside the U.S. Capitol due to frigid temperatures. That vastly limited those who could attend the swearing in.

“Moved inside?!?! A lot of people will stay home rather than stand out in the cold looking at the front of the Capitol building. How will DJT be able to brag about his inauguration crowd size?,” the reader wrote.

Another reader doubted Minnesotans would have special interest in Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth just because he was born and raised in the state.

“Humans without virtue, character or other redeeming quality have been raised in every jurisdiction, even in the Twin Cities. Mr. Hegseth (like every other Trump nominee and, obviously, Trump himself) would be laughed out of the hearing room in any decent society that takes seriously the stewardship of human civilization. Please don’t believe that we all have an interest in him just because he is a native son,” the reader wrote.

Please keep your comments, and any questions, coming. I’ll try my best to respond. Please contact me at aradelat@minnpost.com.

Ana Radelat

Ana Radelat is MinnPost’s Washington, D.C. correspondent. You can reach her at aradelat@minnpost.com or follow her on Twitter at @radelat.

The post D.C. Memo: Trump Justice Department threatens to prosecute ‘sanctuary’ jurisdiction officials in Minnesota appeared first on MinnPost.

WASHINGTON — Monday’s 60^th inauguration of a U.S. president, which will again be Donald Trump, will be a day of pomp and circumstance with plenty of tradition — but also some new twists.

And although there will be Minnesotans in the crowd that Park Police estimate will be about 250,000, as well as on the platform that has been built on the west front of the U.S. Capitol to host the swearing-in, some notable people from the state will not be attending.

They include Rep. Betty McCollum, D-4^th District, who plans to honor Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which also falls on Monday, by instead attending activities to honor the civil rights leader in the Twin Cities.

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-5^th District, will also honor MLK in her district instead of attending the inauguration in Washington.

Other Minnesota lawmakers plan to attend, however, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar will play a role in Trump’s swearing in. As chair of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Activities, the Democrat will make brief remarks before Trump places his hand on a Bible and takes his oath to serve the United States.

Like McCollum and Omar, former First Lady Michelle Obama has said she’s going to skip Trump’s inauguration. But former Presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush are expected to attend.

The swearing in and other inaugural activities will occur outside on what is expected to be one of the coldest days this year in Washington — a chill that will test the fortitude of those who undergo unprecedented security measures and wait for hours for the ceremony to commence.

A cold inauguration day — and it was held in March, not January — was said to have claimed the life of the ninth U.S. president, William Henry Harrison, who died of pneumonia about three weeks after he gave his inaugural address in frigid weather without the protection of a hat or coat.  

Despite Harrison’s death, inauguration day was moved to an even colder month, January, in 1933 to shorten the period a “lame duck” president served if he did not win reelection the previous November.

Rep. Pete Stauber, R-8^th District, who has invited a group of family and friends to attend the inaugural, shrugged off reports of frigid weather, saying it would have little effect on his guests from Minnesota.

“It will be just another Monday,” Stauber said as far as the expected deep freeze.

Over the years, a basic pattern of activities has been established. Around noon, the president is sworn in on a platform at the U.S. Capitol by the Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court — in this case, Justice John Roberts. After taking the brief, 35-word oath of office, the new president gives an inaugural address, then hosts a lunch for congressional leaders in the U.S. Capitol.

Trump has also said he’s going to buckle down to work after that lunch, pledging to sign a flurry of executive orders on issues ranging from border security to gas and oil production on his first day as president.

These executive orders, many of which are expected to be challenged in federal courts, will overshadow the festivities, which will feature a parade down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House and an evening of gala festivities.

Yet the inaugural activities begin several days before Trump is sworn in, and he has put his imprimatur on them.

Inaugural events will kick off Saturday with a celebration that includes fireworks and a reception at Trump National Golf Club, the president-elect’s golf club in northern Virginia.

On Sunday, Trump plans to visit the Arlington National Cemetery, where he generated flak this summer by filming a campaign commercial among the graves. This time, Trump plans to place a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

He also plans a rally in the downtown arena that is best known for hosting the Washington Capitals hockey games, which Trump has dubbed the “Make America Great Again Victory Rally.”

And in the evening, Trump plans to make a speech at a “candlelight dinner,” a black tie affair at the National Building Museum where donors and lobbyists will be able to have access to the president-elect if they pay at least $250,000 to the inaugural committee or a Trump-aligned political action committee.

There will be at least 15 unofficial balls over the weekend and Monday evening. They range from the long-running Texas State Society’s Black Tie & Boots ball to a new one called the Crypto Ball. Minnesotans usually celebrate at a ball sponsored by several Midwestern states, but Stauber said that could not be arranged this year.

Trump has committed to attending only three official balls: the Commander in Chief Ball, the Liberty Inaugural Ball — which Stauber and other lawmakers plan to attend — and the Starlight Ball. All of the official balls will be held Monday evening and Trump is expected to make remarks at each.

New jobs, and reappointments to old ones

This week several Minnesota lawmakers received new jobs in Congress.

Freshman Rep. Kelly Morrison, D-3^rd District, was assigned to seats on the House Small Business Committee and the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Morrison’s husband John is a veteran.

Also this week, Rep. Tom Emmer, R-6^th District, a cryptocurrency enthusiast, was appointed vice chair of the House Financial Services’ Digital Assets Subcommittee. Emmer has frequently criticized federal agencies for their perceived hostility toward crypto and has been a constant critic of Securities and Exchange Commissioner Gary Gensler, whom the lawmaker has accused of regulatory overreach.

Meanwhile, Rep. Betty McCollum, D-4^th District, continues as the top Democrat on the House Appropriations panel that determines the Pentagon’s budget.

And Rep. Pete Stauber, R-8^th District, has been reappointed head of the House Natural Resources Committee with jurisdiction over energy and mineral resources.

ICYMI:

• Pete Hegseth was in the hot seat for more than four hours this week as the Senate Armed Services Committee considered his nomination for secretary of defense and emerged largely unscathed. Few policy questions were asked of the nominee, who drew fire from Democrats for his inexperience, an allegation of sexual assault and reports he mismanaged funds at two veterans groups he once headed. But Republicans on the panel lauded the nominee, who grew up in Forest Lake, Minnesota, and defended him against the reports of misconduct — and Hegseth’s own controversial writings.
• Minnesota’s state House was in turmoil this week, and Peter Callaghan explained why there’s an unprecedented battle over control of the chamber.
• Winter Keefer wrote about the efforts to turn empty commercial buildings into residential units, focusing on the New Groove Lofts at Northstar Center in downtown Minneapolis, a project that has set aside 44 apartments for tenants earning less than half of the median wage.

Your questions and comments

A reader weighed in on the nomination of Minnesotan Pete Hegseth for secretary of defense. He had some concerns.

“Hegseth denied heavy drinking, but claimed he will stop if confirmed. It is almost never that easy for problem drinkers,” the reader said. “It seems like among his red flags that are left out of most reports are his attempts to clear or pardon those found to have committed war crimes … In his first term, heavyweights talked Trump out of rash and illegal military actions, something Hegseth will never do.”

Please keep your comments, and any questions, coming. I’ll try my best to respond. Please contact me at aradelat@minnpost.com.

Ana Radelat

Ana Radelat is MinnPost’s Washington, D.C. correspondent. You can reach her at aradelat@minnpost.com or follow her on Twitter at @radelat.

The post Trump puts his stamp on second inauguration appeared first on MinnPost.

WASHINGTON — Ahead of his confirmation hearing next week, Democrats have taken aim at Pete Hegseth’s nomination for secretary of defense, complaining they have not received the results of an FBI background check and other materials they say are needed to vet the candidate.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee that will hold Tuesday’s confirmation hearing, wrote the GOP chair of the panel, Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., this week demanding information about Hegseth.

“I am deeply concerned that the Senate Armed Services Committee is considering the nomination of Pete Hegseth for this critically significant position without full information regarding his capacity and experience to lead our military and steward a budget of nearly $850 billion,” Blumenthal wrote.

Hegseth, a Minnesota native, National Guard veteran and former Fox News host, faces allegations of sexual misconduct, including the assault of a woman at a convention for California GOP women, and heavy drinking. He denies these and other allegations.

Yet his confirmation hearing is likely to focus most on his conduct as leader of two conservative veteran organizations, the Concerned Veterans of America and the Veterans for Freedom. Hegseth has been accused of financial mismanagement — including using the organization’s funds for personal use.

Blumenthal has been seeking information from those veteran organizations regarding what he called Hegseth’s “self-dealing.”

“I remain particularly disturbed about well-documented allegations of Mr. Hegseth’s serious financial abuse and gross misconduct as the Executive Director of V.F.F. from 2007 to 2011 and again as the Executive Director of CVA from 2013 to 2016,” Blumenthal wrote. “I do not see how this committee can, in good conscience, consider Mr. Hegseth’s nomination without a full review of his conduct while leading these organizations — the only civilian management experience of his career.”

A Senate aide said the Armed Services Committee has received from Hegseth a completed candidate questionnaire and his financial disclosure report. While Democrats and Republicans on the committee have had access to these documents, the aide said they will not be made public until after Tuesday’s hearing.

The Senate aide confirmed the committee had not as of Thursday received a report from the FBI on Hegseth’s background check.

Meanwhile, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., who is also a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, outlined 10 areas of concern in a letter to Hegseth this week that posed more than 70 questions.

Besides expressing concern over the allegations of drinking and sexual misconduct, Warren’s letter raised questions about Hegseth’s suggestions that women in the military play a more limited role and the nominee’s past skepticism about the need for U.S. troops to comply with laws of war.

She also said she wanted answers about the accusations of financial mismanagement of the veterans organizations he once led.

“Under your leadership at VFF, the organization ‘soon ran up enormous debt, and financial records indicate that, by the end of 2008, it was unable to pay its creditors,’” Warren wrote, citing a media report. “The primary donors of the VFF even became concerned that their money was being wasted on inappropriate expenses; there were rumors of parties that ‘could politely be called trysts.’”

Hegseth has spent weeks on Capitol Hill, meeting almost exclusively with Republican senators to lock down support for his nomination, and made another round of visits this week. CBS News has reported that new Senate Majority Leader John Thune has privately told Trump that Hegseth has the votes to be confirmed to head the Pentagon.

Hegseth has emerged as one of president-elect Donald Trump’s most controversial cabinet picks. But there will be other contentious hearings next week.

Former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum will also have a hearing to examine his nomination for Secretary of the Interior on Tuesday.

And former South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem’s confirmation hearing to become the next head of the Department of Homeland Security is scheduled for Wednesday.

Twin Metals goes to court

A federal court in Washington, D.C., on Monday will hear Twin Metals’ appeal of a lower court’s dismissal of a complaint that sought the renewal of two mining leases in a watershed for the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. 

The leases were renewed by the previous Trump administration and cancelled in January 2022 under President Joe Biden’s administration.

Twin Metals and subsidiary Franconia Metals sued the Interior Department over the revocation of its leases. Meanwhile, Friends of the Boundary Waters, the Wilderness Society and other environmental groups and Iron Range businesses involved in tourism sided with the U.S. government.

Before a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., attorneys for the federal government are expected to argue that the Interior Department had the authority to cancel the leases. Twin Metals is expected to argue that the cancellation of the leases was “specious” and the decision should be reversed.

Twin Metals said it could not comment on the case “as the litigation is ongoing.”

Becky Rom, chair of the Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters, said it’s difficult to successfully sue the U.S. government but that Twin Metals has an “aggressive case.”

“I can’t tell you what the court’s decision will be,” Rom said.

Saying farewell to Jimmy Carter

Former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral at the National Cathedral Thursday showed a rare display of presidential unity, with President-elect Donald Trump and presidents Joe Biden, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and George Bush all seated, most of them with their spouses, together in the front pews.

The somber event was also distinguished by eulogies, including one written by Carter’s former vice president, the late Walter Mondale, who penned the tribute about 10 years ago when Carter was diagnosed with brain cancer. Since Mondale died in 2021, son Ted Mondale did the honor.

Here’s an excerpt:

“Carter was a man of his word. I remember when we talked about his concept of the vice presidency. I told him that I would like to do it and I had only two requests. I wanted to make a real contribution and didn’t want to be embarrassed or humiliated as many of my predecessors had been in that office. He agreed, welcomed my full participation, directed his staff to treat me as they would him and, during our four years in the White House, he was very careful to protect me from the frustration, and too often humiliation, that had cursed the lives of many vice presidents. These were good years for Joan and me.”

ICYMI:

• There are a lot of questions about how the consent decree between the Justice Department and the Minneapolis Police Department would be implemented, but reporter Winter Keefer had a story about similar agreements in other cities.
• State government reporter Peter Callaghan wrote about the dysfunction in the Minnesota state House, a result of last year’s election and other things. The 2025 session starts next week.
• Also, Greater Minnesota reporter Ava Kian has a piece on the increasing reliance of Minnesota nursing homes on nurses and other care workers born in other countries.
• Finally, we looked at concerns in Minnesota, which is hoping to establish a pot industry, about President-elect Trump’s promises to implement pro-marijuana policies at the federal level.

Your questions and comments

One reader responded forcefully to a report that Bob Kroll, a former Minnesota police officer and former president of the Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis, is lobbying the Trump transition team for the job of U.S. Marshal.

“People must be made aware of the fact that Bob Kroll has been the cause of and the reason for the problems in the Minneapolis Police Department for decades,” the reader wrote.

Another reader lauded the swearing in last week of Minnesota’s newest member of Congress, Rep. Kelly Morrison, D-3^rd District.

“Dr. Morrison represented her constituents cordially in the Legislature and that carried over in her U.S. House campaign. But she stands her ground firmly on issues and will use facts, language, details, policy and opportunity, I think, more often than deals,” the reader said.

Please keep your comments, and any questions, coming. I’ll try my best to respond. Please contact me at aradelat@minnpost.com.

The post D.C. Memo: Dems readying for contentious hearing on Hegseth appeared first on MinnPost.

WASHINGTON — The new Congress that will convene Friday may get off to a rough start with the contentious vote for the leader of the U.S. House.

There’s no certainty Rep. Mike Johnson will win that election because several House Republicans say they are unsure if they want to reelect him as Speaker of the House, even after President-elect Donald Trump’s endorsement of the Louisiana Republican.

Due to the razor-thin majority the GOP will hold in the House, Johnson’s bid to remain speaker is doomed if  just two House Republicans vote for someone other than him.

Johnson’s greatest strength is that there is no clear alternative. Punchbowl News reported that House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota and Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, all want the job — just as they did in October of 2023 when a group of rebellious, hard-right GOP lawmakers ousted then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, plunging the House into chaos.

But each of those candidates failed to win enough support then and are likely to face the same obstacle now.

Trump is expected to get more involved in the speaker’s election. If there is no speaker by Jan. 6, the House can’t certify Trump’s Electoral College victory. So it’s in Trump’s interest to get a speaker quickly and Johnson may be his best bet as the incumbent.

Election boosts Minnesota women in Congress

The number of women representing Minnesota in the U.S. House grew from four to five with the resignation of former Rep. Dean Phillips and the election of Kelly Morrison, who will be sworn in Friday to represent the 3^rd Congressional District vacated by fellow Democrat Phillips.

In addition, Minnesota has two female U.S. senators, Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith.

But Minnesota’s trend is not apparent nationwide. According to Rutgers University’s Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP), 150 women will serve in the 119^th Congress, one fewer than the 151 women serving in the previous Congress.

Female representation in Congress will drop by one more when Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-New York, who has been nominated to serve as ambassador to the United Nations, resigns her seat.

“Election 2024 was essentially a stasis year for women’s representation, but after years of remarkable success, stasis can feel like a setback,” said CAWP Director Debbie Walsh in a statement.

Walsh also said “there’s more to this story” because women are nearing parity with male legislators in the Democratic Party in Congress and in most state legislatures, including Minnesota’s.

In the Minnesota Legislature, DFL women hold 52.5% of the seats while Republican women hold only 20.6%.

“To achieve gender parity in elected offices at every level, both parties must do the necessary, intentional work to recruit, support, and elect women,” Walsh said.

Schumer passes over Ken Martin

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said this week that he is endorsing Ben Wikler, the head of Wisconsin’s Democratic Party, to lead the Democratic National Committee, passing over Minnesota DFL Chair Ken Martin and a few other candidates.

Schumer is the highest-ranking Democrat to weigh in on the race so far. The election for a new DNC chairman will be held Feb. 1, with four candidate forums between now and then.

Besides Wikler and Martin, other hopefuls include former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, New York state Sen. James Skoufis and former Department of Homeland Security official Nate Snyder.

Kroll seeks Trump appointment

The Minnesota Star Tribune reported that Bob Kroll, the controversial former police union leader, is seeking President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination to be Minnesota’s next U.S. marshal.

In the days after the 2020 murder of George Floyd, Kroll, a veteran police officer who was then the head of the police union, defended the four officers who were accused and eventually convicted of killing Floyd.

He also criticized the city’s response to the unrest that followed, demanding the deployment of more Minnesota National Guard troops to quash the violence.

As part of a settlement of two lawsuits filed because of his conduct, Kroll agreed to a ban from serving as a law enforcement officer in three of the state’s most populous counties (Hennepin, Ramsey and Anoka) for 10 years.

But Kroll’s attorney issued a statement to the Star Tribune that said the settlement shouldn’t keep Kroll from joining a federal agency that is primarily tasked with tracking down fugitives and providing security for Minnesota’s federal courthouses and judges. A U.S. marshal also assists in asset forfeiture, witness protection and transporting federal inmates between prisons.

Minnesota’s current U.S. marshal is Eddie Frizell, a Biden appointee who in 2022 became the state’s first Black marshal.

Your questions and comments

A reader wrote in response to a story about the elevation of Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Rep. Angie Craig, D-2^nd District, to the jobs of top Democrats on the Senate and House agriculture committee.

“When Republicans will focus on the Trump-Musk billionaire bro agenda, Craig, Klobuchar, Walz and even Omar will be pushing for a strong ag bill and rural Minnesota economy,” the reader wrote. “Trump is wrong on every rural issue. Privatizing the Postal Service, not protecting deposits in rural banks, targeting the weather service and deporting the workforce? Trump at his dimmest.”

Please keep your comments, and any questions, coming. I’ll try my best to respond.

Ana Radelat

Ana Radelat is MinnPost’s Washington, D.C. correspondent. You can reach her at aradelat@minnpost.com or follow her on Twitter at @radelat.

The post D.C. Memo: Emmer again in mix for speaker, but obstacles remain appeared first on MinnPost.

WASHINGTON — A government shutdown was imminent Friday as Donald Trump, aided by billionaire Elon Musk, torpedoed a short-term budget bill negotiated by House Speaker Mike Johnson and Democrats and an alternative favored by the president-elect failed.  

After Musk flooded his platform X with calls to kill the compromise, which would have funded the federal government for three months, Johnson withdrew it from consideration for a much slimmer bill that did not include Democratic priorities but included a Trump priority – an increase in the nation’s debt ceiling.

But a vote late Thursday on that alternative failed, with 38 Republicans and nearly all Democrats voting against it. The prospect of a government shutdown a minute after midnight on Friday seemed imminent.

All of Minnesota’s Republican House members voted for the bill and all Democrats voted against the failed effort. 

On Friday morning, Johnson said he is working on another, last-minute attempt to stave off the shutdown. But he is not consulting Democrats whose votes he would need to push the legislation through Congress.

The chaos in these last few days of the 118th Congress revived threats among House GOP lawmakers to oust Johnson, R-Louisiana, when an election for that leadership role is held in January. Also revived: Whispers of replacing Johnson with Rep. Tom Emmer, R-6^th District – who has several times said that he’s not interested in the job.

The impact of a government shutdown would grow over time. In Minnesota about 17,000 federal workers would be affected. Some would work without pay, if they are considered “essential employees.” That includes the TSA agents on the job during the busiest travel season, members of the military and employees of federal prisons.

Most federal workers would be furloughed without pay. While Social Security checks would still be disbursed, those who work for the agency would not be available to process new applications and resolve problems.

And Minnesota companies with federal contracts – which account for billions of dollars in revenue every year – would find that their applications for new contracts are on hold. Some with existing contracts may find their payments have stopped until the federal government reopens.

The failed agreement with Democrats that Musk and Trump derailed, called a continuing resolution (CR) would have extended the 2018 farm bill for another year, given farmers and ranchers $10 billion in disaster aid, and increased payments for several programs in the federal agriculture safety net, benefitting Minnesota’s wheat, corn and soybean growers.

The new money for farmers and ranchers was promoted by GOP lawmakers. But to attract enough votes to pass, the CR also included Democratic initiatives, including a bill sponsored by Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Ted Cruz called the “Take it Down Act,” that would require social media companies and websites to remove non-consensual, pornographic images created with artificial intelligence, a phenomenon that has recently exploded.

The more than 1,500-page CR also contained a provision that would allow the sales of E15 year round and  give members of Congress, whose pay has been frozen since 2009, a cost-of -living raise in the amount of $6,600. Rank-and-file lawmakers currently earn $174,000 a year.

The proposed pay raise was torched on social media and condemned by GOP lawmakers. It was also opposed by some Democrats in “purple” districts, including Rep. Angie Craig, D-2^nd District.

The dysfunction in Congress has resulted in an inability to pass the 12 spending bills needed to fund all government agencies. So the government has been funded since Oct. 1 – the beginning of the federal fiscal year – through a CR that expires at midnight on Friday.

Efforts to avoid a shutdown were made more difficult by Trump’s insistence that the CR raise the debt limit, a move that stunned lawmakers.

Trump hailed the GOP’s latest effort to avoid a shutdown, which would lift the debt limit for two years.

Raising the debt limit allows the federal government to borrow more money to meet its obligations. The national debt is now about $36 trillion and efforts to lift the cap provokes widespread criticism.

Trump said he wants the debt limit to be raised now, while Joe Biden is president and not when he is in the White House. Without a hike in the debt limit, the federal government would end the ability to meet its obligations in May or June, roiling financial markets and likely leading to an economic depression.

Congress last raised the limit 18 months ago, after Republicans and Democrats agreed to suspend a cap on how much the government can borrow until after the 2024 presidential election to avoid a politically difficult vote during the campaign season.

But, with plans to push tax cuts and drastically increased border spending, Trump is concerned a spending cap will limit his ability to pursue his agenda.

Rep. Betty McCollum, D-4th District, a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee,  said “President-elect Trump is responsible for the impending shutdown.”

“We had a bipartisan agreement and a plan to keep the government open, but Elon Musk and President-elect Trump had their own idea – and it failed…” McCollum said.

She urged GOP leaders to “return to the original bipartisan agreement that Democrats and Republicans from both the House and Senate agreed upon to keep the government open for the American people.”

This and that

Sen. Amy Klobuchar was named the top Democrat on the Senate Agriculture Committee in the new Congress, which will shift to GOP control after November’s election.

The announcement of Klobuchar’s new job came Wednesday, the day after Rep. Angie Craig, D-2^nd District, was named the highest-ranking Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee.

While the Minnesota lawmakers will both be in the minority in the 119^th Congress, their position as top Democrats on the agricultural committees will give them some clout when Congress tries again to craft a new five-year farm bill.

Quinnipiac University released a poll this week that showed Minnesota native Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for Secretary of Defense, has little public support for his confirmation.

Only 33% of the respondents of this national poll said Hegseth should be confirmed, while 39% said he should not be confirmed and 28% said they hadn’t heard enough about him.

Another controversial pick, Robert Kennedy Jr., the nominee to head the Department of Health and Human Services, had more support – 44% said he should be confirmed. But 45 % said Kennedy should not be confirmed and only 9% said they hadn’t heard enough about the controversial candidate.

Kristi Noem, Trump’s choice for Secretary of Homeland Security and Kash Patel, the nominee to head the FBI, also had the support of only 33% of the poll’s respondents. Meanwhile, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, Trump’s choice for Secretary of State whose candidacy has created little controversy, won a majority of the respondents’ support, 53%.

Hegseth’s confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee is scheduled for Jan. 14 and expected to be contentious. The former Fox News host has been accused of sexually assaulting a woman in his hotel room in 2017 and has been subject to allegations of out-of-control drinking and mismanagement during his time as the head of two veteran organizations. Hegseth denies all allegations.

In case you missed it:

• Peter Callaghan wrote about a new caucus in the state Legislature called the Blue Dog Coalition created by moderate DFLers who seek better cooperation between Republicans and Democrats.
• Freelancer Brian Martucci has a story about how clean energy investments – which bring the state billions of dollars — are at risk in the incoming Trump administration.
• And, an increase in St. Paul property taxes has placed a focus on police overtime pay, reports Winter Keefer.
• You can also read more about Rep. Angie Craig’s election to be the top Democrat on the House ag committee in my story from earlier this week.

 Your questions and comments

A reader graciously said he liked our story about how Minnesota’s mining industry will get a boost in the second Trump administration, but he asked for more reporting on the state’s role in permitting the projects.

“Perhaps you can explore whether any of these projects will be operational in the next 4 years, in large part because more than the federal government is involved, i.e. Minnesota & the Native American tribes,” the reader wrote.

 Yes, we have every intention of doing so!

Another reader reacted to the planned resignation of FBI Director Christopher Wray after it was clear he would be forced out so Trump could appoint Kash Patel to the position.

“Wray did his job and Trump thinks he is above the law,” the reader wrote. “(Trump’s) claims of weaponizing the FBI to get him are false, but he plans to do exactly that with his appointment,” the reader said.

Please keep your comments, and any questions, coming. I’ll try my best to respond. Please contact me at aradelat@minnpost.com.

The post D.C. Memo: GOP scrambles to avoid a government shutdown; poll shows Pete Hegseth not very popular appeared first on MinnPost.

WASHINGTON — The persistence of Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s embattled pick to run the Pentagon, seems to be paying off.

The Minnesota native made the rounds of GOP Senate offices for the third week in a persistent campaign to save his nomination for defense secretary. His candidacy has been battered by media reports of sexual misconduct, alcohol abuse and mismanagement of the finances of veteran organizations he once headed.

But Hegseth has not flagged in his efforts to secure enough support for confirmation. 

One key visit was with Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee who — while stopping short of promising to support Hegseth — sent strong signals that she was favorably inclined.

“As I support Pete through this process, I look forward to a fair hearing based on truth, not anonymous sources,” Ernst said in a statement.

Other Republican senators also dropped some of their concerns about Hegseth, who has been accused of sexually assaulting a woman in his hotel room during a California Federation of Republican Women convention in October 2017. Hegseth has denied this — and all other — allegations.

The change of heart among some GOP senators this week followed Trump’s public endorsement of the candidate last Friday. That touched off a social media-fueled effort to target wavering Republican senators — especially Ernst, who was trolled as a RINO (Republican In Name Only) and subjected to false stories about her divorce.

“Bongino Army, I need you,” right-wing Trump podcaster Dan Bongino posted on X. “I’m only one man. You, however, number in the millions. We need to send a strong, direct, unequivocal message to @SenJoniErnst that her efforts to sabotage Pete Hegseth are a redline. We are ALL watching. And we will NOT forget.”

Predictive betting website Polymarket (which accurately predicted Trump would win the presidential election) on Wednesday put Hegseth’s odds of being confirmed at 71%, a surge from a low point of 11% on Dec. 4. 

Those low betting odds were a result of a devastating New Yorker story about Hegseth’s alleged behavior as the head of two Koch-funded veteran organizations and reports that Trump was considering Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as a replacement for Hegseth as his choice for secretary of defense.

On Wednesday, Polymarket predicted DeSantis had only a 16% chance of winning that job.

No red wave

While Donald Trump decisively won the electoral college, he only won a  narrow plurality of the popular vote — 49.81% to Kamala Harris’ 48.33%.

In addition, Republican wins in Congress were limited. 

While the GOP wrested control of the Senate from Democrats, the 53 seats in that chamber they will hold in the next Congress is fewer than many political analysts predicted and fewer than the 60 needed to break a filibuster.

Meanwhile in the House, the GOP kept its majority, barely. There will be 220 GOP seats and 215 Democratic seats when the 119^th Congress is gaveled in on Jan. 3, but two GOP lawmakers will resign their seats to be  confirmed to jobs in the Trump administration (New York’s Elise Stefanik and Florida’s Michael Waltz) while a third, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, has said he will not serve although he was reelected.

So, the breakdown in the House would fall to 217-215 until special elections are held to fill those GOP vacancies, posing a problem for House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., in his early attempts to win approval for an ambitious “first 100-days” agenda.

That narrow margin will also be a challenge to Minnesota Rep. Tom Emmer, R-6^th District, who as GOP whip is tasked with rounding up votes for that agenda.

David Wasserman of the Cook Political Report said this week that the House majority was decided by just 7,309 votes across three districts — one each in Iowa, Colorado and Pennsylvania — out of 148 million votes cast for House candidates nationwide.

“The Republicans are overstating their election victory,” said lobbyist and former Minnesota GOP congressman Vin Weber at a University of Minnesota panel on Trump’s nominees.

You can’t fire me — I quit 

FBI Director Christopher Wray’s announcement this week that he would resign at the end of Joe Biden’s presidency was expected, but still created discord.

Seven years into a 10-year term, Wray resigned before President-elect Donald Trump, who wants to replace the FBI director with Kash Patel, could fire him.

A 10-year term for FBI directors was established to insulate the law enforcement agency from political influence from the occupant of the White House and a mid-term resignation is rare. But Trump, who replaced former FBI director James Comey with Wray, has long accused Wray’s FBI of unfairly targeting him.

“Under the leadership of Christopher Wray, the FBI illegally raided my home, without cause, worked diligently on illegally impeaching and indicted me, and has done everything else to interfere with the success and future of America,” Trump said in a statement that celebrated the resignation.

Wray announced his plans at a town hall with the FBI employees Wednesday afternoon.

“In my view, this is the best way to avoid dragging the Bureau deeper into the fray, while reinforcing the values and principles that are so important to how we do our work,” he told his colleagues.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee that will hold a hearing on Patel’s confirmation, said Wray had “dedicated his life to law enforcement” and stressed his bipartisan support, something that may elude Patel.  

“The motto of the FBI is ‘Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity’ and those words perfectly describe Christopher Wray,” Klobuchar said in a statement. “Appointed by President Trump to lead the FBI and overwhelmingly confirmed by the Senate, he has earned the support and respect of lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.”

ICYMI:

• Ava Kian and I wrote about Donald Trump’s pledge to reverse a moratorium on mining in Superior National Forest near the famed Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
• Amelia Roessler reported on how Gen Z uses social media to stay informed – and sometimes misinformed – and how this phenomena played out in the elections.
• Peter Callaghan had a story about a decision by the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management to cancel the special license lottery for social equity applicants and instead move toward a lottery next year for both social equity and general applicants.

Your questions and comments

A reader wrote about former Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman’s recent role as Pete Hegseth’s “sherpa” – his guide to key Senate offices in the last few weeks.

“I was surprised to learn that Norm Coleman was back in business on Capitol Hill,” the reader said. “You may or may not be aware of his DFL credentials in Minnesota before switching to the Republican party in Minnesota to avoid competition with Skip Humphrey for party endorsements in the 1980s. So much for one’s deeply held beliefs.” 

Another reader also commented about Hegseth’s nomination for secretary of defense.

“The sleaze factor is off the charts,” the reader said. “I came of age during Kent State and Watergate, but I’ve never been more chagrined to be an American.”

Please keep your comments, and any questions, coming. I’ll try my best to respond.

Ana Radelat

Ana Radelat is MinnPost’s Washington, D.C. correspondent. You can reach her at aradelat@minnpost.com or follow her on Twitter at @radelat.

The post D.C. Memo: Flagging Hegseth nomination gains some steam appeared first on MinnPost.

WASHINGTON — Pete Hegseth told reporters Thursday that he still has Donald Trump’s full support to be defense secretary, but he was not able to tamp down concerns among key GOP senators this week that he deserves the job.

Often accompanied by his wife Jennifer and former Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman, Hegseth made the rounds of the offices of Republican senators, promising some of them, including incoming Senate Armed Services Committee chair Roger Wicker, R-Miss., that if confirmed he would not drink.

“This is the biggest deployment of my life, and there won’t be a drop of alcohol on my lips while I’m doing it,” Hegseth said in an interview with Megyn Kelly on Wednesday.

The Minnesota native and graduate of Forest Lake Area High School has been dogged by media reports of sexual misconduct, alcohol abuse and mismanagement of the finances of veteran organizations he once headed.

Those allegations follow an earlier disclosure that a woman alleged Hegseth sexually assaulted her after he prevented her from leaving a hotel room following a California Federation of Republican Women convention in October 2017.

Hegseth denies the allegations.

Yet the nominee’s blitz this week on Capitol Hill did not seem to sway key GOP senators, including Joni Ernst of Iowa, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee that would hold his confirmation hearing.

A combat veteran and rape survivor, Ernst notably declined to voice support for Hegseth after meeting with him on Wednesday and then again on Thursday on Fox News, which Trump is known to watch.

Other female GOP senators have also declined to say they support Hegseth’s candidacy, which is bad news for Hegseth. Since Democrats oppose the nomination, a defection of just four Republican senators would kill his bid.

While the Trump-Vance transition team continues to defend the nominee, the president-elect appears not to have reached out to any of the wavering senators to secure their support.

ABC News was told Trump has expressed to those close to him that Hegseth should have been more honest and forthcoming about the challenges he could face getting through the confirmation process given his history.

Craig in another hot race

After easily winning reelection to her congressional seat last month, Rep. Angie Craig, D-2nd District, plunged into a race that could be tougher.

Craig is lobbying fellow House Democrats to support her bid to be the top Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee, which would put her at the center of negotiations over a new farm bill.

To win the job of top Democrat on that committee, Craig would need to depose the lawmaker who now has that job: Rep. David Scott, D-Georgia.

Scott, 79, was absent from Congress for two weeks last month, receiving treatment for a back injury. That absence sparked concerns among fellow Democrats that his age and health hurt his abilities to perform his duties.

But Scott is back to work and says he will fight to keep his position on the committee.

Another Democrat seeking Scott’s position is Jim Costa of California, a 20-year member of the panel and third-generation farmer.

Craig has served on the House Agriculture Committee since she assumed office in 2019. But last year she also sought a seat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

To serve on that panel, Craig would have been required to relinquish her seat on the Agriculture Committee. But she received a waiver, or special permission, to serve on both committees.

House Democratic leaders and Democratic steering committee members  usually decide committee assignments for party members. But since there’s competition to be the top Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee, a vote in the full Democratic caucus is expected, perhaps as early as next week.

In a letter to Democratic colleagues seeking support, Craig said her background in Arkansas is a good credential for the  job.

“I grew up in Arkansas as the granddaughter of a farm foreman. Agriculture is in my blood,” Craig wrote. “I watched my grandfather farm beans and rice until the 1980s farm crisis forced him off the land. And as a young girl growing up in a mobile home — who faced food insecurity and inconsistent access to health care at times, I  know firsthand the impact agriculture policy in Congress can have on real people.”

The controversial pardon

President Joe Biden’s pardon of son Hunter roiled the Capitol this week, with Republicans up in arms that the president went back on promises he would not do so and a number of Democrats crying “foul” over the deed.

Hunter Biden was convicted of federal gun charges because he failed to disclose his drug use on a background-check application and also pleaded guilty to federal charges of tax evasion.

The White House said Biden decided to pardon his son after agonizing over the decision because he felt Hunter had been unfairly targeted by political opponents.

That did not sit well with outgoing Rep. Dean Phillips, D-3^rd District, who is leaving Congress after his failure to defeat Biden in several early Democratic presidential primaries. Phillips also indicated that certain charges leveled against president-elect Trump were politically motivated.

“Two things can be true at once,” Phillips posted on X. “Neither Hunter Biden nor Donald Trump would have been charged with certain crimes had they not been political figures. Pardoning powers have been abused by Trump and now Biden, and must be reformed.”

In case you missed it:

▪️Earlier this week, we reported on President-elect Donald Trump’s possible change of heart after damning reports came out about his pick for defense secretary, Pete Hegseth.

▪️MinnPost also reported on Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s bump from the No. 4 leadership post among Senate Democrats to No. 3 as their Policy and Communications Committee chair.

▪️Ava Kian took a look at a Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis report about the high cost of housing in Minnesota — to builders and renters alike.

▪️Also in Minnesota, Capitol reporter Peter Callaghan looked at the latest state revenue forecast and what DFL and GOP party leaders have to say about it.

▪️Finally, we wrote about plans that Democratic attorneys general — including Minnesota’s Keith Ellison — have in mind for pushing back against Trump administration initiatives.

Your questions and comments

One reader this week was quite blunt about his assessment of President-elect Trump’s picks for his cabinet and senior administration position.

“400 million Americans and not one decent player in the Republican Power Parade?” he asked.

Another reader was critical of Trump’s choice of Pete Hegseth to lead the nation’s military.

“I’m afraid that, like Matt Gaetz, the word ‘sleazy’ is what immediately comes to my mind, despite Hegseth’s combat record and Ivy League degree,” the reader wrote. Please keep your comments, and any questions, coming.

I’ll try my best to respond. Please contact me at aradelat@minnpost.com.

The post Hegseth treads water as scrutiny over nomination continues appeared first on MinnPost.

WASHINGTON – Besieged by allegations of misconduct that included having sex with an underage woman, Matt Gaetz became the first Trump administration nominee to fail to survive public scrutiny.

On Thursday, Gaetz announced in a post on X that he was withdrawing his name from consideration to be the next U.S. attorney general.

“While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition,” Gaetz  wrote. “There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I’ll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General.”

His resignation came as debate intensified over a House ethics investigation into Gaetz that included allegations the former Florida lawmaker had misused campaign funds, accepted improper gifts and paid for sex with a 17-year-old at a drug-fueled party while he was serving in Congress.

As a member of the House Ethics Committee, Rep. Michele Fischbach of Minnesota’s 7th District voted Wednesday with the panel’s other Republicans to block the release of a report on its investigation of  Gaetz.

The “no” votes effectively deadlocked the committee, which is divided evenly between Republican and Democratic members.

Fischbach declined to say why she blocked release of the findings of the investigation, which included the testimony of the formerly underaged woman and her friend who claimed she witnessed Gaetz having sex with the younger woman at a party.

CNN reported Thursday that the same underaged woman told the ethics panel that she had several encounters with Gaetz, who has made payments to this woman and other women through PayPal and Venmo accounts.   

“Unfortunately, the Congresswoman is bound by the committee’s Confidentiality Rule and has no comment on matters that are or could come before the committee,” Fischbach spokeswoman Lauren Weber said in an emailed statement.

Defenders of the committee’s decision to keep the results of its investigation under wraps had said the Senate Judiciary Committee could seek the testimony of the same witnesses during its hearing on Gaetz’s nomination.

But Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, a Democratic member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, did not agree.

“The House Ethics Committee should send their report on Matt Gaetz to the Senate,” she said in a post on X. “Are they trying to force us to use taxpayer dollars to recreate the exact same report by interviewing dozens of witnesses and deploying federal investigators? Government efficiency??”

Gaetz’s decision to withdraw his nomination has spared him from what was shaping up to be a brutal Senate confirmation process and from House Democratic attempts to force the release of the Ethics Committee report.

But that report would still be in contention if Gaetz rescinds his resignation or wins a special election to keep his congressional seat. Gaetz remains congressman-elect for his Florida district in the next Congress and it is unclear how that issue will be resolved.

Trump lauded Gaetz’s decision in a social media post.

“I greatly appreciate the recent efforts of Matt Gaetz in seeking approval to be Attorney General,” Trump wrote. “He was doing very well but, at the same time, did not want to be a distraction for the Administration, for which he has much respect. Matt has a wonderful future, and I look forward to watching all of the great things he will do!”

Hours after Gaetz announced he was no longer in the running, Trump announced that his new candidate for attorney general is former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, one of the president-elect’s attorneys during his first impeachment trial.

A damaging police report 

Storm clouds also grew this week over another controversial Trump nominee, Pete Hegseth, a Minnesota native who was tapped as secretary of defense.

The Monterey, California, city attorney this week released a redacted version of a police report filed in 2017 of an incident at a Hyatt hotel in that city during a convention of the California Federation of Republican women.

According to the police report, a woman identified as Jane Doe said she ended up in Hegseth’s hotel room and was sexually assaulted under circumstances she could not fully remember.

The investigation was touched off by a nurse at a Kaiser Permanente facility who treated Jane Doe after the assault and contacted the police.  

Jane Doe told police that Hegseth took her phone and blocked access to the door when she tried to leave. She also said she may have been drugged while drinking with Hegseth and others at the hotel bar.

“Jane Doe remembers saying ‘no’ a lot,” the report said.

Jane Doe also said she had confronted Hegseth after witnessing him acting “inappropriately” with other women at the conference. Hegseth later paid her an undisclosed sum as part of a non-disclosure agreement.

Meanwhile, Hegseth told police the encounter with Jane Doe was consensual and that he repeatedly made sure the woman was “comfortable with what was going on between the two of them.”

In the U.S. Capitol on Thursday to meet with senators who will consider his nomination, Hegseth told reporters “the matter was fully investigated and I was fully cleared and that’s where I’m going to leave it.”

But Hegseth was not cleared by the police. The Monterey Police Department said it had forwarded its 22-page report to the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office. It’s unclear why the district attorney did not choose to prosecute. 

Hegseth, a former Fox News host and Army veteran, is also facing criticism for lacking experience running a large organization, opposing women in combat roles and promising to roll back “woke” policies in the Pentagon and purge the military of senior  officers.  

Lotsa competition for Ken Martin 

DFL Chairman Ken Martin has lots of competition in his bid to head the Democratic National Committee, whose current chairman, Jaime Harrison, said he would not seek re-election.

When Martin announced earlier this week that he was interested in the job (he already serves as a senior DNC official) only former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley was in the race.

But now James Zogby, head of the Arab American Institute and longtime DNC member, has joined the race and others are mulling a run.

Those include political strategist Chuck Rocha, Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Ben Wikler and Rahm Emanuel, the current U.S. ambassador to Japan, former mayor of Chicago and former White House chief of staff.

The timeline for the election is not yet determined but may be when the DNC Rules & Bylaws committee meets Dec. 12 and probably will be held in early spring.  

In case you missed it:

• I profiled Rep.-elect Kelly Morrison of Minnesota’s 3^rd Congressional District. The physician and former state senator will be taking over the seat held by Rep. Dean Phillips, who is resigning after his current term ends.

• Earlier this week, we took a look at Pete Hegseth and the scrutiny the Forest Lake Area High School graduate has come under since being nominated by Donald Trump to become secretary of defense.

• Peter Callaghan wrote about ways the Minnesota House of Representatives could jointly operate now that the body is split evenly, 67-67, between Republicans and DFLers.

Your questions and comments

Quite a few comments came in from readers this week about President-elect Donald Trump’s choices for his cabinet.

One reader criticized the choice of World Wrestling Federation co-founder Linda McMahon.

“McMahon got this as a consolation prize and for her campaign contributions,” the reader said. “She was a certified teacher, but never worked as one. It is not clear whether her children attended public schools or whether she ever served as a volunteer, or just was a critic.”

Another reader defended Gov. Tim Walz in his role as a vice presidential candidate,  even though he was part of a losing ticket.

“He did all he could do to boost the ticket,” the reader said of Walz. “Half of the country bought into nihilism, racism, idiotic notions of patriotism, and politics as sport. Walz was a coach, but tried to be a unifier.”

Please keep your comments, and any questions, coming. I’ll try my best to respond. Please contact me at aradelat@minnpost.com.

Ana Radelat

Ana Radelat is MinnPost’s Washington, D.C. correspondent. You can reach her at aradelat@minnpost.com or follow her on Twitter at @radelat.

The post Gaetz bows out of cabinet stakes while Hegseth nomination founders appeared first on MinnPost.

WASHINGTON – Members of the U.S. House and Senate returning to Washington, D.C., this week after weeks of recess were plunged into Trump world as the president-elect’s nominations dominated his return.

Few had qualms about the selection of Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, as secretary of state or Rep. Mike Waltz, R- Florida, as national security advisor.

But that was not the case with Donald Trump’s choice of retired Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Florida, for U.S. attorney general; former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, R-Hawaii; as director of national intelligence and Fox News personality Pete Hegseth as defense secretary.

And on Thursday, another political bombshell exploded with Trump’s selection of anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., as head of the Department of Health and Human Services. Kennedy dropped his own presidential bid to endorse Trump.

Concern about these nominees is bipartisan, although a majority of Republicans seem to be willing to voice support for these controversial choices. But GOP defections could rule the day when it comes to the future of some of Trump’s nominees.

The news of Gaetz’s nomination reportedly elicited gasps from his GOP colleagues, who were cloistered in a room in a Capitol Hill Hyatt hotel on Wednesday to select new GOP House leaders for the next Congress. (Mostly, the lineup of current leaders, including House Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota, won reelection).

When he ventured out of the room for a break, Emmer said “it will be great” about Gaetz’s appointment. He didn’t seem totally convinced, but later posted “@RepMattGaetz will be an outstanding Attorney General of the United States. Congratulations, Matt!!”

Trump announced his choice of Gaetz as attorney general just as the House Ethics Committee was about to release findings of its investigation into allegations against Gaetz of sexual misconduct, personal use of campaign funds, accepting impermissible gifts under House rules, sharing pornographic images on the House floor and other transgressions.

“I think like a lot of people I was surprised. I had not heard Matt’s name come up before today,” House Ethics Committee Chairman Michal Guest, R-Mississippi, told MinnPost just after news of Gaetz’s appointment broke. “There’s a confirmation process that needs to go forward so if there are any problems with this nominee or any others it will be ferreted out in the confirmation process.”

Trump’s nominees must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate in the next Congress, setting up a test for that chamber, which has flipped to GOP control.

The Senate Judiciary Committee will consider Gaetz’s nomination. On Thursday, every Democrat on that panel, including Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, sent the House Ethics Committee a letter demanding information on its investigation of Gaetz.

“The sequence and timing of Mr. Gaetz’s resignation from the House raises serious questions about the contents of the House Ethics Committee report and findings,” the letter said. “We cannot allow this critical information from a bipartisan investigation into longstanding public allegations to be hidden from the American people, given that it is directly relevant to the question of whether Mr. Gaetz is qualified and fit to be the next Attorney General of the United States.”

With a slim 53-member Republican majority, some nominees may falter if just a few Republicans join unified Democrats in derailing a nomination.

So, we’ll be hearing a lot about the likelihood of “recess appointments.”

With a recess appointment, the president can bypass the Senate confirmation process when the chamber is in recess or on a break from official proceedings. But anyone who wins office through a recess appointment can only serve until the end of the Senate session, which would be about two years.

Also on Wednesday, Senate Republicans rejected Trump-favored Sen. Rick Scott, R-Florida, as well as Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, to choose Sen. John Thune, R-South Dakota, as senate majority leader. 

Thune has avoided saying whether he’d allow recess appointments to go forward and repeatedly said he prefers to adhere to normal procedures. 

“We’re going to vet and process and look at all the (nominations) when they come forward and we’ll see. That’s all going to happen in the next few weeks,” he told CNN.

Lipstick on a pig  

Democrats are divided about why the party suffered losses in last week’s election, and that rift was apparent among Minnesota Democrats this week.

Rep. Betty McCollum, D-4^th District, pointed to gains Democrats made in the House, which The Associated Press on Thursday declared was won by the GOP.

The AP determined Republicans will continue to control the agenda in the House because, by its count, it has already won a majority of House seats, 218.

But McCollum predicted that the results in the eight outstanding House races will give the GOP a much narrower majority than the slim one it has now and that Democrats may have gained a few seats when the dust is settled.

“They are going to need us to pass their bills,” McCollum said of Republican leaders, pointing to the number of times House Speaker Mike Johnson had to reach out to Democrats in this Congress to pass vital legislation.

McCollum also said Vice President Kamala Harris did not falter in her messaging, but simply did not have enough time during a 100-day campaign to complete the job of winning voters.

McCollum also credited Harris for swelling the Democratic ground game, which helped Democrats win House seats across the nation.

And she also said it was time to end handwringing over last week’s results. “I’m not reflecting on the past anymore, we’re moving forward,” McCollum said.

Meanwhile, centrist Democrats were more critical of the messages the Harris-Walz campaign adopted.

Rep. Angie Craig, D-2^nd District, who represents a swing district and campaigned on disagreements with her party’s position on immigration, student loan forgiveness and other issues, said she rejects Democratic efforts to put a positive spin on the election results.

“I’m not going to even try to put lipstick on that pig,” she said.

Another centrist, retiring Rep. Dean Phillips, D-3rd District, echoed Craig’s sentiment that the Democratic Party must do more to listen to voters’ concerns. “We have lost touch with the core of America,” Phillips told Newsweek.

In case you missed it:

• Ava Kian got some reaction from former students of VP candidate Tim Walz who volunteered with the Harris-Walz ticket – and found inspiration despite the Democratic ticket’s loss.

• We reported on U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer’s reelection as House majority whip and what figures to be a challenging job for him in a fractious GOP caucus.

• At the state level, Peter Callaghan reports on election reporting errors in two Minnesota counties – a snafu that one GOP leader called “intolerable and unacceptable.”

• Finally, Cityscape columnist Bill Lindeke opines about Donald Trump’s election and what it might mean for American cities.

Your questions and comments

A reader weighed in on a story that looked at how Democratic Rep. Angie Craig, considered the most vulnerable of Minnesota’s federal lawmakers, won a landslide reelection. The story said her bucking of the Biden administration on several issues, including the definition of a protected wetland, resonated with GOP-leaning voters.

“Here’s a candidate who represented her farming constituents’ concerns, and was rewarded with their votes. Confusion over what is a protected waterway is a well-chosen concrete example,” the reader said.

Another (male) reader responded to stories about the gender gap that hurt Vice President Kamala Harris because male voters  favored Donald Trump.

“Men are continuing to lose their favorable treatment,” the readers said. “Globally, women have proven that they have what it takes to be political leaders, but a lot of men will never vote for a woman and never be honest [about] why.”

Please keep your comments, and any questions, coming. I’ll try my best to respond. Please contact me at aradelat@minnpost.com.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to add Klobuchar comments on Gaetz nomination.

Ana Radelat

Ana Radelat is MinnPost’s Washington, D.C. correspondent. You can reach her at aradelat@minnpost.com or follow her on Twitter at @radelat.

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