President Donald Trump’s nominees for key Cabinet positions confronted questions and attacks about their past during three contentious Senate confirmation hearings Thursday.
It wasn’t just Democrats on the attack. Health and Human Services nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced pushback from Senate Health Committee Chair Bill Cassidy, R-L.A., over RFK, Jr.’s vaccine positions.
“I’m struggling,” Cassidy said regarding Kennedy’s nomination, marking rare skepticism from a Republican chair toward a Trump nominee.
FBI Director nominee Kash Patel was grilled about January 6 defendants recently pardoned by Trump during his Judiciary Committee testimony.
“I have always rejected any violence against law enforcement, and I have, including in that group, specifically addressed any violence against law enforcement on Jan. 6,” Patel said. “And I do not agree with the commutation of any sentence of any individual who committed violence against law enforcement.”
Director of National Intelligence nominee Tulsi Gabbard defended her previous comments about Edward Snowden before the Intelligence Committee.
The former Democratic congresswoman declined calls to label Snowden a traitor, instead stating he “broke the law” while revealing classified information to the public.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune will schedule floor votes after committee recommendations. Nominees require 51 votes for confirmation, with Vice President J.D. Vance holding tie-breaking authority.
The hearings occurred as other Trump nominees more easily advanced through the confirmation process.
The Foreign Relations Committee voted Thursday to advance Elise Stefanik’s nomination for UN Ambassador to the full Senate. Former Georgia Senator Kelly Loeffler, nominated to lead the Small Business Administration, awaits her committee vote along with Commerce Secretary nominee Howard Lutnick and Agriculture Secretary nominee Brooke Rollins.
Trump’s picks for Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought, Housing Secretary Scott Turner, and Attorney General Pam Bondi have cleared committee and await Senate floor votes.
Energy Secretary nominee Chris Wright and Veterans Affairs nominee Doug Collins face procedural votes before final confirmation decisions.
Take a look at just some of the highlights from yesterday —
My favorite few moments of the confirmation hearing for @Kash_Patel to be our next FBI Director.
The exchange between @SenJohnKennedy and @ChuckGrassley was a highlight of the day for me. pic.twitter.com/kFRJuyum6H
— Erica 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 (@EricaRN4USA) January 30, 2025
One of the highlights of the Tulsi Gabbard D-HI confirmation hearing. Senator (D) Michael Bennet went after Tulsi Gabbard with the FISA-702 Snoden leaks. Senator Michael Bennett kept asking Tulsi if she believed that Edward Snoden was and is a traitor to the United States. Heated pic.twitter.com/LhahV3EJeM
— Don L (@l_don36761) January 30, 2025
I highly encourage everyone to watch the RFK confirmation hearing from 1/29. Here is a highlight video from the first few minutes — pic.twitter.com/30FxjzWzlC
— Chad Belote (@chad_belote) January 30, 2025