The Morning: Two loyalists for Trump

Plus, Elon Musk, the Middle East and the Westminster Dog Show.

View in browser|nytimes.com February 12, 2025 By German Lopez and Lyna Bentahar Good morning. We're covering two of Trump's most controversial nominees — as well as Elon Musk, the Middle East and the Westminster Dog Show. Tulsi Gabbard and Kash Patel.  Eric Lee/The New York Times; Haiyun Jiang for The New York Times Two loyalists Today, the Senate is poised to confirm Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence. And tomorrow, it is likely to advance Kash Patel's nomination to run the F.B.I. These are two of President Trump's most controversial nominees. What do they have in common? They are both exceedingly loyal to the president. They both believe partisanship has poisoned the civil service. And they both promise to promote unconventional views on Trump's behalf. Gabbard left the Democratic Party in 2022 and aligned herself with Trump. She endorsed his preferred candidates for that year's midterms and became a Trump-friendly regular on Fox News. Patel wrote a memoir in 2023, "Government Gangsters," about the supposed "deep state" arrayed against Trump and three books for children that cast Trump as a king. Trump's critics say Gabbard and Patel are sycophants, unqualified for these jobs. Trump's supporters say their views have been misconstrued. Today's newsletter explains the two nominees' backgrounds, the controversies surrounding them and what they could do in power. At a Las Vegas Trump rally.  Doug Mills/The New York Times Tulsi Gabbard Her background: Gabbard has been in the Army for nearly 22 years. She served two tours in the Middle East and one in Africa. From 2013 to 2021, she was a Democratic member of the House, representing a district in Hawaii. She's still in the Army Reserve. The controversy: Gabbard's critics say that she's friendly with America's adversaries, particularly Russia. She blamed the United States for Russia's invasion of Ukraine, suggesting that NATO's expansionism had antagonized Vladimir Putin. She met with Bashar al-Assad of Syria in 2017 while he was quashing a revolt against his dictatorship. (She later argued he was not an enemy of the United States.) She has supported Edward Snowden, a contractor who illegally leaked classified U.S. intelligence and then fled to Russia. Gabbard says that she is simply skeptical of America's interventionist foreign policy and unchecked surveillance powers. But critics say it is possible to hold those views without consistently standing up for the country's enemies. Gabbard also believes that the intelligence community is corrupt and politically weaponized. She has pointed to genuine scandals, such as the F.B.I.'s use of surveillance powers to spy on a Trump campaign adviser in 2016. But she also claimed, without evidence, that the intelligence community undermined reports about Hunter Biden's laptop to help Joe Biden win in 2020. What she could do: Gabbard says she wants to make intelligence agencies more transparent, shut down programs that she views as unconstitutional and allow more dissenters to express their disagreements with leaders. She could also use her position to try to hamper interventionist policies abroad and intelligence operations against Russia. What's next: The Senate will vote on Gabbard's nomination today. If confirmed, she will oversee U.S. spy agencies. Patel with President Trump.  Doug Mills/The New York Times Kash Patel His background: Patel was a federal prosecutor for three years. During Trump's first term, he was the defense secretary's chief of staff. The controversy: Patel has espoused conspiracy theories in support of the president. He has defended QAnon, a group that falsely claims that Trump is battling a cabal of satanist, child-molesting Democrats and power-hungry bureaucrats. And Patel has said that Biden stole the 2020 election. His book argues for using the powers of the presidency to go after Trump's critics. His memoir included an appendix titled "Members of the Executive Branch Deep State," which names possible targets who have or had government jobs. The Trump administration "will go out and find the conspirators not just in government, but in the media," Patel said in 2023, referring to people who obstructed Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Patel is an unusual choice for F.B.I. director. Presidents typically nominate people who rise through the bureau or other police agencies, vowing to protect the nonpartisan aspect of law enforcement. What he could do: Patel has said that he'll fire "corrupt agents" who worked on Jan. 6 cases. (The top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee said yesterday that Patel had directed firings at the bureau, even though the Senate had not yet confirmed him.) Patel could push the F.B.I. to investigate Trump's critics, making their lives difficult even if the investigations don't lead to formal charges. He told a Senate panel that he would ignore politics and follow the law. What's next: The Senate Judiciary Committee will vote on Patel's nomination tomorrow. After that, he will get a full vote in the Senate. THE LATEST NEWS Elon Musk In the Oval Office.  Eric Lee/The New York Times In the Oval Office, Elon Musk, accompanied by his 4-year-old son, answered questions for the first time since his arrival in Washington. He claimed without evidence that the federal government was filled with corruption. Trump signed an executive order to give Musk's government-slashing team, DOGE, vast reach over the shape of the Civil Service. It also directs agency officials to plan for "large scale" cuts to their work force. Musk's team announced it was cutting nearly a billion dollars in grants and contracts from the Education Department, largely targeting research. Many of the top employees Trump has fired were involved with investigations into Musk's companies. The Trump administration fired FEMA officials after Musk claimed, misleadingly, that the agency had used disaster relief funds to house migrants in luxury hotels. See where Trump and Musk have cut federal workers so far. For the coming weeks, The New York Times is devoting its On Politics newsletter to covering Musk. Sign up here to follow along. Presidential Power Speaker Mike Johnson said he agreed that Trump could cut federal spending without congressional approval. This contradicts the Constitution's separation of powers. Trump is using his power to shape New York City's future. He wants to kill bike lanes. Justice Sonia Sotomayor warned about the limits of presidential power and expressed concern that government officials might ignore court rulings. More on Trump Religious groups sued the Department of Homeland Security over a new policy that permits arrests of immigrants inside houses of worship. Narendra Modi, India's prime minister, is preparing to visit Trump. Modi hopes to reduce friction by cooperating on trade and with U.S. deportation efforts. The Associated Press said one of its reporters was barred from an Oval Office event because the outlet referred to the Gulf of Mexico, instead of saying "Gulf of America," as Trump ordered. A federal judge halted Trump's effort to cut $4 billion in research funding for universities, cancer centers and hospitals. Another judge froze part of the plan earlier on Monday. Middle East At a White House meeting, the king of Jordan rebuffed Trump's proposal for his country to absorb Palestinians living in Gaza. Benjamin Netanyahu told Hamas that Israel would resume fighting in Gaza if the group did not release hostages by Saturday. The Palestinian Authority, in an overture to Trump, ended a yearslong practice of paying the families of Palestinians jailed or killed by Israel. Russia and Ukraine Marc Fogel and President Trump. Eric Lee/The New York Times Russia freed Marc Fogel, an American teacher held captive for more than three years. Fogel then met Trump at the White House. Intense fighting is happening in the Kursk region of Russia. Both sides want control of the area ahead of expected peace talks. Business Financial firms are rolling back their D.E.I. initiatives. One, Goldman Sachs, will drop its rule that corporate boards it advises must include women and minorities. In Silicon Valley, one of the least churchgoing parts of America, Christianity is becoming more popular — thanks in part to the growing influence of Peter Thiel. Other Big Stories Salman Rushdie testified in the trial of the man accused of stabbing him and blinding him in one eye. "It occurred to me quite clearly that I was dying," he recalled. In a graphic speech on the House floor, Nancy Mace, the South Carolina Republican, accused her former fiancé and three other men of having drugged and raped her and other women. Her former fiancé has denied the accusations. Italian police officers arrested 181 people believed to be affiliated with an infamous Sicilian mafia. Opinions We don't have a border crisis; we have a labor crisis. The real villains aren't migrants — they're the politicians and corporations who profit from instability, Greisa Martínez Rosas argues. France is in decline, David Broder argues. The country's social model is foundering, and the far right is taking advantage. Here are columns by Bret Stephens on the destruction of Hamas and Thomas Friedman on Trump's Gaza proposal. Subscribe Today The Morning highlights a small portion of the journalism that The New York Times offers. To access all of it, become a subscriber with this introductory offer. MORNING READS A male Paradisaea rubra, or red bird of paradise. Rene Martin/American Museum of Natural History Birds of paradise: They glow when they're mating. Ozempic: Weight loss drugs may protect against Alzheimer's. Being American: This man won birthright citizenship for all. Get some rest: People who work night shifts tend to have sleep problems. Experts have advice. Most clicked yesterday: John Oliver interrupted Jon Stewart's monologue on "The Daily Show." Lives Lived: Maria Teresa Horta was the last survivor of the celebrated Portuguese writers known as the "Three Marias," who together wrote a landmark 1972 book that alerted the world to repression in the country. Horta died at 87. SPORTS N.F.L.: The Saints hired the Eagles' offensive coordinator, Kellen Moore, as their head coach, ending the offseason coaching cycle. N.H.L.: The inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off begins tonight. Canada has a goalie problem. Soccer: The American star Weston McKennie had an astounding shot for Juventus against P.S.V. Eindhoven. See the goal. ARTS AND IDEAS Monty Graham Dickie/The New York Times Monty, a regal giant schnauzer with a dramatic beard, won best in show at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. He defeated a tough crowd of canine competitors that included an extremely silky Shih Tzu named Comet and a rugged German shepherd named Mercedes. Related: Boujee, the top-ranked golden retriever, did not win (as we said in a previous newsletter, it's tough out there for the goldens). More on culture Demi Moore Ryan Pfluger for The New York Times Demi Moore is about to attend her first Oscars as a nominee. She spoke to The Times about the role that revitalized her career. Netflix thought "Emilia Pérez" might deliver its first best picture Oscar. Social media posts by the lead actress have complicated its chances. Jimmy Kimmel joked about Trump's hatred of paper straws. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Yossy Arefi. Bake a chocolate cheesecake with a raspberry swirl. Ski in Japan. Create the perfect hair bun. GAMES Here is today's Spelling Bee. Yesterday's pangram was handout. Here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku, Connections and Strands. And we recommend the new Sports Edition of Connections. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. —German and Lyna Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Editor: David Leonhardt Deputy Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for the Morning newsletter from The New York Times, or as part of your New York Times account. To stop receiving The Morning, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018