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(WASHINGTON) — The Democratic Mayors Association will appoint Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb as the organization’s next president during its meeting on Saturday, a source familiar told ABC News.

Representing the new coalition of Democratic up-and-comers, Bibb, who is Black and 37, has been labeled a “homegrown rising star.” He will be succeeding Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego.

“Democratic Mayors are uniquely poised for this moment. We know how to lead, and we know how to get things done. Mayor Bibb is a proven leader of his city, and I know will do a fantastic job at the helm of the Democratic Mayors Association,” Gallego said in a statement to ABC News.

Bibb will be overseeing the group, which reaches as many as 500 current and former mayors, at a time of reflection as the party looks to rebuild and recoup from its election losses and figure out who is best positioned to lead it as Donald Trump begins his second presidential term. The Democratic National Committee is also in the throes of selecting new leadership and will be electing a slate of officers on Feb. 1.

(Martin O’Malley, a former Democratic mayor of Baltimore, is one of the leading candidates for DNC chair.)

As it moves forward, the party as a whole is looking to strike a balance between effectively messaging against Trump and Republican majorities in both chambers of Congress, working with the incoming administration on issues key to the Democratic mayors’ cities and reestablishing its brand with key facets of its base who turned to the GOP — or stayed home — last November.

“Over the next four years, Democratic mayors will play a pivotal role in communicating the Democratic Party’s message, combating misinformation — particularly about our cities, which Trump repeatedly attacks – and continuing to deliver results locally, keeping their communities safe and creating and connecting people to opportunity,” a source familiar with the DMA’s plans told ABC News.

In a recent interview with the Ohio-based news site Signal Cleveland, Bibb said he’s uninterested in being part of any formal Trump “resistance.”

“I think Clevelanders and the American people are tired of ‘the resistance,'” Bibb said. “They’re tired of the bickering between Democrats and Republicans. They are tired of this left vs. right debate.”

For his part, Bibb said that despite uncertainty, the DMA, under his leadership, will move forward with “unity.”

“While there is uncertainty and concern on the eve of the Inauguration, the Democratic Mayors Association is clear in its mission,” Bibb said in a statement to ABC News. “We will stand together. We are going to deliver. We are going to move forward with positive action and real results. Our time is now.”

Bibb is currently running for a second term as mayor.

Former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, who served as a Biden and Harris campaign co-chairman, said the group is lucky to have Bibb at the helm.

“Nobody knows better than Democratic Mayors on how to deliver,” Landrieu said in a statement. “Now is the time to roll up our sleeves and get to work. This work is more important now than ever, and we are lucky to have Mayor Bibb leading the way.”

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(WASHINGTON) — Kristi Noem, South Dakota’s firebrand Republican governor, faces a grilling Friday at her confirmation hearing to be secretary of homeland security.

Noem, the daughter of a farmer and a former representative from South Dakota, will be questioned before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

She first came on the national scene during the pandemic and gained notoriety when she did not shut down businesses and schools in the state — instead keeping it open and even hosting a Fourth of July fireworks show at Mt. Rushmore.

“We didn’t mandate anything,” Noem said at the Republican National Convention in July 2024. “We never ordered a single business or church to close. I never even defined what an essential business was, because I don’t believe that the government has the authority to tell you that your business isn’t essential.”

During her last state budget address in December, Noem touted what she called progress on the state economy, education and public safety.

Noem was one of the Republican governors to send National Guardsmen to the southern border to help the Texas National Guard.

If confirmed, border security will be a main concern as Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would fall under her purview at the Department of Homeland Security.

“I have increased resources to combat the horror of human trafficking,” she said in December. “And when President Trump secures the southern border, we’ll cut off the primary pipeline for human trafficking into our country.”

In an interview on Newsmax shortly after President-elect Trump’s election victory she said the “number one priority” will be the border.

“We’ve got to secure our country, and we’ve got to get the murderers and terrorists and rapists out of this country, and make America safe again. That’s really what his goal is. And I’m just so proud of him that he’s working so hard at it immediately,” she said.

A one-time potential vice-presidential prospect, Noem would oversee 22 agencies with more than 260,000 employees — on issues ranging from the border to federal disaster management to the Secret Service.

Earlier this year, she was embroiled in a series of controversies, including drawing scrutiny and a lawsuit over her social media endorsement of a dental work she received from a practice in Texas.

She was also criticized for writing in her new memoir about how she shot and killed her 14-month-old dog “Cricket” after she said it demonstrated an “aggressive personality, and she was forced to admit what she called “errors” in her book, including claiming she once met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. That description was removed from the book, according to the publisher.

Trump defended and praised her amid the controversies last year, saying she’s gone through “rough” days but that he likes her “a lot.”

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(WASHINGTON) — New York City Mayor Eric Adams is scheduled to meet with President-elect Donald Trump on Friday, a spokesperson for the mayor said, marking his latest correspondence with the incoming administration as he also faces federal bribery charges.

The two will sit down ahead of Trump’s inauguration to “discuss New Yorkers’ priorities,” the mayor’s spokesperson, Fabien Levy, said in a statement on Thursday.

“Mayor Adams has made quite clear his willingness to work with President-elect Trump and his incoming administration on behalf of New Yorkers — and that partnership with the federal government is critical to New York City’s success,” Levy said. “The mayor looks forward to having a productive conversation with the incoming president on how we can move our city and country forward.”

Last month, Adams, a Democrat, met with incoming border czar Tom Homan to discuss their plans to remove what the mayor said were violent undocumented immigrants.

While discussing the closed-door meeting at a news conference last month, Adams said the city is going to “protect the rights of immigrants who are hard-working and giving back to the city in a positive way.” The mayor repeatedly said that he and Homan agreed that they do not share the same courtesy for immigrants who he says commit violent crimes.

“We will not be a safe haven for those who commit violent acts. We don’t do it for those who are citizens and we are not going to do it for undocumented citizens,” Adams said.

The mayor was indicted on federal bribery and fraud charges in September. He has maintained his innocence and pleaded not guilty to the five-count indictment, which alleged he accepted luxury travel in exchange for political favors.

The mayor has the backing of Trump, who has claimed Adams was unjustly charged by federal prosecutors and has said he would “take a look” at a pardon for him.

“I think that he was treated pretty unfairly,” Trump said of Adams during a press briefing last month.

The president-elect suggested the charges were retribution for the mayor speaking out against migrants flooding into the country.

“It’s very interesting when he essentially went against what was happening with the migrants coming in,” Trump said. “And, you know, he made some pretty strong statements like ‘This is not sustainable.’ I said, ‘You know what? He’ll be indicted soon.’ And I said it. That is a prediction, a little bit lightheartedly, but I said it. I said, ‘He’s going to be indicted.’ And a few months later he got indicted. So I would certainly look at it.”

Last week, federal prosecutors said in a court filing that the FBI had uncovered “additional criminal conduct” by Adams. They did not elaborate but have said in prior court hearings a superseding indictment is “likely” in the mayor’s criminal case.

Alex Spiro, the mayor’s lawyer, said in response it was “amateur hour” and that the government is “just looking for a headline instead of doing the right thing. I assume we are at the point where New Yorkers are not falling for it.”

Adams, who was elected in 2021, is the first sitting New York City mayor to ever face charges. He is scheduled to stand trial in April.

ABC News’ Ivan Pereira, Aaron Katersky, Lalee Ibssa and Selina Wang contributed to this report.

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(WASHINGTON) — In his farewell address, an emotional Attorney General Merrick Garland sought to encourage an embattled Department of Justice facing uncertainty and to unabashedly defend his tenure and their work.

“I know that you have faced unfounded attacks simply for doing your jobs. At the very same time, you have risked your lives to protect our country from a range of foreign and domestic threats,” Garland said. “But the story that has been told by some outside of this building about what has happened inside of it is wrong. You have worked to pursue justice — not politics. That is the truth. And nothing can change it.”

He took head-on the criticism that has been leveled at his leadership of the DOJ from both sides of the political aisle.

“But I also know that a lot has been said about this department by people outside of it — about what your job is and what it is not and about why you do your work the way you do,” he added. “I know that, over the years, some have criticized the department, saying that it has allowed politics to influence its decision-making. That criticism often came from people with political views opposite from one another, each making the exact opposite points about the same set of facts.”

Without ever mentioning President-elect Donald Trump’s name, Garland discussed the DOJ’s historic investigation of Jan. 6, which led to the now-closed prosecution of the incoming president.

“You charged more than 1,500 people for criminal conduct that occurred during the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, as well as in the days and weeks leading up to the attack. You brought to justice those who kicked, punched, beat and Tased law enforcement officers protecting the Capitol that day. And you pursued accountability for that attack on our democracy wherever it led — guided only by your commitment to follow the facts and the law,” Garland said.

“Our norms are a promise to treat like cases alike — that we will not have one rule for the powerful and another for the powerless, one rule for friends and another for foes,” he said earlier in the speech.

Speaking to the over 114,000-person career workforce that will remain into Trump’s next tenure, he urged them to retain the DOJ’s independence, no matter the challenge.

“We know that only an independent Justice Department can protect the safety and civil rights of everyone in our country. And we know that only an independent Justice Department can ensure that the facts and law alone will determine whether a person is investigated or prosecuted,” Garland said. “It is the obligation of each of us to adhere to our norms even when — and especially when — the circumstances we face are not normal.”

And he was adamant that there are times when the attorney general has to have the backs of a department that will often do things that will make people angry on the Left and the Right.

“The attorney general must not just lead this department’s workforce but must respect it and, when necessary, defend it. It is the responsibility of every employee of the Justice Department to do what is right. And it is the obligation of the attorney general to have their backs when they do,” Garland said. “That is what you have done. And that is the kind of attorney general I have tried to be.”

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(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris continued their farewell tour on Thursday, attending the Department of Defense Commander in Chief Farewell Ceremony, offering his thanks to U.S. troops for their service throughout his administration.

“Serving as your commander in chief has been the greatest honor of my life. While I’m deeply grateful for your thanks and affection, I’m here to thank you. Thank you for your service to our nation and for allowing me to bear witness to your courage, your commitment, your character. As I listened to the choir sing, I thought about it. You all represent what America is: Character, honesty, integrity, commitment,” Biden said.

The president spoke to the global conflicts he faced during his time in office that as commander in chief he asked American troops to help carry out, including ending the war in Afghanistan and the chaotic withdrawal.

“I believe history will reflect, it was the right thing to do. But I know it was hard. After decades of losing your brothers and sisters, including through withdrawal, the pain was still real. And it was for me as well,” Biden said of the decision with a much more reflective tone than we’ve seen in recent speeches.

Biden also spoke about the ongoing war in Ukraine.

“Six months after that war ended, when Russia began its largest war in Europe since World War II, I asked you to help defend Ukraine. You didn’t hesitate. You kept Ukraine in the fight. Trained Ukrainian soldiers and pilots, troops bolstered NATO’s eastern flank. And above all, you showed the world, America stands up for freedom. Stands with our friends. America stands strong with our allies. We never bend down,” Biden said.

Biden also praised U.S. troops for playing a part in the hostage and ceasefire deal finally coming together, and their service in the Middle East.

“I asked you to deploy to the Middle East. Again, you stepped up, pulling long nights and long deployments to weaken Hamas, to defending Israel against unprecedented attacks in Iran. Imagine, had we not? If we don’t lead the world, who will lead the world?” he said.

The president praised the work of the armed forces for helping to keep China in check and strengthening America’s standing in the Pacific.

Biden also highlighted the work his administration has done to help veterans, including passing the PACT act to help veterans who were exposed to toxic burn pits while serving, like his late son Beau.

Speaking personally about his own family’s experience with the military, Biden praised the first lady’s work with military families.
“Most Americans never see the sacrifices that you make every single day. They’ll never see all those holidays and birthdays with an empty seat at the dinner table, because mom or dad was deployed. They’ll never see all the moves you had to make to new states, to new schools, to new jobs. But I see it and Jill saw it. She made it her life’s work. She’s done everything big and small,” Biden said of his wife.

“So, for the last time as commander in chief, I want to say thank you, thank you, thank you to all of the families. We owe you. I’ve long said as a nation, we have many obligations. But I say we only have one truly sacred obligation. That’s the prayer of those we send into harm’s way and care for them and their families when they come home and when they don’t,” Biden added.
Closing out his remarks, Biden gave one final request to the troops “not as your president or commander in chief, I say it as a man who spent 50 years of his life serving his country in a different way.”

“Remember your oath. My son, Major Beau Biden, used to call it home base. That’s a set of principles of values that give you light and darkness that guide you,” he said. “It’s true to the military. It’s the best weapons, the best training in the world, with the most cutting-edge ships, planes, and subs. We have the smartest, most well-trained force on Earth. That’s all critical. But that alone is not what makes us strong. This is not what brought Washington its band of brothers together all those years ago.”

“It’s our values. I mean it sincerely, it’s our values, American values, our commitment to honor, to integrity, to unity, to protecting and defending not a person or a party or a place, but an idea,” he said.

Prior to his remarks, the president and first lady were presented with the Distinguished Public Service Medal. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin placed the medal on the chest pocket of Biden’s suit jacket and presented him with a framed certificate, after a commendation was read overhead.

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(WASHINGTON) — The official portraits of President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance were released Thursday by the Trump transition team.

“And they go hard,” a press release from the transition said about the portraits.

The statement added, “In just four days, Donald J. Trump will be sworn in as the 47th President of the United States and JD Vance as the 50th Vice President of the United States — and their official portraits are here.”

Trump and Vance will be sworn-in on Monday, Jan. 20.

President Joe Biden will be in attendance as his successor is sworn in, resuming a tradition of American democracy that Trump himself sidestepped in 2021.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos will also be in attendance.

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