Donald Trump's presidential transition - live blog
Over the next two months, leading up to his inauguration as the nation’s 45th president, Donald Trump and his transition team will be hiring thousands of people -- about a thousand of whom must be confirmed by the Senate. You can find CBS News’ previous blog on the transition here, and we’ll have the latest on what’s going on with the presidential transition below:
Thursday, Dec. 8
Trump picks Andy Puzder for labor secretary pick, will meet with OSU knife attack victims
4:30 p.m. ET Donald Trump weighs in on the death of John Glenn, the first American to orbit the earth.
2:00 p.m. ET Intelligence community officials have confirmed that president-elect Donald Trump has declined many of the daily intelligence briefings that have been offered to him, a Senate aide confirmed to CBS News’ Margaret Brennan. The Washington Post first reported that Mr. Trump was turning away intelligence briefings in the weeks after the election.
12:15 p.m. ET CBS News reports that Donald Trump has made his labor secretary pick: Andy Puzder, CEO of CKE Restaurants, which owns fast food restaurants Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s.
Three transition sources confirmed Mr. Trump’s decision to CBS’ Major Garrett.
A formal announcement is expected Thursday for Puzder, who supported Mr. Trump’s candidacy and advised his campaign.
11:00 a.m. ET On Mr. Trump’s agenda Thursday: a meeting with Adm. James Stavridis; a meeting with Alan Mulally, former CEO of Ford Motor Company, the only company not to receive bailout funds; a meeting with Raul Labrador, a Republican congressman from Idaho.
Mr. Trump will also be making a trip to Columbus, Ohio to meet with victims and first responders from last week’s Ohio State University’s stabbing attack, and later this evening a victory rally in Des Moines, Iowa.
7:30 a.m. ET President-elect Donald Trump officially names Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to lead the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
“For too long, the Environmental Protection Agency has spent taxpayer dollars on an out-of-control anti-energy agenda that has destroyed millions of jobs, while also undermining our incredible farmers and many other businesses and industries at every turn,” Mr. Trump said in a statement released Thursday. Calling Pruitt a “highly respected” attorney general, Mr. Trump promised that Pruitt would “reverse this trend and restore the EPA’s essential mission of keeping our air and our water clean and safe.”
Wednesday, Dec. 7
Trump picks Terry Branstad for ambassador to China, Scott Pruitt for EPA administrator; talks sold stocks
8:00 p.m. ET On Twitter, Donald Trump went after Chuck Jones, the local union leader who represents Carrier employees. He tweeted Wednesday that Jones “has done a terrible job representing workers,” and added, “No wonder companies flee country!”
3:00 p.m. ET CBS News confirms that the president-elect will name Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to lead up the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
If confirmed by the Senate, Pruitt, known for his strong opposition to President Obama’s environmental regulations, could oversee the rollback of the administration’s climate protection measures.
1:40 p.m. ET Mr. Trump has met with Barry Switzer, a former coach of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, and Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt.
To reporters at Trump Tower, Switzer said: “I’m here to interview for the secretary of offense.”
11:00 a.m. ET Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel met with Mr. Trump Wednesday morning and discussed the Obama administration’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which protects from deportation hundreds of thousands of people who immigrated to the U.S. illegally as children.
“I delivered to the president-elect, his senior adviser and his chief of staff a letter signed by [17] mayors, put together from across the country, about our DACA students and that they were working hard toward the American dream,” Emanuel told reporters Wednesday after meeting with Mr. Trump at Trump Tower in Manhattan.
9:00 a.m. ET Donald Trump taps Gen. John Kelly to run the Department of Homeland Security, CBS News confirms.
Kelly will be third general tapped by the president-elect, joining Gen. James Mattis, Trump’s pick to become the next secretary of Defense, and Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, Trump’s incoming national security adviser.
Like Mattis, Kelly is a Marine with a reputation for bluntness.
Kelly was the commander of U.S. Southern Command until earlier this year. In that posting, he oversaw American military operations in South America and Central America.
Mr. Trump also picked the U.S. ambassador to China: Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad. If confirmed by the Senate, Branstad would assume the post at a time of heightened U.S.-China tensions in the wake of Trump speaking on the phone with the president of Taiwan Friday. Taiwan is self-ruled, but China claims the island nation as one of its provinces.
The president-elect will be attending a breakfast fundraiser this morning and has scheduled meetings with defeated defeated Gov. Pat McCrory, the Republican head of North Carolina and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, a Democrat.
On Thursday, Mr. Trump will meet in Ohio with the knife attack victims from the Ohio State University stabbings, the Associated Press reported.
Tuesday, Dec. 6
Trump hits Boeing over new Air Force One contract; GOP elector says he’s not voting for Trump; comings and goings; Trump talks with Czech president; introduces James Mattis as defense secretary;
President-elect Donald Trump continued his post-election “thank you” tour on Tuesday with a speech in North Carolina, and formally introduced his pick for secretary of Defense, Gen. James Mattis (ret).
In the speech, which lasted a bit longer than half an hour, Mr. Trump stuck to a more optimistic tone than the one he had on the campaign trail. Noting that North Carolina was the home to both the Army’s Fort Bragg and the Marine Corps’ Camp Lejeune, Mr. Trump repeatedly praised American veterans before insisting that he would keep the promises he made prior to his election.
Mr. Trump said that he would revitalize America’s armed forces but only use them “when it’s in the vital interest of the United States.” He promised “peace through strength,” and an end to the caps on military spending resulting from sequestration.
Mr. Trump also introduced the crowd to Gen. Mattis, whom he repeatedly referred to by his nickname “Mad Dog.”
Michael G. Flynn, son of national security adviser appointee, forced to resign
The son of Lt.-Gen. Michael T. Flynn, Donald Trump’s pick to be national security adviser, Michael G. Flynn, resigned from the Trump transition team Tuesday, CBS News’ Major Garrett reported.
He offered his resignation when it became clear that he was becoming a significant distraction and his position helping his father was no longer tenable.
Flynn the younger was given the distinct impression that his tweets on fake news had become problematic and the transition did not intend to expend the energy or political capital necessary to defend him.
CBS/AP: Donald Trump thanked Czech President Milos Zeman for his support, and the two exchanged invitations to visit in a Tuesday phone call, the AP reported, citing Zeman’s office.
Zeman’s office says Mr. Trump appreciated the fact that Zeman “was the only European president” to endorse him during the campaign against Democrat Hillary Clinton. In September, Zeman said, “[I]f I were an American citizen, I would vote for Donald Trump.”
During the call, Mr. Trump invited Zeman to visit him in the White House in April. Zeman’s office says the Czech president returned the invitation by suggesting the president-elect visit Prague - and that invitation was accepted.
Their views of the fight against Islamic terrorism and political and economic cooperation between the U.S. and the Czech Republic were also discussed.
Trump: “I think Boeing is doing a little bit of a number”
10:01 a.m. ET Mr. Trump told reporters at Trump Tower, “The plane is out of control. It’s going to be over $4 billion for the Air Force One program. I think it’s ridiculous. I think Boeing is doing a little bit of a number. We want Boeing to be making a lot of money but not that much money.”
The president-elect tweeted this morning that the Air Force One contract should be canceled -- it’s too pricey, he complained.
Republican elector says he’s not voting for Trump
A Republican elector in Texas says he will not formally vote for Donald Trump for president when members of the Electoral College meet on Dec. 19.
In an op-ed published by The New York Times, Christopher Suprun, a paramedic in Texas, argued that the president-elect has demonstrated each day that “he is not qualified for the office.”
Mr. Trump, Suprun wrote, has failed to unite the country as President George W. Bush did after 9/11. Instead, he has ranted and attacked the cast of NBC’s “Saturday Night Live.”
“He tweets day and night, but waited two days to offer sympathy to the Ohio State community after an attack there. He does not encourage civil discourse, but chooses to stoke fear and create outrage,” he wrote. “This is unacceptable. For me, America is that shining city on a hill that Ronald Reagan envisioned. It has problems. It has challenges. These can be met and overcome just as our nation overcame Sept. 11.”
Trump’s meetings Tuesday:
The president-elect talks with Rex Tillerson, who is being considered for secretary of state, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, Laura Ingraham, and former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. This evening, at 7.p.m.
Monday, Dec. 5
Ben Carson will be Trump’s nominee for the Department of Housing and Urban Development
12:32 p.m. ET Ivanka Trump will meet with former Vice President Al Gore at Trump Tower on Monday, according to a transition official.
Jason Miller, an aide on president-elect Donald Trump’s transition team, said that Mr. Trump’s daughter will discuss climate issues with Gore, who supported Hillary Clinton for president. -- Rebecca Shabad
12:05 p.m. ET There remains no consensus on secretary of state, Major Garrett reports. Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, Sen. Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, and Exxon Chairman Rex Tillerson have been added to the list of contenders, though at this point they should not be considered genuinely serious contenders.
The most interesting development in the State merry-go-round is the re-emergence of former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton. Sources close to the transition tell me Bolton – initially boxed out of consideration – has moved back into contention due to his foreign policy experience, his pro-Trump advocacy during the campaign and his sharp-elbows approach to diplomacy. Bolton has always had supporters on the transition team and up-and-downs that have befallen Giuliani, Romney and Petraeus have given him new life and a possible opening, the sources said. -- Major Garrett
10:16 a.m. ET Dr. Ben Carson will be Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the president-elect’s transition team confirmed Monday morning.
“Ben Carson has a brilliant mind and is passionate about strengthening communities and families within those communities,” Mr. Trump said in a statement released by his team. ”We have talked at length about my urban renewal agenda and our message of economic revival, very much including our inner cities. Ben shares my optimism about the future of our country and is part of ensuring that this is a Presidency representing all Americans. He is a tough competitor and never gives up.”
Sunday, Dec. 4
Donald Trump targets companies offshoring jobs, expands secretary of state shortlist
5:00 p.m. ET President-elect Donald Trump is expanding his pool of candidates for secretary of state, the Associated Press reports.
“There’s not a finite list of candidates” for secretary of state, top Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway told reporters on Sunday. “More than four. Who knows how many finalists there will be?”
Two people close to the transition tell the AP that Mr. Trump is moving away from two of the four: former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee.
That would leave David Petraeus as a top contender, along with Tennessee Republican Sen. Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Among other possibilities, one official says is Jon Huntsman, a former Republican Utah governor who also served as the ambassador to China and speaks Mandarin.
2:00 p.m. ET Mr. Trump is taking aim at companies thinking of offshoring their operations, following his deal with Carrier.
Mr. Trump fired off a series of tweets Sunday, cautioning manufacturers that a move outside of the U.S. would be a very “expensive mistake.” He doubled down on previous claims he will instate a 35 percent tax for those companies wanting to sell their products in the U.S., and also offered another incentive to keep them in the country: The companies, he tweeted, will be “able to move between all 50 states, with no tax or tariff being charged.”
Saturday, Dec. 3
Donald Trump attends a costume party, slams “Saturday Night Live”
9:00 p.m. ET Donald Trump attends a costume party hosted at the home of one of his most prominent donors, Robert Mercer, in Long Island, New York. The theme was “heroes and villains,” and top Trump aid Kellyanne Conway arrived dressed as SuperWoman, according to pool reports. When asked what he was dressed as, Mr. Trump pointed to himself and told reporters, “me.”
3:00 p.m. ET Kellyanne Conway paid a visit to Trump Tower Saturday but took no reporter questions. The president-elect has no public events on his schedule.
11:00 a.m. ET President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte said in a video released Saturday that Mr. Trump gave his endorsement of the bloody drug war Duterte has launched in the country during a Friday phone call between the two world leaders.
“He was quite sensitive also to our worry about drugs and he wishes me well in my campaign and said that we are doing it as a sovereign nation, the right way,” Duterte said in a video Saturday. ““I could sense a good rapport with an animated President-elect Trump. He was wishing me success in my campaign on the drug problem. He understood the way we are handling it and he said that there’s nothing wrong in protecting your country.”
Friday, Dec. 2
Trump meets with more potential administration officials; speaks with Taiwanese leader in break with precedent
8:00 p.m. ET Mr. Trump sent out tweets addressing the controversy sparked over his phone call with the President of Taiwan Tsai Ying-wen:
5:30 p.m. ET President-elect Donald Trump spoke on the phone with Taiwanese leader Tsai Ying-wen on Friday, the Trump transition team announced Friday afternoon, in a break with precedent.
Mr. Trump is the first president-elect to talk to the Taiwanese president since the U.S. cut formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 1979. China regards the island as a renegade province, although Taiwan has operated as an independent state since the conclusion of the Chinese civil war.
The transition team said that during their conversation, Tsai congratulated Mr. Trump, and the two “noted the close economic, political and security ties” between Taiwan and the U.S. Mr. Trump also congratulated Tsai on her victory earlier this year.
The transition team also announced that Mr. Trump spoke with three other world leaders Friday, including the President of Afghanistan Mohammad Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, President of the Philippines Rodrigo Roa Duterte, and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore.
Mr. Trump invited the bombastic Duterte, who has previously threatened to cut U.S.-Philippines ties, to the White House.
1:00 p.m. ET Retired Admiral Jay Cohen spoke with reporters after his meeting with Mr. Trump Friday, calling it a “great honor and privilege” to talk with the president-elect. He called the talk the “most thoughtful” and “penetrating” rapid-fire interview he’s had since his interview with Admiral Rickover. Cohen said cybersecurity was discussed, and he felt that Mr. Trump “understands fully” the magnitude of that challenge.
12:05 p.m. ET Sen. David Perdue of Georgia stopped to talk with reporters following his “excellent” meeting in Trump Tower Friday.
The Georgia Republican seemed to indicate that he would remain in the Senate.
“I committed my position in the Senate to -- full support about getting this 100 day plan executed,” Perdue said. “I’m very optimistic we’ll get all of it under way very rapidly as soon as he’s sworn in.”
10:00 a.m. ET President-elect Donald Trump meets with several people at Trump Tower Friday, as he continues his search for a secretary of state.
He is expected to hold meetings with: Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Sen. David Perdue, R-Georgia, retired Adm. Jay Cohen, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton, Encima Global’s David Malpass, and Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-North Dakota.
7:30 a.m. ET In an interview with “CBS This Morning,” Trump aide Kellyanne Conway weighed in on the feud with top Clinton aides at Thursdsay’s Harvard forum.
“I took that personally, and I know that’s not true,” Conway said of accusations that the campaign had given voice to white supremacists. “President-elect Trump has denounced every single element of that awful movement. He’s never met these people. He doesn’t ask for their endorsement.”
“But I think some people are stuck in a permanent campaign,” she added, noting that some of the feelings from the trail “were still raw.”
7:00 a.m. ET Mr. Trump told “Fox and Friends” in an early-morning interview Friday that there was “actually a good chemistry” at the dinner they had earlier this week.
Thursday, Dec. 1
Trump travels to Indiana to announce Carrier deal; holds first post-election rally in Ohio
8:30 p.m. ET Donald Trump, during his victory rally in Cincinnati, revealed that he had picked retired Gen. James Mattis as his secretary of defense.
“I don’t want to tell you this. Because I want to save the suspense for next week. So I will not tell you – I refuse to tell you,” Mr. Trump, ever the reality television star, said Thursday.
He then proceeded to tell his audience: “We are going to appoint ‘Mad Dog’ Mattis as our secretary of defense.”
The general, however, could face a legal roadblock to his senate confirmation.
The law specifically prohibits a person from serving as chief of the Defense Department “within seven years after relief from active duty as a commissioned officer of a regular component of an armed force.” Mattis retired in 2013. The Trump administration will have to seek a congressional waiver for the appointment, allowing Mattis to serve.
6:30 p.m. ET A Harvard forum with the top campaign officials from the presidential campaigns of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton erupted into a bitter clash at one of the nation’s most prestigious universities Thursday night.
David Bossie, who was Mr. Trump’s deputy campaign manager, praised the Republican president-elect’s controversial campaign chairman, Steve Bannon as “an unbelievably brilliant strategist who is brilliant, a terrific guy who... has a Harvard pedigree and is getting attacked by people who have no idea who he is.”
“If providing a platform for white supremacists makes me a brilliant strategist, a brilliant tactician, I am glad to have lost,” replied Jennifer Palmieri, Clinton’s communications director, adding that she “would rather lose than win the way you guys did.”
6:00 p.m. ET Retired Gen. James Mattis remains the front-runner for Mr. Trump’s defense secretary. The pick is “very nearly sealed,” and an announcement on the defense secretary position is expected as early as Friday.
5:00 p.m. ET CBS News reports that despite the interest expressed by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie in heading up the Republican National Committee, the Trump transition team has no interest in Christie for the role.
2:30 p.m. ET A triumphant President-elect Donald Trump celebrated Thursday the sealing of a deal with air-conditioning manufacturer Carrier that would keep about 1,100 jobs in the United States, halting the company’s planned move of its Indianapolis plant to Mexico.
“United Technologies has stepped up,” Mr. Trump said, referring to the company that owns Carrier, as he addressed reporters and workers at the Indiana factory. “They’re going to spend so much money on renovating this plant.”
During the campaign, Mr. Trump had promised for months that he would hit Carrier with massive tariffs unless it kept its Indianapolis plant up and running. He vowed to ensure those manufacturing jobs stayed in the state.
But in his retelling, the president-elect seemed astonished at the way his campaign promise was received by workers at the plant.
In his speech Thursday, the president-elect said that he hadn’t meant it “quite that way” when he had sworn on the campaign trail that Carrier “will never leave.”
He recalled watching a network news piece about Carrier which featured a worker who didn’t believe that his job was going away because Mr. Trump had promised it wasn’t.
“And I’m saying to myself, man -- and then they played my statement. And I said ‘Carrier will never leave,’ but that was a euphemism. I was talking about Carrier like all other companies from here on in...I didn’t mean it quite that way.”
8:15 a.m. ET President-elect Donald Trump will travel to Indiana to formally announce his deal with the Carrier Corporation, then to Ohio to hold his first post-election “victory” rally.
The Carrier event, in Indianapolis, is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET; the rally, in Cincinnati, is at 7 p.m. ET. These will be his first public events since Election Day, more than three weeks ago.
Wednesday, Nov. 30
Trump says he’ll be leaving his businesses, announces official nominations for treasury, commerce secretaries
11:10 p.m. ET The deliberations continue for Donald Trump over who should be his top cabinet pick, Secretary of State. An announcement may not come until next week.
One reason Secretary of State is still percolating -- the transition team is now focused on Thursday. It’s aiming to make the event in Indiana at Carrier Corporation in Indianapolis and the first “Victory” rally in Cincinnati drive the coverage.
From the perspective of transition officials, the next most important slot to announce is Defense Secretary. Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis (ret.) is the clear front-runner. The transition team is awaiting confirmation from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell that he can move through the chamber a waiver of the law forbidding a retired general from serving as defense secretary within seven years of retirement. Mattis retired in May 2013. Among senior Trump transition officials, Mattis’ nomination is very nearly sealed. But there has been no official confirmation of the offer or acceptance.
Former Indiana Sen. Dan Coats met with Trump and transition officials today at Trump Tower. Coats is under serious consideration as director of national intelligence. Coats has a background in intelligence and defense matters and was President George W. Bush’s first ambassador to Germany. Coats is also close to fellow Indianan Vice President-elect Mike Pence, and that relationship could factor strongly in this decision.
As for reports that Sarah Palin was under consideration for veterans affairs secretary, her consideration is largely “theoretical,” not necessarily serious. Palin has also been mentioned as a possible nominee as interior secretary. Rep. Jeff Miller, chair of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, is still the leading candidate for VA secretary.
Washington Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Washington, currently House Republican Conference Chair, is under very serious consideration for interior secretary. McMorris Rodgers met with Trump at Bedminster, N.J., and has developed a close relationship with Ivanka Trump, working closely with her on Trump’s family leave proposals during the campaign and operating as Ivanka Trump’s emissary to other women Republicans in Congress. Rodgers, whose district is in eastern Washington, has legislative experience on federal land, forestry and water management issues – crucial to Western senators Trump’s transition team has consulted about the interior nomination. The conversations with Rodgers about this post have intensified in recent days.
5:20 p.m. ET Pakistan’s Press Information Bureau on Wednesday released a candid readout of a phone conversation that reportedly took place between President-elect Donald Trump and Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
In the conversation, Mr. Trump called Pakistan a “fantastic place of fantastic people.”
4:50 p.m. ET Gen. John Kelly met with President-elect Trump, but he did not speak with reporters at Trump Tower.
4:10 p.m. ET Former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue met with Mr. Trump and spoke with reporters as he was exiting Trump Tower.
Perdue said the two didn’t discuss any particular offers today but the pair did talk broadly about agriculture and the American farmer.
3:30 p.m. ET Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell meets with Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions to discuss the Attorney General nomination. McConnell will meet with Vice Preisdent-elect Mike Pence later in the afternoon.
2:20 p.m. ET Linda McMahon, the former head of the WWE, met with Mr. Trump in Manhattan. McMahon gave brief remarks to the press following the meeting.
Asked about a potential job with the incoming administration, McMahon said it “remains to be seen.”
1:55 p.m. ET President-elect Donald Trump met with Preet Bharara, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, Wednesday in Trump Tower.
Mr. Trump asked Bharara to stay on as U.S. attorney, Bharara told reporters.
“I said absolutely,” he said, agreeing to continue with his post for the incoming administration.
Bharara said he also spoke with Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, Mr. Trump’s pick for attorney general.
11:00 a.m. ET Donald Trump will meet with at least four individuals Wednesday at Trump Tower, according to the transition team’s daily conference call.
The president-elect is expected to speak with Linda McMahon, the former head of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue, Indiana Sen. Dan Coats, and possible Cabinet pick Gen. John Kelly.
According to the call, Pence will be in D.C. for meetings at the presidential transition office, including talks with former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, House Speaker Paul Ryan, Mr. Trump’s appointed chief of staff Reince Priebus, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
9:00 a.m. ET Donald Trump officially announces his nominations to lead the Treasury and Commerce Departments. As CBS News reported Tuesday, Steven Mnuchin was tapped to be treasury secretary, and Wilbur Ross is slated to be commerce secretary.
“Steve Mnuchin is a world-class financier, banker and businessman, and has played a key role in developing our plan to build a dynamic, booming economy that will create millions of jobs,” Mr. Trump said in a statement. Mnuchin said he was “honored” for the opportunity.
Of Ross, the president-elect called him “champion of American manufacturing and knows how to help companies succeed.”
“Most importantly, he is one of the greatest negotiators I have ever met, and that comes from me, the author of ‘The Art of the Deal,’” said Mr. Trump. “Together, we will take on the special interests and stand up for American jobs.”
Ross said he was “delighted” to join Mr. Trump’s cabinet, and that he will “look forward to working especially closely with Steve Mnuchin to implement the economic programs which we have developed jointly to implement the President-elect’s strategy for accelerating our economic growth.”
Mr. Trump also announced his choice for deputy commerce secretary: Todd Ricketts, co-owner of the Chicago Cubs baseball team.
“As Deputy Commerce Secretary he will help us cut waste and streamline government so that it works for the people of America,” the president-elect said in a statement. “The incredible job he and the Ricketts family did in the purchase and turnaround of the Chicago Cubs – one perfect step after another, leading to the World Championship, is what I want representing our people. I am very proud to have him on our team.”
8:30 a.m. ET Vice president-elect Mike Pence is in Washington, D.C. to meet with House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Pence is expected to have meetings at the transition office.
8:02 a.m. ET Steven Mnuchin, who Mr. Trump has tapped to as treasury secretary, and Wilbur Ross, who is slated to be commerce secretary, appeared on CNBC early Wednesday morning about their positions in the incoming administration.
Asked on the network’s “Squawk Box” if the two can confirm their appointments themselves, Mnuchin replied: “We can indeed.”
6:39 a.m. ET In a series of tweets Wednesday morning, Mr. Trump says he’ll leave his businesses to focus on running the country and avoid conflicts of interest. He also announced he’ll hold a news conference about his decision Dec. 15.
The president-elect also tweeted about the attack at Ohio State University early Wednesday morning:
Tuesday, Nov. 29
Trump meets with Romney; announces Price as HHS secretary and Chao as transportation secretary
11:41 p.m.: ET Mitt Romney had only words of effusive praise for Donald Trump after his dinner with the president-elect in New York Tuesday.
“These discussions I’ve had with him have been enlightening, and interesting, and engaging,” the 2012 GOP nominee told reporters outside the Jean Georges restaurant Nougatine, a restaurant in the Trump hotel at Central Park West. “I had a wonderful evening with President-elect Trump.”
Admitting that Mr. Trump had succeeded in doing something he had been “unsuccessful in,” Romney said, “He won the general election and he continues with a message of inclusion and bringing people together and his vision is something which obviously connected with the American people in a very powerful way.”
5:50 p.m. ET President-elect Donald Trump formally announced Tuesday evening that he has selected former Labor Secretary Elaine Chao as his labor secretary.
“Secretary Chao’s extensive record of strong leadership and her expertise are invaluable assets in our mission to rebuild our infrastructure in a fiscally responsible manner,” Mr. Trump said in a statement. “She has an amazing life story and has helped countless Americans in her public service career. I am pleased to nominate Elaine as Secretary of the Department of Transportation.”
5:48 p.m. ET Mr. Trump has selected Steven Mnuchin as his treasury secretary, CBS News has confirmed.
The decision to tap Mnuchin, who served as the national finance chairman of Trump’s presidential campaign, for the top Treasury Department job has been widely expected since Mr. Trump won the race for the White House. Earlier this month, Mr. Trump’s transition recommended Mnuchin for the post. Mnuchin is a veteran of the finance world, spending 17 years at Goldman Sachs.
4:59 p.m. ET After meeting with Donald Trump this afternoon, Rep. Lou Barletta, R-Pennsylvania, told reporters he’s being considered for labor secretary
4:47 p.m. ET VP-elect Pence told reporters another announcement is coming before dinner. He also said that Mr. Trump had spoken to Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam about the wildfires in his state and expressed his concern. Pence will be in Washington on Capitol Hill tomorrow.
3:47 p.m. ET Rep. Michael McCaul also had a meeting with Mr. Trump -- McCaul told the reporters in the lobby at the Trump Tower that the two talked about homeland security and national security issues. About 20 minutes earlier, Sen. Bob Corker said he had a “wide-ranging” meeting with the president-elect. Corker said Mr. Trump’s foreign policy instincts “are obviously very, very good.” He said that his sense was that secretary of state has been narrowed down “to a small group of people,” and he thinks the decision will come “fairly soon.”
1:16 p.m. ET Former Vice President Dan Quayle is at Trump Tower Tuesday afternoon, transition spokesman Sean Spicer confirmed to pool reporters. Quayle was seen entering Trump Tower with Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway.
1:34 p.m. ET Vice President-elect Mike Pence will join Mr. Trump at the first “victory” rally in Ohio on Thursday, according to schedules posted on the Trump campaign website.
Pence will then travel to New Orleans, Louisiana, on Saturday -- just three days before the state’s Senate runoff.
10:50 a.m ET Former Labor Secretary Elaine Chao will be Mr. Trump’s Transportation Secretary, a senior transition source confirmed to CBS News.
The appointment is expected to be announced Tuesday afternoon. Chao, who served as Labor Secretary under President George W. Bush, is the first Asian-American woman to ever hold a Cabinet-level position. She is also the wife of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
10:03 a.m. ET Mr. Trump will hold the first of his so-called “victory” rallies on Thursday, CBS News has confirmed. The rally will be held Thursday evening in Cincinnati, Ohio.
It’s expected that other dates and cities for the “victory tour” will be announced going forward.
9:30 a.m. ET President-elect Donald Trump is at Trump Tower in New York Tuesday with a full schedule of meetings -- including dinner with 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney Tuesday evening.
Mr. Trump will also meet with Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tennessee), Rep. Michael McCaul, (R-Texas), Rep. Lou Barletta (R-Pennsylvania), Rep. Marsha Blackburn, (R-Tennessee), Rolls-Royce North America CEO Marion Blakey, Goldman Sachs COO Gary Cohn and Pete Hegseth, former CEO of Concerned Veterans for America.
Trump names Rep. Tom Price, R-Georgia, HHS secretary.
Monday, Nov. 28
Trump meets with Petraeus
10:20 p.m. ET Rep. Tom Price, R-Georgia, has been named by President-elect Donald Trump as Health and Human Services secretary, CBS News’ Major Garrett confirms, citing a senior transition source.
The five-term congressman hailing from the Atlanta suburbs is the chairman of the House Budget Committee. He’s an orthopedic surgeon by trade, and was an early supporter of Trump’s presidential candidacy.
3:59 p.m. ET Gen. David Petraeus (ret) told the reporter pool at Trump Tower that he met with the president-elect “for about an hour.”
“He basically walked us around the world,” Petraeus said. “Showed a great grasp of a variety of the challenges that are out there and some of the opportunities as well. Very good conversation and we’ll see where it goes from here. We’ll see where it goes from here.”
For his part, Mr. Trump declared he was “very impressed!”
10:00 a.m. ET President-elect Donald Trump will meet with former CIA Director David Petraeus Monday, then with 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney and Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tennessee) on Tuesday -- all contenders to become Mr. Trump’s secretary of state.
Petraeus, Romney and Corker are three of the top names in what’s become an increasingly public fight to serve as America’s chief diplomat. Other prospects include former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Marine Gen. John Kelly (ret).
Mr. Trump’s other meetings on Monday include Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke, Rep. Lou Barletta (R-Pennsylvania), Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, former SEC chairman Paul Atkins, businessmen Sandeep Mathrani and Dave Stewart, former CATO Institute head John Allison and Kathleen White, a fellow at the Texas Public Policy Foundation.
Sunday, Nov. 27
3:37 p.m. ET The president-elect stirred up a mini-tweetstorm alleging that he would have won the popular vote in the general election “if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally.”
The president-elect did not provided any evidence for his claims of fraudulent votes.
The Twitter messages came after a busy morning for Mr. Trump, when he blasted the Clinton campaign for joining recount efforts by Jill Stein, the Green Party’s presidential candidate.
3:00 p.m. ET Mr. Trump, who was staying at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, is expected to return to Trump Tower Sunday.
1:00 p.m. ET Kellyanne Conway, a top Trump adviser, continued to wage a public war against Mitt Romney, who the president-elect is considering for the secretary of state position.
“We don’t even know if he voted for Donald Trump,” Conway said Sunday on ABC News. “He and his consultants were nothing but awful to Donald Trump for a year.”
Conway further questioned Romney’s qualifications for the gig on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
“I mean has he been around the globe doing something on behalf of the United States, of which we’re unaware?” she said. “With -- did he go and intervene in Syria, where they’re having a massive humanitarian crisis, meaning, when I say intervene, like offer to help? Has he been helpful to Mr. Netanyahu?”
10:00 a.m. ET President-elect Donald Trump launched Twitter attacks against Hillary Clinton Sunday, following her campaign team’s announcement that they would “participate” in the recount efforts started by the Green Party’s presidential nominee, Jill Stein.
He blasted the recount petitions -- one of which has already been filed by the Stein campaign in Wisconsin -- as “sad.”
“So much time and money will be spent - same result!” he tweeted.
