President-elect Trump’s main cupboard nominations are in. Now it is as much as the Senate to verify them.
SCOTT DETROW, HOST:
President-elect Donald Trump has now completed making all of his main cupboard nominations. So the motion now heads to the Senate, which is able to maintain affirmation hearings. NPR’s Luke Garrett is right here with the newest on all of this. Hey, Luke.
LUKE GARRETT, BYLINE: Hey, Scott.
DETROW: Let’s begin with Trump’s decide for lawyer normal, which is now Pam Bondi as a result of former Congressman Matt Gaetz withdrew his identify from consideration.
GARRETT: That is proper. President-elect Trump initially decide Gaetz and threw his full assist behind him for the job of lawyer normal. And on Tuesday, Gaetz went right down to Capitol Hill to fulfill with Republican Senators to get their assist. However by Thursday, Gaetz stepped down. Value noting {that a} day earlier than Gaetz withdrew, the Home Ethics Committee voted to finish a report that is investigating alleged sexual misconduct with a minor and illicit drug use by Gaetz. His elimination from the cupboard is a reminder that the Senate actually does have energy right here over who Trump picks. In response, Trump shortly tapped Pam Bondi for his lawyer normal. She was Florida’s lawyer normal and, relative to Gaetz, has extra of a background for this job.
DETROW: The opposite week, we had talked about how the Gaetz nomination would actually be a key barometer of whether or not the Senate would nonetheless wield energy right here. It appears to be like prefer it did. In order that results in one other controversial decide Pete Hegseth, for protection secretary.
GARRETT: Proper. Hegseth, a Bronze Star veteran and weekend Fox Information host, had an equally robust week. He had been accused of sexual assault again in 2017, and a police report on this incident was launched and reviewed by NPR. Within the report, an unnamed girl says Hegseth allegedly blocked her from leaving his resort room and took her cellphone earlier than a sexual encounter. Hegseth visited Capitol Hill on the very day this report was launched, and right here was his response.
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PETE HEGSETH: I used to be totally investigated, and I used to be fully cleared. And that is the place I’ll depart it.
GARRETT: And right now on ABC Information, Tennessee Senator Invoice Hagerty says he is standing with Hegseth and expects him to get Senate approval.
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BILL HAGERTY: I am not anticipating something to form of see drop, as you say, or that sort of factor. What I count on is to see a radical listening to happen, to see the Senate do its work. And I count on to see Pete Hegseth confirmed as the subsequent secretary of protection.
GARRETT: Now, Hagerty has mentioned comparable issues about Gaetz, who’s now not, you realize, standing. So we’ll have to attend and see. Republicans have a three-seat majority within the Senate, to allow them to solely lose 4 votes. All eyes are actually on these Republican moderates.
DETROW: One different attention-grabbing nomination to speak about and that’s Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s decide to move Well being and Human Companies. RFK Jr. has, in fact, unfold vaccine misinformation amongst different issues. How is the Senate reacting to Kennedy?
GARRETT: Proper. Kennedy has acquired bipartisan criticism for these antivaccine stances. He hasn’t but visited Capitol Hill or met with senators. However since his nomination, he has discovered some assist or simply openness amongst bipartisan members of Congress. New Jersey Senator Cory Booker posted a video on social media criticizing U.S. meals methods, saying, quote, “meals in America is making us sick” – finish quote. Whereas Booker didn’t point out RFK Jr. by identify, this message does echo parts of Kennedy’s Make America Wholesome Once more agenda. So, you realize, throughout his affirmation listening to, Kennedy goes to face lots of questions from lots of totally different sides within the Senate.
DETROW: That’s NPR’s Luke Garrett. Luke, thanks a lot.
GARRETT: Thanks.
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