When Elizabeth Warren and Tom Cotton agree
It’s not every day that Sens. Tom Cotton and Elizabeth Warren agree on an issue. But when President Donald Trump made the stunning decision to revoke security protections for three former senior officials — despite clear threats to their lives from Iran — even some of Trump’s staunchest Republican allies sounded the alarm.
Cotton, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a longtime Trump loyalist, urged the president to “revisit this” on Fox Business, warning that former national security adviser John Bolton, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and retired Gen. Mark Milley remain in real danger.
In January 2020, a Trump-ordered drone strike killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani. Iran has since vowed revenge. Cotton told Fox News former officials “could be targeted by Iranian assassins in public, where innocent bystanders could be injured.”
Warren, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, didn’t mince words either. In a letter to newly confirmed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, she accused Trump of “abusing [his] power to weaponize the government against the president’s political enemies” and warned his actions “could pave the way for Iran’s revenge.”
It’s no coincidence that among those losing security details are Bolton, who wrote a damning book about Trump; Milley, who vehemently opposed Trump’s candidacy for president; and Pompeo, who fell out of favor with Trump as well.
This is not just wrong, it’s dangerous for the country. Trump is putting lives at risk, and not just those of his former officials — innocent civilians could potentially get caught in the crossfire. Meanwhile, officials could be reluctant to give Trump honest assessments of issues in the future. As Cotton himself admitted, this debacle could have a “chilling effect” on the people advising Trump right now, making them think twice before giving him the hard but important truths he doesn’t want to hear.
Top moments from this week’s Senate confirmation hearings
Some of Trump’s most controversial Cabinet picks — including Kash Patel, Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — spent hours testifying this week. If you missed the chaos, here are a few of the standout moments:
GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy practically begs Kennedy to acknowledge vaccines do not cause autism
Cassidy: “Does a 70-year-old man, 71-year-old man who has spent decades criticizing vaccines and who is financially vested in finding fault with vaccines, can he change his attitudes and approach now that he will have the most important position influencing vaccine policy in the United States? Will you continue what you have been, or will you overturn a new leaf at age 70. I recognize, man, if you come out unequivocally, ‘Vaccines are safe, it does not cause autism,’ that would have an incredible impact. That’s your power. So what’s it going to be? … I’ve got to figure that out for my vote.”
Patel’s selective amnesia over his right-wing podcast appearances
Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin: “Are you familiar with Mr. Stew Peters?”
Patel: “Not off the top of my head.”
Durbin: “You made eight separate appearances on his podcast. He promoted outrageous conspiracy theories and worked with a prominent neo-Nazi.”
DURBIN: Are you familiar with Stew Peters?
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 30, 2025
PATEL: I'm sorry, what?
DURBIN: Are you familiar with Stew Peters?
PATEL: Not off the top of my head
DURBIN: You may 8 separate appearances on his podcast. He worked with a prominent neo-Nazi … pic.twitter.com/I5nvRLOo5V
Patel refuses to acknowledge Capitol Police officers present at his hearing
Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff: “I want you to turn around. There are Capitol Police officers behind you. They’re guarding us. Take a look at them right now. Turn around.”
Patel: “I’m looking at you. You’re talking to me.”
Schiff: “No, look at them. I want you to look at them if you can, if you have the courage to look them in the eye, Mr. Patel, and tell them you’re proud of what you did. Tell them you’re proud that you raised money off of people that assaulted their colleagues, that pepper-sprayed them, that beat them with poles. Tell them you’re proud of what you did, Mr. Patel. They’re right there. They’re guarding you today.”
Sen. Schiff on Capitol Police: Take a look at them right now. Turn around.
— CSPAN (@cspan) January 30, 2025
Kash Patel: I'm looking at you. You're talking to me.
Schiff: No, look at them…tell them you're proud that you raised money off of people that assaulted their colleagues. That pepper sprayed them. pic.twitter.com/Uz0cPccq2V
Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly questions Gabbard over her Russian and Syrian credulousness
Kelly: “You started from a place of doubting the conclusions of the U.S. intelligence community, and then you sought out information that confirmed your viewpoint. That led you to embrace the opinions of two individuals that … were sympathetic to Russia and the Assad regime. It also led you to minimize or discount the overwhelming information that contradicted your viewpoint — including the expert assessments of our own intelligence community. … What I have seen makes it clear that at the same time you were skeptical of our intelligence community’s assessments, you would not apply the same skepticism to information that came from sympathizers of Russia and Assad.”
A story you should be following: Tennessee state bill criminalizes votes for sanctuary policies
In Tennessee, the state Senate voted 26-7 to make it a Class E felony for officials to adopt sanctuary policies. According to the bill, once convicted, officials can then be removed from office.
Democratic State Rep. Justin Jones compared the bill to the 17th-century British monarchy tactic of using the law to punish political opponents. And he’s not wrong. This isn’t just an attack on immigrants; it’s an attack on democracy itself.
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.