fb-pixelTrump’s Cabinet: See a recap of Thursday’s confirmation hearing Skip to main content

Fate of Trump’s Cabinet hangs in the balance following 3 confirmation hearings. Here’s how they unfolded.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testifies during a Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions hearing for his pending confirmation on Capitol Hill, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, in Washington. Rod Lamkey/Associated Press

Three of President Trump’s cabinet picks were facing Senate confirmation hearings Thursday. Director of National Intelligence nominee Tulsi Gabbard fielded tough questions from lawmakers on the Senate Intelligence Committee, while Kash Patel, the nominee to lead the Federal Bureau of Investigation, was answering questions from the Judiciary Committee.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had the second of two confirmation hearings for his Health and Human Services Secretary confirmation. He appeared before the Health Committee a day after his hearing before the Finance Committee.

Meanwhile, Trump further discussed his plans to place a 25% tariff on Canada and Mexico. The tariffs are coming on Saturday, but the president said earlier in the day that he’ll “probably” decide Thursday night whether to include oil from those countries as part of his import taxes.

Advertisement



Here’s how Thursday unfolded.

pinned

Highlights from Trump’s 11th day in office:

  • Takeaways from a wild day of hearings: Trump’s most controversial Cabinet nominees flooded the zone Thursday in back-to-back confirmation hearings. Here’s a recap.
  • A chaotic month comes to a close: It’s been a long month in the nation’s capital filled with drama, tension, confusion, and now, as January draws to a close, tragedy. But the work of governing still had to grind forward Thursday.
  • “It’s a simple question, Bobby”: During Kennedy’s hearing, Senator Bernie Sanders, of Vermont, exchanged barbs with the healthy secretary nominee, including pressing Kennedy on how press he could really “Make America Healthy Again.”
  • “Ms. Warren has an excellent point”: Senator Elizabeth Warren received some rare praise from the Wall Street Journal’s editorial page, which lauded her questioning of Kennedy during his first hearing on Wednesday.


Federal judge in Boston blocks enforcement of Trump order transferring transgender inmate to men’s prison — 7:33 p.m.

By Shelley Murphy, Globe Staff

A federal judge in Boston has blocked plans by federal prison officials to transfer a transgender inmate from a women’s prison to a men’s facility, handing advocates a temporary victory in the nation’s first legal challenge of President Trump’s executive order directing the government to recognize only two unchangeable genders of male and female.

US District Judge George O’Toole Jr. ordered the Bureau of Prisons to keep the inmate in general population at the female prison where she is currently held until he rules on her request for a preliminary injunction barring the enforcement of Trump’s order. He also ordered prison officials to continue her current gender affirming medical treatment.

“One of the reasons why this case is so important is it’s going to be horrifying for transgender women if they are placed in knowingly violent circumstances,” said Jennifer Levi, who is among a group of lawyers representing the inmate and is senior director of transgender and queer rights at GLAD Law, a Boston legal and LGBTQ+ advocacy organization.

READ MORE


Rubio defends a US funding freeze shutting down global aid programs — 5:18 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered his first public comments on an unprecedent U.S. funding freeze shutting down aid programs globally, saying Thursday “the U.S. government is not a charity.”

Advertisement



An executive order on President Donald Trump’s first day on the job ordered the funding stop and a global review of foreign assistance. Rubio pointed out his State Department has broadened exemptions from the freeze, to allow more life-saving food, medical services and other urgent assistance to continue.

“We don’t want to see people die and the like,” Rubio told broadcaster SiriusXM.Rubio said the 90-day review accompanying the funding freeze would be spent in a program-by-program review of which projects make “America safer, stronger, or more prosperous.”

Shutting down U.S.-funded programs during the review meant the U.S. was “getting a lot more cooperation” from recipients of humanitarian, development and security assistance, Rubio said. “Because otherwise you don’t get your money.”


Treasury withdraws from global network dedicated to fighting climate change — 5:02 p.m.

By the Associated Press

The Treasury Department, led by its new Secretary Scott Bessent, has withdrawn from a global body of central banks and finance ministries dedicated to fighting climate change.

Also known as the Network of Central Banks and Supervisors for Greening the Financial System, the group was formed to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, which the U.S. has also withdrawn from last week.

Treasury said in a statement that the network’s “role diverges from the traditional technical and coordinating roles of other international fora.”


Trump won’t say if he’ll keep US troops in Syria — 4:56 p.m.

By the Associated Press

“We’ll make a determination on that,” Trump told reporters on Thursday when asked about his intentions for the roughly 2,000 U.S. troops deployed to Syria to fight the Islamic State group. We’re not involved in Syria. Syria’s its own mess. They got enough messes over there. They don’t need us involved with everything.”

The U.S. had said for years that there were about 900 troops in Syria, but the Pentagon acknowledged in December that the U.S. troop levels had surged to about 2,000.

Advertisement



There has long been friction between the U.S. and Syria’s neighbors — Turkey and Iraq — about the ongoing presence of American forces in Syria and the need to keep them at a minimum level. Israel meanwhile has urged the U.S. to maintain a presence in the country.

Trump’s deliberations come as Syria negotiates a delicate moment of political transition following last month’s ouster of longtime President Bashar Assad.


Trump isn’t giving up on Egypt and Jordan taking in displaced Gaza residents — 4:40 p.m.

By the Associated Press

The leaders of both Mideast allies have flatly rejected Trump’s idea of moving displaced Palestinians from the war-torn area into their countries. But Trump in an exchange with reporters on Thursday insisted it’s going to happen.

“They’re going to do it,” Trump said when asked whether he could force Egypt and Jordan to take in Palestinians. “We do a lot for them and they’re going to do it,”

Trump does have leverage to wield over Jordan and Egypt, two strategically important U.S. allies that are heavily dependent on U.S. aid.

Trump first floated the idea last week, saying he would urge the leaders of the two Arab countries to take in Gaza’s now largely homeless population, so that “we just clean out that whole thing.”


Justice Jackson punches out her frustrations with the conservative Supreme Court — 4:20 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson has found an outlet for the frustration that can come with being in the court’s minority: boxing.

“I take boxing lessons,” Jackson told the The Associated Press in a wide-ranging interview.

The first Black woman on the nation’s highest court has written more than a few dissents, in cases that ended affirmative action in college admissions and granted broad immunity from criminal prosecution to former presidents for official actions. She says “progress is not always a forward march.”

Advertisement




Big Oil wants a lot from Trump. It has an ally in Doug Burgum. — 4:15 p.m.

By the Associated Press

While it is not surprising that the governor of the third-largest oil producing state would have a close relationship with fossil fuel producers, records obtained by The Associated Press reveal that Doug Burgum’s administration eagerly assisted the industry even as he personally profited from the lease of family land to oil companies and leaned on those connections to build his national profile.

Those relationships are drawing a closer look with Burgum’s nomination to run the Interior Department. Many of the same oil and gas companies are certain to want things from him following his Senate confirmation.

A spokesman defended Burgum, saying he routinely “met with job creators and leaders who generated opportunities for the people of North Dakota.”

Donald Trump listens as North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum speaks on stage during a campaign event in Laconia, N.H., Jan. 22, 2024. Matt Rourke/Associated Press

Trump will ‘probably’ decide tonight whether to tariff Canadian and Mexican oil — 4:04 p.m.

By the Associated Press

The president said his 25 percent tariffs on Canada and Mexico are coming on Saturday, but he’ll “probably” decide on Thursday night whether to include oil from those countries as part of his import taxes.

“We may or may not,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “We’re going to make that determination probably tonight.”

Trump said his determination will be based on whether the price of oil charged by the two trading partners is fair, although the basis of his threatened tariffs pertains to stopping illegal immigration and the smuggling of chemicals used for fentanyl.


Democrats say Republicans constructed a facade around Patel — 3:50 p.m.

By the Associated Press

They confronted Trump’s pick to lead the Justice Department with a vast catalog of his incendiary statements they say disqualify him for the post.

Advertisement



They cited his own actions and rhetoric in dozens of podcasts and books. They brought up his call for a purge of anti-Trump “conspirators” in the government and news media.

Patel said he was being grossly mischaracterized.

One 2023 book Patel authored included a lengthy list of former government officials he accused of forming the so-called deep state. But Patel denied having an “enemies list” and said the FBI under his leadership would not seek retribution against the president’s adversaries or launch investigations for political purposes.

“There will be no politicization at the FBI. There will be no retributive actions taken by the FBI.”


The confirmation hearing for Kash Patel has concluded — 3:15 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Patel received a standing ovation and scattered applause from some in the audience. GOP senators then personally greeted Patel and his family and embraced for photos.


US cybersecurity agency’s future role in elections remains murky under the Trump administration — 2:31 p.m.

By the Associated Press

The nation’s cybersecurity agency has played a critical role in helping states shore up the defenses of their voting systems, but its election mission appears uncertain amid sustained criticism from Republicans and key figures in the Trump administration.

President Donald Trump has not named a new head of the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and for the first time since it was formed, there are no plans for anyone in its leadership to address the main annual gathering of the nation’s secretaries of state, which was being held this week in Washington.

The agency formed in 2018 during the first Trump administration is charged with protecting the nation’s critical infrastructure, from dams and nuclear power plants to banks and voting systems. It is under the Department of Homeland Security, but CISA is a separate agency with its own Senate-confirmed director.


Democrats go after Patel’s support of Jan. 6 defendants — 1:59 p.m.

By the Associated Press

In one of the more heated moments of the hearing, Democratic Senator Adam Schiff called on Patel to turn around and face the Capitol police officers in the hearing room.

It came as Schiff was criticizing Patel for producing a song featuring President Trump and a choir of jailed Jan. 6 defendants to help raise money for the families of those charged in the Capitol riot.

“If you have the courage to, look them in the eye, Mr. Patel. And tell them you’re proud of what you did. Tell them you’re proud that you raised money off of people that assaulted their colleagues, that pepper sprayed them, that beat them with poles,” Schiff said.

Patel fired back: “That’s an abject line, you know it. I never, never, ever accepted violence against law enforcement.”


Senator Mark Warner believes committee will put party aside on Gabbard vote — 1:55 p.m.

By Kendall Wright, Globe Correspondent

Senator Mark Warner of Virginia told reporters as he exited Gabbard’s hearing that matters of national security are of the upmost importance and said he is committed to working with his Republican counterparts.

“This committee has been incredibly bipartisan. We all put the needs of our national security first. I want to talk to my colleagues. I have great faith in my Republican senators integrity in these great issues,” Warner said.

Vice Chairman Senator Mark Warner on a social media post advocating the pardoning of Edward Snowden as she appears before the Senate Intelligence Committee for her confirmation hearing at the US Capitol on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, in Washington. John McDonnell/Associated Press

Rubio says Trump’s interest in Greenland and Panama is valid — 1:48 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Secretary of State Marco Rubio says Trump’s desire to acquire Greenland and retake control of the Panama Canal are legitimate national security interests driven by growing concerns about Chinese activity in the Arctic and in Latin America.

Rubio said he could not predict if Trump would succeed in buying Greenland from Denmark or resuming American authority over the Panama Canal while he is in office. However, he said the attention that Trump will give to both would have an impact.

“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 in an interview with SiriusXM host Megyn Kelly.


Nominee Russ Vought advances for budget director despite uproar over funding freeze — 1:21 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Senate Budget Committee Republicans advanced Vought’s confirmation over the objections of Democrats who call him a “threat to democracy.”

Committee Republicans voted 11-0 in a rare session off the Senate floor after Democrats boycotted the meeting.

“He is a threat to our democracy,” said Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon, the committee’s top Democrat. “We’re here to say that is not okay.”

Vought was a chief architect of Project 2025 and instrumental in the White House’s federal funding freeze this week, which sparked panic in communities across the country. Advocacy organizations challenged the freeze and the White House quickly rescinded it.


Cassidy remains deeply skeptical on what Kennedy would do for vaccinations — 1:11 p.m.

By the Associated Press

The Louisiana Republican approached Kennedy at the conclusion of the hearing for a brief handshake and exchange, after once again expressing deep skepticism over whether Kennedy would promote vaccinations through the Department of Health and Human Services.

Cassidy said that his experience as a physician has showed how imperative it was to stress the life-saving powers of vaccines.


Intel committee closes public hearing with Gabbard, next is classified session — 1:08 p.m.

By the Associated Press

The Senate Intelligence Committee has adjourned the confirmation hearing for Gabbard after nearly three hours.

Next up is a classified, closed session with the nominee, where members are able to question her more in depth on issues that are sensitive and could not be broached in a public hearing.

Sen. Cotton, the chair, ended the public hearing by saying he hopes to quickly move to a committee vote on Gabbard. Some members have raised concerns about whether the vote will happen in public or behind closed doors. Some Trump supporters want it to be public so that any Republicans who vote against her will be immediately identified.


Booker to Patel: ‘What are you hiding?’ — 1:07 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Democrats are scrutinizing Patel’s appearance before a Washington grand jury investigating Trump’s hoarding of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida after Patel received immunity for his testimony.

Patel, who has said he was present as Trump declassified broad categories of materials, was granted a limited form of immunity after invoking his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination during an earlier grand jury appearance.

Sen. Cory Booker pushed Patel to explain what he told the grand jury, but Patel told the Democrat to get a transcript of the secret proceeding instead.

Booker replied: “You are free to tell people. What are you hiding from Congress?”

A judge dismissed the classified documents case against Trump last year, ruling that special counsel Jack Smith was illegally appointed by the Justice Department.


Kennedy’s hearing concludes — 1:05 p.m.

By the Associated Press


‘Bobby’ and ‘Bernie’ argue in heated moment — 12:56 p.m.

By Sam Brodey, Globe Staff

The loudest moment of Thursday’s hearing came in the last moments of the hearing : Senator Bernie Sanders, the Vermont Independent, exchanged arguments and barbs with Kennedy in his final round of questioning. Sanders attempted to press Kennedy on how he could really “Make America Healthy Again” without expanding health insurance coverage, a perennial core issue for Sanders, or without backing Democrats' proposals to allow Medicare to negotiate lower prices for prescription drugs.

Finding Kennedy’s answers evasive, an exasperated Sanders said at one point, “It’s a simple question, Bobby.”

RFK Jr. and Senator Bernie Sanders share heated exchange during HHS confirmation hearing
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. went before the Senate Health Committee Thursday as President Trump's nominee for secretary of Health and Human Services.

Kennedy began his answer by reciprocating the familiarity. “Bernie,” Kennedy said, with an edge, before attacking Sanders over a very sore spot: saying he was the “largest accepter of pharmaceutical dollars.”

Angrily, Sanders responded, clarifying that he refuses contributions from industry executives. Like the vast majority of politicians, he does not refuse donations from individual employees of those or any companies, emphasizing the distinction.

The two went back and forth in a near-shouting match, at which point Senator Markwayne Mullin, an Oklahoma Republican, complained Sanders was “battering the witness.” Sanders, speaking quietly into his microphone, registered his disagreement.

The two men have known each other for years, and had a more friendly partnership when Kennedy, who used to have a home in Vermont, was more focused on environmental advocacy.


Kennedy won’t identify the public health scientists he said could be fired — 12:56 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Kennedy was pressed about recent statements he’s made threatening to fire staffers at the National Institutes of Health and other public health agencies.

Senator Angela Alsobrooks asked Kennedy if there is a “watch list” of scientists who could be targeted for termination.

“Not that I know of,” Kennedy responded.

Alsobrooks is a Democrat representing Maryland, where NIH is headquartered. When she asked which federal scientists should be replaced, Kennedy said: “the ones who are corrupt.”

And for the second day in a row, Kennedy falsely accused NIH of quashing research into multiple causes of Alzheimer’s. The NIH’s $3.8 billion budget for Alzheimer’s and similar dementias funds researching a range of factors that may contribute to the disease.


Dems question whether Gabbard will push back if Trump asks her to break the law — 12:41 p.m.

By the Associated Press

In a round of follow up questions, Democratic Senator Ron Wyden asked Gabbard if she would be willing to refuse an illegal order from Trump, specifically regarding the role of inspector generals who the president fired in his first week back in office.

“If President Trump orders you to withhold appropriated funds from the inspector general, would you refuse that illegal order?” Wyden asked.

Her response: “I don’t believe for a second President Trump would ask me to do something that would break the law.”

Tulsi Gabbard appears before the Senate Intelligence Committee for her confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, in Washington.John McDonnell/Associated Press

Gabbard retreats from her criticism of a Trump killing in the Middle East — 12:36 p.m.

By the Associated Press

When Trump approved a 2020 drone strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, Gabbard at the time denounced it, saying there was no justification.

Soleimani had been an ally of Syria’s Assad and a top player in attacks by Iran and its allies.

Asked by New York Democratic Senator Kirsten Gilliland whether she still opposed the strike, Gabbard indicated no. It turned out that “President Trump was right,” and there was no escalation in the Middle East as she had feared, Gabbard said.

Gabbard didn’t directly answer a related question on whether she agreed with Trump’s decision to pull security from his former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and an aid who have been targeted for assassination by Iran because of that strike.


‘Mr. Snowden is watching these proceedings’ — 12:32 p.m.

By the Associated Press

GOP Senator Todd Young of Indiana said Snowden has been watching Gabbard’s confirmation hearing and that he hoped she could disavow on national television what he did.

Young referenced a social media post Snowden made earlier Thursday saying Gabbard “will be required to disown all prior support for whistleblowers as a condition of confirmation today.”

“I encourage her to do so. Tell them I harmed national security and the sweet, soft feelings of staff. In D.C., that’s what passes for the pledge of allegiance,” Snowden wrote in the X post.

Young said that this may be the “rare instance” where he agrees with Snowden and that the nominee should publicly distance herself from him despite her previous comments calling him “brave.”

She has refused to say Snowden was a traitor.


GOP senators push back on ‘conspiracy theorist’ label of Patel — 12:30 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Republican senators have repeatedly dismissed characterizations that Patel is a conspiracy theorist, extremist or sycophant, frequently citing longstanding grievances held by the GOP base against federal investigators.

Senator John Kennedy invoked the “Russia collusion hoax” multiple times in his remarks. He then asked Patel to promise to only go after “bad” actors in the agency.

“Don’t go over there and burn that place down. Go over there and make it better. Can you commit to us today, that you will do that?” Kennedy said.

Patel promised to make the agency “the premier law enforcement agency in the world.”


The Senate Judiciary hearing of Kash Patel is taking a break — 12:29 p.m.

By the Associated Press

The Senate Judiciary confirmation hearing of Kash Patel is taking a 30 minute break.


Patel sidesteps 2020 election questions — 12:24 p.m.

By the Associated Press

He acknowledged that Biden was certified as president of the United States but did not confirm whether he believed Biden had directly won that election when asked directly by Senator Mazie Hirono.

“President Biden’s election was certified, he was sworn in, and he served as the president of the United States,” Patel replied when asked by Hirono whether Biden had won the 2020 presidential election.

It is a similar comment made by others nominated by Trump, who never conceded the 2020 election and worked to overturn his election loss in its aftermath.


Patel pledges to discipline FBI members involved in what GOP sees as overreach — 12:21 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Missouri Republican Senator Josh Hawley pressed Patel on a range of conservative grievances regarding the FBI’s investigations, including of potential extremists in Catholic faith communities, people disrupting local public forums over education curricula and COVID lockdown policies.

“Once again, I can’t imagine I could have ever thought this would happen to the United States of America,” Hawley said.

“When you find out who was involved in this policy within the FBI, who agreed with it, who implemented it, who encouraged it, when you find out that, Mr. Patel, will you do an internal investigation?”

“Absolutely, senator,” Patel said, asserting that he would also discipline any agents involved and work to prevent such investigations from happening again.

Kash Patel appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee for his confirmation hearing, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025.J. Scott Applewhite/Associated Press

Senator credits Kennedy for his family’s decision to not vaccinate granddaughter — 12:16 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Two Republican senators used the word ‘

cushion’ to describe kids who get full slates of recommended vaccines.

One even praised Kennedy for raising questions about the number of vaccines children get.

“I’ll have my first granddaughter in the next couple of weeks, and my son and his wife have done their research about vaccines and she’s not going to be a pincushion. We’re not going to allow that to happen. You brought that up,” said Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama.

“As a father of six, when when my kids come out from getting their vaccines, they look like a freaking pincushion,” added Mullin.


Kennedy urges caution with anti-obesity drugs — 12:06 p.m.

By the Associated Press

He said the new class of weight-loss medications such as Wegovy are “miracle drugs.”

But he said they should not be the first, front-line treatment for 6-year-old children, and that prescriptions should include recommendations for diet and exercise.

That aligns with guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics, which recommend treating children with lifestyle interventions, diet and exercise before considering medications for kids as young as 12 and surgery for those as young as 13. Similar guidelines apply to adults.


Patel says there will be ‘no politicization at the FBI’ — 12:02 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Pressed about whether the FBI under his leadership would remain independent from the White House, Patel said investigations will only be launched when there’s a “factual, articulable legal basis to do so.”

Asked by Democratic Sen. Chris Coons about whether he would use the agency to go after Trump’s political enemies, Patel suggested he would “not go backward” and vowed there will be “no politicization at the FBI.”

“There will be no retributive actions taken by any FBI should I be confirmed as the FBI director,” he said.

The line of questioning cuts to the heart of Democrats’ concerns over Patel’s nomination. Trump repeatedly suggested while campaigning that he would use the justice system to exact revenge on people involved in the criminal cases against him.


RFK Jr. cites England’s Cass report on gender-affirming care — 12:00 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Kennedy cited the Cass report when asked about gender-affirming care for young people by Missouri Republican Senator Josh Hawley.

The report commissioned by England’s National Health Service and led by retired pediatrician Dr. Hilary Cass found “no good evidence on the long-term outcomes of interventions to manage gender-related distress.”

England’s health service stopped prescribing puberty blockers to children with gender dysphoria outside of a research setting, following recommendations from Cass’ interim report.

In the United States, the Cass report has been critiqued by medical experts for relying on flawed reviews of evidence. Major medical groups such as the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics support access to such care.


Gabbard pressed on supportive statements of Putin — 11:50 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Gabbard has often made comments in line with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s stands on his invasion of Ukraine. New Mexico Democratic Martin Heinrich pressed her on that in a brief exchange.

“Who’s responsible for the war in Ukraine?” Heinrich asked.

“Putin started the war in Ukraine,” Gabbard answered.

Republican Sen. Jerry Moran asked Gabbard if Russia would “get a pass” under her.

Gabbard said she was offended by the question.

“No country, group or individual will get a pass,” she said.


Gabbard repeatedly and pointedly refuses to call Edward Snowden a traitor — 11:47 a.m.

By Tal Kopan, Globe Staff

Multiple senators, Democrats and Republicans, asked Gabbard if she considers Edward Snowden a traitor.

Each time, she has declined. She repeatedly said Snowden “broke the law” and that she would introduce reforms as director of national intelligence to make sure whistleblowers had an avenue to raise their concerns and that she would not allow unconstitutional programs. But she would not call him as a traitor.

”This is a big deal to everybody here because it’s a big deal to everybody that you’ll also oversee,” Oklahoma Senator James Lankford, a Republican, told Gabbard, emphasizing the ways the intelligence community risks their lives thanklessly for the country. “Was Edward Snowden a traitor?”

”My heart is with my commitment to our Constitution,” Gabbard said, citing her two decades of service to the country in uniform.”When Lankford asked her again, Gabbard replied: “Senator, I’m focused on the future.”


New Hampshire senator shares emotional story about her 36-year-old son with cerebral palsy — 11:40 a.m.

By Alyssa Vega, Globe Staff

New Hampshire Senator Maggie Hassen broke down in tears while questioning Kennedy, revealing that her 36-year-old son has cerebral palsy and that she agonized over what she could have done differently when she was pregnant.

“A day does not go by when I don’t think about what I did when I was pregnant with him that might have caused the hydrocephalus that impacted his life,” Hassen said. “So please, do not suggest that anybody in this body of either political party doesn’t want to know what the cause of autism is. You know how many friends I have with children who have autism?”

Hassen then referred to the first study about autism and vaccines, which she said had been retracted and debunked. “That first autism study rocked my world and like every mother,” Hassen said.

“When you continue to sow doubt about settled science it makes it impossible for us to move forward,” Hassen said. “So that’s what the problem is here. It’s the relitigating and rehashing and continuing to sow doubt.”

N.H. Senator Hassan chokes up speaking about son with cerebral palsy during RFK Jr. hearing
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. went before the Senate Health Committee Thursday as President Trump's nominee for secretary of Health and Human Services.

Kennedy hearing lays bare tension in GOP on vaccines, science — 11:38 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Senator Markwayne Mullin, an Oklahoma Republican, animatedly chided his colleagues for scrutinizing Kennedy’s skeptical stances on vaccinations.

“We can’t question science?” Mullin said.

Cassidy said his experience as a physician has shown him that vaccines save lives. Throughout the hearing, he listened intently as Democrats continued to press Kennedy on his past statements on vaccines.


Patel says critics are misleadingly using his words against him — 11:30 a.m.

By the Associated Press

He’s accusing them of taking controversial statements he has made out of context.

Democrats are repeatedly highlighting Patel’s statements suggesting the Jan. 6 rioters were unfairly prosecuted and that the bureau helped instigate the violence carried out by the mob, among other things.

“Anyone that thinks my 16 years of service isn’t exemplary of how I would proceed if confirmed ... is intentionally putting false information into the public,” Patel said.

His remarks followed a forceful speech from Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, who said Patel’s own words are “warnings” that should not be overlooked.

“There is an unfathomable difference between a seeming facade being constructed around this nominee here today, and what he has actually done and said in real life when left to his own devices,” Whitehouse said.


Kennedy declines chance to walk back conspiratorial 9/11 post — 11:24 a.m.

By Sam Brodey, Globe staff

Senator Tim Kaine, a Virginia Democrat, angrily pressed Kennedy about his social media post from last year in which he said he would “not take sides on 9/11″ if he were elected president, a bizarre and unfounded validation of conspiracy theories that the Sept. 11 terror attacks were an “inside job” or not carried out by Al-Qaeda. Kaine, invoking his home state’s tragic role in the attacks, asked Kennedy why “now was the time to say it’s hard to tell what is conspiracy and what is not about 9/11?”

Kennedy responded by citing the “traumatic drop in trust in our government” while declining to walk back or further explain his post. He said his father, Robert F. Kennedy, told him as a child that each citizen needed to have a “fierce skepticism” of government. There is no evidence supporting 9/11 conspiracy theories, and many have been debunked at length and rejected as offensive by Republicans and Democrats, but Kennedy’s embrace of them reflects his broader conspiratorial worldview.

RFK Jr. grilled on past 9/11 conspiracy theory comments at confirmation hearing
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. went before the Senate Health Committee Thursday as President Trump's nominee for secretary of Health and Human Services.

Kennedy won’t agree that COVID-19 vaccines save lives. Here are the facts. — 11:17 a.m.

By Anna Kuchment, Globe Staff

Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders asked Kennedy if he agrees that COVID-19 vaccines are lifesaving. Kennedy refused to be pinned down, saying there’s no good surveillance system.

Fact check: Numerous studies have shown that vaccinated people are far less likely to contract COVID-19, to be hospitalized for it and to die of it than those who forgo the shots. The CDC reported in February 2024 that people who received the updated COVID-19 vaccine were 54 percent less likely to get COVID-19 during the four-month period from mid-September 2023 to January 2024 than those who were unvaccinated. They were also 50 percent less likely to visit urgent care or an emergency department for COVID symptoms, 50 percent less likely to be hospitalized and 70 percent less likely to become critically ill from COVID-19 in the first two months after vaccination. A major analysis of 21,618,297 COVID-19 patients published in 2023 found that unvaccinated people in the United States were 2.46 times more likely to die of COVID-19 than those who were unvaccinated. Another analysis from 2022 estimated that COVID vaccines prevented 3.2 million US deaths and saved the country $1.15 trillion.

RFK Jr. casts doubt on efficacy of COVID vaccines during his HHS confirmation hearing Thursday
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced his second day of confirmation hearings Thursday as President Trump's nominee for secretary of Health and Human Services.

Gabbard says she’s nobody’s ‘puppet’ — 11:16 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Gabbard issued a stark warning to the American public, trying to get ahead of aggressive questioning on her past comments and actions related to Russia and Syria.

You may hear lies and smears in this hearing that will challenge my loyalty to and my love for our country,” Gabbard said. “Those who oppose my nomination imply that I am loyal to something or someone other than God, my own conscience and the Constitution of the United States.”

She said critics are “accusing me of being Trump’s puppet, Putin’s puppet, Assad’s puppet, a guru’s puppet, Modi’s puppet, not recognizing the absurdity of simultaneously being the puppet of five different puppet masters.”

What “truly unsettles” political opponents is her refusal to be “their puppet.”


Gabbard has scathing comments about US intelligence community — 11:13 a.m.

By the Associated Press

“Faulty, inadequate, or weaponized intelligence have led to costly failures and the undermining of our national security,” Gabbard told senators.

She cited the intelligence that led to the invasion of Iraq, and what she said was the intelligence community’s mishandling of intelligence on Hunter Biden.

“The bottom line is this must end.”

She called Trump’s election “a clear mandate from the American people to break this cycle of failure and the weaponization and politicization of the intelligence community and begin to restore trust in those who’ve been charged with the critical task of securing our nation.


Republican senator calls out Kennedy’s anti-vaccine claims — 11:02 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Former Senator Richard Burr of North Carolina introduced Gabbard, outlining what he called a “coordinated effort” to “kill” her nomination to lead America’s national intelligence agencies.

“I experienced firsthand coordination to influence her nomination before the United States Senate and with the American people,” Burr said, without providing any details.

GOP Sen. Joni Ernst, a fellow female veteran, echoed that sentiment. She said “mainstream media” has not painted “the full picture” of Gabbard.


GOP allies blast media coverage of Gabbard’s nomination — 10:59 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Former Senator Richard Burr of North Carolina introduced Gabbard, outlining what he called a “coordinated effort” to “kill” her nomination to lead America’s national intelligence agencies.

“I experienced firsthand coordination to influence her nomination before the United States Senate and with the American people,” Burr said, without providing any details.

GOP Sen. Joni Ernst, a fellow female veteran, echoed that sentiment. She said “mainstream media” has not painted “the full picture” of Gabbard.

Tulsi Gabbard testifies during her confirmation hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Jan. 30, 2025 in Washington, D.C.Kevin Dietsch/Getty

Patel questioned about Trump’s Jan. 6 pardons — 10:56 a.m.

By the Associated Press

“There can never be a tolerance for violence against law enforcement and anyone, anyone that commits an act of violence against law enforcement must be investigated, prosecuted and imprisoned,” Patel said.

He has been an outspoken critic of how the Justice Department has prosecuted and detained rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021 and brutalized police.

Durbin pressed him on whether he supports Trump’s sweeping pardons of rioters who committed violence on Jan. 6.

Patel’s response: “I do not agree with the commutation of any sentence of any individual who committed violence against law enforcement.”


Bernie Sanders asked RFK Jr. to say vaccines don’t cause autism. He wouldn’t. Here are the facts. — 10:46 a.m.

By Kay Lazar and Alyssa Vega, Globe Staff

Senator Sanders demanded that Kennedy say that vaccines do not cause autism.

Kennedy replied, saying that he will look at the studies to see if the data is there.”

That is a very troubling response because the studies are there,” Sanders replied back.

Fact check: Kennedy has repeatedly linked vaccines to autism. Yet many large, independent science reviews have concluded that vaccines do not cause autism. A 2002 review of medical records of more than 500,000 children in Denmark found “strong evidence against the hypothesis that MMR vaccination causes autism.” An exhaustive 2004 review by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine rejected the claim the two were linked. A 2015 study of more than 95,000 children also found no link. Separately, researchers in the UK in 2004 investigated claims that other childhood vaccines – diphtheria-tetanus-whole-cell pertussis (DTP) or diphtheria-tetanus (DT) vaccination – were linked to attention deficit disorders or other neurodevelopmental problems – speech and language problems, behavioral problems, etc. – by studying info on nearly 110,000 children and found no evidence of a link.

RFK Jr. questioned about previous claims linking vaccines to autism at HHS confirmation hearing
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump's nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, faced his second day of confirmation hearings Thursday.

Republican senator calls out Kennedy’s anti-vaccine claims — 10:45 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Cassidy said data showing both the measles and hepatitis B vaccines were safe and not associated with autism has been clear for more than 16 years — and asked why Kennedy hasn’t taken the time to look at data that refutes his anti-vaccine claims.

Kennedy said if he’s shown the data he will recommend the vaccines — and “not only will I do that but I will apologize for any statements that misled people otherwise.”


Cassidy to Kennedy — Can I trust you? — 10:43 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Cassidy was blunt — he’s not sure if Kennedy’s claim that he’s not anti-vaccine is real.

“I’ve seen the benefits of vaccines. I know they save lives. I know they’re a crucial part of keeping our country healthy,” Cassidy said.

But Cassidy said his constituents have told him they “partly credit you for their decision to not vaccinate their child.”

Cassidy asked if Kennedy would tell mothers to question doctors about vaccines. For many, he said, that “would be permission to not vaccinate their children.”

“Your past undermining confidence in vaccines with unfounded or misleading arguments concerns me. Can I trust that that is now in the past?” he asked.


Health committee chairman shares how vaccines could have saved his patient — 10:37 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Cassidy, a longtime physician, shared a stark example of how vaccinations could have saved one of his patients.

Cassidy recalled treating a teenager whose liver was failing from a hepatitis infection — and the thoughts he had as he loaded her into an air ambulance.

“It was the worst day of my medical career because I thought $50 of vaccines could have prevented this all.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends infants receive a hepatitis vaccination.


GOP chair defends Gabbard’s background, ‘unconventional views’ — 10:30 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Cotton is defending Trump’s nominee to lead the nation’s intelligence agencies, saying Gabbard has served the US and passed all the necessary background checks for this role.

“Some of my Democratic colleagues may criticize Ms. Gabbard’s statements and actions since she saw the light and left the Democratic Party,” Cotton said. “But I sincerely hope that no one will question Ms. Gabbard’s patriotism and integrity.”

Cotton said he can only laugh at some critics who say that Ms. Gabbard has unconventional views.


Tom Cotton wants change at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence — 10:28 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Cotton’s opening statement at Gabbard’s hearing takes aim at the position and structure of the office that was born out of 9/11 intelligence failures to coordinate among the many agencies that make up the US intelligence community.

The job of Director of National Intelligence has sometimes been criticized for having lots of responsibility without a lot of power. The job involves trying to coordinate between 18 different agencies that are nestled under a half dozen different cabinet agencies, which all have their own interests and leadership and priorities.

Cotton is vowing to try to reform the office and send some of its personnel back to their home agencies.


GOP committee chair closely questions RFK on vaccines — 10:26 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Kennedy is getting tough questions on how he would lead the country’s vaccination programs from a crucial Republican senator.

Cassidy leaned his previous experience as a physician and how he led vaccination campaigns that he called life-saving.

“What will you tell the American mother, will you tell her to vaccinate her child or not?” asked Cassidy, whose vote could determine whether Kennedy’s nomination survives.


Patel’s own words are being used against him — 10:24 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Durbin’s opening statement shows how Democrats hope to use Patel’s litany of provocative statements against him.

Patel has appeared on dozens of podcasts over the years and published a book called “Government Gangsters: The Deep State, the Truth and the Battle for Our Democracy,” leaving behind an extensive record of his controversial views.

“He traffics in debunked conspiracy theories that serve or benefit his political beliefs,” Durbin said.

Durbin highlighted Patel’s comments about the Jan. 6 attack at the US Capitol. Patel suggested that the FBI was “planning January 6 for a year” and helped produce a song called “Justice for All,” that was recorded over a prison phone line, sung by a group of Jan. 6 defendants.


John McCain’s daughter comes to support Gabbard’s confirmation — 10:16 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Meghan McCain, the daughter of late Senator John McCain, was spotted chatting with Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona in the Senate hearing room ahead of Tulsi Gabbard’s confirmation hearing for Director of National Intelligence.

McCain has been a vocal supporter of Gabbard since she was nominated by Trump to be a member of his Cabinet.


Army Secretary nominee Daniel Driscoll is questioned at a delicate moment — 10:12 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Secretary of the Army nominee Daniel Driscoll opened his confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on Armed Services only hours after the crash of an Army helicopter into a passenger flight over the Potomac River.

Driscoll spoke about the many victims who died in the crash and guaranteed that he’ll be committed to make sure nothing like it ever happens again.


RFK Jr arrives for second Senate hearing — 10:05 a.m.

By Sam Brodey, Globe Staff

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., arrived right around 10 AM for his second confirmation hearing, in the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. He shook the hands of GOP senators on the dais. The panel’s chairman, Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, opened the proceeding by noting his areas of agreement with Kennedy. But he added, “It’s no secret, I have some reservations about your past positions on vaccines and other issues.” In yesterday’s Finance Committee hearing, Cassidy’s line of questioning revealed Kennedy’s relative lack of knowledge on Medicare and Medicaid, two of the most essential programs run by the Department of Health and Human Services. He is seen as a key undecided vote.

READ MORE


Grassley decries ‘false smears’ as he opens Patel confirmation hearing — 9:56 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Chairman Grassley says Patel has faced “unfounded attacks” and “false smears.” But Grassley said Patel has precisely the qualifications we need at this time when the FBI is not being respected by our public.”

Grassley is touting Patel’s background managing large intelligence and defense bureaucracies while fighting for government transparency.

“Public trust in the FBI is low,” Grassley said, repeating Republican claims that the agency has been used in recent years as a political weapon. “It’s your job to restore the public trust and return the FBI to its core mission of fighting crime.”

Members of the general public began being let into the room just before the scheduled start of the hearing at 9:30am. A large group of people wearing shirts from Moms Demand Action, a liberal gun safety group, are in the crowd alongside others wearing pro-Second Amendment clothing.


Close Trump aides join Patel at hearing — 9:52 a.m.

By the Associated Press

They include Sebastian Gorka, Rick Grennell and former Attorney General Matthew Whitaker, who are present in the hearing room with him.


FBI wrestles with a spike in sexual misconduct claims and male-dominated culture — 9:51 a.m.

By the Associated Press

The FBI has recorded a sharp spike in sexual misconduct complaints ranging from assault to harassment. Bureau leaders pledged to eliminate the longstanding problem, but an Associated Press investigation found nearly 300 sexual misconduct allegations involving agents and staff since its 2021 launch of an agency-wide crackdown.

The FBI says the numbers show reforms are working to make reporting misconduct easier. Critics say the bureau is struggling to protect women in a male-dominated workplace.

“Enough is enough,” Senator Chuck Grassley, the Iowa Republican, told the AP in a statement. The Senate Judiciary chairman vowed “to get answers and root out further FBI misconduct.”

Patel’s spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment ahead of his confirmation hearing.


Kash Patel’s confirmation hearing is underway — 9:34 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Trump’s pick to become FBI director is expected to face tough questioning from Democrats about his loyalty to the Republican president and his staunch criticism over the years over the agency he’s been tapped to lead.

Kash Patel arrives for the Senate Judiciary Committee for his confirmation hearing, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025. Ben Curtis/Associated Press

Kennedy is set to appear before the senate health committee — 9:21 a.m.

By the Associated Press

All eyes will be on the chairman of the committee, Republican Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, and his opening remarks.

At Wednesday’s Senate Finance Committee, it was Cassidy who pressed Kennedy the most. When asking him to detail his plans for Medicare and Medicaid, Kennedy responded with few answers and, in some cases, misstated basic facts about how the federally funded programs work and how many people they serve.

Cassidy’s vote is crucial for Kennedy since he also serves on the finance committee that will decide whether the health secretary nominee makes it to the Senate floor.


Watch live: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testifies at Senate confirmation hearing for HHS secretary

Watch all the hearings live.


Takeaways from RFK Jr.’s first confirmation hearing — 8:46 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Kennedy was pressed to clarify his views on vaccines, abortion and public health priorities in the first of two Senate hearings as he tries to make the case to become President Donald Trump’s health secretary.

Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee expressed hope Kennedy could help reduce chronic diseases and health care costs. Democrats repeatedly used quotes and transcripts from his books and public appearances to pin him down on several issues, especially vaccines and abortion.

READ MORE


Why does RFK Jr. get two confirmation hearings? — 8:45 a.m.

By the Associated Press

To get to the US Senate for a vote of his nomination, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. needs to have two committee hearings, one before the Finance committee on Wednesday and another in front of the Health, Education, Labor and Pension committee on Thursday.

Oversight of the U.S. Health and Human Services agencies is shared between the two committees. The finance committee is involved because the sprawling $1.7 trillion agency is responsible for a huge part of the nation’s economy — overseeing insurance for nearly half the country, funneling billions of dollars to the states for Medicaid and providing health insurance for the nation’s older Americans through Medicare.

Meanwhile, the HELP committee also has oversight of the agency’s program and agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Finance Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. KENNY HOLSTON/NYT

Who is Kash Patel, Trump’s pick to lead the FBI? — 8:40 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Patel spent several years as a Justice Department prosecutor before catching the Trump administration’s attention as a staffer on Capitol Hill who helped investigate the Russia probe.

Patel has called for dramatically reducing the agency’s footprint, a perspective that sets him apart from earlier directors who have sought additional resources for the bureau.

And though the Justice Department in 2021 halted the practice of secretly seizing reporters’ phone records during leak investigations, Patel has said he intends to aggressively hunt down government officials who leak information to reporters. He will appear before the Judiciary Committee.

Kash Patel, President Trump's pick to be the director of the FBI, center, walks between meetings on Capitol Hill, Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, in Washington. Mark Schiefelbein/Associated Press

Who is Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s pick for DNI Secretary? — 8:36 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Gabbard is a former Democratic House member from Hawaii who has been accused of echoing Russian propaganda.

She unsuccessfully sought the 2020 presidential nomination and left the party in 2022. Gabbard endorsed Trump in August and campaigned often with him.

Gabbard has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades and deployed to Iraq and Kuwait. If confirmed, she would come to the role as an outsider compared with her predecessor, Avril Haines, who spent several years in top national security and intelligence positions. She will appear before the Intelligence Committee.

Tulsi Gabbard, the nominee to be director of National Intelligence, meets with Senator Mike Rounds at the Capitol in Washington, Dec. 9, 2024. J. Scott Applewhite/Associated Press

Thursday Jan. 30

Today’s confirmation hearing schedule — 8:30 a.m.

By the Associated Press

The nominations process for Trump’s appointees is picking up pace, with some confirmed by the Senate and other hearings scheduled for more of his Cabinet picks.

Here’s the schedule for Thursday Jan. 30:

  • 9:30 a.m.: Kash Patel, FBI
  • 10 a.m.: Tulsi Gabbard, Office of the Director of National Intelligence
  • 10 a.m.: Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Heath and Human Services
LATEST UPDATES
Highlights from Trump’s 11th day in office:
7:33 p.m.
Federal judge in Boston blocks enforcement of Trump order transferring transgender inmate to men’s prison
5:18 p.m.
Rubio defends a US funding freeze shutting down global aid programs
5:02 p.m.
Treasury withdraws from global network dedicated to fighting climate change
4:56 p.m.
Trump won’t say if he’ll keep US troops in Syria
4:40 p.m.
Trump isn’t giving up on Egypt and Jordan taking in displaced Gaza residents
4:20 p.m.
Justice Jackson punches out her frustrations with the conservative Supreme Court
4:15 p.m.
Big Oil wants a lot from Trump. It has an ally in Doug Burgum.
4:04 p.m.
Trump will ‘probably’ decide tonight whether to tariff Canadian and Mexican oil
3:50 p.m.
Democrats say Republicans constructed a facade around Patel
3:15 p.m.
The confirmation hearing for Kash Patel has concluded
2:31 p.m.
US cybersecurity agency’s future role in elections remains murky under the Trump administration
1:59 p.m.
Democrats go after Patel’s support of Jan. 6 defendants
1:55 p.m.
Senator Mark Warner believes committee will put party aside on Gabbard vote
1:48 p.m.
Rubio says Trump’s interest in Greenland and Panama is valid
1:21 p.m.
Nominee Russ Vought advances for budget director despite uproar over funding freeze
1:11 p.m.
Cassidy remains deeply skeptical on what Kennedy would do for vaccinations
1:08 p.m.
Intel committee closes public hearing with Gabbard, next is classified session
1:07 p.m.
Booker to Patel: ‘What are you hiding?’
1:05 p.m.
Kennedy’s hearing concludes
12:56 p.m.
‘Bobby’ and ‘Bernie’ argue in heated moment
12:56 p.m.
Kennedy won’t identify the public health scientists he said could be fired
12:41 p.m.
Dems question whether Gabbard will push back if Trump asks her to break the law
12:36 p.m.
Gabbard retreats from her criticism of a Trump killing in the Middle East
12:32 p.m.
‘Mr. Snowden is watching these proceedings’
12:30 p.m.
GOP senators push back on ‘conspiracy theorist’ label of Patel
12:29 p.m.
The Senate Judiciary hearing of Kash Patel is taking a break
12:24 p.m.
Patel sidesteps 2020 election questions
12:21 p.m.
Patel pledges to discipline FBI members involved in what GOP sees as overreach
12:16 p.m.
Senator credits Kennedy for his family’s decision to not vaccinate granddaughter
12:06 p.m.
Kennedy urges caution with anti-obesity drugs
12:02 p.m.
Patel says there will be ‘no politicization at the FBI’
12:00 p.m.
RFK Jr. cites England’s Cass report on gender-affirming care
11:50 a.m.
Gabbard pressed on supportive statements of Putin
11:47 a.m.
Gabbard repeatedly and pointedly refuses to call Edward Snowden a traitor
11:40 a.m.
New Hampshire senator shares emotional story about her 36-year-old son with cerebral palsy
11:38 a.m.
Kennedy hearing lays bare tension in GOP on vaccines, science
11:30 a.m.
Patel says critics are misleadingly using his words against him
11:24 a.m.
Kennedy declines chance to walk back conspiratorial 9/11 post
11:17 a.m.
Kennedy won’t agree that COVID-19 vaccines save lives. Here are the facts.
11:16 a.m.
Gabbard says she’s nobody’s ‘puppet’
11:13 a.m.
Gabbard has scathing comments about US intelligence community
11:02 a.m.
Republican senator calls out Kennedy’s anti-vaccine claims
10:59 a.m.
GOP allies blast media coverage of Gabbard’s nomination
10:56 a.m.
Patel questioned about Trump’s Jan. 6 pardons
10:46 a.m.
Bernie Sanders asked RFK Jr. to say vaccines don’t cause autism. He wouldn’t. Here are the facts.
10:45 a.m.
Republican senator calls out Kennedy’s anti-vaccine claims
10:43 a.m.
Cassidy to Kennedy Can I trust you?
10:37 a.m.
Health committee chairman shares how vaccines could have saved his patient
10:30 a.m.
GOP chair defends Gabbard’s background, ‘unconventional views’
10:28 a.m.
Tom Cotton wants change at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence
10:26 a.m.
GOP committee chair closely questions RFK on vaccines
10:24 a.m.
Patel’s own words are being used against him
10:16 a.m.
John McCain’s daughter comes to support Gabbard’s confirmation
10:12 a.m.
Army Secretary nominee Daniel Driscoll is questioned at a delicate moment
10:05 a.m.
RFK Jr arrives for second Senate hearing
9:56 a.m.
Grassley decries ‘false smears’ as he opens Patel confirmation hearing
9:52 a.m.
Close Trump aides join Patel at hearing
9:51 a.m.
FBI wrestles with a spike in sexual misconduct claims and male-dominated culture
9:34 a.m.
Kash Patel’s confirmation hearing is underway
9:21 a.m.
Kennedy is set to appear before the senate health committee
Watch live: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testifies at Senate confirmation hearing for HHS secretary
8:46 a.m.
Takeaways from RFK Jr.’s first confirmation hearing
8:45 a.m.
Why does RFK Jr. get two confirmation hearings?
8:40 a.m.
Who is Kash Patel, Trump’s pick to lead the FBI?
8:36 a.m.
Who is Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s pick for DNI Secretary?
8:30 a.m.
Today’s confirmation hearing schedule