Whatever You Do, Don't Make News: Surviving Your Senate Confirmation Hearing

Before a nominee ever sits at the witness table, a quiet machinery has already been at work: identification, interviews, vetting, the choreography of a public announcement, and the behind-the-scenes effort to tee up a hearing on favorable terms.

This session walks through that full confirmation process, from the moment a name is announced to the vote that seals it. The centerpiece is a live confirmation hearing for a top national security post, with student participants playing senators pressing the nominee on local issues, state priorities, and whatever else they can use to extract a commitment or create a moment.

You'll see the art of the nonanswer in action, learn the unwritten rules that separate nominees who survive from those who don't, and walk away with an understanding of what it actually takes to get confirmed in today's polarized Senate.

Featuring:

The Honorable Alex Wagner, former Assistant Secretary of the Air Force

*Must register for this event with a valid Harvard email address