Despite the incessant smear campaigns spearheaded by Democrats, the Senate narrowly confirmed Kash Patel on Thursday to serve as director of the FBI. Patel is now the 18th member of President Donald Trump's Cabinet to be confirmed.
Patel was confirmed in a 51-49 vote with 51 Republicans supporting the nominee and 47 Democrats voting against him. Notably, retiring Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell voted in favor of Patel's confirmation.
At the same time, Patel also faced pushback from some Republican senators, with Lisa Murkowski of Alaska voting to tank the nominee.
'Mr. Patel should be our next FBI director because the FBI has been infected by political bias and weaponized against the American people. Mr. Patel knows it, Mr. Patel exposed it, and Mr. Patel has been targeted for it.'
Murkowski, Collins, and McConnell have previously voted against Trump's nominees like Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. McConnell also voted against Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, surprising onlookers with his support for Patel.
"I’ve never seen our law enforcement and intelligence community institutions so badly infected with political decision-making," Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley said in his opening statement during Patel's hearing. "They’ve broken faith with 'we the people.'"
Patel previously advanced through the Senate Judiciary Committee in a 12-10 party-line vote, paving the path to his confirmation a week later.
"Mr. Patel should be our next FBI director because the FBI has been infected by political bias and weaponized against the American people," Grassley said during the committee vote. "Mr. Patel knows it, Mr. Patel exposed it, and Mr. Patel has been targeted for it."
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Former Republican Rep. Lori Chaves-DeRemer of Oregon, who was nominated to head the Department of Labor, was pressed over her pro-union past during her confirmation hearing Wednesday.
During her time in the House, Chavez-DeRemer earned a reputation for being a pro-union Republican, primarily through her support of the PRO Act. In doing so, Chavez-DeRemer received pushback from Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, who initially came out against her nomination.
'This is the question, whether this is sort of a death-bed reversal, or whether or not she is truly for this.'
"Her support for the PRO Act, which would not only oppose national right-to-work, but it would pre-empt state law on right-to-work," Paul previously told reporters. "I think it's not a good thing, and it'd be sort of hard for me since it's a big issue for me to support her. So I won't support her."
The PRO Act is designed to expand workers' rights to unionize, coming in conflict with right-to-work laws that have historically been backed by Republicans.
During the hearing, Paul questioned Chavez-DeRemer about her past support for the PRO Act, to which she changed her position.
"The PRO Act wasn't just about organizing or enabling unions to organize, which they already have the right to do. The PRO Act was about overturning right-to-work laws in 26 states," Paul said.
"You no longer support the aspect of the PRO Act that would have overturned state right-to-work laws?" Paul asked.
"Yes, sir," Chavez-DeRemer replied, reversing her previously held position.
Because the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions has 12 Republicans and 11 Democrats, Chavez-DeRemer will have to rely on Democrats to advance through the committee, assuming that Paul remains a no vote. Although several Democrats have signaled they are open to supporting Chavez-DeRemer, she may not need to reach across the aisle after all.
When asked if Chavez-DeRemer's answers changed his vote, Paul said he was going to continue weighing her responses.
"This is the question, whether this is sort of a death-bed reversal, or whether or not she is truly for this," Paul told reporters after the hearing.
"I'm going to think about her answers and think about whether or not a conversion in this last moment is sincere," Paul added.
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The Senate confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to head the Department of Health and Human Services on Thursday. Kennedy is the 15th member of President Donald Trump's Cabinet to be confirmed.
The Senate confirmed Kennedy in a 52-48 vote, with former Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) voting against the nominee. McConnell has now opposed three of Trump's nominees, including Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Much to Democrats' dismay, the nominees once thought to be long shots have, one by one, been confirmed to serve in Trump's Cabinet.
"President Trump has tapped Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the charge in making America healthy again," Republican Majority Leader John Thune (S.D.) said in a floor speech Tuesday. "He promises to make HHS a collaborative, transparent, and science-driven agency under his leadership."
"Our public health agencies do critical work, and I'm a supporter of their research, and I'm proud of the contributions they make to American leadership and medicine and innovation," Thune continued. "But if we're going to Make America Healthy Again, the agencies doing this important work have to rebuild some trust with Americans."
In the days leading up to his confirmation, several key Republicans rallied behind Kennedy.
Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska endorsed Kennedy just moments after the Senate advanced his nomination on Wednesday. Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine also came out in support of the nominee on Tuesday. Notably, both Collins and Murkowski voted against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and have a history of deviating from party-line votes.
Although Murkowski and Collins have previously bucked their own party, both senators fell in line and backed Kennedy.
Kennedy is the latest of Trump's more contentious nominees to secure his confirmation. The Senate notably confirmed Tulsi Gabbard to serve as director of national intelligence on Wednesday and advanced Kash Patel's nomination to head the FBI on Thursday morning.
Much to Democrats' dismay, the nominees once thought to be long shots have, one by one, been confirmed to serve in Trump's Cabinet.
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The Senate Judiciary Committee voted to advance Kash Patel's nomination to serve as FBI director Thursday morning. Patel's nomination is now headed to the Senate floor.
Patel advanced through the committee in a party-line vote with all 12 Republicans voting in favor of the nominee and all 10 Democrats voting against him.
'I’ve never seen our law enforcement and intelligence community institutions so badly infected with political decision-making.'
Patel has been championed by President Donald Trump and his allies as a much-needed change agent for the bureau that has weaponized its power for political purposes. With Patel's longstanding career in law enforcement and public service, the nominee has been embraced by Republicans.
"Mr. Patel, should you be confirmed, you’ll take charge of an FBI in crisis," Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley said in his opening statement during Patel's hearing.
"I’ve never seen our law enforcement and intelligence community institutions so badly infected with political decision-making," Grassley added. "They’ve broken faith with 'we the people.' You must be fair, consistent, and aggressive. Your actions must be based on accountability. Should you do so, you’ll have my support."
Throughout his hearing, Patel pledged to uphold the Constitution rather than acquiesce to Democrats' preferred application of the law. As a result, several Democrats' lines of questioning turned into heated exchanges. Nevertheless, Patel and his Republican allies remained unmoved by Democrats' frantic accusations.
Although Patel has been the subject of heavy scrutiny from Democratic lawmakers, the nominee is expected to pass the Republican-majority Senate. Assuming a party-line vote, Patel can afford to lose three Republican votes, so long as Vice President JD Vance casts his ballot as a tiebreaker.
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The Senate confirmed Tulsi Gabbard to serve as director of national intelligence on Wednesday. Gabbard is the 14th member of President Donald Trump's Cabinet to be confirmed.
Although many considered Gabbard's DNI bid a long shot, the Senate confirmed her in a 52-48 vote. Notably, Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky voted against Gabbard's confirmation.
Although Gabbard shared heated exchanges with senators during her confirmation hearing in late January, one by one, the GOP got behind Trump's DNI pick.
"Miss Gabbard is a patriot," Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said. "She's someone who's been motivated by service. ... The intelligence community needs to refocus on its core mission, collecting intelligence and providing unbiased analysis of that information. That's what Tulsi Gabbard is committed to ensuring."
Although Gabbard shared heated exchanges with senators during her confirmation hearing in late January, one by one, the GOP got behind Trump's DNI pick.
Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska announced Monday night that she would vote to confirm Gabbard after she voted to invoke cloture on her nomination.
"I will vote to confirm Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence," Murkowski said. "While I continue to have concerns about certain positions she has previously taken, I appreciate her commitment to rein in the outsized scope of the agency, while still enabling the ODNI to continue its essential function in upholding national security."
"As she brings independent thinking and necessary oversight to her new role, I am counting on her to ensure the safety and civil liberties of American citizens remain rigorously protected," Murkowski added.
Gabbard also secured support from Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who has previously been a holdout on other nominees like Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
"After extensive consideration of her nomination, I will support Tulsi Gabbard to be the director of national intelligence," Collins said in a statement. "As one of the principal authors of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 that established this coordinating position, I understand the critical role the DNI plays in the Intelligence Community."
Ahead of the Senate Intelligence Committee's vote to advance Gabbard's nomination to the Senate floor, Republican Sen. Todd Young of Indiana also publicly committed to supporting Gabbard. Other Republicans like Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Sen. John Cornyn of Texas gave less enthusiastic endorsements for Gabbard but nonetheless backed the nominee.
"President Trump chose Tulsi Gabbard to be his point person on foreign intelligence," Cassidy said in a statement Monday. "I will trust President Trump on this decision and vote for her confirmation."
"Having won the election decisively, I believe President Trump has earned the right to appoint his own cabinet, absent extraordinary circumstances," Cornyn said in a statement after Gabbard's hearing. "Therefore, it is my intention to consent to the appointment of Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence."
While many were skeptical about her confirmation, Gabbard became another success story for the Trump camp.
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National intelligence nominee Tulsi Gabbard cleared yet another confirmation hurdle in the Senate Monday night.
After Gabbard's nomination was approved in a party-line vote by the Intelligence Committee last Tuesday, the Senate voted 52 to 46 to invoke cloture on Gabbard's nomination. The Senate will likely take up Gabbard's final confirmation vote within the next few days.
Although Gabbard was thought to be one of President Donald Trump's most contentious nominees, she has made significant progress in securing support on the Senate side.
Following her heated confirmation hearing on the Hill, several senators expressed concerns about Gabbard's nomination.
Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who notably voted against Trump's Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, was one committee member many kept their eye on ahead of the vote. Although Collins has a history of bucking her own party, she ended up endorsing Gabbard the night before the committee vote.
Similarly, Republican Sen. Todd Young of Indiana was considered a holdout on Gabbard until the 11th hour. During her hearing, Young grilled Gabbard about her stance on NSA leaker Edward Snowden, prompting a tense exchange. Despite this, Young eventually came out in support of Gabbard after she clarified her stance on certain "commitments."
"Having now secured these commitments, I will support Tulsi's nomination and look forward to working with her to protect our national security," Young said.
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Kash Patel's and Tulsi Gabbard’s confirmation hearings have revealed not only just how fit for the job the two are but also how absolutely unfit for the job their detractors are.
“I feel like there used to be a time when being a senator was a very prestigious, esteemed position, and I just want to say, Hawaii is not sending their best when it comes to senators,” Sara Gonzales of “Sara Gonzales Unfiltered” comments, referring to a recent line of questioning between Senator Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Kash Patel at the Senate confirmation hearings.
“Did you make money?” Hirono asked Patel.
“You have that information,” Patel responded.
“So you refuse to answer the question,” Hirono fired back, before Patel responded again, “I answered 1,300 pages.”
“No answer, and yet you spread dangerous misinformation,” Hirono added.
“He just answered the question, ma’am, and as he said, ‘I answered 1,300 pages of questions.’ Like what more do you want?” Gonzales says, laughing. “They’re not sending their best.”
Senator Mark Warner of Virginia didn’t fare much better than Hirono when he grilled Trump pick Tulsi Gabbard.
“Edward Snowden broke the law,” Gabbard said during a line of questioning from Warner. “He also released information that exposed the United States government’s illegal programs.”
“I’m asking whether your legislation and your words are still your beliefs? Yes or no,” Warner protested.
“I’m making myself very clear. Edward Snowden broke the law. He released information about the United States government’s illegal activities,” Gabbard responded, while Warner attempted to interrupt. “If I may just finish my thoughts, sir,” she said calmly.
“In this role that I’ve been nominated for, if confirmed as director of national intelligence, I will be responsible for protecting our nation’s secrets, and I have four immediate steps that I would take to prevent another Snowden-like leak,” Gabbard continued.
Gonzales is impressed.
“I thought that was a very poised response to the question of, ‘But if the United States government is breaking laws, is there a certain level of responsibility that someone has to disclose that to the American people?’” Gonzales asks.
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Tulsi Gabbard's nomination to serve as director of national intelligence may be in jeopardy following her fiery testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday.
Gabbard put on a disciplined master class during her confirmation hearing, but it may not be enough to secure the votes needed in the Senate. Assuming all Democrats vote to tank President Donald Trump's nominees, Gabbard can afford to lose only three Senate Republican votes with Vice President JD Vance casting a tie-breaking vote.
One of the most likely defectors politicos have been keeping tabs on is Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who voted to tank Pete Hegseth's nomination to the Department of Defense.
Onlookers kept their eye on Collins' highly anticipated interaction with Gabbard during the hearing. Despite her historic defection, Gabbard seemed to have appeased Collins.
'People are holding their cards pretty close to the vest. But that nomination is in trouble.'
While Gabbard may have cleared one hurdle, others sprung up during her hearing. Several senators, including Republican Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma, pressed Gabbard over her past support of the NSA leaker Edward Snowden. Lankford and other lawmakers urged Gabbard to call Snowden a traitor, but Gabbard refused. That being said, she acknowledged that Snowden was a criminal and outlined a four-step plan to prevent any "Snowden-like" leaks in the future.
All things considered, Gabbard performed as well as she could have. The question is whether it was enough to pull herself across the finish line.
Although Lankford previously committed himself as a "yes" vote on Gabbard, he was "surprised" at the nominee's response to concerns about her Snowden stance.
"I was surprised because that doesn't seem like a hard question on that," Lankford said Thursday. "It wasn't intended to be a trick question by any means."
Republican Sen. Todd Young of Indiana also seems to be on the fence about Gabbard. Young pressed the nominee with a similar line of questioning, asking about her past introduction of legislation that called to pardon Snowden.
"He likely endangered American lives through his action," Young said Thursday. "As a leader of the intelligence community, how do you think you would be received on some of these past actions to support or even to pardon Snowden?"
While some lawmakers expressed hesitancy, Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas put out a statement that could only barely be described as an endorsement of Gabbard.
"Article II, Section 2, Clause 2 provides that the president shall appoint officers with the advice and consent of the Senate," Cornyn said. "Having won the election decisively, I believe President Trump has earned the right to appoint his own Cabinet, absent extraordinary circumstances. Therefore, it is my intention to consent to the appointment of Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence.”
Gabbard's nomination was not the first to encounter pushback. Despite the overwhelming public enthusiasm for Hegseth, he was barely confirmed thanks to Vance's vote. As it stands, it's unclear if Gabbard has enough votes to clear all the hurdles.
"People are holding their cards pretty close to the vest," one Republican senator anonymously told The Hill. "But that nomination is in trouble."
At the same time, just because some senators are hesitant doesn't mean they are a hard "no" on Gabbard. If there is any takeaway from previous confirmation battles like Hegseth's, it's that pressure campaigns work.
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On Tuesday, Vice President J.D. Vance made the definitive case why Elbridge Colby is the right man to serve as the Trump administration’s under secretary of defense for policy. Speaking before the Senate Armed Services Committee, the vice president touted Colby as a sound mind who understands the realities of existing global affairs and the […]
Patel enters with eyes open to the bad actors that cost this nation millions in bogus political investigations.
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