Politics

Republican Senators Gear Up to Confirm Donald Trump’s Cabinet Picks

WASHINGTON – Efforts to confirm Donald Trump’s Cabinet are gaining momentum in the Senate, overcoming initial resistance from key Republican lawmakers. Despite early concerns over several controversial nominees, Trump’s allies have successfully rallied support to push his picks through the confirmation process.

On Tuesday, the Senate progressed the nominations of Tulsi Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Secretary of Health and Human Services, amid intense scrutiny by Senate Republicans. Key swing votes would ultimately make up their minds to back them, clearing their way to full Senate confirmation.

It came after the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, was confirmed last month with serious allegations still pending against him, including charges of sexual assault, domestic abuse, and alcohol misuse, to which he had pleaded not guilty. The clearances are in stark contrast to the initial doubts that surrounded some of Trump’s nominees when he first announced them.

From Controversy to Confirmation

Three months ago, Trump’s nominations—including Gabbard, Kennedy, Hegseth, and Matt Gaetz for Attorney General—faced significant skepticism within the Republican Party. Concerns about their qualifications led to heated discussions, with some senators openly questioning their fitness for office.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said she was stunned by Gaetz’s nomination, calling it “Obviously, it warrants a great deal of scrutiny by the Senate.” Gaetz ultimately withdrew his bid when it was clear he didn’t have enough support.

To get confirmations, Trump and his allies launched a fierce lobbying effort, meeting personally with holdout senators in several cases. They even threatened to back primary challengers to senators who were opposed to his choices.

“They want to do what’s right,”Trump said on Tuesday, referring to the senators he had lobbied. “We’ve had a good response. I think we’ll do well.”

Key Swing Votes Swayed

The success of Trump’s campaign was evident as several Republican senators who initially voiced concerns ultimately supported his nominees.

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.): He cast the deciding vote in favor of sending Kennedy out of the Senate Finance Committee. The physician and avid vaccine supporter, Cassidy had a lot to fear from Kennedy since he has, for so long, doubted vaccines’ safety record. Yet Cassidy said on the Senate floor that, “”The science is credible. Vaccines save lives. They are safe. They do not cause autism.”

Cassidy said that Kennedy assured him that he would not act to undermine public confidence in vaccines and agreed to maintain an “unprecedentedly close, collaborative relationship” by meeting regularly.

Similarly, Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) was instrumental to Gabbard’s nomination from the start, though he is a skeptic due to Gabbard’s resistance to labeling former Pentagon leaker Edward Snowden a “traitor and her controversial meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in 2017. Though Young was inclined to oppose the nomination, Young said he now supports Gabbard after she received private assurances and discussions over the phone by Trump. “I told him I needed reassurances and those were delivered,”.

Vice President JD Vance, an ex-senator, helped convince both Cassidy and Young. Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and James Lankford (R-Okla.) have also acknowledged Gabbard reached out to them privately.

Backlash and Political Pressure

Allies of Trump were pressurizing reluctant senators who are in the party from voting in support of Trump’s nominees. “. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), a combat veteran and a survivor of sexual assault, made critical comments in light of past allegations against Hegseth and his stance against women in combat. Fearful of a primary challenge by Iowa Republicans and Trump supporters, the latter warned her if she didn’t support Hegseth, but state and federal Democrats quickly undermined her overall approval when a group backed by billionaire Elon Musk launched an attack ad against her. By January, Ernst said that her concerns were being addressed.

Other Republican senators, including Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), faced similar threats of primary challenges from Trump’s political network.

Musk also chimed in on the debate, initially referring to *Sen. Todd Young* as a “deep state puppet” in a post on X (formerly Twitter). He later deleted the post and instead referred to Young as a “great ally.”

Democratic Opposition and Potential Delays

With Republicans holding a 53-47 majority in the Senate, Democrats have limited options to block Trump’s nominees if the GOP remains unified. Nevertheless, they have fiercely opposed his selections, labeling them “dangerous, erratic, and highly unqualified.”

In response to the Trump administration’s decision to shut down USAID, Senate Democrats are preparing procedural maneuvers that will postpone confirmation votes. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), the ranking Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, vowed to block Kennedy’s nomination on the Senate floor.

Wyden also pointed to statements from Samoan officials, who claim Kennedy misrepresented his comments about a past measles outbreak in the country during his confirmation hearing. “I think senators are going to pay attention to that,” Wyden noted.

Despite the opposition, Trump’s nominees are likely to be confirmed, which is a reflection of his political clout and the pressure his allies have brought to bear. While some senators struggled with their choices, the larger Republican Party seems to be falling into line behind the president’s agenda, ensuring that his team will soon be in place.