Trump Faces Biggest Week Since the Election

It’s a big week for President-elect Donald Trump. He’s holding his first press conference since he was elected president as the Senate kicks off confirmation hearings for his cabinet picks.

Trump’s transition team has been working diligently to prepare his nominees to face the Senate. They’ve participated in 30 practice sessions and answered 2,604 questions delivered by 189 volunteers playing the roles of senators.

Confirmation hearings kick off Tuesday with Sen. Jeff Sessions, Trump’s pick to serve as attorney general. His hearing is likely to last several days as senators get to the bottom of how he views the role of the Justice Department and as Democrats air their concerns about Sessions’ record on civil rights.
 
The hearings will be framed by his last confirmation hearing. In 1986, President Ronald Reagan appointed Sessions to be a federal judge. The Senate did not confirm him, partially for a racially insensitive statement he made while investigating the death of a black teenager by members of the Ku Klux Klan.

Also up Tuesday is retired Marine Corps Gen. John Kelly, who has been nominated to serve as secretary of Homeland Security. On Wednesday, ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson’s confirmation hearings begins. Trump’s pick for secretary of state is also controversial due to his close business dealings with Russia and specifically Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Trump’s pick for secretary of education, Betsy DeVos, is also up Wednesday. She’s facing a tough campaign by teachers unions that are trying to thwart her chances.

The National Education Association is urging its members to contact their senators and tell them to vote against DeVos, who for years has devoted her time and vast financial resources to promoting public charter schools and vouchers for private schools.

“Betsy DeVos is not qualified, and even more than unqualified, Betsy DeVos is an actual danger to students — especially our most vulnerable students,” NEA President Lily Eskelsen Garcia told The Washington Post. “She has made a career trying to destroy neighborhood public schools, the very cornerstone of what’s made our nation so strong.”

Jeanne Allen, CEO of the Center for Education Reform, fought back against the unions.

“Charter schools are public schools. They're just not the kinds of public schools that the America Federations of Teachers likes," Allen said. "For the head of an organization that purports to represent teachers by attempting to create fear among them is outrageous and contradictory. She claims that an agenda that promotes school options is anti-public education. The only thing anti-public education is those who oppose educating the public in any way that best suits the needs of its students."

In all, the Senate will hold nine confirmation hearings this week.

Wednesday, Trump will face reporters in New York. He’ll likely be peppered with questions about the Russian hack and leak of DNC emails that Democrats say affected the election.

In a statement Trump wrote, “While Russia, China, other countries, outside groups and people are consistently trying to break through the cyber infrastructure of our governmental institutions, businesses and organizations, including the Democrat National Committee, there was absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election, including the fact that there was no tampering whatsoever with voting machines. There were attempts to hack the Republican National Committee, but the RNC had strong hacking defenses and the hackers were unsuccessful.”

He also vows to appoint a committee to come up with recommendations within 90 days to better protect the U.S. government and private Americans from cyber attacks.

He’ll also face questions about how he’ll divest himself from his vast business holdings across the globe.

We know his family will continue to play a major role in his administration. Trump is expected to appoint his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to serve as a senior advisor.