WASHINGTON — Twice-failed Republican candidate Kari Lake fled from reporters asking questions after she trashed the media in her speech to CPAC.

Lake took the stage on Friday and then went down "Radio Row," the row of media tables set up for interviews with conference attendees.

She went from speaking to the pro-Donald Trump conspiracy website, the Epoch Times, to the British tabloid Daily Mail.

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Lake spoke with Raw Story reporters on the ground, who asked politely, “How are you, ma’am?”

“Good, thank you,” she replied.

"What do you think Trump needs to do to prevent a repeat of 2020," Raw Story asked. Lake's speech to CPAC continued promoting the false conspiracy that Trump won the 2020 election.

That's when she raced away from questions.

"Kari! Kari!" reporters yelled after her.

NATIONAL HARBOR, MD — Elmer Stewart Rhodes III, the founder and former leader of the Oath Keepers, told reporters at CPAC Thursday that he would enjoy working for the FBI or for Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.

Rhodes, who was sentenced to 18 years in prison after being convicted of sedition after the January 6 insurrection, had his sentence commuted by President Donald Trump. Now he wants to go to work for the government.

On Thursday, he said that he wants to help more people, who he calls "political prisoners," get out of prison.

"We have a lot of political prisoners in this country, not just J6ers but other people too," he said, noting it is his new crusade to make radical changes to law enforcement.

"I want to see the snitch culture and the entrapment culture at the FBI and DHS changed," he continued. "And until that happens, I feel a little bad about having people join a group where they could be entrapped by a flood of agents."

"I want to see that fixed," he said. "In fact, I could help do that. I want to work for Kash Patel to clean the FBI up or Tulsi Gabbard. So I want to help clean up this corruption in government."

To work for the FBI, "public record must be in good standing with no felony convictions," the agency's website reads.

Rhodes also showed reporters a new tattoo that he got in prison. It features Trump's shooting scene, in which a bullet grazed his ear during a campaign rally.

"I believe that's when he won the election," said Rhodes, noting in that moment, Trump stood up "like a man."

See the videos below or at the link here.

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WASHINGTON — The Senate began its budgeting process after waiting several weeks for the House to move forward with its process. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is spearheading the effort, and he's promising others on the committee it isn't a waste of their time.

"Are you guys just doing a fruitless exercise today?" Raw Story asked Graham at the Capitol on Wednesday.

"I think we're doing a productive exercise!" Graham told Raw Story before hopping in an elevator.

But Democrats didn't seem to be on the same page — nor was Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY).

“I’m concerned with the budget on our side that’s being proposed, and then I don’t think the numbers are real,” Paul told reporters. "I can’t vote for the budget if it’s not real."

"An $800 billion discrepancy, if I don't get a good explanation for that, I can't vote for the legislation," Paul added. "It's just fiction, then."

Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) told Raw Story, "This is starting to feel like a fruitless exercise. I wouldn't be surprised if they don't even get the majority of the Republican votes."

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) agreed.

"I didn't think they're gonna be able to make this work," Warren said. "House Republicans want to cut services that everyday Americans use, so they can give big tax breaks to billionaires. They've got it exactly upside down."

She also released a statement adding, "Republicans are pulling a fast one on working people by reaching into their pockets to pay for billionaire handouts. Make no mistake: this GOP plan will raise the cost that American families pay for groceries, health care, and getting an education - all to fund tax cuts for the ultra-rich."

Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-PA) told MSNBC on Wednesday afternoon that if Republicans can't pass their own bill, they'll be responsible for shutting down the government.

Politico reported that two of the lawmakers on the House Budget Committee want a commitment of $500 billion in spending cuts or new revenue (taxes).

Elon Musk was brought in as a special government employee to cut $2 trillion from government spending.

"Well, let's be clear right now, Republicans have a majority in the House, a majority in the Senate, and they have the White House," said Boyle. "So, if there is a full government shutdown, it will be because Republicans want to fully shut down the government tomorrow in the budget committee."

"I expect that every single Democrat will vote it down," Boyle said of the GOP budget bill. "And if we get a few other Republicans to join us, then it will stop there."

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WASHINGTON — Illinois Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth cracked up talking about President Donald Trump's pardon of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D), who was convicted of 18 corruption charges, including an effort to sell Barack Obama's senate seat after he was elected in 2008.

Raw Story discussed the matter with Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) when Duckworth overheard the conversation and began laughing.

"Yeah, I've seen interviews. It sounds to me like it was also a politically motivated prosecution," Johnson said after talking about New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who had corruption charges dropped against him.

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"A convicted felon pardoning another convicted felon?" Duckworth asked. "That's all I gotta say."

"It's not good for anybody. It's not good for the country," she continued.

Duckworth added that she doesn't think anything could be done about it, but they could "ask the Supreme Court."

"Ask Susan Collins. She put some of those on the Supreme Court," she said.

Blagojevich was sentenced to 14 years in prison, but Trump commuted his sentence in February 2025, and he served nearly eight years.

WASHINGTON — Republicans and Democrats appear to be split on Donald Trump's decision to begin the purge of CIA staff.

A Wednesday report revealed that the CIA handed over names of all employees brought on under Joe Biden's administration as he looks to decimate the federal workforce.

Rep. Lou Correa (D-CA) told Raw Story that what Trump is doing is "a very dangerous move."

"The world has not gotten any safer in the last few years," Correa said, noting that he was just told about an employee who was asked to resign.

"And the institutional knowledge those CIA agents have, in terms of protecting our country, keeping us safe, is now going to be tossed out?" he questioned. "It's crazy. It's not wise, I would say. It's not wise."

Sen. Jim Himes (D-CT) also said he'd just heard the news about the CIA purge.

"You know, I don't understand if what you're trying to do is to reorient to China, why you tell the Chinese-speaking people in the agency that you can take an early buyout. So, I just don't understand this."

A "buyout" occurs when an employer agrees to pay an employee a lump sum equivalent to or more than their salary for a period of time in exchange for their resignation. That's not what's happening in the case of the federal government employee purges, according to political onlookers.

Most civil servants and federal workers are being given an ultimatum to resign, retire, or be fired. One USDA official, who believed her forced resignation wasn't proper, was escorted out by security.

Some are being told that if they agree to resign, they will be exempt from the mandatory "return to the office" requirement. The implication is that they'll not be working from home, and that will be their "severance." The problem is that this offer isn't being extended to most federal employees, and many are concerned it isn't legal or credible.

Himes said he understands a president wanting to "reorient" but called this method "a risky way to do it."

Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) agreed that these employee purges are "making America less safe," particularly since we're in "a dangerous time in the world, and all of our best security officials are doubling down."

Meanwhile, Republicans are still standing behind Trump's actions.

Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA) agreed purging the CIA was "a good place to start. See who's interested. See who the takers are. It's a good place to start."

WASHINGTON — Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) responded to attacks she received by Republican colleagues when speaking with reporters on Wednesday.

Rep. Brandon Gill (R-TX) called for Omar, who is a U.S. citizen, to be deported to Somalia.

Speaking to reporters, Omar laughed it off.

"I just — it's stupid," she laughed. "How stupid do you have to be to be a member of Congress and think that you're calling for a member of Congress to be deported? What a dumba--!"

"You know, I'm not a nepo baby. I had to crawl my way into Congress," she continued. "And I think these idiots who buy their seats have no idea what true privilege it is to a member of Congress."

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WASHINGTON — Democrats are sounding the alarm about the privacy of Americans, whose private information is housed in Treasury Department files, as billionaire Elon Musk and his tech posse reportedly lock out civil servants from computer systems and databases.

"We have no visibility into what they are doing with the computer and data systems," one of the officials told Reuters. "That is creating great concern. There is no oversight. It creates real cybersecurity and hacking implications."

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) said Musk is specifically trying to "access" and "profit off American data."

"He's going to exploit it for the bottom lines of his companies and his billionaire friends," said Blumenthal.

He went on to say that he thinks when Americans become aware that Musk is compromising their confidential, sensitive data, they will "rise up."

"Data is the coin of the realm these days," he continued. "And the more Elon Musk can exploit it, the more X or Tesla — the more he will use it."

Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) agreed she is "very concerned" about the access Musk is building for himself in U.S. Treasury Department databases. She said the Senate is working to get more information on the specifics of what is being done by his small team of 24-hour coders.

"I don't like it," Cantwell said. "We need strong privacy rules and the last thing we should do is let somebody from the government get access to our personal information.

The Privacy Act of 1974 "prohibits the disclosure of a record about an individual from a system of records absent the written consent of the individual, unless the disclosure is pursuant to one of twelve statutory exceptions. The Act also provides individuals with a means by which to seek access to and amendment of their records, and sets forth various agency record-keeping requirements," according to the Justice Department's website.

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) described their work as "excavating the answers" about what Musk has access to and whether protections will be in place for the personal data of Americans.

Raw Story asked what he thought about his Republican colleagues, some of whom dismissed the data breach as inconsequential.

"It's gobsmacking!" Wyden said. "And they have always claimed to be interested in protecting the privacy of Americans and here they're going, basically to set up a situation where a corrupt crook from overseas would be in heaven to have access to this system. It's gobsmacking they're not out there working with us to prevent it."

Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) said, "I don't have any concerns" that Musk is fiddling with the private data of Americans.

Republican Sen. Thom Tillis (NC), however, agreed that "if [Musk] has access to private data," he would be concerned given "he's not an official member of the government."

But he dismissed the concern, saying, "All I hear are reports. And if that proves to be true, I have a concern with it. It's not appropriate for somebody outside of government."

He went on to say that he is working with Democrats to uncover what Musk is doing and what he has access to.

On Monday, WIRED reported a leaked phone call with Musk, revealing some of the aims of the tech team he's assembled. One of the Musk-hired experts told a concerned staffer he's to "push forward" despite concerns over a possibly 'illegal task."

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WASHINGTON — Republicans confessed their own constituents are concerned after President Donald Trump issued a total freeze across all government spending.

Raw Story spoke to Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) before the White House tried to retract its letter from the Office of Management and Budget announcing the freeze.

She let out a deep sigh and said she heard about the funding freeze not only from Republican mayors but "mayors all over."

"We had a meeting with our staff on the Indian Affairs Committee so — very concerned about some of the tribal programs," she said, adding they're "hearing from our communities, hearing from our non-profits — non-profits are really quite anxious. So, yeah, yesterday was a really challenging day because a lot of people are anxious and concerned with no answers and they called us. And we had to share that we don't have any answers for them right now."

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Murkowski said her office is working to be responsive, but there is simply no information to help.

Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) said that she turned to Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) on Tuesday, telling him, "A lot of this stuff is your stuff."

She said her office phones were ringing too from Republican mayors and town supervisors, and she has watched as Republican Senators "huddle" over the matter.

Murkowski noted that the court decision "made things a little bit easier," referencing litigation that halted the freeze on Tuesday afternoon. The judge issued a restraining order to prevent the OMB pause from taking effect on Wednesday.

"I met first thing this morning with the Head Start folks from Alaska, and of course, Head Start was one of those to be not touched. Yesterday, no one was able to access the portal," Murkowski also said. "They basically think the whole thing crashed. Last evening, about 10 o'clock, two of them were able to get into the portal and get the funds released. So, they woke up this morning saying we're going to be able to make it. Now, their programs are going to be fine, but they're concerned about the families who access their programs and what that might mean."

Slotkin also pointed out that the freeze "is a real under-cutting of our power." She said that if the House and Senate appropriations process isn't needed, "What are we here for?"

She hoped Republicans "would, at least privately, push back" against the administration.

Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) said after OMB walked back the memo that the ordeal "caused alarm bordering on chaos" back home in his state.

At the same time, he remarked that if the goal was to identify cost-saving measures, it would only work to do the opposite. Not only have courts blocked the measure, but the government is now spending money on litigation to fight to support Trump.

“This caused a lot of chaos and waste in the name of finding some savings," said Coons.

Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) dismissed concerns that might come in from his constituents back home, saying it was only a "temporary pause."

"Nothing that's going to run afoul of the Impoundment Control Act," he insisted.

According to Lawfare, the law "limits the executive branch’s authority to decline to spend or commit to spending funds that Congress has appropriated."

Lee went on to say he "has issues with the Impoundment Control Act" and that it would be "problematic for an incoming president not to undertake something like that."

He refused to answer questions on whether the White House bungled the move.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), a hardliner against federal spending, said he believes there is "some latitude" in the Impoundment Control Act. "If you forever hold money, that's probably not constitutional."

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt had one of her tweets cited in court on Wednesday saying that OMB rescinded the memo, not the actual funding freeze. The judge used that tweet to say it's only a distinction without a difference "based on comments by the president’s press secretary.”

WASHINGTON—Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) plans to access the report of special counsel Jack Smith's classified documents before a new attorney general can dismiss the case.

Speaking to Raw Story on Thursday, Raskin said that Donald Trump will likely have his Justice Department "dismiss" the case against his aides Walt Nauta and Carlos de Oliveira "or pardon them."

"If we think that the existence of these two cases is an impediment to releasing the report, then dismiss the two cases," Raskin said.

Smith submitted his final report to Attorney General Merrick Garland before he left office, but the classified documents case in Florida persists. Judge Aileen Cannon's dismissal is being appealed at the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Trump could also order his DOJ to shred all documents related to the case.

"Those two cases are tangential and peripheral to the central matter of a president who pilfered classified government documents for some purpose still unknown to the public," Raskin explained.

He said that knowing what happened "is a matter of national importance."

"Underlings who help cover up an offense" are "trivial to a presidential crime like that," Raskin added.

The report can be released if Garland dismisses the case against them. The other alternative is for President Joe Biden to use his presidential immunity to release the report, which other leading Democratic lawmakers have encouraged.

Raskin said that in a democracy, Americans "have the right to information about our public officials and what they're doing, and people have a right to know about this seriously compromising situation involving classified documents."

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WASHINGTON — Republican senators were cracking jokes and outright laughing at President-elect Donald Trump over his suggestions he's open to using military force in Panama and Greenland, as well as his flirtation with making Canada the 51st state.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) cracked jokes with a dry wit, saying that he would only want to acquire parts of Canada, particularly the more attractive places.

"Well, I think we're selling ourselves short. I think we should add provinces," Cramer said, naming off some of his favorite places.

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"It's gorgeous all the time. I mean, it really is one of the most spectacular places on Earth," he said in a brief moment of seriousness before pivoting back to sarcasm.

"I'm not against going for pretty," he said of expanding the U.S. "And I wouldn't mind having their ports, quite honestly. But I don't really want all of them. So, that's just really me."

Reporters cut through the jokes and asked for Cramer to level with them. One saying that Democrats are comparing the Trump comments to those akin to Chinese threats of acquiring Taiwan.

Cramer dismissed it as being the same because China might invade Taiwan.

"And we would not do that to Canada," said Cramer.

"We wouldn't. You didn't say Trump wouldn't," Raw Story pointed out.

"He wouldn't," Cramer said.

A reporter pointed out that on Tuesday, Trump refused to rule out using military force against Panama and Greenland.

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"Well, again," Cramer said with a chuckle. "It would be a dang short fight. But, no, I think if we intend to take Greenland and take back the Panama Canal, good old-fashioned negotiations could probably do it. And a large check."

Cramer then told reporters they're too easily distracted by absurd things Trump says.

Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) burst into laughter when Raw Story asked her about Trump's interests in Greenland, Canada and the Panama Canal.

"I think Canada should do what it wants to do and that Greenland should do what they want to do," said the Republican, noting that Denmark would also be involved in such discussions.

"But there's so many exciting opportunities in the world that it is — I think it would be a mistake to dismiss these things as frivolous," she continued. "These are transformative times and it's difficult to know what form these transformations are going to take. But, I love the notion of having discussions that are a little out of the box, or maybe way out of the box."

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) said he understands "the strategic importance of Greenland and the Panama Canal," saying it was "stupid" for the U.S. to "give it away."

He refused to answer when asked if he thought it meant we should go to war to take it back.

While Sen. Rand Paul didn't laugh outright, he refused to comment.

WASHINGTON — Some members of the House Select Committee investigating the 2020 election and the Jan. 6 attacks are responding now that the Justice Department has published special counsel Jack Smith's final report.

Speaking to Raw Story on Wednesday, Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) said the committee did "good work" that "pointed out Donald Trump's criminality" around the election.

"He's trying to rewrite January 6," she said. "He can't erase it. What he did is obvious."

She encouraged anyone who disagrees to view the hours and hours of footage of "the violence he initiated."

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Smith concluded in his report that the evidence he uncovered met the standard necessary for him to bring the indictment.

Lofgren told Raw Story that Smith "outlined the evidence he has that Trump was guilty of a crime. That's not new, the committee found the same thing."

She went on to say "there's nothing to be done with the report" because "we can't prosecute the president" under the Office of Legal Counsel regulation.

Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-CA) has yet to read the 174-page report, but he expects the conclusions to be similar to those of his committee when it investigated the matter in 2021.

He called the report important not only for historical purposes but also for accountability.

"That's why I've advocated for the grand jury transcripts of the Mike Pence interview in addition to all of the special counsel reports," Aguilar continued. "And the American people deserve to know what Donald Trump did on Jan. 6, leading up to Jan. 6 and after."

Both Aguilar and Lofgren disputed a Punchbowl News report saying that Jan. 6 committee members are in talks with the White House about pardons out of fear that Trump will come after them. The members said that they hadn't spoken to the White House and aren't seeking pardons.

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"I didn't do anything wrong. I stand by the work that we did," said Aguilar, citing the Constitution's "Speech and Debate Clause," which protects congressional members from official duties.

He called a pardon "hypothetical" and "theoretical" until Trump comes after those members.

Rep. Becca Balint (D-VT) wasn't on the Jan. 6 committee, but she is on the House Judiciary Committee. She's frustrated that the Justice Department took so long to indict Trump and move forward with a case.

"It should have come back ages ago," she said of Smith's report, and it's something other members she knows share.

"The timing needed to be different. And not just like — literally, just for me, I want to be clear, the timing needed to be different, honestly, for shoring up the democracy. This is so profoundly sad and scary. What he did, all the things he tried to do to overturn a free and fair election, and so many of his accomplices are still sitting with me on the floor."

She agreed that the American people did not have access to the facts in time for the election.

"But her emails," Balint said, repeating a common meme used by Democrats joking about why voters supported Trump over Hillary Clinton in 2016. "This is one of those moments. The guy literally tried to overturn a free and fair election. He had slates of fake electors. He tried to hand stuff to [Mike] Pence on the floor! And her emails."

WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump told NBC News in a recent interview that the “smartest thing” Republicans could do is to eliminate the debt ceiling altogether.

“The Democrats have said they want to get rid of it. If they want to get rid of it, I would lead the charge,” Trump said.

The debt ceiling has been in place since 1917.

Also Read: Trump’s spokeswoman preaches fiscal responsibility. But she has a debt problem.

When Raw Story spoke to lawmakers on Capitol Hill, however, it became clear that it's not something in the cards for Trump.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) called the debt ceiling "critically important," saying, "It has been the most effective leverage for forcing structural reforms on spending."

Each time it has been asked, Congress has raised the debt ceiling.

When Raw Story asked Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) whether he agreed with Trump that removing the debt ceiling was a good idea, the GOP ally didn't merely say no—he said, "Hell no!"

"I'm happy to negotiate an increase," Johnson said, saying that the largest debate is what level they would bring it to. "It's got to be dramatically lower than what it is today."

He cited the increase in spending amid the COVID-19 pandemic, calling it "insane."

Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) agreed, saying, "I like the debt ceiling. It reminds us of something we should be focused on. It's a good reminder that it's a problem.

Raw Story asked whether he was surprised to see Trump call for it to be eliminated. Scott said he "didn't see that."

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) called each increase in the debt ceiling "the Day of Shame" and implied that all who support it should wear it like an Albatross. He's also against having the increase tied to the budget reconciliation bill. However, he didn't clarify whether he would filibuster that.

Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) said that she always believed "it was worthy to have a discussion about our overspending that coincided with the debt ceiling."

"That said, I'm willing to consider playing down the importance of the debt ceiling in light of DOGE," she said, referencing the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The Department hasn't actually been created, but Trump indicated he would allow Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon Musk to make $2 trillion in cuts.

On Wednesday, Musk told former Hillary Clinton strategist Mark Penn in an interview on X that the $2 trillion figure was a “best-case outcome.” In reality, Musk confessed there was only a “good shot” at cutting half that, NBC News reported.

Musk previously told Americans he would cut $2 trillion in Government waste and spending.

WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump indicated that he has major goals for his first day in office — but one of his top allies is pumping the brakes on one major agenda item.

Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) told Raw Story on Friday that he expects most of Trump's plans to quickly pass, including "delivering on border immediately, addressing the economy, tax policy, energy policy, and of course, yes, we're going to have to deal with the debt ceiling."

Also Read: Rep. Byron Donalds, his gigantic Jim Crow myth and a forgotten fact about Black voters

He went on to say that "this town," which means Washington, D.C., must "get used to" hearing about spending cuts he vowed are coming.

But he cautioned that his mass deportation plans would not be able to be rushed through — and that Trump would likely have to come to Congress to win backing..

Donalds said that sending immigrants back to their home countries will likely be part of a congressional bill because he expects it will cost a hefty sum.

"There's gonna be some dollars they'll need from us to make that happen," he said. "On tariff policy, the president can largely do it."

While Donalds is right that spending for mass deportations will be necessary — and such spending needs to pass through Congress — a Trump executive order on tariff policy is also questionable. Trade policy is generally a congressional matter.

In November, the Economist questioned whether Trump's promise of hefty tariffs was possible. It noted that over the years, "Congress has ceded more and more authority to the executive branch, and the courts, the third coequal branch of government, have happily blessed the arrangement. Nowhere is this clearer than in trade policy."

The U.S. Constitution grants Congress the powers “to lay and collect taxes, duties, imports and excises” and “to regulate commerce with foreign nations."

The only "out" is that the president can claim it's a national security problem. That will also likely end up in court, experts say.

WASHINGTON — Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) said former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) is "excited" about his U.S. Senate confirmation hearing despite damaging information that could come out about him stemming from a yearslong House Ethics Committee probe.

President-elect Donald Trump nominated Gaetz to lead the Justice Department in a flurry of appointments that included a Fox News weekend co-host for defense secretary and a governor with little experience in homeland security to head that department.

Speaking to Raw Story on Tuesday, Norman said he "expected" the attacks on Gaetz, but "he can handle himself."

"Can he?" Raw Story pressed.

"Yeah. He's excited," said Norman.

The Freedom Caucus Republican added that the House Ethics Committee report was "just an opinion they want to get out there." He anticipates it will "actually help" Gaetz.

"The public opinion is going to be with him," claimed Norman.

Norman dodged the question when asked about the accusations the Congressman paid for sex with a minor.

Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing.

"Look, they're after — they're gonna try and stop every one of 'em," he said. "Matt's just a poster child."

Fox weekend host Pete Hegseth has also been accused of sexual misconduct, which he also denies. In Hegseth's case, he asked the woman who accused him of sexual assault to sign a nondisclosure agreement and paid her an undisclosed sum. The police report that covers the accusation said a rape kit was done at the hospital and found evidence of a sexual encounter.

Hegseth claimed that they had sex, but it was consensual.

"It's not gonna work," Norman said about "going after" Gaetz. "They've been doing it for seven years."

The alleged encounters Gaetz had were during his first term in Congress between 2017 and 2019.

"I mean, some of the senators — I can't wait to see him get grilled," Norman said about Gaetz's confirmation process. "He can handle himself."

When Norman was asked about the Republicans who aren't fans of Gaetz, he said that some are still made aware of what happened to remove Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) from the chair.

"Let 'em leak it, and we'll see how it turns out," Norman closed.

An alleged hacker already accessed the information about Gaetz and could release it before the House does.

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WASHINGTON — Some Republicans are trying to slow the rush to appoint President-elect Donald Trump's Cabinet picks — particularly "Fox & Friends Weekend" host Pete Hegseth. Last week, Trump nominated Hegseth to serve as his Secretary of Defense.

Speaking to Raw Story on Monday evening, Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) confessed that she has questions.

"They have to be vetted, and we’ll get to the bottom of it,” Ernst said. “We just need to have them thoroughly vetted.”

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“We’re just gonna have to have a conversation."

While Ernst urges proper vetting, CNN reported last week that Trump's transition team isn't using the FBI to do background checks on the appointees, saying they believe that would take too long.Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) called Hegseth a "good guy," noting, "I know him well."

“Did you ever know about the past sexual assault accusation?” Raw Story asked.

“Come on now,” Tuberville complained. “Come on now.”

Raw Story pointed out that the Washington Post reported that Hegseth's accuser was paid and signed a nondisclosure agreement.

Also read: 'More normal': Dem claims there's a sane 'back-stop' on Trump's team — but for how long?

Hegseth's lawyer said that he paid the woman off out of fear he would be fired from Fox. Trump's transition team confessed that the scandal blindsided them.

Raw Story asked Tuberville: “Have you not heard about that?”

“No, I don't keep up with all that,” Tuberville replied.

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) also admitted, “I know nothing."

“I’ll let the process play out," he claimed. "I don't know the individuals. I don't know the rumors. I don't know what’s being made of this."

Raw Story asked if Johnson had concerns about the vetting of the possible candidates.

“They'll be vetted,” Johnson promised.

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) similarly assumed that the candidates would have a proper background check.

“I won't know anything until I see a full vetting,” Tillis said at the Capitol.

Meanwhile, Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) called the allegations against Hegseth "serious" and urged an investigation be "pursued."

"That would require, I think, a very thorough FBI background that I think has to be done, and then he has to make himself available for individual questioning, and then a committee hearing that's open," the senator told Raw Story.

Trump's team has teased a recess appointment, which would allow his Cabinet picks take their positions without being confirmed by the Senate.

Outgoing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said that there will not be any recess appointments.

“The recess appointment is just terrible, and I think what it does is that — if agreed to — would forfeit our obligation to be a check and balance on the president[-elect]. A dereliction of duty," said Reed.

Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) told Raw Story that he found it "inconceivable" that "any senator would think of confirming so many people, including [Hegseth], who are unprepared for the job, unqualified for the job by experience or by past involvements. It’s offensive."

“All of these appointments that he's made are more about his petulance than it is about their qualifications,” Hoyer said. “The country is ill-served by this irresponsibility.”

WASHINGTON — A Democratic congressman said Friday President-elect Donald Trump appears to have a "back-stop" on his team who is "more normal" than other people he's surrounded himself with.

But he worries about what happens if they leave — or get ignored.

Rep. Dan Kildee (D-MI) voiced many worries about the incoming Trump administration when he talked to Raw Story.

Among those is Gov. Kirsti Noem (R-SD) who is being tapped to run the Department of Homeland Services. Kildee called her "an amateur."

"Historically, not always, but generally speaking, these picks are a mix of some political, but mostly people with deep policy substance, especially on the national security front," he said.

"Not always on the other stuff, for sure. The other departments are a mix of politics and policy, but the national security stuff is life and death seriousness," Kildee told Raw Story while at the U.S. Capitol.

Also Read: A second reign of terror: Inside Trump’s blueprint for home raids

He mentioned Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), who was a moderate for a time until there was a radical shift toward the end of the first Trump term. She was nominated to be U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.

"It's just weird," he said of her "transformation."

"It's a toxic combination of a lack of depth and a lack of conviction. That's a little scary."

But, he said, handling the day-to-day White House will be Trump's campaign manager Susie Wiles as the chief of staff — and he expressed hope that she might be a more sensible guiding force.

Kildee called her "more normal." But his concern is, "How long will she last, and how much influence will she have?"

"If there's a back-stop that's where it is. These guys are not going to be a back-stop," he said of the long-time Trump loyalists.

Kildee concluded that, "When [Trump] says he's going to do something, at least he's going to try. I don't think he bluffs on stuff like that when it comes to settling scores.

"But as much as he's blown up the norms and institutions, I think he could overreach."

WASHINGTON, D.C. — MAGA world is not happy about the replacement for Mitch McConnell (R-KY) as the Republican leader in the Senate, but at least one outgoing Democrat is breathing a sigh of relief.

Raw Story asked Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) whether Sen. John Thune (R-SD) — who was selected to become majority leader of the Senate Wednesday — was someone Democrats could work with.

She expressed her approval of the new GOP pick.

Also Read: Republican says Mike Johnson 'rigged' the GOP vote — and promises future fights

Speaking to Raw Story just after the vote, Stabenow said that Thune would "be a good leader for the Republicans" because "he has good relationships across the aisle" with Democrats.

"We worked together on the Agriculture Committee," she recalled.

Meanwhile, MAGA's hardcore was furious at Wednesday's news, claiming the new majority leader was a man opposed to President-elect Donald Trump.

WASHINGTON — Elected officials are quickly responding to Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) after he spread rumors that there are five "assassination teams" working throughout the United States with the aim of taking out former President Donald Trump.

Gaetz claimed in a press release Monday that he has a "whistleblower" who is a senior Homeland Security Department official sounding the alarm about the "teams" that aim to take out Trump. Three of the five are from foreign governments, Gaetz told controversial former Associated Press reporter John Solomon.

“… this individual was coming to me, concerned that the force protection around President Trump, even prior to that second assassination attempt, was not sufficient for what it needed to be, and the coordination at that level, at the dignitary protection level is like the bare minimum that we have to do to keep our presidents, our presidential candidates, safe while they’re on the trail,” the Florida congressman said.

Read Also: GOP 'sociopaths' live among us — and it's 'contagious': neuroscientist

But Gaetz's colleagues don't buy it.

Speaking to Raw Story on Wednesday while walking through the House tunnel, Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA) said, "It's just garbage."

After a potential shooter was spotted outside of Mar-a-Lago complaining about Trump's position on Ukraine, Gaetz claimed that the man, Ryan Wesley Routh, was caught at the border returning to the U.S. from Ukraine. The only news sites willing to publish Gaetz's claims have been right-wing websites. There are no reports of Routh being "at the border." After international travel, he would have gone through Customs and Border Protection at the airport. That has been used to claim that one of the international teams is from Ukraine.

Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), similarly said that she's never heard of any accusations about such claims.

"Well, there's a lot of crazy stuff being said these days, you know, about people eating pets and other things," Lofgren told Raw Story while on her way to vote on legislation.

"I've never heard of anything like that, and I don't believe it's correct," Lofgren said.

Gaetz isn't on the House Intelligence Committee, which has access to official intelligence gathered from the U.S. and international community about such matters. Rep. Ami Bera (D-CA) is, however, on the committee.

"I have not heard anything like that," Bera told Raw Story while walking through the Capitol. "He might have an active imagination, I don't know."

He suggested that Gaetz "ask for Congress to have a classified briefing or come into the Intelligence Committee," to hear accurate information.

"It's what we've come to expect from Matt Gaetz," Bera said. "It is dangerous."

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), the vice-chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, refused to comment on the matter when asked. He confirmed only public information that Iran had potential assassins in the U.S. eager to take out Trump.

He was asked multiple times about whether Gaetz's comments were "dangerous" but refused to comment.

Long-time Democratic lawmaker Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) simply laughed.

"I didn't hear that," the former House Majority Leader said. "So let me look into it."

Raw Story pointed out that Gaetz put the information on his official government website.

"I don't check that much," Hoyer confessed.