The Hill’s 12:30 Report

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The Hill’s 12:30 Report: Dems postpone leadership vote | House GOP gets Trump hats | Bannon’s role in White House | Christie allies ousted from transition | Schumer pressed to give Sanders bigger role

MAN, OUT — BACKING UP. BACKING AWAY, VERY SLOWLY: Via NBC’s Alexandra Jaffe and Ken Dilanian, President-elect Donald Trump has ousted former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) from his transition team. Rogers was one of the last vestiges of a transition team organized by New Jersey. Gov. Chris Christie, who was demoted after the election in favor of Vice President-elect Mike Pence. What one source called it: A “Stalinesque purge of people close” to Christie. http://nbcnews.to/2gdufEn

‘I’M GONNA REEL THAT ONE IN A BIT’: Eliot Cohen, a former State Department official under President George W. Bush, advised Republican foreign policy experts to “stay away” from Trump’s transition team. Why it’s newsy: Just a few days ago, Cohen encouraged them to help the president-elect. It appears to be in response to Mike Rodgers’ departure: “After exchange [with] Trump transition team, changed my recommendation: stay away. They’re angry, arrogant, screaming ‘you LOST!’ Will be ugly.” http://bit.ly/2eBWRH2

It’s Tuesday — and one week ago today, we all naively woke up not knowing how election night would go. Can you believe that it’s only been a week? 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 events for our radar to cmartel@digital-release.thehill.com, @CateMartel and on Facebook.

 

TRANSITION TEAM UPDATES:

NEWS — BEN CARSON SAID “NAAAAAH”: Via Circa’s Raffi Williams, Dr. Ben Carson turned down an offer to serve as secretary of Health and Human Services in the Trump administration. http://bit.ly/2f0SqDS

CONFIRMED — THE REASON WHY: From The Hill’s Ben Kamisar: Business manager and close friend Armstrong Williams confirmed that Carson would only serve as an unofficial adviser. “Dr. Carson feels he has no government experience, he’s never run a federal agency. The last thing he would want to do was take a position that could cripple the presidency.” http://bit.ly/2fUvNT0 Oh, you know, except that time HE RAN FOR PRESIDENT. http://bit.ly/2fUvNT0

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM BANNON: Via The Hill’s Jonathan Swan, Donald Trump’s controversial new chief strategist Stephen Bannon is best known for his domestic positions — populist nationalist views on trade and immigration — but sources who know Bannon say he’s likely to be an influential adviser to Trump on foreign policy and national security. What these sources said to expect from Bannon’s foreign policy: Look at the content of Breitbart News. Basically, the website supports nationalist movements wherever they arise and advocates a merciless approach against radical Islamic terrorists. http://bit.ly/2gcmLSQ

JUST NOW — LOOK OVER THERE! SEE THE SHINY OBJECT?!: Via The Hill’s Scott Wong, Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) shrugged off questions about Trump’s newly appointed chief strategist Stephen Bannon, saying it’s time to “look forward” and not backward. “The president is going to be judged on his results. [Bannon] is a person who helped him win an incredible victory and an incredible campaign,” Ryan told reporters after a closed-door meeting of House Republicans. http://bit.ly/2fVXIA5

{mosads}CONTROVERSY DU JOUR — THEY REALLY ARE THE BEST KIDS YOU’VE EVER SEEN, BIGLY MAN: Donald Trump is seeking top-secret security clearances for his adult children. Where it gets fishy: Trump’s children also plan to run his businesses while he serves as president. Hello, potential conflicts of interest! Also keep in mind: His children may also serve as unpaid national security advisers because he isn’t permitted to hire anyone related to him. One. Giant. Gray. Area. http://bit.ly/2fugVdn

TRAFFIC NOTE FOR NEW YORK READERS: “Trump has said he wants to spend part of his time as president in NYC. So Secret Service wants to close 5th Ave. near Trump Tower when he’s in town.” (From BuzzFeed’s Mike Hayes) Should be fun! http://bit.ly/2gdrMcL

 

ON CAPITOL HILL AND IN OTHER NEWS: 

BREAKING — DEMS DELAY LEADERSHIP VOTE: House Democrats have delayed a vote on electing party leaders after Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) expressed willingness to do so at a closed-door conference meeting. The stakes: This could give time for an opponent of Pelosi’s to mount a challenge. Her response on the timing: “I don’t care,” Pelosi said, according to an aide in the room. “I’m agnostic.” New date: Nov. 30. http://bit.ly/2fSTBDk

SPOTTED ON CAPITOL HILL — WOODY HARRELSON: Actor Woody Harrelson was seen on Capitol Hill yesterday. Keep in mind: Harrelson plays Lyndon B. Johnson in the new film titled “LBJ.” Photo of Harrelson posing with LBJ (from Politico’s John Bresnahan): http://bit.ly/2fu1ou0 Preview of the film: http://ti.me/2f0IIBH 

CAN YOU FEEL IT? THAT BURN?: Via The Hill’s Alexander Bolton, pressure is growing for Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) to back Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) as chairman of the Democratic Policy and Communications Center, a powerful position with influence over the party’s messaging and floor strategy. http://bit.ly/2fSTV4U

BOOKMARK THIS –THE UNTOLD STORIES OF THE BATTLE FOR THE SENATE: The Hill’s Reid Wilson has an interesting behind-the-scenes look of how the Senate map took shape as Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer squared off. http://bit.ly/2fT23Cy 

HAPPY FOUR-YEAR ANNIVERSARY: Four years ago today, @FloorCharts launched. http://bit.ly/2gcKkdY

 

NOTABLE TWEETS: 

Nate Hodson
House GOP ready to Make America Great Again. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) giving hats to members this AM. Photo: http://bit.ly/2f0Gjqw

The Huffington Post’s Matt Fuller: House Republicans are walking out of their conference meeting today with Make America Great Again hats because of course they are. http://bit.ly/2fcM1Dh

The New York Times’s Eric Lipton (Wow, yep.)
It is already happening: Trump Family Sees President of United States–as a Marketing Opportunity. http://bit.ly/2fSJfDr

Ari Fleischer, former White House press secretary under Bush 43, retweeted, adding: “Free advice: Stop it. Don’t do this. The presidency is bigger than the family business. Just stop it.” http://bit.ly/2eBLSNL

IJ Review’s Hunter Schwarz
Trump’s 2012 tweet about the Electoral College being a disaster for democracy is on display in Dupont Circle. Photos: http://bit.ly/2fVsWHm

 

ON TAP:

Today: President Obama is in Athens, Greece.

Noon: The House meets.

1:30 p.m. EST: The Brookings Institution holds an event titled “Do we have a liquidity problem post-crisis?” It will feature Federal Reserve Vice Chairman Stanley Fischer. Info: http://brook.gs/2f0BOML

4 p.m. EST: The Senate meets.

4–5 p.m. EST: The House votes.

5:30 p.m. EST: The Senate votes. 

6 p.m. EST: The Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital holds a “Talk of the Hill” event with radio host Bill Press. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor will join. Details: http://bit.ly/2eBsWyG

Tomorrow: Friends of Cancer Research holds their annual meeting at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill. Details: http://bit.ly/2f0DlCl

 

NOW FOR THE FUN STUFF…:

National Spicy Hermit Cookie Day and National Raisin Bran Cereal Day (??)

OH, SO THEY NOTICED THAT WE’RE WALKING ZOMBIES?: Via The Washington Post’s Keith L. Alexander, Americans lost an average of 29.62 minutes of sleep staying up on Election Night, according to Fitbit data. But it gets worse: D.C. residents lost drastically more, with an average of 49.75 minutes less of sleep. http://wapo.st/2fVq51k

And because I kept you this long, here’s a dog that has memorized (?!) his favorite dog commercial and has the moves down pat. I’m seriously so impressed: http://bit.ly/2eWKaBC

 

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