Close Thank you for signing up! Subscribe to more newsletters here The latest in politics and policy. Direct to your inbox. Sign up for the Evening Report newsletter Subscribe Plus: Biden's sweeping pardons, Congress inches toward funding deal{beacon} Evening Report ©  Alex Brandon, Associated Press Trump gets a bump from media, new alliances PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP IS COASTING through a honeymoon period with 39 days to go until he’s inaugurated for a second term, ringing the bell at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on Thursday to celebrate being named Time magazine’s Person of the Year.   Trump was surrounded by his wife Melania Trump, Vice President-elect Vance, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and several powerful corporate executives, including the CEOs of Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, Verizon and Target. Chants of “USA” broke out after Trump rang the bell.  There are signs that former Trump adversaries are looking to cozy up to him this time around.  Trump will meet with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos next week. Meta donated $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund after Trump met with CEO Mark Zuckerberg in November.  "I think you're going to see some very good days ahead,” Trump said. Trump made news at the NYSE and in the Time magazine profile:  • Trump mused about creating a federal strategic reserve for cryptocurrency.  • He said he won’t restrict access to the abortion pill.  • He said he wants to move beyond the transgender bathroom debate, although his campaign spent millions running ads on the issue: "I don’t want to get into the bathroom issue. Because it’s a very small number of people we’re talking about, and it’s ripped apart our country. I want to have all people treated fairly."  NEW POLLS SHOW OPTIMISM ABOUT SECOND TRUMP TERM New polls show Trump riding high after his election victory.  A CNN survey found that 54 percent expect Trump to do a good job when he returns to the White House in January, while 55 percent approve of Trump’s transition efforts. A Fox News survey found that 54 percent of Americans are “hopeful” going into Trump’s second term.  CAN IT LAST?All presidential honeymoons fade. Trump’s current standing is notable due to the historical quirk of his presidencies not being concurrent. There seems to be a more accepting atmosphere around Trump in 2024, as opposed to his 2016 victory, which many viewed as a fluke. However, President Biden was also riding high upon entering office. Yet he will leave the White House next month with big questions about his legacy after a damaging final year in office. Trump is preparing to enact several polarizing policies that could bring a quick end to his polling bump:  • Trump’s plan to deport millions in the country illegally has narrow majority support at the moment, but it’s certain to be controversial, and there will be intense focus on the human element of the deportations.   • Polls find Trump's controversial Cabinet nominees are unpopular.  • Trump is feuding with Canada over his promise to enact tariffs, trading barbs with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after the two met at Mar-a-Lago last week. The premier of Ontario says they’ll cut off U.S. energy exports if Trump imposes sweeping tariffs.   • There are still legal issues lingering around Trump. A judge will decide soon whether to uphold his hush money conviction in New York.  💡Perspectives: • CNN: Democratic governors quietly prep extensive plans to counter Trump. • The Hill: Say hello to Trump’s advancing loyalist army. • The Hill: 4 ways Trump is already winning in 2025. • The Hill: Musk and DOGE should ignore DC and look to the states.  Welcome to Evening Report! I'm Jonathan Easley, catching you up from the afternoon and what's coming tomorrow. Not on the list? Subscribe here.CATCH UP QUICK The Justice Department asked a federal appeals court to reject TikTok's bid to delay a law that could ban the app while the company appeals to the Supreme Court. TikTok's future is in jeopardy as the U.S. ban looms.  Luigi Mangione's attorney says he will challenge the admissibility and accuracy of the FBI's forensic results. An American was freed after seven months in detention in Syria. Warner Bros. Discovery announced a major corporate restructure. NEWS THIS AFTERNOON ©  AP Photo/Susan WalshBiden issues sweeping pardons, commutations President Biden on Thursday announced he’d commute almost 1,500 sentences and pardon 39 people amid blowback over the immunity and pardons he granted his son Hunter Biden.  Biden said in a statement the commutations and pardons were granted to those "who have demonstrated remorse and rehabilitation.”  The White House called it the largest act of clemency in a single day in modern history. The full list of pardons can be found here. More actions around clemency are coming, Biden said.  The Hill’s Julia Mueller and Cheyenne M. Daniels have takeaways from the pardons, including a notable name that didn’t make the cut: Democratic Baltimore state attorney Marilyn Mosby, who was convicted of mortgage fraud and perjury earlier this year. Civil rights activists and members of the Congressional Black Caucus have advocated for Mosby to get a pardon.  This comes as Democrats increasingly speak out against Biden’s move to pardon his son. In newly reported remarks, former Biden adviser Anita Dunn told The New York Times DealBook Summit that the Hunter Biden pardon makes Democrats look like hypocrites. "The argument is one that I think many observers are concerned about,” Dunn said. “A president who ran to restore the rule of law, who has upheld the rule of law, who has really defended the rule of law kind of saying, ‘Well, maybe not right now.’”  The White House is discussing preemptive pardons for Trump critics, expressing fear the president-elect will retaliate against his political enemies, including former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) and newly minted Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.). This discussion has split Democrats, with Schiff saying he doesn’t need a pardon or want one.  But some are angling for preemptive pardons.  Former President Clinton told “The View” that he’s open to a discussion with Biden about a preemptive pardon for his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.  Trump promised to lock up Hillary Clinton on the campaign trail in 2016, but his Justice Department did not go after her.  Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), the former chair of the Jan. 6 committee, said he would accept a preemptive pardon if offered one. Trump told Time magazine that he’s going to start pardoning most Jan. 6 rioters the first hour he takes office.  “Maybe the first nine minutes,” he said.  An inspector general report released Thursday found the FBI should have done more to collect intelligence ahead of the Jan. 6 riots. It also detailed the actions of the "confidential human sources" who were present on that day.  💡Perspectives: • The Liberal Patriot: The Dem Hispanic voter crash was worse than you think. • The Atlantic: Is this how Democrats win back the working class? • Slate: Biden cracked a revealing joke about why Democrats lost. • MotherJones: “It’s the Economy, Stupid” is never just about the economy.  📄Read more:  • Black women lead criticism against Biden over pardons. • Biden doubles tariffs on Chinese solar panel components. • Pentagon announces new AI office. • Biden approves national security memo ahead of Trump’s return.  ON TAP8 days until the government funding deadline.22 days until the new Congress begins and the House leadership elections.28 days until Congress counts the electoral votes.39 days until Inauguration Day.  IN OTHER NEWS ©  AP Photo/J. Scott ApplewhiteLawmakers inch toward government funding deal • Lawmakers told The Hill’s Aris Folley they’re moving closer to a deal to fund the government. The deadline is only eight days away. The White House’s $100 billion disaster aid request is still a “moving target,” and other add-ons could complicate the bill’s final passage. Insiders expect a short-term funding bill that kicks the spending battle to early next year, although Republican senators are fearful that chaos in the House could derail Trump’s agenda.   • What’s going on in New Jersey? There are growing calls for a federal investigation into the scores of strange drone sightings. Senators from New Jersey and New York sent a letter to the FBI on Thursday demanding a briefing. The Pentagon has refuted a New Jersey lawmaker’s claim that the drones are coming from an Iranian mothership parked off the coast, but the FBI says it doesn’t know where the drones are coming from or what they’re doing.   • Axios reports: Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is lobbying for his daughter-in-law Amaryllis Fox Kennedy to land the No. 2 spot at the CIA, believing she could be instrumental in releasing the full story around the assassination of former President John F. Kennedy. The Washington Post reports Kennedy met with John Ratcliffe, Trump's pick to lead the CIA, about the possibility, while The New York Times reports that she met with Trump himself last week to discuss the role.   💡Perspectives: • The Wall Street Journal: The hopeful Daniel Penny verdict. • The Hill: Populist rage and the rise of moral absolutism.  📄Read more:  • Musk faces early test of political power with online safety bill. • FAA administrator to resign on Trump swearing-in • Schumer says Senate will vote on Social Security changes. • Florida Republican brings ‘America First’ bent to Foreign Affairs Committee. • Scott could be latest casualty in House Democratic shake-up. • Lawmakers call for intel assessment on ending U.S. support for Ukraine.  Stay Engaged  Did I miss a story? Drop me a line. Follow TheHill.com for the latest and recommend us to others: TheHill.com/Evening. See you next time.