These are challenging days for Democrats ahead of Donald Trump’s return to the White House. Their party has yet to land on a clear message or a leading messenger, leaving the president-elect mostly unchallenged,

This week’s events were a preview of the perils of governing that face Trump and Republicans in Congress, despite their narrow majorities.

Republican lawmakers say Congress’s near brush with a government shutdown shows that House Republicans do not have a functional majority, giving them a bad feeling about how difficult it will be to pass President-elect Trump’s agenda in 2025.

Musk, the owner of car manufacturer Tesla and social media platform X, has been tapped by Trump to lead the proposed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), with biotech entrepreneur and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, after vocally supporting and financially backing his campaign for president.

President-elect Trump on Sunday rejected the recent dubbing of tech billionaire Elon Musk as “President Musk” by Democrats. “No, he’s not gonna be president, that I can tell you,” Trump said at conservative group Turning Point’s “America Fest” in Phoenix,

Donald Trump has threatened to retake control of the Panama Canal unless “rip-off” transit fees are reduced for US ships.

President-elect Donald Trump urged Panama to lower Panama Canal fees during a speech on Dec. 22 and suggested his administration might seek to regain control of the canal.