Key takeaways as Trump’s nominees face US Senate confirmation hearings | News about Donald Trump
For the second day in a row, the United States Senate weighed candidates for key positions in the election of President-elect Donald Trump. cabinetscreening candidates based on their education and qualifications.
Wednesday was a busy day for the Senate, as it held hearings for six of Trump’s nominees, including heavy hitters like Sens. Marco Rubio — his pick for secretary of state — and Pam Bondi, selected for attorney general.
The hearings come as Republican leaders in Congress hope to give Trump a strong start to his second term, which begins Monday.
Senior cabinet positions require Senate approval, with Republicans holding 53 seats compared to 45 for Democrats.
However, the controversial candidates will need every possible vote to succeed in the nomination. Wednesday’s hearings, for example, were preceded by heated proceedings a day earlier, as senators pressed Pete Hegseth, Trump’s pick for defense secretary, over allegations of excessive drinking and sexual misconduct.
Here are some key takeaways from Wednesday’s Senate testimony.
Rubio shows off a hawk’s streak
During his testimony, Rubiothe US senator from Florida, has promised to put US interests “before anything and everything” if he is named secretary of state.
Rubio also flashed a foreign policy hawk, denouncing China as the “biggest threat” the US faces in the 21st century.
“If we don’t change course, we’re going to live in a world where a lot of what matters to us every day — from our security to our health — will depend on whether or not the Chinese will let us have it,” Rubio said.
He added that China “oppressed, lied, cheated, hacked and stole.” [its] the path to the status of a global superpower”.
Wednesday’s remarks were consistent with Rubio’s track record of taking an adversarial approach to America’s alleged rivals.
Still, he praised American alliances like NATO, offering a counterpoint to the more aggressive stance of Trump himself.
“The NATO alliance is a very important alliance. I believe in that,” he said.
“Without the NATO alliance, the Cold War has no end. In fact, without the NATO alliance, it is quite possible that much of what we know today as Europe would have fallen victim to aggression.”
But he echoed Trump’s view that other NATO allies “need to contribute more to their own defense” and rely less on US support.
Ratcliffe promises there will be no political bias
In a separate discussion, John RatcliffeTrump’s choice to head the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) assured lawmakers that he would not prosecute members of the intelligence community for insufficient loyalty to Trump.
“We will produce insightful, objective analysis from all sources, never allowing political or personal biases to cloud our judgment or infect our products,” Ratcliffe said of his goals as CIA director.
A former federal prosecutor, Ratcliffe previously served as Director of National Intelligence (DNI) during Trump’s first term, from 2017 to 2021.
Like Rubio, Ratcliffe is expected to go through the confirmation process. But senators have expressed concern that Trump’s top law enforcement appointees may seek to use their powers for political ends.
Ratcliffe had previously promised to “purge corrupt actors from our national security and intelligence apparatus”.
On Wednesday, he faced a direct question about whether the process would remove employees based on political preferences.
“Will you or any of your staff impose a political litmus test on CIA employees?” Senator Angus King asked.
“No,” Ratcliffe replied. He insisted that removing staff because of their views was “something I would never do”.
Bondi avoids questions from the Smith probe
Trump’s pick for attorney general is expected to be one of the most contentious, given the president-elect’s long history of insisting he will prosecute political rivals during his second term.
That time Bondi under the microscope during her Senate hearing on Wednesday.
She tried to alleviate this concern with some of her statements, insisting that “politics must be thrown out of this system.”
“No one should be prosecuted for political purposes,” she added. As head of the Department of Justice, she would be the federal government’s chief prosecutor.
But when pressed on whether she would initiate investigations against certain individuals such as the former special prosecutor Jack SmithBondi refused to give clear answers.
“It would be irresponsible of me to commit to anything,” she said when asked about Smith, who has led two criminal indictments against Trump.
Bondi has already repeated Trump’s false claims that the 2020 election was stolen through massive fraud and voting irregularities.
On Wednesday, she said she would evaluate potential pardons for people involved in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol on a “case-by-case basis.”
Duffy will demand accountability from Boeing
In relatively low-key testimony, Sean Duffy, Trump’s pick for transportation secretary, said he would look for a way to make electric vehicles (EVs) pay for road maintenance that is largely funded by gasoline taxes.
He also asserted that Boeingtop American aircraft manufacturer, needed “tough love” to meet the appropriate safety standards.
“I think we have to make sure they implement their safety plan,” Duffy said, adding that the airline must “restore global trust” in its brand.
The comments come as Boeing has faced persistent scrutiny following air safety accidents in 2024, as well as fraud accusations.
“We have to press [Federal Aviation Administration] to make sure they implement their security plan,” said Duffy, a former lobbyist, TV personality and member of the US House of Representatives.
