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Scott Bessent confirmed by Senate to serve as Trump’s treasury secretary

Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., weighs in on Trumps tax cuts amid Scott Bessents confirmation hearing and Congress grappling with a strategy for the reconciliation bill.

The Senate on Monday voted to confirm Scott Bessent to serve as treasury secretary following his nomination to the role by President Donald Trump.

Bessent was confirmed on a 68-29 vote by the full Senate.

Bessent, 62, is the founder and CEO of global macro investment firm Key Square Group, which he has said he would wind down if confirmed as treasury secretary. The firm focused on macro investing, which is a strategy that leverages geopolitical and macroeconomic information to guide its approach to investing in various markets.

He served as a key economic policy advisor and fundraiser for the Trump campaign. Bessent has been an advocate for economic policies such as lower taxes, spending restraint and deregulation that have long made up the core of the Republican Party’s platform, and has also been supportive of Trump’s use of tariffs in trade negotiations.

TRUMP TREASURY PICK: EXTENDING TRUMP TAX CUTS ‘SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT ECONOMIC ISSUE’

The Senate voted to confirm billionaire hedge fund founder Scott Bessent as Trump’s treasury secretary. (Chen Mengtong/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images / Getty Images)

During his confirmation hearings, Bessent said that extending the Trump tax cuts is the “single most important economic issue of the day,” warning a failure to do so would result in a “gigantic” tax increase on middle class Americans due to the expiration of lower tax brackets and a larger standard deduction claimed by most taxpayers.

“If we do not renew an extension, then we will be facing an economic calamity,” Bessent said. “And, as always, with financial instability, that falls on the middle and working class.”

TRUMP’S TREASURY PICK BESSENT WON’T DISCRIMINATE ON TAX CHEATS, VOWS FAIRNESS

Bessent said in his opening remarks that “President Trump has a generational opportunity to unleash a new economic golden age that will create more jobs, wealth and prosperity for all Americans.”

“We must secure supply chains that are vulnerable to strategic competitors, and we must carefully deploy sanctions as part of a whole-of-government approach to address our national security requirements,” Bessent added. “And critically — critically — we must ensure that the U.S. dollar remains the world’s reserve currency.”

TRUMP’S TREASURY NOMINEE TURNS TABLES ON SANDERS IN TESTY EXCHANGE ABOUT BIDEN’S ‘OLIGARCHY’ COMMENTS

The Senate Finance Committee previously advanced Bessent’s nomination on a bipartisan 16-11 vote. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images / Getty Images)

The Senate Finance Committee advanced Bessent’s nomination to the full Senate with a bipartisan vote of 16 to 11 on Jan. 21, the day after Trump’s inauguration. Sens. Mark Warner, D-Va., and Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., were the Democratic senators who joined all of their Republican colleagues in voting to advance his nomination.

During the presidential campaign, Bessent touted what he called the “3-3-3” plan that was modeled off the late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s “three arrows” idea.

Bessent argued for setting a goal of achieving 3% real economic growth, cutting the budget deficit to 3% of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2028, and increasing U.S. energy production to the equivalent of an additional 3 million barrels of oil per day.

TREASURY SECRETARY NOMINEE SCOTT BESSENT’S ‘3-3-3’ PLAN: WHAT TO KNOW

Scott Bessent, founder and chief executive officer of Key Square Group LP, during an interview in Washington, DC, US, on Friday, June 7, 2024. (Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

The role of treasury secretary carries a great deal of significance for conducting the president’s economic agenda.

Treasury secretaries often lead negotiations with Congress over tax and spending matters. They also play a key role in dealing with foreign governments and financial institutions, as well as handling the operations of the Treasury Department and sub-agencies like the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

During Trump’s first term as president, Steven Mnuchin served as treasury secretary for the duration of the four-year term after he was confirmed by the Senate on a 53-47 vote a few weeks after Inauguration Day.

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Mnuchin served as a key negotiator with Congress on the debt limit, tax and spending policies, as well as COVID relief packages that were enacted in 2020 after the pandemic began.

Fox News Digital’s Diana Stancy contributed to this report.

January 27, 2025
Senate slated to vote on South Carolina billionaire hedge fund executive to lead US Treasury

The Senate is scheduled to vote Monday afternoon to confirm President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Treasury Department.

The Senate voted on Saturday to advance Scott Bessent’s nomination by a 67–23 margin and his confirmation is expected Monday.

Bessent recently appeared before the Senate Finance Committee for his confirmation hearing, where he called to extend the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that Trump approved during his first term.

“This is the single most important economic issue of the day,” Bessent, a hedge fund billionaire from South Carolina, told lawmakers.

TRUMP TREASURY PICK: EXTENDING TRUMP TAX CUTS ‘SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT ECONOMIC ISSUE’

Scott Bessent, Trump’s pick to lead the Treasury, said extending the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is the ‘single most important economic issue of the day.’ (Vincent Alban/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“If we do not renew an extension, then we will be facing an economic calamity,” Bessent said. “And, as always, with financial instability, that falls on the middle and working class.”

Bessent cautioned that a “gigantic” middle-class tax increase would occur if the tax cuts expire.

Many of the reforms included in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act are scheduled to end in 2025. Groups like Americans for Prosperity, a grassroots network founded by the billionaire Koch Brothers, claim that millions of Americans will face a hike of more than $1,500 in taxes in 2026 if the cuts are not renewed.

GET TO KNOW DONALD TRUMP’S CABINET: WHO HAS THE PRESIDENT-ELECT PICKED SO FAR?

Investor and hedge fund manager Scott Bessent testifies before a Senate Finance Committee hearing on his nomination to be secretary of the Treasury, on Capitol Hill, Jan. 16, 2025. (Getty)

But critics of Trump’s tax plan, including Democratic lawmakers like Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and groups like the liberal public policy institute Center for American Progress, argue the cuts only benefited the wealthy and claim the perks failed to reach ordinary workers.

However, Bessent said Trump and his administration will create a “golden age” of economic prosperity for all Americans.

TRUMP’S TREASURY NOMINEE TURNS TABLES ON SANDERS IN TESTY EXCHANGE ABOUT BIDEN’S OLIGARCHY COMMENTS

The Senate is expected to confirm President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Treasury Department, Scott Bessent, on Jan. 27, 2025. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters/File Photo)

“Today, I believe that President Trump has a generational opportunity to unleash a new economic golden age that will create more jobs, wealth and prosperity for all Americans,” Bessent said at his confirmation hearing.

Trump’s economic plan includes extending the 2017 tax cuts and imposing tariffs ranging from 10% to 20% on all imported goods. For countries like China, that number could go up to 60%.

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Bessent, who previously wrote an op-ed for Fox News Digital supporting the use of tariffs, backed the Trump administration’s employment of tariffs in multiple exchanges with lawmakers during his confirmation hearing.

The Treasury Department is responsible for managing federal finances and oversees agencies that include the IRS.

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

January 27, 2025
In ‘Hail Mary’ move ICC prosecutor files surprise application as Senate set to vote on sanctioning court

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In a move that some critics say was intended to influence the Trump administration and Congress, Karim Khan, controversial prosecutor for the International Criminal Court (ICC), filed applications for arrest warrants against Taliban senior leader Haibatullah Akhundzada and Taliban chief justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani for crimes against humanity.

The timing of the move came as the U.S. Senate prepares to vote on a bill to sanction the ICC over its request for arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant. The House bill passed on Jan. 9 with bipartisan support.

Khan’s “move is no doubt a Hail Mary pass to deter the Senate vote,” Richard Goldberg, a senior advisor at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital. He added that some in Washington “might fall for the charade… Khan and the ICC have already shown us who and what they are. They are still investigating Americans, they are seeking the arrest of Israelis, all red lines have been crossed and there’s no evading the consequences.”

LINDSEY GRAHAM DEMANDS ICC REVEAL DETAILS OF PROBE INTO PROSECUTOR KHAN’S MISCONDUCT ALLEGATIONS

The International Criminal Court (ICC) building in The Hague, Netherlands, on April 30, 2024. (Selman Aksunger/Anadolu via Getty Images)

The Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act would sanction foreigners attempting to arrest, detain, prosecute or investigate citizens of the U.S. or its allies, including Israel. It would also attempt to regain funds designated to the ICC and stop further court contributions. The U.S. is not party to the Rome Statute.

Rebecca Hamilton, formerly a lawyer in the ICC’s prosecutorial division, wrote in Just Security about the double standard the U.S. is forced into by opposing the ICC following the Taliban arrest warrants. Given the timing of the Senate’s impending vote on a bill that “potentially threatens the ICC’s very survival,” Hamilton wrote, “One might argue then, that the ICC Prosecutor’s announcement on Thursday was less about pursuing his mandate, and more about trying to save his job.”

In addressing the matter she added, “The discretion that the ICC Prosecutor has to determine when to go public with the announcement of an arrest warrant application is often used strategically, and surely has been in this case. But investigations of international crimes cannot be put together overnight.”

Karim Khan is the ICC’s chief prosecutor. (Getty Images)

Israel’s ambassador to the U.N., Danny Danon, told Fox News Digital, “Prosecutor Karim Khan has a myopic obsession over Israel with the war crimes charges leveled at Israel’s democratically elected prime minister and former defense minister. Equating the leaders of a democracy with leaders of the Hamas terrorist organization – and more recently, with the Taliban – is an insult to the principles of justice.”

INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT: 20 YEARS, BILLIONS SPENT, LIMITED SUCCESS AS US CONSIDERS SANCTIONS

Danon said, “The ICC has lost its credibility, and it’s about time for a review of the ICC’s – and Prosecutor Khan’s – true motivations for focusing so intensely – and so distortedly – on Israel.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the ICC to ask why warrants against Taliban leaders have taken so long to issue, as well as about whether there is equivalence between the crimes for which the ICC seeks to charge Taliban leaders, and those for which the ICC has charged Netanyahu and Gallant.

The Office of the Prosecutor told Fox News Digital that announcements in Afghanistan “marked the culmination of significant work between the Office and affected communities in seeking accountability for alleged crimes committed in Afghanistan.” The office stated that its investigation into Afghanistan had only resumed on Oct. 31, 2022, after being deferred due to “an admissibility challenge by the former government of Afghanistan.”

A Taliban fighter stands guard as women wait to receive food rations distributed by a humanitarian aid group in Kabul, Afghanistan, May 23, 2023. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)

Khan’s office said it follows the same protocol for the filing of all warrants, including those in Afghanistan and for Palestinians. It noted that in the past year, the ICC has “sought or obtained warrants for arrest in situations including Afghanistan, Ukraine, Myanmar/Bangladesh, State of Palestine, Libya and Mali as well as taking forward trials in the situations in Mali, Central African Republic and Darfur.”

PENTAGON ‘FUNDAMENTALLY REJECTS’ ICC DECISION TO ISSUE ARREST WARRANT FOR NETANYAHU

A spokesperson from the European Union said that “the EU respects the court’s independence and impartiality.”

While the spokesperson did not speak to charges against Israeli officials, they said, “The EU and its Member States support initiatives that ensure accountability and regularly recall that systematic and systemic violations against women and girls in Afghanistan may amount to gender persecution, which is a crime against humanity under the Rome Statute of the ICC of which Afghanistan is a state party.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant with senior military officials during the strike on Iran. (Avi Ohayon/ GPO)

A spokesperson for United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, did not respond to Fox News Digital’s questions about the equivalence between warrants for Taliban and Israeli leaders.

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Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., Tweeted on Jan. 24 that he plans to vote for the ICCA, explaining that “the ICC’s treatment towards Israel and equivocating to Hamas was unacceptable. We should absolutely sanction the ICC.”

Goldberg, a former national security advisor during President Donald Trump’s first term, warned “the sanctions coming out of Congress will certainly make life difficult for the officials and groups who are waging lawfare against us, but to actually cripple ICC operations and end the lawfare, we will need the Trump administration to impose sanctions directly on the ICC. I’m not sure American service members are safe until that happens.”

January 26, 2025
Kristi Noem sworn in as Department of Homeland Security secretary after bipartisan Senate vote

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem was sworn in as Department of Homeland Security secretary by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas at his home Saturday, following a scheduling hiccup earlier in the day.

The ceremony, which was originally slated to take place in the Indian Treaty Room inside the Navy Department Wing of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, D.C., at 3 p.m., was postponed multiple times.

Noem shared a video of the moment on X, just after 6:30 p.m.

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas swears in Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem as Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry looks on. (X / @LAGovJeffLandry)

SENATE CONFIRMS KRISTI NOEM AS TRUMP’S DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY

“It is such an honor to be sworn in as the United States Secretary of Homeland Security,” she wrote in the post. “It was made even more meaningful by being sworn in by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas at his home. Thank you, President [Donald] Trump for putting your trust in me to help keep America safe.”

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry shared photos of the event on X, just before 6 p.m., expressing confidence in Noem filling the role.

“Sharon and I were honored to be a part of the swearing in ceremony for Homeland Security Secretary, @KristiNoem,” Landry wrote in the post. “America will be safer and stronger because of her and @realDonaldTrump [President Donald Trump]’s leadership. And once again Americans will be put FIRST!”

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, left, with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry and first lady Sharon Landry. (X / @LAGovJeffLandry)

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Sen Bernie Moreno and Sen Mike Rounds were in attendance in the Indian Treaty Room, awaiting the initial ceremony, Fox News correspondents reported.

Taylor Van Kirk, a spokesperson for the vice president, told Fox News the swearing in was delayed “due to a scheduling conflict.”

“We are excited for the work she will do to bring much-needed change to DHS and to secure the border,” Kirk said.

KRISTI NOEM BEATS SENATE CONFIRMATION HURDLE, ADVANCING TO FINAL VOTE FOR DHS ROLE

Earlier in the day, the Senate voted 59-34 to confirm Noem as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, making her the fourth Trump nominee to win chamber approval.

One of Noem’s top priorities is securing the southern border and repairing the “broken immigration system,” she said.

“The Trump Administration will once-again empower our brave men and women in law enforcement to do their jobs and remove criminal aliens and illegal gangs from our country,” Noem wrote in a statement. “We will fully equip our intelligence and law enforcement to detect and prevent terror threats and will deliver rapid assistance and disaster relief to Americans in crisis.”

The Trump administration has already taken steps to secure the border, including deploying the military, restarting wall construction and ending the previous administration’s parole programs.

Before the swearing in, the president shouted out Noem, describing her as “tough,” at a rally in Las Vegas.

“I thank President Trump and the US Senate for their trust in me,” she wrote. “Together, we will ensure that the United States, once again, is a beacon of freedom, safety, and security for generations to come.”

Prior to her new role, Noem served as South Dakota’s first female governor. She pledged in 2021 that she would not take any more migrants from the Biden administration, and deployed the National Guard to the Texas border.

Noem, who was a rancher, farmer and small business owner, served in the South Dakota legislature before being elected as South Dakota’s sole member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

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Fox News’ Julia Johnson, Lillian Lecroy, and Fox News Digital’s Adam Shaw contributed to this report.

Alexandra Koch is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital. Prior to joining Fox News, Alexandra covered breaking news, crime, religion, and the military in the southeast.

January 26, 2025
Senate confirms Kristi Noem as Trump’s Department of Homeland Security secretary

The Senate on Saturday voted to confirm South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, making her the fourth of President Donald Trump’s nominees to win approval from the chamber.

The vote was 59–34, with all Republicans present voting yes. Noem had been expected to be confirmed comfortably, having faced no significant issues during her confirmation hearing. Her nomination advanced out of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee by a vote of 13–2. Only two Democrats voted against her.

Noem becomes the fourth of President Donald Trump’s picks to be confirmed, behind Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.

KRISTI NOEM BEATS SENATE CONFIRMATION HURDLE, ADVANCING TO FINAL VOTE FOR DHS ROLE

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem will lead the Department of Homeland Security at a time when securing the border and tackling illegal immigration are top priorities for the new administration. ((Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images))

Noem will lead the department at a time when securing the border and tackling illegal immigration are top priorities for the new administration. The administration has taken a number of actions to secure the border, including deploying the military, restarting wall construction and ending Biden-era parole programs.

Meanwhile, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been launching deportation operations throughout the country to fulfill Trump’s promise of a “historic” operation.

The Department of Homeland Security has issued a slew of memos since Trump’s inauguration, ordering reviews of parole and expanding the ability of officials to quickly deport illegal immigrants from the U.S. who have recently arrived. Those memos have been signed by Acting Secretary Benjamine Huffman.

TRUMP DHS PICK NOEM PLEDGES TO END CONTROVERSIAL APP USED BY MIGRANTS ON ‘DAY ONE’

At her confirmation hearing, Noem pointed to other parts of the Homeland Security mission, including cybersecurity, disaster relief and counterterrorism.

As governor of South Dakota, Kristi Noem pledged in 2021 not to take any more migrants from the Biden administration and also deployed the National Guard to the border in Texas. ((Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images))

“We must be vigilant and proactive and innovative to protect the homeland,” she said. “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 cyber attacks, respond to natural disasters and also terrorism.”

However, she emphasized that border security is a “top priority.”

ICE have made a number of raids throughout the U.S. this week. (X/ @BillMelugin_)

“As a nation, we have the right and the responsibility to secure our borders against those who would do us harm. And we must create a fair and lawful immigration system that is efficient and is effective, and that reflects our values,” she said.

As governor, she pledged in 2021 not to take any more migrants from the Biden administration and also deployed the National Guard to the border in Texas. She also had experience with disaster response, working with federal officials to tackle floods that hit the state in June.

At her hearing, Noem was also asked about how she would work with border czar Tom Homan, who has been tapped to lead the deportation effort and secure the border.

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Noem responded by saying that she and Homan “work very well together and talk and communicate all the time. And we’ll be working together on a daily basis when we’re in our positions under the new administration. And I would say there’s no authority being planned to be taken away from the department or myself if I’m in the role.”

Fox News’ Julia Johnson contributed to this report.

Adam Shaw is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital, primarily covering immigration and border security.

He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter.

January 25, 2025
Senate forces rare weekend vote to push through Kristi Noem as Homeland Security chief

The Senate will hold votes over the weekend to accelerate the confirmation of one of President Donald Trump’s key Cabinet nominees.

Lawmakers will meet for a rare Saturday session to hold a vote on whether to confirm South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Homeland Security, to the top Cabinet position.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., indicated earlier in the week that the Senate would stay over the weekend to push through the confirmation process if Democrats blocked voting efforts.

“Do we want a vote on these folks on Tuesday or vote on them on Friday, Saturday and Sunday? Because that’s what we’re going to do,” Thune said after Democrats blocked a confirmation vote for Trump’s CIA director nominee, John Ratcliffe, who has bipartisan support. “This can be easy or this can be hard.”

SCHUMER SUPPORTS DEMOCRATS DELAYING ALL TRUMP NOMINEES WHO LACK UNANIMOUS SUPPORT

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem is sworn in during a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing on her nomination to be Secretary of Homeland Security, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 17, 2025. (Getty)

“This is about America’s national security interests, and we’re stalling, so that’s not going to happen,” Thune said.

Noem was questioned by lawmakers on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee during her confirmation hearing earlier in the week.

CONFIRMATION DELAYS STACK UP FOR TRUMP NOMINEES AS PAPERWORK LAGS IN FEDERAL OFFICES

The Department of Homeland Security deals with national security and immigration issues, making Noem’s confirmation top of mind for Trump as he makes the crisis at the southern border a priority during his second term.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., Thune indicated earlier in the week that the Senate would stay over the weekend to push through the confirmation process if Democrats blocked voting efforts. (Getty Images)

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Several of Trump’s nominees remain unconfirmed after the 47th president’s first week in office. But Thune promised while speaking on the Senate floor on Friday that he “will continue to ensure that the Senate works as quickly as possible to get President Trump’s team in place.”

Fox News’ Elizabeth Pritchett contributed to this report.

Aubrie Spady is a Writer for Fox News Digital.

January 25, 2025
Patel, Gabbard to appear before Senate committees next week

Some of President Donald Trump’s most controversial executive branch nominees are set to appear before Congressional committees next week. The commander-in-chief promises that each one will shake up their respective departments if they are approved by the Senate.

Kashyap “Kash” Patel has been nominated to be the FBI’s next director and will appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee, while Director of National Intelligence (DNI) pick Tulsi Gabbard has a hearing scheduled on the same day before the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Some of Trump’s most controversial executive branch nominees are set to appear before Congressional committees next week. Kashyap “Kash” Patel, left, has been nominated to be the FBI’s next director, while Tulsi Gabbard, right, is Trump’s Director of National Intelligence (DNI) pick. (Jack Gruber/USA TODAY Network / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

HEGSETH CLEARS SENATE HURDLE AND ADVANCES TO A FINAL CONFIRMATION VOTE

Meanwhile, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., tapped to become director of the Department of Health and Human Services, will face questions on Wednesday from members of the Senate Finance Committee, which directly oversees the department. He’ll also appear before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) committee on Thursday for a courtesy hearing.

The Senate’s “advice and consent” role allows the body to review the president’s appointments and provide oversight on key positions. The picks require a majority vote in the Senate with Republicans holding a 53-47 vote advantage over Democrats.

But all face tough battles to get over the line. The Senate advanced the nomination of Pete Hegseth as Trump’s defense secretary on Thursday with Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, R-Alaska, and Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, breaking ranks.

Patel has called for radical changes at the FBI and was a fierce and vocal critic of the bureau’s work as it investigated ties between Russia and Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.

He held numerous national security roles during the first Trump administration and was the chief investigator in the congressional probe into alleged Trump-Russia collusion, uncovering government surveillance abuse that led to the appointment of two special counsels: one who determined there was no such collusion and another who determined the entire premise of the FBI’s original investigation was bogus.

Trump nominated Patel as FBI director. (Getty Images)

TULSI GABBARD CHANGES TUNE ON CONTROVERSIAL INTELLIGENCE TOOL FOLLOWING GOP LOBBYING

Patel was an integral part of the creation of a memo released by then-Chair Devin Nunes in February 2018, which detailed the DOJ’s and FBI’s surveillance of former Trump campaign aide Carter Page under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

He’s been a loyal ally to Trump for years, finding common cause over their shared skepticism of government surveillance and the “deep state” — a catchall used by Trump to refer to unelected members of government bureaucracy.

Meanwhile, Trump has argued that Gabbard will bring a “fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community, championing our Constitutional Rights and securing Peace through Strength.” The director of national intelligence leads the U.S. intelligence community, which includes overseeing the National Intelligence Program and advising the president on security matters.

Gabbard has served as a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserves since 2021, after previously serving in the Hawaii Army National Guard for about 17 years. She was elected to the U.S. House representing Hawaii during the 2012 election cycle, serving as a Democrat until 2021. She did not seek re-election to that office after entering the 2020 White House race.

Gabbard left the Democratic Party in 2022, registering as an independent, before becoming a member of the GOP last year and offering her full endorsement of Trump amid his presidential campaign.

Critics have attempted to paint Gabbard as a national security risk who is sympathetic to U.S. adversaries.

However, more than 250 veterans signed a letter last month endorsing her nomination, including high-profile and nationally known names such as retired Gen. Michael Flynn and former acting Secretary of Defense Chris Miller.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is also a contentious pick, and he could face opposition. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

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Kennedy Jr. is also a contentious pick, and he 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.

In what was a blockbuster move by the former Democrat, Kennedy dropped out of the 2024 presidential race as an Independent and endorsed Trump, vowing to “Make America Healthy Again” should he be part of the new administration.

Fox News’ Emma Colton and Brooke Singman contributed to this report.

Michael Dorgan is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business.

You can send tips to [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @M_Dorgan.

January 24, 2025
Hegseth clears Senate hurdle and advances to a final confirmation vote

Pete Hegseth cleared a procedural hurdle Thursday to advance his confirmation to lead the Defense Department for a final Senate vote, setting up a high-stakes showdown.

A motion to invoke cloture, or begin up to 30 hours of debate, passed 51-49. Republican Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, voted no on advancing Hegseth’s confirmation, Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., voted yes.

Hegseth’s nomination was dealt another hurdle this week when reports emerged that his ex-sister-in-law alleged Hegseth abused his second wife.

Two sources told CNN Hegseth’s ex-wife, Samantha Hegseth, gave a statement to the FBI about Hegseth’s alleged alcohol use. The outlet said one of the sources said Samantha Hegseth told the FBI, “He drinks more often than he doesn’t.”

On Tuesday, Fox News obtained an affidavit from Hegseth’s former sister-in-law, Danielle Hegseth, which alleges he has an alcohol abuse problem and at times made his ex-wife, Samantha, fear for her safety. Danielle Hegseth was previously married to Pete Hegseth’s brother and has no relation to Samantha.

KEY SENATE CHAIRMAN CRITICIZES ‘ANONYMOUS SOURCES WITH ULTERIOR MOTIVES,’ STANDS BY HEGSETH NOMINATION

But Danielle Hegseth added that she never witnessed any abuse herself, physical or sexual, by Pete against Samantha.

Samantha Hegseth has also denied any physical abuse in a statement to NBC News.

Senate Armed Services Chair Roger Wicker said in a statement Wednesday night that reports “regarding a confidential briefing on the FBI background investigation of Pete Hegseth that I received last week are starkly and factually inaccurate” and that he stands by Hegseth’s nomination.

Pete Hegseth cleared a procedural hurdle to advance his confirmation to lead the Defense Department to a final Senate vote. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

“It is disturbing that a sensitive, longstanding process used by committee leadership to vet presidential personnel is being litigated in the press by anonymous sources with ulterior motives,” Wicker said, adding he has been briefed by the FBI three times about a background check into Hegseth.

The new reporting came after a slew of reports damaging to Hegseth’s character, including a sexual assault allegation that he denies and reports about his alleged penchant for drinking and financial mismanagement. Hegseth has said he would abstain from alcohol if confirmed.

Hegseth is expected to face one of the most vicious confirmation fights of any Trump Cabinet nominee. His confirmation hearing was heavy on personal character questions and interrogation over his opposition to female-specific standards for women in combat and light on policy inquiries.

HEGSETH LAWYER SLAMS ‘FLAWED AND QUESTIONABLE AFFIDAVIT’ FROM EX-SISTER-IN-LAW

Earlier Thursday, Sen. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., urged Republicans to join him in opposing the former Fox News host and Army national guardsman.

“Hegseth is so utterly unqualified, he ranks up there [as] … one of the very worst nominees that could be put forward,” Schumer said.

Hegseth’s nomination faced another obstacle this week when reports emerged that his ex-sister-in-law publicly alleged he had abused his second wife. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

“People’s lives depend on it — civilians and, of course, the men and women in the armed services — and Pete Hegseth has shown himself not only incapable of running a large organization, he often shows himself incapable of showing up or showing up in a way where he could get anything done. He is so out of the mainstream and so unqualified for DOD that I am hopeful we will get our Republican colleagues to join us. There will be a vote this afternoon.”

Hegseth, who has been married three times, has admitted he was a “serial cheater” before he became a Christian and married his current wife, Jenny.

The 44-year-old Army National Guard veteran, who did tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, is relatively young and inexperienced compared to defense secretaries in the past, retiring as a major. But Republicans say they don’t want someone who made it to the top brass who’s become entrenched in the Pentagon establishment.

Hegseth has made it clear he will work to fight “woke” programs in the Pentagon that promote diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). He originally said he opposed women in combat before later clarifying he only opposes standards for women in combat that are different from men.

Pete Hegseth with his Afghan interpreter, Saboor Sakhizada (Fox News )

“I’m straight up just saying that we should not have women in combat roles,” Hegseth said on the “Shawn Ryan Show” podcast. “It hasn’t made us more effective, hasn’t made us more lethal, has made fighting more complicated.”

Additionally, in 2019, he successfully lobbied Trump to pardon three service members convicted or accused of war crimes in Afghanistan and Iraq.

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Trump may have looked ahead to sparing himself the headache this role caused him during his first administration. Only Jim Mattis and Mark Esper lasted more than a year. Three others served in an acting capacity. Hegseth is more likely to align himself with Trump’s goals for the department.

Fox News’ Stephen Sorace, Julia Johnson and Tyler Olson contributed to this report.

January 23, 2025
Key Senate chairman criticizes ‘anonymous sources with ulterior motives,’ stands by Hegseth nomination

A key senator on the Armed Services Committee says he is standing by President Donald Trump’s Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth, pushing back on those he called “anonymous sources with ulterior motives” who are casting doubt on his character.

Senate Armed Services Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., in a statement Wednesday criticized recent reports on a confidential briefing on the FBI background investigation of Hegseth as “starkly and factually inaccurate.”

“It is disturbing that a sensitive, longstanding process used by committee leadership to vet presidential personnel is being litigated in the press by anonymous sources with ulterior motives,” Wicker said, adding that he’s received three separate, detailed briefings on the FBI’s background investigation.

Wicker was responding to a CNN report that cited two sources familiar with the matter who claimed that Hegseth’s ex-wife, Samantha Hegseth, gave a statement to the FBI about Hegseth’s alleged alcohol use. The outlet said one of the sources said Samantha Hegseth told the FBI, “He drinks more often than he doesn’t.”

HEGSETH LAWYER SLAMS ‘FLAWED AND QUESTIONABLE AFFIDAVIT’ FROM EX-SISTER-IN-LAW

Pete Hegseth, left, President Donald Trump’s choice to be Defense Secretary, shakes hands with Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss. after his Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing, at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Wicker says that he continues to stand by Hegseth.

“After this thorough review, I am ironclad in my assessment that the nominee, Mr. Hegseth, is prepared to be the next Secretary of Defense, and that the allegations unfairly impugning his character do not pass scrutiny,” the senator said.

Pete Hegseth appears at the completion of his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

Wicker said that Hegseth has the confidence of Trump and the backing of Senate Republicans, and called on the Senate to confirm the nominee “as fast as possible” during this “precarious national security moment.”

‘DESPERATE ATTEMPT’: SENATORS RECEIVE AFFIDAVIT WITH ALLEGATIONS ABOUT HEGSETH’S PREVIOUS MARRIAGE

Hegseth has faced controversy throughout his nomination process.

On Tuesday, Fox News obtained an affidavit from Hegseth’s former sister-in-law, Danielle Hegseth, which alleges he has an alcohol abuse problem and at times made his ex-wife, Samantha, fear for her safety. Danielle Hegseth was married to Pete Hegseth’s brother. She is not the sister of Samantha, Pete Hegseth’s second wife.

But Danielle Hegseth added that she never witnessed any abuse herself, physical or sexual, from Pete against Samantha.

Samantha Hegseth has also denied any physical abuse in a statement first reported by NBC News.

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“There was no physical abuse in my marriage. This is the only further statement I will make to you. I have let you know that I am not speaking and will not speak on my marriage to Pete. Please respect this decision,” she reportedly said.

Fox News Digital’s Julia Johnson and Fox News’ Tyler Olson, Kelly Phares and Daniel Scully contributed to this report.

January 23, 2025
Senate Republicans launch effort to ban Chinese nationals from buying land in US

Trump revealing his China strategy for next 4 years

Heritage Foundation senior fellow Michael Pillsbury discusses how Chinese President Xi Jinping is sending his vice president to attend President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on ‘The Ingraham Angle.’

FIRST ON FOX: Republican senators are putting forth legislation that would ban China from buying U.S. land entirely.

The Not One More Inch or Acre Act, led by Republican Sens. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Kevin Cramer of North Dakota and Katie Britt of Alabama, would require the sale of land owned or “influenced” by the CCP that is deemed a national security risk. It would direct the president to take action to prohibit the purchase of public or private real estate in the U.S. by Chinese citizens or companies.

China owned around 350,000 acres of farmland across 27 states as of last year, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

As of 2022, foreign entities and individuals held 43.4 million acres of U.S. agricultural land, which is nearly 2% of all land in the U.S.

BIDEN ADMIN FAILING TO TRACK CHINESE OWNERSHIP OF US FARMLAND: GOVT WATCHDOG

Lawmakers have argued that China’s land buys are a national security risk since many of them are near military installations. For years, Chinese nationals have attempted to breach U.S. military facilities, often through the use of surveillance drones or posing as tourists.

“For decades, the Chinese Communist Party has been gobbling up American farmland and real estate,” Cotton, chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said in a statement.

Sen. Tom Cotton (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images/File)

“At best, this submits American land and resources to China’s best interests, not America’s—at worst, these purchases serve as outposts for Chinese espionage campaigns against American businesses and military bases. We can’t allow Chinese citizens, or anyone affiliated with the CCP, to own one more inch of American soil. And any American land exploited by current Chinese ownership should be sold.”

Some states have already barred foreign nationals from purchasing land.

Smithfield Foods, which has a Chinese parent company, makes up the largest share of Chinese-owned land with 110,000 acres.

A 2022 Chinese land purchase brought concerns to a fever pitch when food producer Fufeng Group bought 370 acres for corn milling near a North Dakota Air Force base.

A view of farmland (Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images/File)

“One acre of American farmland owned by the Chinese Communist Party is one acre too many,” said Britt. “The CCP’s strategic acquisition of farmland, particularly near our military installations, isn’t just a national security risk, it is a threat to our economic and food security.”

TRUMP WANTS TO VISIT CHINA AGAIN AFTER HE TAKES OFFICE: REPORT

That prompted the Biden administration to propose a rule requiring any foreign company or individual looking to buy land within 100 miles of certain U.S. military bases to get government approval.

Last month, a Chinese national was arrested at San Francisco International Airport before he could board a flight to China on accusations that he tried to fly a drone over Vandenberg Air Force base in California.

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Efforts to thwart China from purchasing U.S. farmland near U.S. military installations have gained steam among Republicans in both chambers.

“It’s a major concern for me that countries like China have increased purchases of American farmland tenfold over the last decade to control our land and threaten our food, energy and national security,” Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, who led efforts in the House to ban China from buying farmland suitable for energy production, told Fox News Digital.

January 23, 2025