Trump still wants Hegseth as defense minister. Mexico wants to preserve US trade agreements. All developments in the news blog.
1:58 p.m.: US President-elect Donald Trump is supporting his preferred candidate for the head of the Defense Department, who is in trouble. The support for Pete Hegseth is strong, contrary to what the “fake news” would have you believe, writes Trump on the platform he co-founded, Truth Social, with a view to the TV presenter to whom he wants to put the management of the Pentagon. “He will be a fantastic, energetic Secretary of Defense who will lead with charisma and skill,” enthuses Trump. Hegseth is a winner, “and there’s nothing you can do to change that.”
Since Hegseth’s nomination for the important ministerial post, new allegations against him have gradually become known: including alleged sexual assaults against women, racist statements and alcohol abuse. The ex-soldier denies the allegations and has been trying for days in talks with senators to gain the necessary support for his confirmation in the Congressional chamber. Anyone who wants to become a minister needs a majority in the Senate. In the chamber, however, there are reservations about Hegseth even among the Republican members. Because of the narrow majority of Republicans in the Senate, the television man can hardly afford to deviate.
11.30 a.m.: According to the deputy minister of economic affairs, Mexico wants to do everything possible to preserve a trade agreement with the USA and Canada. After his election, US President-elect Donald Trump threatened to impose tariffs on Mexico and Canada if they did not take action against drugs and migrants entering the US from their countries. Mexico is working on both issues in order to come to a common table and negotiate without obstacles, said Luis Rosendo Gutierrez to the news portal “Inside US Trade”.
Since Trump’s threat, Mexico has launched an offensive against contraband from Asia. Trump and some US industry leaders accuse Mexico of being a gateway for Chinese goods and investments, which Mexico rejects. A record amount of the opioid fentanyl was also seized. Thousands of migrants have also been arrested to prevent them from fleeing to the north.
9:18 a.m.: US President-elect Donald Trump has arrived in Paris to mark the reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral. According to airport operator circles, Trump landed on board a private plane at Orly Airport shortly before 7 a.m. Trump then immediately drove to the US Embassy.
According to the Élysée Palace, Trump will be received by President Emmanuel Macron in the afternoon before the reopening ceremony for the Notre Dame Cathedral, which was restored after the major fire in 2019. The meeting is scheduled for 4 p.m. According to the information, from 5 p.m. Macron will receive Ukrainian head of state Volodymyr Zelensky, who also wanted to come to Paris for the Notre Dame celebration.
12:20 a.m.: The high-tech billionaire Elon Musk supported the election campaign of the right-wing populist Donald Trump with more than 270 million dollars – making him the largest donor in the history of US politics. According to information from the US Federal Election Commission (FEC) in Washington late on Thursday evening, Musk paid around $238 million (225.3 million euros) to the lobby group America PAC, which he founded to support Trump, by October 18th.
