Trump nominees struggle to avoid saying true things that would upset Trump episode artwork

EPISODE · Jul 16, 2026 · 41 MIN

Trump nominees struggle to avoid saying true things that would upset Trump

from The Briefing with Jen Psaki · host Jen Psaki, Senator Adam Schiff, David Rohde, John Brennan, Devon Murphy-Anderson

Jen Psaki shows the inherent conflict of trying to stay in Donald Trump's good graces while also showing a panel of Senators that your are honest and forthright and will act in the interest of the American people. Jay Claton, Trump's nominee to be Director of National Intelligence, and Todd Blanche, Trump's criminal defense attorney and nominee for Attorney General, both struggled through awkward Senate confirmation hearings in which the things they couldn't say spoke volumes about how (and who) they'll serve if they're confirmed. Senator Adam Schiff talks with Jen Psaki about why Donald Trump's former criminal defense attorney has not been convincing in confirmation hearings to be attorney general that he is not still in service to Donald Trump and can perform in the role of leader of the Justice Department in a way that serves the American people.  MS NOW's David Rohde and former CIA Director John Brennan talk with Jen about expectations for Donald Trump's Thursday address to the nation and the election conspiracy theories that still consume his thoughts. Devon Murphy-Anderson, executive director of the Maine Democratic Party, discusses the party's plans for replacing Graham Platner on the ballot in the race against Susan Collins for Senate, and how the recent deadly ICE shooting in Maine has added fuel to already motivated Democratic voters. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jul 16, 2026

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Jen Psaki shows the inherent conflict of trying to stay in Donald Trump's good graces while also showing a panel of Senators that your are honest and forthright and will act in the interest of the American people. Jay Claton, Trump's nominee to be Director of National Intelligence, and Todd Blanche, Trump's criminal defense attorney and nominee for Attorney General, both struggled through awkward Senate confirmation hearings in which the things they couldn't say spoke volumes about how (and who) they'll serve if they're confirmed.

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Trump nominees struggle to avoid saying true things that would upset Trump

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