Closing summary
At her confirmation hearing, Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general, Pam Bondi, pledged to end the “weaponization” of the justice department – a key Republican talking point – and said she thought the department “targeted” Trump during Joe Biden’s presidency. She refused to say that her aspiring boss lost the 2020 election, but did say that she would not order prosecutions solely for political reasons. Meanwhile, Marco Rubio, whom Trump has nominated to lead the state department, told senators he expects both Russia and Ukraine to make “concessions” to end their war, and criticized Nato allies for not spending enough on defense. Both Rubio and Trump’s energy secretary nominee, Chris Wright, had their hearings disrupted by protesters, who were removed by police.
Here’s what else has happened today:
A ceasefire deal has been reached to end the fighting in Gaza and see the release of hostages taken in the 7 October attack, prompting Trump to quickly claim credit.
Rubio warned China could use the Panama canal as a “chokepoint” during a conflict, after Trump recently said the corridor should return to US control.
Activists urged senators to reject Wright, an oil executive who has said: “There is no climate crisis.”
Democratic senators pressed Bondi for her views on Kash Patel’s ideas to reform the FBI, which he has been nominated to lead.
Tech billionaires Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg will reportedly attend Trump’s inauguration on Monday.
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Joe Biden will at 8pm deliver his farewell address to the nation, as he prepares to hand power back to Donald Trump on Monday. Ahead of his speech, he released a letter to the nation this morning that made a final argument for his administration’s policies. Here’s more on what he had to say, from the Guardian’s Robert Tait:
Joe Biden has said the “soul of America” is still at stake in a valedictory message implicitly admitting that the national divisions that spurred him to run for the White House remain unbridged at end of his four-year presidency.
The acknowledgment came in a farewell letter issued ahead of a televised speech from the Oval Office on Wednesday evening, when he will deliver his final address as president before being replaced by Donald Trump next week.
“I ran for president because I believed that the soul of America was at stake. The very nature of who we are was at stake,” Biden wrote in what is likely to be a theme reprised in his speech. “And, that’s still the case.”
The admission was an oblique recognition that Biden’s legacy – touted in a long catalogue of claimed achievements at the end of the letter – is overshadowed by the impending return of Trump, who will be inaugurated on Monday after his election victory over Vice-President Kamala Harris in November.
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Rubio says China could use Panama canal as 'chokepoint' during conflict
At his confirmation hearing for the position of secretary of state, Florida senator Marco Rubio elaborated on the security concerns that Donald Trump has voiced about the Panama canal.
The United States built the canal and controlled it until 1999, when it was turned over to Panama. Trump recently said the US should be back in charge of the canal, and has not ruled out using military force to make that happen. At his confirmation hearing, Rubio said he was concerned about China’s ability to turn the canal into a “chokepoint”, if war were to erupt:
I’m compelled to suspect that an argument could be made that the terms under which that canal were turned over have been violated. Because while technically, sovereignty over the canal has not been turned over to a foreign power, in reality, a foreign power today possesses, through their companies, which we know are not independent, the ability to turn the canal into a chokepoint at a moment of conflict, and that is a direct threat to the national interest and security the United States, and is particularly galling given the fact that we paid for it and that 5,000 Americans died making it.
That said, Panama is a great partner on a lot of other issues and I hope we can resolve this issue of the canal and of its security and also continue to work with them cooperatively on a host of issues we share in common, including what to do with migration.
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After more than five hours of questioning, the Senate judiciary committee has wrapped up today’s confirmation hearing of Pam Bondi, who Donald Trump has nominated to serve as attorney general.
The panel will meet again tomorrow to consider her nomination, but Bondi will not attend. Rather, several expert guests have been invited, including a current and former prosecutor in Florida, and a former sheriff.
The co-president of progressive advocacy group Public Citizen will also testify, along with a former assistant attorney general for national security.
Last year, the supreme court upheld access to the abortion pill mifepristone, after a conservative legal challenge that could have taken it off shelves nationwide.
But the battle over the medication is far from over, and Democratic senator Cory Booker wanted to hear from Pam Bondi if she would direct the justice department to fight to uphold its availability. She was noncommittal, but noted that she had “always been pro-life”. Here’s her response:
I will look at that policy. I was not aware of the policy. I will look at that policy. I am personally pro-life. I have always been pro-life, but I will look at that policy. I will not, not let my personal beliefs affect how I carry out the law.
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Back at Pam Bondi’s confirmation hearing, Democratic senator Amy Klobuchar pressed the attorney general nominee on whether she would be in favor of retaliating against reporters.
Kash Patel, whom Donald Trump has nominated to lead the FBI, has proposed investigating journalists who are critical of Trump. Asked by Klobuchar whether she would back such investigations, Bondi replied:
Clearly, he’s made some statements, but I haven’t talked to Mr Patel about those statements. But going after the media just because they’re the media is wrong, of course.
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Speaking from the White House, Biden confirms Gaza ceasefire deal reached
Israel and Hamas have reached a ceasefire deal that will see an end to fighting in Gaza and an exchange of Palestinian prisoners for hostages taken on 7 October, Joe Biden has confirmed.
The president is speaking now from the White House. Follow along live:
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Republican representative Nancy Mace challenged Democratic representative Jasmine Crockett to a fight after Crockett called Mace a “child” during a House Oversight Committee meeting.
On Tuesday, the two lawmakers got into a spat when Crockett, who represents Texas, called out Mace, who represents South Carolina, over her anti-trans rhetoric.
“I can see that somebody’s campaign coffers really are struggling right now so she’s going to keep saying ‘trans, trans, trans’ so that people will feel threatened, and child, listen,” Crockett said before Mace interjected.
“I am no child! Do not call me a child. Don’t even start. I am a grown woman … If you want to take it outside, we can do that,” Mace said.
In a statement to the Washington Post, a spokesperson for Crockett said: “It was clear that Rep Mace was threatening physical violence against Congresswoman Crockett as part of her performative, ridiculous meltdown.”
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Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg will attend Donald Trump’s inauguration and will be seated together, NBC reports, citing an official involved in the ceremony’s planning.
Reports of the three tech oligarchs attending Trump’s inauguration come amid attempts from Musk, Bezos and Zuckerberg to cozy up to Trump in recent months in hopes of gaining favorable treatment from him.
Musk, who once proclaimed himself to be “dark Maga”, gave $75m to his pro-Trump America Pac during the election cycle. Following Trump’s victory, Trump named Musk – alongside Vivek Ramaswamy – as the co-heads of a new “department of government efficiency”, a non-federal government body with a name that takes inspiration from a shiba inu dog.
Meanwhile, Bezos, who praised Trump for his “extraordinary political comeback”, instructed the Washington Post – which he owns – to not endorse a political candidate last fall. Amazon, which Bezos founded, has also scaled back DEI programs before Trump’s inauguration and has donated $1m to Trump’s inauguration fund.
Meta, which Zuckerberg owns, has followed similar steps, also donating $1m to Trump and halting its own DEI programs. Zuckerberg also recently announced the end of Meta’s factcheckers and instead said he plans for the company to push for more political content across its platforms.
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The day so far
Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general, Pam Bondi, is continuing to take questions from senators on the judiciary committee. Thus far, she’s pledged to end the “weaponization” of the justice department – a key Republican talking point – and said she thinks the department “targeted” Trump during Joe Biden’s presidency. She refused to say that her aspiring boss lost the 2020 election, but did say that she would not order prosecutions solely for political reasons. Meanwhile, Marco Rubio, whom Trump has nominated to lead the state department, told senators he expects Russia and Ukraine to make “concessions” to end their war, and criticized Nato allies for not spending enough on their defense. Both Rubio and Trump’s energy secretary nominee, Chris Wright, had their hearings disrupted by protesters, who were removed by police.
Here’s what else has happened today:
A ceasefire deal has reportedly been reached to end the fighting in Gaza and see the release of hostages taken in the 7 October attack, prompting Trump to quickly claim credit.
Climate activists urged senators to reject Wright, an oil executive who has said: “There is no climate crisis.”
Democratic senators pressed Bondi for her views on Kash Patel’s ideas to reform the FBI, which he has been nominated to lead.
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Bondi says she will not pursue prosecutions 'just for political purposes'
Pam Bondi’s confirmation hearing has reconvened after a lunch break, and the Democratic senator Peter Welch asked the attorney general nominee whether she had discussed with Donald Trump his desire to prosecute his political enemies.
Welch asked about lawmakers who served on the House committee that investigated the January 6 insurrection, all of whom Trump has said should be prosecuted. “No discussion about that,” Bondi said. He then asked specifically about former representative Liz Cheney, a top Trump foe and member of the committee. “We have had no discussions about Liz Cheney,” she said.
The senator asked Bondi to promise that she would not order investigations or prosecutions for political reasons – which is exactly the sort of thing Trump campaigned on doing.
“No one will be prosecuted, investigated because they are a political opponent. That’s what we’ve seen for the last four years in this administration. It will be prosecuted based on the facts and the law and fairly,” Bondi said.
“Every case will be done on a case-by-case basis. No one should be prosecuted for political purposes.”
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Trump claims credit for reported Gaza ceasefire deal
Reports have emerged that negotiators have reached a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, which will see hostages taken by Hamas in the 7 October attack released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israel.
Joe Biden has provided military support for Israel’s invasion of Gaza, while simultaneously dispatching his top diplomats to the Middle East over the course of months to negotiate a ceasefire.
But in a post on Truth Social, Donald Trump quickly took credit for the reported deal, saying it would not be possible without his election victory in November:
This EPIC ceasefire agreement could have only happened as a result of our Historic Victory in November, as it signaled to the entire World that my Administration would seek Peace and negotiate deals to ensure the safety of all Americans, and our Allies. I am thrilled American and Israeli hostages will be returning home to be reunited with their families and loved ones.
With this deal in place, my National Security team, through the efforts of Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, will continue to work closely with Israel and our Allies to make sure Gaza NEVER again becomes a terrorist safe haven. We will continue promoting PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH throughout the region, as we build upon the momentum of this ceasefire to further expand the Historic Abraham Accords. This is only the beginning of great things to come for America, and indeed, the World!
We have achieved so much without even being in the White House. Just imagine all of the wonderful things that will happen when I return to the White House, and my Administration is fully confirmed, so they can secure more Victories for the United States!
Follow our live blog for the latest on the emerging deal:
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Climate protesters disrupt confirmation hearing for oil executive Trump picked as energy secretary
Climate activists disrupted the confirmation hearing for Donald Trump’s pick to head the energy department, the oil executive Chris Wright.
The protesters, convened by the youth-led non-profit the Sunrise Movement, chanted about the ongoing deadly fires in Los Angeles amid widespread evidence that fossil fuels exacerbate the climate crisis. “Big oil profits, LA burns,” one banner read.
One activist said senators were not asking Wright hard-hitting questions about global warming. He was quickly removed from the room.
An 18-year-old protester also shouted over Wright as he was speaking. “I want a future,” she said.
Other climate groups are also speaking out against Wright’s confirmation.
“Chris Wright has been an evangelist for drilling more and exporting more US-produced fossil fuels overseas,” said David Arkush, climate director at the non-profit Public Citizen.
“His confirmation will put Big Oil profits ahead of protecting American families.”
Environmentalists are additionally protesting other Trump picks, including North Dakota governor Doug Burgum who was nominated for secretary of the interior and former New York congressman Lee Zeldin.
“These men will choose items off the fossil fuel industry’s wishlist over the good of the American people every time,” said Allie Rosenbluth, a manager at advocacy group Oil Change International.
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Asked by senator Jeanne Shaheen about the incoming Trump administration’s policy on Nato, Marco Rubio repeated the president-elect’s criticism of European countries for spending too little on defense by relying on support from the United States.
“I think it’s important to have alliances, but we have to have alliances with strong and capable partners, and not those who sort of view the US and the Nato defense agreement as an excuse to stop and spend on domestic needs,” Rubio said.
As part of his defense of demanding that Nato allies spend more on defense, he accused those countries of overspending on domestic programs and “enormous safety nets.”
“These advanced, rich countries in western Europe have enormous safety nets, programs that they fund,” he added. “We have domestic needs as well, but they’ve been able to divert funds to or grow those programs because they don’t have to spend as much on defense as we do as a percentage of our overall economy.
“And that dynamic needs to change, and I expect president Trump will continue to forcefully make that point.”
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Ukraine and Russia will have to make 'concessions' in Trump peace deal, says secretary of state nominee Rubio
Secretary of state nominee Marco Rubio has said he believes that both Ukraine and Russia will have to make “concessions” in order to achieve a ceasefire and ultimately a peace deal that Donald Trump has said he can deliver as president.
Asked about the Trump administration’s policy on Ukraine in his confirmation hearing, the Florida senator said that the US policy on the war “should be … that it is brought to an end” but added that that would require “bold diplomacy” and “hard work”.
“There is no way Russia takes all of Ukraine. Ukrainians are too brave and fight too hard. The country is too big. That’s not going to happen,” he said.
“It’s also unrealistic to believe that somehow a nation the size of Ukraine … is going to push [the Russians] all the way back to where they were on the day of the invasion.”
Trump has been attacked for his criticism of Ukraine’s leadership and for echoing Russia’s reasoning for going to war, including concerns over Ukraine’s aspirations to join Nato.
In order to reach a peace deal, Rubio said, “there will have to be concessions made by the Russian Federation, but also by the Ukrainians and the United States.”
There will also have to be some “balance”, he said, with both sides holding “leverage” in order to achieve a ceasefire and then a peace agreement.
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Bondi claims justice department 'targeted' Trump under Biden
Pam Bondi launched an attack on the justice department’s twin indictments of Donald Trump during Joe Biden’s administration, saying the president-elect was “targeted” for political reasons.
Justice department special counsel Jack Smith indicted Trump on charges related to hiding classified materials at his properties and trying to overturn the 2020 election. He dismissed both cases in November, after the former president won re-election.
“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,” Bondi said in an exchange with Democratic senator Sheldon Whitehouse.
“They targeted Donald Trump. They went after him, actually, starting back in 2016, they targeted his campaign. They have launched countless investigations against him. 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.”
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Climate activists called on senators to reject Trump’s energy secretary pick Chris Wright, ahead of his confirmation hearing today.
The hearing for Wright, a fracking and fossil fuel executive who has said “there is no climate crisis,” comes as deadly wildfires continue to devastate the Los Angeles area, killing at least 25 people.
Participants convened by the youth-led environmental justice group the Sunrise Movement chanted: “Reject Chris Wright, we won’t burn, we will fight.” They were joined by congresspeople Delia Ramirez of Illinois and Ro Khanna of California, as well as Massachusetts senator Ed Markey, all climate hawks.
“Trump decided not to appoint a cabinet, but a cartel,” Markey said, adding that he is working to introduce a bill aiming to keep fossil fuel interests out of the White House.
Despite widespread scientific evidence showing the climate crisis has increased the severity and frequency of wildfires, Wright has claimed there is no connection. He has also promised to clear the way for the continued expansion of planet-heating fossil fuels.
“We need to say no to Chris Wright and his agenda of unconditional drilling,” said Khanna.
At the press conference, survivors of devastating California wildfires spoke out, demanding senators keep Wright out of the energy department. A 21-year-old activist described a moment four years ago, when she was “choking” on wildfire smoke.
“As I lay awake, my lungs burning and my nose full of smoke,” she said, “I remembered that every decimal of a degree of global temperature rise prevented can save countless lives.”
Other climate groups are also speaking out against Wright’s appointment.
“Chris Wright is the personification of ‘conflict of interest,” said Mahyar Sorour, director of beyond fossil fuels policy at green group the Sierra Club. “As Americans from coast to coast are living with the catastrophic consequences of the climate crisis, the last thing we need is a climate-denying fossil fuel executive at the helm of our nation’s energy policy.”
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Three protesters have been detained by Capitol police for interrupting Marco Rubio’s opening remarks at his confirmation hearing before the Senate foreign relations committee.
One man yelled that Rubio had supported US “forever wars” abroad, an elderly woman complained in Spanish about his record on Nicaragua, and a third said she opposed the US policy of using sanctions abroad. In each case, Capitol police moved quickly into the crowd, grabbed the protester, and dragged the person from the room.
A sergeant at arms had earlier warned that anyone who disrupted the confirmation hearings for Rubio could face arrest under the DC criminal code.
Jim Risch, chair of the Senate foreign relations committee, began the hearing on Wednesday by warning that he was “significantly less tolerant than my predecessors regarding demonstrations or communications or disruptions during the committee”.
“This place is not a place for demonstrations or communications with members of the committee,” he said. “We have work to do the government’s work here … We’re not going to tolerate any type of disruptions, communications or anything like that … Distractions will include not only noise, but also standing up, holding up hands, signs, no one will be allowed to do that.”
If the committee is disrupted, he said that he would ask the sergeant at arms and the Capitol police to intervene.
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About 20 protesters from activist groups including Code Pink, Jewish Voice for Peace and others were first in line to protest at the confirmation hearings of senator Marco Rubio at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Wednesday, with several calling him a “warmonger” and an “imperialist”.
The protesters wore pink T-shirts bearing slogans such as “Hands off Palestine!”, “Hands off Iran!” and “Hands off Greenland!” and had painted their hands red to represent the “blood of the victims” of US policies abroad, according to organiser Medea Benjamin.
Several of those attending may be ready to disrupt the proceeding, Benjamin added, without elaborating.
One of the protesters, Adnaan Stumo, called Rubio “one of the worst warmongers”.
“He’s been trying to get us to to dominate, to invade and to carry out coups everywhere, from Iran to Russia to Venezuela to Cuba to China,” he said.
“Some of us think that Trump really has some good sentiments in wanting to get out of Ukraine,” Benjamin said before the hearing.
“But on the other hand, he’s surrounding himself with all of these war hawks, and Marco Rubio is one of them,” said Benjamin.
“It’s a mix [of political views] but we’re also angry at the Democrats of the genocide and then four years of a horrible foreign policy,” she said, adding that many were upset in particular by the US support for Israel’s war in Gaza.
“A lot of us are upset with the Democrats and the Republicans, and we think that we’re being run by two parties that are very pro-war and giving almost $1bn, almost $1tn, to the Pentagon when we have so many needs here at home, and … I think left and right come together, because that is the general sentiment in this country,” she said.
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Democratic senators have repeatedly asked Pam Bondi about controversial comments made by Kash Patel, Donald Trump’s nominee for FBI director.
Senator Amy Klobuchar asked Bondi if she agreed with Patel’s comments that the FBI’s intelligence division is the bureau’s “biggest problem”, and should be broken up.
“I have not seen those comments from Mr Patel. I would review them, but we have to do everything we can to protect our country. Again, 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 said.
Democratic senator Sheldon Whitehouse asked Pam Bondi “under what circumstances will you prosecute journalists for what they write?”
“I believe in the freedom of speech – only if anyone commits a crime. It’s pretty basic, senator, with anything, with any victim, and this is this goes back to my entire career, for 18 years as a prosecutor and then eight years as Florida’s attorney general. You find the facts of the case, you apply the law in good faith, and you treat everyone fairly,” she replied.
Bondi refuses to acknowledge that Trump lost the 2020 election
Under questioning from Democratic ranking member Dick Durbin, attorney general nominee Pam Bondi dodged when asked if she believed Donald Trump lost his bid for re-election in 2020.
“To my knowledge, Donald Trump has never acknowledged the legal results of the 2020 election. Are you prepared to say today, under oath, without reservation, that Donald Trump lost the presidential contest to Joe Biden in 2020?” Durbin asked.
“President Biden is the president of the United States. He was duly sworn in, and he is the president of the United States. There was a peaceful transition of power. President Trump left office and was overwhelmingly elected in 2024,” Bondi responded.
Pressed further by Durbin, Bondi continued to equivocate:
All I can tell you, as a prosecutor, is from my first-hand experience, and I accept the results. I accept, of course, that Joe Biden is president of the United States. But what I can tell you is what I saw first-hand when I went to Pennsylvania as an advocate for the campaign. I was 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. Do I agree with what happened? I saw so much.
You know, no one from either side of the aisle should want there to be any issues with election integrity in our country. We should all want our elections to be free and fair, and the rules and the laws to be followed.
“I think that question deserved a yes or no. And I think the length of your answer is an indication that you weren’t prepared to answer yes,” Durbin said.
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Bondi pledges to end 'weaponization' at justice department if confirmed as attorney general
Pam Bondi said she would fight “partisanship” and “weaponization” at the justice department as attorney general – an echo of language Republicans used to attack Joe Biden’s attempts to hold Donald Trump to account for overturning the 2020 election.
“Like the president, I believe we are on the cusp of a new golden age where the department of justice can and will do better if I am confirmed. 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. The partisanship, the weaponization, will be gone. America will have one tier of justice for all,” Bondi said.
As Trump’s legal trouble mounted, he and his allies increasingly accused Biden of “weaponizing” federal law enforcement. Here’s a look back at that:
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Ivan Raiklin, the far-right political operative who was investigated by the House January 6 committee for his involvement in Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election, has shown up at Pam Bondi’s confirmation hearing.
Democratic ranking member says he'll seek assurances that Bondi would reject illegal orders from Trump
Next up was Democratic ranking member Dick Durbin, who said he wanted to know whether Pam Bondi would stand up to Donald Trump, if he were to give her an illegal order.
“I need to know that you would tell the president no if you’re asked to do something that is wrong, illegal or unconstitutional,” Durbin said.
He turned to her background of supporting Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election:
Ms Bondi, you are one of four Trump personal lawyers that he has already selected for top positions in the Department of Justice. You joined Mr Trump in working to overturn the 2020 election. You repeatedly described investigations and prosecutions of Mr Trump, Trump as witch-hunts, and you have echoed his calls for investigating and prosecuting his political opponents.
This flies in the face of evidence like Mr Trump’s call to Georgia’s secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, we’ve all heard that audio recording. These are the kinds of anti-democratic efforts that in the past you have defended, and it’s critical that we understand whether you remain supportive of Mr Trump’s actions.
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Top Republican demands Bondi end 'political decision making' in justice department
In his opening statement, the judiciary committee’s Republican chair, Chuck Grassley, described the justice department as riven with politicization, and said Pam Bondi was the right pick to reverse that trend.
He then launched into attacks on a variety of investigations, some from years ago, that Republicans have claimed are unconstitutional scandals. These include the investigation of ties between Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign and Russia, and former special counsel Jack Smith’s attempts to prosecute Trump under Joe Biden.
“The justice department is infected with political decision making, while its leaders refuse to acknowledge that reality,” Grassley said.
He zeroed in on the investigation into Trump’s possession of classified documents, which Smith took over after FBI agents searched the former president’s Mar-a-Lago resort in 2022:
Then we get to special counsel, Jack Smith and his lawfare operation. It involved an unprecedented FBI raid on Trump’s house, including agents that even searched the former first lady’s clothing drawers. Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden certainly did not receive the same treatment by government regarding their records, indeed, as my oversight exposed.
Grassley closed with:
Ms Bondi, should you be confirmed, the actions you take to change the department’s course must be for accountability, so that the conduct I just described never happens again. The only way to accomplish this is through transparency for the Congress and the American people.
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Senate judiciary committee chair Chuck Grassley is running through Pam Bondi’s resume as a prosecutor at the start of her confirmation hearing for attorney general.
The hearing room is mainly full but there are some spare seats, which reflects the fact that Bondi is one of Trump’s least controversial nominees and has not generated the same immense interest for Trump’s defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth yesterday.
The Senate judiciary committee has gaveled in its confirmation hearing for attorney general-nominee Pam Bondi, with Republican chair Chuck Grassley delivering his opening remarks.
We will next hear the opening statement from Democratic ranking member Dick Durbin, who told CNN earlier today that when he gets his turn to question Bondi, he will attempt to decipher her views on Trump’s denial of his election defeat in 2020:
I’ll ask her some basic questions on some Maga dogma. For example, did Trump actually win or lose the election in 2020? As his lawyer, she said he didn’t lose, but I think the facts have shown otherwise. Did she learn anything from that experience? Is she willing to tell us that he lost that election? There are questions like that that need to be asked and answered under oath.
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Senate judiciary committee to hold confirmation hearing for Trump's attorney general nominee Pam Bondi
Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general Pam Bondi is set to soon appear before the Senate judiciary committee for the first day of her confirmation hearings.
The former Florida attorney general has voiced support for Trump’s baseless claims that fraud was the cause of his re-election defeat in 2020. The president-elect nominated her to lead the justice department after his first choice, former congressman Matt Gaetz, bowed out amid reports of his sexual misconduct.
Bondi will take more questions from senators tomorrow. Follow along as we cover today’s hearing live.
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Republican senator and combat veteran Joni Ernst's endorsement of Pete Hegseth expected to ensure his confirmation as Pentagon chief
Joni Ernst saw combat as an army national guard soldier in Iraq, and now represents Iowa in the Senate. The Republican was an early holdout to former Fox News host Pete Hegseth’s nomination to lead the Pentagon, since he has publicly said that women should not serve in military combat roles.
Hegseth walked that stance back at his confirmation hearing yesterday, and in a statement released last night, Ernst confirmed she will vote for him:
After four years of weakness in the White House, Americans deserve a strong Secretary of Defense. Our next commander in chief selected Pete Hegseth to serve in this role, and after our conversations, hearing from Iowans, and doing my job as a United States Senator, I will support President Trump’s pick for Secretary of Defense. As I serve on the Armed Services Committee, I will work with Pete to create the most lethal fighting force and hold him to his commitments of auditing the Pentagon, ensuring opportunity for women in combat while maintaining high standards, and selecting a senior official to address and prevent sexual assault in the ranks.
Democrats at the hearing tried to steer the attention of lawmakers towards the allegation of sexual assault made against Hegseth, which he denies, as well as stories that he drank to excess and mismanaged the finances of two veterans charities. None of those reports appeared to sway Republicans, and Ernst’s endorsement is widely viewed as giving him the votes he needs to win Senate confirmation.
Here’s a look back at yesterday’s hearing:
Trump's attorney general pick Pam Bondi to face senators as key Republican says she'll back controversial Pentagon nominee
Good morning, US politics blog readers. A battery of Donald Trump’s nominees for cabinet are going before senators today, including South Dakota governor Kristi Noem to lead the homeland security department, senator Marco Rubio for secretary of state and former congressman and intelligence official John Ratcliffe as director of the CIA. But the marquee event of the day will be former Florida attorney general Pam Bondi’s confirmation hearing to lead the justice department, a role in which she could make good on Trump’s promises to retaliate against his political enemies. Bondi voiced support for Trump’s baseless claims of fraud in the 2020 election, and you can expect Democratic senators to demand answers about whether she would bring election denialism into the justice department, if confirmed.
Meanwhile, it appears that Pete Hegseth, the former Fox News host who Trump nominated to serve as his defense secretary, won over a key Republican senator in his tense confirmation hearing yesterday. Iowa’s Joni Ernst has announced that she will support Hegseth, after expressing hesitation over comments he had made opposing women serving in combat roles. Hegseth has been dogged by a sexual assault allegation and reports of excessive drinking and financial mismanagement, but Ernst’s endorsement is seen as a major step to winning over other Republicans wary of installing him at the Pentagon.
Here’s what else is going on today:
Joe Biden will deliver his farewell address to the nation from the Oval Office at 8pm.
Inflation, the politically damaging economic trend Trump vowed to reverse, came in slightly higher than expected in December, according to just-released consumer price data from the labor department.
Dangerous winds are expected to strike fire-ravaged parts of Southern California again, threatening new blazes. Follow our live blog for more.