Senate to vote on Kash Patel’s nomination to lead the FBI
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(WASHINGTON) — The Senate on Thursday will vote on Kash Patel’s controversial nomination to lead the FBI.
If confirmed, Patel will be the 18th Cabinet official approved by lawmakers since President Donald Trump’s inauguration one month ago.
Republicans have rallied around Patel, arguing he would bring reform to the nation’s top law enforcement agency they allege has been corrupted.
“Mr. Patel should be our next FBI director because the FBI has been infected by political bias and weaponized against the American people. Mr. Patel knows it, Mr. Patel exposed it, and Mr. Patel has been targeted for it,” Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said last week as the committee met to consider his nomination. The panel advanced Patel in a party-line vote.
Democrats, meanwhile, have objected to Patel up until the last minute. Sen. Dick Durbin, the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, held a press conference outside FBI headquarters on Thursday morning railing against Patel’s “bizarre political statements” on Jan. 6 to retribution.
He accused Republicans of “willfully ignoring red flags on Mr. Patel,” who he argued has “neither the experience, the judgment or the temperament” to be FBI chief for the next 10 years.
“Mr. Patel will be a political and national security disaster,” Durbin said.
Patel, 44, is a loyalist to the president and worked in a number of roles during Trump’s first administration, including acting deputy director of national intelligence.
Shortly after the November election, Trump indicated he would fire then-FBI Director Christopher Wray and tap Patel to take his place. Wray, first appointed by Trump in 2017, stepped down at the end of the Biden administration.
Patel has been a vocal critic of the FBI for years, and previously said he wanted to clean out the bureau’s headquarters in Washington as part of a mission to dismantle the so-called “deep state.”
He faced pointed questions from Democrats on those comments and more — including support for Jan. 6 rioters and quotes that appeared favorable to the “QAnon” conspiracy movement — during his confirmation hearings last month.
Patel sought to distance from some of his past rhetoric, and told lawmakers he would take “no retributive actions” despite his history of comments about targeting journalists and government employees.
Patel, if confirmed, will take over an agency facing uncertainty and turmoil amid firings and other key changes.
The Justice Department’s sought a list of potentially thousands of FBI employees who worked on Jan. 6 cases, ABC News previously reported, prompting agents to file a lawsuit to block the effort.
(HELENA, Mont.) — The Montana House of Representatives advanced a bill to ban transgender people from using public bathrooms that do not align with their sex assigned at birth, the first of this type of legislation to progress in the 2025 session.
It is one of 138 anti-LGBTQ bills in the U.S. tracked by the ACLU so far this year.
This comes after a bipartisan effort in December to reject a measure that would have banned state Rep. Zooey Zephyr — the first openly trans lawmaker in the state — from using the women’s bathroom at the state Capitol.
The new bill states that a “restroom, changing room, or sleeping quarters … that is designated for females or males may be used only by members of that sex.”
The bill seeks to define sex “based on the organization of the body parts and gametes for reproduction,” adding that the sexes are defined by “sex chromosomes, naturally occurring sex chromosomes, gonads, and nonambiguous internal and external genitalia present at birth” and not any other definition of gender.
The bill does not include a definition or classification for those born intersex, or people with ambiguous genitals, chromosomes, hormones or reproductive organs that are neither clearly male nor female at birth.
The bill does not state how it will be enforced or how those using such facilities will be checked. However, the bill does state that residents can sue for attorney fees and other costs if “another individual of the opposite sex” is using a single-sex facility.
When her colleagues declined to support a similar bathroom ban in 2024, Zephyr applauded the rejection: “I’m happy to see that this proposed ban failed and am grateful for my colleagues — particularly my republican colleagues — who recognized this as a distraction from the work we were elected to do,” she posted on social media platform X. “I’m ready to represent my constituents & look forward to working on behalf of Montana.”
Critics of bathroom bans say they create a false “fear” of transgender people. They argue transgender people aren’t inherently dangerous and are four times more likely to be victims of violence than cisgender people, according to recent studies.
In a past interview, Zephyr told ABC News that she believes anti-transgender rhetoric and legislation have been a distraction from the issues facing average Americans.
“Leave trans people alone, let us live our lives and let our representatives get back to trying to make our states better places for all of us,” Zephyr said.
ABC News reached out to Zephyr for comment on the measure Wednesday.
Zephyr did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment on the measure Thursday.
Those in support of the bill argue that restrictions on bathroom use enhance safety and privacy for women.
Montana Rep. Kerri Seekins-Crowe, a Republican, said the bill “reflects the values and priorities of Montanans, protecting privacy, safeguarding dignity, and ensuring safety for women and children in vulnerable places.”
She continued, “This bill is not about exclusion or hate, it’s about common sense boundaries that have served our society for generations.”
One study in the Sexuality Research and Social Policy journal was unable to find evidence that trans-inclusive policies on restrooms, lockers and changing rooms increase safety risks or related crimes.
Transgender people – who are estimated to make up less than 1% of the adult population – have been the focus of conservative-sponsored legislation across the country.
Last year, restrictions on transgender participation in sports, bathroom use, gender marker changes, pronoun use in schools and gender-affirming care made up a majority of the record-breaking 533 anti-LGBTQ bills tracked by the ACLU in the 2024 legislative sessions nationwide.
Zephyr won her bid for reelection to the Montana House of Representatives after she was censured and barred from the House floor for almost two years for protesting a gender-affirming youth care ban in her state.
(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump kicked off his second term with a flurry of executive actions on immigration, Jan. 6, health policy and more.
More orders are expected Tuesday amid fallout from his first moves, including his issuing pardons for more than a thousand rioters convicted in connection with the violent Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol and his effort to end birthright citizenship.
Meanwhile, lawmakers will continue to question and process the president’s Cabinet picks. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been sworn in as other nominees, including Elise Stefanik for ambassador to the United Nations, face confirmation hearings.
‘For us and the whole world, it is still the Gulf of Mexico’: Mexican president
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum responded to Trump’s various decrees issued after the inauguration in a point-by-point statement.
Sheinbaum said Trump’s decrees concerning the emergency zone of the southern border and the Migrant Protection Protocols were no different than the orders made during Trump’s first term.
“We will always act in the defence of our independence, the defense of our fellow nationals living in the U.S. We act within the framework of our constitution and laws. We always act with a cool head,” she said in her statement.
Sheinbaum however pushed back on Trump’s decree to rename the Gulf of Mexico.
“For us and the whole world, it is still the Gulf of Mexico,” she said.
-ABC News’ Anne Laurent and Will Gretsky
Rubio promises State Department will focus on making America ‘stronger,’ safer,’ and ‘more prosperous’
After being sworn in as the nation’s 72nd secretary of state, Marco Rubio promised that every action taken by the department would be determined by the answer to three questions: “Does it make us stronger? Does it make us safer? And does it make us more prosperous?”
Rubio gave remarks in Spanish as well, giving thanks to God, his family present and not present, including his parents, who he said came to the U.S. in 1956 — and that the purpose of their lives was that their children could realize dreams not possible for them.
“It’s an incredible honor to be the secretary of state of the most powerful, best country in the world,” he continued in Spanish, giving thanks to Trump for the opportunity.
Rubio also echoed themes from Trump’s inaugural address and reiterated the president’s agenda.
“As far as the task ahead, President Trump was elected to keep promises. And he is going to keep those promises. And his primary promise when it comes to foreign policy is that the priority of the United States Department of State will be the United States. It will be furthering the national interest of this country,” Rubio said.
– ABC News’ Shannon Kingston
Confirmation hearing begins for Trump’s VA pick
Doug Collins, Trump’s choice to lead the Veterans Affairs Department, will face questions from lawmakers as his confirmation hearing gets underway.
Collins, a former congressman, is a Navy veteran who currently serves as a chaplain in the U.S. Air Force Reserve Command.
He was the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee during Trump’s first impeachment, and had defended the president.
Rubio is sworn in by JD Vance as secretary of state
After being unanimously confirmed by the Senate on Monday night, Secretary of State Marco Rubio was officially sworn in by Vice President JD Vance on Tuesday morning.
Rubio joined ABC’s “Good Morning America” ahead of the ceremony, where he discussed Trump’s pardons for Jan. 6 rioters, TikTok and the Russia-Ukraine war.
Rubio sidestepped directly weighing on the pardons, saying his “focus needs to be 100% on how I interact with our counterparts, our adversaries, our potential enemies around the world to keep this country safe, to make it prosperous.”
When asked about Trump’s campaign pledge to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine on Day 1, Rubio contended the matter is more complex and that negotiations would not be played out in public.
“Look this is a complex, tragic conflict, one that was started by Vladimir Putin that’s inflicted a tremendous amount of damage on Ukraine and also on Russia, I would argue, but also on the stability of Europe,” Rubio said. “So the only way to solve these things, we got to get back to pragmatism, but we also get back to seriousness here, and that is the hard work of diplomacy. The U.S. has a role to play here. We’ve been supportive of Ukraine, but this conflict has to end.”
White House signals Trump will make announcement on infrastructure
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said this morning that Trump will be making a a major announcement on infrastructure at 4 p.m. ET.
“I can confirm that the American people won’t be hearing from me today,” she wrote, indicating she would not hold a press briefing. “They’ll be hearing from the leader of the free world,” Leavitt said during an appearance on “Fox & Friends.”
“Once again, President Trump will be speaking to the press later this afternoon at the White House, and we will have a big infrastructure announcement,” she added.
(WASHINGTON) — Just weeks before he leaves office, President Joe Biden awarded 20 recipients of the Presidential Citizens Medal, including the key players in the House Jan. 6 committee.
Former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney and Mississippi Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, who chaired the committee, both received the medal. The White House said Cheney, who has repeatedly endured attacks from President-elect Donald Trump and his allies, “put the American people over party.”
Biden did not specifically mention Cheney during his remarks at the White House event. However, he praised the elected officials who received the medal for serving “in difficult times with honor, decency and ensured our democracy delivers.”
“Together, you embody, and I mean this from the bottom of my heart, the essential truth: We’re a great nation. We’re a great nation because we’re a good people,” he said.
Biden also honored other former lawmakers, including Carolyn McCarthy, Bill Bradley, Nancy Landon Kassebaum and Ted Kaufman, among others.
The list also includes a number of advocates and experts. Their contributions are wide-ranging, spanning from law to healthcare to photography to education.
Below is the list of recipients, along with short biographies supplied by the White House.
Mary L. Bonauto Attorney and activist Mary Bonauto first fought to legalize same-sex marriage in Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Maine before arguing before the Supreme Court in Obergefell v. Hodges, which established marriage equality as the law of the land. Her efforts made millions of families whole and forged a more perfect Union.
Bill Bradley Raised in small-town Missouri, Bill Bradley showed a dedication to basketball that would define his courage, discipline, and selflessness. A two-time NBA Champion and Hall-of-Fame New York Knick, he served three terms as a United States Senator from New Jersey and was a candidate for president, advancing tax reform, water rights, civil rights, and more, while still today seeking to deepen our common humanity with humility and heart.
Frank K. Butler, Jr. As a pioneering innovator, Navy Seal, and leader in dive medicine, Dr. Frank Butler introduced Tactical Combat Casualty Care to the medical world that set new standards for tourniquet use not only for injuries in war, but injuries across daily civilian life. He has transformed battlefield trauma care for the United States military and saved countless lives.
Elizabeth L. Cheney Throughout two decades in public service, including as a Congresswoman for Wyoming and Vice Chair of the Committee on the January 6 attack, Liz Cheney has raised her voice—and reached across the aisle—to defend our Nation and the ideals we stand for: Freedom. Dignity. And decency. Her integrity and intrepidness remind us all what is possible if we work together.
Christopher J. Dodd Chris Dodd has served our Nation with distinction for more than 50 years as a United States Congressman, Senator, respected lawyer, and diplomat. From advancing childcare, to reforming our financial markets, to fostering partnerships across the Western Hemisphere—he has stood watch over America as a beacon to the world.
Diane Carlson Evans After serving as an Army nurse during the Vietnam War, Diane Carlson Evans founded the Vietnam Women’s Memorial Foundation to ensure female service members received the recognition they deserve—one of our Nation’s most sacred obligations. Her duty and devotion embody the very best of who we are as Americans.
Joseph L. Galloway (posthumous) From Vietnam to the Persian Gulf, Joe Galloway spent decades sharing first-hand accounts of horror, humanity, and heroism in battle. Known as the soldier’s reporter and the soldier’s friend, he embedded with American troops, rescued wounded soldiers under fire, and became the only civilian awarded a Bronze Star for combat valor by the United States Army as one of the most respected war correspondents of his era.
Nancy Landon Kassebaum The first woman to represent Kansas, Nancy Kassebaum was a force in the United States Senate. From supporting a woman’s right to choose to reforming health care, she stood up for what she believed in even if it meant standing alone, and she reached across the aisle to do what she believed was right.
Ted Kaufman For decades, including as a United States Senator from Delaware, Ted Kaufman has served the Nation with honesty and integrity. A master of the Senate who championed everyday Americans and public servants, he’s been at the forefront of consequential debates about the courts, the financial system, and more.
Carolyn McCarthy As a nurse, Carolyn McCarthy had an instinct to heal and serve. When her husband and son were shot on a local commuter train, she became an advocate so persuasive that she was recruited to run for Congress. She served 18 years, championing gun safety measures including improved background checks, as a citizen legislator devoted to protecting our Nation’s welfare.
Louis Lorenzo Redding (posthumous) A groundbreaking civil rights advocate, Louis was the first Black attorney admitted to the bar in Delaware, where he argued against segregation in the seminal cases of Bulah v. Gebhart and Belton v. Gebhart—laying the legal framework for Brown v. Board of Education. A towering figure and a generous mentor, he opened doors of equity and opportunity for all Americans.
Bobby Sager A Boston native, Bobby Sager travels the world as a photographer and philanthropist grounded in family and empathy, wielding his camera and influence to connect with people in war-torn countries, capture their hope and humanity, and inspire others to take action and see a fuller portrait of the planet we all share.
Collins J. Seitz (posthumous) As a state judge in Delaware, Judge Seitz became the first judge in America to integrate a white public school, dismantling the doctrine of “separate but equal” with exacting detail and reverence for the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment of our Constitution. His brave ruling tore down walls of separation to help us see each other as fellow Americans.
Eleanor Smeal From leading massive protests and galvanizing women’s votes in the 1970s to steering progress for equal pay and helping the Violence Against Women Act become law, Ellie Smeal forced the Nation to not only include women in political discourse but to value them as power brokers and equals. Her strategic vision over more than 40 years embodies the American pursuit to create a fairer, more just world.
Bennie G. Thompson Born and raised in a segregated Mississippi, as a college student inspired by the Civil Rights movement, Bennie Thompson volunteered on campaigns and registered southern Black voters. That call to serve eventually led him to Congress, where he chaired the House January 6th Committee—at the forefront of defending the rule of law with unwavering integrity and a steadfast commitment to truth.
Mitsuye Endo Tsutsumi (posthumous) In a shameful chapter in our Nation’s history, Mitsuye Endo was incarcerated alongside more than 120,000 Japanese Americans. Undaunted, she challenged the injustice and reached the Supreme Court. Her resolve allowed thousands of Japanese Americans to return home and rebuild their lives, reminding us that we are a Nation that stands for freedom for all.
Thomas J. Vallely A United States Marine during the Vietnam War, Thomas Vallely has never given up on peace. Over the course of five decades, he has brought Vietnam and the United States together—establishing Fulbright University Vietnam, fostering greater economic and cultural exchange, and overcoming the perils of the past to seize the promise of the future. His service remains a symbol of American leadership in the world.
Frances M. Visco As president of the National Breast Cancer Coalition, Fran Visco has fought tirelessly and fearlessly to increase Federal funding for breast cancer research, early detection education, and access to women’s healthcare. As a breast cancer survivor, she turned pain into purpose, changed the landscape of breast cancer advocacy, and has become a powerful symbol of hope for the Nation.
Paula S. Wallace A lifelong educator and trailblazer of the arts, Paula Wallace dreamt of a school that would transform how we think about professional education. By establishing the esteemed Savannah College of Art and Design and serving as its president, she has guided thousands of students into creative industries.
Evan Wolfson By leading the marriage equality movement, Evan Wolfson helped millions of people in all 50 states win the fundamental right to love, marry, and be themselves. For 32 years, starting with a visionary law school thesis, Evan Wolfson worked with singular focus and untiring optimism to change not just the law, but society—pioneering a political playbook for change and sharing its lessons, even now, with countless causes worldwide.
