Donald Trump details his plans for Day 1 of his presidency. Assad’s brutal regime falls in Syria. And Jay-Z is accused of raping a 13-year-old girl in a lawsuit.
Here’s what to know today.
Trump shares changes he’ll carry out on day one and beyond in exclusive interview
In an exclusive interview with Kristen Welker, moderator of NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” President-elect Donald Trump vowed to make immediate changes after he takes office on Jan. 20.
Trump’s first postelection network television interview took place at Trump Tower in Manhattan, where he spoke for more than an hour to Welker about policy plans Americans can expect in his next term.
He plans to deport millions of undocumented immigrants and try to end birthright citizenship. Trump said he would fulfill a campaign promise to levy tariffs on imports from America’s biggest trading partners, but conceded uncertainty when Welker asked if he could “guarantee American families won’t pay more” as a result of his plan.
Trump said pardons for Jan. 6 rioters will happen on day one, arguing many have endured overly harsh treatment in prison. “These people are living in hell,” he said. He warned that some members of the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6 attack “should go to jail.”
Trump did dive into familiar grievances — he would not concede he lost the 2020 election. He blamed President Joe Biden for the nation’s political divide and heaped insults on perceived foes. He continued to keep some space between himself and the conservative “Project 2025” that was intended to be a blueprint for his administration to implement new policies. But while he once disavowed the policy guidebook, he embraced it more closely and agreed some of the drafters are now part of his incoming administration.
Read more from the exclusive interview with Trump here.
Watch the full interview here.
More coverage:
- As he did on the campaign trail and in his first term, Trump made false, misleading or exaggerated claims. We fact-checked his interview with “Meet the Press.”
- Trump suggested that RFK Jr., his pick to run Health and Human Services, will investigate the discredited links between vaccines and autism.
- Trump said that he will not try to replace Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, whose term runs through May 2026.
- When Trump returns to the White House, he’ll do so with a more sprawling business empire and far fewer promises about how he’ll avoid conflicts of interest.
- Lara Trump, his daughter-in-law, announced that she will step down as a co-chair of the Republican National Committee.
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Syrian rebels force out Assad, free prisoners from notorious jails
The Assad family’s decades-long reign in Syria came to an abrupt end this weekend when rebel forces led by the militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), captured Damascus after a stunning lightning-strike rout across the country.
Assad fled to Russia and relinquished the presidency. That was confirmed by his patron in Moscow, which supported the regime in crushing what started as a peaceful protest movement during the Arab Spring and became a vicious civil war that killed hundreds of thousands and sparked a refugee crisis.
“At long last, the Assad regime has fallen,” President Joe Biden said yesterday. He added, “It’s a moment of historic opportunity for the long-suffering people of Syria to build a better future for their proud country,” but he warned: “It’s also a moment of risk and uncertainty as we all turn to the question of what comes next.”
Families and rescue teams have rushed to a notorious Damascus prison where detainees are feared to be held underground, as many Syrians who disappeared under President Bashar al-Assad emerged to reunite with their loved ones. Follow live updates here.
Jay-Z accused in a lawsuit of raping a 13-year-old girl in 2000 with Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs
Jay-Z, the rapper and music mogul, whose real name is Shawn Carter, was accused in a lawsuit of raping a 13-year-old girl in 2000 allegedly along with Sean “Diddy” Combs. The anonymous accuser said the assault happened after she was driven to an MTV Video Music Awards after-party.
The federal lawsuit was originally filed in October in the Southern District of New York, listing Combs as a defendant. It was refiled Sunday to include Carter. Carter called the allegations “idiotic” in a lengthy statement and alleged that Texas based-attorney lawyer Tony Buzbee was engaged in unprofessional behavior. Buzbee has filed several lawsuits in recent months — all have withheld their complainants’ names — accusing Combs of assault and rape. This is the first suit in which he has named another high-profile defendant.
Read the full story here.
The Chiefs remain the NFL’s best escape artists, plus incredible games from Josh Allen and Sam Darnold: NFL Week 14
The Kansas City Chiefs, the best team in the NFL this season at winning close games, clinched their ninth consecutive AFC West division title and continue to control their path to the AFC’s top playoff seed by prevailing 19-17 in a back-and-forth “Sunday Night Football” matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers. NBC News sports editor Greg Rosenstein shares some other highlights:
👑 The Chiefs’ streak of division titles is the second-longest in NFL history, trailing only the 11 straight won by New England from 2009-2019.
🏈 Josh Allen had one of the greatest games in NFL history and still lost. The Buffalo Bills quarterback threw for three touchdowns and ran for another three touchdowns — the first time in NFL history that has happened — and it wasn’t good enough as his team fell 44-42 to the Los Angeles Rams. Buffalo dropped to 10-3 while Los Angeles improved to 7-6.
🤘 For those who want to discount the 11-2 Minnesota Vikings, do so at your own peril. On Sunday they demolished the Atlanta Falcons 42-21 against former quarterback Kirk Cousins. Vikings signal-caller Sam Darnold threw for 347 yards and five touchdowns — three to Jordan Addison and two to Justin Jefferson — en route to the convincing victory.
🤕 Two starting quarterbacks left games early: New Orleans’ Derek Carr and Las Vegas’ Aiden O’Connell. Carr suffered a left hand injury and a potential concussion in the fourth quarter of an eventual 14-11 win against the New York Giants. O’Connell, meanwhile, was carted off with a knee injury in the third quarter of the Raiders’ 28-13 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
▼Read All About It
- The New York Mets and superstar outfielder Juan Soto have agreed on a 15-year, $765 million contract — the largest contract in sports history.
- New York City police were searching the waters of Central Park for evidence as authorities continue their investigation into the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. NYPD also released two new photos of the person of interest wanted for questioning
- The woman who was federally charged with boarding a New York-to-Paris flight as a stowaway during the Thanksgiving holiday was released from U.S. custody with strict pretrial conditions.
- A 70-year-old man was arrested in connection with a 1983 murder in Southern California.
▼Staff Pick: The end of an era
Anyone with an ear tuned into pop music knew how big of a deal Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour” was. After nearly two years, five continents, 50 cities and 149 shows, its reached its end. Featuring songs from Swift’s 11 albums, the tour was marked by friendship bracelets, booming local economies and even a congressional inquiry after fans overwhelmed Ticketmaster.
Watching this tour bring together so many people and build such excitement makes me a little sad to see it finish. This era might be over, but Swift’s iconic tour leaves precious memories.— Elizabeth Both, associate platforms editor
NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified
Socks are a popular holiday gift, and this NBC Select reporter may have found the perfect pair for your giftees (or to keep for yourself). Check out his review of Uniqlo’s Colorful 50 socks. Plus, this guide of 21+ gifts for Lego-lovers includes options for kids and adults alike.
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Thanks for reading the Morning Rundown. Today’s newsletter was curated for you by Elizabeth Both and Annie Hill.
