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Survivor: Trump Cabinet Edition

News and notes on Tulsi Gabbard’s “rush job,” Kash Patel’s surprisingly strong showing, and R.F.K. Jr.’s knife’s edge.

Tulsi Gabbard
Gabbard demonstrated once again that, on intelligence matters, she floats in an anti-establishment space where the far left and the far right converge. Photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
Leigh Ann Caldwell
February 3, 2025

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Nearly three months after Trump announced his slate of controversial cabinet picks, a trio of his most-embattled nominees—R.F.K. Jr. to lead H.H.S.; Tulsi Gabbard as D.N.I.; and Kash Patel to run the F.B.I.—are finally facing their respective moments of truth. As of now, Gabbard appears most embattled. Last week, the former Hawaii congresswoman and Democratic presidential candidate, and current lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserves, turned in an uneven performance in pursuit of the nation’s top intelligence post.