Dem who called Trump 'existential threat to democracy' now blocking his nominees
Sen. Chris Murphy said there were 'serious concerns' from some Democrats about Trump's CIA pick John Ratcliffe
By Julia Johnson , Tyler Olson Fox News
Published January 22, 2025 4:39pm EST
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., disrupted Senate Republicans' plans to quickly confirm President Donald Trump's national security nominees on Tuesday night when he objected to bypassing lengthy procedural votes that are routinely skipped.
"Unfortunately, we were at the point of almost having a consent agreement to have a vote on the confirmation of John Ratcliffe to be the CIA director tomorrow. Not today, not yesterday, when it should have happened, but tomorrow," Senate Republican Conference Chairman Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said on the chamber floor. "But the senator from Connecticut has decided to object at the last minute."
"I don't really understand the objection to Mr. Ratcliffe. He was confirmed by the Senate to be the director of National intelligence. He was fully vetted through the bipartisan process in the Senate Intelligence Committee. We voted him out yesterday on a 14 to 3 vote," Cotton, also the chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, continued.
During his objection, Murphy said there were "serious concerns" from some Democrats about Trump's CIA pick John Ratcliffe. "I don't think it's too much to ask to make sure that we have a full, real debate that lasts two days on the Senate floor," he said.
The Connecticut Democrat notably previewed Trump's eventual second presidency over the summer. "There's a lot of anxiety in the country and in the party today, and that's because the stakes are so high," he said.
"That's because Donald Trump presents an existential threat to democracy. He has advertised he is going to transition this country from a democracy to a dictatorship," he claimed in a July appearance on CNN.
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