Welcome to the net model of From the Politics Desk, a night e-newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics staff’s newest reporting and evaluation from the White House, Capitol Hill and the marketing campaign path.
In immediately’s version, “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker digs into how political leaders from each events are dealing with the California wildfires. Plus, senior White House Correspondent Gabe Gutierrez sits down for a one-on-one interview with Donald Trump’s incoming border czar, Tom Homan. And Trump’s standing as a convicted felon turns into official.
— Deputy politics editor Adam Wollner
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The politics of the California fires are already looming giant for each events
By Kristen Welker
The fires are nonetheless burning in Southern California, ravaging communities and households which have misplaced their properties, their livelihoods or, in some instances, their family members.
And as officers race to get the fires below management and assist 1000’s of Californians start to rebuild, the politics of catastrophe aid already looms giant for each political events.
As governor, Gavin Newsom sits on the middle of all of it, tasked with the arduous duty of helming the restoration whereas answering very serious (and sometimes less so) questions in regards to the state’s preparation and response. As one of many Democrats’ highest-profile leaders at a time when the occasion is searching for a path ahead, Newsom’s success or failure within the coming months will go a good distance towards defining his political future, notably forward of an anticipated run for president.
And President-elect Donald Trump is inserting himself at a tenuous second, too, choosing to point fingers at Newsom and different Democrats because the fires proceed to burn — a stark departure from how President Joe Biden has original himself because the nation’s “consoler-in-chief” in moments of tragedy. In lower than two weeks, when Trump sheds “elect” from his title, he’ll have a job to play within the restoration, too. And it’s clear a few of Trump’s Republican allies wish to take a special method — hearken to how Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin dodged a question from reporters at Mar-a-Lago about Trump’s tone amid an ongoing catastrophe.
Disasters are a number of the most tough assessments our political leaders face. These tragedies dealt heavy blows to these seen to bungle them (Hurricane Katrina undercut public religion in George W. Bush). But they will elevate leaders who’re seen as capable of competently deal with them (then-New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s standing improved after Hurricane Sandy, whereas Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear pointed to his dealing with of floods and tornadoes in his profitable re-election).
Both Newsom and Trump shall be judged within the coming months and years partly by how they deal with this second — however we don’t know the way but.
We’ll get into all of this, and extra, on Sunday’s “Meet the Press,” the place I’ll communicate with Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Lankford and California Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla. I hope you’ll tune in.
For the newest on the California wildfires, follow our live blog →
Incoming border czar Tom Homan particulars extra of his plans for the Trump administration
Incoming border czar Tom Homan instructed NBC News’ Gabe Gutierrez in a one-on-one interview on the U.S. southern border that Donald Trump administration would shut down the Darien Gap, the harmful Panamanian jungle a whole bunch of 1000’s of migrants cross every year.
“It must occur,” he mentioned, “Shutting down the Darien Gap goes to guard our nationwide safety. It’s going to save lots of 1000’s of lives.”
Panama has confronted stress to crack down on migration in recent times, and the nation’s immigration authorities mentioned this month there had been a 42% drop in crossings final yr by way of the 70-mile stretch of jungle.
Homan’s feedback come because the president-elect begins laying out an expansionist foreign policy. This week, Trump didn’t rule out utilizing army drive to retake the Panama Canal or purchase Greenland.
‘Collateral arrests’: Homan, who was the performing director for Immigration and Customs Enforcement throughout Trump’s first administration, additionally acknowledged that Trump’s mass deportation plan would come with “collateral arrests” — undocumented immigrants with out legal information who’re found as ICE brokers seek for their targets.
He additionally warned that office roundups would ramp up once more quickly after Trump takes workplace.
“We’re going to do it in a sensible approach,” Homan mentioned. “We’re nonetheless engaged on how precisely we wish to roll this out, however [work site] operations have to come back again once more as a result of it’s the No. 1 place we discover victims of compelled labor being run by many cartels.”
The $86 billion query: A vital excellent standing query is how the administration pays for these formidable plans. ICE already has a $230 million budget shortfall, and it’s unclear when and the way Congress will agree on funding. Homan mentioned $86 billion could be a “nice begin,” noting that it’s lower than what the United States has spent on army and different help to Ukraine after the Russian invasion.
“I’m saying, ‘We’re going to defend one other nation’s borders?’ How about defending our borders, too? And so, give us the cash to do that job,” he mentioned.
When pressed about how the Trump administration would pay for this deportation operation, Homan wouldn’t say whether or not officers would take cash from the Defense Department to fund it.
“That choice is above me,” he responded. “DOD can actually be a drive multiplier.”
Read our full story from Gabe’s interview →
And watch “NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt” tonight at 6:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. CT for extra.
After penalty-free sentencing, Trump is now a convicted felon
It’s official: Donald Trump would be the first convicted felon to serve (or have served) as president.
Judge Juan Merchan, who presided over the hush cash case, sentenced Trump on Friday to an “unconditional discharge.” That means the president-elect received’t face any further penalties however is now a convicted felon within the eyes of New York state legislation, Adam Reiss, Gary Grumbach, Fallon Gallagher and Dareh Gregorian report.
It brings an finish to the case that resulted in Trump being convicted of 34 felony counts.
“This has been a really horrible expertise,” Trump mentioned, addressing the choose remotely from his Florida residence.
The sentencing got here simply 10 days earlier than Trump is ready to be sworn in because the forty seventh president of the United States.
“Never earlier than has this courtroom been offered with such a novel and memorable set of circumstances,” Merchan mentioned. “This has been a really extraordinary case.”
Trump’s attorneys had repeatedly sought to remain the continuing, however the U.S Supreme Court declined to block it in a 5-4 ruling late Thursday.
📜 Jack Smith report replace: Trump suffered another legal setback Thursday night: A federal appeals courtroom dominated that the Justice Department can launch a report on Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss. But it saved in place a choose’s order requiring a three-day delay to permit for additional appeals.
🗞️ Today’s prime tales
- ⏱️ TikTok on the clock: The Supreme Court appeared more likely to uphold a legislation that will successfully ban the social media platform TikTok within the United States. Read more →
- 💼 Jobs report day: Biden will finish his time period with a comparatively wholesome labor market, because the U.S. added 256,000 jobs in December and the unemployment fee ticked right down to 4.1%. Read more →
- 📝 Last orders of enterprise: In its previous few days of energy, the Biden administration is predicted to formally suggest a restrict on nicotine in cigarettes, a last-ditch effort after the outgoing president didn’t finalize a long-standing pledge to ban menthol cigarettes. Read more →
- 🗣 Under dialogue: Trump mentioned {that a} assembly is being organized with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a summit that will be considered anxiously by Ukraine and its different Western allies. Read more →
- ➡️ Zuckerberg’s pivot: Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Biden officials would “scream” and “curse” when in search of removing of Facebook content material throughout an look on Joe Rogan’s podcast. Meanwhile, Meta instructed staff that its plans to finish numerous inside packages designed to extend the corporate’s hiring of numerous candidates, the newest dramatic change forward of Trump’s second time period. Read more →
- 👀 New bromance? After a video of the 2 chatting at Jimmy Carter’s funeral went viral, Trump mentioned he and Barack Obama “in all probability do” like one another. Read more →
That’s all From the Politics Desk for now. Today’s e-newsletter was compiled by Adam Wollner, Ben Kamisar and Faith Wardwell.
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