INSIDE D.C. WITH JOHN GIZZI NEWSMAX WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT
TRUMP TO SHAKE UP EMBASSIES • One thing that President Donald Trump and Marco Rubio, his choice for secretary of state, are expected to do is dramatically raise the number of political, non-career ambassadors — up to 50% of the 195 postings worldwide. In modern times, political ambassadors have usually accounted for only about 20% to 25% of appointments. Trump upped that to 30% in his fi rst term. Several accounts confi rm Trump believed some career ambassadors tried to sabotage his foreign policy. And he was incensed at Marie Yovanovitch, his ambassador to Ukraine, over her testimony about the eff orts of Trump allies to fi nd damaging evidence about the business dealings there of Joe Biden and his son Hunter. As president-elect, Trump’s fi rst three ambassadorial appointments were former offi ce-seekers with decidedly political backgrounds: former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (Israel), former Michigan state GOP Chairman Pete Hoekstra (Canada), and former acting U.S. Attorney General Matt Whitaker (NATO).
RNC PUTS LOYALTY TO TEST • No sooner had Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., assumed
40 NEWSMAX | JANUARY 2025
the helm of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) than he faced a dilemma: Although the NRSC historically backs incumbent senators when they face primary challenges, Scott may fi nd this very diffi cult to do when a president of his own party is targeting those senators for extinction by MAGA challengers. In Louisiana, Sen. Bill Cassidy, who voted for Donald Trump’s impeachment in 2017, is sure to face a challenge from Trump loyalist and former Rep. Garret Graves. John Cornyn of Texas, supportive of but not close to Trump, is likely to be challenged by a close Trump ally, three-term state Attorney General Ken Paxton. Other prospective targets for primary challenges include GOP Sens. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia and Thom Tillis of North Carolina.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR MIKE ROGERS? Michigan Republicans are crestfallen over the defeat of former Rep. Mike Rogers in the state’s closest-ever Senate race (20,000 votes out of more than 5 million cast). But Rogers, 61, could still have a bright future ahead of him. The decorated former FBI agent was widely mentioned as a possible FBI director, but Trump instead gave the job to Kash Patel, a former federal prosecutor and
longtime supporter. But there’s a consolation prize on the horizon for Rogers: Two-term Democrat Sen. Gary Peters is seen as likely to step down in ’26, and Rogers would be a cinch for the nomination if he wants it.
SECOND CHANCE CHALLENGERS • For Republicans, there were some heartbreakingly close Senate defeats in 2024. But state GOP leaders say that their almost- successful candidates will return for “redos” in ’26. In Wisconsin, once entrepreneur Eric Hovde conceded after losing to Democrat Sen. Tammy
Baldwin by a razor-thin margin (29,000 votes out of more than 3.7 million cast), he was already being boomed as the GOP candidate against two-term Gov. Tony Evers next year. New Mexico fi nancier Nella Domenici drew 45% against Democrat Sen. Martin Heinrich — a modern high for a Republican U.S. Senate candidate in the Land of Enchantment. Now, the daughter of the late Sen. Pete Domenici is the subject of speculation she will next seek the governorship that, ironically, her father lost in 1970 before winning his Senate seat in 1972.
U.S. Attorneys Broomed
• Incoming U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi is almost certain to oversee the sweeping out of offi ce of the current 94 federal U.S. attorneys around the country in short order. Given the high- profi le publicity its prosecutions accrue, the position of top federal prosecutor in every federal judicial district (with Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands subject to one U.S. attorney) is considered a superb springboard to a federal judgeship or to political offi ce. Bondi and Team Trump are reportedly vetting attorneys who either worked on the ’24 campaign or contributed to Trump or prospective candidates. Within days of his election victory, Trump named former Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Jay Clayton to the “crown jewel” of the prosecutorial posts — U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York.
BONDI
CLAYTON
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