Senate Holds Confirmation Hearings for Bondi, Rubio, Ratcliffe

Several of incoming President Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominations underwent confirmation hearings in the Senate Wednesday.

Pam Bondi: The former Florida attorney general and Trump’s pick for U.S. attorney general fielded questions about her commitment to the Justice department’s independence and her connection to Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 election results. When asked if Trump lost that election, Bondi responded that “President Biden is the president of the United States. He was duly sworn in, and he is the president of the United States…There was a peaceful transition of power; President Trump left office and was overwhelmingly elected in 2024.” 

Marco Rubio: Rubio, Trump’s pick for Secretary of State, seems to have support from both major parties, with a vote likely on Inauguration Day. Rubio responded to questions regarding China and Ukraine, emphasizing his commitment to American safety: “Every program we fund, and every policy we pursue must be justified with the answer to three simple questions: Does it make America safer? Does it make America stronger? Does it make America more prosperous?”

John Ratcliffe: Trump’s pick for CIA director, Ratcliffe described plans to focus on China as a “top national security threat.” When asked about how he’d avoid the misjudgements of the Intelligence Community in recent years, Ratcliffe responded, “If you have a politically motivated, bureaucratically imposed social justice agenda that takes a part of your attention, that can distract from the core mission of collecting human intelligence that matters and providing it to you in a timely way.”

How the Media Covered It: When covering Rubio’s hearing, outlets from across the political spectrum focused on Rubio’s views on foreign policy and the bipartisan support he received from the committee. The New York Times (Lean Left bias) and Roll Call (Center) both shared quotes from Democratic senators complimenting Rubio.. Left-leaning outlets were more skeptical of Bondi, with The Guardian (Left) claiming she “avoided” answering certain questions and highlighting Democrats’ “alarm” at her loyalty to Trump. Center- and right-rated outlets were less critical of Bondi overall.