On Politics

Tue Jan 14 2025

Rebecca Morin | Senior National News Reporter

@RebeccaMorin_

Howdy! It's Rebecca Morin, senior national news reporter at USA TODAY. Crying that I wasn't in NYC for this surprise Bad Bunny performance.

Hegseth's tense committee confirmation hearing

All eyes were on Pete Hegseth heading into his confirmation hearing with the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday. But even as some sparks flew, Hegseth, Donald Trump's pick for Defense secretary, picked up the support he needed from Republicans. The veteran was grilled on sexual assault and excessive drinking allegations and comments on women in combat roles, but he was met with cheers by his supporters at the end of the hearing. Recap here.

•	Watch: Hecklers berate Pete Hegseth over war in Gaza as confirmation hearing begins
•	Sen. Tim Kaine presses Pete Hegseth on assault allegations
•	Photos from Hegseth's confirmation hearing

Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to be secretary of defense, arrives on Capitol Hill to testify at a confirmation hearing on Tuesday.

Evelyn Hockstein, REUTERS

Biden moves to take Cuba off US state sponsor of terror list

Less than a week before Donald Trump retakes offices, President Joe Biden reversed an action the president-elect took during his first term. Biden on Tuesday notified Congress of his plans to remove Cuba from the United States' list of state sponsors of terror, in a move the outgoing administration says is meant to help facilitate the release of political prisoners. Read more.

A politics pit stop

•	House Speaker Mike Johnson orders Capitol flags to fly at full-staff at Trump's inauguration
•	Melania Trump: 'I will be in the White House' on Day One
•	Trump's border czar wants immigrant-finding hotline. It already exists
•	Mike Johnson says 'conditions' should be placed on California wildfire aid
•	Michelle Obama won't be attending Trump's inauguration on Jan. 20, her office says
•	Hunter Biden special counsel David Weiss slams Joe Biden comments as 'gratuitous and wrong'

Special counsel's final report says there was enough evidence to convict Trump

Saved by the election. Special counsel Jack Smith, whose office indicted Donald Trump on charges of illegally trying to stay in power after losing the 2020 election, said he had enough evidence to convict the president-elect if the case went to trial. But because of Trump's win in November, Smith in a bombshell 174-page report released in the wee hours of Tuesday morning said it was impossible for the case to go forward. More on the report.

•	Read Jack Smith's report where defends Trump's election case
•	4 takeaways from the special counsel report on Trump and Jan. 6

Democrats want a new generation, but no consensus of who, new poll finds

Is it House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries? What about California Gov. Gavin Newsom? Or maybe it's AOC? As the Democrats reel from their loss in the 2024 presidential election, a new question has formed: who leads their party? A new USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll found a broad consensus that it's time for a new generation of leaders to step up, even if there's no agreement on who, exactly, that should be. More on the poll.

•	The Democratic Party's leadership crisis: 'Don't know' and 'Nobody' outpoll politicians
•	Photos: Old guard of Democrats is losing support. Who will take over?

Got a burning question, or comment, for On Politics? You can submit them here or send me an email at rdmorin@usatoday.com.