Today in one sentence: FBI Director Christopher Wray will resign at the end of Biden’s term; Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is advocating for Trump to appoint his daughter-in-law as deputy CIA director so he can get to the bottom of the assassination of his uncle John F. Kennedy; Trump nominated Kimberly Guilfoyle to be the U.S. ambassador to Greece – hours after a British tabloid published photos of her fiancée, Trump Jr., holding hands with socialite Bettina Anderson; the House passed an $895.2 billion defense policy bill, which included a ban on gender-affirming care for transgender children of service members; the consumer price index increased 2.7% in November from a year earlier; 30% of Americans say they trust Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on issues of health; 47% of Americans approve of how Trump is handling his transition; and 22% of Americans approve of Biden’s decision to pardon his son Hunter.

1/ FBI Director Christopher Wray will resign at the end of Biden’s term. Wray’s resignation comes seven years into his 10-year term and follows Trump’s announcement that he would nominate loyalist Kash Patel to serve as FBI director. Although Trump picked Wray to head the FBI in 2017 after firing then-Director James Comey, Trump called Wray’s resignation “a great day for America as it will end the Weaponization of what has become known as the United States Department of Injustice.” Wray announced his plans at a town hall with the FBI workforce, telling employees: “My goal is to keep the focus on our mission — the indispensable work you’re doing on behalf of the American people every day. In my view, this is the best way to avoid dragging the bureau deeper into the fray, while reinforcing the values and principles that are so important to how we do our work.” (Associated Press / Washington Post / New York Times / NPR / CNBC / ABC News / Wall Street Journal / NBC News)

  • 💡 Trump’s proposed agenda for his second term relies on authoritarian tactics, including loyalty purges, expanded surveillance, and militarized enforcement, threatening democratic norms and civil liberties. Trump’s plan includes reviving “Schedule F” to remove job protections for federal employees deemed disloyal, transforming the civil service into a politically driven operation. His mass deportation agenda would require paramilitary enforcement, creating a climate of fear and suspicion. Expanding presidential powers, Trump aims to use federal agencies, surveillance, and the military to suppress opposition, control regulatory bodies, and investigate rivals. These actions would fundamentally reshape the U.S. government, undermining its impartiality and risking authoritarian governance. (Mother Jones)

2/ Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is advocating for Trump to appoint his daughter-in-law as deputy CIA director so he can get to the bottom of the assassination of his uncle John F. Kennedy. Amaryllis Fox Kennedy is a former CIA operative who spent 10 years at the agency as an undercover agent. If named deputy to John Ratcliffe, Trump’s pick for CIA director, she’d be in a position to find out what the CIA knows about the assassination. Trump, meanwhile, has promised to release the last of the JFK assassination files, saying “I will establish a new independent presidential commission on assassination attempts, and they will be tasked with releasing all of the remaining documents pertaining to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.” (Axios)

3/ Trump nominated Kimberly Guilfoyle to be the U.S. ambassador to Greece – hours after a British tabloid published photos of her fiancée, Trump Jr., holding hands with socialite Bettina Anderson. Trump called Guilfoyle, a former Fox News personality, “a close friend and ally,” making no mention of her relationship with Trump Jr. The two started dating in 2018, got engaged in 2020, and the status of their relationship is currently unclear. Guilfoyle, meanwhile, said she accepts the nomination. (New York Times / NPR / CNN / CBS News / NBC News)

  • 💡 Trump’s second presidency appears poised to deepen conflicts of interest as he incorporates family members and associates into key government roles while maintaining extensive business entanglements. During Trump’s first term, family members occupied prominent positions, and the pattern continues with appointments of relatives and in-laws to influential roles. Legal and ethical norms against nepotism and conflicts of interest appear sidelined as his businesses expand operations in foreign markets, disregarding prior commitments to minimize such dealings. (The Atlantic)

4/ The House passed an $895.2 billion defense policy bill, which included a ban on gender-affirming care for transgender children of service members. House Republicans tucked the provision – “Medical interventions for the treatment of gender dysphoria that could result in sterilization may not be provided to a child under the age of 18” – onto page 399 of the 1,813-page of the $895.2 billion National Defense Authorization Act. Speaker Mike Johnson, who personally pushed for the provision to be included in the package, claimed the ban would protect children from being subjected to “treatments that would ultimately sterilize.” The top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, Adam Smith, said “Blanketly denying health care to people who need it - just because of a biased notion against transgender people - is wrong. The inclusion of this harmful provision puts the lives of children at risk and may force thousands of service members to make the choice of continuing their military service or leaving to ensure their child can get the health care they need.” The bill passed 281-140, and now moves to the Senate. (NBC News / CNN / Washington Post / Associated Press / HuffPost)

5/ The consumer price index increased 2.7% in November from a year earlier – a bigger increase than the prior month. On a monthly basis, inflation increased 0.3% from October to November – the biggest gain since April. While inflation has cooled significantly since it peaked at 9.1% in 2022, it remains above the Fed’s goal of 2%. (Axios / Wall Street Journal / New York Times / Washington Post)

poll/ 30% of Americans say they trust Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on issues of health. RFK Jr. is Trump’s pick to lead Health and Human Services. (Axios)

poll/ 47% of Americans approve of how Trump is handling his transition, while 39% disapprove, and 14% are unsure. (Washington Post)

poll/ 22% of Americans approve of Biden’s decision to pardon his son Hunter. Overall, 51% say they disapprove of the pardon, while another 18% say neither approve nor disapprove. (Associated Press)

Four years ago today: Day 1422: "The dam vaccines."
Five years ago today: Day 1056: Scum.
Six years ago today: Day 691: This wall thing.