The Hill’s 12:30 Report

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The Hill’s 12:30 Report: Ben Carson hints at accepting Trump Cabinet post | SC Gov. Haley tapped for UN ambassador | Reporter mistaken for alt-right leader | Meet the turkeys vying for Obama’s pardon | Rick Perry’s awkward DJ-ing

JUST NOW — HOPEFULLY “HUMMUS” WOULDN’T BE ON HIS LIST OF DUTIES: Dr. Ben Carson is dropping serious hints that he may be ready to accept a post as Trump’s Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Carson on Tuesday said he’d been offered the post. Today, Carson just posted on Facebook: “After serious discussions with the Trump transition team, I feel that I can make a significant contribution particularly to making our inner cities great for everyone. …. An announcement is forthcoming about my role in helping to make America great again.” http://bit.ly/2gholBN

Happy Wednesday! President Obama is about to pardon either Tater or Tot for Thanksgiving — you still have time to vote, so do your civic duty. And keep reading for their Tinder profiles. Filing with my extensive pro/con list to make an educated vote, I’m Cate Martel with a quick recap of what you missed this morning and what’s on tap for the rest of the day. Send comments, story ideas and the weirdest Thanksgiving recipes you can find (keep reading for one to get the ball rolling) to cmartel@digital-release.thehill.com, @CateMartel and on Facebook.

PROGRAMMING NOTE: The 12:30 Report will be off tomorrow and Friday for Thanksgiving. Enjoy the holiday and see you back here Monday. Same time, same place.

ANOTHER ONE IN THE CABINET, ANOTHER ONE IN THE CABINET: President-elect Donald Trump will nominate South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) for the nation’s next ambassador to the United Nations. Her deal: Haley is an outside-the-box pick for Trump. She was very critical of Trump during the primary and supported Marco Rubio’s presidential bid. http://bit.ly/2gfvzCx

AWKWARD: “CNN doing highlight reel of Trump calling Haley “weak on immigration;” Haley saying she won’t stop til we elect a prez who disavows the KKK.” (h/t The Post and Courier’s Emma Dumain) http://bit.ly/2fp7MiR

SAID ON THE TRUMP TRANSITION CALL: “It was a pretty easy pick, I think, for the president-elect. He clearly respects and admires her,” Trump transition spokesman Jason Miller said of Haley. http://bit.ly/2fpcOM4  

WHAT TO WATCH LATER TODAY: The Trump team also said there may be another Cabinet-level position announced later today. But there were no hints on timing or the department. 

{mosads}

GET READY FOR ONE HECK OF A RIDE IN PRESIDENTIAL POLITICS: Via The Hill’s Bob Cusack and Ian Swanson, “Donald Trump has successfully sold himself as a businessman, an entertainer and a president. Now he’s ready to market his 2017 agenda. The president-elect is signaling he’ll use Twitter, large rallies and a sharp tongue … to advance his presidency” — hmmm, sound familiar?! Here’s a good bet of how he’ll do it: http://bit.ly/2fRChSr 

WE MAY END UP WITH A “HOUSE PARTY”: …see what I did there? Get it? Get it? (Sorry, had to.) Via The Hill’s Scott Wong, some relatively obscure House lawmakers are being considered for President-elect Trump’s Cabinet. Naming names: Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Tom Price, Mike McCaul and Marsha Blackburn. http://bit.ly/2ggYObT

IT’S OBVIOUSLY BECAUSE HIS NAME IS ‘FORD,’ GUYS: Former Democratic Rep. Harold Ford Jr. is being considered for Transportation secretary or another post in the Trump administration, according to multiple reports. http://bit.ly/2frrTzZ

THAT AWKWARD TIME A GLOBE REPORTER WAS MISTAKEN FOR AN ALT-RIGHT LEADER: The Boston Globe’s Matt Viser appeared on CNN Monday and due to an unfortunate chyron “ALT-RIGHT FOUNDER QUESTIONS IF JEWS ARE PEOPLE,” he was mistaken for an alt-right leader. His first-hand account of going viral is pretty fascinating. Excerpt:

“Wrote [a person on Twitter]: ‘I always suspected Matt Viser of the Boston Globe was a closet Neo-Nazi — or at least a sympathizer. Sieg Heil, Matt!’ I pointed out that I was not the alt-right leader. And also — in words I couldn’t believe I had to type — that I believe Jews are people. The hate continued.” Full piece: http://bit.ly/2fRk7jl 

NOTABLE TWEETS:

The Texas Tribune’s Patrick Svitek (Oh, WOW. This is painfully awkward)
DJ Rick Perry during Vanilla Ice’s performance on Dancing with the Stars tonight http://bit.ly/2fFqL9t

Politico’s Dan Diamond (This tweet got a lot of traction.)
Trump tweets since election:
– Blasting media: 12
– Blasting ‘Hamilton’: 4
– Blasting people committing hate crimes in his name: 0 http://bit.ly/2gets1G

ON TAP — not much: 

Congress is out.

2:40 p.m. EST: President Obama will pardon the National Thanksgiving Turkey in the Rose Garden. Live-stream: http://bit.ly/2gkmdaa

CHECK. THEM. OUT: “The Presidential Flock getting fuel and snacks for the final leg of their journey! #DCBound #TurkeyPardon2016” http://bit.ly/2g3Gsb9

THEIR TINDER PROFILES: This year, Tater and Tot are competing for the White House pardon. What you need to know: Tater’s gobble style is “strong,” he “walks with swagger” and enjoys listening to Megan Trainor. Tot has a “confident” gobble style, enjoys eating tomato slices and “walks with a relaxed saunter.” Vote for your favorite: http://bit.ly/2gh9vLf

4:40 p.m. EST: President Obama and his family participate in a service event in the D.C. area.

This weekend: President-elect Donald Trump will be at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla., with his family. Vice President-elect Mike Pence will celebrate in Mississippi, where his son, a Marine, is stationed.

NOW FOR THE FUN STUFF…:

Today is National Espresso Day and National Cashew Day!

APOLOGIES IF YOU’VE HAD LUNCH ALREADY: Here’s a recipe for White Castle Turkey stuffing. Basically, it’s crushing up with White Castle sliders with no pickles and turning it into stuffing. Ugh. (h/t Marshall and Company’s Ellen B. Marshall) http://bit.ly/2gBd7Za

THIS LOOKS LIKE A FUN GROUP TO DRINK WITH: Tracee Ellis Ross Instagrammed a “Mannequin Challenge” video taken in the White House. Robert De Niro looks less than thrilled to be a part of it. Lol. http://bit.ly/2g3uK0s

THE COOLEST COKE BOTTLE: Check out this insane holiday-themed Coca-Cola bottle: http://bit.ly/2g3Ag2T

And to give you a good laugh, here’s a little girl who received a marriage proposal from a classmate. But no, it wasn’t a Ring Pop — he obtained an actual diamond. The video is hilarious: http://bit.ly/2fRnXcB

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