US Republicans win House, control both houses of Congress

Republicans on Wednesday were projected to win the majority of the US House of Representatives in Washington, meaning the GOP will control the White House, the House and the Senate when President-elect  Donald Trump is sworn in on January 20.

Republicans are slated to maintain their majority in the lower house with at least 218 of the body's 435 seats.

"It is a beautiful morning in Washington. It is a new day in America," Speaker of the House Mike Johnson said before the result was official. "The sun is shining, and that's a reflection about how we all feel. This is a very, very important moment for the country and we do not take it lightly."

Thune to replace McConnell as Senate leader 

In the Senate, Republicans chose John Thune of South Dakota as the new majority leader, replacing Mitch McConnell, who stepped down from the post after being the top Republican in the chamber for 17 years.

Thune beat out John Cornyn of Texas and Rick Scott of Florida — highly favored among Trump loyalists — for the job.

Thune originally condemned Trump's actions on January 6, 2021, calling them "inexcusable" but has since worked to win back Trump's favor. He is seen as a traditional Republican leader who is well-respected by colleagues on both sides of the aisle.

The four-term senator posted a statement on X, saying, "This Republican team is united behind President Trump's agenda, and our work starts today." 

Republicans will control 53 seats in the 100-seat Senate when the new Congress convenes in January.

Thune has previously said he would welcome input from Trump on Senate business. This weekend, the South Dakotan attempted to sidestep Trump's public demand that the Senate allow him to make recess appointments of Cabinet positions — a procedure that would allow him to bypass constitutionally mandated Senate confirmation hearings. 

Thune responded by saying the Senate must act "quickly and decisively" to get nominees in place adding, "all options are on the table to make that happen, including recess appointments."

Trump surprises with more Cabinet picks

As Republicans take control of both houses of Congress, Trump has continued to put forth nominations for top Cabinet positions. 

After nominating a Fox News talk show host to run the world's most powerful military, he has nominated former political foe turned backer Marco Rubio as his next secretary of state and Matt Gaetz to be the US attorney general.

Rubio, whom Trump derisively referred to as "Liddle Marco" for years, is a conservative, Cuban-American senator from Florida and a former presidential candidate. 

Rubio is known as a China hawk and a vociferous critic of Latin American communists. His aggressive positions have led "America First" Republicans to label him a warmonger.

Before becoming a supporter, Rubio railed against Trump calling him "a con man" who was clearly "unfit for office."

Should he be approved, Rubio would become the first Latino ever to serve as America's top diplomat.

Investigated now to become the investigator?

Trump has also nominated Matt Gaetz — a brash House Republican from Florida who played a key role in the chaos that consumed the Republican Party for several months during numerous contentious votes to elect a House speaker — as the nation's top law enforcement officer.

Trump announced Gaetz's nomination on Wednesday, saying, "Matt will end Weaponized Government, protect our Borders, dismantle Criminal Organizations and restore Americans' badly-shattered Faith and Confidence in the Justice Department."   

The position of attorney general is arguably one of the most important to Trump's presidency. The AG advises the president on the legality of his actions and Trump has big plans — from mass deportations to pardoning convicted January 6 insurrectionists and seeking "retribution" against his political enemies.

In the past, Trump has fumed at US attorneys general, claiming  they were not working in his interest. Despite being a part of the executive branch of government, the Department of Justice, which Gaetz would lead, has traditionally set its mission to be politically independent and impartial in applying the law of the land.

The choice of Gaetz for the job will no doubt raise eyebrows as he himself has been under investigation for years, mainly for shady business deals, drug use and accusations of paying at least one 17-year-old girl for sex.

Earlier this year, the House of Representatives took the unusual step of opening an ethics investigation into Gaetz's activities, with the House Ethics Committee saying it was looking into accusations that Gaetz "engaged in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, accepted improper gifts, dispensed special privileges and favors to individuals with whom he had a personal relationship, and sought to obstruct government investigations of his conduct." He has denied any wrongdoing.

After the announcement of his nomination as attorney general, Gaetz resigned from Congress, which also effectively brings a close to the ethics investigation.

js/jcg (AFP, dpa, Reuters)