Spotlight on Bondi, Rubio as key Trump nominees head to Capitol Hill

Wednesday will see the Senate hold a slew of confirmation hearings to vet some of President-elect Donald Trump’s key nominees ahead of his Monday inauguration and could prove make or break for some of his less conventional picks.

Among the most high-profile nominees on Capitol Hill will be Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who hopes to become secretary of state. Former Florida GOP AG Pam Bondi will field questions on her nomination to serve as attorney general while former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe will appear as part of his confirmation to lead the CIA.

Other key nominees include Transportation Secretary-designate Sean Duffy, former Office of Management and Budget Director and Director-designate Russell Vought, and Energy Secretary-designate Chris Wright. Homeland Security Secretary-designate Kristi Noem had been set to appear for her hearing on Wednesday, but the proceedings were postponed to Friday.

Most of the focus will be on the top-level security and foreign affairs nominees, namely Rubio, Ratcliffe, and Noem; whose hearings have come with calls for expedited confirmations in the wake of terrorist attacks on New Year’s Eve and amid ongoing global conflicts. Bondi is also likely to draw attention after replacing former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., as AG-designate.

Some may find their hearings relatively relaxed after following Pete Hegseth’s contentious Tuesday hearing to lead the Pentagon that saw protesters disrupt proceedings and Democrats explicitly deem him unqualified for the post.

Bondi

Florida’s former top cop may meet with a warm welcome in Washington in comparison to Gaetz, whose nomination rankled upper chamber Republicans and Democrats alike, ultimately failing to reach a hearing. Bondi served two terms as the state attorney general and has a decades-long career as a prosecutor. She also served as counsel to Trump during his first impeachment trial.

Trump himself has railed against the Department of Justice under President Joe Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland, contending it pursued partisan “lawfare” against him and other conservatives.

Bondi will face the task of uprooting political actors allegedly within the DOJ and reorienting it toward traditional prosecutorial activities. She will likely face a litany of cartel, immigration, and other border-related cases as Washington pursues a nationwide crackdown.

Ahead of the hearing, the Florida Republican met with a litany of upper chamber lawmakers to win over their support, resulting in a generally positive Republican consensus, though she left some Democrats reluctant to back her nomination.

"Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting Crime, and Making America Safe Again,” Trump said when nominating her.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley has called her “well-qualified,” though ranking Democrat Dick Durbin has expressed concerns that she will not “put her oath to the Constitution ahead of her fealty to Donald Trump.”

The hearing comes in the wake of special counsel Jack Smith releasing part of his final report addressing the D.C. election case against the president-elect. Smith resigned from the DOJ ahead of Trump’s inauguration without securing a conviction. He nonetheless expressed confidence that, had Trump not been elected to the White House, he would have secured one.

Bondi is sure to face questioning related to Trump’s handling of the 2020 election as well as on her opinions of Smith’s findings.

Rubio

Ranking among Trump’s most conventional choices for cabinet roles, the Florida senator is expected to face a warm reception from his upper chamber colleagues across the aisle, with some previously expressing support for his confirmation.

As a senator, Rubio has led the Republicans on the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee and has developed a reputation as something of a neoconservative, advocating for an aggressive foreign policy and hawkish stances toward American adversaries, especially China.

He is expected to secure more Democratic support than most of Trump’s nominees, in no small part due to his years in the chamber that will decide his fate. His parents were Cubans who immigrated to the United States in 1956 during the regime of Fulgencio Batista, two and a half years before Fidel Castro ascended to power.

"Unsurprisingly, the other team’s pick will have political differences than my own," Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., posted in November. "That being said, my colleague [Rubio] is a strong choice and I look forward to voting for his confirmation."

Ratcliffe

The former Texas congressman served as Trump’s director of national intelligence during his first term and was previously a member of the House Intelligence Committee. Considered more of an insider, his nomination may strike fewer nerves in Washington than Tulsi Gabbard, whom Trump tapped for his old post.

But he will nonetheless face the daunting task of leading America’s primary intelligence gathering organization at a time when federal surveillance powers are under intense scrutiny from lawmakers and the intelligence community itself faces mounting allegations of political bias.

"He will be a fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans, while ensuring the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH,” Trump said in November.