RNC to support Moore in Senate race in Alabama, weeks after cutting ties with his campaign

President Trump's endorsement of Alabama Senate nominee Roy Moore on Monday prompted the Republican National Committee and a pro-Trump super PAC to re-enter the state, boosting a candidate who had been largely cut off by his party. Senate Republican leaders remained critical of Moore on Monday, warning that the former judge is likely to face an immediate ethics probe if he is elected next week.

No Matter What Trump Said In Utah, a ‘Sen. Romney’ Looms Large In Its Future

Few - if any - close observers of Utah politics doubted for a moment what President Donald Trump meant in Salt Lake City Monday afternoon when he praised Sen. Orrin Hatch and voiced hope that the seven-term Republican "will serve your state and your country in the Senate for a long time to come." At a time when it is widely assumed that Hatch, 83, will soon announce he is retiring from the Senate next year, the President is clearly hoping the senator will change his mind and thus stop the expected candidacy of the Republican widely considered heir apparent to his seat: Mitt Romney, 2012 Republican presidential hopeful and a sworn enemy of Trump.

The Latest: Hard-right caucus nearly scuttles tax work

House GOP conservatives may be making headway in their effort to keep the government open through Dec. 30 instead of setting up a pre-Christmas deadline for a potential bipartisan budget deal. Conservative Rep. Mark Meadows is among those who worry that the leadership's proposed Dec. 22 deadline might set up Republicans for a fleecing at the hands of Democrats.

US defies North Korea with war drills involving 230 aircraft

The U.S. and South Korea on Monday began a five-day joint air exercise on the Korean peninsula involving 230 aircraft and 12,000 American troops, the allies said in a joint statement. A day before the Vigilant Ace 18 drills, North Korea called for "merciless revenge" and said the nation would consider the "highest-level hard-line countermeasure in history," according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency.

Concealed Carry Bill To Go To House Floor For Vote This Week

Legislation that enables concealed carry holders in different states to carry legally in other states comes to the House floor for a vote Wednesday. North Carolina Republican Rep. Richard Hudson's Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act was voted out of the House Judiciary Committee last week following a contentious mark up along party lines.

The Latest: Protesters block traffic amid Trump’s Utah visit

President Donald Trump stands with Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, left, and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, center, after arriving at the Ronald R Wright National Air Guard Base in Salt Lake City on Monday, Dec. 4, 2017. Protesters gather before a visit by President Donald Trump to announce that he is scaling back two sprawling national monuments, Monday Dec. 4, 2017, in Salt Lake City.

Trump arrives in Utah to announce scaling back of monuments

President Donald Trump arrived in Utah on Monday to announce that he is scaling back two sprawling national monuments, a move that is welcomed by the state's top Republican officials but opposed by tribes and environmental groups. Trump traveled west to announce his intention to shrink the Bears Ears and the Grand-Staircase Escalante national monuments.

PAPER: Inside the Network of Fusion GPS-Linked Journalists Pushing…

The House Intelligence Committee has long suspected journalists may have been paid by Fusion GPS to report on alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. In early November, Rep. Devin Nunes reached a breaking point and began demanding that the shady research firm behind the infamous 'Trump dossier,' submit its banking records to Congressional investigators to see if payments had been made to reporters.

Doug Jones says he is not focused on Trump’s endorsement of Roy Moore

Democrat Doug Jones shrugged off the news that President Trump officially endorsed his rival Republican Roy Moore in the special U.S. Senate race here in Alabama, saying his focus is on being an independent voice for the people of his home state. Mr. Trump 's endorsement is likely to boost Mr. Moore , who is trying to overcome allegations of sexual misconduct that sent other GOP leaders, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, running for cover.

Trump lobbies Orrin Hatch to run for re-election as Romney waits in wings

President Trump 's trip to Utah Monday highlighted the emerging battle in the Republican Party for control of the Senate seat now held by Sen. Orrin G. Hatch , who's expected by many in the GOP to retire next year. Former Massachusetts governor and 2012 GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney wants to run for the seat, but the president and former adviser Stephen Bannon are encouraging the 83-year-old Mr. Hatch to seek another term, viewing Mr. Romney as an elitist who's been less than supportive of Mr. Trump .

Donald Trump moves to ‘reverse federal overreach,’ cuts down Bears Ears, Grand Staircase monuments

Saying it was his duty to "reverse federal overreach" by both the Obama and Clinton administrations, President Trump on Monday signed two proclamations to pare down and carve up both the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments in Utah. At a speech in Salt Lake City, Mr. Trump said previous presidents have greatly abused their power under the century-old Antiquities Act, and stretched the law past its limits in cordoning off millions of acres of land and placing them under government control.

Lawmakers Reprise Pence Bill to Protect Reporters From Trump Admin.

A bipartisan bill aimed at protecting reporters from revealing confidential sources has its roots in a similar bill co-sponsored by then Congressman Mike Pence 10 years ago, the Washington Examiner reports. Republican Rep. Jim Jordan, former head of the Freedom Caucus, and Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Maryland, introduced a similar bill and hope that Pence's influence will stem any urge that President Donald Trump's administration might have to prosecute reporters.

Sen. Chuck Grassley: Removing Estate Tax Means More People Will Invest

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, praised the Republican plan to cut back or remove the estate tax, saying it would lead to wiser investment. "I think not having the estate tax recognizes that people are investing as opposed to those that are just spending every darn penny they have, whether it's on booze or women or movies," Grassley told the Des Moines Register.

Stealth jets, other aircraft fly in U.S., South Korean drills

A U.S. Air Force U-2s spy plane prepared to land at the Osan U.S. Air Base in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, Monday. Hundreds of aircraft including two dozen stealth jets began training Monday as the United States and South Korea launched their combined air force exercise.