Donald Trump’s nominees to be the next US attorney general and secretary of state, Pam Bondi and Marco Rubio, are among the latest batch of cabinet picks set for Senate confirmation hearings on Wednesday.
Florida Attorney General Bondi has been accused of amplifing Trump’s false claims about the 2020 presidential election and represented him at his first impeachment trial in 2019 while Rubio was once a bitter rival to the president-elect for the Republican presidential nomination, trading bitter insults in 2016.
Chris Wright (secretary of energy), John Ratcliffe (CIA director), Sean Duffy, (secretary of transportation) and Russell Vought (director of the Office of Management and Budget) also have hearings scheduled today with the relevant committees.
The sextet follow in the footsteps of Pete Hegseth, the president-elect’s choice for secretary of defense, who endured a fiery hearing on Tuesday in which he called for the return of “American warriors” at the Pentagon but faced aggressive questioning about his checkered personal history and was heckled by spectators.
Meanwhile, California Governor Gavin Newsom has invited Trump to visit Los Angeles to witness the devastation wrought by January’s wildfires, rather than merely criticize the emergency response from social media.
Key Points
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More Donald Trump nominees facing Senate confirmation hearings today
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Gavin Newsom issues call for Trump to visit wildfire-ravaged Los Angeles
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Pete Hegseth endures torrid Senate confirmation hearing
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Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg to attend Trump’s inauguration together
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Russia open for Trump talks after diplomat praises his Nato attack
Russia open for Trump talks after diplomat praises his Nato attack
11:35 , Joe Sommerlad
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said that Moscow is open for talks with Trump and praised him for attacking Nato’s plan to embrace Ukraine.
Any prospective peace talks should involve broader arrangements for security in Europe, Lavrov said at his annual news conference on Tuesday.
He specifically praised Trump’s comments earlier this month in which he said that Nato’s plans to open its doors to Ukraine had led to Russia’s invasion.
Russia open for talks with Trump after Putin’s diplomat praises his attack on Nato
Joe Biden declares nation is ‘stronger, more prosperous and more secure’ ahead of farewell address
11:15 , Joe Sommerlad
As he prepares to deliver an Oval Office address for the last time after a single term in the White House and a full half-century of service in the federal government, President Joe Biden declared on Tuesday that America now stands “stronger, more prosperous, and more secure” than it was when he entered office amid the tumult of the Covid-19 pandemic four years ago.
In a letter released by the White House ahead of his farewell address to the nation on Wednesday, Biden described the circumstances under which he was sworn in as president as “a winter of peril and a winter of possibilities.”
“We were in the grip of the worst pandemic in a century, the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, and the worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War,” noted Biden, who added that in response, Americans “came together… and we braved through it.”
Here’s Andrew Feinberg’s preview of Biden’s adieu.
Ahead of farewell address, Biden declares nation ‘stronger, more secure’
Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos and Musk jockey for position at Trump’s inauguration
10:55 , Joe Sommerlad
For years, the biggest tech giants have battled amongst themselves (remember when Zuckberg and Musk were going to have a cage match?).
Now they are coming together in support of the president – and their own interests, Io Dodds writes.
Tech bro foes Zuckerberg, Bezos and Musk jockey for position at Trump’s inauguration
US government sues Elon Musk over Twitter stock
10:35 , Joe Sommerlad
The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has sued the Big Tech billionaire, saying he failed to disclose his ownership of Twitter stock in a timely manner in early 2022 before buying the social media site.
As a result, the SEC alleges, Musk, now a close confidant of one Donald J Trump, was able to underpay “by at least $150 million” for shares he bought after he should have disclosed his ownership of more than 5 percent of Twitter’s shares.
Here’s more.
US government sues Elon Musk over Twitter stock
Hegseth hearing draws predictably polarised reaction from Republicans and Democrats
10:15 , Joe Sommerlad
As you might have expected, MAGA loyalists like Markwayne Mullin, Eric Schmitt and Ronny Jackson were out in force last night to leap to the defense of the would-be defense secretary, not always helpfully.
The opposition, meanwhile, made it clear they were less than impressed with Trump’s candidate to lead the Pentagon.
Here’s Justin Baragona on Fox News’s John Roberts fancifully comparing his former stable mate to none other than Sir Winston Churchill.
Fox News defends Pete Hegseth drinking claims by invoking Winston Churchill
Pete Hegseth endures torrid Senate confirmation hearing
09:55 , Joe Sommerlad
Today’s Trump nominees follow in the footsteps of Pete Hegseth, the president-elect’s choice for secretary of defense, who endured a fiery hearing on Tuesday in which he called for the return of “American warriors” at the Pentagon but faced aggressive questioning about his checkered personal history and was heckled by spectators.
Andrew Feinberg and Eric Garcia have this report on an extraordinary day with the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Republicans blustered for months on Hegseth nomination. Then they did Trump’s bidding
Gavin Newsom issues call for Trump to visit wildfire-ravaged Los Angeles
09:35 , Joe Sommerlad
California Governor Gavin Newsom has invited Trump to visit Los Angeles to witness the devastation wrought by January’s wildfires, rather than merely criticize the emergency response from social media.
“I want the president-elect to meet with the communities impacted by the Los Angeles wildfires and understand the magnitude of the devastation,” Newsom wrote on X.
“I urge him to meet with the brave firefighters and first responders on the ground and see firsthand how they’ve saved lives.”
The above clip of Newsom was taken from his latest interview with MSNBC’s Jen Psaki in which he also told her that Trump’s childish nickname for him meant little and that he should follow Joe Biden’s example and make a real difference on the ground by consoling the brave souls who have been out there battling the blazes for more than a week now.
More Trump nominees facing Senate confirmation hearings today
09:05 , Joe Sommerlad
Good morning!
Following yesterday’s Pete Hegseth drama on Capitol Hill, a number of other people nominated by the president-elect for top cabinet position will face the senators on Wednesday.
Here’s who’s on the menu:
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Pam Bondi, attorney general nominee – Senate Judiciary Committee 9.30am (all times ET)
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Chris Wright, secretary of energy – Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee 10am
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Marco Rubio, secretary of state – Senate Foreign Relations Committee 10am
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John Ratcliffe, director of the Central Intelligence Agency – Senate Intelligence Committee 10am
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Sean Duffy, secretary of transportation – Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee 10am
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Russell Vought, director of Office of Management and Budget – Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, 1pm
Bondi and Rubio are the most intriguing names in that lineup, with the Florida Attorney General (who replaced the ill-fated Matt Gaetz) accused of amplifing Trump’s false claims about the 2020 presidential election and known for representing him at his first impeachment trial in 2019 while Rubio was once a bitter rival to the president-elect for the Republican presidential nomination, trading bitter insults in 2016.
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem had been due to have her confirmation hearing on becoming secretary of the Department of Homeland Security but that has now been postponed until Friday, we understand, with Congress waiting on a little outstanding paperwork from the FBI.
Whoopi Goldberg defends Carrie Underwood’s decision to perform at Trump’s inauguration: ‘I won’t be watching’
07:00 , Amber Raiken
Whoopi Goldberg has defended Carrie Underwood’s decision to perform at U.S. president-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.
The 69-year-old TV host addressed Underwood’s expected performance during Tuesday’s (January 14) episode of The View. She also discussed the backlash the country singer — who’s previously been private about her political stance — received for announcing the gig.
While Goldberg often hits back at Trump’s policies on the talk show, she said that she wasn’t going to criticize Underwood for performing at the inauguration on January 20.
Read more:
Whoopi Goldberg defends Carrie Underwood’s decision to perform at Trump inauguration
WATCH: Antony Blinken heckled by protesters during Gaza ceasefire news conference
05:00 , Gustaf Kilander
Speaker Johnson orders Capitol flags raised for Trump’s inauguration despite Jimmy Carter mourning period
04:00 , Meg Kinnard
House Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday ordered that flags at the U.S. Capitol be raised to their full height on Inauguration Day, pausing a 30-day flag-lowering order following the death of former President Jimmy Carter.
The Republican leader’s decision means that President-elect Donald Trump will not take the oath of office for his second term under a half-staff flag, a prospect that he had previously complained about.
It mirrors actions taken in recent days by some Republican governors who have announced that flags in their states would be raised on Inauguration Day to mark Trump’s second term.
Read more:
Johnson orders Capitol flags to be at full height for Trump’s inauguration
Nancy Mace asks Jasmine Crockett if she wants to ‘take it outside’ during House hearing
03:00 , Gustaf Kilander
Zuckerberg to host inaugural ball for Trump
02:00 , Gustaf Kilander
Zuckerberg warns he will cut ‘low performers’ as he looks to fire up to 5 percent of Meta staff: Report
01:00 , Martyn Landi, Ariana Baio
Mark Zuckerberg, the co-founder of Facebook and CEO of its parent company Meta, told staff on Tuesday that it plans to cut its “low performers” sooner than expected, which could amount to five percent of staff, according to a new report.
In an internal memo, obtained by Bloomberg, Zuckerberg told staff he “decided to raise the bar on performance management” in order to “move out low-performers faster”.
According to the memo, Zuckerberg said the company typically “manage out people who aren’t meeting expectations over the course of a year” but was now planning on “more extensive performance-based cuts” sooner.
Read more:
Meta plans to cut 5% of lowest performing staff as Zuckerberg ‘raises the bar’
While his party fumes over November, Biden concocts a positive image for his legacy
00:20 , Oliver O’Connell
President Joe Biden is in the final stretch. Less than one week remains between him and his departure from the White House, Washington, and, in all likelihood, the American political stage as a whole.
He is working overtime to protect and define — on his terms — a legacy he once thought he’d have another four years to build. But his party and the broader American political world doesn’t seem to be on board with a vision that more and more are now saying is a delusion.
John Bowden reports from Washington, D.C.
Joe Biden concocts a positive image for his legacy while his party fumes over Trump
New York GOP lawmakers say they met with Trump to help end congestion pricing
Tuesday 14 January 2025 23:50 , Oliver O’Connell
A group of Republican lawmakers from New York say they met with President-elect Donald Trump over the weekend to recruit his assistance in ending congestion pricing in the Empire State.
Less than a week into the newly implemented congestion pricing plan, Representatives Nicole Malliotakis, Mike Lawler, Nick LaLota, Andrew Garbarino, Nick Langworthy and Claudia Tenney took a trip to Mar-a-Lago to speak with the incoming president about it.
Ariana Baio has the story.
Russian state TV floats splitting Greenland with Trump
Tuesday 14 January 2025 23:20 , Oliver O’Connell
Russian state media pundits have mulled the possibility of splitting Greenland with Donald Trump, as the President-elect continues to posture about acquiring the Danish territory.
Andrey Gurulyov, a member of the state Duma – the Russian assembly – said on Sunday that “basically, the war in the Arctic has started” and that Russia should look to strengthen its resources in the north, according to The Daily Beast.
Mike Bedigan reports.
Russian state TV floats splitting Greenland with Trump
Will Trump’s crowd size boasts put National Park Service back in middle again?
Tuesday 14 January 2025 22:50 , Oliver O’Connell
Officials at the National Park Service are concerned they may become caught up in President-elect Donald Trump’s claims about crowd sizes in connection to his January 20 inauguration.
The last time around, in 2017, acting National Park Service Director Mike Reynolds got a call from Trump the day after the inauguration. Trump made clear that he was displeased with the photos published by the press indicating that the crowd attending his inauguration was smaller than that of former President Barack Obama’s 2009 inauguration, two people aware of the call told Reuters.
Gustaf Kilander reports.
National Park Service fear they will be stuck in middle of Trump’s crowd size boasts
Trump gets the band back together again with 18 Fox News alumni tapped for administration
Tuesday 14 January 2025 22:30 , Oliver O’Connell
Justin Barangoa writes:
Just as we saw during his previous tenure in the White House, Donald Trump has created a revolving door between Fox News and his administration.
Besides offering him fawning coverage throughout his first term, the conservative cable giant helped stock the White House after Trump won in 2016. According to Media Matters, at least 20 people who worked for the network eventually found their way into the administration at some point.
Read on…
Trump gets the Fox News band back together for his second administration
Hegseth skewered over his ‘denigrating’ views on women in the military
Tuesday 14 January 2025 22:10 , Oliver O’Connell
Democratic senators skewered Pete Hegseth over his views on women in the military, warning that he would “have to change” if he is confirmed as defense secretary.
President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Pentagon was grilled by the Senate’s Committee on Armed Services on Tuesday and was challenged over his “denigrating” comments about women in the military by members Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire.
Rhian Lubin watched the hearings.
Dem senators skewer Pete Hegseth over his views on women in the military
Conservatives fume over release of Jack Smith report on Trump’s 2020 election plot
Tuesday 14 January 2025 21:50 , Oliver O’Connell
Conservative media has reacted with scorn to the decision by US Attorney General Merrick Garland to release Justice Department Special Counsel Jack Smith’s final report into Donald Trump’s attempt to overturn Joe Biden’s win in the 2020 presidential election.
Smith, who announced his resignation on Friday, was forced to wrap up his investigation into the president-elect after Trump beat Vice President Kamala Harris in November’s race for the White House.
But he left behind a detailed 174-page report into his findings that concluded Trump would have been convicted, given the weight of the evidence against him, had he not been saved from jail by the American electorate.
Joe Sommerlad has the story.
Conservative pundits fume over release of Jack Smith’s Trump report
Michelle Obama to skip Trump’s inauguration
Tuesday 14 January 2025 21:30 , Oliver O’Connell
Former First Lady Michelle Obama will skip the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, the second time in two weeks that she is not attending a gathering of former U.S. leaders and their spouses, but former Presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush will be there.
Laura Bush and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will join their husbands for the January 20 swearing-in ceremony at the Capitol, representatives said.
Gustaf Kilander has the story.
Michelle Obama to skip Trump’s inauguration
Kaine rips GOP for misspelling ‘military’
Tuesday 14 January 2025 21:20 , Oliver O’Connell
Trump stock soars just days before inauguration
Tuesday 14 January 2025 21:10 , Oliver O’Connell
Shares of President-elect Donald Trump’s media stock experienced its largest jump since October on Monday, exactly one week before inauguration.
Trump Media & Technology Group Corp., whose stock ticker is the incoming president’s initials DJT, saw a more than 21 percent jump from opening to closing – a potential sign of positive anticipation for Trump to retake the White House.
It was the largest single-day jump since October 28 after Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Ariana Baio has the story.
Trump stock soars just days before president-elect retakes White House
Watch: Blinken heckled during Gaza ceasefire news conference
Tuesday 14 January 2025 21:00 , Oliver O’Connell
Musk will have office space in the White House complex
Tuesday 14 January 2025 20:50 , Oliver O’Connell
Elon Musk will have office space in the White House complex as he begins work on the Department of Government Efficiency, which is hoping to cut government spending, according to The New York Times.
The office space set aside for Musk is in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, which is located right next to the White House. This would mean that Musk is likely to continue to have prominent access to President-elect Donald Trump after he takes office once again.
Gustaf Kilander reports.
Yes, Elon Musk will have office space in the White House complex
Republicans blustered for months on Hegseth’s questionable nomination… and then did Trump’s bidding
Tuesday 14 January 2025 20:35 , Oliver O’Connell
Eric Garcia and Andrew Feinberg write:
Roger Wicker is hardly anyone’s idea of a far-right bomb thrower. When he opened the Senate Armed Services Committee’s confirmation hearing for Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Defense, he wore a lapel pin with the Ukrainian and U.S. flag on it.
But the white-haired Mississippian began his questioning with his Southern drawl by bringing up allegations that Hegseth had sexually assaulted a woman — but pointedly noted the claims all came “from liberal media publications.”
That would set the tone for the rest of the extraordinary hearing, as multiple Republicans angled to defend Hegseth against damning misconduct claims and his past comments about women serving in the military.
Read on…
Republicans blustered for months on Hegseth nomination. Then they did Trump’s bidding
Watch: Hegseth then vs Hegseth now
Tuesday 14 January 2025 20:30 , Oliver O’Connell
Why didn’t Jack Smith charge Trump with insurrection?
Tuesday 14 January 2025 20:25 , Oliver O’Connell
Why wasn’t Donald Trump ever charged with the crime of insurrection?
It’s a question that has been looming over the federal prosecution of the president-elect, with his allies and supporters using the fact that he wasn’t to downplay the charges against him as well as the January 6 attack itself.
Alex Woodward reports.
Why didn’t Jack Smith charge Trump with insurrection?
Why did Trump pick Hegseth as his nominee for defense?
Tuesday 14 January 2025 20:10 , Oliver O’Connell
Alex Woodward reports.
Why Trump nominated a ‘wholly unqualified’ Fox News host for defense secretary
Watch: Thune says Hegseth ‘acquitted himself extremely well’
Tuesday 14 January 2025 20:00 , Oliver O’Connell
Watch: Hegseth challenged over waterboarding
Tuesday 14 January 2025 19:50 , Oliver O’Connell
Musk, Bezos and Zuckerberg to attend Trump’s inauguration together
Tuesday 14 January 2025 19:30 , Oliver O’Connell
Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jeff Bezos will sit together with President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet nominees and elected officials at his Monday inauguration, an official involved in the planning told NBC News.
All three have been trying to get into Trump’s good books within the past year, with Musk donating hundreds of millions of dollars to help Trump win the 2024 election.
Gustaf Kilander reports.
Musk, Bezos and Zuckerberg to attend Trump’s inauguration together
COMMENT: Teflon Trump has dodged justice – it’s time for the rest of us to get on board
Tuesday 14 January 2025 19:10 , Oliver O’Connell
Jon Sopel writes:
Who doesn’t love a proper bombshell report? And the report from the special counsel, Jack Smith, into Donald Trump’s attempt to illegally steal the 2020 election is utterly devastating – and will surely land with a thud.
Except it won’t. There will barely be a murmur. There will be the faintest of ripples. It will create a crater no bigger than a measly British pothole.
Read on…
Teflon Don has dodged justice – it’s time for the rest of us to get on board
Squirmy Pete Hegseth shredded by Senator Tim Kaine for cheating on the ‘mother’ of his child
Tuesday 14 January 2025 19:02 , Oliver O’Connell
During a wild and tense exchange on Tuesday, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) spent nearly 10 minutes hammering an evasive Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth for cheating on his past wives and engaging in drunken behavior on the job.
Tuesday’s chaotic confirmation hearing came amid allegations that Hegseth sexually assaulted a woman in 2017. The former Fox News star has repeatedly denied the accusations and claimed he’s been “completely cleared,” insisting at the top of the hearing that the allegations were part of a “coordinated smear campaign” by the “left-wing media” who wants to “destroy” him.
Justin Barangoa reports.
Squirmy Pete Hegseth shredded by Tim Kaine for cheating on ‘mother’ of his child
Watch: Gillibrand says she doesn’t believe Hegseth can change how he sees women
Tuesday 14 January 2025 18:50 , Oliver O’Connell
Hegseth confirmation hearing adjourns
Tuesday 14 January 2025 18:47 , Oliver O’Connell
Pete Hegseth’s confirmation hearing adjourns after four hours and fifteen minutes.
Pete Hegseth, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be secretary of defense, testifies as part of his confirmation process (REUTERS)
Slotkin and Hegseth clash over illegal orders
Tuesday 14 January 2025 18:42 , Oliver O’Connell
Hegseth refuses to answer questions from Senator Elissa Slotkin as to whether he would or would not follow orders from Donald Trump that violate the U.S. Constitution.
These are the top bets for Trump’s inauguration
Tuesday 14 January 2025 18:38 , Oliver O’Connell
Betters have already made wagers on what Donald Trump’s inauguration is going to look and sound like – including on what words he’ll use and whether he will end a war before even taking office.
A study by Casino Reports analyzed the top 10 events, by dollar amount, that people are betting on using prediction market platforms Polymarket and Kalshi and related to Trump’s inauguration. Only bets due to be resolved on or around January 20 were considered in the study.
Kelly Rissman reports.
These are the top bets for Trump’s inauguration – including if he’ll say ‘McDonald’s’
Trump thanks DeSantis for support on deportation plan
Tuesday 14 January 2025 18:30 , Oliver O’Connell
Kelly quizzes Hegseth about specific incidents of alleged intoxication
Tuesday 14 January 2025 18:22 , Oliver O’Connell
Senator Mark Kelly is trying to pin down Pete Hegseth on his drinking with yes or no answers about specific events in which he was allegedly intoxicated in public or at work-related functions.
Hegseth is responding to each one: “Anonymous smears.”
When asked about a reported trip to a strip club, Hegseth says it is “false” and then adds: “Anonymous smears.”
Bannon walks back threat to have Elon Musk
Tuesday 14 January 2025 18:14 , Oliver O’Connell
Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon is softening his tone on Trump campaign financier turned adviser Elon Musk just days after he vowed to push the Tesla and SpaceX CEO out of the incoming president’s orbit over Musk’s support for a controversial technology worker visa program.
Andrew Feinberg reports.
Bannon backpedals on threat to have Elon Musk ‘run out’ of Trumpworld
Duckworth tells Hegseth ‘you’re not qualified’
Tuesday 14 January 2025 17:55 , Oliver O’Connell
Senator Tammy Duckworth, a veteran, tells Hegseth that the hearing has devolved into a debate over whether women are qualified to serve in combat, not his ability to lead the Pentagon then tells him the country needs someone ready “to lead on day one — you are not that person.”
She challenges him over whether he has led an audit of any organization and runs out of patience as he dodges her question.
As she continues to passionately criticize Hegseth’s qualifications, she asks him to name an international agreement he might have to negotiate or a country that is in ASEAN. This doesn’t go well.
“You’re not qualified, Mr Hegseth,” she concludes.
Mullin asks how many senators have shown up drunk to vote
Tuesday 14 January 2025 17:46 , Oliver O’Connell
Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin made an odd point about senators apparently showing up drunk to vote in his defense of the standards to which Hegseth is being held.
“Senator Kaine, or I guess I better use the senator from Virginia, starts bringing up the fact that ‘what if you showed up drunk to your job?’ How many senators have shown up drunk to vote at night? … how many senators have gotten a divorce for cheating?”
Further, Mullin says he’d be in prison if his wife didn’t love him and says she’s had to forgive him more than once. He then asks Hegseth to detail a reason he loves his wife — and reminds him to mention his kids.
Peters questions Hegseth’s ability to run Pentagon
Tuesday 14 January 2025 17:39 , Oliver O’Connell
“You speak about standards,” Senator Gary Peters tells Hegseth, “I don’t think there’s a board of directors in America, that would hire you as a CEO with the kind of experience you have.”
“Do you think the way to raise the minimum standards of the people who serve us is to lower the standards for the secretary of defense? … I have real problems with that,” the senator says.
Watch: Warren asks Hegseth to pledge not to work in defense industry
Tuesday 14 January 2025 17:30 , Oliver O’Connell
Warren presses Hegseth on his call for generals not to join the defense industry for 10 years after retirement: “You’re not willing to make that same pledge,” Warren asks.
“I’m not a general, senator,” Hegseth deadpans.
A sarcastic Senator Tommy Tuberville then begins his questioning by addressing “”General Hegseth… I mean, Mr. Hegseth.”
Warren blasts Hegseth over times he said women shouldn’t serve in combat roles
Tuesday 14 January 2025 17:25 , Oliver O’Connell
Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren brought receipts of all the times Hegseth said women shouldn’t serve in combat roles. They are numerous.
Using his previous public comments to make her point, Warren highlights that Hegseth’s views aren’t just about “standards” but go deeper.
Warren says of Hegseth’s sudden change of heart over the past month: “I’ve heard of death bed conversions. But this is the first time I’ve heard of a nomination conversion.”
Watch: Hegseth says he is ‘an open book’ — except for the NDAs, Sen. Kaine notes
Tuesday 14 January 2025 17:20 , Oliver O’Connell
Hegseth pushed on Geneva Convention and torture
Tuesday 14 January 2025 17:07 , Oliver O’Connell
Democratic Senator Angus King of Maine pushes Hegseth on adherence to the Geneva Convention, specifically how it outlaws the torture of prisoners.
Hegseth says he believes the Geneva Convention is important but appears to indicate he thinks that the rules of engagement are outdated for troops on the front lines.
Asked about waterboarding, Hegseth says the practice is illegal.
