House grills Defense brass as Senate pushes Trump’s Fed pick Warsh

The House Armed Services Committee took center stage with intense questioning of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Caine, spotlighting the Trump administration’s ongoing efforts to consolidate control over the military amid widespread fears of politicization. Lawmakers pressed the officials on readiness, command decisions, and the blurred lines between military leadership and political loyalty.

This hearing is the latest in a series of confrontations revealing how Trump’s appointees are reshaping traditionally independent institutions into extensions of his agenda. Hegseth, a known Trump loyalist, faced scrutiny over whether defense policies are being driven by national security needs or political expediency.

Simultaneously, the Senate Banking Committee voted to advance Kevin Warsh’s nomination to the Federal Reserve Board. Warsh, a former Goldman Sachs executive and Bush-era Fed governor, is widely seen as a pro-business figure aligned with Trump’s economic priorities. His confirmation would cement a Federal Reserve more amenable to the administration’s controversial monetary policies, raising alarms about the erosion of the Fed’s independence.

These developments underscore the administration’s relentless push to install loyalists across critical government agencies, threatening democratic norms and institutional checks and balances. As the Senate moves Warsh closer to confirmation, the House continues to probe the military’s role in an increasingly politicized landscape.

Only Clowns Are Orange will keep tracking these power plays that jeopardize accountability and democratic integrity at the highest levels of government.