Trump cabinet picks Pam Bondi, Marco Rubio, others faced a full day of questions from senators
President-elect Donald Trump's Cabinet nominees for the Department of Justice, State Department and more sat for Senate confirmation hearings throughout the day Wednesday.
Coverage for this event has ended.
Pam Bondi, President-elect Trump's pick to lead the Department of Justice, slammed the "abhorrent" pardons made by President Biden in his final days in office.
Bondi was asked by Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., about the clemency process and whether it should be reformed.
"I would love to look at that process. I can tell you that the pardons, the commutations that Joe Biden just made were abhorrent to me, absolutely abhorrent, taking people off death row," she said.
"I looked at the facts of many of those cases, and they were so troubling to me.I would I don't know what process you intend to implement, but I would love to study that with you," she said.
President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Office of Management and Budget, Russell Vought, asserted he wouldn’t seek to shut down the government amid funding clashes.
Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., claimed that Vought has previously “called for brinksmanship around government shutdowns,” and balked at bipartisan options that would keep the government functioning. Specifically, she pointed to an op-ed Vought authored in 2011 that claimed Republicans should brace themselves to shut down the government.
“Why have you repeatedly advocated the use of the threat of a government shutdown as a political bargaining chip?” Hassan said.
“I don’t think I have been a person that has wanted to have government shutdowns,” Vought said. “I’ve had to be the one that kept the government open consistent with the law for the longest shutdown in history. I know the impact it has on the federal government.”
Vought previously served as the director of the Office of Management and Budget during Trump’s first term, and was the acting director of the office during the 35-day shutdown during the Trump administration.
Vought appeared before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Wednesday for his confirmation hearing.
WASHINGTON DC, UNITED STATES - JANUARY 15: United States Senators Jeanne Shaheen (L) and James Risch (R) attend the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing for Senator Marco Rubio (C) to be Secretary of State, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on January 15, 2025. Getty Images.
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio told lawmakers on Wednesday that access to the Artic has become "incredibly critical" as Russia and China eye new navigation routes that could reduce travel times between Russia and Asia by 40 percent.
"Putting aside all the things that are going on in the media, I think we need to understand that Greenland has been strategically important to the United States and to the west for a very long time," Rubio said, referencing President Truman's interest in buying the Danish territory in 1946.
"Yes, the access to the minerals on Greenland are critically important. But as more navigable space is opening up in the Arctic -- particularly this northern passage that goes from Russia...to Asia, and could cut transit times by as much as 40 percent -- the Arctic is going to become incredibly critical."
Rubio wasn't specifically asked during the intense five hour hearing -- where he was questioned on complex geopolitical issues spanning the globe -- about President-elect Donald Trump's recent comments on the Artic nation. But he brought it up when pressed about U.S. security interests in the Artic, in particular as they relate to China.
"We have to have a presence there," Rubio said. "We have to have partners along the Arctic region that will join us in ensuring that the Arctic region is open for free and flow of navigation as these as these passages open up, because global trade is in many ways, going to be infused by it."
"Now we have the opportunity to see it for what it is...one of the most critical parts of the world over the next 50 to 100 years...[and] whether there's going to be freedom of navigation in the Arctic and and what that will mean for global trade and commerce," he added.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., sparred with President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Office of Management and Budget, Russell Vought, over the constitutionality of the Impoundment Control Act.
Congress has the power to authorize the federal government's spending and the Impoundment Control Act, passed in 1974, dictates that Congress may oversee the executive branch’s withholdings of budget authority.
“No, I don’t believe that it’s constitutional,” Vought responded when Blumenthal asked him if he believed the law adhered to the U.S. Constitution.
“I am astonished and aghast,” Blumenthal said, citing the Supreme Court ruling Train v. New York.
In that case, the Supreme Court determined the Environmental Protection Agency must use the full funding included in the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972, even though then-President Richard Nixon issued orders to not use all the funding.
“I think our colleagues should be equally aghast, because this issue goes beyond Republican or Democrat,” Blumenthal said. “It’s bigger than one administration or another. It’s whether the law of the land should prevail, or maybe it’s up for grabs, depending on what the president thinks.”
Blumenthal then said he hoped Vought would reconsider his position, but that he believed Vought’s answer should disqualify him for the position.
Vought appeared before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Wednesday, and previously served as the director of the Office of Management and Budget during Trump’s first term.
Trump attorney general nominee Pam Bondi said Wednesday that she “looks forward” to hearing FBI nominee Kash Patel’s remarks about QAnon before the committee— a sign of the tense hearing Patel himself is likely to face later this month.
QAnon, a conspiracy group that has sought to advance claims of an anti-Trump “deep state” tied to satanism and child molestation, has been linked to a rash of individual criminal actions, including the 2016 “Pizzagate” shooting at the D.C.-area pizza parlor Comet Ping Pong, considered to be a predecessor to the movement.
The exchange came after the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen.. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., noted Patel “has said and done some things which are impossible to understand and justify,” pointing in particular to his remarks on QAnon.
QAnon’s “core belief is that a cabal of satanic, cannibalistic child molesters are embedded within our government and are conspiring against president elect Trump,” Durbin explained, noting, “They asked Mr. Patel about it and he said, quote, ‘I agree with a lot that the movement says,’ end of quote.”
“Does that sound like a good preparation to run the FBI?” he said of Patel’s remarks.
“Senator, I don't know anything about” that, Bondi said, noting that they are going to have to ask Patel about the comments.
“We will,” Durbin said, adding that until the Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee get answers to those questions, "I don't know many people on this side of the table [who will] give him an unequivocal endorsement.”
The QAnon remarks, coupled with a so-called “enemies list” that also came under scrutiny Wednesday, is “what you expect of the Stasi,” Durbin said. “This is what you expect of secret police. It is not what you expect of justice in America, as you've even described it at the table today.”
“So I would say this unequivocal support of Mr. Patel should at least have some reservation until he explains some of these outrageous positions he has taken," Durbin said.
“I look forward to hearing his testimony about QAnon in front of this committee,” Bondi told him in response.
Later in the hearing, Bondi stressed the importance of a free press, noting that reporters should be free to do their jobs— adding more daylight between herself and Patel, who previously vowed to go after journalists before later appearing to walk back the remark.
Asked by Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., whether she would push back against Patel as FBI director if he tried to go after the media, Bondi said that the two had not discussed the issue directly, but stressed that “going after the media just because they're the media is wrong— of course.”
In re whether she respects the importance of the free press, Bondi responded, "Absolutely."
Written by Breanne Deppisch
Russell Vought, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to oversee the Office of Management and Budget, appears before the Senate on Wednesday.
President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Russell Vought, vowed to empower U.S. taxpayers before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Wednesday.
“We have to use taxpayer dollars wisely because inflation driven by irresponsible federal spending taxes Americans twice,” Vought told lawmakers. “The forgotten men and women of this country those who work hard everyday in cities and towns across this country, deserve a government that empowers them to achieve their dreams.”
“While the Office of Management and Budget may not be a household term, the agency’s work is profoundly one that impacts their lives,” Vought said.
The Office of Management and Budget is responsible for developing and executing the president’s budget, as well as overseeing and coordinating legislative proposals and priorities aligned with the executive branch.
Vought, who served as Trump’s director of the OMB in his first term, founded the Center for Renewing America in 2021. The organization claims its mission is to “renew a consensus of America as a nation under God,” according to its website.
Vought also served as the vice president of Heritage Action for America, and authored a chapter of Project 2025, a political initiative The Heritage Foundation released in 2023 that called for policy changes including eliminating the Department of Education, cutting DEI programs, and cutting funding for Medicare and Medicaid.
Confirmation Hearing Held For Secretary Of Defense Nominee Pete Hegseth. Getty Images.
Virginia Democrat Sen. Tim Kaine applauded Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio for being "extremely well prepared" for his confirmation hearing as the next Secretary of State -- a stark contrast to his tense engagement with Pete Hegseth during his hearing one day prior.
"We're used to seeing nominees who know a lot about a couple of things, and sometimes, who know very little about virtually everything," he said. "But I think you've seen a hearing with a nominee who, agree or disagree with the points he's made, he's not talking out of a briefing book.
"He's not having a thumb through a binder to decide how to answer a particular question," Kaine continued. "I've always been struck by working with Senator Rubio on this committee, since I came to the Senate in January 2013 that he has a very well developed sense of the world and a passion in all corners of it."
A number of President-elect Donald Trump's choices for his second-term Cabinet have seen their scheduled confirmation hearings postponed, with Senate committees citing outstanding documents.
Hearings for Doug Collins, tapped to serve as Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who was chosen for Secretary of the Interior, were set for Tuesday as part of the Trump transition team and Senate Republicans' ambitious effort to confirm Trump's Cabinet. However, they were delayed at the last minute.
This meant two of the three slated Tuesday hearings were pushed, leaving only one hearing for Secretary of Defense pick Pete Hegseth that day.
Here are all of the Cabinet-level nominees who don't yet have hearings scheduled:
Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Labor Department
Tulsi Gabbard, Office of the Director of National Intelligence
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Health and Human Services Department
Howard Lutnick, Commerce Department
Linda McMahon, Education Department
Kash Patel, FBI
Brooke Rollins, Agriculture Department
Elise Stefanik, U.N. ambassador
Trump tapped Chris Wright to serve as his energy secretary. (Getty Images)
A confirmation hearing was held by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee for Trump's energy secretary pick, Chris Wright, on Wednesday.
Wright was questioned for over two hours on issues ranging from climate change to President Biden's regulations on household appliances.
Multiple Democrats on the committee claimed that the Los Angeles fires, which have destroyed over 10,000 buildings and homes in the area, were caused by "climate change."
"Despite the misinformation that's circulating here in the Capitol, into California, and everywhere in between, it's clear that these fires only reach the size and the scale that they have because of unseasonably dry vegetation and extremely high winds, both of which are a direct result of climate change," Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., said during the hearing.
Several groups of climate protesters disrupted the hearing, video captured by Fox New Digital shows. "Are you gonna ask any questions or just softball on the climate this entire time," said a third protester who was removed from the hearing room.
At one point, nearly a handful of protesters stood up at the same time, holding up signs that read "big oil profits, LA burns."
Republicans slammed President Biden's energy policies over the years, specifically calling out his ban on liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports, regulations on household appliances, blocking coal mining in the west, and most recently blocking drilling along the coast.
"Over the past four years, Americans have suffered under a lot of policies that have made life more difficult, more uncertain, and more expensive," Chairman Sen. Mike Lee of Utah said in his opening remarks.
Wright said that he has identified three "immediate tasks" where he will focus his attention if nominated: unleashing American energy, leading the world in innovation and technology breakthroughs, and increasing production in America.
Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee during her confirmation hearing to be the next U.S. attorney general in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on January 15, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Pam Bondi, President-elect Trump's picks to lead the Department of Justice, was involved in a sharp clash with Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., as Schiff quizzed Bondi over whether she would prosecute Trump's political opponents.
Schiff, a vocal critic of the president-elect, asked Bondi about whether she would investigate former Special Counsel Jack Smith and also former Rep. Liz Cheney.
Bondi described the questions as "hypotheticals" and declined to answer.
"You know what we should be worried about, the crime rate in California is through the roof. Your robberies are 87% higher than the national average," she said.
When Schiff asked her if she would tell Trump he lost the 2020 election, she accused Schiff of "playing politics" and of leaking Rep. Devin Nunes' memo.
Schiff shot back, asking her if she would advise against blanket pardons by President-elect Trump, and suggesting she would not be able to look at every file on day one. Bondi was furious.
"You were censured by Congress for comments just like this," she said. "So reckless."
Former Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wis., at his USDOT confirmation hearing.
Former Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wis., was flanked by both sitting Wisconsin senators in a bipartisan show of support to kick off his Wednesday confirmation hearing before the Senate Commerce, Science & Transportation Committee.
Duffy, who served five terms after flipping a seat held by Democrat David Obey for decades, later moved on to work at Fox News; most recently co-hosting "The Bottom Line" with Dagen McDowell on FOX Business.
"I’m humbled by the fact that President Trump has nominated me to this very important position," Duffy said in his opening statement.
He also introduced the eight of his nine children present – as well as his wife, "Fox & Friends Weekend" co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy.
Duffy pledged support for the federal program that ensures essential air service to far-flung communities in Alaska and other sparsely-populated states.
Sens. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Ted Budd, R-N.C., brought up the importance of making sure Hurricane Helene victims are "not forgotten."
Blackburn noted Interstate 40 – a crucial transcontinental artery from Wilmington, North Carolina, to Barstow, California, remains washed out across the Great Smoky Mountains.
During the September hurricane, a stretch of the eastbound lanes in Haywood County, North Carolina, collapsed into the then-raging Pigeon River, stymieing regional commerce and access to mountain communities.
Parts of Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee continue to see long-term closures of major arteries and communities trying to rebuild."
We’re continuing to try to work through this process to get that rebuild, but we need to know this will be front and center with you so we can get that interstate rebuilt and reopened," Duffy told Blackburn.
US Senator Marco Rubio testifies before a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on his nomination to be Secretary of State, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on January 15, 2025. Getty Images.
Sen. Marco Rubio told the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday that he will continue to back the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Syria who have been crucial in fighting ISIS.
"We...need to recognize that there are implications to abandoning partners who have at great sacrifice and threat actually jailed the ISIS fighters," he said. "One of the reasons why we were able to dismantle ISIS, because they were willing to host them in jails at a great personal threat to them."
Rubio acknowledged the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime has brought with it new security concerns for Washington, particularly as the takeover was achieved by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which is a designated terrorist group in the U.S.
"The new people that are in charge there are not going to pass an FBI background check. Okay? We recognize that these are not people we know a lot about, and their history, as you said, is not one that gives us comfort," Rubio said. "That said, it is in the national interest of the United States, if possible, to have a Syria that's no longer a playground for ISIS that respects religious minorities.
"[And] at the same time, is not a vehicle through which Iran can spread its terrorism to Hezbollah and destabilize Lebanon," Rubio continued. "It's in the national interest of the United States, it's in the national interest of virtually every nation state in the Middle East."
Trump attorney general nominee Pam Bondi on Wednesday sparred with Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., over the issue of "birthright citizenship," or the extension of U.S. citizenship to children of illegal immigrants who are born in the U.S. Wednesday— one of the most heated exchanges during the confirmation hearing, which is expected to continue into the afternoon.
Asked by Sen. Padilla Wednesday whether Bondi believes birthright citizenship "is the law of the land," and if she would defend regardless of the immigration status of a children's parents, Bondi appeared to duck the question, saying only that she would study the matter after confirmed to head up the Justice Department.
She told Padilla that she would love to meet with him to discuss the issue further.
"You still need to study the 14th amendment of the Constitution?" Padilla interjected, quipping, "That is not helping me have more confidence in your ability to do this job."
"What other, immigration related question I'll steer clear of?" Padilla asked sarcastically, before asking again: "Can you please tell us, do you agree with the statement that immigrants are, quote, 'poisoning the blood of our country?' Yes or no?"
Bondi responded, "I did not say that."
"I'm asking if you agree with it," Padilla said tersely. "Yes or no?"
Bondi then began to explain that her grandparents as teenagers immigrated from Sicily— to which Padilla interrupted, "Do you agree with it?"
The two repeatedly attempted to talk over one another, before Bondi ultimately said in conclusion:"My great grandparents came here, immigrated to this country from Sicily, [and] recently, went and found each of their birth certificates."
"We are a nation made up of immigrants," she continued. "Do I believe immigrants are poisoning our country? No."
Children born the jurisdiction of the U.S. have long been granted citizenship, though President-elect Donald Trump said recently that he would issue an executive order that would end the practice for millions of children born in the U.S.
Written by Breanne Deppisch
After 15 months of fighting, Hamas and Israel have reached a ceasefire and hostage exchange deal, Fox News has confirmed. But some Republicans are urging caution - the deal will lead to offering Hamas hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for its hostages back.
"The president's envoy to that region who is charged - Steve Witkoff - who is charged with being an envoy towards reaching an accommodation between Israelis and Saudis has been working cooperatively and together with the Biden administration," Rubio said during his confirmation hearing at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
"Steve Witkoff has been a critical component of it and he has been involved in it from day one."
Committee Chair Jim Risch announced the ceasefire in the middle of the hearing, with a word of caution: For the edification of the Committee, I've just been advised that there's been a ceasefire announced in Gaza. Before we all celebrate though, we're going to want to see how that executes."
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, told reporters of the deal: "Any time we're able to get hostages back, that's a good thing. The question is, what's the price we're paying?"
The Senate will likely have a few Cabinet nominees who are relatively non-controversial. In the interest of time, senators could agree to expedite the process and confirm an individual nominee or several nominees by voice vote or unanimous consent. As long as there are no objections among all 100 (currently 99) senators.
This speeds things up in the Senate, where floor time is at a premium.
However, there’s a good reason why some Democrats may oppose a streamlined process for this.
It’s not because they’re trying to clog up the Senate plumbing. Democrats may demand a roll call vote on nominees they support in order to show that they voted in a bipartisan fashion to confirm some of President-elect Donald Trump’s nominees.
Democrats are likely to reject the nomination of Pete Hegseth to be Defense secretary. However, other relatively easy to confirm nominees like Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., picked to serve as secretary of state, or Sean Duffy for Transportation secretary, could require roll call votes.
This is an excerpt of an article by Fox News' Chad Pergram.
Sean Duffy listens to Sen. Ted Budd, R-N.C., (Fox News/Charlie Creitz)
"No federal agency impacts Americans’ daily lives and loved ones like the Department of Transportation," former Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wis., said in his opening statement, adding that President-elect Trump "is a builder" and knows the importance of maintaining and building critical infrastructure.
During the hearing, he and several lawmakers shared personal stories of being involved in accidents including with drunk drivers.
Duffy said his wife, Rachel Campos-Duffy, survived a deadly head-on collision -- which brought highway safety to the forefront in his family.
Sen. Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M., disclosed that he, too, was involved in an accident with a drunk driver 30 years ago, and does not like to talk about it.
Lujan appeared to get briefly emotional as he addressed Campos-Duffy in connecting over their shared experience – and praised Duffy for his stated goal to be remembered as a secretary who improved transportation safety.
Later in the hearing, Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass., also stressed the importance of highway safety and disclosed he had been hit by a car when he was 5 years old.
US Senator Marco Rubio testifies before a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on his nomination to be Secretary of State, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on January 15, 2025. Getty Images.
Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio told lawmakers on the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee that the U.S. should be open to "any arrangement" that helps safeguard against a nuclear Iran, but warned the U.S. must not make "concessions."
"We should be open to any arrangement that allows us to have safety and stability in the region, but one in which we're clear eyed," he said during his confirmation hearing on Wednesday. "Any concessions we make to the Iranian regime, we should anticipate that they will use, as they have used in the past, to build their weapons systems and to try to restart their sponsorship of Hezbollah and other related entities around the region, because they seek to become the dominant regional power."
While Rubio came out strong against the Iranian regime and its support of terrorist networks across the region, he emphasized that Tehran's geopolitical stances are not reflective of the Iranian people.
"I don't know of any nation on earth in which there is a bigger difference between the people and those who govern them, than what exists in Iran," the Secretary of State hopeful said. "And that's a fact that needs to be made repeatedly.
"In no way is the clerics who run that country representative of the people of that country and of its history and of contributions it's made to humanity," Rubio added.
Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, who was tapped to lead the Department of State under the second Trump administration, was repeatedly interrupted by protesters during his Senate hearing on Wednesday.
One female protester was heard shouting at Rubio in Spanish, while at least two men, including one wearing pink, were seen being pulled out of the hearing by Capitol Police after shouting.
"I get bilingual protesters," Rubio quipped after a protester yelled at him in Spanish, earning laughter from the crowd.
Ahead of the hearing kicking off on Wednesday morning, Fox News Digital spotted Code Pink protesters wearing bright pink with shirts reading, "hands of Iran," and "stop killing the children of Gaza." They also sported anti-Rubio stickers on their headbands and hats.
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Emma Colton.
Attorney general nominee Pam Bondi faced repeated questions from Senate Judiciary Committee members Wednesday over her ability to resist any efforts to use her role to do the political bidding of President-elect Donald Trump, including questions over whether she would say no to direct requests from the incoming president.
During her confirmation hearing, Bondi sought to strike down any notions that she would use the role to go after Trump’s opponents.
“If you are confirmed as attorney general, will you pledge to fairly and faithfully uphold the law regardless of party?” Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Tex., asked Bondi.
“So help me God,” Bondi said.
Earlier in the hearing, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-CT., invoked the ousting of former Trump-era attorney general Jeff Sessions, who was fired by Trump after recusing himself in the Trump-Russia investigation. He also highlighted the truncated tenure of former attorney general Bill Barr, who resigned in December 2020 amid tensions over Barr’s letter that the Justice Department had not found evidence of widespread fraud in the presidential election.
“You know, we have some history here with your predecessors,” Blumenthal told Bondi. “Do you really think that you can avoid the disgrace that they encountered, or the repercussions from the White House if you say no to the president?”
“And so my question to you is – can you say no to the president,” he asked, in the event he asks you to do something unethical or illegal?”
In response, Bondi rejected his assertion that she is under pressure to say or do certain things. “No, I don't,” she said. “I sit up here and speak the truth. I'm not going to sit up here and say anything that I need to say to get confirmed by this body.”
If confirmed as attorney general, she said, she will ensure the law is upheld, including by the Justice Department and the FBI, under the leadership of Trump’s director nominee, Kash Patel.
Asked by Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, whether she would prosecute a litany of Justice Department officials, including former special counsel Jack Smith, current Attorney General Merrick Garland, or former Rep. Liz Cheney, Bondi refused to take the bait, noting that, she will not answer hypotheticals.
“No one has been prejudged or nor will anyone prejudge," she said.
Written by Breanne Deppisch
Senate Holds Confirmation Hearing For Secretary Of State Nominee Marco Rubio, Getty Images
Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio issued a stark warning in his confirmation hearing for Secretary of State on Wednesday and told senators that if the U.S. does not drastically drop its reliance on China, it will become dependent on it for "everything that matters" in less than a decade.
"If we stay on the road we're on right now, in less than 10 years, virtually everything that matters to us in life will depend on whether China will allow us to have it or not," he told Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
"Everything from the blood pressure medicine we take, to what movies we get to watch, and everything in between, we will depend on China for it," Rubio warned. "They have come to dominate the critical mineral industry supplies throughout the world.
"Even those who want to see more electric cars, no matter where you make them, those batteries are almost entirely dependent on the ability of the Chinese and the willingness of the Chinese Communist Party to produce it and export it to you," Rubio continued. "If we don't change course, we are going to live in a world where much of what matters to us on a daily basis, from our security to our health, will be dependent on whether the Chinese allow us to have it or not.
"That's an unacceptable outcome," Rubio added.
Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee during her confirmation hearing for U.S. Attorney General in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on January 15, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Pam Bondi, President-elect Trump's pick to lead the Department of Justice, pushed back against Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-RI, who asked about potential weaponization of the DOJ.
Whitehouse asked her thoughts on looking for a crime after picking a name to target, which Democrats fear will happen with Trump against his political opponents.
"It would not be appropriate for a prosecutor to start with a name and look for a crime. It's a prosecutor's job to start with a crime and look for a name. Correct?" he asked.
Bondi instead indicated she believed that was what had happened with the prosecution of President-elect Trump.
"Senator, I think that is the whole problem with the weaponization that we have seen the last four years. And what's been happening to Donald Trump. They targeted Donald Trump. They went after him. I actually started back in 2016. They targeted his campaign. They have launched countless investigations against him," she said.
'That will not be the case if I am attorney general, I will not politicize that office. I will not target people simply because of their political affiliation. Justice will be administered even handedly throughout this country. Senator, we've got to bring this country back together. We've got to move forward, or we're going to lose our country," she said.
Trump attorney general nominee Pam Bondi said in her confirmation hearing Wednesday that there will "never be an enemies list" at the Department of Justice— part of a broader effort to to assuage concerns raised by Democrats that Trump would install a loyalist to serve as the nation's top prosecutor.
"Politics will not play a part" in a Justice Department she leads if confirmed as attorney general, Bondi stressed.
Bondi was asked several times about a so-called "enemies list" of current and former federal officials that Trump FBI director nominee Kash Patel allegedly included in an appendix of his book, and referenced in a televised interview, including by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I.
Whitehouse asked Bondi she ever had an "enemies list" as Florida's attorney general, a role she held from 2010 to 2018, or whether she would have hired someone into the office who you knew had an enemies list.
"Senator, cut to the chase," Bondi interjected. "You're clearly talking about Kash Patel."
"I don't believe he has an enemies list. He made a quote on TV, which I have not heard," she said.
Asked again by Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., about Patel's remarks, Bondi reiterated that she had not seen the list or comments made by Patel, but pledged to review them if confirmed as attorney general.
"Again," she said, "Mr. Patel would fall under me and the Department of Justice, and I will ensure that all laws are followed and so will he."
Bondi sought to underscore her commitment to leading a Justice Department that adheres to the rule of law, noting to Sheldon that, if confirmed as attorney general, "I will not politicize that office. I will not target people simply because of their political affiliation."
“There will never be an enemies list at the Department of Justice," Bondi told Whitehouse.
Written by Breanne Deppisch
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, asked Ratcliffe about the anomalous health incidents, known as Havana Syndrome, that have plagued US officials abroad for years.
"If confirmed and have the opportunity to be briefed on all assessments and intelligence my pledge to you is that I will drill down and look carefully at that issue," said Ratcliffe.
"The workforce has been affected by this and it has affected their morale," he went on. "Obviously we have to know if an adversary is using a weapon against our people."
In a major reversal, some U.S. intelligence agencies are now saying a foreign adversary could be behind the mysterious "Havana Syndrome" brain injuries reported by U.S. diplomats and government workers overseas, Fox News Digital reported this week.
While the overall assessment from the intelligence community remains that it is "very unlikely" Havana Syndrome could be caused by a foreign actor, two out of seven U.S. intelligence agencies now say it is possible a foreign adversary could have developed a weapon that could cause such brain injuries.
Several climate change protesters disrupted the confirmation hearing of Energy Secretary nominee Chris Wright, Fox News Digital video shows.
Wright, who President-elect Trump tapped to lead the energy department under his administration, faced questioning from members of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee during his confirmation hearing on Wednesday.
Just minutes into the hearing, a climate protester stood up and screamed about "fossil fuel CEOs." Video captured by Fox New Digital shows the individual was immediately detained outside the hearing room.
Another protester stood up while Wright was being questioned and asked if his policies will "put out the fires in LA."
"Are you gonna ask any questions or just softball on the climate this entire time," said a third protester who was removed from the hearing room.
Several other climate protesters were also stationed outside the hearing room, with shirts that read, "I won't let my future burn."
Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee during her confirmation hearing for U.S. Attorney General in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on January 15, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., asks Pam Bondi, President-elect Trump's pick to lead the Department of Justice, if she would support declaring Mexican drug cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations.
"Senator, I personally went to Mexico. I personally dealt with these cartels when I was a state prosecutor. And they are a grave and violent threat to our country," she said, clarifying then that she does support such a move.
Such a declaration could have significant implications for both foreign affairs and at the southern border. Many Republicans, including Graham have called for such a declaration for months.
Pam Bondi appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Photo by Breanne Deppisch, Fox News.
The top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen.. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., grilled Trump attorney general nominee Pam Bondi Wednesday over whether she accepted the legitimacy of the 2020 election results, and whether she would move to pardon individuals convicted of violence in the January 6 riot.
“To my knowledge, Donald Trump has never acknowledged the legal results of the 2020 election,” Durbin noted before asking Bondi, “Are you prepared to say today, under oath, without reservation, that Donald Trump lost the presidential contest to Joe Biden in 2020?”
In response, Bondi stated only that Biden is the president of the United States, was duly sworn in, and praised the “peaceful transition of power.”
“President Trump left office and was overwhelmingly elected in 2024," she said.
Durbin then asked if Bondi had any doubts that President Joe Biden won the majority of votes and secured the electoral votes necessary to be elected president in 2020.
Bondi responded that she accepts the results, and the fact that Biden is indeed the president.
“You know, Senator, all I can tell you as a prosecutor is from my firsthand experience, and I accept the results. I accept, of course, that Joe Biden is president of the United States," she said. "[W]hat I can tell you is what I saw firsthand when I went to Pennsylvania as an advocate for the campaign …, and I was on the ground in Pennsylvania, and I saw many things there.”
“But do I accept the results? Of course I do,” Bondi said, going on to note that that “no one from either side of the aisle should want there to be any issues with election integrity in our country.”
In response, Durbin said: “I think this one question deserves a yes or a no. And I think the length of your answer is an indication that you weren't prepared to answer yes.”
Durbin also used his time to question Bondi over whether she would move to pardon the January 6th rioters who have been been convicted of violent assaults on police officers.
Bondi noted that, while pardon power falls under the president, she said that "if asked to look at those cases, I will look at each case and advise on a case by case basis, just as I did my entire career as a prosecutor.”
Written by Breanne Deppisch
Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee during her confirmation hearing for U.S. Attorney General in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on January 15, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Pam Bondi, President-elect Trump's pick to lead the Department of Justice, promised on Wednesday to return the DOJ to its "core mission" of keeping Americas safe and prosecuting criminals.
Bondi spoke to lawmakers on the Senate Judiciary Committee at her confirmation hearing.
"If confirmed as the next attorney general of the United States, my overriding objective will be to return the Department of Justice to its core mission of keeping Americans safe and vigorously prosecuting criminals and that includes getting back to basics gangs, drugs, terrorist cartels, our border, and our foreign adversaries," she said.
"That is what the American people expect, and that is what they deserve from the Department of Justice. If confirmed, I will do everything in my power and it will be my great responsibility to make America safe again," she said. "Making America safe again also requires reducing recidivist some. We have to fix the Bureau of Prisons, and I am looking on both sides of the aisle."
Tom Cotton opens John Ratcliffe hearing
"Time and again the CIA has produced inaccurate analysis," Senate Intelligence Chairman Tom Cotton said at the top of a hearing on John Ratcliffe's nomination to lead the Central Intelligence Agency.
"In just the last few weeks, members of this committee—and, I presume, the president—had no forewarning of the New Orleans terrorist attack or the collapse of the Assad tyranny in Syria. The same goes for Hamas’s October 7 atrocity against Israel in 2023. I could give other examples but suffice it to say we’re too often in the dark," Cotton, R-Ark., went on.
He said the CIA had grown to rely on the work of journalists instead of its own human intelligence.
I’ve seen way too many reports over the years with phrases like “according to,” “based on,” or “judging by” followed only by diplomatic accounts and press reports," said Cotton. "We might as well get briefed by the State Department or a think tank, or just read the newspaper."
"Likewise, the CIA’s misplaced priorities have yielded too many reports on matters like the prospects for gay-rights legislation in Africa or climate change. These topics may have their place in the government, but it’s not at the CIA."
Trump attorney general nominee Pam Bondi said Wednesday that she plans to fight against mismanagement and politicization of the Justice Department if confirmed, seeking to assuage early concerns that she will work too closely with the president-elect and his efforts to investigate his political "enemies."
Speaking to members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Bondi highlighted her early dreams of becoming a prosecutor, a dream realized almost immediately after beginning law school.
"From the moment I interned at the State Attorney's office in Tampa, Florida, all I wanted to do was be a prosecutor," Bondi said, noting that she had four jury trials while still in law school.
"I lost most of them," she laughed, "but had four jury trials and never wanted to do anything else. "
Bondi also highlighted her work cracking down on the state's opioid crisis, including the many "pill mills" operating in the Sunshine State in 2010 when she was elected as the state's attorney general.
At the time, Florida was considered to be at the heart of the nation's opioid crisis, and a hub for so-called drug tourism from out-of-state residents who traveled from across the country to purchase opioids in bulk.
"Lastly and most importantly, if confirmed, I will fight every day to restore confidence and integrity to the Department of Justice and each of its components," Bondi said in her opening remarks. "The partisanship, the weaponization will be gone. America will have one tier of justice for all."
She also vowed to collaborate closely with the Judiciary committee, building on earlier relationships developed with Senate offices in the run-up to today's hearing.
Bondi, the former Florida attorney general, served for 18 years in the state prosecutors office, winning her the backing of senior Justice Department officials, as well as former Democrat and Republican state attorneys general.
Reporting by Breanne Deppisch
CIA nominee John Ratcliffe is telling senators on Wednesday about how he’ll reshape the intelligence community in what he calls "the most challenging national security environment in our nation’s history."
Ratcliffe, who served as director of national intelligence during President-elect Trump's first term, is testifying before the Senate Intelligence Committee. The committee will then vote on his nomination before a full Senate vote to confirm him as director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
Ratcliffe ticked off the nation’s biggest threats – China, the border, the Russia-Ukraine war and risk of nuclear fallout, Iran, North Korea and "increasing coordination among America’s rivals."
At a time when intelligence and law enforcement agencies have found themselves front and center in the political realm, a source familiar with Ratcliffe told Fox News Digital he’s focused on "depoliticizing" the agency, and "eliminating any distractions" to its core mission of obtaining intelligence.
CIA nominee John Ratcliffe is telling senators on Wednesday about how he’ll reshape the intelligence community in what he calls "the most challenging national security environment in our nation’s history."
Ratcliffe, who served as director of national intelligence during President-elect Trump's first term, is testifying before the Senate Intelligence Committee. The committee will then vote on his nomination before a full Senate vote to confirm him as director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
Ratcliffe ticked off the nation’s biggest threats – China, the border, the Russia-Ukraine war and risk of nuclear fallout, Iran, North Korea and "increasing coordination among America’s rivals."
At a time when intelligence and law enforcement agencies have found themselves front and center in the political realm, a source familiar with Ratcliffe told Fox News Digital he’s focused on "depoliticizing" the agency, and "eliminating any distractions" to its core mission of obtaining intelligence.
This post is an excerpt of an article by Fox News' Morgan Phillips
Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi (C) speaks with U.S. Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) (L) as she arrives to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee during her confirmation hearing for U.S. Attorney General in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on January 15, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, warned that Pam Bondi, Trump's pick to lead the Department of Justice, will lead an agency "infected" with politicized decision-making and in need of reform.
Grassley made his remarks at Bondi's confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
"When confirmed, Ms. Bondi will take the helm at a turbulent time," Grassley said. "The Justice Department’s infected with political decision-making, while its leaders refuse to acknowledge that reality."
"By every metric, the Biden-Harris Justice Department’s conduct has failed to live up to our Country’s ideals," he said.
He told Bondi that she must ensure that the conduct "never happens again" and must commit to transparency "for Congress and the American people."
Pam Bondi, US attorney general nominee for US President-elect Donald Trump, left, during a Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025.
The confirmation hearing for Pam Bondi, President-elect Trump's pick to run the Department of Justice, is underway.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley gaveled in the hearing at 9:30 am.
Bondi is a former Florida attorney general and she was nominated in November after the withdrawal of former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla.
President-elect Donald Trump's selection to be attorney general in his new administration faces the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday morning at a confirmation hearing.
Trump tapped former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi to lead the Department of Justice (DOJ) in late November after former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., withdrew from consideration.
The Wednesday hearing begins at 9:30 a.m., and Bondi will be questioned by both Republican and Democrat members of the committee.
"I hope that the Democrats give the same … courteous consideration to [her] that Republicans did of [Attorney General Merrick] Garland," Chair Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, told Fox News Digital ahead of the hearing.
"[A]nd I hope people stay within their timeline, because we've got to move right along," he added.
Members of the committee include Grassley and Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, John Cornyn of Texas, Mike Lee of Utah, Ted Cruz of Texas, Josh Hawley of Missouri, Thom Tillis of North Carolina, John Kennedy of Louisiana, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Eric Schmitt of Missouri, Katie Britt of Alabama and Mike Crapo of Idaho.
Also on the committee are ranking member Dick Durbin, D-Ill., as well as Democrat Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Chris Coons of Delaware, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, Cory Booker of New Jersey, Alex Padilla of California, Peter Welch of Vermont and Adam Schiff of California.
Chris Wright, President-elect Trump's nominee to lead the U.S. Department of Energy, is planning to tell senators in charge of his confirmation that he will focus on restoring American "energy dominance" at home and abroad.
Wright, a fossil fuel executive who in the past has been critical of the media blaming climate change for repeated wildfires, is expected to deliver his opening statement before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Wednesday morning.
Fox News Digital obtained a copy of the statement in advance ahead of the hearing scheduled to start at 10 a.m. ET.
"I am humbled by the great responsibility this position holds," Wright is expected to say in his opening statement. "America has a historic opportunity to secure our energy systems, deliver leadership in scientific and technological innovation, steward our weapons stockpiles, and meet Cold War legacy waste commitments."
Describing himself as a "science geek, turned tech nerd, turned lifelong energy entrepreneur," Wright will tell the committee how his "fascination with energy started at a young age in Denver, Colorado." His opening statement discusses how he enrolled at MIT "specifically to work on fusion energy" and later started graduate school at the University of California at Berkeley where he worked "on solar energy as well as power electronics."
Two GOP senators said they believe Pete Hegseth will have the votes to be confirmed as the next U.S. defense secretary following a contentious hearing on Tuesday.
Sens. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., and Tom Cotton, R-Ark., joined "The Ingraham Angle" to share their assessments of Hegseth’s path to becoming a part of President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet.
"I believe, without question, Pete's going to be confirmed, and I think you're going to have strong support from all the Republicans, men and women alike," Mullin said. "I think he is the right person for the job, and President Trump did a wonderful job by picking him to be the next secretary of defense."
Mullin also praised his Republican colleague, Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, for throwing her support behind Hegseth after she initially appeared skeptical about his nomination because of remarks he made about women in combat and allegations of sexual misconduct. Hegseth denies the allegations.
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Ashley Carnahan.
Republican Florida Sen. Marco Rubio is bracing himself for the hot seat as he prepares for his confirmation hearing on Wednesday with the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. Rubio is President-elect Trump's nominee to serve as America's top diplomat as Secretary of State.
Though Rubio is not expected to get off easy in front of the panel of his colleagues, he is expected to have a smoother experience than other candidates that Trump has nominated.
In a copy of Rubio's remarks obtained by Fox News Digital ahead of his address to the Senate body, he highlights the security threats that have emerged following the end of the Cold War and the belief that democracy could succeed across the globe and international free trade was the way of the future.
"While America far too often continued to prioritize the ‘global order’ above our core national interests, other nations continued to act the way countries always have and always will, in what they perceive to be in their best interest," the remarks read. "And instead of folding into the post-Cold War global order, they have manipulated it to serve their interest at the expense of ours."
"The postwar global order is not just obsolete; it is now a weapon being used against us," he added.
"An irrational zeal for maximum freedom of movement of people has resulted in a historic mass migration crisis here in America and around the world that threatens the stability of societies and governments. And across the West, governments now censor and even prosecute domestic political opponents, while radical jihadists openly march in the streets and drive vehicles into our people," his remarks read.
Trump announced his nomination of Rubio for the top diplomatic job in November, which the senior member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said was not only a "tremendous honor" but a "tremendous responsibility."
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Caitlin McFall
A group of more than 60 former Democratic and Republican attorneys general sent a new letter to Senate leaders Thursday urging the confirmation of Pam Bondi to head up the Department of Justice, praising what they described as Bondi’s wealth of prosecutorial experience— including during her eight years as Florida’s top prosecutor—that they said makes her especially qualified for the role.
The letter was previewed exclusively to Fox News Digital and includes the signatures of more than 20 Democratic attorneys general or attorneys general appointed by Democratic governors.
The group praised Bondi’s work across the party and state lines during her time as Florida’s attorney general and as a state prosecutor in Hillsborough County, where she worked for 18 years.
"Many of us have worked directly with Attorney General Bondi and have firsthand knowledge of her fitness for the office," the former attorneys general said in the letter. "We believe that her wealth of prosecutorial experience and commitment to public service make General Bondi a highly qualified nominee for Attorney General of the United States."
The letter praised what signatories described as Bondi’s "unwavering" commitment to public safety and the rule of law in her time in the Sunshine State, where she sought to crack down on violent crime, protect consumers and combat the opioid crisis— which was at its height when she was elected as attorney general in 2010.
Bondi "was and remains a valued and respected member of the State Attorney General community," they wrote. "Thus, we are confident that she will serve with distinction as United States Attorney General."
This is an excerpt from an article by Breanne Deppisch.
President-elect Donald Trump tapped former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi on Thursday to head up the U.S. Department of Justice in his second term—a swift decision but one met with little surprise among many in Trump's orbit.
That's because Bondi, 59, has emerged as a close ally of the president-elect in recent years—including defending him in his impeachment proceedings, and more recently, in the run-up to Election Day, where she serves as the co-chair of the Center for Law and Justice at the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) a think tank set up by former Trump staffers.
Like former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, who withdrew his name from consideration for attorney general Thursday afternoon, Bondi is from Florida and is considered by many to be a staunch loyalist of the president-elect, dedicated to rooting out what the president-elect has described as the "weaponization" of the Justice Department.
Beyond that, however, the two appear to have little in common.
A Florida native, Bondi has spent years as a prosecutor in the Sunshine State—spending 18 as a prosecutor in the Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Office before being elected in 2010 to serve as Florida's first female attorney general.
More recently, Bondi has used her perch at AFPI to voice concerns about election security—a major issue that Republicans sought to emphasize as they filed a flurry of re-election lawsuits, mainly in major swing states.
If confirmed, it is likely that Bondi will use her post to implement many of Trump's tough-on-crime policy proposals, including cracking down on cartels, fentanyl, trafficking and more.
This is an excerpt from an article by Breanne Deppisch.
Dozens of former Justice Department (DOJ) officials sent a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee Monday urging confirmation of President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general, Pam Bondi , later this month— praising both her commitment to the rule of law and her track record as Florida’s former attorney general that they said makes her uniquely qualified for the role.
The letter, previewed exclusively to Fox News Digital, was signed by more than 110 senior Justice Department officials who served under both Democratic and Republican administrations, including former U.S. attorneys general John Ashcroft, Jeff Sessions, Bill Barr and Edwin Meese.
Former acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker, deputy attorneys general Rod Rosenstein and Jeffrey Rosen, and Randy Grossman, who served as the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of California under the Biden administration, are among the other notable signatories.
The DOJ alumni expressed their "strong and enthusiastic support" for Bondi, Florida’s former attorney general, who also spent 18 years as a prosecutor in the Hillsborough County State Attorney’s office.
"It is all too rare for senior Justice Department officials—much less Attorneys General—to have such a wealth of experience in the day-to-day work of keeping our communities safe," they wrote.
"As a career prosecutor, Attorney General Bondi will be ready from the first day on the job to fight on behalf of the American people to reduce crime, tackle the opioid crisis, back the women and men in blue, and restore credibility to the Department of Justice," they wrote in the letter sent to Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Dick Durbin, D-Ill.
The letter praised Bondi's work as Florida's attorney general, where she led an aggressive crackdown on opioid drugs and the many "pill mills" operating in the state when she took office. They also praised what they described as Bondi's "national reputation" for her work to end human trafficking, and prosecuting violent crime in the state.
Officials also emphasized Bondi's other achievements in Florida, where she secured consumer protection victories and economic relief on behalf of residents in the Sunshine State. After the 2008 financial crisis, her work leading the National Mortgage Settlement resulted in $56 billion in compensation to victims, the letter said — and in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, Bondi's lawsuit against BP and other companies responsible resulted in a $2 billion settlement in economic relief.
The letter also stressed Bondi's commitment to the rule of law, and what the former officials touted as her track record of working across the aisle during the more than two decades she spent as a prosecutor.
"Some of us have worked directly with Attorney General Bondi during her time in office and can personally attest to her integrity and devotion to the rule of law," they wrote. "Many more of us know and admire her well-earned reputation from her long and accomplished career in government service in Florida, her litigation and advocacy on the national stage, and her demonstrated courage as a lawyer."
"As former DOJ officials, we know firsthand the challenges she will face as Attorney General, and we also know she is up to the job."
This is an excerpt from an article by Breanne Deppisch.
Scott Bessent, a Wall Street investor chosen by President-elect Trump to be his Treasury secretary, defended tariffs from economists' criticisms in an op-ed for Fox News Digital.
"For months, economic commentators parroted the Harris campaign’s misleading talking point that tariffs are a 'sales tax.' Like much of economists’ conventional wisdom, this view is fundamentally incorrect. The reflexive opposition to tariffs represents political ideology and advocacy, not considered economic thought," Bessent wrote.
"The truth is that tariffs have a long and storied history as both a revenue-raising tool and a way of protecting strategically important industries in the U.S. President-elect Trump has added a third leg to the stool: tariffs as a negotiating tool with our trading partners.
"Prior to the 16th Amendment, which authorized the individual income tax, tariffs had been one of the federal government’s chief sources of funding. Our first Treasury Secretary, Alexander Hamilton, also happened to be America’s original proponent of tariffs. But after World War II, a consensus coalesced around multilateral tariff disarmament. The promise of this new free-trade consensus was that any economic dislocations caused by globalization would be offset by increased prosperity for all. In the U.S. especially, this conviction was accompanied by a faith that free trade would lead to political freedom in other countries, such as Communist China. Neither of these predictions has proven to be correct.
"The U.S. opened its markets to the world, but China's resulting economic growth has only cemented the hold of a despotic regime. In the interim, we've hollowed out our manufacturing base, leaving a trail of devastation through swathes of our country’s heartland. We've also created key national security vulnerabilities. The truth is that other countries have taken advantage of the U.S.’s openness for far too long, because we allowed them to. Tariffs are a means to finally stand up for Americans.
"Tariffs are also a useful tool for achieving the president’s foreign policy objectives. Whether it is getting allies to spend more on their own defense, opening foreign markets to U.S. exports, securing cooperation on ending illegal immigration and interdicting fentanyl trafficking, or deterring military aggression, tariffs can play a central role.
"Lastly, tariffs can raise significant revenue. Last year, we imported some $3.1 trillion in goods. We are the largest importer in the world and thus the single most important market for other countries’ exports. Our size gives us market power and the ability to dictate terms — other countries need us more than we need them. We have but to use that power."
President-elect Trump nominated GOP Sen. Marco Rubio as secretary of state, shifting focus to the state of Florida where Gov. Ron DeSantis will be tasked with appointing a replacement in the Senate.
Rubio was re-elected in 2022 to serve another six-year term in the Senate, which means DeSantis’ choice to replace him would serve until a special election is held in 2026 that would determine who serves in Rubio’s seat for the last two years of his term.
Whoever DeSantis appoints to serve until 2026 is eligible to run in that special election to serve until 2028, when another election will take place.
DeSantis can appoint whoever he desires to fill the seat, including himself or his wife Casey, and many names have already surfaced as potential replacements barring a last-minute change of heart from Trump.
Likely candidates include Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, U.S. District Judge Roy Altman, DeSantis Chief of Staff James Uthmeier and others. Former Republican National Committee Co-Chair Lara Trump, the president-elect's daughter-in-law, has removed herself from consideration.
Fox News Digital's Andrew Mark Miller and Julia Johnson contributed to this update.
President-elect Trump has chosen South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to lead the Department of Homeland Security, an agency that addresses border security, emergency relief and cybersecurity.
In his announcement, Trump emphasized Noem’s moves as governor to send National Guard soldiers to the southern border in Texas, arguing she is "very strong" on border security. Noem's confirmation hearing was originally scheduled for Wednesday, but has now been postponed to Friday.
"She will work closely with ‘Border Czar’ Tom Homan to secure the border and will guarantee that our American homeland is secure from our adversaries. I have known Kristi for years and have worked with her on a wide variety of projects. She will be a great part of our mission to make America safe again," Trump said in a statement.
Noem said she was "honored and humbled" by the selection.
"With Donald Trump, we will secure the border and restore safety to American communities so that families will again have the opportunity to pursue the American dream," she said.
Noem, a former member of Congress, was elected governor of the state in 2018 and won re-election in 2022. She has three children with her husband, Byron.
Noem's selection came as a surprise to some political watchers, but a source familiar with the appointment told Fox News Digital Noem had set a precedent for other states by sending National Guard soldiers, rather than more generic assistance, to the border. She also brings experience of other parts of the agency’s mission.
Noem banned TikTok from state-owned devices in 2022, citing the company’s ties to China. Separately, Dakota State University has one of the top cyber units in the country, and cybersecurity is the fastest growing industry in South Dakota, an expansion encouraged by Noem. The governor's website says the state has invested $90 million to equip DSU in expanding cyber programs and allowing high school students to take classes for college credit. The state said last year the sector has added thousands of jobs in a few years and grown by 25%.
Noem has in-depth experience with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) because the state has dealt with flooding, including in June when there were record-setting floods in the state. FEMA sparked controversy over its handling of hurricanes this year and is likely to be under significant scrutiny in the months and years ahead.
With respect to border security, Noem has backed a pause on accepting migrants from terrorist hot spots. As governor, she pledged in 2021 not to take any more migrants from the Biden administration. She is particularly in line with President-elect Trump on border security and prioritizing national security and public safety threats for deportations, a source noted to Fox News Digital.
This is an excerpt from an article by Adam Shaw.
Just hours after former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration to be attorney general, President-elect Trump tapped former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi as his AG nominee.
Bondi, 59, is a Tampa native and earned her bachelor's degree in criminal justice from the University of Florida and her law degree from Stetson Law School. She was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1991.
She worked as a prosecutor out of the Hillsborough County State Attorney's Office for more than 18 years, trying a variety of cases from domestic violence to murder.
Bondi made history in 2010 as the state's first female attorney general. Her campaign emphasized challenging the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, and later focused on human trafficking issues once in office. She also notably shut down pill mills and tackled the state's opioid crisis.
She held the post until 2019.
Bondi worked as one of Trump's defense lawyers in 2020 after he was first impeached on allegations that he had abused his power and obstructed Congress.
"They have not charged the president with any crime because the president did nothing wrong," Bondi said when articles of impeachment were sent by the House to the Senate. "There was no crime. The transcript of that phone call speaks for itself."
Bondi also worked on Trump's Opioid and Drug Abuse Commission during his first administration. In her role on the commission, Bondi collaborated with national leaders on drug prevention and treatment.
Bondi is a partner at Ballard Partners, a Florida-based lobbying firm founded by Brian Ballard. Bondi splits her time between Florida and Washington, D.C., chairing the firm's corporate regulatory practice.
The D.C. office notably earned more than $70 million in lobbying fees during Trump's first term by representing various corporate clients, according to federal disclosures.
Trump's incoming chief of staff, Susie Wiles, also works for the firm after becoming a partner there following Trump's 2016 victory.
This is an excerpt from an article by Haley Chi-Sing.
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