A retired U.S. brigadier general who failed to get through the confirmation process in the first Trump administration is getting renewed scrutiny for his political and anti-Islamic social media posts.

Republican Sen. Thom Tillis says he’s informed the White House that he won’t support Donald Trump’s pick for top federal prosecutor in Washington, stalling the nomination in the Senate weeks before the temporary appointment expires.

Most of President Donald Trump’s top nominees have sailed through the Senate with little resistance.

Senate Republicans have narrowly voted down a Democratic resolution that would have blocked global tariffs announced by Donald Trump earlier this month, giving the president a modest win Wednesday as lawmakers in both parties have remained skeptical of his trade agenda.

It was one week after President Donald Trump’s big tariff announcement when he pulled back from the import taxes he'd imposed on many U.S. trading partners.

Former Democratic U.S. Rep. Wiley Nickel of North Carolina has announced himself as a candidate to try to unseat Republican Sen. Thom Tillis in 2026.

As news that President Donald Trump was backing down on most of his tariffs reached a luncheon of Senate Republicans Wednesday, the room reacted with relief, cheers and smiles.

President Donald Trump’s top trade negotiator came under fire Tuesday from senators unnerved by the president’s sweeping global tariffs, a market meltdown and the heightened risk of recession from an upended global trading order.

The White House is sending mixed messages on tariffs as it pursues conflicting goals, frustrating foreign leaders and business executives who are desperate for clarity on a generational overhaul of international trade.

Republicans in Congress have long been intent on countering America’s rivals and spreading U.S. influence abroad.

President Donald Trump’s firing of Gen. CQ Brown Jr. as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is drawing mixed reactions on Capitol Hill.

The commemoration of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine three years ago was mostly a Democratic affair at the U.S. Capitol.

President Donald Trump’s early moves, such as trying to slash the federal government and imposing tariffs on key allies, are testing how far Republicans are willing to go in supporting his supercharged “Make America Great Again” agenda.

Congress is proving little match for the Department of Government Efficiency as wary lawmakers watch it march through the bureaucracy.

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North Carolina's former Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson has withdrawn his defamation lawsuit against CNN challenging a report that he made explicit posts on a pornography website’s message board over a decade ago.

Kash Patel, President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the FBI, is insisting to deeply skeptical Democrats that he does not have an “enemies list” and that the bureau under his leadership would not seek retribution against the president’s adversaries or launch politically motivated investigations.

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Allies of President Donald Trump have been quick to threaten primary challengers for Republican senators who don’t back Trump's Cabinet picks and legislative priorities.

Many Republicans on Capitol Hill do not agree with President Donald Trump’s decision to pardon and commute sentences for more than 1,500 people charged with crimes related to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

President Joe Biden has signed into law a measure that boosts Social Security payments for current and former public employees.

The fate of President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet is still unclear after Republican senators spent much of December carefully dodging questions.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper leaves his job next week after eight years.

The Senate has passed legislation to boost Social Security payments for millions of people.

Donald Trump’s second term comes with the specter of the world’s richest man serving as his political enforcer.

President-elect Donald Trump has dialed in to what was described as a “love fest” with Senate Republicans.

When Kamala Harris and Donald Trump campaigned in North Carolina, both candidates courted a state-recognized tribe there whose 55,000 members could have helped tip the swing state.

President-elect Donald Trump has tried to act with impunity while staffing his new administration, choosing loyalists who often lack expertise or sometimes face sexual misconduct allegations.

Senate Republicans vying to replace longtime leader Mitch McConnell have been crossing the country to campaign and fundraise for colleagues, making their final arguments before an important upcoming Senate vote.

Senators criticized top federal officials over the rise of illegal electronic cigarettes in the U.S., a multibillion-dollar business that has flourished in recent years.

TikTok’s extensive lobbying campaign is the latest tech industry push since the House passed legislation that would ban the popular app if its China-based owner doesn’t sell its stake.

Republicans have been softening their stance on Russia ever since Donald Trump won the 2016 presidential election following Russian hacking of his Democratic opponents.

A bipartisan delegation of U.S. senators has made an official visit to Hungary’s capital to call on the nationalist government to immediately approve Sweden’s request to join NATO.

A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers are urging Hungary to immediately ratify Sweden’s application to join NATO.

Washington’s center of gravity on immigration has shifted demonstrably to the right.

Hundreds of thousands of veterans have received additional benefits in the past year after President Joe Biden signed legislation expanding coverage for conditions connected to burn pits that were used to destroy trash and potentially toxic materials.

Republicans delegates in North Carolina have voted to censure the state’s senior U.S. senator for backing LGBTQ+ rights, immigration and gun violence policies.

More than two dozen Democratic members of Congress who are active on TikTok are now facing questions about whether they’ll continue to use it.

Passing legislation to protect same-sex marriages in the Senate was a monthslong effort, building on a decadeslong push.

The Senate has passed landmark bipartisan legislation to protect same-sex marriages.

The Senate is set to vote Tuesday on legislation to protect same-sex and interracial marriages, putting Congress one step closer to ensuring that such unions are enshrined in federal law.

Legislation to protect same-sex and interracial marriages has crossed a major Senate hurdle, putting Congress on track to take the historic step of ensuring that such unions are enshrined in federal law.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is warning of economic calamity if climate change is not addressed with immediate government intervention.

Democrats are punting a vote to protect same-sex and interracial marriages until after the November midterm elections, a blow for the legislation that comes days after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer vowed to put the Senate on the record on the issue “in the coming weeks.”.

Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says the Senate will vote on legislation to protect same-sex marriage “in the coming weeks” as a bipartisan group backing the bill is tweaking it to gain Republican support.

A top official says the Justice Department has charged five people for making threats of violence against election workers amid a rising wave of harassment and intimidation tied to the 2020 presidential election.

As the Senate contemplates legislation to protect same-sex marriages, there has been a sharp shift in Republican support for the issue.

The Senate has unexpectedly launched a new push to protect same-sex marriage in federal law.

The Biden administration and Democrats are warning of dire consequences if Congress fails to act on computer chips legislation.

The House has sent President Joe Biden the most wide-ranging gun violence bill Congress has passed in decades.

The Senate has approved a bipartisan gun violence bill.

Last month's mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas, have produced a groundswell for change in Congress.

Democratic and Republican senators are at odds over how to keep firearms from dangerous people.

The House has passed a wide-ranging gun control bill in response to recent mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas.

Former President Donald Trump’s influence was enough to elevate his Senate candidate to victory in North Carolina on Tuesday.

First-term U.S. Rep. Madison Cawthorn has lost to North Carolina state Sen. Chuck Edwards in the Republican congressional primary.

Former President Donald Trump’s winning streak in U.S. Senate primaries is on the line Tuesday as voters in five states cast their ballots in midterm elections.

A series of unforced political and personal errors by GOP congressman Madison Cawthorn has brought the forces of big-name Republicans and traditional enemies to bear on his reelection bid in North Carolina.

Officials say a loaded gun was found in North Carolina Rep. Madison Cawthorn’s carry-on bag at an airport security checkpoint.

Home-district projects for members of Congress are back, sprinkled across the government-wide $1.5 trillion bill that President Joe Biden signed recently.

North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis has endorsed a state legislator over U.S. Rep. Madison Cawthorn in the upcoming Republican primary.

Empathy is not a quality many Republican senators want to see in the next Supreme Court justice.

After more than 30 hours of hearings, the Senate is on track to confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson as the first Black woman on the Supreme Court.

It’s not just Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson who is being watched as she makes history as the first Black woman to be considered for the job.

Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson may not get any Republican votes.

Congress has taken a new step toward reining in the market dominance of Big Tech. Bipartisan legislation advanced by a Senate panel would bar the dominant online platforms from favoring their own goods and services over those of rivals on the platforms.

Democrats are picking up the pieces after the collapse of their sweeping voting rights legislation.

Democrats are mounting an impassioned bid to overhaul Senate rules that stand in the way of their sweeping voting legislation.

A federal lawsuit accuses the National Rifle Association of violating campaign finance laws by using shell companies to illegally funnel up to $35 million to Republican candidates, including former President Donald Trump, Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri and others.

A prominent backer of Republican causes and candidates is notably absent from the conservative political groups backing efforts to ban in schools what they call critical race theory.

Tens of thousands of Afghan refugees fleeing the Taliban are arriving in the U.S., and a handful of former Trump administration officials are working to turn Republicans against them.

As the U.S. rushes to evacuate Americans and allies from Afghanistan, a growing number of Republicans are questioning why the U.S. should take in Afghan citizens who worked side by side with Americans.

Across the county, the offices of members of Congress have become makeshift crisis centers.

Across the county, the offices of members of Congress have become makeshift crisis centers.

Authorities in North Carolina have found two people dead and about 20 remain missing in Haywood County in floods caused by Tropical Storm Fred.

Congressional Democrats are eyeing a $6 trillion infrastructure package that goes far beyond roads and bridges.

A bipartisan senators’ group working on a $1 trillion infrastructure compromise has now doubled in size, expanding to 21 members.

Senate Republicans are poised to block the creation of a special commission to study the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

Senators are laboring to find a path forward for legislation creating a commission on the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Republicans are poised to block legislation that would create a commission on the Jan. 6 insurrection.

The former president's daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, is eyeing the North Carolina Senate seat being vacated by Republican Richard Burr. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)RALEIGH, N.C. – A Trump may be on the ballot next year — but not Donald Trump. The former president's daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, is eyeing the North Carolina Senate seat being vacated by Republican Richard Burr. The answer to that question has implications that extend far beyond Lara Trump's political future. The 38-year-old Lara Trump is married to the former president's son, Eric.

But the North Carolina Republican’s vote to convict former President Donald Trump should not have come as a shock. AdWith Burr retiring at the end of his term in 2022, it’s a vote that could end up defining his career. Exactly a year later, as the Russia investigation was wrapping up, Burr’s time leading the committee came to an abrupt end. He sided with most Republicans in a vote to dismiss the trial, creating an expectation he’d also vote to acquit. AdSo when Burr stood up to vote for Trump's conviction, many in the chamber wondered if there would be other surprises.

(AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)WASHINGTON – Donald Trump's acquittal at his second impeachment trial may not be the final word on whether he’s to blame for the deadly Capitol riot. “President Trump is still liable for everything he did while he was in office, as an ordinary citizen, unless the statute of limitations has run,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said after that vote. Federal prosecutors have said they are looking at all angles of the assault on the Capitol and whether the violence had been incited. A phone call between Trump and House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy emerged during the impeachment trial in which McCarthy, as rioters stormed the Capitol, begged Trump to call off the mob. AdIt's possible federal prosecutors will decide not to bring charges, and if Trump were indicted in one of the many other separate investigations, federal prosecutors could decide justice would be done elsewhere.

(AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)WASHINGTON – Donald Trump's acquittal at his second impeachment trial may not be the final word on whether he’s to blame for the deadly Capitol riot. “President Trump is still liable for everything he did while he was in office, as an ordinary citizen, unless the statute of limitations has run,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said after that vote. Federal prosecutors have said they are looking at all angles of the assault on the Capitol and whether the violence had been incited. A phone call between Trump and House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy emerged during the impeachment trial in which McCarthy, as rioters stormed the Capitol, begged Trump to call off the mob. AdIt's possible federal prosecutors will decide not to bring charges, and if Trump were indicted in one of the many other separate investigations, federal prosecutors could decide justice would be done elsewhere.

From left, Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, Vice President Kamala Harris, Biden, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska. Biden and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen joined the Democratic senators for a private virtual meeting, both declaring the Republicans' $618 billion offer was too small. “President Biden spoke about the need for Congress to respond boldly and quickly,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said after the lunch meeting. The president made it clear that he won’t delay aid in hopes of winning GOP support. Biden proposes $170 billion for schools, compared to $20 billion in the Republican plan.

President Joe Biden meets Republican lawmakers to discuss a coronavirus relief package, in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, Feb. 1, 2021, in Washington. From left, Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, Vice President Kamala Harris, Biden, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska. AdRepublicans are tapping into bipartisan urgency to improve the nation's vaccine distribution and vastly expand virus testing with $160 billion in aid. Psaki said earlier Monday there is “obviously a big gap” between the $1.9 trillion package Biden has proposed and the $618 billion counteroffer. Biden himself has been on the phone to some of the Republicans, the official said.

President Joe Biden delivers his inaugural address on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 20, 2021 in Washington, DC. We saw many recognizable faces Wednesday at the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, but there were many people -- some quite notable -- who were not in attendance. President Donald Trump: He announced on Twitter ahead of the inauguration that he would not be attending, and he stuck to his word. He’s the first outgoing president who chose not to attend the ceremony since President Andrew Johnson’s refusal in 1869. Sen. Marco Rubio: Rubio conveyed he would be hard at work instead.

Instead, the sprint to the Jan. 5 runoffs for two seats in Georgia will determine whether the Senate becomes a Republican-held check on Biden's agenda or a Democratic partnership with the new White House. With a Democratic Senate, Biden would have allies to easily confirm his nominees, including for cabinet positions, and shape passage of legislation. If Republicans keep control, Senate Majority Mitch McConnell can block Biden's agenda. Senate Republicans need Trump — and his voters — on board for the Georgia race. Loeffler and Perdue stunned many this week when they jointly called their own state election system an “embarrassment" as Biden was leading over Trump.

(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)WASHINGTON – The Latest on President-elect Joe Biden (all times local):7:15 p.m.President Donald Trump is endorsing the chair of the Republican National Committee for another term, despite his electoral defeat. Cunningham conceded the race on Tuesday, saying that “the voters have spoken” and that it was clear Tillis had won. His Democratic opponent, Joe Biden, was declared the winner of the presidential election on Nov. 7 after flipping Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. Trump won those states in 2016. ___11:05 a.m.British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has called Donald Trump the “previous president” of the United States and said it was “refreshing” to talk to President-elect Joe Biden.

RALEIGH, N.C. – Democrat Cal Cunningham conceded to incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis in North Carolina on Tuesday, saying “the voters have spoken” and it was clear Tillis had won. With votes still uncounted and the races in North Carolina and Alaska still too early to call Tuesday, the Senate remained tied 48-48. Alaska GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan is favored for another term against Al Gross, an independent running as a Democrat. In North Carolina, Tillis led Cunningham by more than 95,000 votes, or 1.76 percentage points. “I am incredibly humbled by the chance to serve the people of North Carolina in the United States Senate for six more years and I pledge to continue keeping my promises and delivering results.”

The delay has the potential to upend civic norms, impede Biden’s transition to the White House and sow doubt in the nation’s civic and election systems. Trump would need to produce ample evidence of impropriety to undo Biden’s lead, which appears unlikely. During a closed-door lunch, Vice President Mike Pence told Senate Republicans about the legal strategy. Trump and his GOP allies haven’t offered evidence of election fraud, and their legal challenges have largely been rejected by the courts. McConnell noted the potential turmoil during the transition in praising ousted Defense Secretary Mark Esper, whom Trump fired on Monday.

Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., won another term as Republican leader, his office said, cementing his role as the longest-serving GOP leader in U.S. history. But it’s still to be determined whether McConnell will retain his role as majority leader or cede it to Schumer as the final races for the U.S. Senate play out. Republicans brushed back Democratic challengers in several states, but failed to lock down the seats needed to retain their majority. The math has become more challenging for McConnell because the vice president of the party holding the White House casts the tie-breaking vote in the Senate. A Democratic majority in the Senate, the party that also controls the House would give the party a firm grasp on power in Washington.

WASHINGTON – Control of the Senate likely won’t be decided until a January runoff in Georgia, even after Democrat Joe Biden won the White House on Saturday. That post-election cliff-hanger will determine the balance of power in Washington, as neither party appears to have a lock on a Senate majority right now. If Democrats fall short, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, could wield the power to check Biden's ambitions. And Republican Sen. David Perdue, a top Trump ally, will face Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff. “It’s all on the line in Georgia,” said Steven Law, the president of Senate Leadership Fund, the outside group aligned with McConnell that spent big trying keep Senate control.

WASHINGTON – Control of the Senate likely won’t be decided until a January runoff in Georgia, even after Democrat Joe Biden won the White House on Saturday. That post-election cliff-hanger will determine the balance of power in Washington, as neither party appears to have a lock on a Senate majority right now. If Democrats fall short, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, could wield the power to check Biden's ambitions. And Republican Sen. David Perdue, a top Trump ally, will face Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff. “It’s all on the line in Georgia,” said Steven Law, the president of Senate Leadership Fund, the outside group aligned with McConnell that spent big trying keep Senate control.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., speaks with reporters during a press conference in Louisville, Ky., Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2020. “We’re waiting — whether I’m going to be the majority leader or not,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Wednesday. There already is a Jan. 5 runoff in the state's other Senate race. Securing the Senate majority will be vital for the winner of the presidency. John Hickenlooper defeated GOP Sen. Cory Gardner, and Arizona, where former astronaut Mark Kelly beat Republican incumbent Martha McSally.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi was on track to keep control of the Democratic House, but saw her majority shrinking and her leadership called into question. By evening, Pelosi had all but declared Democrat Joe Biden the winner, saying House Democrats “will now have the opportunity to deliver extraordinary progress” on party priorities — lowering health care costs, providing jobs through new infrastructure and others. “I know folks are anxious,” Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy told followers on a live Twitter video. McConnell also warned of the continued problems Republicans face in the Trump era as voters turn away from the GOP. “It’s time for a different approach,” said Democrat John Hickenlooper, a former governor who unseated Republican Sen. Cory Gardner in Colorado.

With the race unsettled in several key battlegrounds, Trump's strong Election Day surge may not be enough to overcome a Democratic operation that also turned out its vote. But the tight presidential races and unexpected Democratic losses in congressional races demonstrated the resilient power of Trump’s appeal with rural, white voters and a growing polarization that may outlast his leadership. “But in this election we found it’s not ticking fast enough for the Democrats.”Even as the winner of the White House was unclear, Republicans had victories to celebrate Wednesday and white, rural voters to thank. Trump held one of his final, largest campaign rallies in Butler, drawing an estimated 54,000 people two days before Election Day. State Republicans spent months signing up new GOP registrants in the county — the GOP netted 11,000 voters over Democrats since Trump's 2016 election.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi was on track to keep control of the Democratic House, but saw her majority shrinking and her leadership called into question. By evening, Pelosi had all but declared Democrat Joe Biden the winner, saying House Democrats “will now have the opportunity to deliver extraordinary progress” on party priorities — lowering health care costs, providing jobs through new infrastructure and others. “I know folks are anxious,” Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy told followers on a live Twitter video. McConnell also warned of the continued problems Republicans face in the Trump era as voters turn away from the GOP. “It’s time for a different approach,” said Democrat John Hickenlooper, a former governor who unseated Republican Sen. Cory Gardner in Colorado.

The social media platforms have been working for months, if not years since the last presidential election, to prepare for Trumps unsubstantiated claims of election fraud and premature victory declarations. (AP Photo)Ahead of the election, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube promised to clamp down on election misinformation, including unsubstantiated charges of fraud and premature declarations of victory by candidates. For the most part, what they said they would, which primarily meant labeling false or misleading election posts in order to point users to reliable information. But Google placed an “information panel” beneath the videos noting that election results may not be final and linking to Google’s election results page with additional information. It labeled Trump’s tweets declaring premature victory as well as claims from Trump and others about premature victory in specific states.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said President Donald Trump’s campaign helped his GOP allies, but that state election officials were still counting ballots. Key Senate races in North Carolina, Alaska and Georgia remained undecided. Democrats contested seats from New England to the Deep South and the Midwest to the Mountain West, reaching deep into GOP strongholds. North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis has struggled against Democrat Cal Cunningham, despite the married challenger’s sexting scandal with a public relations strategist. GOP Sen. Kelly Loeffler will face Democrat Raphael Warnock, a Black pastor at the church where the Rev.