Image source, Reuters

Four days after Donald Trump took to social media to announce that he would not ask Nikki Haley back to the White House, she now says she was in fact approached for a role.

Haley - who was US ambassador to the United Nations during Trump's first presidency - says she declined the offer to be handed a role in the new administration after being approached by the president-elect's close friend Steve Witkoff.

"He was like, ‘What do you want? Tell me what you want. Is there anything you want?’ I said, ‘There’s nothing I want," she says on her SiriusXM show. "I had no interest in being in his cabinet. He knew that."

Haley says her husband and son were "upset" after Trump announced on his Truth Social platform that he wouldn't be asking her to serve again.

"And the truth is, I know the game he was playing. I don’t need to play that game. But more importantly, we have to look at the bigger picture. It is time to move on."

• For context: Haley was the last of Trump's major rivals to drop out of the party's primary contest, in early March, having run her own presidential campaign. During it, she accused her former boss of being "unhinged". She eventually endorsed Trump, saying he had "not been perfect" but that President Joe Biden had "been a catastrophe".

Gabbard's past could see her come under scrutiny at confirmation hearingspublished at 19:01 Greenwich Mean Time 14 November

19:01 GMT 14 November

Gordon Corera
Security correspondent

Tulsi Gabbard has been a critic of what she calls the "Military Industrial Complex and National Security State", and yet could now end up in charge of America’s vast intelligence community.

The Director of National Intelligence oversees 18 agencies and crucially also manages the flow of information to the president, including his daily brief.

The access to highly classified material and the ability to shape how the president sees the world makes it a sensitive job, and has led to close examination of Gabbard’s often-controversial past.

That includes a 2017 visit to Syria, where she met with President Bashar al-Assad, and a frequent willingness to criticise policies which take a hard line on Russia.

All of that means she's likely to face intense questioning when it comes to her confirmation hearings and may raise concerns that Donald Trump intends to take on what he has called "the deep state".

• For context: Trump's picks for his administration are just that, picks, until they're confirmed by the Senate. This process requires nominees to submit financial disclosure forms, fill out a questionnaire - which differs based on the role - and testify before a Senate committee. For more, read our earlier post about how Trump's picks go on to be confirmed.

Mike Wendling
US reporter

Image source, Reuters

We went over some of Tulsi Gabbard's controversies in our last post - now let's look at her background.

Gabbard - the former Democrat who Donald Trump has picked as his choice to oversee US intelligence agencies - grew up in a controversial spiritual movement called the Science of Identity Foundation (SIF).

It was founded in Hawaii in the 1970s by a man named Chris Butler, now known as Jagad Guru Siddhaswarupananda Paramahamsa, who broke with the Hare Krishna movement - an offshoot of Hinduism.

Some former members have called it an abusive "cult", although the SIF and Butler deny such allegations.

The organisation’s leaders once taught members that homosexuality is evil, according to reports, but the current SIF website, external mostly contains material about yoga and meditation.

Gabbard’s parents were adherents and she's been involved with the group since childhood.

In past interviews, Gabbard has described herself as a Hindu and has called Butler her spiritual guru.

Let's turn now to another of Donald Trump's picks. Tulsi Gabbard, who the president-elect's nominated to be his director of national intelligence, has proven to be controversial over her past statements on US, foreign and military policy.

Critics have accused the veteran and former Democrat congresswoman of repeating Russian propaganda about the war in Ukraine, as well as downplaying allegations of attacks on civilians in Syria by its Moscow-backed President Bashar al-Assad.

Gabbard has denied these allegations, often accusing her detractors in turn of being "warmongers".

Here's a quick look at what else she's said in recent years:

• Writing on social media on the day after Russia attacked in February 2022, she said the war could have been prevented if had the US and its Western allies had recognised Russia's "legitimate security concerns" about Ukraine's bid to join Nato
• The following month, she said it was an "undeniable fact" that there were US-funded biolabs in Ukraine that could "release and spread deadly pathogens" as she called for a ceasefire - no evidence for biological weapons being produced in Ukraine has ever emerged and in response, Republican Senator Mitt Romney accused Gabbard of embracing "actual Russian propaganda"
• In 2017, during Trump's first term as president, she travelled to Syria and met President Bashar al-Assad - later telling CNN that she was "sceptical" his regime was behind a chemical weapons attack which killed dozens of people

For a deeper dive, we've written this explainer on Gabbard's career and controversies

Image source, EPA

Donald Trump is surrounding himself with loyalists, billionaires and political newcomers as he prepares for his second term in the White House.

On the latest episode of the BBC's Global Story podcast, Caitríona Perry asks our senior North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher about new additions to Team Trump, like Elon Musk, and notable absences - like hid daughter Ivanka.

• You can listen to the programme on BBC Sounds to to learn more about what the president-elect's top picks say about his priorities

If you're just joining us, or need a refresher, here's what's happened so far today - and what we're expecting to come a little later:

• Illinois Senator Dick Durbin called on the House Ethics Committee to share their report and all relevant documentation on Matt Gaetz, after Donald Trump nominated him to become the next US attorney general
• Earlier, the BBC's US partner CBS reported that the committee could soon release the report - possibly without a vote following the resignation of Gaetz from Congress

• Aside from Gaetz, Trump announced further nominees to his administration:Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence, Pete Hegseth as defence secretary and Marco Rubio as secretary of state
• The president-elect has had criticism from within the Republican party on Gaetz's nomination, with some describing it as a "reckless pick"
• Looking ahead, the Conservative Political Action Conference's (CPAC) annual investors summit at Mar-a-Lago will begin later this evening - the vice-president elect JD Vance and billionaire X owner Elon Musk - who Trump's chosen to lead his new Department of Government Efficiency - are both set to attend

Trump's Middle East pick warmly welcomed by those on right of Israeli politicspublished at 17:17 Greenwich Mean Time 14 November

17:17 GMT 14 November

Joe Inwood
Reporting from Jerusalem

Image source, Reuters

For now, Mike Huckabee is keeping his cards close to his chest.

Shortly after being announced as Donald Trump’s nominee for US ambassador to Israel, he said: “I won't make the policy. I will carry out the policy of the president.”

But, in the past, he has been less circumspect. He is an enthusiastic supporter of the expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank - seen as illegal under international law, although Israel disagrees. He also once said "there’s no such thing as an occupation".

And that is maybe why his nomination by president-elect Trump has been so warmly welcomed by those on the right of Israeli politics; they think it signals an incoming administration who will give them a free hand.

But if Huckabee’s position is crystal clear, rather opaquer is that of the man Trump named as his Middle East envoy.

We know Steve Witkoff is a property developer and golf buddy of the incoming president, who has argued that Trump’s "leadership was good for Israel and the entire region".

• Get up to speed with Trump's appointments and what they mean for Middle East policy

Image source, Reuters

President-elect Donald Trump has offered some insight into his White House meeting yesterday with Joe Biden.

Trump says they "both really enjoyed seeing each other" and that he had the chance to ask Biden his view on a series of issues, including the situation in the Middle East.

"I wanted to know his views on where we are and what he thinks," the president-elect tells the New York Post. "And he gave them to me, he was very gracious."

Speaking of the transition of power, Trumps adds that "it's going very smoothly" and that his team enjoys a “very, very good relationship" with Biden's.

Image source, Getty Images

We're now hearing from a former Republican congresswoman, Barbara Comstock, who tells the BBC Matt Gaetz is "wholly and dangerously unqualified" to be attorney general, after being nominated for the role by president-elect Donald Trump yesterday.

"Matt Gaetz does not have the character, integrity, judgement or independence to head up this large law enforcement agency that oversees the FBI, anti-trust, the civil division, criminal division - this is a huge agency," she says.

Comstock represented Virginia for the Republicans in the House of Representatives from 2015-19, and was director of public affairs at the Department of Justice (DoJ) between 2002-03.

Gaetz "has no management experience" and has not been a prosecutor or worked as a private attorney before, she tells the BBC's Newshour programme - adding he's "wholly and dangerously unqualified" for the post.

Comstock also comments on the fact Gaetz has been arrested in the past and has mugshots - "like Donald Trump" - that can be found via a simple online search. "Great thing for kids: get your mug shots and you too can be leading the world," she says.

It's a bipartisan committee which includes five members from the Democratic and Republican parties. The chair comes from whichever party has the majority in the House of Representatives - often referred to as just the House.

The current chair is Republican Congressman Michael Guest.

The committee has three main functions:

• It answers questions and provides ethics training to House Members, officers, and employees

• Leads on investigating and adjudicating any alleged violations of the House rules or any related statues by House Members, officers, or employees
• And reviews financial disclosure statements filed by Members, candidates, senior staff, and shared staff

See our last post for more on the Committee's investigation into Matt Gaetz.

Image source, Getty Images

Following that bit of breaking news (see our last post), let's take a look at what the House Ethics Committee's investigation into Matt Gaetz - Donald Trump's pick for attorney general - actually is.

The Committee first launched an inquiry over allegations that Gaetz may have engaged "in sexual misconduct and/or illicit drug use" as well as "shared inappropriate images or videos on the House floor" in 2021.

Among the allegations being investigated was a claim that the Florida representative was involved in a scheme which led to the trafficking of a 17-year-old girl.

Gaetz "categorically denied" any wrongdoing.

The Committee initially deferred its consideration on the issue after a request from the Department of Justice (DOJ) - it then reopened the investigation in May 2023.

Image source, Getty Images

Illinois Senator Dick Durbin, the sitting chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has just put out a statement "calling on the House Ethics Committee to preserve and share their report and all relevant documentation" on Matt Gaetz, Donald Trump's pick for attorney general.

Trump announced his nomination on Wednesday and, hours later, the Florida lawmaker resigned with immediate effect from his congressional seat in the House of Representatives.

Gaetz was the subject of an investigation over allegations of sexual misconduct, bribery and illicit drug use. He denies all the allegations.

Citing three sources familiar with the committee's work, CBS, the BBC's US partner, says the committee had planned to hold a vote on whether to make the report public on Friday.

"The sequence and timing of Mr Gaetz’s resignation from the House raises serious questions about the contents of the House Ethics Committee report," Durbin said.

"Make no mistake: this information could be relevant to the question of Mr Gaetz’s confirmation as the next Attorney General of the United States."

Away from Donald Trump's incoming government, Kamala Harris's campaign - which raised almost $1bn (£788m) in funds during the build up to the election - is continuing to ask for donations.

As a result, questions are now being asked about whether it racked up debt.

The BBC's Verify team have been looking at emails sent by the Harris campaign asking for donations that they say will go towards recounts and legal challenges for Democrats in tight House and Senate races.

In the video below the team also lay out where funds have been directed to so far:

We said in our last post that President-elect Donald Trump's picks for his administration staff still have to be confirmed - here's a look at how that works.

More than 1,000 positions, including Trump’s prospective cabinet members, typically need to be approved by the Senate.

This process requires nominees to submit financial disclosure forms, fill out a questionnaire - which differs based on the role - and testify before a Senate committee.

These hearings can sometimes be contentious. They allow members from both political parties to question nominees about their backgrounds and plans for the post. The committee then votes on the nominee and if it approves, the full Senate then votes on the nominee.

Usually this process is fairly quick, with little or no debate, but this time around there are suggestions that confirming controversial picks like Matt Gaetz might be a struggle for Trump.

• For context: Trump recently suggested, in a post post on X, that the Senate "must agree" to recess appointments - a process that skips Senate vetting and allows quick installation of a nominee when the chamber is not in session. He argued that otherwise "we will not be able to get people confirmed in a timely manner." If you want to read more about this - take a look at our explainer on how Trump's administration will be confirmed.

Image source, Reuters

The mood inside the Department of Justice (DoJ) is sombre but calm, sources tell the BBC's US media partner CBS News, as prosecutors come to terms with Matt Gaetz's nomination for attorney general.

Those same sources say career prosecutors are planning to stay in their jobs regardless of who's confirmed in the position - Donald Trump's picks still need to be confirmed by the Senate.

CBS reports that if such officials are asked to do something illegal, they will decline to do so. They add that they remain committed to their responsibility to apply the law evenly to everyone.

The BBC's US partner CBS is now reporting the House Ethics Committee could soon release its report on former Representative Matt Gaetz.

Gaetz, President-elect Donald Trump's pick for attorney general, was the subject of an investigation over allegations of sexual misconduct, bribery and illicit drug use.

Citing three sources familiar with the committee's work, CBS says the committee had planned to hold a vote on whether to make the report public on Friday.

But it reports that, following Gaetz's resignation from Congress, the Committee could decide to follow precedent and release the report without a vote., external

Image source, EPA

Former congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard has been tapped to become the next director of national intelligence (DNI).

But what does the role involve? If confirmed, Gabbard would oversee all 18 US intelligence agencies, including the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

She would also direct the implementation of the National Intelligence Program budget, and serve as the president-elect’s main advisor on intelligence issues.

Image source, Reuters

We've looked closely today at Trump's nominee for attorney general, Matt Gaetz.

Now we're turning to former Democratic congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, who was named yesterday as Donald Trump's new director of national intelligence. The role would see the military veteran lead US spy agencies.

Gabbard was the first Hindu member of the US Congress, representing Hawaii's second district in Congress from 2013 to 2021. She has served as vice-chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee but later resigned and endorsed Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign.

In 2020, Gabbard sought a nomination to be the Democratic presidential candidate, focusing her candidacy on traditionally liberal issues like government-run healthcare, free college tuition and gun control.

She later dropped out of the race. In 2022, she quit the Democratic Party to sit as an independent, complaining about the party's "wokeness". This year, Gabbard joined the Republican Party.

Congressman Matt Rosendale, who served alongside Matt Gaetz in the House, spoke with the BBC about how his former colleague will fare in his new proposed role as US Attorney General.

Rosendale described Gaetz as "one of the brightest individuals I know", calling him "articulate" and "fierce".

"Matt Gaetz is going to restore justice to the department of injustice," Rosendale said.

If confirmed by the Senate - which is a requirement for cabinet appointments - Gaetz, 42, would lead a department that as recently as last year was investigating him for alleged sex trafficking offences.

"If we're going to look at someone's body of work, Matt Gaetz has done an incredible job," Rosendale added.

As we've been reporting, Trump's decision to tap Matt Gaetz for the role of attorney general has sparked widespread criticism.

And the president-elect has been receiving warnings that, despite securing overall control of Congress, he now faces the challenge of getting Gaetz confirmed. The Republicans currently have a three-seat majority in the Senate and are projected to secure a slim majority in the House of Representatives.

• Trump ally Representative Max Miller from Ohio describes the nomination as a "reckless pick", telling Politico: "I think he has a 0% shot of getting through the Senate"
• Colleague Thom Tillis from North Carolina says the nominee has "probably got some work cut out for him" to get the votes he needs to be approved
• Maine Senator Susan Collins says she is "shocked" by the nomination and warns "there will be a lot of questions" about Gaetz's suitability for the role
• Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski tells NBC News "this was not on my bingo card" as she says she is "looking forward to the opportunity to consider somebody that is serious"

Since the nomination, Gaetz has resigned from Congress, where he remained under scrutiny of the House Ethics Committee over allegations of sexual misconduct.