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WASHINGTON — When Americans elected a coup-attempting , sexually abusing , fraud-committing criminal as president, did they by that choice also lower the bar for those serving in his administration? As they prepare to go before the U.S. Senate for confirmation, Pete Hegseth , Tulsi Gabbard, Kash Patel, Matt Gaetz — until Gaetz withdrew from consideration — and others have been facing questions over their previous actions and words that have raised doubts about their fitness for the job. Yet in every case, the man who appointed them, President-elect Donald Trump , has done or said things far more egregious during his previous term in office and over his subsequent three-and-a-half-year effort to return to the White House. American voters narrowly returned him to office anyway — meaning senators will now have to decide whether Trump’s appointees should be held to a higher standard than Trump himself. “This question breaks my heart,” said Jennifer Horn, the former chair of New Hampshire’s Republican Party who broke from Trump soon after he was first elected in 2016. Trump campaign and transition officials did not respond to HuffPost’s queries. Critics of Trump’s choice for defense secretary point to allegations of Hegseth’s treatment of women, including an allegation he raped a woman in 2017, in an encounter Hegseth has said was consensual. Yet Trump himself was found by a New York jury to have sexually abused writer E. Jean Carroll by digitally penetrating her in a department store – an act that the trial judge pointed out was considered rape in many jurisdictions. Democrats and some Republicans argue that Tulsi Gabbard’s defense of Syrian dictator and alleged war criminal Bashar Assad and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin should disqualify her from serving as Director of National Intelligence. Trump, though, knowingly used Russian help to win the 2016 election, famously said he believed Putin over his own intelligence community, and to this day praises Putin, even calling him a genius for having invaded Ukraine. And while Patel has aggressively spread lies and conspiracy theories about the 2020 election and promised vengeance against Trump’s critics, Trump himself is the prime mover behind the violence of Jan. 6, 2021, without whom the day would have passed without notice. Throughout his 2024 campaign, he has vowed revenge against the justice system that tried to hold him to account. “The fact that Donald Trump has been re-elected is a devastating blow to democracy, and his nominees for the highest positions in government are a reflection of that,” Horn said. “But whether or not these unqualified, Putin advocates are actually seated lies in the hands of the Senate. If they are accepted, it will be a measure of the character and integrity of each Republican senator.” Whether the Senate will hold Trump’s appointees to a higher standard than voters held Trump himself could be in the hands of a small group of Republican senators who have never been great fans of the man who took over their party over the past decade. Erick Erickson, a conservative radio talk show host who supported Trump, despite misgivings, on the belief that American democracy is stronger than Trump, said the Senate needs to evaluate appointees based on what it believes is good for the country. “The president is chosen by an Electoral College selected by the people. His appointees are confirmed by a Senate, some of whom were chosen in 2020, some of whom were chosen in 2022, and some of whom were chosen in 2024, all of whom have their own standards and opinions, which may or may not be the same as the people who support Trump,” he said. “The Constitution still matters and remains a robust check on the powers of all three branches of government.” The prevailing theory on presidential appointments, generally shared by both Democrats and Republicans, is that presidents should be able to have the leadership team of their choosing. That, however, has been tempered by senators’ desire not to give a president a blank check. In 1992, senators forced Democratic president Bill Clinton’s first two choices for attorney general, Zoe Baird and Kimba Wood, to withdraw after revelations that they had hired undocumented immigrants to care for their children. Thirty-two years later, former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew as Trump’s attorney general pick after Republican senators said they expected to see a still-secret House Ethics Committee report that reportedly details Gaetz’s payments to a 17-year-old girl for allegedly having sex with him at a drug-fueled party. Gaetz has denied he did anything wrong or illegal. Gaetz, in any event, has not been found liable for sexual abuse by a jury following a trial, as Trump has. Nor was he described by notorious accused child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein as his “closest friend,” as Trump was. How hard Republican senators, a number of whom were publicly warning against Gaetz’s nomination, will push against some of the others is unclear. At the Capitol Tuesday, Utah’s newly elected John Curtis, like many of his GOP colleagues, largely avoided questions about specific nominees but agreed that Trump’s wishes mattered a great deal. “He gets a lot of deference,” Curtis said. Others, though, made clear they believed Trump deserves complete deference. Idaho’s Michael Crapo said he was fine with whatever Trump wants, even if he submits names that have not undergone an FBI background check, as has traditionally been done prior to receiving a security clearance. “My position is what President Trump decides to do is what I will support,” he told reporters on Monday. George Conway, who supported Trump’s candidacy in 2016 and was briefly considering a job in his first administration but has since become a vocal critic, said he doubts Senate leaders will have much appetite for a fight with Trump. “What they should do and what they will do will be different,” he said. “I think they may try to torpedo a couple of them and call it a day.” To former Republican Rep. Joe Walsh, who also turned against Trump early in his first term, the very idea of rejecting Trump’s nominees for behaviors that Americans have made clear they are OK with in Trump is absurd. “There should be no objections. Pete Hegseth is Donald Trump. Tulsi Gabbard is Donald Trump. Kash Patel is Donald Trump,” Walsh said. “And when it comes to any of these nominees who couldn’t pass an FBI background check,” he added, “we need to remember this: Trump couldn’t pass an FBI background check either.” Don't let this be the end of the free press. The free press is under attack — and America's future hangs in the balance. As other newsrooms bow to political pressure, HuffPost is not backing down. Would you help us keep our news free for all? We can't do it without you. Can't afford to contribute? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read. You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest — we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you. Whether you give once or many more times, we appreciate your contribution to keeping our journalism free for all. You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest — we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you. Whether you give just one more time or sign up again to contribute regularly, we appreciate you playing a part in keeping our journalism free for all. Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages. Trump was convicted in May on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to hide a $130,000 hush money payment to a porn star just before the 2016 election. The judge in the case has repeatedly postponed sentencing and now wants to hear arguments from Trump and the New York state prosecutors about whether he should dismiss the case because Trump won the presidential election. Federal felony charges against Trump based on his actions leading up to and during his Jan. 6, 2021, coup attempt and for refusing to return secret documents he took with him to his South Florida country club have already been dismissed based on Justice Department policy not to prosecute a sitting president. Jennifer Bendery contributed to this report. Related From Our Partner

Missouri governor says he’s ready to go after six years in ‘pressure cooker’ jobBIRMINGHAM, England (AP) — Aston Villa says it has failed in an attempt to have Jhon Duran’s red card at Newcastle overturned on appeal. The 21-year-old Colombia international was sent off 32 minutes into a 3-0 defeat in the Premier League at St. James’ Park on Thursday after appearing to stamp on defender Fabian Schar, prompting a furious reaction from Villa head coach Unai Emery, who later indicated that the club would appeal. However, Villa said Friday night that its bid was unsuccessful and the forward will now serve a three-match ban for violent conduct. “Aston Villa can confirm that our decision to appeal Jhon Duran’s red card in our match with Newcastle United has been rejected," a statement on Villa’s official X account read. "The player will now miss our next three matches.” Duran will miss Premier League games against Brighton and Leicester, followed by Villa's FA Cup third-round match with West Ham on Jan. 10. AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

ANDOVER, Mass. , Dec. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- TransMedics Group, Inc. ("TransMedics") (Nasdaq: TMDX), a medical technology company that is transforming organ transplant therapy for patients with end-stage lung, heart, and liver failure, today announced that on December 9, 2024 , TransMedics granted non-qualified stock options to purchase an aggregate of 20,612 shares of its common stock and an aggregate of 13,576 restricted stock units to 3 employees, each as a material inducement for each employee's entry into employment with TransMedics. The grants included stock options to purchase 18,922 shares of TransMedics' common stock and 12,463 restricted stock units granted to Gerardo Hernandez , the Company's Chief Financial Officer. The grants were approved by the Compensation Committee of the TransMedics Board of Directors and were granted in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4) and pursuant to the TransMedics Group, Inc. Inducement Plan. TransMedics granted non-qualified stock options to purchase 20,612 shares of TransMedics' common stock and 13,576 restricted stock units in the aggregate. The stock options were granted with a per share exercise price of $69.84 , the closing price of the common stock on the Nasdaq Global Market on December 9, 2024 . Twenty-five percent of the shares subject to each option will vest on the first yearly anniversary of the date of the employee's start of employment, with the remainder vesting in equal monthly installments over the subsequent three year period, subject to the employee's continued service with the Company through the applicable vesting date. The options have a 10-year term and are subject to the terms of the TransMedics Group, Inc. Inducement Plan. Twenty-five percent of each restricted stock unit award will vest on the first four anniversaries of the date of the employee's start of employment, subject to the employee's continued service with the Company through the applicable vesting date. The restricted stock units are subject to the terms of the TransMedics Group, Inc. Inducement Plan. About TransMedics Group, Inc. TransMedics is the world's leader in portable extracorporeal warm perfusion and assessment of donor organs for transplantation. Headquartered in Andover, Massachusetts , the company was founded to address the unmet need for more and better organs for transplantation and has developed technologies to preserve organ quality, assess organ viability prior to transplant, and potentially increase the utilization of donor organs for the treatment of end-stage heart, lung, and liver failure. Investor Contact: Brian Johnston 332-895-3222 Investors@transmedics.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/transmedics-reports-inducement-grants-under-nasdaq-listing-rule-5635c4-302330724.html SOURCE TransMedics Group, Inc.SVG Summit 2024: NBA, NHL, PGA and More Talk Technology and the Future of Fandom The (December 16-17, New York City) is just five weeks away and the event’s agenda is shaping up to be an exciting one. The always-popular Day 2 on the event’s main stage will kick off with a panel discussion on . Sports leagues, teams, and federations continue to take advantage of technology to connect with fans in new ways, enhance their broadcast productions, and improve everything from player safety to instant replay operations. Join us to learn how leagues, teams, and federations are looking for out of next-generation technology. State of the Remote Production Business Day 2’s Main Stage features many more exciting conversations, including an event-opening panel discussion on the . Top executives from across the remote production industry take to the stage to discuss the current business challenges, how technology and new workflows are reshaping their services and technologies, and much more. That panel discussion will feature:

AWH Partners Promotes Dev Sharma as Director of AnalyticsWomen strongly opposed to nuclear power, just one in three men willing to live near oneMINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Sam Darnold tossed aside his stoic demeanor for a moment after realizing he was on the videoboard, aggressively twirling a towel to further stoke the crowd's fire after the Minnesota Vikings had pulled away from Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons late in the game. “I just felt the buzz. That was pure passion, pure joy, man,” Darnold said. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.Broncos hope to continue playoff push when they meet the banged-up Raiders

California reports more illnesses in people who drank raw milk. Here are the risks, according to health expertsThe Chicago Cubs are going to be aggressive this offseason after missing the postseason in 2024. They may have to dump an expensive contract to do so. FanSided's Zach Pressnell predicted that the Cubs would trade Cody Bellinger by the end of Major League Baseball's Winter Meetings because his contract could prevent them from signing star free agents. "For Chicago, it's the contract that kills them," wrote Pressnell. "Having to pay Bellinger right around $30 million for the next year or two is quite crippling to the pursuit of any big-name free agent like Corbin Burnes or Pete Alonso." Bellinger signed a three-year, $80 million deal with the Cubs before last season. The deal included player options for 2025 and 2026. He accepted his option for 2025, meaning the Cubs are set to pay him $27.5 million. The belief around the league is that the Cubs are actively trying to trade Bellinger, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal . "While rival executives say the Chicago Cubs want to trade first baseman/outfielder Cody Bellinger, they also note the difficulty the team likely will face pulling off such a move," wrote Rosenthal. "They should be able to pull off a trade, but it may look more like a salary dump than trading somebody who was an MVP candidate in 2023," wrote Pressnell. "A team like the New York Yankees or New York Mets makes sense as a landing destination, depending on where Juan Soto lands." Bellinger is a good player, but the Cubs need an upgrade at first base. With Pete Alonso available, they need as much room to spend as possible. The Cubs could also target a guy like Blake Snell or Max Fried. Regardless of who they target, Bellinger's contract on the payroll is not going to help them out. More MLB: Cubs trade proposal ships 2-time All-Star to Yankees to replace Anthony Rizzo

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