President-elect Donald Trump is poised to seize greater control of the federal government than any modern president before him when he takes office on Monday, charging ahead with plans to dismantle what he and his allies call the "deep state,

The question the Senate confirmation process must address is whether the department’s tradition of independence will be supplanted by a new value: loyalty.

The new administration is set to face significant challenges, including heightened geopolitical tensions, economic recovery, and domestic political polarisation.

Democratic states' attorneys general launched a legal bid this week to defend Biden administration policies on immigration, the environment and guns, just days before Donald Trump takes office on Monday.

Senators will grill Trump's choices to lead the Justice, State, Transportation and Energy departments,as well as the CIA and the top budget office.

The confirmation process for President-elect Donald Trump's incoming Cabinet is underway. After a Tuesday hearing with Trump's defense secretary nominee, Pete Hegseth, several other key members of the incoming administration went before the committees overseeing the agencies that Trump wants them to run.

John Rowley and John Irving are the latest attorneys who defended Trump and top aides under consideration for politically sensitive Justice Department posts.

Six of President-elect Trump's nominees are facing senators on Wednesday, including Sen. Marco Rubio and Pam Bondi.

"I am worried that, given it’s Bondi and Blanche and Sauer, all of them have been his personal lawyers,” noted a former federal judge.

Rubio is seen as a steady foreign policy hand who has the confidence of Trump and Senate colleagues from both parties.

The Trump administration will also push to fill the thousands of political appointments across government as soon as possible, another source told Reuters

After weeks of controversy over many Cabinet nominations, Congress begins hearings over Donald Trump's appointments.