Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
In Trump’s Cabinet, loyalty tops experience; president burned during first term
Some of Donald Trump's high-profile Cabinet picks have never overseen anything larger than a Senate office or congressional campaign. If the Senate confirms them, they will take on departments with at least 100,000 employees. Published November 16, 2024
Feds dismiss charges against Jordanians who trespassed on military base
The Justice Department has quietly dismissed charges against two Jordanian immigrants who were arrested after encroaching on a Marine base earlier this year, leaving a host of questions about the incident. Published November 15, 2024
Mike Pence blasts Trump’s pick of RFK, says health nominee is betrayal of pro-life movement
Former Vice President Mike Pence on Friday called on Republicans to oppose Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s nomination to be health secretary, saying the pick is an "abrupt departure" from the pro-life values the GOP has traditionally defended. Published November 15, 2024
Nigerian scammers used Trojan horse to steal taxpayers’ data and file bogus IRS returns
Two Nigerian men used Trojan horse malware to pilfer personal information from tax preparation services and filed more than $8 million worth of bogus IRS refund claims using the stolen identities, authorities revealed Thursday. Published November 14, 2024
Dem cities, states reaffirm sanctuary policies in defiance of Trump
Democrat-led cities and states are rushing to re-declare themselves sanctuaries for illegal immigrants as they seek to undermine President-elect Donald Trump's promise of extensive deportations. Published November 14, 2024
Trump team sharing blacklists of people to ban from the second administration
While Washington is focused on the unorthodox picks President-elect Donald Trump has already announced for his Cabinet, a fascinating drama is playing out behind the scenes as his team argues not over who should get in, but over who should be kept out of Trump 2.0. Published November 14, 2024
Lawsuit says Texas ballot isn’t secret anymore; early in-person voters’ choices exposed
With a little time and effort, someone can figure out exactly how an early in-person voter in Harris County, Texas voted in this year's election, according to a new lawsuit that says the state's system destroys the sanctity of the secret ballot. Published November 13, 2024
Federal judge revokes retirement decision after Trump election
A federal judge has revoked his decision to take senior status, a sort of retirement, after it became clear that President-elect Donald Trump would get to nominate his replacement. Published November 13, 2024
Trump picks Ratcliffe for CIA, Hegseth for Defense and Musk for new agency to cut waste
President-elect Donald Trump showed his intention to shake up the federal government Tuesday by naming former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe to lead the CIA, Elon Musk to head a new department to cut waste and regulations, and the unexpected choice of military reservist and Fox News figure Pete Hegseth to serve as Defense Secretary. Published November 12, 2024
Equity overload: Federal department keeps 294 DEI staffers on payroll, most with six-figure salaries
The Health and Human Services Department employs 294 people whose jobs focus on diversity, and the department maintains seven separate "minority health" offices spread across its various agencies, according to a new report that suggests it will be tough for the incoming Trump administration to unwind it all. Published November 12, 2024
Trump to pick Gov. Kristi Noem to lead Homeland Security
President-elect Donald Trump is expected to select South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to lead the Department of Homeland Security, naming a loyal ally to carry out his border security and deportation plans. Published November 12, 2024
Trump taps former Rep. Lee Zeldin to lead EPA
President-elect Donald Trump said Monday he will nominate former Rep. Lee Zeldin, New York Republican, to head the Environmental Protection Agency, putting a key Trump loyalist in line for the helm of a critical regulatory agency. Published November 11, 2024
Idaho challenges abortion ‘airlift’ claims
When opponents of Idaho's strict abortion law said it was forcing women to be emergency-airlifted out of state to have their pregnancies terminated, it shocked the Supreme Court. Now Idaho says the claim is not true. Published November 11, 2024
Trump’s new border czar puts sanctuary cities on notice: ‘Get the hell out of the way’
Tom Homan, President-elect Donald Trump's new border czar, delivered a stern warning to sanctuary cities on Monday by telling them to "get the hell out of the way" as the next administration comes for illegal immigrants. Published November 11, 2024
Trump selects Tom Homan, former ICE chief, as new ‘border czar’
President-elect Donald Trump will tap Tom Homan, who ran the government's deportation agency in the first Trump administration, as his border czar. Published November 11, 2024
U.S. has spent $14 billion on Afghan evacuees
The U.S. has spent more than $14 billion to rescue and resettle Afghans in the U.S. over the last three years, according to the inspector general who oversees the work. Published November 10, 2024
Dog vote goes to Trump, cat ladies not enough for Harris
Kamala's cat women couldn't save her. Vice President Kamala Harris, derided as the candidate of choice for "childless cat ladies," won over female cat owners vote by 7 percentage points in the presidential election, but it was nowhere near the lopsided margins she needed to overcome President-elect Donald Trump. Published November 8, 2024
Judge strikes down Biden’s ‘parole’ deportation amnesty for illegal immigrant spouses
President Biden stretched the law with his "parole" program to give special breaks to immigrants who are in the country illegally and married to U.S. citizens, a federal judge has ruled. Published November 7, 2024
Push to expand noncitizen voting crumbles as voters pass bans in 8 states
Santa Ana, a city in Southern California, has one of the highest rates of noncitizen residents in the country. Yet voters are poised to reject allowing them to vote in local elections. Published November 7, 2024
GOP seeks audit of agriculture guest-worker program
Top House Republicans on Thursday asked for an audit of the government's agriculture guest-worker program, saying changes President Biden made last year have made it tougher for farms to get the workers they need. Published November 7, 2024
