[Here is the article:
Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees for key roles in the intelligence, foreign policy, and law enforcement agencies all pledged to keep politics out of their offices amid concerns from Democrats that the president-elect will carry out his vows to go after his political enemies once in office.
Trump’s nominee for attorney general, Pam Bondi, repeatedly insisted she would not allow politics to infect her Justice Department – accusing President Joe Biden’s DOJ of being responsible for politicizing law enforcement against Trump.
Bondi’s confirmation hearing was a contentious one, with Democratic senators pressing her on her ability to stand up to Trump, who has said he has an “absolute right” to be involved in Justice Department matters. The senators also questioned her about her views on the 2020 election and her willingness to investigate figures Trump has suggested should be jailed, including special counsel Jack Smith and former Rep. Liz Cheney.
In addition to Bondi, several other Cabinet nominees testified before the Senate on Wednesday, including John Ratcliffe, Trump’s pick for CIA director, who pledged not to politicize his work and the intelligence that’s produced in the Trump administration. Marco Rubio, Trump’s nominee for State Department secretary, also testified, with some senators expressing concerns about his willingness to commit to supporting NATO, an alliance Trump has often questioned.
Despite the contentiousness of some of the confirmation hearings, some Democratic senators expressed optimism about the nominees, with Sen. John Hickenlooper of Colorado introducing Trump’s energy secretary nominee, Chris Wright, as a “well-qualified” and “independent thinker.” Meanwhile, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island pressed Bondi on the Trump administration’s plans for pardons and the preservation of evidence from special counsel investigations.
Across the Capitol complex, several additional Trump Cabinet picks testified, including Chris Wright, the Trump’s energy secretary nominee, who stood by his past social media comments that “the hype over wildfires is just hype” to justify climate policies he views as detrimental. Trump’s transportation secretary nominee, former Rep. Sean Duffy, also testified, vowing to restore “global confidence in Boeing” and discussing his priorities, including funding for Amtrak and transparency on mysterious drones over New Jersey.
Source link
