The New York Times confirmed previously unreported donations and pledges totaling at least $55 million to a White House ballroom event from Miriam Adelson’s foundation ($25 million), Lockheed Martin ($10 million), Palantir ($10 million), Ripple ($5 million), Parsons ($2.5 million) and Roblox CEO ($2.5 million), according to posts by Ken Vogel on X between 6:16 PM and 6:46 PM UTC on December 22, 2025. Vogel reported that Isabela Herrera donated $2.5 million to MAGA Inc. on December 31, 2024, when her father faced bribery prosecution; in July 2025, President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice authorized a misdemeanor plea deal, overruling career prosecutors seeking a harsher sentence. Separately, Oak View Group, controlled by Tim Leiweke, donated $250,000 to Trump’s inaugural in January 2025; Leiweke faced bid-rigging charges in July but received a pardon from Trump this month, per the New York Times reporting shared by Vogel in the past 30 minutes. A Gallup poll conducted December 1-15, 2025, showed President Trump’s approval at 36% with 59% disapproval, for a net rating of -23, alongside negative net approvals for leaders including Jerome Powell (-3), JD Vance (-21) and Chuck Schumer (-39), according to data shared by @IAPolls2022 on X during the reporting window. House retirements reached an all-time high of 33 announcements in 2025 after the first session of the 119th Congress, with 19 Democrats and 24 Republicans, based on C-SPAN data posted by Jake Sherman on X in the past 30 minutes. The Washington Post reported that Texas Senator Ted Cruz is weighing a 2028 presidential run, according to a post by @PollTracker2024 on X during this period. In New York, sources told PIX11 News that Senator Bernie Sanders will swear in Zohran Mamdani at a public ceremony on January 1, 2026, with Attorney General Tish James officiating at midnight, per Dan Mannarino’s post.
