House Republicans have chosen a fellow member to replace GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., in their party’s leadership ranks.

Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Mich., was elected House GOP Conference Chair on Wednesday evening, the No. 4 leadership position for Republicans in the chamber.

She was the favorite to win the internal race against Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Fla.

McClain is already a lower-level member of leadership, serving as House Republicans’ conference secretary in the 118th Congress.

Cammack’s bid was bolstered by an endorsement from ally Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., and groups like the Log Cabin Republicans and the national Young Republicans organization.

Meanwhile, McClain had support from a wide range of the Republican Conference, from House Freedom Caucus members to rank-and-file national security hawks.

Stefanik was originally intending to run for the job again before accepting President-elect Trump’s nomination to serve as his ambassador to the United Nations.

The conference chair is in charge of overseeing and executing messaging strategy within the House GOP.

It comes as the House GOP unanimously backed Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., for his job again, two sources in the room told Fox News Digital.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., and House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., were also elected unanimously to return to their roles, sources said.

Special counsel Jack Smith is asking an appeals court to halt his appeal against President-elect Trump for his alleged mishandling of classified and top-secret documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

Smith did the same in the D.C. election interference case last week.

The news comes after Fox News confirmed that Smith will be stepping down before Trump takes office.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

House Republicans have reached an agreement on raising the motion to vacate threshold.

Currently, House GOP Conference rules dictate that just one lawmaker is needed to call for a motion to vacate the chair, which would trigger a chamber-wide vote on removing the speaker.

But the deal, brokered during a meeting hosted by Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and involving lawmakers from the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus and the pragmatic Main Street Caucus, would raise the one-person threshold to nine.

In exchange, Main Street Caucus members agreed to withdraw several proposed changes to House GOP rules that would have punished Republicans who vote against the will of the majority.

The one-person threshold was part of a deal that ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., struck with conservatives in January 2022 in order to win the gavel.

That eventually came back to haunt him when Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., triggered the vote that ultimately led to his ouster by all House Democrats and eight Republicans in October 2023.

It’s also been a threat over Johnson’s head since he took over for McCarthy.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., notably triggered a vote to oust Johnson using the same rule in March. Enough House Democrats helped Republicans block the House-wide vote, however, by voting to ‘table’ it indefinitely.

House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md., and Main Street Caucus Chairman Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., confirmed the deal in brief comments to reporters on Wednesday evening.

‘ This started because Dr. Harris reached out this morning. He said, ‘Listen, we’ve got to cut a deal. We need to come together.’ Unity is important,’ Johnson said.

‘We spent more than an hour together. We made good progress. We understood that we had an opportunity to set the motion to vacate at a higher number…the motion to vacate will be set at nine, and in return for getting rid of some amendments that probably would have divided this conference.’

 The Main Street Caucus chair said Harris ‘did a good job of explaining to mainstream leadership why those amendments would have divided the Republican conference.’

Moderate and rank-and-file Republicans have been pushing to raise the threshold since late last year, arguing it would just continue to fuel chaos within the House GOP.

But GOP hardliners insisted it empowered members who were not in House Republican leadership.

A fifth person who spoke with Fox News Digital stressed the deal was tentative, categorizing it as a ‘proposed’ deal and adding, ‘It isn’t over until it is.’

House Republicans are expected to vote on proposed changes to their conference rules on Thursday.

The news comes just after Johnson won a unanimous vote by House Republicans to be their speaker again, two more sources told Fox News Digital.

Conservative critics of Johnson’s handling of foreign aid and government spending had threatened to delay his victory by forcing a secret ballot vote rather than awarding him unanimous consent.

But they appeared to back off from that threat after the meeting, which delayed leadership elections by roughly an hour and a half.

Fox News Digital reached out to Johnson’s office for comment.

President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., to serve as his Secretary of State. 

‘It is my Great Honor to announce that Senator Marco Rubio, of Florida, is hereby nominated to be The United States Secretary of State. Marco is a Highly Respected Leader, and a very powerful Voice for Freedom,’ Trump said in a statement. ‘He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries.’

In a statement, Rubio, 53, said he was ‘honored’ by the trust Trump ‘has placed in me.’

‘As Secretary of State, I will work every day to carry out his foreign policy agenda,’ Rubio wrote on X. ‘Under the leadership of President Trump we will deliver peace through strength and always put the interests of Americans and America above all else.’

‘I look forward to earning the support of my colleagues in the U.S. Senate so the President has his national security and foreign policy team in place when he takes office on January 20,’ he added. 

The son of Cuban exiles, the three-term senator is known on Capitol Hill as a foreign policy hawk who favors maintaining U.S. alliances overseas, including NATO. 

For example, he voted against the $95 billion in U.S. aid to Ukraine and has urged the eastern European nation to negotiate an end to its war with Russia.

However, Rubio, who sits on both the Senate Intelligence Committee and the Foreign Relations Committee, has taken similar positions to Trump on international conflicts, including Israel’s war with Hamas. He has also publicly supported Israel’s right to defend itself. 

In his announcement, Trump described Rubio as ‘a strong Advocate for our nation, a true friend to our allies, and a fearless warrior who will never back down to our adversaries.’

‘I look forward to working with Marco to Make America, and the World, Safe and Great Again!’ he said. 

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Rubio called the role a ‘tremendous responsibility.’

‘And the job of the Secretary of State is to execute on foreign policy set by the elected President of the United States, and I hope to have the opportunity to do it if my current colleagues here in the U.S. Senate confirm me,’ he said. 

He was Trump’s rival during his 2016 campaign, where both men sparred during televised debates. Trump sometimes belittled him, sometimes calling him ‘little Marco.’ 

Rubio was previously being considered as a possible running mate by the former president until Republican Ohio Sen. JD Vance was selected. 

President-elect Donald Trump has announced more than a dozen Cabinet picks just a week after he was declared victorious in his race against Vice President Kamala Harris, reflecting his commitment to putting ‘America first,’ the campaign told Fox News Digital. 

‘The American people re-elected President Trump by a resounding margin, giving him a mandate to implement the promises he made on the campaign trail — and his Cabinet picks reflect his priority to put America First. President Trump will continue to appoint highly qualified men and women who have the talent, experience and necessary skill sets to Make America Great Again,’ Trump-Vance transition spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Digital when asked about Trump’s speedy roll-out of Cabinet picks. 

Trump sailed to victory last week after securing electoral votes from toss-up states such as Pennsylvania and Georgia. All in, he earned 312 electoral votes — sweeping all seven of the battleground states — and won the popular vote. 

‘America first’ and ‘Make America Great Again’ were hallmarks of Trump’s campaign, including during his historic rally at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan last month.

‘We stand on the verge of the four greatest years in the history of the U.S.A. With your help from now until Election Day, we will restore America’s promise. We will put America first, and we will take back the nation that we all love,’ he said at MSG. ‘We bleed the same blood. We share the same home, and we salute the same great American flag. We are one people, one family and one glorious nation under God. We will never give in. We will never give up. We will never ever back down, and we will never, ever, ever surrender. Together, we will fight, fight, fight, and we will win, win, win.’

Shortly after his win at the ballot box, Trump began rolling out his picks for his Cabinet. As of Wednesday afternoon, Trump has announced 17 names for his administration, including Susie Wiles as his chief of staff, longtime ally Dan Scavino as his deputy chief of staff and Fox News co-host Pete Hegseth as secretary of defense.

Trump has announced the picks via emails to the media and supporters, coming at a faster pace than in 2016, when he was elected to his first term in the Oval Office, Fox News Digital found earlier this week.  

Trump announced on Nov. 11, for example, that New York Rep. Elise Stefanik will serve as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. During the 2016 transition cycle, Trump announced then-Gov. Nikki Haley of South Carolina would fill that same role on Nov. 23. Haley went on to run unsuccessfully in 2024 for the GOP presidential nomination.

He also tapped Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., to serve as his national security adviser, announcing that pick on Tuesday, about three days ahead of his announcement for the same role in 2016, when he chose former Army Gen. Mike Flynn for the position about 10 days after Election Day. 

Trump also announced he chose former New York Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, a pick Trump didn’t make until Dec. 7, 2016, when he tapped Scott Pruitt to serve in the role.

Trump’s first pick for his administration, Susie Wiles for chief of staff, was announced the day after the election, while his 2016 announcement of Reince Priebus as chief of staff was made five days after the election. 

‘Susie is tough, smart, innovative, and is universally admired and respected. Susie will continue to work tirelessly to Make America Great Again. It is a well deserved honor to have Susie as the first-ever female Chief of Staff in United States history. I have no doubt that she will make our country proud,’ Trump said after the selection of Wiles.

Trump briefly traveled to Washington, D.C., Wednesday, where he met with congressional Republicans and then went to the White House for a meeting with President Biden before heading back home to Florida.

‘I look forward… to having a smooth transition. We’ll do everything we can to make sure you’re accommodated, what you need,’ Biden said during a short portion of the meeting when reporters were granted access to the Oval Office. 

Trump added that ‘politics is tough, and in many cases it’s not a very nice world, but it is a nice world today.’

‘I appreciate very much the transition that’s so smooth. It will be as smooth as it can get, and I very much appreciate that,’ Trump continued.

Trump was joined by high-profile officials on his transition team and upcoming administration, including Wiles and tech billionaire Elon Musk. 

Musk endorsed Trump over the summer and soon began campaigning for him, most notably in the key battleground state of Pennsylvania. Trump announced on Tuesday evening that Musk and former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy will lead a new task force he is calling the Department of Government Efficiency. 

‘I am pleased to announce that the Great Elon Musk, working in conjunction with American Patriot Vivek Ramaswamy, will lead the Department of Government Efficiency (‘DOGE’). Together, these two wonderful Americans will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies – Essential to the ‘Save America’ Movement,’ Trump said in his announcement. 

‘It will become, potentially, ‘The Manhattan Project’ of our time. Republican politicians have dreamed about the objectives of ‘DOGE’ for a very long time. To drive this kind of drastic change, the Department of Government Efficiency will provide advice and guidance from outside of Government, and will partner with the White House and Office of Management & Budget to drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before,’ the announcement continued. 

Trump is expected to continue quickly announcing his Cabinet picks as he continues establishing his administration ahead of Jan. 20. Trump had pledged throughout the campaign to ‘make America great again’ for voters of all political stripes, putting emphasis on gutting some federal agencies and even dismantling them altogether, such as the Department of Education. 

Fox News’ Michael Lee, Brooke Singman and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report. 

President-elect Trump announced on Wednesday that he is appointing Tulsi Gabbard to serve as director of national intelligence in his new Cabinet.

Gabbard served as a Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii from 2013 to 2021. In 2022, she became an Independent, and joined the GOP last month.

The Republican is also a veteran who served in Iraq, as well as an Army reservist. She was promoted to lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve three years ago.

In a statement on Wednesday, Trump said that the former congresswoman ‘has fought for our Country and the Freedoms of all Americans.’ 

‘As a former Candidate for the Democrat Presidential Nomination, she has broad support in both Parties – She is now a proud Republican!’ Trump’s statement said. 

‘I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community, championing our Constitutional Rights, and securing Peace through Strength. Tulsi will make us all proud!’

The director of national intelligence leads the U.S. intelligence community, which includes overseeing the National Intelligence Program and advising the president on security matters. The current national intelligence director is Avril Haines.

Once confirmed to the position, Gabbard will advise Trump, the National Security Council, and the Homeland Security Council on national security matters.

Fox News Digital confirmed earlier on Wednesday that Gabbard was on a shortlist of candidates for the position. In September, the former Democrat told Fox News Digital she would be ‘honored’ to join the Trump administration. 

‘I feel I can make the most impact in these areas of national security and foreign policy, and work to bring about the changes that President Trump talks about,’ Gabbard said at the time.

Fox News Digital’s Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, Alec Schemmel and Morgan Phillips contributed to this report. 

President-elect Trump on Wednesday announced Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., as his pick for attorney general — an unexpected pick that took many, including fellow House Republicans, by surprise.

If confirmed, Gaetz will head up the Justice Department after Trump is sworn in for his second term in January.

Trump first announced his nomination in a post on Truth Social, saying Gaetz ‘has distinguished himself in Congress through his focus on achieving desperately needed reform at the Department of Justice.’

Gaetz confirmed the nomination on the social media site X, adding, ‘It will be an honor to serve as President Trump’s Attorney General!’

In his statement on Truth Social, Trump praised Gaetz for his experience on the House Judiciary Committee, where he said Gaetz ‘played a key role’ in ‘defeating the Russia, Russia Hoax,’ and exposing what Trump described as ‘alarming and systemic Government Corruption and Weaponization.’

‘He is a Champion for the Constitution and the Rule of Law,’ he added.

Gaetz graduated from William & Mary College of Law and passed the Florida bar exam in 2008.

News of his appointment was met with a certain level of shock from House lawmakers.

Gaetz, a longtime Trump ally, had been under investigation by the House Ethics Committee, which subpoenaed him as recently as September for an ongoing investigation into alleged sexual misconduct with a minor. Gaetz in response told the panel he would ‘no longer voluntarily participate’ in their probe.

‘I explicitly reserve all of my rights pursuant to House Rules and the U.S. Constitution,’ he wrote in the letter, which was shared on social media.

It is unlikely that the investigation itself would block Gaetz’s path to confirmation in the Republican-majority Senate, though it could make it more difficult.

Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss., who chairs the House Ethics Committee, told Fox News Digital that their investigation would cease as soon as Gaetz leaves the House. 

‘Once a member is no longer a member of Congress, then Ethics has no jurisdiction,’ he said.

Guest added: ‘Look, I have great trust in President Trump and those people that he will surround himself with and put in his cabinet, so I’m sure that Trump and his transition team have taken into consideration all the good and bad surrounding every one of the candidates that they’re looking at appointing, and so I do not question President Trump’s appointment at all.’

Still, Guest said that the House Ethics Committee would not ramp up the pace of their investigation in light of Gaetz’s nomination. ‘No, we’re not going to do anything to expedite this,’ he told Fox News.

Early contenders for the post had included sitting U.S. senators, former Justice Department personnel and at least one top White House adviser from Trump’s first term.

‘He’s going to want someone who he knows, likes and trusts,’ former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker told Fox News about the role last week. ‘He’s going to want someone who was there from the beginning.’

This is a breaking news story. Check back soon for updates.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., was selected to lead the GOP conference again during a closed-door vote on Wednesday.

The vote was unanimous, two sources in the room told Fox News Digital, despite conservatives threatening to protest Johnson getting full support.

The internal election was delayed by roughly an hour and a half as Johnson met with his GOP critics to ‘hash it out,’ two other sources told Fox News.

It comes after President-elect Donald Trump addressed House Republicans earlier in the day and said he was ‘100%’ behind Johnson, multiple sources in the room told Fox News Digital.

It’s been a meteoric rise for the Louisiana Republican, who was a relatively little-known lawmaker when he was elected to succeed former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., after he was ousted by all House Democrats and eight fellow Republicans.

Johnson has endured much of the same chaos as McCarthy while presiding over a razor-thin House majority, with GOP rebels weaponizing the small margin in efforts to force the conference to pass more conservative policy.

But Johnson did not face any significant challengers on Wednesday, nor was he expected to with House Republicans on track to hold onto the chamber majority in the 119th Congress.

It could be a different story in January, when he will need a majority of the entire House chamber to be elected speaker.

McCarthy infamously had to endure 15 rounds of House votes and was forced to make concessions to a small group of holdouts in exchange for their support.

With Johnson projected to win just a slim single-digit majority again, he can afford little opposition – or risk paralyzing the House under a new Trump administration.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., and Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., ran uncontested for their current roles and are expected to win.