The Senate voted 51-49 on Thursday to confirm Kash Patel, a mega-MAGA ally of President Trump, to serve as FBI director.

Why it matters: Patel wrote a book in 2023 that features a list of "deep state" officials to target. Democrats argued Patel would use the federal law enforcement agency to go after the president's perceived enemies.

• Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) were the two Republicans to vote against Patel.
• The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 12-10 along party lines last week to recommend Patel's nomination to the full Senate.
• All of the panel's Republicans supported Patel, with Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) accusing Democrats of "breathlessly" and unfairly waging a "harassment" campaign against the nominee.

The big picture: In an endorsement promoting the 2023 book, Trump is quoted as saying he will "use this blueprint to help us take back the White House and remove these Gangsters from all of Government!"

Driving the news: Shortly after Trump took office, the Justice Department ordered a review of any FBI agent involved in cases relating to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot or Trump's handling of classified documents.

• Nine FBI agents filed suit to prevent the DOJ from compiling a list of the agents who investigated Jan. 6 cases.

Zoom in: Patel had a notable split with Trump during his confirmation hearing over the president's blanket pardon of Jan. 6 rioters.

• Patel told lawmakers that he did "not agree with the commutation of any sentence of any individual who committed violence against law enforcement."

Go deeper: What to know about Kash Patel, Trump's pick for FBI director

President Trump's direct criticisms of Volodymyr Zelensky have detonated on Capitol Hill, where Republicans are torn between their loyalty to their president versus honoring their promises to Ukraine.

• "The president speaks for himself," Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) told reporters about Trump's latest comments.

Why it matters: In the past 24 hours, Trump called Zelensky "a dictator without elections," falsely accused Ukraine of starting the war with Russia and said it "could have made a deal" to end the fighting.

🥊 In response, some Republicans eviscerated Russian President Vladimir Putin.

• "Putin started this war. Putin committed war crimes. Putin is the dictator," Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) wrote on X.
• "Vladimir Putin is a vile dictator and thug," Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) wrote on X.
• "Vladimir Putin is the Dictator without Elections," Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) wrote on X.

Zoom in: Trump's slams today broke through the defenses of GOP senators, who had gotten smoother at dodging questions on Trump's social media posts.

• "I would certainly not call Zelensky a dictator," said Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), as NBC News cataloged.
• "It's not a word I would use," said Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.).
• "I wouldn't use the same word," said Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas).

Between the lines: Some Republicans, including Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), agree with Trump that Zelensky should hold elections.

• They've been put off as allowed by the country's constitution because of martial law since Russia's 2022 invasion.

President Trump gave his full endorsement to the House GOP's budget reconciliation plan on Wednesday, just a day after the Senate steamed ahead with its own $300 billion package.

Why it matters: This gives ammunition to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who has threatened to ignore a Senate-passed bill while the House tries to pass its own version.

• "We need both Chambers to pass the House Budget to "kickstart" the Reconciliation process, and move all of our priorities to the concept of, 'ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL,'" Trump posted Wednesday on Truth Social.
• "It's time to act," Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) posted on X on Tuesday while saying the Senate would push ahead.
• The House is on recess this week, and will try to push through the first step of the budget reconciliation process when they come back next week.

Zoom in: The Senate is moving a narrower bill on the border, energy and defense — pushing tax cuts off until later this year.

• The House has it lumped into one big package, but is struggling to get everyone on board.
• The House version would cut at least $1.5 trillion in spending, allow $4.5 trillion for extending the 2017 Trump tax cuts and raise the debt ceiling by $4 trillion.

The bottom line: The spending cuts demanded by House conservatives are triggering a moderate revolt, especially if Medicaid and nutrition programs like SNAP face deep cuts.

A closed-door meeting for House Democrats this week included a gripe-fest directed at liberal grassroots organizations, sources tell Axios.

Why it matters: Members of the Steering and Policy Committee — with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) in the room — on Monday complained activist groups like MoveOn and Indivisible have facilitated thousands of phone calls to members' offices.

• "People are pissed," a senior House Democrat who was at the meeting said of lawmakers' reaction to the calls.
• The Democrat said Jeffries himself is "very frustrated" at the groups, who are trying to stir up a more confrontational opposition to Trump.
• A Jeffries spokesperson disputed that characterization and noted to Axios that their office regularly engages with dozens of stakeholder groups, including MoveOn and Indivisible, including as recently as Monday

Zoom in: "There were a lot of people who were like, 'We've got to stop the groups from doing this.' ... People are concerned that they're saying we're not doing enough, but we're not in the majority," said one member.

• Some Democrats see the callers as barking up the wrong tree given their limited power as the minority party in Congress: "It's been a constant theme of us saying, 'Please call the Republicans,'" said Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.).
• "I reject and resent the implication that congressional Democrats are simply standing by passively," said Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.).

The other side: "People are angry, scared, and they want to see more from their lawmakers right now than floor speeches about Elon Musk," Indivisible co-founder Leah Greenberg told Axios.

• "Indivisible is urging people who are scared to call their member of Congress, whether they have a Democrat or Republican, and make specific procedural asks," Greenberg said.
• "Our supporters are asking Democrats to demand specific red lines are met before they offer their vote to House Republicans on the budget, when Republicans inevitably fail to pass a bill on their own."
• MoveOn officials declined to comment.

Editor's note: This article has been updated to add comments from Jeffries' office, including that it disputes another Democrat's characterization of his feelings about the groups.

The House GOP says it's ready to go first on reconciliation, warning it won't even consider the Senate GOP's bill on the border, energy and defense.

Why it matters: This escalates the strategic fight between the two chambers over how to get the Trump tax cuts extended past this year — while also adding billions in spending on deportation infrastructure and the military.

• The Senate wants two bills, handling border security, energy and defense first. Tax cuts would come later this year.
• The House wants one big bill, arguing it would be too hard to pass two distinct measures.
• House Budget Chair Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) plans to start marking up a House bill on Thursday or Friday, he told reporters on Tuesday.

Zoom in: Senate Budget Chair Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) has released text for the first bill. It's scheduled to be marked up at the committee level on Wednesday, putting pressure on the House to move faster.

• House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told his deputies Monday that the House won't put a Senate two-track bill on the floor, Punchbowl first reported.
• Johnson told Politico he plans to meet with Budget Committee Republicans on Tuesday evening.

With their conference deadlocked, House Republicans are now considering a shorter time frame on tax cuts.

Why it matters: Extending the 2017 Trump-era tax cuts is a huge GOP priority on the Hill. But the price tag is complicating efforts to produce a "big, beautiful bill" on schedule.

• Instead of extending tax cuts for 10 years, some Republicans are now considering a five-year extension, Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) told reporters Wednesday.
• "Do we do five-year policy for some, permanent/10-year for others? I think we're working on that. Those are the levers to pull to try to figure out the math," Roy said.
• The Hill was first to report on GOP discussions for a five-year timeline.

Zoom in: Extending the tax cuts for 10 years could cost $4.6 trillion under the "current law" scoring used by the Congressional Budget Office.

• Republicans will need to either make up for that spending with other cuts or use an alternative accounting standard called "current policy" that would treat the cuts as costing zero.
• Changing the timeline could make the math easier either way, as Roy said.

Zoom out: Senate Republicans are ready to bypass the House with a two-bill approach, Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) told Axios on Tuesday.

• The Senate would do a border, energy and defense package first. This would speed up the delivery of funds for Trump's mass deportation efforts.
• They'd leave tax cuts — which don't expire until the end of the year — until after the first package is done.

Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) will support Tulsi Gabbard's confirmation for director of national intelligence.

Why it matters: Young was the key remaining swing vote ahead of the Senate Intel Committee vote.

• Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) announced on Monday that she'll support Gabbard.
• "It would befit you and be helpful for the way you're perceived by members of the Intelligence Committee" to say Edward Snowden harmed national security," Young told Gabbard at her confirmation hearing last week.
• Gabbard repeatedly refused to call Snowden a traitor at the hearing.

Senate Republicans are holding their breath over President Trump's tariffs, which kick in Saturday against Canada, Mexico and China.

Why it matters: Many senators spent months telling Axios they saw the move from Trump more as a negotiating tactic. But some were concerned about what would happen if he followed through.

🚨 Now, sweeping 25% tariffs start this weekend on Canadian and Mexican imports — and 10% on Chinese goods, the White House said Friday. All three countries have vowed to retaliate against broad tariffs.

• Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) told Axios in August that "across-the-board tariffs is not something I have been for in the past." Thune is open to the selective use of tariffs.
• Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) described Trump's tariffs promises as potentially "problematic."
• Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), a former Senate Commerce Committee chair, also told Axios in August he's listening, but "not convinced that's the best approach."

Between the lines: Senators often cite concerns about tariffs leading to inflated prices for Americans — after a campaign cycle where Republicans repeatedly said former President Biden's policies led to inflation.

Zoom in: More tenured senators, especially free traders, have learned the value of waiting instead of staking out positions Trump can upend at any moment.

• Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is taking a "wait-and-see attitude," he told Reuters. Iowa is a big farm goods exporter.
• "Normally I'd be stronger in my comments because I am a free trader. I used to be in the majority when free trading was a majority of the Congress, but now I am in the minority," he said.

😈 The newer senators are on Trump's side, and they're content to let him cook.

• "Everybody runs through the streets saying, 'The sky is falling! The sky is falling!' but it doesn't fall," Sen. Jim Justice (R-W.V.) told Reuters.

Zoom out: The list of surprised leaders stretches beyond the Senate.

• "I don't believe that will happen," House Speaker Mike Johnson said earlier this week about across-the-board tariffs.

RFK Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard will have to sweat their confirmations over the weekend, based on what GOP senators said at hearings the past two days.

Why it matters: Republicans with choice committee seats can blow up confirmations before they reach the Senate floor.

• Any GOP "no" vote means the nominee won't get the committee's recommendation.
• No recommendation = no floor vote, or at least a very unlikely one, as Majority Leader John Thune said Wednesday.

Senate Finance, which votes on Kennedy for secretary of Health and Human Services:

• Bill Cassidy (R-La.) told RFK Jr.: "I've been struggling with your nomination" and "you may be hearing from me over the weekend." Cassidy questioned Kennedy about vaccines at Thursday's HELP Committee hearing and has a vote on the Finance Committee.

Senate Intel, which votes on Gabbard for director of national intelligence:

• Susan Collins (R-Maine) asked Gabbard if she'd seek a pardon or commutation for Edward Snowden. Gabbard said no to both. "I was happy with her responses to my questions," Collins told reporters Thursday night, per CNN.
• Todd Young (R-Ind.) told Gabbard, "It would befit you and be helpful for the way you're perceived by members of the Intelligence Committee" to say Snowden harmed national security. Gabbard repeatedly refused to call Snowden a traitor at the hearing.
• Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) offended Gabbard by saying he wanted to be sure Russia doesn't "get a pass in either your mind or your heart."
• John Cornyn (R-Texas) could not get a direct answer from Gabbard on whether warrants should be required for wiretaps under Section 702 of FISA. (He posted Thursday he's a yes on Gabbard).

The bottom line: Even senators who support Gabbard were taken aback by her Snowden answers.

• "I think there are a lot of questions after," Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) told reporters. "I thought that was going to be an easy softball question."

A small core of Senate Republicans — including former GOP leader Mitch McConnell — has denounced President Trump's near-blanket pardon of Jan 6 rioters.

Why it matters: These voices will be a distinct minority on Capitol Hill. Many Republicans are in lock-step with Trump, even over an issue as personal to lawmakers as Jan. 6.

• McConnell (R-Ky.) told Semafor "no one should excuse violence. And particularly violence against police officers."
• Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said: "I've got concerns with any pardons for people who did any harm to police officers. Full stop. And I've also got serious concerns with all of the pardons by Biden."
• Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) called Monday a "terrible day" for the Justice Department, citing the pardons by both Trump and former President Biden.
• Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska): "I'm disappointed to see that and I do fear the message that is sent to these great men and women that stood by us," she told HuffPost.

Between the lines: Look to Sens. John Curtis (R-Utah) and Todd Young (R-Ind.) as others who could criticize Trump on issues like the pardons.

• That core group of GOP Senate resisters is the likeliest to break with Trump on a host of issues, including tariffs and TikTok.

Zoom in: The extent of Trump's Jan. 6 pardons shocked many lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

• Less than two weeks ago, VP-elect JD Vance said violent offenders wouldn't be eligible for pardons.
• That view was backed up on Sunday by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who caveated that "it's up to the president on that."

Zoom out: Many GOP senators, including Collins, Tillis and others, blasted Biden's pardons for his own family members and others.

• Biden "opened the door" to pardons, Senate GOP leader John Thune (R-S.D.) told CNN.
• Thune said Biden's pardons were the "most massive use of the pardon power that we've seen in history."

The Trump transition proved today that it can impose its will on the Hill, even with a nomination that looked cooked before the holidays.

Why it matters: Not a single Republican showed signs on Tuesday of opposing Defense nominee Pete Hegseth. Now he's got a clear path to the Pentagon.

• "Pete Hegseth hit a home run," Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) said on Fox News after the hearing.
• Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) told reporters Tuesday that Hegseth did well and expects he'll be quickly confirmed.

Here's the formula:

• Survive the first two weeks: Trump's team got past the news cycles about Senate Republicans being quietly concerned about Hegseth's nomination. They've told us for a month that if he can get to his nomination hearing, he'll be fine.
• Sic MAGA foot soldiers on anyone suspected of falling out of line. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) was noticeably friendly at today's hearing. Ernst told local radio on Wednesday that she'll vote to confirm Hegseth.
• Stonewall the Dems: Only the committee's top Democrat — Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) — was allowed to see Hegseth's background check. Democrats were denied second rounds of questioning today. Hegseth didn't meet with any of the rank-and-file Dems ahead of today's hearing.
• Take advantage of the media's shattered glass: Today's most TV-ready moments from Senate Dems — Tim Kaine's hypotheticals on Hegseth's red lines and his behavior … Kirsten Gillibrand's condemnation of his comments on women in the military … Mazie Hirono's questions on his drinking — are unlikely to reach MAGA viewers.

Zoom in: If you look past the spicy back-and-forth on Hegseth's character, there was a strong line of questions about whether he can do the job.

• The most prominent: Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) tried to pin down Hegseth on whether he's ever led a major negotiation. She asked if he's familiar with high-level pacts like ASEAN.

The Republicans on the panel were very clear that this isn't a dealbreaker. They even suggested that his lack of traditional experience running bureaucracies would benefit someone trying to clean house at the Pentagon.

• They backed him as he suggested he'd purge top brass and cut hundreds or thousands of civilian support staff in the Pentagon.
• "The Dems struggled to land a blow or a gotcha moment," Banks told Axios after the hearing.
• "With today's performance, I believe Pete Hegseth's path to confirmation has been assured," Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said in a statement.

Go deeper:

• Five questions Hegseth dodged
• Hegseth claims "smear campaign"
• Hegseth says he was blocked from working Biden inauguration over tattoo

The first roll call will be tense, but House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has a clear path to winning the speaker election on Friday.

• "I think we get it done on the first round," Johnson told Fox Business on Thursday.

Why it matters: On paper, Johnson has a better outlook than former Speaker Kevin McCarthy did in 2023.

• McCarthy had a four-seat margin in January 2023, and five Republicans were public "no" votes ahead of the speaker election.
• Johnson has a two-seat margin and just one public GOP "no" vote ahead of the election. That's Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.).

"It feels like it's different from two years ago," one House Republican told Axios.

• Johnson's skeptics, the lawmaker said, are "looking for a couple policy accommodations" while McCarthy's "had an ax to grind."
• Case in point: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who tried to oust Johnson last year, said Thursday she'll vote for Johnson and urged others to get on board.

President-elect Trump is also involved. He called one of the holdouts — Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) — to press him to back Johnson, Punchbowl reported Thursday.

• In 2023, Trump notably intervened after McCarthy had lost several rounds of balloting.
• This time he's twisting arms ahead of the big event.

Zoom in: Mainstream GOP lawmakers have warned Johnson against handshake deals with conservatives, Axios scooped this afternoon.

• "There are significant communications," said one of the lawmakers, who told Axios that these GOP moderates are warning Johnson: "Don't do what [former speaker Kevin] McCarthy did."
• "Don't give promises upon which you can't deliver. Don't give promises that require us to do things that we don't want to do, that are beyond reasonable," the lawmaker said.

Establishment Republicans loathe the idea of making Roy the chair of the House Rules Committee.

• That is a "very unpopular initiative for many Republicans," a House Republican told Axios.

The bottom line: The speaker says he's "open" to some conservative demands.

• The big one: No putting big-ticket bills on the floor under suspension of the rules. Many of those suspension votes were because House GOP leaders surrendered control of the House Rules Committee in January 2023.
• Johnson ran into this buzzsaw several times last year before getting help from Democrats on must-pass bills. Conservatives want this trend to end, boxing in Johnson unless he stuffs Rules with more speaker-friendly votes.
• Democrats seem uninterested in bailing out Johnson — and by extension, Trump, on must-pass bills that can't get by the Freedom Caucus.

There's only one upside after Thursday night's spectacular failure for House Speaker Mike Johnson, President-elect Trump and Elon Musk: They now have a long list of Republicans who dared to defy them.

Why it matters: Johnson is learning what a co-speakership with Trump — and to an extent, Musk — will look like.

• It's obvious Trump can kill a bill.
• It's less clear whether Trump or Musk can get legislation across the finish line by publicly browbeating GOP lawmakers.

🗳 Johnson lost 38 Republican votes and gained just two Democratic ones on a Trump-endorsed plan to fund the government for three months and suspend the debt ceiling for two years.

• The final 174-235 tally is a disaster for leadership's Plan B.
• Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) said Thursday they won't try their luck with the House Rules Committee on a party-line vote.

Now comes Plan C — yet to be named — after Republicans wasted a day negotiating with themselves.

• The hard talks with House and Senate Democrats have yet to happen and the government shuts down in just over 24 hours.

Zoom in: Trump is sparking a confrontation with his closest allies in Congress, with Johnson caught in the middle.

• Freedom Caucus members are both MAGA meat-eaters and big-time opponents of raising the debt ceiling.
• Now their president-elect is asking for a blank check and threatening primaries for any holdouts.
• He called for a primary challenge to Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), who responded by calling the Trump-blessed bill "embarrassing" and "shameful." Roy voted no on the bill.

Other GOP "no" votes were a Freedom Caucus who's who:

• It includes Andy Ogles and Tim Burchett of Tennessee; Ralph Norman of South Carolina; Bob Good of Virginia; Rich McCormick of Georgia; and Andy Biggs and Paul Gosar of Arizona.

The bottom line: The rough reality for Johnson is that he needs Democratic votes to advance legislation — and Republican votes to remain speaker.

• On Thursday he realized how short he may be on both.

President-elect Trump on Wednesday came out against the 3-month spending stopgap introduced by House Speaker Mike Johnson to avoid a government shutdown.

Why it matters: Trump's opposition could torpedo the bill just two days before the deadline to keep the government running. He further complicated matters for GOP leadership on the Hill with a surprise demand that they raise the debt ceiling.

State of play: The continuing resolution brokered by Johnson would require a 2/3 majority to pass under a suspension of House rules.

• House Republicans spent much of Wednesday threatening to vote against the legislation, with Elon Musk leading the charge on X.
• Conservative lawmakers argue the 1,500-page bill is too bloated and are pushing for a "clean" short-term spending measure that will allow Trump to try to pass his own appropriations legislation in January.
• With Trump now publicly opposed, Johnson will likely move in that direction, a House Republican close to the speaker told Axios' Andrew Solender.

What he's saying: Trump and Vice President-elect Vance lodged a series of objections to the bill in a joint statement, including that it would give members of Congress a raise.

• They also claimed it would give "sweetheart provisions for government censors and for Liz Cheney," without specifying what those were.
• Trump also tried to shift blame for any potential shutdown onto the Democrats, despite the fact that his intervention could very well cause it. "If Democrats threaten to shut down the government unless we give them everything they want, then CALL THEIR BLUFF."

The other side: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries countered that Republicans had now been "ordered to shut down the government," adding: "you break the bipartisan agreement, you own the consequences that follow."

• "We have a deal with Republicans and we're sticking with it," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) told senators on Wednesday.
• "Triggering a damaging government shutdown would hurt families who are gathering to meet with their loved ones and endanger the basic services Americans from veterans to Social Security recipients rely on," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement Wednesday.

The intrigue: The Trump-Vance statement included a twist: they also want Congress to raise the debt ceiling, an entirely separate process from funding the government.

• "Increasing the debt ceiling is not great but we'd rather do it on Biden's watch," they said.

What's next: If Congress can't pass a continuing resolution in time, the government will shut down at midnight on Friday.

President Biden signed a presidential pardon for his son Hunter Biden on Sunday, a reversal from previous statements he would grant him neither a pardon nor commutation.

Why it matters: Presidents regularly sign pardons at the end of their terms. They rarely involve cases where their own family members are in the middle of the legal process. Hunter Biden was set to appear at sentencing hearings on Dec. 12 and Dec. 16.

Driving the news: "No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter's cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because he is my son — and that is wrong," Biden said in a statement.

• "There has been an effort to break Hunter — who has been five and a half years sober, even in the face of unrelenting attacks and selective prosecution. In trying to break Hunter, they've tried to break me — and there's no reason to believe it will stop here. Enough is enough."

State of play: Hunter Biden was the first child of a sitting president to face criminal charges. He was convicted on felony gun charges in Delaware in June, and pleaded guilty on felony tax charges in California in September.

• The pardon issued Sunday covers all acts from Jan. 1, 2014 to Dec. 1, 2024.
• Hunter Biden's attorney Abbe Lowell filed to have his client's charges dismissed in both cases in the wake of the pardon. Legal confirmation that the president's son had accepted the pardon was also filed.

What he's saying: Hunter Biden said in a statement on Sunday that he has "admitted and taken responsibility for my mistakes during the darkest days of my addiction — mistakes that have been exploited to publicly humiliate and shame me and my family for political sport."

• He continued: "Despite all of this, I have maintained my sobriety for more than five years because of my deep faith and the unwavering love and support of my family and friends.

Zoom out: Congressional Republicans swiftly blasted the pardon of Hunter Biden — who was a central figure in GOP probes, including an impeachment inquiry into the president that focused in large part on his son's business dealings.

• President-elect Trump responded by raising concerns about the convictions of the Jan. 6 rioters.

Between the lines: There's not much scope for overturning a presidential pardon, which can only be issued for federal offenses.

• It would be "highly unusual" for a president to pardon someone before they are indicted, convicted or sentenced for a federal offense, per a Justice Department statement on its website in the FAQs section.
• However, it noted there had been a few instances of this occurring — including when Trump pardoned former Sheriff Joe Arpaio "and others after they were charged and convicted, but prior to sentencing."

Go deeper: Democrats meet Hunter Biden pardon with groans and shrugs

Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.

President-elect Trump is demanding that Senate Republicans show up and try to stop Democrats from confirming more judges.

Why it matters: President Biden is now 15 judicial confirmations away from the record set by Trump in his first term.

• Trump posted Wednesday on "X": "The Democrats are trying to stack the Courts with Radical Left Judges on their way out the door. Republican Senators need to Show Up and Hold the Line — No more Judges confirmed before Inauguration Day!"

Democrats confirmed two more judges on Wednesday by 50-48 margins, with Republican Sens. Ted Cruz (Texas) and Mike Braun (Indiana) missing the votes.

• If they'd voted, Vice President Harris would have been unavailable to break the 50-50 tie as she's currently vacationing in Hawaii.
• Cruz arrived back in D.C. on Wednesday, leaving Braun as the only member still absent.
• The issue came up in a GOP lunch on Wednesday. Senators discussed whether there was a way for him to resign and someone to fill his seat faster. Braun was elected governor of Indiana in November.

"I am very angry – 90% of success in life is showing up," Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) told reporters.

• "I've got a 4th Circuit nominee that if my colleagues show up on my side I've secured Democratic votes to defeat. That is very personal to me," he said.
• "I had a member ask me, 'Well, when is the vote?' I said, 'When you're not here,'" Tillis told reporters.

Zoom in: Senate Republicans, including incoming Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) are in a showdown over judges with outgoing Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).

• Thune unveiled a plan Monday to aggressively defend against Biden's final nominees, Axios has reported.
• Schumer is prepared to grind through that defense with late night and weekend votes.

Editor's note: This article has been updated with more reporting.

The nomination of MAGA fire-breather Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general has put soon-to-be Senate Majority Leader John Thune on the hot seat.

Why it matters: President-elect Trump is daring Senate Republicans to defy him, just days after Thune agreed to consider recess appointments to speed up confirmations.

• This was the biggest day of Thune's career and was supposed to be a celebratory afternoon for the winning leaders.
• Instead, Trump handed Thune a conference-splitter.

Trump's announcement that he will nominate Gaetz was met with audible gasps by House Republicans during their conference meeting this afternoon, multiple sources in the room told us.

• With the Senate GOP at 53 seats next year, Thune could only afford to lose three GOP senators and still get Gaetz confirmed.
• Thune's other option: Let Trump make a recess appointment so Gaetz can skip a confirmation and work as acting AG. Trump had two confirmed AGs and five acting AGs in his first term.

Zoom in: Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) was "shocked" by Trump's pick: "This shows why the advice and consent process is so important and I'm sure that there will be a lot of questions raised at his hearing."

• Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) called Gaetz "not a serious candidate," the N.Y. Times reports.
• Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) told us Gaetz has "got his work really cut out for him" to get confirmed.
• Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.): "I'm all about counting votes, and I would probably think he's got some work cut out for him."

Trump ally Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) was noncommittal: "Yeah, I don't know yet. I'm going to have to think about that one," he told CNN.

Between the lines: One leader who wasn't surprised was House Speaker Mike Johnson, who said Trump tipped him off to the nomination this morning.

• Gaetz resigned from the House Wednesday, Johnson said in the evening.
• Gaetz was under a House ethics investigation for potential "sexual misconduct and illicit drug use."
• If confirmed, Gaetz would run the Justice Department, which investigated (and didn't charge) him last year in a sex trafficking probe.

Even if the votes aren't there for Gaetz, Thune might have to let the process run its course and convince Trump he tried.

• "We're going to vet and process and look at all the noms when they come forward and we'll see. That's all going to happen in the next few weeks," Thune told CNN this afternoon.

Go deeper: Democrats tear into Trump's Matt Gaetz and Tulsi Gabbard

President-elect Trump has narrowed in on Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) for secretary of state, he announced on Wednesday.

Why it matters: Rubio is a foreign policy hawk who was on Trump's vice presidential short list.

What they're saying: "Leading the U.S. Department of State is a tremendous responsibility, and I am honored by the trust President Trump has placed in me," Rubio said in a statement.

• The New York Times was first to report Rubio's expected nomination on Monday.
• Trump called the senator a "highly respected leader and a very powerful voice for freedom" in a statement.
• "He will be a strong advocate for our nation, a true friend to our allies and a fearless warrior who will never back down to our adversaries," the president-elect said.

Zoom in: Rubio has served in the Senate since 2011. He ran for president in 2016 before dropping out and endorsing Trump.

• He endorsed now-eliminated Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) to replace Mitch McConnell as Senate GOP leader in the secret ballot election on Wednesday, won by Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.).
• Rubio voted against $95 billion in Ukraine aid in April, and has called for Ukraine to negotiate an end to the war with Russia — even if that means Russia keeps some of the territory from the invasion.
• Rubio, who would be the first Latino secretary of state, opposes normalizing relations with Cuba and is a noted China hawk, Reuters notes.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is responsible for appointing Rubio's successor, who would serve until a special election in 2026 to determine who finishes the term.

• Potential choices include Lt. Gov. Jeanette Núñez, Attorney General Ashley Moody and chief of staff James Uthmeier, Axios Tampa Bay's Yacob Reyes reported.

Zoom out: Trump reportedly plans to name Rep. Michael Waltz (R-Fla.) as his national security adviser, Axios reported on Monday.

Go deeper: Behind the Curtain: The Cabinet pageant

Editor's note: This story was updated with Trump's official announcement and Rubio's statement.

Sen. John Thune has won the Senate GOP leader race, succeeding Mitch McConnell after an 18-year tenure, according to two sources in the room.

Why it matters: The South Dakota Republican is now the second most powerful man in Washington.

• His win is a victory for the post-Trump establishment. He's not a natural, true-believer Trump guy like Rick Scott and his supporters are. Scott was eliminated on the first ballot, despite heavy MAGA pressure.
• Scott challenged McConnell in 2022, falling far short but getting 10 GOP votes.
• John Cornyn was an underdog to Thune, and ended up finishing in a close second.

What he's saying: "I am extremely honored to have earned the support of my colleagues to lead the Senate in the 119th Congress, and I am beyond proud of the work we have done to secure our majority and the White House," Thune said in a statement released shortly after the vote.

• "This Republican team is united behind President Trump's agenda, and our work starts today," he added.

Zoom out: Sen. John Barrasso will officially be the next majority whip, after running unopposed.

• Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) easily won his race against Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) for the No. 3 position of conference chair.

Editor's note: This article has been updated with comments from Thune.