Time for Senate Republicans to decide
Confirmation of all Trump’s cabinet picks is not a foregone conclusion.
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In the coming days, many of Donald Trump's Cabinet picks will have confirmation hearings in the Senate. Trump muddied the process before the hearings even began by proposing a series of unqualified candidates who might not have made it this far in other political moments: As my colleague David Graham ) said in November, “The numbers are staggering.” In fact, the large number of troubling nominees may actually make it harder for the Senate to block any of them. “
But the outcome of the Senate confirmation hearing is not a foregone conclusion. Yes, Senate Republicans have shown that they are indeed deferential to Trump (although some have taken issue with Trump's choice of Matt Gaetz as attorney general). With Republicans holding a 53-47 majority in the Senate, my political reporting colleague Russell Berman predicts that many of his picks will be easily confirmed. But with the Senate's current makeup, each pick can only lose three Republican votes (assuming every Democrat opposes the nomination), so for those who haven't yet locked in every Republican's support, the hearings could make the difference. at. Russell explained to me that Democrats will try to use the hearings to prove to the public that some of Trump's nominees “are either unqualified or do not reflect the views and values of the majority of Americans.”
The first hearings will reveal whether a minority of Republicans are willing to defy the president-elect. Tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. ET, former Fox News host and Trump’s nominee for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth plans to attend a Senate hearing. They will have plenty of questions to ask him, including Hegseth's confirmation that he reached a financial settlement with a woman who accused him of sexual assault (although he has denied the sexual assault accusation), and allegations that he is prone to alcoholism (he denies ever having an alcoholic ). Drinking issues, with one Republican senator claiming Hegseth told senators he had stopped drinking and would not drink if confirmed), and reports that he failed to lead veterans organizations and was forced to leave those roles (Hegseth Geseth's camp called his “outlandish claims”) and his suggestion that women should not hold military combat positions.
Democrats have already blasted him on these issues: Sen. Elizabeth Warren last week issued a blistering 33-page letter outlining questions about his fitness to serve. Republicans have also scrutinized Hegers and other nominees, although they have not publicly said they would vote against any of Trump's nominees. Russell suggested that in addition to moderate Republican senators Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins, Republican senators to watch closely throughout the hearing include Sen. Mitch McConnell, who Partly out of total submission to Trump now that he is no longer the leader of the party, as well as Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, who voted to impeach Trump after January 6.
Not every pick has been scheduled for a hearing — RFK Jr., Kash Patel, Tulsi Gabbard and others are not yet on the schedule. Only one Cabinet nomination in recent decades (George H.W. Bush's nominee for Defense Secretary John Tarr) has been rejected; others who have faced difficulties have dropped out — if Hegseth or another nominee appears unable to win With enough support, they may follow this path. Gates, Trump's original choice to lead the Justice Department, resigned soon after an ethics committee investigation into allegations including sexual misconduct and illegal drug use (Gates denied any wrongdoing).
Senators from both parties have urged the FBI to conduct background checks, which, while not legally required, are a practice mandated by the president (the agreement Trump's transition team signed with the Justice Department did not specify whether he wanted the FBI's involvement his choice). Trump and his supporters have tried to damage the FBI's reputation for years, and now some, including Elon Musk, say nothing the agency unearths can be trusted. Russell explained that the gesture was another tactic to “speed up the confirmation of nominees that the Senate might have rejected in earlier political eras.” To that end, Trump's allies appear ready to cast doubt on the entire process, encouraging Americans to distrust another long-standing governmental norm. That legacy may outlast Trump’s second term.
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Today's news
- Winds are expected to increase in parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties, according to the National Weather Service. According to CNN, wildfires in Southern California have killed at least 25 people. Los Angeles Times.
- Federal Judge Aileen Cannon allowed the release of portions of a report written by former special counsel Jack Smith on the 2020 election interference case against Trump.
- President Joe Biden announced that he will forgive the student loans of more than 150,000 borrowers.
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Stephanie Bai contributed to this newsletter.
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