Take away from a wild day of confirmation audiences

Washington (AP) – Conspiracy Theories on vaccines. Secret meetings with dictators. A Enemies.

President Donald Trump ‘ S nominated most controversial in the cabinet – Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Tulsi Gabbard and Kash Patel – Flooded the area Thursday Consecutive confirmation hearings It was like nothing that the Senate saw in modern memory.

The attack on affirmations, promises and test exchanges did not take place in a political void. The day of the whirlwind – the 10th day of the new White House – everything took place as Trump himself was disclosure on the way in which hiring diversity caused the Tragic plane and helicopter crash Outside Washington National Airport Ronald Reagan.

And he crowned a tumultuous week after suddenly the White House Interrupted federal funding For the programs that Americans have on the country, under the direction of Trump’s budgetary choice, Russ Vought, to reverse the course in the midst of a public revolt.

“The American people did not vote for this kind of insane chaos,” said senator Patty Murray, D-Wash., Earlier.

Everything was difficult, even the most loyal Republicans who are invited to confirm Trump’s cabinet or to face the recriminations of an army of online soldiers of promotion on the agenda of the White House. A majority vote in the Senate, led by the Republicans 53-47, is necessary for confirmation, leaving little room for dissent.

Here are some points to remember of the day:

Tulsi Gabbard defends his loyalty – and made some breakthroughs

Gabbard is considered to be the most threatened choice of Trump choices, potentially devoid of Trump’s party even for confirmation for the director of national intelligence. But she Hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee Offered a roadmap towards confirmation.

He opened his doors with the president, Senator Tom Cotton, R-Ark., Swatting back says Gabbard is a foreign “active”, under cover for another nation, probably Russia. He said that he had reviewed some 300 pages of several checks of the FBI history and that she was “clean as a whistle”.

But the senator of Virginie Mark Warner, the best democrat in the panel, wondered if she could build the necessary confidence, in the country and abroad, to do the work.

Gabbard, lieutenant-colonel in the army reserve, defended her loyalty to the United States, she rejected senator Jerry Moran, a Kansas republican, when he asked if Russia “would get a pass” ‘She.

“The senator, I am offended by the question,” replied Gabbard.

Press in her secret 2017 trip to meet the president of the time, Bashar Assad, who has since been overthrown by rebels and fled to Russia, she defended her work of diplomacy.

Gabbard may have been pierced with a potentially skeptical republican. Senator Susan Collins of Maine asked if Gabbard would recommend forgiveness for Edward Snowden. The former government entrepreneur was accused of spying after having fled a mine of sensitive intelligence equipment and fled in residence in Russia.

Gabbard, who described Snowden a brave whistleblower, said he would not be his responsibility to “defend any actions related to Snowden”.

By taking a notable approval, Gabbard was presented by an influential voice on intelligence issues – former senator Richard Burr, a republican who was president of the intelligence committee.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. again pressed the safety of vaccines

Kennedy faced a Second day of grill To become a secretary of health and social services, this time at the Senate of Health Committee, while senators investigated his opinions past vaccines and if he would prohibit abortion Miffepristone medicine.

But what skeptical democratic senators have led is if Kennedy is trustworthy – if he quickly holds his past opinions or moved to new – echoing the concerns raised by his cousin Caroline Kennedy that he East A charismatic “predator” is hungry for power.

“You have spent your whole career in undermining the American vaccination program,” said senator Chris Murphy, D-Conn. “It is simply not credible that when you become secretary, you will become coherent with science.”

Senator Tim Kaine, D-VA., Took the conversation in a different direction by reading Kennedy’s comments on the attacks of September 11, 2001 in which he declared in an article on social networks: “It is difficult to say What the plot is and what is’ t. “”

“Wow,” said Kaine.

Kennedy replied that his father, the late Robert F. Kennedy, told him that people in power were.

But Kennedy’s long-standing plea in the anti-vaccine community has continued to dominate its audiences.

Senator Maggie Hassan, DN.H., smothered tears when she told Kennedy that her work has caused serious prejudices by religitizing what is already “established scientific” – rather than helping the country to progress towards New treatments and responses in health care.

But Senator Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., Immediately moved the mood by saying that his own sons were fans of the candidate and thanked Kennedy for having “brought light” in particular to a young generation interested in his opinions alternatives.

In a hurry if he would prohibit the abortion drug in mifepristone, Kennedy told Trump.

“I will implement its policy.”

A combative patel kash collapses with the senators on his past

Kash Patel may have become the most combative candidate in a test audience Before the Senate’s Judicial Committee as a candidate to direct the FBI.

Confronted with his own words, writings and past public comments, Patel, a former member of Capitol Hill staff, who became passionate about Trump, protested on several occasions that his opinions had come out of his context as “unjust” smear.

Senator Amy Klobuchar, d-minn., Read the false allegations of patel electoral fraud aloud in the 2020 elections and another about her published “list of enemies” who includes former Trump officials who criticized the president.

“” We’re going to come after you, “she said, saying.

Patel rejected his quotes as a “partial declaration” and “false”.

Klobuchar, exasperated, told senators: “These are his own words.”

Patel remained following Trump the day after January 6, 2021, attack at the Capitol and Produce a version The national anthem featuring Trump and the so-called J6 falling accused as fundraising. The president played the song by opening his country gatherings.

During a shocking moment, Senator Adam Schiff, D-Calif., Asked Patel to turn around and watch the police of the American Capitol protecting the courtroom.

“Tell them that you are proud of what you have done. Tell them that you are proud to have collected funds from people who attacked their colleagues, that Pepper sprayed them, who beat them with posts, “said Schiff.

Patel retaliated: “It’s an abject lie, you know. I never, never, never accepted violence against the police. »»

Patel said he had not approved Trump’s radical forgiveness from supporters, including violent rioters, accused of the January 6 attack.

“I do not agree with the switching of a sentence of anyone who has committed violence against the police,” said Patel.

In another development of the cabinet, the Republicans of the Senate Budget Committee advanced the candidate for the Trump budget, Russ Vought, to confirmation after the Democrats boycotted the meeting to protest.

Vought was an architect of the 2025 project and had an influence on the note of the White House to freeze federal funding this week, which aroused panic in communities across the country. The plea organizations challenged the frost in court and the White House quickly canceledFor the moment.

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The editors of the Associated Press Farnoush Amiri, Matt Brown and Stephen Groves contributed to this report.