The Washington Roundtable discusses this week’s confirmation hearings for Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense and Pam Bondi as Attorney General, and the potential for a “shock and awe” campaign in the first days of Donald Trump’s second term. Plus, as billionaires from many industries gather around the dais on Inauguration Day, what should we make of President Biden’s warning, in the waning days of his Administration, about “an oligarchy taking shape in America”? 

This week’s reading:

• ““The Trump Effect”: On Deal-Making and Credit-Claiming in Trump 2.0,” by Susan B. Glasser
• “The Pressure Campaign to Get Pete Hegseth Confirmed as Defense Secretary,” by Jane Mayer
• “Why the Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Is Happening Now,” by Isaac Chotiner
• “ ‘An Oligarchy Is Taking Shape,’ ” by David Remnick
• “How Much of the Government Can Donald Trump Dismantle?” by Jeannie Suk Gersen
• “The Shock of a Gaza Ceasefire Deal,” by Ruth Margalit

To discover more podcasts from The New Yorker, visit newyorker.com/podcasts. To send in feedback on this episode, write to themail@newyorker.com with “The Political Scene” in the subject line.

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