Key takeaways as Trump nominees face US Senate confirmation hearings | Donald Trump News

For the second day in a row, the U.S. Senate evaluated nominees for key positions in President-elect Donald Trump's Cabinet, questioning the nominees on their backgrounds and qualifications.

Wednesday was a busy day for the Senate, as it held hearings for six of Trump's nominees, including heavyweights like Sen. Marco Rubio, his pick for secretary of state, and Pam Bondi, selectee for the seat of attorney general.

The hearings come as Republican congressional leaders hope to give Trump a strong start to his second term, which begins Monday.

Top cabinet posts require Senate approval, and Republicans hold 53 seats to Democrats' 45.

However, controversial candidates will need all the votes they can get to succeed in being nominated. Wednesday's hearings, for example, were preceded by heated debates the day before, as senators pressured Pete Hegseth, Trump's pick for defense secretary, over allegations of excessive drug consumption. alcohol and sexual assault.

Here are some takeaways from Wednesday's testimony before the Senate.

Rubio displays a hawkish streak

During his testimony, Rubio, a U.S. senator from Florida, pledged to put U.S. interests first if named secretary of state.

Rubio also showed his foreign policy hawk colors, denouncing China as the greatest threat facing the United States in the 21st century.

If we don't change course, we will live in a world where much of what matters to us every day, from our safety to our health, will depend on whether or not the Chinese allow us to do so, a Rubio said.

He added that China has suppressed, lied, cheated, hacked and stolen [its] path to global superpower status.

Wednesday's remarks were consistent with Rubio's history of taking an adversarial approach toward his perceived U.S. rivals.

He nonetheless praised U.S. alliances like NATO, offering a counterpoint to the more aggressive posture of Trump himself.

The NATO alliance is a very important alliance. I believe it, he said.

Without the NATO alliance, the Cold War will not end. In fact, without the NATO alliance, it is quite possible that much of what we now call Europe would have been the victim of aggression.

But he echoed Trump's position that other NATO allies must contribute more to their own defense and rely less on U.S. support.

Ratcliffe promises no political bias

At a separate hearing, John Ratcliffe, Trump's pick to head the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), assured lawmakers that he would not persecute members of the intelligence community for insufficient loyalty to Trump.

We will produce thorough, objective, all-source analysis, never allowing political or personal bias 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 expressed concern that Trump's picks in high-ranking law enforcement positions could seek to use their powers for political purposes.

Ratcliffe previously pledged to root out corrupt actors from our national security and intelligence apparatus.

On Wednesday, he was directly asked whether this process would eliminate employees based on their political preferences.

Will you or one of your staff impose a political litmus test on CIA employees? » asked Senator Angus King.

No, Ratcliffe replied. He insisted that firing staff because of their opinions was something I would never do.

Bondi avoids Smith inquiry questions

Trump's pick for attorney general is expected to be among the most controversial, given the president-elect's long history of statements insisting he will pursue political rivals during his second term.

This put Bondi under the microscope during his Senate hearing on Wednesday.

She has attempted to allay these concerns with some of her statements, insisting that politics must be removed from this system.

No one should be prosecuted for political purposes, she added. As head of the Justice Department, she would be the federal government's top prosecutor.

But when asked whether she would open investigations into specific figures like former special adviser Jack Smith, Bondi refused to provide clear answers.

It would be irresponsible for me to make a commitment on anything,” she said of Smith, who led two criminal charges against Trump.

Bondi has previously echoed Trump's false claims that the 2020 election was stolen by massive fraud and voting irregularities.

On Wednesday, she said she would evaluate pardon options for those who participated in the storming of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, on a case-by-case basis.

Duffy will hold Boeing accountable

In relatively quiet testimony, Sean Duffy, Trump's pick for Transportation secretary, said he would seek a way to make electric vehicles (EVs) pay for road maintenance largely funded by gasoline taxes .

He also said Boeing, one of America's leading aircraft manufacturers, needed tough love to meet proper safety standards.

I think we need to make sure they implement their safety plan, Duffy said, adding that the aerospace company needs to restore global trust in its brand.

The comments come as Boeing faces continued scrutiny following flight safety incidents in 2024, as well as accusations of fraud.

We must push the [Federal Aviation Administration] to ensure they implement their security plan, said Duffy, a former lobbyist, television personality and member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

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