Keynote speeches as Trump’s nominees face US Senate confirmation hearings | Donald Trump news

For the second day in a row, the US Senate evaluated the candidates for the main positions of President-elect Donald Trump. cabinetgrills candidates based on their backgrounds and qualifications.

It was a busy day for the Senate on Wednesday as hearings were held for six Trump nominees, including senatorial heavyweights. Marco Rubio – his choice to be secretary of state – and Pam Bondi nominated for attorney general.

The hearings come as Republican leaders in Congress hope to give Trump a strong start to his second term, which begins Monday.

Senior cabinet positions require Senate confirmation, and Republicans hold 53 seats and Democrats 45.

Still, the contending candidates will need every vote possible to succeed in their nominations. For example, the day before Wednesday’s hearings, there were heated proceedings as senators pressed Pete Hegseth, Trump’s pick for defense secretary, over allegations of heavy drinking and sexual assault.

Here are some highlights from his testimony before the Senate on Wednesday.

Rubio is on a rampage

During his statement, I. RubioThe U.S. senator from Florida has vowed to put the interests of the United States “above anything and everything” if he is named secretary of state.

Rubio has also acted as a foreign policy hawk, calling China the “biggest threat” the United States faces in the 21st century.

“If we don’t change course, we’re going to live in a world where most of the things that matter to us on a daily basis — from our security to our health — will depend on whether or not the Chinese will let us,” Rubio said.

He added that China had “repressed, lied, cheated, hacked and stolen (itself) into global superpower status.”

Wednesday’s remarks were in line with Rubio’s hostile approach to US rivals.

However, he praised US allies such as NATO, offering a counterpoint to Trump’s own more aggressive stance.

“The NATO alliance is a very important alliance. I believe it,” he said.

“There is no end to the cold war without the NATO alliance. In fact, it is entirely possible that much of what we know as Europe today would have been a victim of aggression without the NATO alliance.”

But he reiterated Trump’s position that other NATO allies should “contribute more to their defense” and rely less on US support.

Ratcliffe professes no political bias

In a separate hearing, John RatcliffeTrump’s leadership of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has assured lawmakers that he will not prosecute members of the intelligence community for insufficient loyalty to Trump.

Ratcliffe said of his goals as CIA director: “We will produce in-depth, objective, comprehensive analyzes that will never allow political or personal bias to cloud our judgment or infect our products.”

Ratcliffe, a former federal prosecutor, previously served as the first director of national intelligence (DNI) during Trump’s 2017-2021 presidency.

Like Rubio, Ratcliffe is expected to go through the confirmation process. But senators expressed concern that Trump’s top law enforcement picks could use their powers for political purposes.

Ratcliffe has previously vowed to “purge the corrupt for our national security and intelligence apparatus”.

On Wednesday, he faced a direct question about whether the process would exclude workers based on political preferences.

“Would you or any of your staff apply a political litmus test for CIA employees?” Senator Angus King asked.

“No,” said Ratcliffe. He insisted that firing staff for their views was “something I would never do”.

Bondi Smith evades the questions of the investigation

Given the president-elect’s long history of statements insisting he will prosecute political opponents in his second term, Trump’s pick for attorney general is expected to be one of the most controversial.

It put Bondi under the microscope during a Senate hearing on Wednesday.

He tried to remove this concern by saying that “politics should be removed from this system”.

“No one should be prosecuted for political purposes,” he said. As head of the Justice Department, he would become the federal government’s attorney general.

But when pressed about whether to open investigations against specific individuals, such as the former Special Counsel Jack SmithBondi declined to give specific answers.

“It would be irresponsible for me to make any kind of commitment,” he said when asked about Smith, who has filed two criminal charges against Trump.

Bondi has previously repeated Trump’s false claims that the 2020 election was stolen through massive fraud and voting irregularities.

On Wednesday, he said he would evaluate potential pardons “on a case-by-case basis” for people involved in the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Duffy will demand accountability from Boeing

In a relatively subdued statement, Trump’s pick for transportation secretary, Sean Duffy, said he would look for a way to pay for road repairs that are largely funded by gasoline taxes on electric vehicles (EVs).

He also confirmed this BoeingAmerica’s top aircraft manufacturer needed “tough love” to meet adequate safety standards.

“I think we need to make sure they implement the safety plan,” Duffy said, adding that the aerospace company needs to “restore global confidence” in its brand.

The comments come as Boeing faces continued scrutiny after a string of safety incidents in 2024. fraud accusations.

“We need to push (the Federal Aviation Administration) to make sure they implement their safety plan,” said Duffy, a former lobbyist, TV personality and member of the U.S. House of Representatives.