In the afternoon session of his confirmation hearing, #KashPatel is starting to push back more against his critics, & trying to paint himself as a defender of the #FBI. “You can say whatever you want about me,” Patel says. “Bring it on. But you will not denigrate the men and women of the FBI.” For years, Patel has vowed to fire its leadership, empty the FBI headquarters building & bring law enforcement agencies “to heel.”

#Trump’s #ExecutiveOrders are so far entirely BS. Almost every single one will have no effect. They are either “messaging” like withdrawal from the #ParisAccord (technically Trump needs to submit a letter to the UN & then that doesn’t go into effect for a full year) or will 100% be legally challenged.

This is actually happening:

Inside the Capital One Arena in Washington, a table has been set up for #Trump to sign #ExecutiveOrders after he is sworn in.

I will say, this is also the #Senate hearing, last week, was the #House. #HouseRepublicans are a clown show who engage far more in #PerformativePolitics than the #Republicans in the Senate.

*edit: exceptions to the statement “being more respectful” & not a clown / engaging in performative politics, w/the added bonus on indulging in #ConspiracyTheories: Sens/tools #RonJohnson, #RickScott, #MikeLee, #JoshHawley, the usual #MAGA bootlickers.

While Biden’s son #Hunter was charged in June w/2 #misdemeanor tax offenses & a #felony firearm offense, #Republicans have not shown that President #Biden committed ANY crimes. #HouseRepublicans are proceeding w/the #impeachment inquiry WITHOUT proof that Biden took ofcl actions as VP to benefit his son’s financial interests or that he directly profited from his son’s foreign deals.

#McCarthy’s decision to #unilaterally announce an #impeachment investigation w/no formal #House vote entwined the #Republican investigations into Pres #Biden w/the #funding fight…. It *appeared* to be a bid to #quell a brewing #rebellion among #ultraconservative critics who have accused the “speaker” of not taking a hard enough line on spending, by #complying w/their demands to more aggressively pursue the president (w/nothing to go on).

“Its obvious purpose is to #obstruct a #Georgia criminal proceeding & to advance outrageous misrepresentations,” #Willis wrote of #Jordan’s letter. “As I make clear below, there is no justification in the #Constitution for #Congress to interfere w/a state #criminal matter, as you attempt to do.”

…#FarRight… Republican(s)… reacted to the #indictment by vowing to try to #cut #funding for the #SpecialCounsel #JackSmith while suggesting…opposing other #LawEnforcement #spending measures as well. With #Republicans already pressing for deep #SpendingCuts & #SocialPolicy reqs that have alienated #Democrats, they will likely have only 4 votes in their own party to spare, meaning just a handful of defections could sink the bills.