Grassley: Patel must prove he will restore public trust in FBI

BY IAN SWANSON

Jason Goode

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said Kash Patel will need to prove to Congress he will reform and restore public trust in the FBI if he is to win confirmation to the role.

President-elect Trump on Saturday night said he would nominate Patel, a Trump loyalist who has vowed to go after the media and president-elect’s opponents, to lead the FBI.

The choice, which had been the subject of speculation for some time, excited Trump’s MAGA movement but sparked immediate concerns from Democrats.

Read the full story here

Wisconsin party chair joins crowded race to chair Democratic National Committee

BY JULIA MANCHESTER

Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Ben Wikler launched his bid for chair of the Democratic National Committee on Sunday, joining a growing field of candidates seeking to lead the party forward after widespread losses on Election Night last month. 

Wikler made the announcement on CNN’s “Inside Politics.” 

Read the full story here

Sullivan: Hamas is the ‘key actor’ ‘holding vision’ on ceasefire deal

BY RACHEL SCULLY

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said that militant group Hamas is the key actor “holding the vision” on the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal.

During an appearance on CBS News’ “Face the Nation,” Sullivan said Hamas is a key player in the ceasefire deal, noting the group is motivated by whether agreeing to it “makes sense at this point.”

Read the full story here

Sullivan: Hamas is ‘feeling the pressure’

BY ALEX GANGITANO

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Sunday that the militant group Hamas is feeling the pressure in the wake of the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire deal last week.

“I do think that Hamas is feeling the pressure. They’re feeling the pressure because one of their main partners in crime here, Hezbollah, has now cut a ceasefire deal, and they thought that Hezbollah would be with them till the end,” Sullivan told CBS’s “Face the Nation.”

Read the full story here

Sullivan on Patel nomination: ‘I can’t worry about after January 20th’

BY ALEX GANGITANO

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Sunday that he couldn’t be concerned with what happens after President-elect Trump takes office in January when pressed about the nomination of Kash Patel to serve as head of the FBI.

ABC’s Jonathan Karl noted that Patel has talked about retribution, questioning if that rhetoric concerns him “about what’s going to happen after January 20th.”

Read the full story here

GOP senator takes cautious approach on Kash Patel

BY ALEX GANGITANO

Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) took a cautious approach to Kash Patel, President-elect Trump’s nominee to serve as head of the FBI, highlighting his support for current FBI director Chris Wray.

“I think the president picked a very good man to be the director of the FBI when he did that in his first term,” Rounds told ABC “This Week” on Sunday.

Read the full story here