| | | | Transition watch: Trump picks Priebus as chief of staff | | Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus has been tapped by Donald Trump as White House chief of staff, sources told CNN's Dana Bash and Jim Acosta minutes before the official word came. Steve Bannon, meanwhile, will become Trump's chief strategist and senior counselor -- roles designed to continue the structure of Trump's campaign. The Trump campaign described the two as "equal partners" in announcing the positions. "I am thrilled to have my very successful team continue with me in leading our country," Trump said in a statement. "Steve and Reince are highly qualified leaders who worked well together on our campaign and led us to a historic victory. Now I will have them both with me in the White House as we work to make America great again."
What this means: Establishment Republicans -- especially on Capitol Hill -- will be pleased with the elevation of Priebus, but concerned that Bannon, the former Breitbart executive and bomb thrower, will also have Trump's ear. Priebus has a long relationship with House Speaker Paul Ryan, a fellow Wisconsin Republican. Just 44, Priebus is already among the longest-serving RNC chairmen. Here's how the Wall Street Journal's Michael C. Bender sums up his qualifications: "Known for his fundraising prowess and a Midwestern modesty that belies his ambition, Mr. Priebus used the party's national apparatus to provide much of the nuts-and-bolts infrastructure that helped the Trump campaign win the election last week."
Credit for the scoop goes to Politico's Marc Caputo, who broke the news on Twitter: | | Press secretary Laura Ingraham? Per The Hill's Jonathan Swan: "Conservative radio host Laura Ingraham is under serious consideration to be Donald Trump's White House press secretary, according to two sources with direct knowledge. Trump appreciated Ingraham's loyalty through the campaign. A former white-collar defense attorney and Supreme Court law clerk, Ingraham helped Trump with debate preparation."
Christie on the outs: The New York Post's Isabel Vincent and Aaron Short report: "Trump is so disgusted with Chris Christie's handling of the Bridgegate scandal that he's kicking the New Jersey governor out of his inner circle, The Post has learned. 'Trump thought it was shameful that Christie didn't take the fall for [convicted aide] Bridget Kelly,' said a source close to the transition team. 'Trump is really angry that Christie is sending a soccer mom to jail. He believes 100 percent that Christie was behind it all.'"
What about Trump's children? They couldn't be official appointees to a Trump White House -- not even son-in-law Jared Kushner. It's possible they could serve as unpaid advisers, though, CNN's Kevin Liptak reports. Why no official job? A nepotism law passed after John F. Kennedy named his brother Robert Kennedy attorney general. | | "He should be very careful about characterizing somebody in a legal sense." | | | | Children hit a Donald Trump piñata at a protest in Los Angeles this weekend -- one of many to break out across the country. | | Ryan: 'We are not planning on erecting a deportation force' | | House Speaker Paul Ryan says despite Donald Trump's campaign rhetoric, lawmakers are not prepared to form a deportation force to round up and deport undocumented immigrants. "We are not planning on erecting a deportation force. Donald Trump's not planning on that," Ryan told CNN's Jake Tapper on "State of the Union."
"I think we should put people's minds at ease: That is not what our focus is. That is not what we're focused on. We're focused on securing the border. We think that's first and foremost. Before we get into any other immigration issue, we've got to know who's coming and going into the country -- we've got to secure the border," he added.
What's Trump say? In an interview with CBS' Lesley Stahl set to air on "60 Minutes" tonight, Trump pledged to focus first on deporting those who have committed crimes within the United States -- "gang members, drug dealers ... probably 2 million, it could even be 3 million" -- and worry about others later. "After the border is secure and after everything gets normalized, we're going to make a determination on the people that they're talking about who are terrific people," Trump said. | | | Jake Tapper previews Donald Trump's inauguration in this week's "State of the Cartoonion." | | DNC chair drama: Reid backs Minnesota's Ellison | | Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison, who's expected to announce his bid for Democratic National Committee chairman on Monday, is racking up high-profile endorsements. Bernie Sanders put his massive email list to work for Ellison last week and Chuck Schumer backed Ellison, too. Today, retiring Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid endorsed Ellison, ABC's Michael Edison Hayden reports, saying he is "a terrific leader and a strong progressive who knows how to get things done. Now is the time for new thinking and a fresh start at the DNC."
Other candidates include former DNC Chairman Howard Dean and former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, with several other party officials considering a bid.
Inside Clinton's loss: Make sure you don't miss this story from CNN's Jeff Zeleny and Dan Merica breaking down how Hillary Clinton lost -- and who's to blame. | | | Carl Icahn says he supports Donald Trump but doesn't agree with all his policy positions. ... Michael Moore is backing Oprah or Tom Hanks for president next time around. His choice for DNC chairman is a bit more traditional: Rep. Keith Ellison. ... Secretary of State John Kerry got about as far as possible away from Trump: Antarctica. From CNN Politics' Instagram: | | | We'd love to share our other newsletters with you. Check out CNNMoney's Reliable Sources, an insider's look into the media brought to you by Brian Stelter. | | | Get the Nightcap, a comprehensive summary of the most important political news, delivered to your inbox daily. | | | | | |
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