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Tag: hearings

You’re hired! Here’s who passed Congress’ Trump cabinet test and how stormy their hearings were

As of Wednesday, 11 of President Donald Trump’s cabinet nominees have been successfully confirmed to their posts.

While some, like Secretary of State Marco Rubio, sailed through – others, like Attorney General Pam Bondi saw their confirmation process marred with pointed confrontations, and deep dives into their personal lives, as was the case for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Sens. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Dick Durbin, D-Ill., (durbin.senate.gov)

MARCO RUBIO: STATE

Rubio, a longtime Florida senator from Miami, and the son of Cuban immigrants, enjoyed a relatively calm confirmation hearing when it came to interactions with lawmakers.

However, several Code Pink protesters angry over what their shirts denoted as the “killing of children in Gaza” had to be removed from the room due to outbursts.

The final protester shouted at Rubio in Spanish, to which the now-secretary remarked that his protesters are at-times bilingual.

KASH PATEL ENRAGES ADAM SCHIFF IN CLINTONIAN BATTLE OVER WORD ‘WE’; JAN 6 SONG

Rubio was confirmed unanimously 99-0. At the time, Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, was still lieutenant governor and had not been seated in Vice President JD Vance’s place.

Hegseth (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

PETE HEGSETH: DEFENSE

Veteran and former Fox News host Pete Hegseth laid a more contentious path through the confirmation process.

Hegseth earned two Bronze Stars and several other medals while serving in the Army National Guard. He joined Fox News Channel in 2014 and resigned upon his Pentagon nomination.

Questions arose about allegations he drank heavily at times and was abusive towards women. Several people in Hegseth’s orbit, including fellow Fox News personalities, rebuffed the claims against him.

While Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., offered praise for Hegseth’s confirmation – later telling reporters he clearly answered every question put to him – other lawmakers didn’t view the nominee the same way.

When protesters disrupted the hearing, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said they appeared to be from the “Chinese Communist [Party] front-group” Code Pink and upset about Hegseth’s support for Israel.

“I support Israel’s existential war in Gaza. I assume, like me and President Trump, you support that war as well,” Cotton said.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., also grilled Hegseth about his qualifications to lead America’s troops.

ZELDIN GRILLED IN CONFIRMATION HEARING

“I do not believe that you can tell this committee or the people of America that you are qualified to lead them. I would support you as a spokesperson for the Pentagon,” he said.

Critics, including Fox News contributor Joe Concha claimed irony in the lawmaker’s grilling – as Trump previously dubbed Blumenthal “Da Nang Dick” after claims surfaced that Blumenthal had misrepresented his own military service during the Vietnam War.

In the end, a 50-50 split brought on by GOP Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska joining all Democrats in opposition led to Vance having to cast his first tie-breaking vote of the congressional session to confirm Hegseth.

DOUG BURGUM: INTERIOR

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum received substantive Democratic support in his final confirmation vote of 80-17 last week. Three Democrats did not vote.

His confirmation hearing’s tenor was also mixed, with fellow North Dakotan, Sen. John Hoeven, calling him the right man for the job.

Some Democrats, including Sens. Catherine Cortez-Masto and Mazie Hirono, however, offered pointed questions about environmental issues and other concerns during the hearing.

When Cortez-Masto asked about the Trump administration repealing EV credits, Burgum said he “support[s] economics and markets” and highlighted the comparatively high costs of electric vehicles.

Burgum grew up in eastern North Dakota, near a grain elevator his grandfather operated. He reportedly met future Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer in college and later “bet the farm” to invest a quarter million dollars in 1983 in a tech startup called Great Plains Software.

He eventually became president of the company, which was purchased by Microsoft around the turn of the century.

He served as North Dakota’s governor in recent years, briefly mounting a 2024 presidential bid before dropping out to endorse Trump.

SCOTT BESSENT: TREASURY

South Carolina billionaire Scott Bessent was confirmed as Trump’s second-term Treasury secretary on Jan. 28.

With the confirmation, Bessent became the highest ranking openly gay cabinet official in U.S. history.

Bessent was born in Conway, S.C., just inland from the famous “Calabash” seafood area in North Carolina and resort city of Myrtle Beach, S.C.

He previously worked for several global investment management companies for decades, notably including a stint as chief investment officer for Soros Fund Management; led by left-wing Hungarian-American billionaire George Soros.

His politics, however, appear to greatly differ from those of Soros himself – as Bessent once called Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act “‘single most important economic issue of the day.”

During his confirmation process, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., was a noted foil.

Warren reportedly sent Bessent more than 100 written questions on subjects spanning from housing to financial oversight ahead of his testimony, according to PBS.

He was confirmed by a relatively bipartisan 68-29, with one Republican and two Democrats not voting.

SEAN DUFFY: TRANSPORTATION

Former Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wis., was confirmed in a comparatively more peaceful process than other nominees.

Duffy enjoyed a relatively cordial hearing before Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and the Senate Commerce Committee.

However, 22 Democrats still voted against his confirmation, with Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., not voting.

Within a day of his confirmation, Duffy was faced with a catastrophic midair collision over the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. involving a military helicopter and an American Airlines-sanctioned passenger flight from Kansas to Reagan National.

All of those aboard both crafts died as the fuselage crashed into the shallow but frigid Potomac, just yards shy of the Arlington, Va., airport’s runway.

Soon after, Duffy had to simultaneously handle the fallout from a medical plane crashing near the junction of US-1 and PA-73 in Northeast Philadelphia.

The doomed plane spewed jet fuel as it crashed, setting a row of homes on Cottman Avenue ablaze. Six Mexican nationals onboard and one Pennsylvanian on the ground was killed, according to news reports.

CHRIS WRIGHT: ENERGY

Energy Secretary Chris Wright was confirmed Sunday in a 59-38 vote, with one Democrat and two Republicans not voting.

The energy company CEO from Colorado told lawmakers he would unleash U.S. energy potential as secretary.

He has been a critic of climate change regulations and was endorsed by American Energy Alliance chief Tom Pyle as well as Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo. – the former chairman of the natural resources committee.

DOUG COLLINS: VETERANS AFFAIRS

Former Rep. Doug Collins, R-Ga., was recently confirmed as Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Collins saw wide bipartisan support in his 77-23 vote. In the Veterans Affairs Committee that heard his nomination, only Hirono voted against him.

Collins is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force Reserve, and will now lead the agency meant to care for veterans after their service.

“I do not come into this with rose-colored glasses. This is a large undertaking that I feel called to be at,” Collins said. “When a veteran has to call a congressman or senator’s office to get the care they have already earned, it’s a mark of failure.”

Collins notably garnered a pro-life streak in Congress, vociferously opposing the Affordable Care Act and remarking upon the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, “RIP to the more than 30 million innocent babies that have been murdered during the decades that Ruth Bader Ginsburg defended pro-abortion laws.”

KRISTI NOEM: HOMELAND SECURITY

Now-former South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem successfully made it through her confirmation hearing to become the nation’s homeland security chief.

As governor, Noem provided South Dakotan resources to Texas and Gov. Greg Abbott to help assuage the Biden border crisis.

As secretary, she has been on hand for immigration enforcement operations undertaken by Border Czar Thomas Homan, including one in The Bronx, N.Y.

Noem saw a relatively peaceful confirmation process, though only a handful of Democrats ultimately supported her.

“We must be vigilant and proactive and innovative to protect the homeland,” she said at her hearing.

“The challenges in front of us are extremely significant, and we must secure our borders against illegal trafficking and immigration. We must safeguard our critical infrastructure to make sure that we’re protected against cyberattacks, respond to natural disasters and also terrorism.”

Noem was raised on a ranch near Hayti, S.D., before venturing into politics.

In 2012, Noem won South Dakota’s at-large U.S. House seat – a GOP flip from its previous officeholder, Rep. Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin, D-S.D.

From there, she moved on to the governor’s office in 2018.

LEE ZELDIN: EPA

Former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin sat for his confirmation hearing to lead the Environmental Protection Agency two weeks ago and was grilled by Democrats on his views of climate change.

Senate EPW Committee ranking member Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island questioned Zeldin on the effects of carbon dioxide and pollutants on the atmosphere.

“Is carbon dioxide a pollutant?” the Rhode Island Democrat asked, leading to a short back-and-forth.

Later, after Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., questioned Zeldin about climate change and other concerns, a cellphone that appeared to be Zeldin’s rang loudly.

“That was the fossil fuel industry,” Sanders quipped.

Later, Green New Deal co-sponsor Sen. Edward Markey of Massachusetts questioned Zeldin on comments from a 2016 congressional debate where he said it is the U.S.’ job to “reduce reliance on fossil fuels.”

“I support all of the above energy,” Zeldin replied before Markey cut in.

In the final vote, three Democrats joined Republicans to confirm him – Pennsylvania Sen. Fetterman and both Arizona senators – while three other Democrats did not vote.

JOHN RATCLIFFE: CIA

CIA Director John Ratcliffe was confirmed by a 74-25 margin on January 23, with Fetterman not voting.

Ratcliffe previously served as Trump’s Director of National Intelligence (DNI) from May 2020 until January 2021, during Trump’s first term in office.

While in Congress representing North Texas, Ratcliffe sat on the House Intelligence Committee, and notably garnered support in his confirmation from Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate’s partner panel.

An Illinois native, Ratcliffe later became an attorney in Texas, was elected mayor of Heath, and later named by former President George W. Bush to lead counterterrorism efforts in the state’s Texarkana-based Eastern District.

Trump AG pick Pam Bondi went back and forth with Hawaii Sen. Mazie Hirono in her confirmation hearing (Getty Images)

PAM BONDI: JUSTICE

Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi was confirmed to the federal version of her erstwhile role by a vote of 54-46 – with Fetterman being the lone Democrat in support.

Bondi’s hearing was one of those that was marred by tense moments, including an exchange with Rhode Island’s Whitehouse.

Whitehouse grilled Bondi whether her Justice Department would seek to target individuals on a political basis and “look for a crime.”

“It’s a prosecutor’s job to start with a crime and look for a name. Correct?” he asked.

“Senator, I think that is the whole problem with the weaponization that we have seen the last four years and what’s been happening to Donald Trump,” Bondi replied.

“They targeted Donald Trump. They went after him, actually starting back in 2016. They targeted his campaign. They have launched countless investigations against him. That will not be the case. If I am attorney general, I will not politicize that office.”

As her exchanges with Whitehouse continued, she pointed to Kevin Clinesmith – an ex-FBI lawyer sentenced to probation after he illegally altered a FISA document during a federal probe through which Trump’s 2016 campaign had been accused of colluding with Russia.

There have been several other confirmation hearings for other potential cabinet members.

Notably, FBI nominee Kash Patel’s clash with Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., made waves last week.

Patel enraged Schiff over his reported support for January 6 inmates and his reported work in concert with the production of a song sung by the inmates that featured an a capella Pledge of Allegiance from Trump.

The tit-for-tat devolved into a Clintonian spat when Patel riffed to Schiff that his response to the lawmaker hinged on his definition of the word “we” – as Clinton had told prosecutors in 1998 that a response to part of his Monica Lewinsky testimony centered on the independent counsel’s definition of “is.”

Fox News’ Adam Shaw, Caitlin McFall, Diana Stancy and Alec Schemmel contributed to this report.

Charles Creitz is a reporter for Fox News Digital.

He joined Fox News in 2013 as a writer and production assistant.

Charles covers media, politics and culture for Fox News Digital.

Charles is a Pennsylvania native and graduated from Temple University with a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism. Story tips can be sent to [email protected].

February 5, 2025
Trump health secretary nominee RFK Jr survives heated hearings ahead of crucial confirmation votes

The back-to-back combustible Senate confirmation hearings are over.

But Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), still faces crucial committee and full Senate confirmation votes in his mission to lead 18 powerful federal agencies that oversee the nation’s food and health.

Testifying in front of the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday and the Health Committee on Thursday, the vaccine skeptic and environmental crusader who ran for the White House in 2024 before ending his bid and endorsing Trump faced plenty of verbal fireworks over past controversial comments.

And while most of the tough questions and sparring over his stances on vaccines, abortion, Medicaid and other issues, came from Democrats on the two committees, Thursday’s hearing ended with the top Republican on the Health panel saying he was “struggling” with Kennedy’s nomination.

RFK’S CONFIRMATION HEARING QUICK GOES OFF THE RAILS

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Trump’s nominee for HHS secretary, testifies during a Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions confirmation hearing on Jan. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey Jr.)

“Your past of undermining confidence in vaccines with unfounded or misleading arguments concerns me,” GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy told the nominee.

The physician from Louisiana, who is a crucial vote and who has voiced concerns over Kennedy’s past stance on vaccines, asked whether Kennedy can “be trusted to support the best public health.”

And the senator told Kennedy, who seeks to lead key health agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, that “you may be hearing from me over the weekend.”

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Kennedy faced two days of grilling over his controversial past comments, including his repeated claims in recent years linking vaccines to autism, which have been debunked by scientific research.

And Democrats have also spotlighted Kennedy’s service for years as chair or chief legal counsel for Children’s Health Defense, the nonprofit organization he founded that has advocated against vaccines and sued the federal government numerous times, including a challenge over the authorization of the COVID vaccine for children.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks during the confirmation hearing for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Jan. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey Jr.)

One of Thursday’s most heated exchanges came as independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont pushed Kennedy over his past of linking vaccines to autism.

Sanders stated that “vaccines do not cause autism” and asked Kennedy “do you agree with that?”

After the nominee didn’t answer, Sanders responded, “I asked you a simple question, Bobby.”

Kennedy replied, “Senator, if you show me those studies, I will absolutely … apologize.”

“That is a very troubling response because the studies are there. Your job was to have looked at those studies as an applicant for this job,” Sanders said.

Later in the hearing, the two also clashed over political contributions to the pharmaceutical industry, with Kennedy referring to Sanders simply as “Bernie.”

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testifies during his confirmation hearing on Jan. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey Jr.)

“Almost all the members of this panel, including yourself, are accepting millions of dollars from the pharmaceutical industry and protecting their interests,” Kennedy said.

Sanders immediately pushed back, “I ran for president like you. I got millions and millions of contributions. They did not come from the executives, not one nickel of PAC [political action committee] money from the pharmaceutical [companies]. They came from workers.”

Another fiery moment came as Democrat Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire appeared to fight back tears as she noted her son’s struggles with cerebral palsy amid accusations that “partisanship” was behind the Democrats’ blistering questions to Kennedy.

Hassan, who at Wednesday’s hearing charged that Kennedy “sold out” to Trump by altering his position on abortion, on Thursday accused the nominee of “relitigating settled science.”

But many of the Republicans on the panel came to Kennedy’s defense, including conservative Sen. Rand Paul.

The ophthalmologist from Kentucky defended Kennedy and took aim at comments about vaccines not causing autism.

“We don’t know what causes autism, so we should be more humble,” Paul said to applause from Kennedy supporters in the committee room audience wearing “Make America Healthy Again” garb.

The 71-year-old Kennedy, a scion of the nation’s most storied political dynasty, launched a long-shot campaign for the Democrat presidential nomination against President Joe Biden in April 2023. But six months later, he switched to an independent run for the White House.

Kennedy made major headlines again last August when he dropped his presidential bid and endorsed Trump. While Kennedy had long identified as a Democrat and repeatedly invoked his late father, former Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, and his late uncle, former President John F. Kennedy – who were both assassinated in the 1960s – Kennedy in recent years built relationships with far-right leaders due in part to his high-profile vaccine skepticism.

Trump announced soon after the November election that he would nominate Kennedy to his Cabinet to run HHS.

Now-President Donald Trump welcomes Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to the stage at a campaign rally on Oct. 23, 2024, in Duluth, Ga. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Kennedy, whose outspoken views on Big Pharma and the food industry have also sparked controversy, has said he aims to shift the focus of the agencies he would oversee toward promotion of a healthy lifestyle, including overhauling dietary guidelines, taking aim at ultra-processed foods and getting to the root causes of chronic diseases.

“Our country is not going to be destroyed because we get the marginal tax rate wrong. It is going to be destroyed if we get this issue wrong,” Kenendy said Thursday as he pointed to chronic diseases. “And I am in a unique position to be able to stop this epidemic.”

The Finance Committee, which will decide on whether to send Kennedy’s nomination to the full Senate, has yet to schedule a date for a confirmation vote.

With Republicans controlling the Senate by a 53-47 majority, Kennedy can only afford to lose the support of three GOP senators if Democrats unite against his confirmation.

And besides Cassidy, two other Republicans on the Health Committee – Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska – are potential “no” votes on Kennedy.

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Collins on Thursday questioned Kennedy about vaccines, herd immunity as well as his views on Lyme disease. Kenendy pledged that there’s “nobody who will fight harder for a treatment for Lyme disease.”

A 50-50 vote in the full Senate would force Vice President JD Vance to serve as the tiebreaker to push the Kennedy nomination over the top, as the vice president did last week with the confirmation of another controversial nominee, now-Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based in New Hampshire.

January 31, 2025
Trump HHS nominee RFK Jr returns to Capitol Hill for round 2 after heated first day of hearings

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Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is back on Capitol Hill for a second day of Senate confirmation hearings after a grilling by Democrats during a contentious first day on Wednesday.

Kennedy will take questions on Thursday in front of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

On Wednesday, in front of the Senate Finance Committee, which will vote on Kennedy’s confirmation, there were plenty of verbal fireworks over past controversial comments by the vaccine skeptic and environmental crusader who ran for the White House in 2024 before ending his bid and endorsing Trump.

But Kennedy’s uneven performance didn’t appear to do damage to his confirmation, as no Republican on the panel voiced opposition to his nomination to lead 18 powerful federal agencies that oversee the nation’s food and health. Those agencies include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

MULTIPLE OUTBURSTS AT COMBUSTIBLE RFK JR CONFIRMATION HEARING

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testifies during a Senate Finance Committee hearing on his nomination to be HHS secretary on Jan. 29, 2025. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)

Democrats on the committee repeatedly pointed to Kennedy’s controversial vaccine views, including his repeated claims in recent years linking vaccines to autism, which have been debunked by scientific research.

They also spotlighted Kennedy’s service for years as chair or chief legal counsel for Children’s Health Defense, the nonprofit organization he founded that has advocated against vaccines and sued the federal government numerous times, including a challenge over the authorization of the COVID vaccine for children.

“Mr. Kennedy has embraced conspiracy theories, quacks and charlatans, especially when it comes to the safety and efficacy of vaccines. He’s made it his life’s work to sow doubt and discourage parents from getting their kids life-saving vaccines,” Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, the top Democrat on the panel, charged in his opening statement.

WATCH: RFK JR WARNS THAT AMERICA’S HEALTH IS IN ‘GRIEVIOUS CONDITION’

The senator also pointed to past Kennedy vaccine comments in podcasts, including one from 2020 when he said he would “pay anything” to be able to go back in time and not vaccinate his kids.

“Are you lying to Congress today when you say you are pro-vaccine? Or did you lie on all those podcasts?” Wyden asked.

Pushing back in a heated exchange, Kennedy said the statements he made on podcasts have “been repeatedly debunked.”

And he vowed he would do nothing to prevent Americans from obtaining certain vaccines.

“I support the measles vaccine. I support the polio vaccine. I will do nothing as HHS secretary that makes it difficult or discourages people from taking anything,” Kennedy said.

Democrat Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado accused Kennedy of “peddling half-truths, peddling false statements.”

RFK JR ACCUSES DEMOCRATS OF PUSHING DISHONEST NARRATIVE

And Democrat Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, who has known Kennedy for decades, dating back to their days as law school students and roommates at the University of Virginia, told his friend, “Frankly, you frighten people.”

Kennedy was also heckled multiple times near the start of the hearing.

As Kennedy delivered his opening comments and said, “News reports have claimed that I am anti-vaccine or anti-industry. I am neither. I am pro-safety,” a protester shouted, “You lie.”

The heckler was led out of the hearing room by Capitol Police, as was a second protester minutes later.

And another protester was spotted in the audience holding a sign reading, “Vaccines Save Lives, No RFK JR.”

A protester holds up a sign reading, “Vaccines save lives,” as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testifies during his Senate confirmation hearing on Jan. 29, 2025. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)

The 71-year-old Kennedy, a scion of the nation’s most storied political dynasty, launched a long-shot campaign for the Democrat presidential nomination against President Joe Biden in April 2023. But six months later, he switched to an independent run for the White House.

Kennedy made major headlines again last August when he dropped his presidential bid and endorsed Trump. While Kennedy had long identified as a Democrat and repeatedly invoked his late father, former Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, and his late uncle, former President John F. Kennedy – who were both assassinated in the 1960s – Kennedy in recent years built relationships with far-right leaders due in part to his high-profile vaccine skepticism.

Trump announced soon after the November election that he would nominate Kennedy to his Cabinet to run HHS.

Now-President Donald Trump welcomes Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to the stage at a campaign rally on Oct. 23, 2024, in Duluth, Ga. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

In the two months since Trump’s announcement, it’s not just Democrats who’ve raised questions about Kennedy’s confirmation. Social conservative Republicans took issue with his past comments in support of abortion rights.

“My belief is we should leave it to the woman. We shouldn’t have the government involved, even if it’s full term,” Kennedy said as he ran for president.

But since endorsing Trump, Kennedy has walked back his stance on abortion. And in an exchange Wednesday with Democrat Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, Kennedy said, “I agree with President Trump that every abortion is a tragedy.”

Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, a former two-time Democrat presidential candidate, argued that Kennedy made a “major U-turn” on abortion.

Kennedy was also questioned about how he would reform Medicare and Medicaid, the massive government healthcare programs used by millions of older, disabled and low-income Americans.

“I don’t have a broad proposal for dismantling the program,” Kennedy said of Medicaid.

And he said Trump hadn’t asked him to cut the program but rather “asked me to make it better.”

Kennedy, whose outspoken views on Big Pharma and the food industry have also sparked controversy, vowed that “if confirmed, I will do everything in my power to put the health of Americans back on track.”

While Democrats may find common ground with Kennedy’s aim to shift the focus of the agencies he would oversee toward promotion of a healthy lifestyle, including overhauling dietary guidelines, taking aim at ultra-processed foods and getting to the root causes of chronic diseases, Kennedy lamented that they oppose him because he’s Trump’s nominee.

“Now they’re against me because anything that President Trump does, any decision he makes, has to be lampooned, derided, discredited, marginalized, vilified,” Kennedy said.

RFK JR LIKELY TO BE CONFIRMED AS HEALTH SECRETARY, FOX NEWS MEDICAL ANALYST PREDICTS

With Republicans controlling the Senate by a 53-47 majority, Kennedy can only afford to lose the support of three GOP senators if Democrats unite against his confirmation. During Wednesday’s hearing, no Republicans appeared to oppose the nomination.

Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina appeared to lean into the Democrats’ attacks on Kennedy by asking, “I got a real quick question for you: Are you a conspiracy theorist?”

Kennedy answered that it “is a pejorative that’s applied to me mainly to keep me from asking difficult questions of powerful interests.”

GOP Sen. Steve Daines of Montana, a chemical engineer, noted that there were several Republican doctors on the committee.

“We believe in science. I’m thankful that you do, too,” Daines said.

Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, a physician who said he had a “frank conversation” with Kennedy about immunizations when they met this month, didn’t ask about vaccines during the committee hearing. Instead, he kept his questions about federal healthcare programs, including Medicare.

Meanwhile, GOP Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin took aim at Democrats on the committee for what he claimed was “hostility on the other side. … I’m disappointed with it.”

Following Wednesday’s hearing, Democrats kept up their criticism.

“I think you saw today that he’s not backing down from any of his really crazy, loony conspiracy beliefs,” Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut told reporters.

And Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, who is thought to be one of the few Democrats who may support Kennedy’s confirmation, said, “I don’t think it went well for him.”

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But GOP Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas, who sits on the Finance Committee, pointed to Democrats on the panel and said, “I understand their concerns about vaccines. I think Bobby put those concerns to bed.”

And Republican Sen. Jim Banks of Indiana told reporters that Kennedy “did great today. I expect him to do great tomorrow.”

January 30, 2025
‘You frighten people’: Top 5 most memorable moments from Wednesday’s Trump nominee hearings

The latest confirmation hearings for President Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees were packed with fiery exchanges with lawmakers, interruptions from protesters, and tearjerking testimonies that came as the Senate works to fill out the president’s administration.

Several candidates under consideration to head key positions in the Trump administration were grilled by lawmakers during their Senate confirmation hearings on Wednesday.

The hearings were off to a fiery start with the Senate Finance Committee’s questioning of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s nominee for secretary of Health and Human Services. The Senate also held confirmation hearings for Howard Lutnick, Trump’s longtime friend, who he picked to head the Department of Commerce, and Kelly Loeffler, who is being considered to lead the Small Business Administration (SBA).

1. Democratic senator to RFK Jr.: ‘You frighten people’

During the heated confirmation hearing of Kennedy, Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., told the Trump nominee that he frightens people, specifically referring to his stance on vaccines.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trump’s choice to be Secretary of Health and Human Services, appears before the Senate Finance Committee for his confirmation hearing at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. (J. Scott Applewhite)

“Americans are going to need to hear a clear and trustworthy recantation of what you have said on vaccinations, including a promise from you never to say vaccines aren’t medically safe when they, in fact, are, and making indisputably clear that you support mandatory vaccinations against diseases that will keep people safe,” Whitehouse said during the hearing. “You’re in that hole pretty deep.”

Whitehouse then referenced a recent measles outbreak in Rhode Island as he pressed Kennedy on his vaccine stance.

“Frankly, you frighten people,” Whitehouse told the Trump nominee.

However, Kennedy pushed back on the claims that he is anti-vaccine, noting that all his children are vaccinated.

2. Protesters disrupt RFK Jr. hearing

Kennedy’s Senate confirmation hearing was disrupted by several protesters who snuck into the Senate Finance Committee hearing room.

After Kennedy told lawmakers that he is not against vaccines, one protester stood up and was heard shouting, “You lie.”

3. Lutnick gets emotional talking about brother’s tragic 9/11 death

Howard Lutnick, who was introduced by Vice President JD Vance, shared an emotional story about his brother being tragically killed during the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York City.

Lutnick’s brother, Gary, was tragically killed while working at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, along with 657 of the Lutnick brothers’ friends at their financial firm, Cantor Fitzgerald, the commerce nominee described during the hearing.

Lutnick said that he took his son to kindergarten that day, sparing his life.

Howard Lutnick, President Donald Trump’s choice to be Secretary of Commerce, appears before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee for his confirmation hearing, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

“The company was located on the top five floors of the World Trade Center. I still can’t say it without being emotional, sorry, but no one in the office survived,” he said on Wednesday, appearing to hold back tears.

“I made the decision that I’ve made enough money in my life,” Lutnick said. “I can take care of myself. I can take care of my family. It is now my chance to serve the American people.”

4. RFK Jr. refutes claim he compared CDC to ‘Nazi death camps’

Kennedy and Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., went back and forth after the Democratic senator claimed the Trump nominee previously likened the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to “Nazi death camps.”

Georgia Democratic Senate candidate Raphael Warnock speaks onstage during the ‘Vote GA Blue’ concert on Dec. 28, 2020, in Stonecrest, Georgia. (Paras Griffin)

“You compared the CDC work to Nazi death camps. You’ve compared it to sexual abusers in the Catholic Church. You’ve also said that many of them, as in the direct quote, belong in jail,” Warnock said during the hearing on Wednesday.

Asked if he stands by the statements, Kennedy refuted the claim.

“I don’t believe that I ever compared the CDC to Nazi death camps. I support the CDC. My job is not to dismantle or harm the CDC. My job is to empower the scientists,” Kennedy said. “I never said it.”

Warnock read a transcript of Kennedy’s remarks at a conference making the reference, but the HHS nominee further defended the intent of his statement.

“I was comparing the injury rate of children towards other atrocities,” Kennedy said. “I wouldn’t compare the CDC to Nazi death camps.”

5. SBA defends Trump after senator claims he ‘acted illegally twice’ this week

SBA pick Kelly Loeffler got into a heated exchange with a member of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee while defending Trump against Democratic claims that he “acted illegally” twice in the past week.

“The president has already acted illegally twice in the last 5 days. He fired the inspectors general. That was illegal, under the law. He froze all funding on Monday night. That was also against the law,” Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts claimed during his questioning of Loeffler.

Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., waits for Vice President Mike Pence to arrive for her swear-in reenactment for the cameras in the Capitol on Monday, Jan. 6, 2020. (Getty Images)

“So it’s not as though he won’t ask you to do something that is illegal and unconstitutional, he’s been doing it all week. And this is the first week,” he added.

However, Loeffler immediately came to the defense of Trump and doubled down on her support of the president’s recent actions.

“If I could just, for the record, note that these were not illegal actions,” Loeffler told the committee. “I support the president’s actions. It’s in his right to select members of the executive branch, that’s what he’s doing. And he’s certainly in the right to stop wastefully spending as most presidents do when they come in to pause wasteful spending.”

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Markey began speaking over Loeffler as she defended the president before changing the subject.

Fox News’ Emma Woodhead contributed to this report.

Aubrie Spady is a Writer for Fox News Digital.

January 29, 2025
Senate hearings for Trump nominees resume on Capitol Hill

The Senate will have separate committee hearings for three of President Donald Trump’s administration nominees on Wednesday, including former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is considered one of his more vulnerable picks.

At approximately 10 a.m. on Wednesday, hearings for both Kennedy in the Finance Committee and Howard Lutnick in the Commerce Committee will begin.

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Kennedy and Loeffler will have committee hearings on Wednesday. (Reuters)

Trump picked Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), while Lutnick is the president’s choice for Commerce secretary.

In the afternoon, Kelly Loeffler goes before the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. The hearing for Trump’s pick to lead the Small Business Administration starts at 3:30 p.m.

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Howard Lutnick is being considered for secretary of commerce. (ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)

Several of Trump’s nominees have already been confirmed, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Transportation Secretary-designate Sean Duffy.

While the Hegseth confirmation came down to the wire, with Vice President JD Vance being needed to break a tie in the Senate, there’s been some indication that other Trump nominees such as Kennedy, former Democrat Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and potentially Kash Patel will have their own uphill battles to getting confirmed.

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Kelly Loeffler is a former senator from Georgia. (Alyssa Pointer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Gabbard is Trump’s choice to be director of national intelligence, and Patel is nominated to be the next attorney general.

While the Finance Committee will ultimately vote on whether to advance Kennedy’s nomination to the Senate floor, he will also have a hearing on Thursday before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions because of the position’s relevance to public health.

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Kennedy is one of Trump’s more controversial picks. (Jon Cherry/Getty Images)

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Senators on both sides of the aisle in the Finance Committee are expected to ask Kennedy for clarifications on his past statements regarding vaccines and how he would apply his beliefs if confirmed to lead HHS.

Julia Johnson is a politics writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business, leading coverage of the U.S. Senate. She was previously a politics reporter at the Washington Examiner.

Follow Julia’s reporting on X at @JuliaaJohnson_ and send tips to [email protected].

January 29, 2025
Health experts teach Democrats about anti-vaccine claims ahead of RFK hearings

A group of Democratic senators previewed several anti-vaccine arguments during a roundtable discussion, including a claim that vaccines cause autism, several days before Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s scheduled confirmation hearings later this week.

Even though Kennedy’s name was “not supposed” to come up during the hearing, according to at least one of the health experts present at the discussion, his nomination to be the next secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) was invoked frequently by lawmakers seeking answers about how to combat anti-vaccine claims and so-called “misinformation,” including arguments about vaccines that Kennedy has promoted in the past.

One claim the senators asked the public health experts at the roundtable about was whether vaccines cause autism, a claim Kennedy has discussed publicly in interviews.

“This is something that I hear a concern about quite a lot,” Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, D-Md., asked the panel. “What, if any information, can you give us to help us push back against that?”

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Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images/File)

The doctors on the panel explained the lack of robust studies proving this link while highlighting the wide breadth of studies that have shown no links between vaccines and autism.

“Academic researchers, pediatricians, scientists took that concern seriously enough to spend tens of millions of dollars to answer the question,” said Dr. Paul Offit, a pediatrician with an expertise in virology and immunology. “The more impactful part of your question is how do you get that information out there, because frankly, once you’ve scared people it’s hard to unscare them.”

Offitt added that since there is no clear cause of autism, it makes it harder to refute claims from Kennedy and others. Dr. Joshua Sharfstein of Johns Hopkins pointed lawmakers to preeminent medical authorities within the U.S., such as the National Academy of Sciences, as places they could go for evidence that vaccines do not cause autism.

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The Democratic group of lawmakers, led by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who caucuses with Democrats, asked questions about, and learned ways to refute, other anti-vaccine claims, such as whether vaccine manufacturers are immune from being held accountable for vaccine injuries.

The experts pointed out the presence of a National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program that allows certain vaccine injury victims to receive compensation from the government, but they suggested that if Kennedy upended the current system and opened up more companies to liability, it could potentially put vaccine manufacturers out of business.

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“Am I right that the HHS secretary has some discretion about removing vaccines from that list [and opening them up to civil litigation] if they were to choose?” asked Sen. Time Kaine, D-Va. “Because if that were the case, I would obviously worry about – that would be one worry I would have and a set of questions I might like to ask people nominated for positions within HHS.”

Sen. Tim Kaine (Getty Images/File)

Other questions from lawmakers that the health experts helped answer included queries about how to distinguish between vaccine side effects versus vaccine complications, how to combat claims that vaccines are not studied enough, questions about how the government monitors the safety of vaccines, questions about how undermining vaccine efficacy can impact public health and more.

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Kennedy will face tough questions about his stance on vaccines this week during his confirmation hearings in front of both the Senate Committee on Finance and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP).

Robert Kennedy Jr. (Jon Cherry/Getty Images/File)

The chair of the Senate’s HELP committee, Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., called Kennedy “wrong” on vaccines during an interview earlier this month.

Democrats, meanwhile, have been more pointed about their criticism. During the roundtable discussion with public health experts, Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., called Kennedy “dangerous” and “unqualified” for the position of HHS secretary.

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“The bird flu, if it explodes, we’re going to need to have some confidence, especially in those people who should be vaccinated, that they can trust the government when they say that it’s safe, they can trust the medical community, and I’m just very afraid of Robert F. Kennedy’s candidacy,” Markey said.

“Say goodbye to your smile and say hello to polio,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said after news of Kennedy’s nomination to head HHS. “This is a man who wants to stop kids from getting their polio and measles shots. He’s actually welcoming a return to polio, a disease we nearly eradicated.”

January 28, 2025
Trump’s most vulnerable nominees RFK Jr, Tulsi Gabbard get back-to-back hearings

Two of President Donald Trump’s most vulnerable administration picks will get back-to-back confirmation hearings in the Senate this week.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who Trump nominated to be Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), and former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, whom he selected to be Director of National Intelligence (DNI), will have committee confirmation hearings on Wednesday and Thursday.

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On Wednesday, Kennedy will have his first hearing with the Senate Finance Committee, who will eventually vote on whether to advance his nomination to the full Senate. He will have an additional hearing on Thursday with the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), but that committee will not have a vote on the nomination.

Two of Trump’s more controversial nominees will have back-to-back hearings in the Senate. (Reuters)

Gabbard’s hearing with the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence will take place Thursday morning.

The two Trump picks were some of the more controversial administration selections. Both Kennedy and Gabbard are former Democrats with histories of policy positions that clash with what many Republican senators believe.

At issue for lawmakers on both sides is Kennedy’s history of significant criticism of vaccines and vaccination programs. For some Republicans whose states have a large farming constituency, his positions on further regulating agriculture and food production have been cause for concern.

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COVID vaccines have faced continued criticism since the pandemic. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)

Gabbard’s past policy stances as they relate to national security have given bipartisan lawmakers some reason for pause, since the role she is nominated for is critical to the nation’s safety and defense.

Both of the nominees have taken steps to moderate themselves amid the confirmation process. Kennedy has pushed back on suggestions that he is “anti-vaccine” and explained, “If vaccines are working for somebody, I’m not going to take them away.”

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Kennedy’s past remarks on vaccines have been in the spotlight. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

“People ought to have choice, and that choice ought to be informed by the best information,” he said in an interview with NBC News. “So I’m going to make sure scientific safety studies and efficacy are out there, and people can make individual assessments about whether that product is going to be good for them.”

Gabbard recently made a remarkable reversal on a controversial intelligence tool used by the government. And her choice to change her position on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act’s (FISA) section 702 managed to win her the backing of a Republican senator on the intel committee that she will need to advance out of.

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Gabbard has been nominated to be director of national intelligence. (Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images)

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Recently asked whether her change of heart on section 702 had earned his vote, Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., said, “Yeah, I am, and that was a very important piece for me.”

While both nominees have gotten some necessary Republican backing in the relevant committees, not everyone has said whether they will vote to advance the selections. And even if they are voted out of the committees, they could still face an uphill battle to be confirmed by the full Senate.

Julia Johnson is a politics writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business, leading coverage of the U.S. Senate. She was previously a politics reporter at the Washington Examiner.

Follow Julia’s reporting on X at @JuliaaJohnson_ and send tips to [email protected].

January 27, 2025
RFK Jr’s confirmation hearings scheduled for next week

The Senate committees on health and finance have announced the upcoming hearing dates for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s bid to be the next secretary of Health and Human Services.

The Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary nominee will participate in hearings with two committees, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) and the Senate Committee on Finance. The first hearing will occur next week, on Wednesday, in front of the Senate finance committee, which oversees HHS. The Senate’s chief committee covering issues tied to health and healthcare, the HELP committee, will probe Kennedy the following day, on Thursday.

Kennedy’s nomination could face opposition, even from Republicans. In particular, Kennedy’s views and past statements about vaccines have been scrutinized by both GOP and Democratic lawmakers. Additionally, GOP lawmakers have been concerned about Kennedy’s pro-abortion views that he has espoused in the past and his potential impact on the agriculture sector.

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Robert F. Kennedy Jr., center, attends inauguration ceremonies in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda on Jan. 20, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Kevin Lamarque – Pool/Getty Images)

In an interview with “Fox News Sunday” earlier this month, Louisiana GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy, the top lawmaker on the Senate HELP committee, said Kennedy was “wrong” on vaccinations. One example that has been raised was Kennedy’s alleged efforts, which he has denied, to promote doubts around vaccine efficacy during a 2019 measles outbreak in Samoa. Those efforts included a letter Kennedy sent to the country’s prime minister, as chairman of Children’s Health Defense, suggesting that the measles vaccine could have potentially exacerbated the outbreak.

In the past, Kennedy has also suggested that vaccines can be linked to autism.

“The scientific research has been done and the results are clear – vaccines do not cause autism,” Autism Science Foundation President Alison Singer wrote in a statement. Kennedy suggested to journalist John Stossel that such studies are “propaganda.”

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Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Chairman Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), left, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trump’s nominee to be secretary of Health and Human Services. (Left: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images; Right: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Kennedy’s past pro-abortion views, and what he might do to the agriculture sector in his push to implement his “Make America Healthy Again” platform, have also raised concerns for some Republican members of the Senate.

“He’s made some statements about pigs and about GMO corn and soybeans. I can’t believe that he’s going to have a problem with that. But if he does, he has a problem with me,” Sen. Chuck Grassley, a member of the Senate finance committee, told Semafor.

Following a meeting with conservative Alabama GOP Sen. Tommy Tuberville, a staunch pro-life lawmaker, the senator said that Kennedy told him that he agrees with Trump on abortion “100%” and will have a light touch on regulating farmers.

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Some Senate Republicans want answers from Robert F. Kennedy Jr., right, on his agricultural beliefs before confirming him. (Reuters)

“We talked about abortion and the big thing about abortion is he’s telling everybody, ‘Listen, whatever president Trump [supports] I’m going back him, 100%,’” Tuberville told reporters following his meeting with Kennedy.

Fox News Digital reached out to Kennedy’s representatives for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.

January 24, 2025
Hawaii’s Hirono continues partisan streak during confirmation hearings

Democrat Hawaii Sen. Mazie Hirono was the only lawmaker on the Senate’s Veterans’ Affairs Committee to oppose the confirmation of President Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, former GOP congressman from Georgia Doug Collins.

Amid the slew of confirmation hearings that have taken place, Hirono has been unafraid to poke and prod about nominees’ sex lives, and at one point she accused Trump’s defense secretary nominee, Pete Hegseth, of being willing to shoot at lawful protesters.

“Would you carry out such an order [to shoot protesters] from President Trump?” Hirono asked Hegseth during his hearing in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee, citing reports that the president asked former Secretary of Defense Mark Esper to shoot protesters in the leg during the 2020 riots in Washington, D.C., that ensued after the death of George Floyd.

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Sen. Mazie Hirono and defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth (Getty Images)

Hegseth tried to offer a response to Hirono’s question, but the senator would not let him get a word in and instead answered the question for him, “You will shoot protesters in the leg,” she asserted to Hegseth. “Moving on.”

Hirono also has been unafraid to ask each of Trump’s nominees she questioned throughout their confirmation hearings, including Collins, about unfounded allegations of sexual assault.

“As part of my responsibilities to ensure the fitness of nominees before any of the committees, I ask the following two questions,” Hirono posited during the hearing for Trump’s interior secretary, Doug Burgum. “First is, since you became a legal adult have you ever made unwanted requests for sexual favors or committed any verbal or physical harassment or assault of a sexual nature? Have you ever faced discipline or entered into a settlement related to this kind of conduct?”

Sen. Mazie Hirono and interior secretary nominee former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (Getty Images)

For Trump’s attorney general nominee, Pam Bondi, Hirono asked the same questions about unfounded sexual allegations. She similarly answered her own questions as she did with Hegseth.

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Bondi, however, clapped back with criticism of her own during the senator’s questioning, noting that Hirono refused to meet with her privately to discuss her concerns ahead of the public hearing.

Trump AG pick Pam Bondi, right, went back and forth with Sen. Mazie Hirono in her confirmation hearing. (Getty Images)

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“Sen. Hirono, I wish you had met with me. Had you met with me, we could have discussed many things and gotten to the meat [of your questions],” Bondi told Hirono as she was lobbing questions at the nominee. “You were the only one who refused to meet with me.”

January 23, 2025