As the Senate prepares to scrutinize some of President-elect Donald Trump’s most contentious Cabinet nominations next week, the political landscape is heating up. These high-profile appointments have sparked intense debate, with Democrats promising rigorous questioning during confirmation hearings.
Editor’s Note: Washington Week With The Atlantic is a collaborative program produced by NewsHour Productions, WETA, and The Atlantic. It airs every Friday across PBS stations nationwide. Check your local listings or watch full episodes online here.
Next week, two of Donald Trump’s most controversial Cabinet selections are scheduled to face Senate confirmation hearings. Panelists on Washington Week With The Atlantic discussed the challenging questions Democrats are expected to pose during these sessions.
Meanwhile, as the confirmation process approaches, Trump has been vocal in criticizing international allies, including Canada, Panama, and Greenland. Political analyst Tom Nichols suggested that these remarks might be strategic, stating, “We’re discussing issues that are unlikely to materialize-there’s no real intention of going to war with Denmark over Greenland, nor of halting the Panama Canal. These provocative comments seem to be part of a broader, unpredictable foreign policy approach that has overshadowed many other important discussions.”
Prior to his inauguration, Trump also made numerous promises about how his administration would operate during his second term. However, panelists noted that it remains uncertain whether he will be able to effectively communicate his intentions and how both his supporters and critics might respond if he fails to deliver on his commitments.
Joining the discussion are prominent journalists and analysts, including Jeffrey Goldberg, Editor-in-Chief of The Atlantic; Laura Barrón-López, White House correspondent for PBS NewsHour; Carl Hulse, Chief Washington Correspondent at The New York Times; Tom Nichols, author and political analyst at The Atlantic; and Vivian Salama, national politics reporter at The Wall Street Journal.
Watch the full episode here.
