Confirmation Hearing Recaps: Marco Rubio & Pam Bondi Appear Before Senate Committees

The Rich Zeoli Show

The Rich Zeoli Show- Full Episode (01/15/2025): 3:05pm- During a press briefing on Wednesday, President Joe Biden announced that Israel and Hamas have reached a ceasefire agreement which will take effect on Sunday. Under the agreement’s terms, which still needs to be confirmed by the Israeli cabinet, Hamas will release 33 hostages—though, 100 are being held in Gaza currently. Biden told members of the press that his administration worked alongside the incoming Trump administration in order to get the deal done. 3:15pm- On Wednesday, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a hearing to consider Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) for Secretary of State in the incoming Trump Administration. Rubio, who has served in the Senate since 2011, joked “it’s a bit surreal to be on this side of the room.” 3:20pm- On Tuesday, Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee. At one point, Hegseth outlined his plan to eradicate “woke” ideology from the U.S. military—vowing to prioritize combat preparation and competency. Rich notes that President-elect Donald Trump has a unique opportunity to combat the out-of-control growth of the federal government—but his job will be made easier if he has his preferred cabinet. 3:30pm- Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey presented Donald Trump with a special “Commemorative Inaugural Diet Coke” bottle. Matt tells Rich that he HAS to get one of these bottles of Coke! 3:40pm- Politico is already predicting Marco Rubio, who is expected to be confirmed by the Senate, won’t last long as Secretary of State because he doesn’t mesh well with the “MAGA-agenda.” 4:05pm- On Wednesday, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a hearing to consider Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) for Secretary of State in the incoming Trump Administration. During one notable moment, Rubio insisted that the United States needs to stop appeasing authoritarian China or there will be dire consequences. 4:15pm- Dr. Victoria Coates—Former Deputy National Security Advisor & the Vice President of the Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy at The Heritage Foundation—joins The Rich Zeoli Show and reacts to the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. Dr. Coates is author of the book: “The Battle for the Jewish State: How Israel—and America—Can Win” which features a forward from Senator Ted Cruz. You can find the book here: https://a.co/d/iTMA4Vb. 4:30pm- Bob Livingston—Former United States Congressman & Founding Partner of The Livingston Group—joins The Rich Zeoli Show to discuss his latest editorial for The Wall Street Journal, “A Letter to Merrick Garland.” Livingston writes: “Dear Mr. Attorney General, Your time in office won’t run out a moment too soon. You will be remembered as a tool in the Democratic Party’s strategy of misusing the Justice Department to visit injustice on innocent people with differing political views. I am a victim of your dysfunctional leadership, but unlike many of your targets, I have survived unscathed.” You can read the full editorial here: https://www.wsj.com/opinion/a-letter-to-merrick-garland-justice-department-investigation-unjust-lawfare-5ba52b42?mod=opinion_lead_pos5. 5:00pm- On Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a confirmation hearing for former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi who has been nominated to serve as U.S. Attorney General in the incoming Trump Administration. In her opening statement, Bondi pledged to “make America safe again.” 5:15pm- Senator Dave McCormick—United States Senator from Pennsylvania—joins The Rich Zeoli Show to discuss the Senate confirmation hearings for President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet nominees and the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. 5:35pm- Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia—Serving as a Member of the New Jersey General Assembly for the 24th Legislative District—joins The Rich Zeoli Show to react to Governor Phil Murphy’s State of the State Address where he notably proposed to ban ...