Politics and views in the United States.

Trump has a new pick for Attorney General, his incoming "border czar" warns local Democratic officials not to impede mass deportation, and the House passes legislation that could target any nonprofit group accused of supporting terrorism.

TRANSCRIPT

Welcome to 2024 Talks, where we're following our democracy in historic times.

I hope the president-elect will now consider nominating someone for attorney general, who by character, experience and qualifications can fulfill that role and be confirmed.

Democratic Delaware Senator Chris Coon says there is a high bar to become the nation's top law enforcement official.

President-elect Donald Trump is tapping former Florida State Attorney General Pam Bondi to lead the federal Justice Department, now that former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz is withdrawing his name.

Trump's pick to lead the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth, is dismissing reporters' questions about whether he sexually assaulted a woman in 2017.

I have, as far as the media is concerned, I'll keep this very simple.

The matter was fully investigated and I was completely clear, and that's probably legal.

According to a just-released police report, the organizer of a Republican women's forum accused him of physically blocking her from leaving a hotel room, taking her phone, and then sexually assaulting her.

Last year, the Fox News host paid her a confidential settlement to end what he calls a baseless lawsuit over consensual sex.

Trump's pick to lead the Department of Education, former World Wrestling Entertainment executive Linda McMahon, is also facing allegations.

A lawsuit contends she knowingly enabled the sexual exploitation of children by a WWE employee.

Tom Homan, Trump's pick for Border Czar, says they'll use land offered by Texas as a staging area for mass deportations.

He says any resistance by local Democratic officials will backfire on the migrants.

Then we'll arrest them, we'll fly them out of the state and detain them outside the state, again, away from their families and their attorneys.

That's what you want, that's what you get.

The House has passed a bill giving the Treasury Secretary the power to declare any nonprofit a terrorist-supporting organization and rescind its tax-exempt status.

Jeff Orderwer with 350 Action says Trump's rhetoric about the "enemy within" makes the bill's passage troubling.

They're trying to consolidate the number of tools in their toolbox so they can move quickly to call some people the enemy within and shut down organizations supporting causes that are fighting corporate power, fighting structural racism.

The co-leaders of the new Department of Government Efficiency say fewer federal regulations will mean fewer federal employees.

And former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy says remote staff unwilling to return to the office full-time will be fired.

We expect certain agencies to be deleted outright.

We expect mass reductions in force in areas of the federal government that are bloated.

I think people will be surprised by how quickly we're able to move.

Ramaswamy says President-elect Trump has the authority to stop spending even after it's been authorized by Congress.

House Republicans introduced legislation Thursday to eliminate the Department of Education and move its critical programs to other departments.

I'm Katherine Carley for Pacifica Network and Public News Service.

Find our trust indicators at publicnewsservice.org.