Inside former VP Kamala Harris marriage turmoil as Doug Emhoff's scandals are blamed for losing presidency

Kamala Harris was all smiles and affection for her 'beloved' second gentleman Doug Emhoff in the immediate aftermath of her crushing presidential election defeat.

But now that President Donald Trump has been sworn into office, for sore loser Harris, it is now all about the blame game, and her target has flipped to her 'dead weight' husband.

And as she weighs her political future – maybe a 2026 run for Governor of California or another try for the nation's top job two years later – she has to consider whether Emhoff is an asset or a liability.

One source exclusively told DailyMail.com: 'There's plenty of blame to go around as far as Kamala is concerned and Doug has his share.

'Doug did Kamala no favors during the election – frankly, he looked like a hypocritical a** after the bombshells that he had got his child's nanny pregnant while married to his first wife and assaulted his ex-girlfriend on the heels of his 'I am woman' crusade.'

Despite their brave united front at the inauguration and at President Jimmy Carter's January 9 funeral, those close to the couple believe all is not 'hunky dory' between them.

And word is the husband of California girl Kamala has already signed up for a job with a Big Apple law firm which would require them to split their time between New York and Los Angeles.

At Monday's presidential inauguration, the couple presented a united front, though their expressions remained grim as they sat through Trump's speech, their faces mirroring the tension.

Harris, wearing a black pantsuit with exposed zippers, sat stoically throughout the ceremony holding an inaugural program in her lap. She was seen crossing her wrists and pinching the program in her fingers as Trump delivered his address.

Emhoff similarly matched the disdain on his wife's face but took it a step further – grimacing and shaking his head lightly when Trump promised to rename the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America.

The couple left the Capitol building together – briefly shaking hands with Trump and bidding Joe and Jill Biden farewell – with plans to return to California.

But now that Harris has been defeated, she's reportedly looking to undergo a complete image overhaul to resuscitate her floundering political career – maybe at the expense of Emhoff.

As DailyMail.com exclusively reported, she plans to write a book which could give her finances a multi-million dollar boost.

Harris's campaign suffered multiple setbacks after DailyMail.com exclusively reported a series of allegations surrounding Emhoff that Harris deftly brushed aside during the final stretch of her political journey.

Emhoff famously stepped away from his own prominent career as an attorney in California to fully support Harris' political ambitions in 2020 – becoming hell-bent on perfecting his image as a 'wife guy'.

But behind the carefully curated social media posts and campaign photos, even the strongest relationships face challenges.

The source said: 'I see the signs that all is not hunky dory in the Harris household.

'It's not like she hasn't had men help further her political career before, the source said, referring to her affair with former San Francisco mayor Willie Brown.

'But what does Doug do for her now?'

Those closest to her believe she will skip the race for California governor – which she believes is a 'thankless, no-win job' – and instead try for president again in 2028.

'I was with her last week, when she was signing her desk,' her former communications chief Ashley Etienne told DailyMail.com.

'She told me: 'You know me well enough to know that I'm not going to go away quietly'.'

Over the summer, DailyMail.com exclusively reported a series of allegations surrounding Emhoff that Harris attempted to brush aside during the final stretch of her political journey.

In August, we reported Emhoff had an affair with Najen Naylor, his daughter's nanny, while still married to his first wife, film producer Kerstin Mackin – an illicit fling that allegedly resulted in a pregnancy and a subsequent miscarriage.

A source claimed Emhoff paid Naylor $80,000 in exchange for her signing a non-disclosure agreement and that the affair played a part in his 2009 divorce.

But the controversy didn't end there. In October, a former girlfriend of Emhoff's came forward, alleging a disturbing incident during an A-list event in Cannes, France, in May 2012.

According to her, Emhoff slapped her so hard in the face after he thought she was flirting with another man that the blow 'spun her around,' leaving her shocked and disoriented.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14306237/kamala-harris-blames-doug-emhoff-political-setbacks-marriage-turmoil.html

Republicans mock latest smear campaign - Pete Hegseth will be confirmed

The Republican wall of support around Pete Hegseth shows no sign of weakening, despite new allegations against the Defense secretary nominee that he was abusive to his second wife. GOP senators waved away the accusations from Hegseth’s former sister-in-law, which senators received Tuesday in an affidavit. The former Fox News host would need more than three Republicans to vote against him — and that doesn’t appear likely to happen.

“It’s desperate,” said Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.). “This is a sad attempt by Democrats to oust a reformer.”

Danielle Hegseth, who was married to the former Fox News host’s brother for eight years, claimed in a sworn statement that Pete Hegseth’s second wife, Samantha, once hid in a closet out of fear of his actions and had a safe word to use if she needed to call for help. She also described other scenarios involving his drinking and aggressive behavior.

The allegation is the latest in a series against Hegseth — who has denied any wrongdoing — and could strengthen Democratic claims that he is unfit for the Pentagon’s top position.

Hegseth’s lawyer, in a Wednesday letter to Senate Armed Services Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), disputed the accusations as a partisan effort to sink the Pentagon nominee’s bid.

Tim Parlatore, the attorney, called Hegseth’s former sister-in-law a “lifelong Democrat” motivated by political bias. Parlatore argued that Danielle Hegseth “did not witness” a “vast majority” of incidents she reported. He also pointed to Samantha Hegseth’s comment to NBC News — which first reported the affidavit — that there was no physical abuse in her marriage.

“There is no basis to credit this deeply flawed and questionable affidavit, which was submitted at the 11th hour in a clear and admitted partisan attempt to derail Mr. Hegseth’s confirmation,” Parlatore wrote.

Some Republicans are drawing parallels with the sexual assault allegations Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh faced, which ultimately failed to sink his nomination.

“This reminds me a lot of the Kavanaugh hearing,” said Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas). “I know there’s a dispute between his ex-wife and his ex-sister-in-law, so it’s hard to know what to credit and what not to credit.”

But Democrats are using the allegation to draw out the confirmation process for Hegseth and other national security picks, potentially pushing a vote into the weekend.

This would give Democrats more time to focus on the allegations, which they argue underscore the shortcomings of an FBI background check that only Senate Armed Services committee leaders saw.

“It is confirming a number of other allegations that are very serious and we shouldn’t rush,” Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) said of the affidavit.

Republicans can afford up to three defections on Hegseth even if all Democrats oppose him. Wicker said Wednesday that he believes Hegseth has enough votes to proceed with confirmation this week.

GOP senators seemed especially skeptical of the sister-in-law’s secondhand account.

“It helps Pete in the sense that it demonstrates more of a witch hunt than a factual” allegation, said Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.). “If instead of his brother’s ex-wife, if his own ex-wife made the allegation in an affidavit, that would be more credible, obviously. With this being so far removed, it just looks weird.”

https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/01/22/congress/republicans-balk-at-new-hegseth-allegations-00200027

No recess till Trump gets his Cabinet, top GOP senators say

Top Senate Republicans are vowing to stay in session until all of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees are confirmed — a pledge that could keep senators in Washington for weeks due to Democratic delay tactics.

“We’re not intending to go on recess,” said Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, the No. 2 Senate Republican. “We want to get the entire Cabinet confirmed before we talk at all about going into a recess.”

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said in a Tuesday night tweet that “Senate Republicans are ready to work as long as needed to confirm President Trump’s nominees. Nights. Weekends. Recesses.”

The GOP’s vow to grind through Trump’s cabinet picks in the face of Democratic slow-walking comes after the president floated the idea of using recess appointments as a fall-back option during a Tuesday meeting with Thune and Speaker Mike Johnson, reviving an idea that has caused some heartburn with some Senate Republicans.

By keeping the Senate in session, GOP leaders would in effect block Trump from making recess appointments, which are temporary and expire at the end of each yearly congressional session.

“Our goal is to get them confirmed here on the floor of the United States Senate,” Barrasso said when asked about the controversial procedural move.

In 2017, Trump’s final Cabinet nominee wasn’t confirmed until late April. The Senate’s first recess is currently scheduled for mid-March.

Trump’s revival of potential recess appointments comes as the Senate is currently slogging through three of his first nominees: John Ratcliffe to be CIA director, Pete Hegseth to be Defense secretary and Kristi Noem to be DHS secretary. Though Democrats can’t sink any nominee on their own, they do have the ability to eat up days of floor time.

Thune has been careful to not completely close the door on Trump’s recess appointment push — calling it an option on the table — but he also hasn’t embraced it. Trump's push could return if Democrats blockade his lower-level and judicial nominees.

Asked about recess appointments after Tuesday’s meeting, Thune acknowledged that Trump has been interested in it, but he said that his goal is to get back to the “Obama standard,” aka meeting the pace of confirmations under then-President Barack Obama.

Obama, incidentally, was the last president to use recess appointments. The Supreme Court unanimously ruled in 2014 that three of Obama’s recess appointments were unconstitutional because the Senate had held no-business “pro forma” sessions to avoid triggering a recess. That effectively ended the practice.

https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/01/22/congress/trump-cabinet-senate-recess-00200069

Bill Clinton pardoned men who bombed U.S. Senate

K

@relevantmena

In 1983, other Weathermen affiliates involved in the Boudin killings again bombed the US Senate (as well as several other government buildings) in protest of American military actions in Lebanon and Grenada.

Bill Clinton pardoned the perpetrators on his last day in office. (6/8)

https://x.com/relevantmena/status/1881826221144854848

Monster thread on Democrat pardons

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1881826203453313377.html

CNN and NBC to lay off hundreds of employees as post-inauguration transformation begins, sources say

Warner Bros. Discovery’s

CNN plans to lay off hundreds of employees Thursday as it refocuses the business around a global digital audience, according to people familiar with the matter.

The layoffs come as CNN is rearranging its linear TV lineup and building out digital subscription products. The cuts will help CNN lower production costs and consolidate teams, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss nonpublic changes.

Certain shows that are produced in New York or Washington may move to Atlanta, where production can be done more cheaply, said the people.

For the most part, the job cuts won’t affect CNN’s most recognizable names, who are under contract, said the people. CNN has about 3,500 employees worldwide.

During a town hall meeting earlier this month, CNN CEO Mark Thompson said the media company has received an investment of “more than $70 million” from Warner Bros. Discovery to help fund the company’s digital operations. Part of that investment will go toward hiring employees in areas where CNN sees potential growth avenues, such as data scientists and product development.

In October, CNN launched a digital paywall, charging heavier users of the site $3.99 per month.

NBC News is also planning cuts later this week, according to people familiar with the matter. While the exact number couldn’t be determined, the job losses will be well under 50, two of the people said.

Spokespeople for NBC News and CNN declined to comment.

Both news organizations waited until after the U.S. presidential inauguration to make the cuts. The news media landscape is in transition as fewer people watch linear TV and more consume their news on streaming services and through social media.

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/01/22/cnn-to-lay-off-hundreds-of-employees-post-inauguration.html

>>22413939

Post some material?

Speaker Johnson forms committee to probe Jan. 6, Democrats’ original investigation

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Wednesday said he will establish a new select subcommittee that will probe the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot — and likely dig into the now-defunct Jan. 6 select committee that was led by Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) and then-Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.).

Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.) will chair the upcoming select subcommittee, which will be housed within the House Judiciary Committee.

Loudermilk pursued his own Jan. 6 investigation within the House Administration Committee, and had long been asking Johnson to break out the probe into its own entity.

Being classified as a “select” subcommittee means Johnson will have the sole official power to decide which members sit on the panel.

The move comes as many Republicans, including Johnson, have defended or brushed aside President Trump’s pardons this week of nearly all rioters involved in the Jan. 6 attack, including those who assaulted police officers.

“House Republicans are proud of our work so far in exposing the false narratives peddled by the politically motivated January 6 Select Committee during the 117th Congress, but there is still more work to be done,” Johnson said in a statement. “We are establishing this Select Subcommittee to continue our efforts to uncover the full truth that is owed to the American people.”

Loudermilk in a statement said he hoped to “uncover all the facts and begin the arduous task of making needed reforms to ensure this level of security failure may never happen again.”

But beyond security concerns, Republicans have been eager to continue investigating the original Jan. 6 select committee, with which Republican leadership refused to participate or cooperate.

Loudermilk in December released a report evaluating the “failures and politicization” of the Jan. 6 committee and recommending a criminal investigation into Cheney, accusing her of witness tampering by being in touch with star witness Cassidy Hutchinson, a former White House aide.

In a statement at the time, Cheney said Loudermilk’s report “intentionally disregards the truth and the Select Committee’s tremendous weight of evidence, and instead fabricates lies and defamatory allegations in an attempt to cover up what Donald Trump did.”

The desire for prosecution may have played into former President Biden’s move, just hours before the end of his presidency, to preemptively pardon the members of the Jan. 6 select committee and its staff.

Those and other last-minute pardons have prompted suggestions that Republicans compel testimony or depositions from those who received pardons, since it removes a reason to refuse to answer questions by invoking a Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

Loudermilk earlier this week indicated that Congress could call Jan. 6 select committee members in for questioning in light of the Biden pardons.

Asked if there is now an incentive to bring in the Jan. 6 select committee members for questioning, Loudermilk told The Hill: “I think definitely, this is a situation that we still got to dig a little deeper.”

“It’s also interesting, I think, to look at those he didn’t pardon,” Loudermilk added, mentioning Hutchinson.

The Jan. 6 select committee had subpoenaed a number of GOP lawmakers in its probe — including Reps. Scott Perry (Pa.), Jim Jordan (Ohio) and Andy Biggs (Ariz.), who did not comply. It had also asked Loudermilk to appear voluntarily to explain a tour he gave in the Capitol complex on Jan. 5, 2021, a request Loudermilk said was meant to push a “false narrative.”

In a joint statement Monday, Thompson and Cheney said they had faced “specific threats of criminal prosecution and imprisonment by members of the incoming administration, simply for doing our jobs and upholding our oaths of office.”

Jordan, chair of the House Judiciary Committee, praised the new panel.

“Rep. Loudermilk has been the leader in getting to the bottom of what the Democrat-led January 6 Committee failed to uncover, and we look forward to helping him bring all the facts to the American people,” Jordan said in a statement.

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the top Democrat on the panel, criticized Loudermilk for using his past work to attack Cheney but didn’t dismiss the idea of another committee.

“Look, the Jan. 6 violent attack on the Capitol, like every other historical event, can always be investigated further. There’s nothing to be afraid of there,” he said.

While Republicans largely boycotted the initial Jan. 6 Select Committee, Raskin stopped short of committing to assign any Democratic members to the new subcommittee, calling questions about the process an “inside the Beltway” inquiry.

“I don’t know, because, again, I haven’t seen what the terms of this are or what their plans are,” he said.

https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5101000-johnson-gop-committee-jan-6-democrats-investigation/amp/