Mary Margaret Olihan
Appearances
Morning Wire
Trudeau’s Political Turbulence & RFK Rallies Support | 12.18.24
Hey, Georgia. So, Kennedy is particularly under the microscope right now when it comes to abortion and vaccines. Kennedy is a former Democrat, and he's also described himself as not only pro-choice, but also formerly supportive of late-term abortions. Here's what he told Sage Steele earlier this year.
Morning Wire
Trudeau’s Political Turbulence & RFK Rallies Support | 12.18.24
Even if it's full-term?
Morning Wire
Trudeau’s Political Turbulence & RFK Rallies Support | 12.18.24
Now, that clip worried a lot of pro-lifers and Republicans, but he's since argued that we should reduce the number of abortions in the United States, pointing to consensus among Americans that abortions should be restricted up until a certain point.
Morning Wire
Trudeau’s Political Turbulence & RFK Rallies Support | 12.18.24
But some senators still had hesitations over where he would stand on pro-life policy, particularly given that HHS plays such a pivotal role in making sure that taxpayer dollars aren't going to abortions, both in the U.S. and abroad. Now, are GOP senators buying that? Well, I spoke with Senator Lankford, who's very outspoken on the life issue, ahead of his meeting with Kennedy.
Morning Wire
Trudeau’s Political Turbulence & RFK Rallies Support | 12.18.24
And he told me that he planned to make sure that Kennedy's vision for HHS would match up with Trump's policies on life. I also spoke with Senator Mark Wayne Mullen from Oklahoma, who met with Kennedy on Monday. And he tells me that Kennedy believes there are far too many abortions and he values life and that he wants to support Trump's agenda.
Morning Wire
Trudeau’s Political Turbulence & RFK Rallies Support | 12.18.24
Kennedy is pretty popular and very charming, and his Make America Healthy Again movement has massively resonated with the American public. But that being said, HHS is the largest department of the federal government, and with that comes a lot of responsibility.
Morning Wire
Trudeau’s Political Turbulence & RFK Rallies Support | 12.18.24
After meeting with Kennedy on Tuesday, Senator Josh Hawley said that not only did Kennedy promise to reinstate Trump's pro-life policies, he also promised to end taxpayer funding for abortions domestically, to bar federal funds from going to organizations that promote abortion, and to reinstate conscience protections for healthcare providers. which is pretty big.
Morning Wire
Trudeau’s Political Turbulence & RFK Rallies Support | 12.18.24
Now let's talk about his stance on vaccines. That's been a real lightning rod. Yes, so Kennedy has often expressed criticism of various vaccination shots.
Morning Wire
Trudeau’s Political Turbulence & RFK Rallies Support | 12.18.24
He's also said that he wants to do additional safety testing for vaccines to make sure that Americans can have proper informed consent, pointing out that we have extremely high rates of chronic diseases and raising questions about rising rates of autism in the United States.
Morning Wire
Trudeau’s Political Turbulence & RFK Rallies Support | 12.18.24
But he's also pushed back on the idea that he's anti-vaccine, arguing in a recent news appearance that if vaccines are working for people, he's not trying to take them away. Mainstream media quickly snowballed Kennedy's comments to suggest that he's trying to get rid of the polio vaccine, prompting Trump to clarify on Monday that the polio vaccine isn't going anywhere.
Morning Wire
Trudeau’s Political Turbulence & RFK Rallies Support | 12.18.24
That response was partially due to a New York Times report highlighting that Aaron Siri, a lawyer helping Kennedy pick federal health officials, previously petitioned the federal government to revoke its approval of one version of the polio vaccine. Senators who have met with Kennedy are mostly saying good things at this point.
Morning Wire
Trudeau’s Political Turbulence & RFK Rallies Support | 12.18.24
And Senator Tommy Tuberville said that his meeting with Kennedy reaffirmed what he already knew. And I'm quoting... RFK Jr. is the right man to make sure our food is safe, bring transparency to vaccines and healthcare, and make America healthy again. Well, a lot of people are excited about this nomination.
Morning Wire
CEO Shooter Celebrated & Hegseth Support Surges | 12.11.24
Hey, Georgia. So Senators Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins are always going to be an issue for Trump's nominees, which means that Republicans can really only afford to lose two other senators. So it's an issue that Joni Ernst of Iowa and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina were expressing concerns about Trump's Secretary of Defense pick, Pete Hegseth.
Morning Wire
CEO Shooter Celebrated & Hegseth Support Surges | 12.11.24
Now, Hegseth has been one of Trump's most disputed choices, facing an avalanche of allegations from Democrats and the media about sexual misconduct and excessive drinking, both of which he's denied. Some on the right, like TPUSA's Charlie Kirk, have floated the possibility of backing a primary challenger against Ernst for not supporting Hegseth.
Morning Wire
CEO Shooter Celebrated & Hegseth Support Surges | 12.11.24
That may have worked because on Monday, Ernst met with Hegseth for the second time and said she had a quote-unquote encouraging conversation with him. She said, and I'm quoting again, as I support Pete through this process, I look forward to a fair hearing based on truth, not anonymous sources.
Morning Wire
CEO Shooter Celebrated & Hegseth Support Surges | 12.11.24
Senate sources tell me that it's widely believed that Ernst was either tasked by Senate leadership to tank Hegseth's nomination or she sought to do it of her own accord, hoping she'd be his replacement if he were to fail.
Morning Wire
CEO Shooter Celebrated & Hegseth Support Surges | 12.11.24
One source told me, and I'm quoting, it appears that she's trying to walk back her opposition to Hegseth by demanding an audit of the Pentagon, something Hegseth was already on board with before even meeting her. That source also suggested that people are still doubtful of Ernst's sincerity to get Hegseth across the finish line. Now, what about Lindsey Graham?
Morning Wire
CEO Shooter Celebrated & Hegseth Support Surges | 12.11.24
Well, Lindsey Graham also expressed new support for Pete on Monday. And the fact that these two came around this week is yet another sign of Trump's consolidated influence over the Republican Party. I spoke to Senator Tommy Tuberville about this whole process, and he tells me that he views Trump's nominees as selected by the American people who voted for Trump.
Morning Wire
CEO Shooter Celebrated & Hegseth Support Surges | 12.11.24
Actually, Democrats were much more unified when it came to pushing through Biden's nominees. Here's Tuberville on that.
Morning Wire
CEO Shooter Celebrated & Hegseth Support Surges | 12.11.24
But some Republican senators are pushing back on the idea that they should support Trump nominees no matter what. That includes Senator Tom Tillis of North Carolina and Senator John Cornyn of Texas. Tillis is up for reelection in 2026, and he says he should be asking tough questions.
Morning Wire
CEO Shooter Celebrated & Hegseth Support Surges | 12.11.24
And Cornyn, who had reservations about Matt Gaetz and currently isn't sold on Tulsi Gabbard, suggested he's more concerned about being loyal to the Constitution than to Trump.
Morning Wire
CEO Shooter Celebrated & Hegseth Support Surges | 12.11.24
These kinds of comments triggered frustration among Trump's circle, who point out that some of the GOP senators on the fence about Trump's nominees actually voted to confirm Biden's most controversial picks, including Attorney General Merrick Garland, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas. In fact, Lloyd Austin was confirmed 93 to 2.
Morning Wire
CEO Shooter Celebrated & Hegseth Support Surges | 12.11.24
Now, what's Trump himself saying about all this? Well, Trump has surprisingly largely stayed out of it. He'll, of course, announce the nominees in Truth Social posts, praise their backgrounds and tout their achievements. And he's been sending his nominees to meet with Republican senators in the weeks leading up to possible confirmation hearings.
Morning Wire
CEO Shooter Celebrated & Hegseth Support Surges | 12.11.24
But those around him are working hard to rally support for his nominees, particularly Hegseth. And the attitude in Trump world right now is this. The American people elected Trump and Trump picked his nominees. It's time for senators to fall in line. Well, it sounds like things are looking more optimistic for Hegseth.