Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Justice Department ducked questions about judicial independence, Trump's 2020 election loss, Jan. 6 pardons and more.

Ratcliffe, director of national intelligence for the final months of Trump’s first term, goes before the Senate Intelligence Committee. The former Texas congressman is in line to lead the nation's premier spy agency, responsible for foreign covert operations and collecting data on U.S. adversaries.

Pam Bondi sought to allay the concerns of Democrats who said they feared Trump and his allies would use the Justice Department to target their political enemies.