Live updates: Trump picks Gaetz for attorney general role, GOP retains House

President-elect Donald Trump's pick for defense secretary Pete Hegseth has railed against women in combat, voiced support for troops accused and in some instances, convicted of war crimes, and advocated for the firing of the military's most senior officers accused of supporting so-called woke policies.

Though he has pushed his positions primarily from a Fox News sofa and in best-selling books, Trump's decision to catapult Hegseth into the top Pentagon job means he is set to put his ideas into action and clash directly with current Pentagon leadership.

Among the generals that Hegseth has suggested should be fired: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. CQ Brown .

The announcement of Hegseth — an Army National Guard veteran and Bronze Star recipient, and Fox News host — took many by surprise both inside the Pentagon and even among Trump allies. It was the first of several Cabinet picks made this week that Trump allies and adversaries alike described as "shocking" – all signs that the president-elect intends to rattle all branches of the federal government in his second term – including the military.

Trump's unconventional background for such a pivotal national security role means he could face difficult confirmation process in the Senate.

While Hegseth has commented on several hot-topic foreign policy issues, including competition with China and the war in Ukraine, he has largely fashioned himself as a crusader against what many on the right perceive as the politicization of the military.

Read more about Hegseth's potential clash with Pentagon officials here.

As Donald Trump conducts a free-wheeling transition from his Mar-a-Lago estate, drawing flocks of business moguls, contractors, foreign dignitaries and anyone looking for jobs in the new administration, the federal agencies charged with protecting the president-elect and his communications face a daunting task.

Security at Mar-a-Lago has already ramped up since the election. The Secret Service has increased its footprint around the residence and private club, and now deploys robot dogs capable of surveillance and detecting explosive material. The US Coast Guard patrols the nearby waterways.

But with no restrictions on who Mar-a-Lago club members can bring as guests, the chaotic scene presents a unique counterintelligence and security challenge that sources told CNN is almost impossible to fully prepare for.

Trump enters his second term as president facing a combination of targeted cyber and physical threats. China has tried to hack the communications of Trump and his inner circle. Iran has allegedly tried to kill him. And during the campaign, Trump survived two separate assassination attempts.

Unwelcome guests have been a security issue before at Mar-a-Lago. Since July, a Chinese national has been arrested multiple times for trying to get onto the property. Yet sources told CNN that there's only so much they can do to ratchet up security there.

"We can't put him in a bubble," one Secret Service official told CNN, adding that "everyone's waiting" to see what the coming presidency will look like and what security challenges lay ahead.

Read more on what a former FBI counterintelligence official said about the challenges.

President-elect Donald Trump has announced a controversial string of picks for his upcoming administration, setting up a potentially provocative confirmation process by the Senate.

His announcements came within hours of CNN projecting that Republicans will retain control of the House of Representatives , seizing a sweep of the federal government with control of the White House and majorities in both chambers of Congress.

Here's what you need to know:

Trump has announced his picks for the following Cabinet positions:

Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz was picked to be attorney general. Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard was named as Trump's pick to be the director of national intelligence. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio was picked to be Trump's secretary of state. Here's what we know about Trump's new team as it continues to take shape.

Shock at Gaetz's selection: Some House Republicans gasped as they found out about Gaetz's selection, and there was an audible reaction inside the Justice Department headquarters. Gaetz has been a critic — and target — of the Justice Department. If confirmed, he would be in control of the investigative files that detail the evidence the FBI uncovered in the sex trafficking investigation against him. The House Ethics Committee was due to meet this week to vote on releasing a report on Gaetz , who resigned from Congress on Wednesday. Gaetz's appointment will be subject to Senate approval once Trump formally nominates him, setting up the potential for a provocative confirmation process.

Senate leadership: By secret ballot, the GOP elected John Thune as the next majority leader to succeed Mitch McConnell. Thune has had a complicated relationship with Trump. He called for Trump to drop out of the 2016 race after the "Access Hollywood" scandal — but later said he still planned to vote for Trump. He also condemned Trump's actions surrounding the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

House leadership: Mike Johnson was nominated to be House speaker unanimously, sources told CNN. Johnson, who is currently the speaker of the House, will now face a floor vote on January 3, where he will need to receive 218 votes. Republican Rep. Steve Scalise was also reelected as House Majority Leader, sources said.

Trump's federal cases: The DOJ has asked a federal appeals court to pause its appeal seeking to revive the classified documents case against Trump and his two co-defendants, while prosecutors decide next steps. Separately, special counsel Jack Smith continues wind down Trump's federal prosecutions, with the intention of stepping down before Trump retakes office, according to a DOJ official.

Trump and Biden: Trump told the New York Post that he and President Joe Biden "both really enjoyed seeing each other " and expect to meet again just before Inauguration Day. The meeting was "very cordial, very gracious, and substantive ," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.

Donald Trump's increasingly provocative Cabinet picks have left some Republican senators aghast and Washington in shock.

But they really shouldn't. Because the outrage is the point .

The latest selections for Trump's MAGA dream team — Matt Gaetz as attorney general and Tulsi Gabbard as America's new top spy — caused such a stir that they almost overshadowed the pick of Fox News anchor Pete Hegseth to serve as defense secretary.

But they are perfectly in tune with Trump's campaign trail promises and political project. The dismay engulfing establishment elites contrasted with the euphoria rocketing through conservative networks and social media among Trump fans. The president-elect draws political strength from his position as an outsider scourge of the establishment, and if his picks are confirmed by the Senate, they will be tasked with his mission of defenestrating government and driving out those Trump sees as enemies.

Trump won the election and has a mandate for change. And these and other picks are proof of a president-elect who is increasingly powerful and cares little for the critics who warn his second term poses a threat to the rule of law.

Trump's short-lived former first-term communications director Anthony Scaramucci told CNN's Jake Tapper that the president-elect's personnel selections were purposely meant to "own the liberals." Paraphrasing Trump's intent, he added:

Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman agreed, telling CNN's Manu Raju of the Gaetz selection:

President-elect Donald Trump is seriously considering naming his lead attorney Todd Blanche to serve as the next deputy attorney general, the second-highest position in the Justice Department, according to two people familiar with his thinking.

Blanche has represented Trump for the last 18 months and defended him during his criminal hush money trial in Manhattan this year. He has grown close to the president-elect in that time period and is often seen with Trump in Palm Beach or when he travels.

Because of his proximity and Trump's trust in him, it was widely expected inside Trump's inner circle that if he won, Blanche would likely follow him into the federal government.

One person close to the matter cautioned that no final decisions have been made.

If nominated, Blanche would need to be confirmed by the Senate before running the department that is one of the most prioritized by Trump.

Read more about Todd Blanche