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Pooka Bella (0:47)
All caps Pooka Bella I'm sure you've noticed some changes. Who you talking to?
Will K. Back (0:53)
I'm just practicing for when I have.
Pooka Bella (0:54)
To tell the dogs about the twins, you know, because they'll be fine in the spacious third row seat, but the can sleep peacefully thanks to the rear manual sunshade. And what about the extra cargo space for strollers and dog beds?
Will K. Back (1:05)
I guess you're right.
Pooka Bella (1:06)
Can we go to the hospital now? The contractions are getting closer the three.
John (1:10)
Row Lexus TX because everyone should feel like the center of the universe experience.
Isaac Saul (1:16)
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Pooka Bella (1:44)
From Executive Producer Isaac Saul, this is Tangle.
Will K. Back (1:58)
Good morning, good afternoon and good evening and welcome to the Tangle Podcast, a place where you get views from across the political spectrum, some independent thinking and a little bit of our take. I am your host, Today editor Will K. Back and we have a special Friday edition for you. We are going to be talking about three major confirmation hearings for President Trump's appointees. That includes Tulsi Gabbard, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. And Cash Patel. Those hearings were held this week. We're going to be diving into what happened at the hearings, what was said, what the reactions were, and then our assessment of where those nominations stand going forward. A lot to get to a lot of news. Excited to bring this to you, so let's jump right into it. Before we get started though, a few quick hits for you on this Friday. Number one, a preliminary Federal Aviation Administration safety report on the mid air collision between a passenger plane and military helicopter near Reagan National Airport on Wednesday found that staffing at the airport's control tower was not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic. Additionally, the report said that the controller, who was responsible for coordinating helicopters near the airport at the time of the crash, was tasked with duties that are usually handled by two controllers. Number two, President Donald Trump affirmed that his plan for 25% tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods will take effect this weekend, adding that he may or may not exempt petroleum imports. Number three, the Justice Department sued to block Hewlett Packard Enterprises attempt to acquire Juniper Networks for $14 billion, which is the first attempt to to stop a merger by the Trump administration. Number four, the Bureau of Economic Analysis reported that real GROSS Domestic product GDP grew at an annual rate of 2.3% in quarter four of 2024, down from 3.1% in quarter three and slightly below expectations of 2.5% quarterly growth. And finally, number five, Uganda reported an Ebola outbreak in its capital, Kampala, after recording the first death from the virus since the country's last outbreak two years ago. On Thursday, Senate committees held hearings to consider the nominations of Tulsi Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. For Secretary of Health and Human Services, and Cash Patel for director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the FBI. While most of President Donald Trump's nominees have been confirmed by the Senate with bipartisan support, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Treasury Secretary Scott Besant and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem Gabbard, Kennedy and Patel's outlook is the most uncertain of Trump's remaining nominees. In today's special Friday edition, we cover their Senate hearings in a truncated version of our standard tangle format, with an overview of each hearing, perspectives from writers on the left and right, and finally, our take first. Gabbard's Hearing Tulsi Gabbard is President Trump's nominee for Director of National Intelligence, dni. On Thursday, the Senate Intelligence Committee questioned her for nearly three hours in a hearing that focused on her foreign policy views and past stances on issues like Russia, Syria and surveillance practices by US Intelligence agencies. Gabbard is a military veteran and former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii who served in the House of representatives from 2013 to 2021. In 2022, Gabbard left the Democratic Party and registered as an independent before joining the Republican Party in October of 2024 to support President Trump. During the hearing, several senators asked Gabbard about her views on Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance act, also known as FISA, which authorizes intelligence agencies to collect information on potential national security threats without a warrant of note, the law does not allow for explicit targeting of US citizens, but through section 702, the data and communications of US citizens may be incidentally collected, retained and also accessed in, quote, backdoor searches. Gabbard previously worked to repeal this law, but told senators at the hearing that she now supports it. Gabbard was also asked to explain her 2017 meeting with Syrian President Bashar al Assad and subsequent skepticism about whether Assad used chemical weapons against his people. Gabbard said she went to Syria to ask Assad tough questions and that she had, quote, no love for Assad or Gaddafi or any dictator. A key point in the hearing came when Gabbard refused to call Edward Snowden, the National Security Agency whistleblower who leaked information about America's global surveillance programs in 2013, a, quote, traitor, although she said that he, quote, broke the law. Both Republicans and Democrats on the committee expressed concern about Gabbard's past support of Snowden, and an anonymous GOP Senate aide stated that Gabbard's non answer, quote, could have just cost her the nomination, end quote. The Intelligence Committee will vote in the coming days on whether to advance Gabbard's nomination to a vote of the full Senate next Kennedy's Hearing Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Is President Trump's pick for Secretary of Health and Human Services. The two formed an alliance in the final months of the presidential race, with Kennedy dropping his third party bid and endorsing Trump in August. We covered Kennedy's campaign and endorsement in past editions and podcast episodes of Tangle, which you can find in our archives. Kennedy had two hearings this week, appearing before the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday and the Senate Health, Education, labor and Pensions Committee on Thursday. In the first hearing, Kennedy espoused support for vaccines, saying he believes they play a critical role in healthcare. However, several Democrats questioned his past statements about vaccines and the COVID 19 pandemic, claiming that Kennedy regularly trafficked in conspiracy theories, which he denied. Kennedy also appeared to confuse the purpose of Medicare and Medicaid during questioning from Senator Bill Cassidy, a Republican from Louisiana. Separately, Kennedy said he would work to implement, quote, whatever position President Trump takes on regulating the abortion pillar mifeprestone. In Thursday's hearing, Kennedy faced more questions about his stance on vaccines. Senator Cassidy again asked Kennedy to state whether he believed that the measles and hepatitis B vaccines cause autism, to which Kennedy replied that he would review data and studies on the vaccinations and make a determination. Cassidy's support for Kennedy's nomination is uncertain and the senator said he was concerned by Kennedy's history of, quote, undermining confidence in vaccines with unfounded or misleading arguments. However, most Republican senators expressed support for Kennedy and said they expected him to be confirmed. The Senate Finance Committee will vote on the nomination in the coming days. Next Patel's Hearing Cash Patel is Trump's nominee for FBI director. On Thursday, Patel sat for a five hour hearing with the Senate Judiciary Committee. Members from both parties asked Patel about the degree to which the FBI had been politicized while Democrats scrutinize Patel's previous statements about January 6th QAnon conspiracy theories and for keeping a list of names to investigate. We previously covered Trump's nomination of Patel in an edition in December and you can find that in our archives. Unlike other Senate confirmed appointments, the FBI head serves a 10 year term. Though the president can fire the director for any reason, that person typically continues to serve in that role even when a new administration begins. Former FBI Director Christopher Wray had three years left on his term, which began when President Trump appointed him in 2017, but resigned ahead of Trump's inauguration after the then President elect indicated he would remove Wray for his role in the classified documents investigation. Patel faced sharp questioning from Democrats throughout the hearing. Senator Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat from Minnesota, rebuked Patel for calling the 2020 presidential race a, quote, fraud and for publishing a, quote, enemies list in his 2023 book, Government Gangsters, Patel called the claims, quote, partial statements and false. In response to Senator Dick Durbin, a Democrat from Illinois, asking if he supported a blanket pardon for those convicted of crimes on January 6, Patel answered, quote, I do not agree with the commutation of any sentence of any individual who committed violence against law enforcement. During the hearing, members of the committee appeared split along party lines on Patel's nomination. Quote, there is an unfathomable difference between a seeming facade being constructed around this nominee here today and what he has actually done and said in real life, said Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, a Democrat from Rhode Island. Quote, we want to be the Senate that confirms an FBI director that rights the ship shows consistent respect for the rule of law and the Constitution, consistent respect for all law enforcement officers, and I absolutely believe you're up to the task, said Senator Thom Tillis, Republican from North Carolina. The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to convene to vote on Patel's nomination within the next week. Today we'll share perspectives on the hearings from commentators across the political spectrum. Then Managing Editor Ari Weitzman and Editor Will Kbach give their takes.