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Senate advances nomination of Kash Patel, Trump’s pick for FBI director

The Senate voted Tuesday along party lines to advance the nomination of Kash Patel, President Donald Trump’s pick for FBI director, clearing a procedural hurdle to set up a final vote on the controversial Trump ally to lead the federal law enforcement agency.

Lawmakers in the Upper Chamber voted 48-45 to advance Patel’s nomination, as Democrats hold concerns that he would operate as a loyalist for the president and target the administration’s political enemies.

This sets up a final confirmation vote later in the week. Some of Trump’s other more controversial picks — including new Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — have received enough support from Republican lawmakers seeking to fall in line to push the president’s agenda.

KASH PATEL’S NOMINATION TO LEAD FBI CLEARS FIRST MAJOR SENATE HURDLE

Kash Patel, President Donald Trump’s choice to be director of the FBI, appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee for his confirmation hearing, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

A former intelligence and Defense Department official in Trump’s first term, Patel has supported reshaping the FBI, including by expanding its role to carry out Trump’s mission targeting immigration.

He has been a vocal critic of past FBI investigations into Trump, including on Trump’s mishandling of classified documents, his attempts to overturn the 2020 election and debunked allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Patel has been panned for his lack of management experience compared to past FBI directors and for his many incendiary past statements, including calling investigators who probed Trump “government gangsters” and claiming that at least some defendants charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot were “political prisoners.”

Kash Patel, President Donald Trump’s choice to be director of the FBI, appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee for his confirmation hearing, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Democrats have also criticized Patel for supporting false claims about voter fraud in the 2020 election and his refusal to affirm that former President Joe Biden defeated Trump in that year’s election. But Patel has still received support from many Republicans, including moderates.

“I’ve spoken to multiple people I respect about Kash Patel this weekend—both for and against. The ones who worked closely with Kash vouched for him. I will vote for his confirmation,” Louisiana GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy said Tuesday on X.

PATEL CAMP DECRIES DURBIN ACCUSATIONS AS ‘POLITICALLY MOTIVATED’ ATTEMPT TO DERAIL FBI CONFIRMATION

Kash Patel, President Donald Trump’s choice to be director of the FBI, appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee for his confirmation hearing, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

Patel said at his confirmation hearing last month that Democrats were taking some of his comments out of context or misunderstanding his point, including when he proposed shutting down the FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C. and turning it into a museum for the “deep state.” Patel also denied the accusation that his book’s inclusion of a list of government officials who he claimed were part of the “deep state” constituted an “enemies list,” pushing back on that allegation as a “total mischaracterization.”

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The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 12-10 along party lines last week to advance his nomination to the full Senate.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

February 19, 2025
Duke star Cooper Flagg, projected to be No. 1 pick in NBA Draft, makes surprise admission about future

Cooper Flagg could very likely hold more than his own weight in the NBA today, but by rule, he must be one year removed from high school before going pro.

So, he opted to go to Duke, and while most are predicting he’s a one-and-done, that may actually not be the case.

In a recent interview with “The Athletic,” Flagg, projected to be the No. 1 selection in this summer’s NBA Draft, made a stunning proclamation about his basketball future.

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Duke Blue Devils guard Cooper Flagg (2) looks on prior to the game against the Syracuse Orange at the JMA Wireless Dome.

“S—, I want to come back next year,” the freshman said.

“I still feel like a kid,” he continued. “This is the only way I’ve ever known college. That’s how I see it. I really wouldn’t know how kids felt before, and if this feels different, if this feels more like being a professional. I mean, it’s the same thing for kids in high school, too, getting paid a lot of money. I don’t know. I feel pretty normal.”

The 6’9″ forward has been dominating as part of the No. 4 team in the country, averaging 19.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per contest. He’s started all of his 24 games played this season, shooting 48.3% from the floor and 37.0% from deep.

Duke’s Cooper Flagg (2) drives as Wake Forest’s Tre’Von Spillers (25) defends during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Winston-Salem, N.C., Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown)

2025 NCAA TOURNAMENT PROJECTIONS: TOP OVERALL SEED ON THE LINE WITH AUBURN-ALABAMA

Flagg actually started the college season as a 17-year-old, turning 18 just four days before Christmas. (He reclassified to graduate high school a year early.) He was the highest-rated recruit for the class of 2024 and received a Division I offer from Bryant before even completing middle school.

The Newport, Maine, native attended the Montverde Academy in Florida after playing his freshman year at Falmouth High School in his home state.

Duke’s Cooper Flagg (2) high-fives head coach Jon Scheyer, right, during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against North Carolina State in Durham, N.C., Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown)

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It is rather uncommon for top NBA prospects to spend more than one year in college nowadays, but perhaps NIL has changed the game. Yet again, it is fun to stay young, as Flagg feels.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

February 15, 2025
Trump Agriculture pick Brooke Rollins confirmed by Senate

President Donald Trump secured two more Cabinet confirmations on Thursday, including his pick to lead the Department of Agriculture (USDA), Brooke Rollins.

Rollins was easily confirmed by the Senate shortly after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was confirmed as Trump’s Health secretary.

Most recently, Rollins has served as president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) think tank, which she co-founded after Trump’s first term.

In Trump’s first administration, she was his director of the Office of American Innovation and acting director of the Domestic Policy Council.

TULSI GABBARD SWORN IN AT WHITE HOUSE HOURS AFTER SENATE CONFIRMATION

Brooke Rollins, U.S. President Trump’s nominee to be secretary of agriculture, testifies before a Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., January 23, 2025. (Kaylee Greenlee Beal/Reuters)

The newly elected president announced his selection of Rollins for USDA chief in November, recalling she did “an incredible job” during his first term.

“Brooke’s commitment to support the American Farmer, defense of American Food Self-Sufficiency, and the restoration of Agriculture-dependent American Small Towns is second to none,” he said.

DOGE ‘PLAYBOOK’ UNVEILED BY GOP SENATOR AS MUSK-LED AGENCY SHAKES UP FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

A side-by-side image of President Trump and the United States Department of Agriculture (Getty Images)

“As our next Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke will spearhead the effort to protect American Farmers, who are truly the backbone of our Country. Congratulations Brooke!”

The USDA nominee had a hearing before the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee last month, before advancing past the key hurdle.

DEM LOOKS TO CODIFY NEW AG BONDI’S DESIRED CRACKDOWN ON ‘ZOMBIE DRUG’ XYLAZINE

Brooke Rollins is sworn-in for a Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee hearing on her nomination for Secretary of Agriculture, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, in Washington. (Getty Images | iStock)

The committee decision to move her nomination forward was unanimous, giving her bipartisan backing going into her confirmation vote.

Rollins is now the 16th Cabinet official confirmed to serve in Trump’s new administration. With the help of the Republican-led Senate, Trump has managed to confirm his picks at a pace far ahead of either his first administration or former President Joe Biden’s.

TRUMP LANDS KEY TULSI GABBARD CONFIRMATION FOLLOWING UPHILL SENATE BATTLE

Biden and Trump during his first term lagged behind with confirmations. (Left: Pete Marovich/Getty Images; Right: Oleg Nikishin/Getty Images)

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At the same point in his first term, Trump only had 11 confirmations and Biden had seven. Neither had 16 confirmed until March during their respective administrations.

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].

February 13, 2025
Into the ring: Trump education chief pick McMahon to testify on cutting ‘red tape’ amid DOGE sweeps

FIRST ON FOX: Linda McMahon, the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and President Donald Trump’s pick to head the Department of Education, will testify before the Senate on Thursday, centering her opening remarks around creating “a better future for every American learner.”

The Trump nominee, who was tapped in November, will kick off her confirmation process during a hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee on Thursday morning. Republican Sens. Tim Scott of South Carolina and Katie Britt of Alabama will introduce McMahon before the hearing, Fox News has learned.

McMahon will focus her remarks on enacting Trump’s vision with the idea that “education is the issue that determines our national success and prepares American workers to win the future,” according to an excerpt of her opening remarks, shared first with Fox News Digital.

“I would like to thank President Trump for his confidence in me to lead a Department whose mission and authority were a special focus of his campaign. He pledged to make American education the best in the world, return education to the states where it belongs, and free American students from the education bureaucracy through school choice,” McMahon will say in her opening remarks.

TRUMP EDUCATION DEPT LAUNCHES PROBE INTO ‘EXPLOSION OF ANTISEMITISM’ AT 5 UNIVERSITIES

Linda McMahon arrives for a meeting in Washington, D.C. (Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg)

McMahon is being boosted to head the department that Trump has suggested he wants to dismantle during his term, recently saying that if McMahon is confirmed, he wants her to “put herself out of a job.”

Trump said Wednesday just hours ahead of McMahon’s hearing that he wanted to close the Education Department “immediately.”

“It’s a big con job,” he said. “They ranked the top countries in the world. We’re ranked No. 40, but we’re ranked No. 1 in one department: cost per pupil. So, we spend more per pupil than any other country in the world, but we’re ranked No. 40.”

His comments came as Trump’s executive agency, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) run by Elon Musk, continues its financial audit of the federal government.

TRUMP’S KEY TO CABINET CONFIRMATIONS: SENATOR-TURNED-VP VANCE’S GIFT OF GAB

McMahon previously served as the administrator of the Small Business Administration during Trump’s first term before stepping down in 2019 to “return to the private sector.”

She plans to say during her opening remarks Thursday, “My experience as a business owner and leader of the Small Business Administration, as a public servant in the state of Connecticut, and more than a decade of service as a college trustee has taught me to put parents, teachers, and students, not bureaucracy, first.”

“Outstanding teachers are tired of political ideology in their curriculum and red tape on their desks. This is why school choice is a growing movement across the nation: it offers teachers and parents an alternative to classrooms that are micromanaged from Washington, D.C.”

President Donald Trump shakes hands with Linda McMahon after announcing her resignation on March 29, 2019. (Joshua Roberts)

The Trump nominee also plans to highlight antisemitism in schools and the issue of biological males competing in women’s and girls’ sports.

“If I am confirmed, the department will not stand idly by while Jewish students are attacked and discriminated against,” her remarks read. “It will stop forcing schools to let boys and men into female sports and spaces. And it will protect the rights of parents to direct the moral education of their children.”

In her opening remarks, McMahon will note that “many Americans today are experiencing a system in decline” but that “the opportunity before us these next four years is momentous.”

Linda McMahon speaks at the Republican National Convention on July 18, 2024. (Mike Segar)

“It is my great honor to announce that Linda McMahon, former Administrator of the Small Business Administration, will be the United States Secretary of Education,” Trump said in his nomination announcement in November.

Before being tapped to head the Education Department, McMahon founded WWE with her husband in 1980, which has grown into a global wrestling entertainment network.

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“As Secretary of Education, Linda will fight tirelessly to expand ‘Choice’ to every State in America, and empower parents to make the best Education decisions for their families,” the press release added. “Linda served for two years on the Connecticut Board of Education, where she was one of fifteen members overseeing all Public Education in the State, including its Technical High School system.”

After McMahon’s confirmation hearing, the committee will schedule a vote on whether to advance her nomination to a full floor vote.

Aubrie Spady is a Writer for Fox News Digital.

February 13, 2025
Trump reveals pick to lead Drug Enforcement Administration

President Donald Trump has nominated a Virginia state official to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in his new administration.

In a Truth Social post on Tuesday, Trump wrote that he nominated Terry Cole to become the next administrator of the DEA. Cole is currently the secretary of public safety and homeland security for the Commonwealth of Virginia.

According to the Virginia government’s website, Cole was previously the chief of staff and executive officer at the DEA’s Department of Justice Special Operations Division, and also served as the DEA’s representative to the National Security Council. The website also notes that Cole worked for the DEA for 22 years, though Trump wrote that he was employed by the DEA for 21 years.

In a social media post, Trump said that he was “pleased” to announce Cole, who will need to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate, as his nominee.

NOEM, HEGSETH, BONDI PLEAD WITH CONGRESS FOR MORE BORDER FUNDING AMID LARGE-SCALE DEPORTATIONS

Trump has nominated Terry Cole to become the next administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration. (AP | Virginia.gov)

“Terry is a DEA Veteran of 21 years, with tours in Colombia, Afghanistan, and Mexico City, who currently serves as Virginia’s Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security, leading 11 State Public Safety Agencies, with more than 19,000 employees,” Trump’s post read.

Trump also added that Cole holds a degree from the Rochester Institute of Technology, as well as certificates from the University of Virginia and the University of Notre Dame.

“Together, we will save lives, and MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN. Congratulations Terry!” the president’s post concluded.

TRUMP NOMINEE TULSI GABBARD CLEARS LAST HURDLE, HEADS FOR FINAL CONFIRMATION VOTE

Terry Cole has 22 years of experience working for the DEA. (Virginia.gov)

Trump originally named Florida sheriff Chad Chronister as his first pick to lead the DEA, but Chronister, who serves as the sheriff of Hillsborough County, later withdrew his name from consideration in December.

“To have been nominated by President-Elect @realDonaldTrump to serve as Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration is the honor of a lifetime,” Chronister wrote in a post on X at the time.

“Over the past several days, as the gravity of this very important responsibility set in, I’ve concluded that I must respectfully withdraw from consideration. There is more work to be done for the citizens of Hillsborough County and a lot of initiatives I am committed to fulfilling.”

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A logo reading DEA Special Agent is pictured in the Office of the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). (JOHANNES EISELE/AFP via Getty Images)

The DEA is expected to work with the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to fulfill Trump’s campaign promises of restoring safety at the Southern border. At the end of January, federal agents conducted nationwide roundups of more than 1,200 illegal immigrants accused of committing crimes in the U.S.

Fox News Digital’s Stepheny Price contributed to this report.

Andrea Margolis is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. Readers can send story tips to [email protected].

February 11, 2025
Trump DNI pick Tulsi Gabbard clears last hurdle, heads for final confirmation vote

President Donald Trump’s nominee to be Director of National Intelligence (DNI), Tulsi Gabbard, cleared her last procedural hurdle on Monday evening, paving the way for a final confirmation vote later this week.

The motion passed by a vote of 52-46, along party lines.

At one time considered perhaps the most vulnerable of Trump’s picks, the former Democratic congresswoman got past another key vote, defeating the legislative filibuster’s threshold on nominations.

SCHUMER REVEALS DEM COUNTER-OFFENSIVE AGAINST TRUMP’S DOGE AUDIT

Tulsi Gabbard, President Donald Trump’s choice to be the Director of National Intelligence, arrives to appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee for her confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, in Washington. (AP)

The Monday vote’s outcome was much more certain than that of her Senate Select Committee on Intelligence vote last week, which depended on a handful of senators who had potentially lingering concerns.

TRUMP’S KEY TO CABINET CONFIRMATIONS: SENATOR-TURNED-VP VANCE’S GIFT OF GAB

Tom Cotton carried out a calculated effort to get Tulsi Gabbard past the Intel committee. (Reuters/ Getty Images)

But Republicans signaled confidence in her confirmation in the full Senate, evidenced by their slating it while Vice President JD Vance is in Europe representing the U.S. at events and meetings, and is not around to break a tie in the upper chamber. Vance notably had to break a tie to confirm Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

The vote teed up a final confirmation vote on Wednesday, as Democrats are expected to use all 30 hours of post-cloture time to debate, rather than reaching a time agreement with Republicans to expedite it.

INSIDE SEN. TOM COTTON’S CAMPAIGN TO SAVE TULSI GABBARD’S ENDANGERED DNI NOMINATION

Vice President JD Vance will attend an AI summit in Paris, a French official said. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Gabbard advanced out of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence last week, snagging the support of crucial GOP Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Todd Young, R-Ind.

In a final vote, Gabbard can only lose 3 Republican votes, assuming she does not get any Democratic support, as was the case in the committee vote.

LEADER THUNE BACKS SENATE GOP BID TO SPEED PAST HOUSE ON TRUMP BUDGET PLAN

Sen. Young came out in support of Gabbard hours before the committee vote. (Reuters)

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Gabbard already has an advantage over Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, as Collins supports her. The senator was notably one of three votes against Hegseth.

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].

February 11, 2025
Dems delay Patel committee vote, deride Trump FBI pick as danger to US security

Democrats succeeded Thursday in delaying a committee vote to advance the confirmation of FBI director nominee Kash Patel until next week at least.

The vote, which was supposed to happen at 10:15 on Thursday, was pushed back after Senate Democrats demanded a second hearing from the Trump-aligned former Defense Department official.

In a statement Tuesday night, Grassley said attempts by top Judiciary Democrat Dick Durbin, Ill., and others to force Patel to testify again were “basesless” as he’d already sat before the committee for more than five hours and disclosed “thousands of pages” of records to the panel, as well as nearly 150 pages of responses to lawmakers’ written questions.

A committee vote on advancing the confirmation of FBI nominee Kash Patel has officially been delayed to next week. (AP)

This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.

February 6, 2025
Dems delay Patel committee vote, ream Trump FBI pick as danger to US security

Democrats succeeded Thursday in delaying a committee vote to advance the confirmation of FBI director nominee Kash Patel until next week at least.

The vote, which was supposed to happen at 10:15 on Thursday, was pushed back after Senate Democrats demanded a second hearing from the Trump-aligned former Defense Department official.

In a statement Tuesday night, Grassley said attempts by top Judiciary Democrat Dick Durbin, Ill., and others to force Patel to testify again were “basesless” as he’d already sat before the committee for more than five hours and disclosed “thousands of pages” of records to the panel, as well as nearly 150 pages of responses to lawmakers’ written questions.

A committee vote on advancing the confirmation of FBI nominee Kash Patel has officially been delayed to next week. (AP)

This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.

February 6, 2025
Trump’s trade representative pick to appear before Senate Finance Committee

President Donald Trump’s pick to serve as the next U.S. trade representative, Jamieson Greer, is slated to appear before the Senate Finance Committee on Thursday.

Greer, who previously served as the chief of staff to the trade representative during Trump’s first term, played a key role in implementing tariffs during Trump’s first administration, the president said when unveiling Greer’s nomination.

Specifically, Trump said Greer assisted with imposing tariffs on China and other nations and replacing the trade agreement with Canada and Mexico.

A lawyer and Air Force Judge Advocate General’s Corps veteran with one deployment to Iraq, Greer’s role as U.S. trade representative would require him to negotiate with foreign governments on trade deals and disputes and membership of international trade bodies like the World Trade Organization.

‘MAKING AMERICA EXPENSIVE AGAIN’: DEMS FIND A TAX THEY DON’T LIKE IN TRUMP TARIFFS

Jamieson Greer’s confirmation hearing comes just after President Donald Trump announced he would impose new tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China. Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, right, came to a deal in which Trump agreed to push back tariffs on Canadian goods by one month. (Frank Augstein/Associated Press)

Greer’s confirmation hearing comes just after Trump announced he would impose new tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China.

The White House announced Friday that in response to an “invasion of illegal fentanyl” to the U.S., it would impose a 25% tariff on all goods entering the United States from Mexico and Canada, a 10% tariff on Canadian energy and a 10% tariff on all goods entering the U.S. from China.

Tariffs against China went into effect Tuesday, although Trump agreed to push back tariffs against Mexico and Canada by at least one month after discussions with each respective country about securing the border.

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While Trump acknowledged on Friday the tariffs might result in “temporary, short-term disruption,” Democrats claim American taxpayers will end up hurting and paying the price.

According to one Washington think tank, the nonpartisan Peterson Institute for International Economics, these rounds of tariffs are expected to cost U.S. households roughly $1,200 a year annually.

Fox News’ Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

Diana Stancy is a politics reporter with Fox News Digital covering the White House.

February 6, 2025
Inside Sen. Tom Cotton’s tireless campaign to advance Trump’s DNI pick Tulsi Gabbard

Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Tom Cotton was instrumental in pushing Tulsi Gabbard’s controversial nomination to be Director of National Intelligence (DNI) past its first hurdle in the upper chamber this week, and it took a full court press to do so.

Gabbard successfully advanced out of the Intel Committee this week, with all Republican members voting in her favor, despite concerns they would not.

Cotton led the effort with a makeshift Gabbard confirmation “war room” and the enlisted assistance of former rebel Democrat-turned-independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, as well as former Intel Committee Chairman Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina, according to a GOP Senate source with knowledge of Cotton’s efforts.

The “cordial and calculated” campaign to confirm President Donald Trump’s nominee for DNI saw close work between Gabbard’s confirmation sherpa team, the White House’s legislative affairs team and Vice President JD Vance, a former senator, the source told Fox News Digital.

SENATORS LEAPFROG HOUSE REPUBLICANS ON ANTICIPATED TRUMP BUDGET BILL

Tom Cotton carried out a calculated effort to get Tulsi Gabbard past the Intel committee. (Reuters/ Getty Images)

The group assisted Gabbard in each step of the process. They helped with questions for the nominee submitted to the committee, queries from lawmakers, hearing preparation and even strategized on a last-minute op-ed to address any lingering concerns, the source said.

Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman, penned an op-ed in Newsweek following her hearing, detailing, “Why I Am the Right Choice to Lead the Office of National Intelligence.”

The article addressed a significant point of concern for some undecided Republicans: Her refusal to call NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden a traitor.

FORMER GOP LEADER MCCONNELL FALLS WHILE EXITING SENATE CHAMBER AFTER TURNER CONFIRMATION VOTE

Nomiee for Director of National Security Tulsi Gabbard, left, and whistleblower Edward Snowden in Moscow Russia, right (AP/Getty)

“Given the interest by committee members about whether Edward Snowden should be called a ‘traitor,’ here’s what I shared with the Senate Intelligence Committee in the closed session about why I do not casually throw around that term: Treason is a capital offense, punishable by death, yet politicians like former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former US Senator Mitt Romney have slandered me, Donald Trump Jr. and others with baseless accusations of treason,” she wrote.

SENATE TEES UP TRUMP BUDGET CHIEF PICK RUSSELL VOUGHT FOR FINAL CONFIRMATION VOTE

Cotton is chairman of the intel committee. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Cotton also reportedly advised the White House on how to be particularly persuasive when it comes to courting senators for their crucial votes. He remained in close touch with Trump’s administration throughout Gabbard’s process leading up to the Intel Committee’s pivotal vote, according to the GOP Senate source.

Sinema, who recently retired from the Senate, spoke to two of her former Senate colleagues, Sens. Todd Young, R-Ind., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, who both ultimately voted to advance Gabbard despite concerns they may not, the source said. Also deployed to speak with committee members was former Trump National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien.

FORMER NFL PLAYER SCOTT TURNER CONFIRMED TO LEAD HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

Sen. Young came out in support of Gabbard hours before the committee vote. (Reuters)

Cotton also kept in contact with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and his office during the process, which appeared precarious for Gabbard at times, as well as held meetings with the intel committee’s Republican members, the source told Fox News Digital.

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Before Gabbard’s committee hearing, Cotton met with the nominee, along with Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, committee member Mike Rounds, R-S.D., and Burr, during which they prepared her for more than an hour to address specific committee Republicans’ concerns, the source said.

Now, Trump’s DNI pick will need to overcome a procedural vote in the full Senate before moving on to a final confirmation vote. However, Gabbard’s success in committee bodes well for her, given she locked down the support of several more hesitant Senate Republicans who are expected to continue supporting her on the chamber floor.

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].

February 6, 2025