Trump’s pick of Pam Bondi for attorney general doesn’t end transition drama – live updates

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Republican senator Kevin Cramer of North Dakota remains skeptical of Pete Hegseth’s nomination for defense secretary.

Speaking to NBC about Hegseth’s sexual assault allegations, Cramer, a member of the House’s Armed Services Committee, said:

“It’s a pretty big problem, given that we have…sexual assault problem in our military.”

Cramer did not say whether the allegations would impact his vote, NBC reports, but did add:

“You know, this is why you have background checks. This is why you have hearings. This is why you have to go through the scrutiny. I’m not going to prejudge him, but yeah, it’s a pretty concerning accusation.”

On Wednesday, police released a 22-page report dating back to 12 October 2017. It includes allegations from a woman who told police that she was sexually assaulted by Hegseth after drinking at a hotel bar in Monterey, California following a Republican women’s event where Hegseth spoke.

According to the report, Hegseth assaulted the woman after he took her phone, blocked the door to a hotel room and prevented her from leaving.

Hegseth has denied the allegations, saying he was “completely cleared.”

If confirmed by the Senate, Pam Bondi will assume the nation’s highest law enforcement role under Donald Trump’s administration as attorney general.

The Guardian’s Abené Clayton reports on Bondi’s background:

Bondi has been a chair at the America First Policy Institute, a thinktank set up by former Trump administration staffers, and served on Trump’s first transition team.

The 59-year-old has been a longtime Trump ally – she was considered during his first term as a potential candidate for the nation’s highest law enforcement role.

Trump was told by advisers that she was a good alternative to Gaetz because she has allies across the Republican party as well as inside Trump’s world, according to people familiar with the matter, the Guardian reported on Thursday.

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Trump’s pick of Pam Bondi for attorney general doesn’t end transition drama

Good morning,

Despite Matt Gaetz withdrawing his name as Donald Trump’s attorney general nominee and Trump’s controversial pick of Pam Bondi as his replacement, the drama does not end for the new era of the incoming president.

Gaetz’s withdrawal came after multiple meetings with Republican senators on Wednesday who later informed Trump’s team that they continued to oppose his nomination, according to those familiar with the matter.

The controversy over Gaetz’s nomination, which has been met with public scrutiny over his sexual assault allegations, shows that Trump is not all-powerful over the Senate, despite the incoming Republican trifecta next year.

With Gaetz out of the picture, the attention remains on another one of Trump’s controversial nominations: Pete Hegseth for defense secretary.

Since his nomination, the former Fox host has been met with widespread controversy over his own sexual assault allegations. He has also written about the US military taking sides in a “civil war” and argued that “we shouldn’t have women in combat roles.” It remains to be seen whether Hegseth can pass the scrutiny of the public eye and secure a Senate confirmation.

Here are other developments in US politics:

• The Senate will not vote on four of Joe Biden’s appellate court nominees in order to hasten the processes of other nominations.

• Former health secretary Tom Price says he expects Trump to implement block grants for Medicaid.