On the fast track
Several of President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet picks have courted quite a bit of controversy over the last few weeks. But surprisingly, his pick to become the next director of the FBI hasn’t experienced as much pushback as I expected.
Kash Patel’s book on the so-called deep state, “Government Gangsters,” included an appendix listing political figures he wants to target; he produced a song with the Jan. 6 prison choir; and he penned a Russiagate children’s book to educate kids about Trump’s first impeachment. Patel has openly advocated for shutting down the FBI’s D.C. headquarters, and even Bill Barr — Trump’s former attorney general — once responded to Trump floating Patel as deputy director of the FBI with “over my dead body.”
Yet, Patel’s path to confirmation has been remarkably smooth. “I’ll tell you, I put up some that I thought would be a little more controversial, and they turned out not to be necessarily the ones that are controversial,” Trump noted this week in a Time magazine interview. Trump is more likely to have been talking about Robert F. Kennedy Jr. there (and I’m shocked he’s also seemingly flying through the process), but Patel fits the bill as well.
With Patel’s confirmation hearing on the horizon, key Republicans like Sens. Thom Tillis and Joni Ernst have praised his commitment to “restoring integrity” to the bureau. Outgoing FBI Director Christopher Wray has already announced his plans to step down, paving the way for what could be a seismic shift under Patel’s leadership.
For a party that once prided itself on supporting law enforcement, the GOP’s embrace of Patel’s extremist leadership style reveals how far Republicans are willing to go to undermine institutions in service of Donald Trump. And it risks leaving the country potentially more vulnerable to threats like transnational crime and political corruption.
A story you should be following: Trump makes an example out of Sen. Joni Ernst
As Trump’s transition team ramps up its efforts on Capitol Hill, some key allies are making sure no opposition goes unpunished.
Take the example of Pete Hegseth, Trump’s pick for secretary of defense. A wave of criticism, including from some Republicans, followed allegations of alcohol abuse and sexual misconduct (Hegseth has never been charged with a crime and denies both the misconduct allegations and stories about his drinking). But now, Hegseth’s candidacy is getting a significant boost from the Building America’s Future super PAC, run by none other than Elon Musk.
Musk’s new $500,000 ad portrays Hegseth as a “patriot, decorated combat veteran, and warrior” and urges Americans to pressure their senators to confirm him. The ad is strategically placed to run in Ernst’s home state of Iowa.
The Deep State is trying to stop his nomination, but @PeteHegseth isn't backing down.
— Building America's Future (@bldgUSAfuture) December 6, 2024
America needs a Defense Security who knows what it means to fight and understands the price of freedom. pic.twitter.com/AwUbbt8Ike
Before this week, Ernst was widely seen as a Republican who might oppose Hegseth’s confirmation. As a veteran and survivor of sexual assault, Ernst has spent her congressional career championing the rights of victims in the military. However, as Republican strategist Brendan Buck noted in an interview on my show, Ernst has now found herself in the middle of a political and media firestorm — an unwelcome spotlight with her 2026 re-election campaign looming. Ernst released a statement this week saying she plans to “support Pete through this process.”
Despite assurances, Trump’s allies aren’t leaving anything to chance. MAGA supporters have unleashed a wave of attacks on Ernst for her initial skepticism, even recruiting Iowa’s attorney general (and a potential primary challenger to Ernst) to write an op-ed about why senators should back Trump’s Cabinet picks. For Trump, the stakes in this fight go far beyond Hegseth. His ability to reshape the government in his image depends not only on his picks but also on keeping Republicans in line — even if it means making their lives extremely uncomfortable. As the battle over his Cabinet heats up, one thing is clear: Trump’s grassroots machine is as relentless as ever. In a bill designed primarily to implement hurricane relief, North Carolina Republican lawmakers also slipped in a measure that strips key powers from the state’s incoming Democratic officials. The move, which Democrats have criticized as a “power grab,” comes just weeks after voters elected Democrats to key state offices. Notably, the GOP is set to lose its legislative supermajority next year. The bill shifts control of the state’s election board from the governor’s office to the Republican-held auditor’s office, limits the Democratic attorney general’s ability to argue positions contrary to those of the state Legislature, and accelerates ballot counting deadlines. Outgoing Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper slammed the legislation, calling it “shameful” and accusing Republicans of prioritizing political power over disaster recovery. Legal challenges are expected, but for now, the measure highlights how state Republicans are exploiting legislation meant to protect North Carolina’s most vulnerable communities to undermine the will of voters.
Jen Psaki is the host of "The Briefing with Jen Psaki" airing Tuesdays through Fridays at 9 p.m. EST. She is the former White House press secretary for President Joe Biden. Recommended
Another story you should be following: N.C. Republicans strip power from incoming Democrats
