Three of President Donald Trump’s most controversial cupboard nominees confronted charged Senate hearings this week – however the one ones going through actual doubts about their affirmation are the previous Democrats.
Director of nationwide intelligence nominee Tulsi Gabbard, secretary of well being and human providers nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Federal Bureau of Investigation director nominee Kash Patel all confronted Senate hearings Thursday.
The split-screen was exceptional: As Mr. Kennedy and Ms. Gabbard confronted pointed and aggressive questions from lawmakers in each events, Mr. Patel had Republican lawmakers falling over themselves to rally to his protection.
Why We Wrote This
Three of President Trump’s controversial Cupboard picks confronted affirmation hearings Thursday. However it’s clear the highway is hardest for the 2 nominees who’re former Democrats.
This week marked the primary time that any of Mr. Trump’s nominees have confronted robust questioning from Republicans. The remainder of his cupboard has sailed by, albeit in some instances with little to no Democratic assist. Even Pete Hegseth, who was confirmed as protection secretary with a tie-breaking vote from Vice President JD Vance after three Republicans voted in opposition to him, received principally softball questioning from Republicans throughout his affirmation listening to earlier this month. (Mr. Trump’s preliminary decide for Lawyer Basic, Matt Gaetz, had so many Republicans opposing his nomination that he rapidly withdrew.)
A part of this is because of controversial actions and heterodox and weird views expressed by Mr. Kennedy and Ms. Gabbard, the 2 former Democrats who broke with their social gathering to again Mr. Trump within the 2024 election. Mr. Kennedy confronted robust questions from Republicans about peddling well being and vaccine conspiracy theories. Ms. Gabbard was grilled about her previous assist for Edward Snowden, who publicized a trove of categorized details about authorities surveillance strategies – an act the U.S. intelligence neighborhood contends put Individuals in danger – and who repatriated to Russia to keep away from prosecution.
Mr. Patel confronted not one of the similar therapy from Republican senators over his claims that the 2020 election was rigged, his assist for Jan. 6 rioters, his promise to “come after” journalists who’d been vital of Mr. Trump, or a litany of different controversial statements.
One other massive distinction was the discussion board every of those nominees confronted. The Judiciary Committee, which vetted Mr. Patel, is without doubt one of the most partisan within the Senate, principally made up of hardliners who’re unlikely to interrupt with social gathering orthodoxy. Ms. Gabbard, alternatively, needed to reply questions from lawmakers on the Senate Intelligence Committee, a bastion of bipartisan cooperation, whereas Mr. Kennedy’s second listening to was with the Senate Well being, Training, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee.
And whereas Mr. Trump likes Ms. Gabbard and Mr. Kennedy, and needs to reward them for supporting his 2024 marketing campaign, he can discover different choices who share his imaginative and prescient to do these jobs in the event that they fail – making it simpler for Republicans to doubtlessly break with him on this. Mr. Patel’s nomination is a high precedence for the president, each as a result of he’s confirmed himself such a fierce defender and since Mr. Trump cares a lot about bringing the FBI to heel.
However the largest distinction for the GOP senators could be that these two picks are ex-Democrats who nonetheless maintain some liberal views – and have little belief from the president’s social gathering. Mr. Kennedy, a scion of one of many Democratic Get together’s most well-known households, first ran for president as a Democrat in 2024, then switched to an unbiased bid earlier than finally endorsing Mr. Trump. Ms. Gabbard served within the Home as a Democratic consultant from Hawaii, and ran for president as a Democrat as not too long ago as 2020.
Right here’s how every listening to went.
Tulsi Gabbard in hassle?
Quite a lot of Republicans appeared lower than keen to permit Ms. Gabbard to turn out to be Director of Nationwide Intelligence. They requested her why she’d lengthy defended Mr. Snowden, why she met with Syrian Dictator Bashar al-Assad in the course of the Syrian civil conflict and had questioned the consensus from the intelligence neighborhood that he’d used chemical weapons in opposition to his personal individuals, and why she’d echoed Russia’s speaking factors within the early days of its invasion of Ukraine.
Republican Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas requested Ms. Gabbard to assist him “make sure that on no account does Russia get a cross both in your thoughts or your coronary heart,” main her to retort: “Senator, I’m offended by the query.”
Average Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine grilled her over whether or not she genuinely had come round to supporting Part 702 of the Overseas Intelligence Surveillance Act, which permits the federal government to surveil foreigners and not using a warrant. Ms. Gabbard has stated she got here to assist this system after current reforms. However earlier on within the listening to, Democratic committee co-chairman Mark Warner of Virginia identified that she had stated these reforms “took an already unhealthy downside and made it many, many instances worse” shortly after they have been handed by Congress.
She repeatedly refused to agree with GOP Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma’s request that she name Mr. Snowden a “traitor,” although she agreed he had damaged the legislation.
GOP Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Todd Younger of Indiana requested pointed questions as properly – Senator Younger learn a social media submit Mr. Snowden had made in the course of the listening to, and requested Ms. Gabbard how she thinks she’ll “be obtained” by members of the intelligence neighborhood given her longtime protection of Mr. Snowden.
By the tip of the general public portion of the listening to, it was removed from clear if she’d received over a majority of the committee.
RFK Jr. faces robust questions
Mr. Kennedy confronted pointed questions and skepticism from members of each events on the HELP Committee on Thursday – together with GOP chairman Invoice Cassidy of Louisiana.
“It’s no secret, I’ve some reservations about your previous positions on vaccines and a few different points,” Senator Cassidy stated in his opening remarks, later saying that Mr. Kennedy’s historical past of “undermining confidence in vaccines with unfounded or deceptive arguments issues me.”
Mr. Cassidy, a doctor, spoke from private expertise, describing a younger affected person who had almost died from a sickness vaccines can stop. “I’ve tried to do every part I can to ensure I by no means have to talk to a different dad or mum about their youngster dying attributable to a vaccine-preventable illness.”
Through the listening to, he virtually begged Mr. Kennedy to surrender his claims – not backed by any severe scientific analysis – of a hyperlink between vaccines and autism.
He didn’t appear happy on the finish of the listening to, criticizing a examine Mr. Kennedy had cited as medically sound in the course of the listening to that had been produced by an anti-vaccine group.
Mr. Cassidy praised Mr. Kennedy for a few of his “make America wholesome once more” concern about points like ultraprocessed meals, weight loss plan, and train. However he stated Mr. Kennedy had spent many years criticizing vaccines “utilizing selective proof to solid doubt” and was financially vested in doing so.
He was joined in skeptical questioning from GOP Senators Collins and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.
The listening to was the second in two days for Mr. Kennedy – the primary was in entrance of the Senate Finance Committee, which is the committee that may vote on whether or not or to not advance his nomination to the Senate ground. Throughout that listening to, he confronted robust questions from Republicans about his evolving views on abortion entry, and struggled with particulars about how packages underneath the purview of HHS operated, stumbling over questions on Medicaid. Senator Cassidy is on that committee as properly, and will be part of with Democrats to dam the committee’s approval of Mr. Kennedy earlier than a full Senate vote.
He informed Mr. Kennedy on the finish of Thursday’s HELP Committee listening to that he would possibly hear from him on his determination this weekend.
Kash Patel will get the GOP crimson carpet therapy
Mr. Patel has a protracted report as a fierce pugilist for President Trump, pushing among the pro-Trump orbit’s most doubtful theories: He made false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from Mr. Trump, and known as the convicted Jan. 6 rioters who attacked the Capitol and threatened the protection of lawmakers in each events “political prisoners.” He has additionally known as the company he now desires to run the worst a part of the “deep state,” and printed an inventory of 60 authorities officers in each events that he stated have been “corrupt actors.”
However on Thursday, solely Democrats requested him robust questions on that lengthy historical past of controversy.
He broke with President Trump on one level, saying he disagreed together with his determination to pardon these convicted of violent rioting on Jan. 6, 2021. “I don’t agree with the commutation of any sentence of any particular person who dedicated violence in opposition to legislation enforcement,” he stated.
And he sought to tamp down fear that he’ll weaponize the FBI in opposition to Mr. Trump’s perceived enemies – issues held by among the Republicans who labored with him in the course of the first Trump administration.
“I’ve no curiosity, no need, and won’t, If confirmed, go backwards,” he stated, referring to the view held by many Republicans that the company acted with bias in opposition to Mr. Trump lately. “There will probably be no politicization on the FBI. There will probably be no retributive actions taken by any FBI.”
The tone of the listening to recommended that he’s virtually sure to get the GOP assist wanted to get voted out of committee – and prone to get the votes wanted on the Senate ground to get confirmed.
