Trump 2nd term live updates: Sources say nearly all USAID staff will be cut

The Senate confirmation hearing for Linda McMahon, Trump’s pick to lead the U.S. Department of Education, has been delayed because the Senate HELP Committee is waiting on McMahon’s Office of Government Ethics (OGE) letter, a spokesperson for the committee told ABC News.

The OGE leads and oversees the executive branch ethics program, according to its website.

The HELP committee — the committee tasked with holding hearings for the president’s education and labor nominees — has been waiting on the document as is standard for cabinet nominations of any administration.

For weeks, McMahon has taken advice and consent meetings on Capitol Hill with Senators from both sides of the aisle. Her latest post on X was a picture of an advice and consent meeting with HELP
Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy on Jan. 23.

McMahon has remained largely offline since this post.

Prior to the post, McMahon had met with each Republican member on the HELP committee ahead of her confirmation hearing, including Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville.

However, Democrats have their concerns about McMahon. Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, a Democrat on the HELP committee, said he met with her last month.

Murphy blasted the Trump administration for its education policy and plans to dismantle the department.

Key GOP senator Todd Young, R-Ind., announced in a post on X that he will support Tulsi Gabbard's nomination to serve as the Director of National Intelligence.

Young sits on the Intelligence Committee, which will take a vote on his nomination at 2 p.m. Tuesday. With Young joining Susan Collins and James Lankford in support, Gabbard is expected to clear the committee vote.

Young was being closely watched as a possible no vote after having taken Gabbard to task over her views of Edward Snowden during her confirmation hearing.

"I have done what the Framers envisioned for senators to do: use the consultative process to seek firm commitments, in this case, commitments that will advance our national security, which is my top priority as a former Marine Corps intelligence officer," Young said in the post. "Having now secured these commitments, I will support Tulsi's nomination and look forward to working with her to protect our national security."

– ABC News' Rachel Scott and Allison Pecorin

When asked about reports that President Donald Trump was taking action to shut down the Department of Education, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt declined to get ahead of the president but made it clear that it is a policy priority Trump has talked about since he was campaigning.

"Our nation's report card was released last week, and it showed that only 40% of fourth graders are reading at a proficient level. So, clearly, the tens of millions of dollars that the Department of Education is spending every single year is not working," she said on Fox News Tuesday morning.

"[Trump] signed two executive orders on the education front last week. As for the Department of Education, TBD on an announcement there," she added.

Leavitt was also asked about Elon Musk and what his role is within the government, in which she reiterated her message that Musk is making cuts to spending.

"When it comes to USAID, Elon Musk and his team have found egregious spending of federal tax dollars being wasted," she claimed.

– ABC News' Michelle Stoddart

The Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday voted to advance Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s nomination to lead the Department of Health and Human Services under President Donald Trump.

The panel voted along party lines 14-13. His nomination now goes to the full Senate for approval.

-ABC News' Alexandra Hutzler, Mary Kekatos and Allison Pecorin