Four Trump Nominees Wouldn't Tell Congress If They'd Refuse Illegal Orders [View all]

[Celerity]

Senators asked Tulsi Gabbard, Kash Patel, Pam Bondi and Pete Hegseth about how they would respond if they received an illegal order from Trump. None of them explicitly answered.

https://www.notus.org/whitehouse/donald-trump-nominees-senate-orders



At least four of President Donald Trump’s cabinet nominees have deflected confirmation hearing questions about whether they’d refuse to take illegal orders from the president, raising concern from Democratic lawmakers. “The failure to respond directly and unequivocally is, in some ways, disqualifying,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal told NOTUS on Thursday.

Senators asked Tulsi Gabbard, Kash Patel, Pam Bondi and Pete Hegseth at their respective hearings about how they would respond if they received an illegal order from Trump. None of them explicitly answered, instead saying that they’ve previously followed the law or that they don’t believe Trump would issue an illegal order.

It’s not an empty hypothetical. The line of questioning to Gabbard and Patel on Thursday came just two days after the White House ordered a freeze on all federal financial assistance — a move that a federal judge almost immediately paused and many were quick to call unconstitutional.

Sen. Ron Wyden referenced the aid freeze during Gabbard’s hearing for director of national intelligence. “I’m interested in knowing what you would do if President Trump told you to withhold congressionally approved funds from the intelligence community inspector general,” he asked Gabbard. “Will you refuse that illegal order?”

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