Sen. Jim Banks: "Republicans have to do everything that we can to back up President Trump and confirm his nominees"

In our latest edition, Sen. Jim Banks Brings the MAGA Heat to the Senate, and more; Sen. Thom Tillis’ anti-Trump primary challenger is exposed; Tulsi Gabbard’s military colleagues back her nomination.

February 5, 2025

In this edition

1. INTERVIEW: Indiana’s Son: GOP Powerhouse Jim Banks Brings the MAGA Heat to the Senate

2. Heard on the Hill

3. GOP Senate candidate’s lengthy anti-Trump history exposed: “Trumpists have won the battle for the Republican Party. It's theirs now.”

4. Tulsi Gabbard’s military colleagues endorse her to serve as Director of National Intelligence: “Easy to trust” her “with my life”

5. WATCH: Panamanian president sides with US’ Rubio, won’t renew Belt and Road Agreement with China

6. Op-Ed: Rep. Michael Cloud and Heritage Action EVP Ryan Walker: We must dismantle DEI

In our latest edition, Sen. Jim Banks Brings the MAGA Heat to the Senate; Sen. Thom Tillis’ anti-Trump primary challenger is exposed; Tulsi Gabbard’s military colleagues back her DNI nomination; and much more!

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INTERVIEW: Indiana’s Son: GOP Powerhouse Jim Banks Brings the MAGA Heat to the Senate

by Washington Reporter

President Trump’s roster of friends in the Senate continues to expand, with Indiana Senator Jim Banks — a staunch ally of the president — joining the upper chamber after several years as a leader in the House of Representatives.

And he is already in the thick of it. Banks said his tenure in the Senate is “off to a great start” in a Monday phone interview with the Washington Reporter and that he is “learning the new rules and processes” that come with the territory — a vastly different land from the much more populous House.

Joining the Senate during a presidential transition means that one of Banks’ first tasks in his new job is confirming the president’s Cabinet and other confirmed nominees. The Indiana Republican said the confirmation process is “going great” so far and that it is his “sense that we will and we should confirm all of President Trump’s nominees.”

“And we’re off to a good start of doing that. The pace so far has only been slowed down by the Democrats trying to block or slow the process of confirming Hegseth and Tulsi and even some of the nominees nobody talks about — Scott Turner at [the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)],” Banks said. “The Democrats, they slowed that process and it’s what we’ve come to expect from the Democrats.”

“They hate President Trump. They want to block his agenda,” Banks continued. “But, when it comes to slowing down these nominees, they’re only hurting America in the process. So Republicans have to do everything that we can to back up President Trump and confirm his nominees as fast as we can, and that’s what I’ve been trying to push for.”

Banks told the Reporter that Trump “learned a lot from those first four years” and praised the rapid-fire actions taken by the president, noting that the commander-in-chief “is not going to slow down.”

Heard on the Hill

• SCOTT’S SIGHTS: Senator Tim Scott told colleagues that Minnesota is going to be an offensive target this cycle.

• KOSA-KOLA: Senate leadership is looking at bringing back KOSA after nominations calm down. KOSA is perceived as a win that shows Republicans can govern.

• VP WINGMAN: JD Vance and his team were intimately involved in Tulsi Gabbard’s confirmation vote, from prepping the nominee to answer tough questions to helping Senators get to yes.

• ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER AXE: At least two GOP Senators have communicated to the white house that Hal Scott’s proposal to terminate the CFPB is “sound policy and sound politics.”

• DEMOCRATS' GAMBIT: Sen. Mullin tells Washington Reporter that Senate Democrats "Want to continue to slow walk" cabinet confirmations, "Unfortunate" Democrats putting "Politics ahead of the American people."

• PAGING MR. PRESIDENT: President Trump recently met with the CEO of AT&T to discuss infrastructure and job creation in the United States.

• HIGH-LEVEL MEET UP: JPMorganChase is hosting a private forum this weekend which will include discussions from US and foreign leaders on the economy.

GOP Senate candidate’s lengthy anti-Trump history exposed: “Trumpists have won the battle for the Republican Party. It's theirs now.”

by Matthew Foldi

Sen. Thom Tillis (R., N.C.) has played a critical role in confirming many of President Donald Trump’s cabinet nominees — a stark contrast from his primary challenger Andy Nilsson, a long-time critic of the president and his agenda.

Top Republicans are worried that Nilsson’s opposition to Trump could backfire, they told the Washington Reporter.

Nilsson has a history of quitting the GOP over his anti-Trump position on multiple occasions, per one of his Facebook posts obtained by the Reporter — including in 2022, when he quit after failing to stop the takeover of the GOP by “we Trumpists.”

“As a coach I know when I've been beaten,” he wrote. “Trumpists have won the battle for the Republican Party. It's theirs now. I won't stay in it to help them, though.”

During Trump’s first term, Nilsson — who lost a bid for North Carolina lieutenant governor in 2000 — said that “our president is not upholding the ideals of our party and our country.”

Tulsi Gabbard’s military colleagues endorse her to serve as Director of National Intelligence: “Easy to trust” her “with my life”

by Matthew Foldi

Nearly two dozen decorated military veterans — including a brigadier general and a major general — who served with decorated veteran Tulsi Gabbard wrote to members of the Senate’s Select Committee on Intelligence in support of her nomination as Director of National Intelligence.

The letters, first obtained by the Washington Reporter, emphasized Gabbard’s ability to synthesize large amounts of information, her work overseeing civilian-military activities throughout the Indo-Pacific, and her overseas military service. “What stands out most about Lieutenant Colonel Gabbard is her commitment and genuine care for her Soldiers and their families,” her brigade commander, Col. Christopher Creaghe, wrote.

“LTC Gabbard possesses a rare talent for inspiring and energizing those around her, instilling a sense of confidence and fostering an environment where every team member feels both valued and empowered to excel,” Brigadier General Walter R. Ross, Jr., her former unit commander, wrote in his letter. The Reporter has previously fact-checked many of the attacks lodged against Gabbard by Democrats in the Senate.

One of her mentors, Brigadier General Moses Kaoiwi Jr., even defended her meeting with Syria’s now-deposed dictator Bashar al-Asad as an action that “demonstrates her ability to engage with complex international issues to gather information and intelligence, an essential characteristic for the DNI.”

Gabbard’s confirmation is one of several high-pressure nominations to lead critical executive branch decisions. She would be working with newly-minted CIA Director John Ratcliffe, himself Trump’s former DNI, as she settles into her new position. Yesterday, Gabbard’s nomination advanced through the Senate Intelligence Committee, next she faces a final confirmation vote on the floor of the U.S. Senate.

WATCH: Panamanian president sides with US’ Rubio, won’t renew Belt and Road Agreement with China

by Matthew Foldi

Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s first trip abroad focused on Latin America’s relationship with America under the new Trump administration — and his first meeting with a foreign leader abroad scored a key win.

Panama has been feeling the heat from President Donald Trump due to massive Chinese influence in the Panama Canal area. Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino announced that his country will not renew its membership in Communist China’s Belt and Road Initiative and that it will assist America in repatriating illegal immigrants to their countries of origin.

“The 2017 memorandum of understanding on the Silk Road, part of the Belt and Road initiative, will not be renewed by my government,” Mulino said. “That is a fact. We are going to study the possibility of whether it can be ended earlier or not. I think it is up for renewal in one or two years, because it’s every three. So that initiative which was signed will not be renewed by my government.”

Rubio’s near-immediate results were praised by his colleagues in the Trump administration. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz called the move a “step in the right direction.”

Rubio’s success is the latest win for a nascent second Trump administration, which has already seen Colombia return to cooperating on illegal immigration and Venezuela release several American hostages following a visit from Special Presidential Envoy for Special Missions Ric Grenell.

National security experts in and out of Congress commended Rubio’s success in Panama. “President Donald Trump’s administration continues to show America and the world what strength, leadership and decisiveness can achieve,” Sen. Bill Hagerty (R., Tenn.) said. Sen. Mike Lee (R., Utah) also lauded the move. “Buh bye, China,” he said. “Keep your Belt and Road out of the Americas.”

Op-Ed: Rep. Michael Cloud and Heritage Action EVP Ryan Walker: We must dismantle DEI

by Rep. Michael Cloud and Ryan Walker

Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s first trip abroad focused on Latin America’s relationship with America under the new Trump administration — and his first meeting with a foreign leader abroad scored a key win.

Panama has been feeling the heat from President Donald Trump due to massive Chinese influence in the Panama Canal area. Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino announced that his country will not renew its membership in Communist China’s Belt and Road Initiative and that it will assist America in repatriating illegal immigrants to their countries of origin.

“The 2017 memorandum of understanding on the Silk Road, part of the Belt and Road initiative, will not be renewed by my government,” Mulino said. “That is a fact. We are going to study the possibility of whether it can be ended earlier or not. I think it is up for renewal in one or two years, because it’s every three. So that initiative which was signed will not be renewed by my government.”