RFK junior and Tulsi Gabbard, set to sail through a cowed Senate
But Congress will bargain harder on taxes and spending

TWO OF Donald Trump’s most controversial cabinet choices appear to be heading for confirmation after winning critical Senate committee votes on February 4th. It was a political triumph for Mr Trump, whose lieutenants managed to cajole sceptical Republican senators into approving two unorthodox nominees who would not previously have been allowed near such high office. Yet this may prove to be the high point of the president’s influence over the legislative branch.
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This article appeared in the United States section of the print edition under the headline “Confirmation bias”
United States
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From the February 8th 2025 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
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Marco Rubio, MAGA and the State Department’s new look
America’s top diplomat unveils a reorganisation that is significant, but not radical

Donald Trump wants a certain kind of immigrant: the uber-rich
He is right that America’s current “golden visa” is under-priced
Donald Trump’s approval rating is dropping
He is beating his own record for rapidly annoying American voters
Can Progressives learn to make progress again?
In the political wilderness, Democrats are asking themselves how they lost their way
Tracking Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown
And why that is increasingly hard to do