While Trump's Cabinet nominees play to their audience of one, it’s Democrats’ responsibility to play to the audience that really matters here: the American people.

Democrats repeatedly called Pete Hegseth unfit to be secretary of defense, but Republicans on the Senate Armed Services Committee expressed nothing but support for his candidacy at a confirmation hearing.

Notably, Gabbard questioned the US intelligence community’s assessments that Assad was behind a deadly chlorine gas attack the same year she met with the Syrian strongman, to which Trump said at the time: “There can be no dispute that Syria used banned chemical weapons.”

Treasury Secretary nominee Scott Bessent is on track to be confirmed following a confirmation hearing Thursday lacking the theatrics some of his would-be Trump administration colleagues have faced, with questions largely keeping to policy issues like the federal budget and trade tariffs.

Democrats say Hegseth’s lack of experience, comments about women and Black troops, and allegations of excessive drinking and sexual misconduct make him unfit to serve. Some takeaways from the hearing:

Trump's picks to lead four federal agencies testified without the flashes of anger that marked Pete Hegseth and Pam Bondi's earlier showdowns.

After the initial crush of personnel announcements for President-elect Donald Trump's incoming administration, now the nominations process officially begins.Sen

This week in politics, President Joe Biden delivered his farewell address, the Senate conducted confirmation hearings for President-elect Donald Trump's nominees, the Supreme Court upheld the looming TikTok ban, Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire, Trump's inauguration was moved indoors and more.

Thursday marks another busy day of hearings for President-elect Trump’s Cabinet nominees as his inauguration approaches. The day will feature Lee Zeldin, the nominee to run the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA);

The U.S. Senate will get down to the business of confirming President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet picks this week, when several nominees will face an uphill battle as they work to convince a majority of lawmakers that they are fit to serve in the position to which they’ve been nominated.

U.S. senators will have the opportunity to publicly question President-elect Donald Trump's cabinet picks for the first time.