Trump cabinet choice uncertain as Republican Party prepares to take control of the Senate

“You only have control of the Senate because of Donald Trump,” the president-elect’s son, Donald Trump Jr., warned during a media appearance this month. “Without it, you would be relegated to insignificance. »

So far, there has been one casualty of the process: former Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, who withdrew his bid for attorney general after senators raised private concerns. But Trump stood enthusiastically alongside others, including Kennedy as secretary of Health and Human Services, Hegseth as secretary of Defense, and Gabbard as director of national intelligence.

With hearings beginning in mid-January, even before Trump’s inauguration, senators will soon have to decide how closely they will vet the nominees and whether they are willing to vote against any of them. Republicans will have a 53-47 majority, so Trump cannot lose more than three votes on a nomination if Democrats are united in opposition.

The outcome of the confirmation process and the level of dissent in the Senate will likely set the tone for Trump’s presidency and his relationship with Congress, which has often been tumultuous during his first term. He has often clashed with the Senate, in particular, but has indicated he expects Republican senators to be more compliant this time around.

“It’s not about putting yes people on the board, it’s about keeping no people off the board,” said Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin, a key ally of Trump in the Senate, who speaks frequently with him.

While most Senate Republicans have strived to show as much loyalty to Trump as possible, a handful have made it clear they are willing to defend the Senate’s “advice and consent” role. ‘body. Among the senators to watch are moderate Republicans Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine and new freshman Sen. John Curtis of Utah.

“Anyone who wants to give me courage to do my job, let them do it,” Curtis said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week” when asked about Trump’s nominee selection. “It’s my job. It is my constitutional responsibility.

Yet even moderate senators have been reluctant to directly criticize Trump’s choices. And not a single Republican has come out officially against a candidate.

Several of Trump’s picks are expected to be confirmed, perhaps even with some Democratic votes. Sen. John Fetterman, Democrat of Pennsylvania, indicated he would support Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state and Rep. Elise Stefanik for ambassador to the United Nations, as did a few other Democrats.

For the most controversial candidates, party unity will be key.

One of Trump’s most embattled picks is Hegseth, a Fox News host and veteran who some view as inexperienced and who has publicly questioned whether women should serve in combat. He also faced allegations of sexual assault and excessive drinking which he denied. But all this gave some senators pause, despite Trump’s enthusiastic support.

Hegseth faced particular pressure from Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst, herself a veteran who has worked to combat sexual assault in the military. She has met with Hegseth several times and has yet to say she will support him. She will have the opportunity to question him, publicly and face-to-face, during a Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing scheduled for January 14.

Although Gabbard’s hearing has not yet been scheduled, senators will also be able to question her publicly and in a confidential setting about her trip to Syria after the breakdown of diplomatic relations between the United States. Gabbard defended the trip, saying it was important to open dialogue, but critics hear echoes of Russia-fueled talking points in her commentary. Assad fled to Moscow earlier this month after opposition forces took control of Syria in a surprise attack, ending his family’s five decades of rule.

While Republican senators have mostly refrained from publicly expressing concerns about Gabbard’s ties abroad, nearly 100 former U.S. diplomats and intelligence and national security officials have urged Senate leaders to schedule closed hearings to allow a full review of the government’s records on her.

Senators were somewhat more openly skeptical of Kennedy, who has long questioned the use of certain vaccines.

After a New York Times report that one of his advisers had filed a petition to revoke approval of the polio vaccine in 2022, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell issued a statement saying that “efforts aimed at undermining public confidence in proven remedies are not just misinformed – they are dangerous”, and that “anyone seeking Senate consent to serve in the new administration would do well to avoid even the appearance of an association with such efforts.

McConnell, who had polio as a child, will step down from leadership next year but will remain in the Senate. His votes will also be closely watched after years of tension with Trump as he assumes a new role freed from leadership responsibilities.

Like McConnell, many senators have taken a “counsel” approach, telling nominees what they need to do to be confirmed.

North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis says he’s told every candidate he’s met so far: “go out and see what the press says about you, find your top 10 and disarm the conversation by having a good solution to explain why. » not you.

Plus, Tillis said, “you have to have good committee performance.”