Pentagon pick Pete Hegseth faces intense scrutiny over sexual assault allegations and NATO views
Hello. Welcome to the US Politics Live Blog.
This morning, we hear that President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, has criticized several major US alliances including NATO, allies such as Turkey, and international organizations such as the United Nations. It begins. He said the U.S. military should not be bound by the Geneva Conventions.
This comes as Hegseth is also under intense scrutiny for sexual assault and misconduct charges dating back to 2017. Police did not press charges at the time, and Hegseth maintains the encounter was consensual and denies any wrongdoing.
Concerns over Mr. Hegseth’s confirmation path have been heightened since last week’s release of a police report detailing the charges and incident, with some Republicans questioning whether Mr. Hegseth or other members of Mr. Trump’s cabinet He is reportedly displeased by a series of sexual misconduct allegations against him.
As Hegseth faces a potentially difficult confirmation process in the Senate next year, concerns continue to arise about his qualifications for the job and his controversial views and past statements.
More news:
Prominent Republican U.S. Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma said Sunday that Congress will not fully approve President Trump’s controversial cabinet appointments.
Public health experts say that if Trump’s choice of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to head the Department of Health and Human Services is confirmed, more experimental treatments will be prioritized and access to medicines will be reduced. I’m concerned that it could be dangerous.
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Updated at 10.05 ET
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Vice President Kamala Harris and former vice presidential candidate Gov. Tim Walz hosted a conference call Tuesday to thank their supporters.
The conference call, scheduled for 3pm ET on Tuesday, is being described as a “national grassroots call” in which Harris and Walz will thank their supporters. “Learn how to stay involved in this fight,” the caption adds.
Harris is scheduled to arrive in California on Monday after vacationing in Hawaii with her husband, Doug Emhoff, starting Tuesday.
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Updated at 09:47 ET
A new poll conducted by CBS News finds that most Americans say they approve of President Donald Trump’s handling of the presidential transition process.
In a new poll released this morning, 31% of respondents said they felt “happy” with Trump’s victory, while 24% said they were satisfied. In contrast, 23% said they felt dissatisfied and 21% said they felt angry.
Among Democratic voters surveyed, 50% said they were worried about what President Trump would do as president, and 35% expressed concern.
By contrast, a majority of Republicans surveyed said they were excited about Trump’s second term as president, with 41% saying they felt optimistic.
Overall, CBS reports that Republicans today are more enthusiastic about Trump becoming president than they were in 2016, when Trump was first elected.
Democrats, meanwhile, say they are more frightened by Trump’s actions than they were in 2016, with many believing he threatens their rights and freedoms.
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Who did President Trump pick for his cabinet over the weekend?
Over the past three days, Donald Trump has made major Cabinet announcements.
If you missed it, here’s a quick recap.
President Trump has selected Brooke Rollins, president of the America First Policy Institute, to be Secretary of Agriculture.
President Trump nominated Scott Bessent, a longtime hedge fund investor who taught at Yale University for several years, to be Treasury Secretary.
President Trump nominated Russell Vought to head the Office of Management and Budget. Vought served as OMB director during President Trump’s first term and has been heavily involved in Project 2025 in recent years.
President Trump has announced that he will appoint Sebastian Gorka, a former Breitbart writer and longtime supporter of right-wing MAGA, to serve as his deputy and senior counterterrorism director in his second administration.
President Trump has nominated Oregon Congresswoman Lori Chavez Delemer as secretary of labor. Chávez Delemer recently lost his reelection bid to the House of Representatives.
Dr. Janet Nesheiwat, a dual-certified physician and regular FOX News contributor, has been nominated by President Trump to be Surgeon General.
Former State Department official Alex Wong will become deputy national security adviser.
President Trump also said he would nominate Marty McCurry, a Johns Hopkins University surgeon and author, to lead the Food and Drug Administration.
President Trump announced his nomination of Scott Turner to be Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
President Trump announced his choice of former congressman and physician Dave Weldon to head the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Updated at 10.05 ET
Pentagon pick Pete Hegseth faces intense scrutiny over sexual assault allegations and NATO views
Hello. Welcome to the US Politics Live Blog.
This morning, we hear that President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, has criticized several major US alliances including NATO, allies such as Turkey, and international organizations such as the United Nations. It begins. He said the U.S. military should not be bound by the Geneva Conventions.
This comes as Hegseth is also under intense scrutiny for sexual assault and misconduct charges dating back to 2017. Police did not press charges at the time, and Hegseth maintains the encounter was consensual and denies any wrongdoing.
Concerns over Mr. Hegseth’s confirmation path have been heightened since last week’s release of a police report detailing the charges and incident, with some Republicans questioning whether Mr. Hegseth or other members of Mr. Trump’s cabinet He is reportedly displeased by a series of sexual misconduct allegations against him.
As Hegseth faces a potentially difficult confirmation process in the Senate next year, concerns continue to arise about his qualifications for the job and his controversial views and past statements.
More news:
Prominent Republican U.S. Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma said Sunday that Congress will not fully approve President Trump’s controversial cabinet appointments.
Public health experts say that if Trump’s choice of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to head the Department of Health and Human Services is confirmed, more experimental treatments will be prioritized and access to medicines will be reduced. I’m concerned that it could be dangerous.
share
Updated at 10.05 ET