Trump Nominees Face Integrity Questions in 3 Confirmation Hearings
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jul 20
Trump Nominees Face Integrity Questions in 3 Confirmation Hearings
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jul 20
Summary
Three Trump nominees—Todd Blanche, Erica Schwartz and Jay Clayton—drew fresh scrutiny in confirmation hearings over whether loyalty to Trump would override independent judgment.
Blanche, tapped for attorney general, said he wanted to restore trust at the Justice Department but briefly referred to himself as Trump’s lawyer, sharpening concerns about divided loyalties.
Schwartz, Trump’s pick to lead the CDC, weakened her pledge to follow science by saying she believed Trump and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. would not pursue policies harmful to public health.
Clayton, nominated for director of national intelligence, repeatedly declined to say Joe Biden won the 2020 election, prompting Senator Jon Ossoff to accuse him of indulging Trump’s falsehoods.
The hearings fed a broader argument that service in Trump’s orbit forces a choice between personal integrity and political loyalty, extending criticism already aimed at allies such as Lindsey Graham.