President-elect Donald Trump put down his 9 iron and picked up his phone on Friday to convince Republican holdouts to vote for House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.).

Trump, 78, was apparently on the golf course, mid-round, when he spoke to two GOP lawmakers who initially voted against having Johnson serve another term as House speaker, Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) — one of the holdouts — told CNN.

“He said, ‘Look, I’m in the middle of a golf game.’ That was the first time I talked to him,’” Norman said of his conversation with the incoming commander in chief.

“He said, ‘Well, you did vote for Nikki Haley.’ I said, ‘Yes, sir, I did. We’re with you now.’ And I said, ‘We will be with Mike Johnson,’” Norman added.

The South Carolina Republican further revealed that after Johnson was re-elected to the speakership post, Trump pledged to have conservative lawmakers, like Norman, “at the table in negotiations” on policy decisions. (Read more from “Trump Interrupted Golf Game to Convince GOP Holdouts to Vote for House Speaker Mike Johnson, Lawmaker Says” HERE)

Justice Juan Merchan ruled that President-elect Donald Trump will be sentenced on January 10 regarding his business records trial.

In a court order on Friday, Merchan wrote that the Court had found “no legal impediment to sentencing” and added that the Court recognized “that Presidential immunity will likely attach” once Trump is sworn into office. Merchan added that it was “incumbent upon” the Court “to set this matter down for the imposition of sentence” prior to Trump’s inauguration.

NEW: Judge Juan Merchan signals in his written decision that President Trump will face neither jail time nor penalties at his New York sentencing next week. pic.twitter.com/ghsDddji7s

— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) January 3, 2025

“Finding no legal impediment to sentencing and recognizing that Presidential immunity will likely attach once Defendant takes his Oath of Office, it is incumbent upon this Court to set this matter down for the imposition of sentence prior to January 20, 2025,” Merchan wrote in a court order. “It is this Court’s firm belief that only by bringing finality to this matter will all three interests be served.”

Merchan’s ruling comes months after a New York jury found Trump guilty of all 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first-degree concerning payments made to adult porn star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential election. (Read more from “Judge Rules Trump Be Sentenced on Jan. 10” HERE)

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr

President-elect Donald Trump plans to celebrate the start of his second term a day early by throwing a rally in Washington, D.C., the day before he is sworn in to office.

According to a sign-up page on a website for the Trump Vance Inaugural Committee, the event will begin at 3 p.m. on January 19, 2025. Trump will take the oath of office at the Capitol fewer than 24 hours later, at noon on January 20.

“Join President Trump at Capital One Arena for a victory rally you’ll never forget!” the sign-up page says.

The Capital One Arena is home to two D.C.-area professional sports teams: the Washington Wizards of the NBA and the Washington Capitals of the NHL. The arena can hold approximately 20,000 people, Newsmax reported.

Tickets can be reserved on a first come, first served basis. However, each registered mobile phone number is limited to two tickets only. (Read more from “News Outlets Grumble as Trump Plans MAGA Rally in DC on Eve of Inauguration Day” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr