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President Trump's nominee for FBI director, Kash Patel, was advanced by the Judiciary Committee. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., sworn in as health secretary, defended his record on vaccines. Trump made comments on Russia and Ukraine, suggesting that Russia's expulsion from the G8 may have contributed to the current conflict.
President Donald Trump's nominee for FBI director, Kash Patel, was advanced by the Judiciary Committee, also along party lines, overto impose 'fair and reciprocal' tariffs against American trading partners, including allies.
Later today, he is expected to hold a bilateral meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.Robert F Kennedy Jr. defended his record on vaccines this afternoon in remarks after he was sworn-in as health secretary, attempting to assuage a key concern expressed by many Democrats during the confirmation process. Responding to a reporter question about addressing concerns from Americans on vaccines, Kennedy said that his approach is"common sense." "Vaccines should be tested. They should be safe. Everybody should have informed consent. People are reacting because they hear things about me that aren't true. They hear characterizations of things that I've said that are simply not true, and when they hear what I have to say actually about vaccines, everybody supports it," Kennedy said.Kennedy was questioned during his Senate confirmation process about his past activism opposing vaccines, his work as a chairman at an anti-vaccine nonprofit and his promotion of false theories that vaccines are tied to autism. He was also criticized over his role in a Kennedy also said that he called Trump during the dismantling of USAID, arguing that the foreign assistance agency has drifted from its original mission. "My uncle started USAID in 1961 for humanitarian purposes, to put our country on this side of the poor. It has been captured by the military-industrial complex. It has become a sinister propagator of totalitarianism and war across the globe," Kennedy said."Very few people understand how sinister this agency really is.""We want to do the same thing with the institutions that are stealing the health our children," Kennedy said. Kennedy said he wants government agencies to stress"unimpeded science, rather than the kind of product that is coming out of those agencies today."While Trump has made no secret that he planned a radical departure from Joe Biden’s goal of an ostensible outright, his comments Wednesday — including that Russia “fought for that land and they lost a lot of soldiers” — startled observers, and apparently governments, across Europe.U.S. District Court Judge Brendan Hurson said he will grant a request by a group of transgender people and their parents for a temporary restraining order on portions of Trump's executive orders thatHurson noted Trump's orders could harm the lives of transgender youth and entire communities if hospitals lose significant funding. He added the plaintiffs in the case are likely to succeed in their legal challenge against the orders. “Stopping care in the middle of receiving it — any care, really — casts doubt on whether the goals are to protect the recipients of the care,” Hurson said during the hearing.During the hearing, Joshua Brock, an attorney for the ACLU, noted that Trump's orders only came after several bills that would limit transgender healthcare for minors failed to pass in Congress. “It seems like pretty strong evidence that the executive order is doing what Congress is trying to do and has not succeeded,” Brock said.Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch sworn in Kennedy this afternoon. In remarks leading up to the swearing-in, Trump praised Kennedy, saying that he would restore Americans' trust. "He’s absolutely committed to getting dangerous chemicals out of our environment and out of our food supply, and getting the American people the facts and the answers that we deserve after years in which our public health system has squandered the trust of our citizens," Trump said. "It was a very tough it was a very nasty group of people that were after him, but he was tougher and he was smarter than they are, and that's why he's here today," Trump added.Trump lamented the fact that Russia was thrown out of the G8 international group while answering questions from reporters in the Oval Office."Look, it's not a question of liking Russia or not liking Russia," Trump added."It was the G8 and you know, I said, 'What are you doing? You guys, all you talk about is Russia and they should be sitting at the table.'"The president also said that Russian President Vladimir Putin"would love to be back," and that if former then-President Barack Obama hadn't united with other G8 nations to remove Russia from the group, Russia may never have invaded Ukraine. "Obama and a couple of other people made a mistake, and they got Russia out," Trump said."It's very possible that if that was the G8, you wouldn't have had the problem with Ukraine. And if I was president, you definitely wouldn't have had the problem with Ukraine."During a briefing with reporters in the Oval Office, Trump expressed doubt that Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., ever had polio. "I have no idea if he had polio," Trump told reporters after he was asked about McConnell's vote not to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Health and Human Services secretary. Kennedy is a high-profile vaccine skeptic who has previously questioned the effectiveness of polio vaccines. "I’m a survivor of childhood polio," McConnell said in a statement explaining his vote today."In my lifetime, I’ve watched vaccines save millions of lives from devastating diseases across America and around the world. I will not condone the re-litigation of proven cures, and neither will millions of Americans who credit their survival and quality of life to scientific miracles.""He’s not equipped mentally," Trump said."He wasn’t equipped. 10 years ago, mentally, in my opinion, he’d let the Republican Party go to hell. If I didn’t come along, the Republican Party wouldn’t even exist right now. Mitch McConnell never really had it. He had an ability to raise money because of his position as leader, which anybody could do, you could, and that’s saying a lot."Trump falsely claimed to reporters today that the 2020 election was rigged, but said the 2024 election was"too big to rig." Trump made the remark while detailing his efforts to work with Putin during his first term, efforts that he said were sidelined by Covid and"a rigged election." Trump has long sowed doubts about the 2020 election. In contrast, Trump has largely stood by the results of the 2024 election. "Now we have an election that was too big to rig," Trump said."My whole theme was too big to rig, and they tried, but they didn't pull it off."Trump said again that he believes that Putin"wants peace," telling reporters the Russian leader would tell him if that was not the case.speaking to both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy "I think we’re on the way to getting peace. I think President Putin wants peace and President Zelenskyy wants peace, and I want peace," Trump said.Asked by a reporter in the Oval Office if the Department of Government Efficiency is planning to close the IRS, Trump said he doesn’t expect it but that the agency will be “looked at like everybody else.” “Just about everybody’s going to be looked at,” Trump said."They’re doing a hell of a job. It’s an amazing job they’re doing.”Trump said in the Oval Office today that Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 because of comments that Biden had made about Ukraine potentially joining NATO. Trump said he believes the war started"because Biden went out and said that they could join NATO, and he shouldn't have said that." "As soon as he said that, I said, you know what? You're going to have a war now. And I was right about that. This is a war that would have never happened if I were president," he said.Trump, while assailing Canada's reliance on the U.S. for military and economic support, repeated that the country would benefit from being a part of the U.S. "I spoke to Governor Trudeau on numerous occasions, and we'll see what happens," Trump said, referring to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Trump claimed that Canada has very little leverage in negotiations with the United States, maintaining that the U.S. has little need for Canadian products and claiming the country"survives" off of American support. "Why would we pay $200 billion a year in subsidies to Canada when they’re not a state, you do that for a state, but you don’t do that for somebody else’s country. So I think Canada is going to be a very serious contender to be our 51st state ongoing."A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has extended a court order blocking the Trump administration from placing thousands of USAID workers on administrative leave as part of an alleged effort to dismantle the agency. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols entered a temporary restraining order last week reinstating hundreds of USAID employees who had already been placed on paid administrative leave and prohibiting the government from making further cuts to the agencies active workforce. Nichols extended his order to run through midnight on Friday, Feb. 21, after a three-hour hearing today. Nichols will issue a written order on federal employee labor unions’ request for a full preliminary injunction that would permanently halt the USAID cuts while litigation proceeds before the temporary restraining order expires, he said. Nichols asked the government to provide additional information on what steps it will take to ensure safety of overseas USAID employees placed on leave and what benefits overseas employees will retain should they choose to remain at their posts while on leave.Trump admitted in the Oval Office this afternoon that his decision to impose tariffs on all major U.S. trading partners may lead to prices going up in the short term. "I think what's going to go up is jobs are going to go up, and prices could go up somewhat short-term, but prices will also go down," he said when asked by a reporter who voters should hold responsible for price increases. "And I think the farmers are going to be helped by this very much, because product is being dumped into our country, and our farmers are getting hurt very badly by the last administration," he said. Commerce Secretary nominee Howard Lutnick, who was next to Trump in the Oval Office, said that they're aiming for the tariffs to take effect around April 1.Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Danielle Sassoon has resigned, a senior official tells NBC News. Sassoon was leading the prosecution of New York City Mayor Eric Adams. On Monday, Justice Department leaders appointed by Trump ordered Sassoon and her team Sassoon's decision came in a two-sentence resignation letter. It does not refer to the directive from the Department of Justice about Adams, a senior official says.The Senate voted along party lines, 52-45, to advance Howard Lutnick’s nomination to be secretary of commerce. His final confirmation vote is set for next week., said today that he never envisioned accepting such a position — and that, despite heightened speculation, he has not thought about running for governor in 2026. But Tressel, speaking by telephone with NBC News, acknowledged that he also never thought he would be the head coach of a Big Ten football program or president of a state university. And he notably did not rule out seeking another job once seen as beyond his reach and limits.After Elon Musk condemned U.S. spending at Thompson Reuters Special Services on Thursday, the government contractor stressed their independence from the news organization that is their sister company. “Thomson Reuters Special Services , LLC is a separate U.S. legal entity governed by an independent Board of Directors, that operates independently from Reuters News. Recent public discourse has conflated these entities and has inaccurately represented the nature of the business between TRSS and the Department of Defense,” Steve Rubley, CEO of Thomson Reuters Special Services, said in a statement. Both TRSS and Reuters News share the parent company Thompson Reuters, which also sells Westlaw, a service with legal and regulatory information, and other products to law firms, accounting firms, and corporations.“TRSS has provided software and information services to U.S. government agencies across successive administrations for decades, to assist in identifying and preventing fraud, supporting public safety, and advancing justice,” Rubley said in his statement. After an X user called the spending “large scale social deception," Musk commented “just wow” in response.TRSS has earned more than $13 million in government contracts over the last 15 years at a number of agencies. The news agency has taken in far less, earning more than $3 million in government spending — mostly for selling its news to the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which distributes news programming around the world.Trump signed a memorandum calling for “fair and reciprocal” trade tariffs on all major U.S. trading partners, including longtime allies. The memo calls on Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Jamieson Greer, Trump’s official global trade representative, to assess within 180 days on a country-by-country report whether “remedies” that ensure reciprocal trade relations are necessary.The Senate is voting now on a procedural motion to advance Howard Lutnick’s nomination to serve as secretary of commerce. The vote needs a simple majority to pass. After the Senate votes on Lutnick, they will vote on another procedural motion to advance Kelly Loeffler’s nomination to be SBA administrator. These will be the last votes of the week, and Lutnick’s and Loeffler’s final confirmation votes are slated for next week., will carry out Trump and Musk’s “illegal bidding” and cut off funding for the Small Business Administration at the expense of"working-class people" if confirmed as the agency's next administrator. "I'm concerned for the more than 722,000 small businesses who call Massachusetts home and who last year relied on $708 million in loans from the Small Business Administration," Markey said. Markey said Loeffler would prioritize the agenda of Trump and Musk over the needs of"the more than 34 million small businesses" nationwide that rely on the agency for support. He noted that Musk's DOGE commission has already begun terminating employees at the agency."Unfortunately, we by now are able to look back and see the totality across the EPA, across NIH, across the president's call for the dismantlement of the Department of Education — what the real storyline is here," Markey said."My goal is to try to protect that SBA that we've all known on a bipartisan basis for generations." In further explaining his “no” vote, Markey also criticized Loeffler for her “unapologetic defense” of Trump’s executive orders, which he said “supersede the law of the land,” and her support ofActor and producer Issa Rae announced the cancellation of her sold-out Kennedy Center show in an Instagram post this afternoon. Thanking fans for their support, Rae said she could not proceed with the event “due to what I believe is an infringement on the values of an institution that has faithfully celebrated artists of all backgrounds through all mediums.”Gareth Cattermole / Getty Images for BFC file The post comes after Trump fired longtime center President Deborah F. Rutter and appointed Richard Grenell, who served as the ambassador to Germany in Trump’s first administration, to take her place.Trump announced yesterday on Truth Social he had been appointed as chair of the Kennedy Center, saying, “It is a Great Honor to be Chairman of The Kennedy Center, especially with this amazing Board of Trustees.” The vote came after TrumpJason Robert Brown, a theater composer responsible for scoring popular musicals like “The Last Five Years” and “Parade,” took to Instagram to say “Parade” will play at the Kennedy Center in August in spite of the changes. The musical is about the trial of Leo Frank, a Jewish man who was lynched after wrongfully being convicted of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl in 1913. The musical focuses on themes of antisemitic rhetoric in America. “It’s all ridiculous and comical but I’ll point out that PARADE is playing at the Kennedy Center in August and we’re not changing One Word,” Brown wrote. India, the world’s largest democracy, enters a second Trump term in a relatively strong position. Trump and Modi, India’sleader of more than a decade, have similar worldviews and a personal rapport that goes back years, and India has become a strategic U.S. partner in countering its neighborA source close to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz confirms to NBC News that he has not ruled out a run for Senate following Sen. Tina Smith’s announcement that she's not seeking re-election. The source said he’s thinking about it and also thinking about a third term as governor."I love Minnesota and my intention is to run for U.S. Senate and continue to serve the people of this state," she said."I’ll make a formal announcement later this month. In the meantime, I’m talking with community and family and friends. I will have more to say soon."The White House terminated multiple U.S. attorneys yesterday evening amid a period of upheaval at the Justice Department initiated by Trump, who was himself a criminal defendant in two separate federal cases until they were dropped after his election in November. The full extent of the terminations was not clear as of this morning. The White House did not respond to a request for comment, and a Justice Department spokesman could not immediately provide a figure for how many of the nation’s 93 U.S. attorneys in federal court districts across the country were impacted. The departure of the remaining U.S. attorneys who were nominated by former President Joe Biden and confirmed by the Senate was expected at some point, but their immediate terminations by the White House were a departure from history. In the past, politically appointed U.S. attorneys had been asked to resign by the Justice Department.After pressing McMahon on rules schools must follow to investigate sexual misconduct under Title IX, Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisc., brought upThe suit alleges that when McMahon was president of WWE, she turned a blind eye to child sex abuse committed by an employee of the wrestling promotion. An attorney for McMahon this week called the lawsuit"baseless." “This civil lawsuit based upon thirty-plus year-old allegations is filled with scurrilous lies, exaggerations, and misrepresentations regarding Linda McMahon,” attorney Laura Brevetti said in a statement to NBC News. “Ms. McMahon will vigorously defend against this baseless lawsuit and without doubt ultimately succeed.” Baldwin noted that as part of running the Department of Education, McMahon would oversee its enforcement of civil rights laws and how schools address crime on campus.“I am so concerned about whether sexual assault survivors on campus can trust you to support them,” Baldwin said. “They certainly can trust me to support them,” McMahon responded. “I have a granddaughter that is now in college. I have two grandsons who are in college, and I have deep commitment and understanding of how I would feel if any of them were involved in sexual harassment or accused of sexual harassment. You have my absolute commitment that I will uphold and protect those investigations to make sure that those students are treated fairly on both sides.”Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, D-Md., defended the nearly half dozen protesters who have so far interrupted McMahon's confirmation hearing as"passionate educators" advocating"on behalf of our children." Several of the protesters said they had a background in public education, with one describing themselves as a teacher and another as a public school graduate.Alsobrooks' defense was in direct response to Sen. Jim Banks, who moments earlier slammed the protesters for interrupting the"important work" of the hearing and acting like"children." "Can you imagine them teaching?" Banks said."These people teaching our kids in classrooms across America, and they come here and act like children.""I want to address how shameful it was to say 'who would want to be taught by them.' They are exactly the kind of people who we want teaching our children," Alsobrooks said.Linda McMahon's confirmation hearing ended after about two and a half hours of questions, which featured some tense exchanges between the nominee and Democrats about Trump's planned cuts to the Education Department and other policy areas.Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., opened his line of questioning by slamming the protesters, several of whom identified themselves as teachers, who interrupted McMahon’s confirmation hearing. “I’m struck by the outburst of some of the protesters in the room,” Banks said. “A number of them have told us that they’re teachers. Can you imagine them teaching, these people teaching our kids in classrooms across America?”McMahon’s Cabinet nomination has drawn national pushback from educators. The National Education Association, one of the nation’s largest teachers unions, pennedDuring his questioning time, Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., railed against Elon Musk and the so-called Department of Government Efficiency's plan to gut the Department of Education. "They have to go for all — to all of the programs that they are calling waste, fraud and corruption," Markey said."But that's just another way of saying the programs that help the poor and the sick and the elderly and the disabled in our society, that's what we are talking about, because they want all of these programs gutted to find the funding for the tax breaks." He added,"So DOGE, as it's rumbling through the Department of Education right now, just stands for Department of Gutting Education. That's what they're doing." When he offered McMahon an opening to respond, she told him,"Well, that was certainly a broad view of what is going on right now."As she went on to defend the DOGE employees evaluating the Education Department, Markey cut her off, prompting McMahon to say:"If I may, senator, you've asked me a question and I'd really like the opportunity to answer." Markey continued,"What they're doing is, first, they announce the cuts, then they go to find where it is. So it's all backwards."to serve as the secretary of agriculture in a 72-28 vote. Nineteen Democrats joined Republicans in voting for Rollins, who faced questions from Democrats in her confirmation hearing on whether Trump’s tariffs and mass deportations could cause farm labor shortages. Rollins served as Trump's domestic policy adviser in his first term and is the president of the America First Policy Institute, a think tank that has been involved in crafting Trump administration policies.Sen. Bill Cassidy publicly struggled with whether to back Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services before he fell in line behind President Donald Trump’s pick.The never-doubt-Donald-Trump wing of the Republican Party has yet to forgive Cassidy for having voted in 2021 to convict Trump on impeachment charges that he incited the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Cassidy already has at least one primary challenger should he seek a third term, and others are waiting in the wings.Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del., and McMahon had a contentious exchange during Blunt Rochester's questioning time, as the senator called out McMahon for failing to answer her questions about whether private schools that accept public funding are allowed to discriminate against students with disabilities or students of certain races and religions. "So, private schools should not be able to turn away a student with a disability or a student based on their religion or their ethnicity or race?" Blunt Rochester asked. "Private schools aren't taking federal dollars, so they have the ability to say ... if they believe that they cannot best serve that student and they’re not taking federal dollars, then they have the right not to accept that student," McMahon answered."I'm speaking specifically when we talk about — there's a lot of conversation about vouchers. If private schools take federal dollars, can they turn away a child based on a disability or religion or race?" the senator asked. McMahon started to answer, saying,"Well, I think that there are also some public schools who are saying that they don't have the," before the senator cut her off. "It's really just a yes or no," Blunt Rochester said, to which McMahon replied,"No, it's not for me."Sen. Mitch McConnel, R-Ky., said he voted against RFK Jr.’s confirmation to lead the Department of Health and Human Services because the American people deserve a leader who acknowledges the efficacy of vaccines and understands the intricacies of public health. “Individuals, parents, and families have a right to push for a healthier nation and demand the best possible scientific guidance on preventing and treating illness,” McConnellshortly after he cast his vote. “But a record of trafficking in dangerous conspiracy theories and eroding trust in public health institutions does not entitle Mr. Kennedy to lead these important efforts.”Striking a personal note, McConnell said he is a survivor of childhood polio who has watched and experienced the impact of lifesaving vaccines across the country and the world. “I will not condone the re-litigation of proven cures, and neither will millions of Americans who credit their survival and quality of life to scientific miracles,” McConnell said.Now that he’s got the job, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. may struggle to navigate his new position as secretary of health and human services as the agency contends with potential job cuts and the administration works to pursue Trump’s agendas, experts say.sparked outrage within the scientific community, with many fearing his appointment could undermine decades of public health — particularly vaccination efforts — in the U.S.With the possibility of limited resources and manpower, Kennedy could have a hard time pushing forward his own priorities — including"I'm a teacher and this nominee will be terrible for my district," the protester can be heard saying, adding that McMahon will be terrible for"my students" and"education." Minutes later, a fifth protester, who characterized herself as a"public school graduate" interrupted the proceedings. "Linda McMahon, you're fired," the protester said."Vote 'no' on billionaires who want to privatize public education."Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., asked McMahon whether she would"do what you are legally required to do" if Trump"gives you a directive that breaks the law."Hassan responded, saying,"The last month has told us that it is quite likely he may," citing several Trump executive actions that federal judges have blocked.Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., brought up the increase of antisemitism on college campuses since Oct. 7, 2023, and asked if she would make sure that it stops at schools that receive federal funding.Hawley also asked if students studying at U.S. colleges on visas who have threatened Jewish students, supported terrorist groups or have broken the law would have their visas revoked. He then asked if she would return"some common sense to our campuses in this way."Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., used his questioning time to rail against colleges and universities that allow transgender women to play on women's sports teams, accusing the Biden administration of allowing men in women's locker rooms and in female dorms. "The last four years have been, in many ways, absolutely hellacious for students on our college campuses," Hawley said, adding,"You had multiple universities claiming the mandate — claiming the cover of the Biden administration — forcing women to accept biological men in women's sports." He alleged that allowing transgender women into women's facilities resulted in"young woman after young woman denied basic safety in their changing facilities — for heaven's sake — basic safety in their dorm rooms."Rep. Gabe Vasquez, a two-term Democrat from Texas, expressed support for Trump’s executive actions to combat cartels in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, co-written with a Republican colleague. Vasquez and Arizona Republican Rep. Juan Ciscomani, leaders of the bipartisan Southwest Caucus in Congress, asked Rubio to work “collaboratively with border communities and Mexico to combat the cartels,” according to the letter first obtained by NBC News. The lawmakers said they support “additional efforts to combat the cartels” beyond the executive order Trump issued during the first week of his second term, which directs the secretary of state to decide which cartels will be designated as foreign terrorist organizations.Days after Trump hit Mexico with 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum, Ciscomani and Vasquez said they “urge this administration to maintain and bolster our trade relationship with Mexico.” “Efforts to combat cartels can be successful without hurting the American economy or disrupting legal commerce,” they wrote. “We strongly support investments in border infrastructure, screening technology to detect illicit goods, and additional staffing to promote legal trade.” The lawmakers, who launched their bipartisan caucus in 2023, also requested a meeting with Rubio within the first 100 days of the administration. The House is expected to vote today on a bill from Ciscomani that would impose tougher penalties on “bad actors,” including migrants, who lead law enforcement on high-speed chases near the border.Elon Musk reiterated his commitment to reducing the size of the federal government during virtual remarks at the World Governments Summit in Dubai, telling attendees the U.S. needs to"really delete entire agencies, many of them." “I think we do need to delete entire agencies as opposed to leave part of them behind," Musk said."It’s kind of like leaving a weed, if you don’t remove the the roots of the weed, then it’s easy for the weed to grow back." Musk's Department of Government Efficiency has led the Trump administration's efforts at dismantling or weakening several federal agencies and organizations, including USAID, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Education Department.further empowering Musk by directing federal agencies to"coordinate and consult" with DOGE to cut jobs and limit hiring to only"essential positions." Musk also said at the summit that his efforts to reduce the federal workforce will benefit other countries as they'll prevent the U.S. from"interfering with the affairs of other countries." "I think we should, in general, leave other countries to their own business. Basically, America should mind its own business, rather than push for regime change all over the place," Musk said.In a 52-48 vote, the Senate has confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to serve as secretary of health and human services.During an exchange with Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., McMahon confirmed that she commits to fully implementing public service loan forgiveness programs.Kaine said that during the first Trump administration, then-Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and the department slow-walked approvals of public service loan forgiveness, leading to only a 3% acceptance rate of fully qualified applicants. "During the Biden administration, more than a million applicants were approved for forgiveness, as was appropriate, given the congressional directive," Kaine said."If the DOGE brothers or somebody else tells you, 'We don't like these programs and we don't want you to implement them,' I can count on you to stand up and fully implement them to benefit those who are entitled to the benefit by the congressional statute."Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., questioned McMahon on the impacts of Trump's executive orders that ban diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in the federal government. The senator highlighted public school classes, clubs and celebrations that center on certain identities or cultural affiliations. "Would public schools be in violation of this order? Would they risk funding if they had clubs that students could belong to based on their racial or ethnic identity?" Murphy asked McMahon, who was not able to give a concrete answer."I certainly, today, don't want to address, you know, hypothetical situations," McMahon said, before Murphy offered a more direct example, asking whether Vietnamese American students or Black students meeting for a club could potentially jeopardize public funding for their school. "I would like to fully understand what that order is and what those clubs are doing," McMahon said, answering the question in a way that Murphy described as"chilling."Education secretary nominee Linda McMahon testified at her confirmation hearing that there should be more skills-based learning, which she said existed in schools when she was younger. She said, for example, that high school seniors would have classes for the first part of the day and would learn a skill or trade in the second part of the day. "Those credits would count towards your education, she said."I think we need to get back to more of that." McMahon added,"We don’t have enough skill-based learning. We don’t have enough internships or apprenticeship programs. I’d also like to see more dual credits in our high schools, our junior and senior years, that would count towards community colleges or other institutes that would get students through college faster."Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., quizzed McMahon on specific legal distinctions between the Biden and Trump-era Title IX regulations with regard to how schools must address sexual assault and harassment.“Do you believe that sexual harassment that is severe should be prohibited under Title IX?” Baldwin asked.“Yes,” McMahon said. “Do you believe that harassment that is either severe or pervasive should be prohibited under Title IX?” Baldwin asked.Baldwin then asked McMahon whether she believed schools should investigate sexual assaults that occur between two students off campus. “I think the school should investigate that matter,” McMahon said. She added that a school “should be required” to investigate and “notify the parties that are involved so that both sides of the equation can have due process.”Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., will not run for re-election. Her decision, a surprise to many, will make the 2026 midterm election even more complicated for Democrats trying to chip away at the new Republican majority.Former Republican Leader Mitch McConnell voted against RFK Jr.'s nomination to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. McConnell, who survived polio, had expressed concern over Kennedy’s anti-vaccine activism, saying in a December statement that anyone seeking Senate confirmation should avoid “efforts to undermine public confidence" in vaccines. Other Republican senators, including Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, were hesitant to support Kennedy’s confirmation but said their concerns were assuaged after he assured them he would not use his position to spread anti-vaccine rhetoric.The Senate Judiciary Committee’s vote on Kash Patel’s nomination to be Trump’s FBI director is ongoing, as Democrats issue dire warnings about his confirmation. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., said that “we need to begin to prepare ourselves for Trump-Russia 2.0,” pointing to Patel’s desire to take actions that would reduce the FBI’s counterintelligence work along with Attorney General Bondiand Tulsi Gabbard's appointment as director of national intelligence. Whitehouse said they have “sent powerful signals that they are shutting down our defenses when it comes to Russia.”Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., focused on Patel’s past comments and promises to take retribution against Trump’s political enemies. “A director’s loyalty to the American people, the Constitution and the rule of law is paramount, but Mr. Patel made it abundantly clear that he is loyal to the president,” she said. “If you are affiliated with any kind of case that Mr. Patel did not like in the past, well then you need to be on some list,” Klobuchar said, calling out the targeting of people who worked on Jan. 6 cases. “People assaulted police officers, and now those agents who are simply doing their job find themselves on a list for personnel action. That is not right, that will not make Americans safe, and that will destroy the Federal Bureau of Investigation.” “Mr. Patel did not even have the integrity to stand by his own words to this committee, his own words,” Klobuchar added later. “Repeatedly I asked about these statements. Own them, man! Just say, 'Yeah, I said it. I believe that. I believe we should shut down the FBI headquarters. I believe they’re all corrupt.'”Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., grilled McMahon on how much access employees of DOGE, Elon Musk’s government team, should have to personal information housed by the Education Department. McMahon responded that DOGE was just doing an audit, and later said that members of Musk’s team had been onboarded as employees of the department and would operate under typical restraint applied to staff at the agency. “There is a real potential for that kind of information to be abused or for student privacy to be in jeopardy,” Murray said. “DOGE could use that highly personal information to then target students, target their families or cut off access to Pell grants for students in college that someone perceives opposes President Trump’s policies.” Murray said she’s concerned that they do not know who the DOGE staff are at the department, and that they are “not held accountable.”"No more vouchers, no more charters," the protester shouted before being removed by security.During his question time, Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., asked McMahon about Trump's plan to have the education secretary gut the department entirely. "Yes or no, do you agree that, since the department was created by Congress, it would need an act of Congress to actually close the Department of Education?" Cassidy asked. "Certainly President Trump understands that," McMahon said, adding:"We'll be working with Congress. We'd like to do this right. We'd like to make sure that we are presenting a plan that I think our senators could get on board with, and our Congress could get on board with." Asked more specifically about Trump's plans to downsize the department, McMahon said:"I am really all for the president's mission, which is to return education to the states. I believe, as he does, that the best education is closest to the child and not certainly in Washington, D.C."During McMahon’s opening remarks, the education secretary nominee said that she would focus on emphasizing technical education and apprenticeship programs and expanding support for parents who want to enroll children in private schools. McMahon, the former president of World Wrestling Entertainment and the current chair of a Trump-aligned think tank, was briefly interrupted by a protester before she could start speaking. McMahon’s son, Shane, her daughter, Stephanie, and Stephanie’s husband, Paul Levesque, the WWE chief creative officer who wrestled under the moniker “Triple H,” sat behind her. McMahon described an educational landscape where test scores are lagging, public colleges “beset by violent crime on campuses every year, and most tragically, student suicide rates have dramatically increased over the last two decades. We can do better.”“So what’s the remedy? Fund education freedom, not government,” she said. “Run systems. Listen to parents, not politicians. Build up careers, not college debt.” She also pledged to combat harassment against Jewish students, and that the department would not allow transgender students into single-sex spaces that do not match their birth sex. The Education Department under her leadership, she said, “will protect the rights of parents to direct the moral education of their children. The opportunity before us these next four years is momentous.”The Senate is voting now on Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination to be health and human services secretary. RFK needs a simple majority to be confirmed, and it is expected he has the votes needed. All eyes will be on former Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, of Kentucky, who has not publicly said how he will vote today. McConnell, a polio survivor, had expressed concerns about RFK’s anti-vaccine rhetoric andin December that “anyone seeking the Senate’s consent to serve in the incoming administration would do well to steer clear” of “efforts to undermine public confidence” in the polio vaccine. While McConnell voted to advance RFK’s nomination yesterday, he also voted to advance Pete Hegseth and Tulsi Gabbard but ultimately opposed both of them in their final confirmation votes.House Budget Committee member Becca Balint, D-Vt., said in an interview on"Way Too Early" that the panel's vote kicking off the GOP reconciliation process on the Hill this morning would be a test for Democrats in pushing back on cuts to Medicaid, food stamps and student loans that Republicans are seeking. “They’re talking about over $800 billion of cuts to Medicaid … millions of dollars not going to people who need SNAP benefits, that’s what they’re looking at,” she said, underscoring some of the ways that Republicans plan to achieve roughly $2 trillion in spending cuts. “So, it’s about Democrats standing up against that, it’s not about wanting to shut down the government.”Balint was referring to public and private sentiments from some Democratic lawmakers that they should use the upcoming March 14 government funding deadline as leverage to stop the Trump administration’s slash-and-burn efforts within government agencies. Balint suggested a shutdown might be warranted. “If what they want to push through is going to hurt millions of Americans and give that money ... to another tax cut for the extremely wealthy? No, I will never allow that to happen,” she said. Balint also reacted to a federal judge’s ruling allowing Trump’s federal worker buyouts to move forward, and urged people not to trust the offers. “When you look at the track record that Elon Musk has that is following him from Tesla, he did not make good on promises to employees at Tesla," she said."I don’t have any confidence that the people who took the buyouts are actually going to see that money. "And let’s say, let’s say it is a legitimate offer," she continued."You’ve got a man who says he’s there trying to fight waste, fraud and abuse, who is basically saying we are going to pay you for months to actually do no work? And I was with employees at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau the other day. They want to work. They want to do their jobs. These are committed people who believe in the mission of getting money back to the American people. So it’s just, it’s all madness, all of this.”Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., ranking member of the Senate HELP committee, said in his opening statement that Americans can't allow the education system to become"a two-tier system" that says if you have money, you can send your child to a private school while"public schools will end up being segregated, not just by race, but by class." "The people who are trying to privatize Social Security, privatize Medicare, privatize Medicaid, privatize the Veterans Administration, are precisely the same people who are trying to privatize public education in America. We must not allow that to happen in America," Sanders said.He said the goal should not be to abolish the Education Department but to make it more effective. "In my view, we need a secretary of education who understands that in the wealthiest nation in the history of the world, we should have the best educational system on this planet, from child care to graduate school," he said."We need a secretary of education who understands that schools do not end at 2:30 or 3. We need strong after-school programs. We need strong summer programs." He added that the U.S. needs an education secretary who"understands that we’ve got to invest in mental health" and"that we have got to fully fund the individuals with Disability Education Act."In his opening statement, Committee Chair Bill Cassidy, R-La., blasted the Biden administration for placing"hoops and red tape" on federal grants for K-12 education and for expanding the college and university student loan program. "I’m hearing from schools across the country that they have stopped going after federal competitive grant funding because it is not worth the hoops and red tape the Department of Education has placed on those dollars," Cassidy said."If schools are not eager to apply for competitive grants to improve operations, something is wrong and something should change." He added,"Under the last administration, the Department of Education ... dramatically increased the scope and authority of the student loan financing program, clearly outside of what Congress previously intended," before highlighting McMahon's experience running the Small Business Administration during Trump's first term."Your experience overseeing SBA loans will be a great asset as the department looks to reform a very broken student loan program," Cassidy said. The senator also addressed the elephant in the room: Trump's plan to dismantle the Education Department completely, which would effectively eliminate McMahon's role if she is confirmed. "There's been a lot of talk about dismantling the Department of Education, and I'm sure that you will be asked this today," Cassidy said.A group of Senate Democrats held the Senate floor delivering late night speeches in protest of RFK Jr.'s nomination to be health and human services secretary. Democrats, however, do not appear to have the necessary support to stop his confirmation. A vote on his confirmation is expected this morning.The Senate HELP committee will vote on McMahon’s nomination to be education secretary next Thursday. If she clears that hurdle, which is expected, her nomination will move on to a full Senate vote.As Linda McMahon is set to face a confirmation hearing today to lead the Education Department, several former WWE employees, their family members and two current and former education officials are raising concerns about whether she is fit for the position overseeing more than 50 million students in about 98,000 public schools and 32,000 private schools around the United States. At issue, these people say, is her commitment to safeguarding children and overseeing Title IX, which protects students against discrimination, amid allegations in an October lawsuit that she was involved in turning a blind eye to child sex abuse at the hands of a World Wrestling Entertainment employee during her tenure as an executive at WWE. An attorney for McMahon has denied the claims. McMahon isn’t accused of sexual abuse.Presidents love to bask in the patriotic glow of bringing hostages home — none more than Donald Trump. Negotiations over prisoner swaps can be tough and the prices can be high, and experts warn that quickly giving hostage-takers the concessions they want gives them incentives for further kidnappings. But the immediate rewards are unambiguous: Americans, regardless of party, want their compatriots back.Trump and billionaire Elon Musk’s plan to reshape the federal government is entering a new phase after a judge lifted a temporary freeze on their federal employee buyout program. Meanwhile, Musk is previewing more dramatic changes. “We do need to delete entire agencies,” he said. NBC’s Peter Alexander reports for"TODAY.", a Trump ally. She was also the head of the Small Business Administration in Trump’s first term and went on to lead several pro-Trump political groups.for canceling $881 million in contracts at the department — though the administration has refused to release details. Some of Musk’s aides have also"Three great weeks, perhaps the best ever, but today is the big one: reciprocal tariffs!!! Make America Great Again!!!" he wrote in all caps on his Truth Social account. Trump said yesterday,"The world has taken advantage of the United States for many years. They’ve charged us massive tariffs that we haven’t charged them." "One other thing I’ll be doing very early in the administration is closing up the Department of Education in Washington, D.C., and sending all education and education work and needs back to the states," he said in a 2023 video.that the White House is preparing an executive order to eliminate the Education Department, according to two sources familiar with the plans.The Senate is expected to hold final confirmation votes this morning on Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s nomination to be HHS secretary and Brooke Rollins' nomination to be agriculture secretary. Two other nominees, Howard Lutnick for commerce secretary and Kelly Loeffler for administrator of the Small Business Administration, are set to face procedural votes to advance their nominations this afternoon.
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