Bondi faces confirmation hearings alongside nominees Kristi Noem, Marco Rubio and CIA pick John Ratcliffe; Joni Ernst signals support for Pentagon pick
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.
