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RFK Jr, Tulsi Gabbard and Kash Patel faced off with senators over past statements and conspiracy beliefs
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Donald Trump’s FBI director pick Kash Patel, Director of National Intelligence nominee Tulsi Gabbard and Ambassador to the United Nations hopeful Elise Stefanik were among a string of confirmation hearings in the Senate today.
Robert F Kennedy Jr also returned to Capitol Hill for the second of his hearings. He faced the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee to persuade lawmakers to confirm him as Health and Human Services secretary. As with yesterday’s appearance before the Senate Finance Committee, he was grilled by Democrats on historical statements he made about vaccinations and Covid-19.
The meetings went ahead despite an American Airlines plane and U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter colliding in Washington, DC late on Wednesday, with officials saying all 67 people aboard the two aircraft had died.
The president, who was fully briefed on the situation on Wednesday evening, said on his Truth Social platform that the crash “should have been prevented,” as he lamented over the victims on what he called a “terrible night”.
In a press conference at the White House on Thursday morning, Trump baselessly blamed DEI policies and the Obama and Biden administrations for the tragedy.
A frustrated Sen. Cory Booker thundered that it “would be irresponsible for us to move forward if we do not know that the future head of the FBI would break the law and lie for the president United States.”
He added: “He is refusing the transparency that he claims to adhere to. He is refusing to be direct with the United States Senate. He’s refusing to be transparent and put it all out there. Did he or did he not lie for the president? That is the question.”
Tulsi Gabbard, Donald Trump’s nominee for director of national intelligence, was repeatedly asked to explain why she sought a pardon for Edward Snowden, the former government contractor who leaked thousands of classified documents revealing the scope of the nation’s surveillance programs.
Gabbard — a former Democratic congresswoman turned Trump ally accused of routinely amplifying Russian propaganda and defending Syria’s Bashar al-Assad — also refused to call Snowden a “traitor” during her confirmation hearing in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday, facing questions from members of both parties about her past praise.
Alex Woodward reports.
Republicans and Democrats grill Trump’s intelligence nominee over her past defense of the Assad regime
A judge in Massachusetts just unsealed that there is an emergency hearing right now on a temporary restraining order on Trump’s gender executive order, following the lawsuit from an incarcerated trans woman who is being forced to transfer to a men’s prison.
Here’s our earlier reporting:
Incarcerated trans woman takes aim at president’s order rolling back protections for LGBT+ Americans
Defense secretary Pete Hegseth has given more details about the military crew involved in the deadly American Airlines crash. Officials fear as many as 67 people have been killed after the collision between the Army Black Hawk helicopter and American Airlines regional jet in Washington DC on Wednesday (29 January). Addressing the nation today (30 January), Mr Hegseth said the three military officers on board the Army Black Hawk helicopter were “fairly experienced”. Mr Hegseth said: “Not all kin have been notified, so we will withhold ranks and names, but we do know on our side who was involved. “It was a fairly experienced crew and it was doing a required annual night evaluation and they did have night vision goggles.”
Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut called on Kash Patel to object to the possible firing of the Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz.
Patel declined to give a straight answer.
“That’s the providence for the Attorney General to make, it’s not something I would participate in,” he said.
“But you know of his work, it’s been bipartisan, very thorough, competent, objective, impartial. He has been critical in Republican and Democratic administrations. Won’t you object to his firing?” Blumenthal asked.
“I think he’s done a great job, but it’s not up to me to decide who stays and goes at the Department of Justice,” said Patel.
Senator Dick Durbin questioned Kash Patel over his statements suggesting that the FBI planned the Capitol riot, a suggestion the nominee was quick to reject.
“Let me ask you about one of the conspiracy theories, one of the major ones that I’ve heard you associated with, and that is whether or not the FBI planned January 6. Why did you say that?” Durbin asked.
“I appreciate the opportunity to address that. That’s not what I said. The entirety of the statement attributes my conclusion, based on the public record, that the FBI utilized sources in and around January 6, and the Biden inspector general confirmed just that,” said Patel.
Elon Musk continues to assert his power and influence with President Donald Trump, and a new report details how the tech mogul and his allies have taken “control” of the Office of Personal Management and skipped past key officials to release an email asking federal workers to resign.
More than 2.3 million government employees were sent an email last week offering buyouts to anyone who voluntarily leaves their job in an effort to significantly reduce the federal workforce.
Ariana Baio reports.
Musk has reportedly installed several allies in the Office of Personnel Management as he seeks to significant cut the federal workforce
Secretary of State Marco Rubio says Trump’s desire to acquire Greenland and regain control of the Panama Canal are valid national security interests, fueled by increasing concerns about Chinese activities in the Arctic and Latin America.
During an interview with SiriusXM host Megyn Kelly on Thursday, Rubio said he couldn’t predict whether Trump would succeed in purchasing Greenland from Denmark or restoring American authority over the Panama Canal during his term. Nonetheless, he noted that Trump’s focus on both issues would influence the outcome.
“What I think you can rest assured of is that four years from now, our interest in the Arctic will be more secure; our interest in the Panama Canal will be more secure,” Rubio said.
With reporting by the Associated Press
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