5 hours Ago
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. talks with former congressman Matt Gaetz and his wife, Ginger Luckey Gaetz, at an event Thursday at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida.
Saul Martinez for The Washington Post President-elect Donald Trump is going for it with his Cabinet picks. These are picks that align with his worldview and inclination to wreck shop in the U.S.
government – but that are giving his party heartburn. At least four of the high-profile nominations that Trump announced this week will test Senate Republicans’ willingness to confirm them. The most fraught are attorney general nominee Matt Gaetz, Health and Human Services secretary nominee Robert F.
Kennedy Jr., director of national intelligence nominee Tulsi Gabbard and defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth. None has the traditional experience you’d expect for these jobs.
All carry significant baggage. And in each case, Senate Republicans have responded somewhat coolly. With the dust settling a bit, we thought it worthwhile to look at what some potential Senate Republican holdouts have said.
The below lists are in rough order of how skeptical and uneasy the senators seem to be and how likely they may be to oppose the picks. Many of the quotes below are more noncommittal than critical, but it would seem telling that these senators aren’t jumping at backing Trump’s picks. Some senators have praised other Trump picks but stopped short of endorsing these.
More than a dozen GOP senators have declined to praise or line up behind Gaetz’s selection, for example. Republicans are set to have a 53-47 majority, barring a change in outcome after the recount in Pennsylvania, meaning any of the picks would be defeated if all Democrats and four Senate Republicans opposed them. And a note before we start: The Kennedy pick landed Thursday after many senators had left town, meaning we haven’t seen as much reaction to that one.
(A key issue there could be Kennedy’s conspiracy theories and debunked claims, including linking vaccines to autism.) The Gabbard pick also landed about the same time as that of Gaetz, with Gaetz’s pick being the bigger story and drawing more reaction. Attorney General: Former congressman Matt Gaetz, R-Florida 1.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska: “I don’t think it’s a serious nomination for the attorney general; that’s Lisa Murkowski’s view.” “If I wanted to make a joke, maybe I would say now I’m waiting for [disgraced former New York congressman] George Santos to be named.
” 2. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine : “I’m sure that there will be many, many questions raised at Mr.
Gaetz’s hearing, if in fact the nomination goes forward.” “Mr. Gaetz is an example of where the Senate’s role is critical to take a look at allegations and at his fitness for a very important job.
” 3. Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-North Dakota: “I have concerns about the way he disrupted and really destroyed the House of Representatives for several months.
” “For me, the message to the administration is simply that Matt Gaetz has a very long, steep hill to get across the finish line, and it will require the spending of a lot of capital.” 4. Sen.
Mike Rounds, R-South Dakota: “Most people would be less than honest if they said anything other than ‘Matt Gaetz is problematic.’ But he still has been nominated by the president, and, so, you do your due diligence.” 5.
Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa: “He’s got his work cut out for him.” 6.
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas: “I think there should not be any limitations on the Senate Judiciary Committee’s investigation, including whatever the House Ethics Committee has generated” in its recent investigation of Gaetz. 7.
Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Oklahoma: “Matt Gaetz and I, there’s no question that we’ve had our differences. They’ve been very public about it.
I completely trust President Trump’s decision-making on this one, but at the same time he’s got to come to Congress and sell himself.” “I think it’s going to be very difficult.” 8.
Sen. Todd Young, R-Indiana: “I need to learn more about him.” 9.
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-North Carolina: “..
. At the end of the day, we have a process, and we’ll just have to run through it.” 10.
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-West Virginia: “That’s an important nomination – attorney general – and obviously the president feels strongly that he wants to shake it up. But we’re a long way from having the committees actually move forward to have testimony, to gather information, and so once we get to that point, I think I’ll have a little bit clearer – clearer explanation.
” 11. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas: “I’m just not gonna spend my day talking about everything that happens.
” 12. Sen.-elect John Curtis, R-Utah: “Everything goes through a process.
” 13. Sen. Katie Britt, R-Alabama: “I got nothing for you on that.
” 14. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana: “I’m trying to go fix a toilet between getting back for a vote.
Life’s a little hectic right now.” 15. Sen.
Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyoming: “I’ve got to hop in this car. So if you want to talk about Matt Gaetz, I’ve got to hop in this car.” Health and Human Services secretary: Robert F.
Kennedy Jr. 1. Cassidy, the likely chairman of the Senate Health Committee: “RFK Jr.
has championed issues like healthy foods and the need for greater transparency in our public health infrastructure. I look forward to learning more about his other policy positions and how they will support a conservative, pro-American agenda.” (Kennedy, notably, is a longtime Democrat who supports abortion rights.
) 2. Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho: “RFK Jr.
has prioritized addressing chronic diseases through consumer choice and healthy lifestyle. American patients, providers and taxpayers deserve a health care system that is efficient, effective and affordable. I look forward to considering his nomination before the Finance Committee.
” 3. Incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota: “I don’t have any [reaction] at this point.” Director of National Intelligence: Former congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii 1.
Collins: “I’ve heard a lot of speculation about where she is in terms of Russia, for example. But that’s a nominee that illustrates the importance of a full background check, a public hearing and the constitutional role of the Senate on advice and consent ..
.” (Gabbard has often made comments friendly to Russia.) 2.
Cornyn on Gabbard’s positions on Iran, Russia and Syria: “I have no doubt that she’s a patriot, having served in the military. But those are responsibilities in the position of trust for the nation. We need to understand and get all those answers to those questions.
” 3. Capito: “I know she has served our nation honorably. We’ll see.
It all moves through the committees. We’ll see how she is vetted and what her plans are.” 4.
Ernst: “Interesting.” 5. Rounds: “Going to take a look at” her résumé.
“The president will receive the benefit of the doubt in making his nominations. We will do our due diligence and we will look at the background checks and so forth.” Defense Secretary: Fox News host Pete Hegseth 1.
Murkowski: “Wow. ..
. I’m just surprised. I’m not going to comment whether it’s good, bad or indifferent.
I’m just surprised, because the names that I’ve heard for secretary of defense have not included” him. 2. Rounds: “I’m not going to be negative right now, because I want to learn more about his background and, you know, and his approach to this stuff.
So he’ll go through the regular process.” 3. Cassidy: “Who?.
...
I don’t know Pete. I just don’t know anything about him.” 4.
Young: “I just don’t know much about his background and his vision. I look forward to learning more.” 5.
Tillis: “Interesting.” 6. Sen.
John Hoeven, R-North Dakota: “The guy’s obviously tremendously capable, a great communicator. I look forward to getting to know him better.” Sen.
Collins wants full confirmation process for Trump appointees Trump taps Robert F. Kennedy Jr., vaccine skeptic, as health secretary Trump looks to bypass Senate for polarizing Cabinet picks With Gabbard, Gaetz and Hegseth, Trump dares Senate Republicans to defy him Susan Collins ‘shocked’ at Trump’s nomination of Matt Gaetz as attorney general We invite you to add your comments.
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