CONFIRMATION CONTROVERSY: GOP SENATORS UNITE TO BACK TRUMP NOMINEES

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JAMES LONG: Despite initial concerns about the viability of their nominations, some of President Donald Trump’s most controversial cabinet picks were able to garner enough support to clear the bar for confirmation. Pete Hegseth, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Tulsi Gabbard were each confirmed with minimal Republican defection, despite having been thoroughly questioned about matters from alcohol abuse to vaccine conspiracies. 

Shortly after his election victory in November, President Trump began publicizing the makeup of his cabinet, a veritable who’s who of conservative loyalists. Some, like Secretary of State Marco Rubio, were confirmed by the Senate with little to no opposition. Others, like Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, faced substantial questioning and resistance over their qualifications and alleged misconduct. To the surprise of many, Kennedy and Gabbard received the support of the Senate GOP’s moderate wing, including Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska). This widespread GOP support for Trump’s most contentious cabinet nominees is indicative of a unified effort to hand the new President a series of political wins in his first hundred days. 

Hegseth, a former Army officer and longtime Fox News presenter, began the year embroiled in an onerous battle for his bid to lead the Department of Defense. Questions concerning his relationship with alcohol, allegations of sexual assault and comments about women in the military threatened to derail Hegseth’s nomination altogether. On Jan. 25, however, he became the second cabinet nominee in American history to be confirmed via a tie breaking vote from Vice President JD Vance. The razor thin victory came days after Collins released a statement of her intention to vote against Hegseth, citing her concern “that he does not have the experience and perspective necessary to succeed in the job.” Collins was joined by Murkowski and former Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell in opposing the nomination with all Democrats. The success of Hegseth, one of the most problematic Cabinet nominees in recent history, proves that Trump’s stranglehold on influence within the GOP is as strong as it ever has been. 

Plagued by his past of vaccine skepticism and scandal involving a deceased bear carcass in Central Park, Kennedy also faced significant opposition to his nomination as Health and Human Services secretary. Luckily for Kennedy, 52 of 53 GOP Senators ultimately pledged him their support. Murkowski posted to X, formerly Twitter, that she “continue[s] to have concerns about Mr. Kennedy’s views on vaccines and his selective interpretation of scientific studies” which had given her “misgivings about his nomination.” Collins joined Murkowski in the vote, granting Kennedy and the Trump administration a comfortable win on the Senate floor. McConnell was the lone GOP “nay” vote, proving himself to be a thorn in the side of Trump, with whom he has established a recent political rivalry. Kennedy is expected to use his position in HHS to promote his “Make American Health Again” agenda by targeting “big pharma” and certain food additives. Despite his strong opinions and ambitious plans, Kennedy’s lack of any experience in medicine will almost certainly continue to plague his credibility as HHS Secretary. 

A former congresswoman and Democratic Party official, Gabbard’s nomination to serve as Director of National Intelligence became threatened in light of her secret meetings with former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad and her past comments justifying Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) went as far as calling Gabbard’s nomination “a national security threat.” Unfortunately for Warren and Democrats, however, Collins and Murkowski once again voted in favor of Trump’s nominee, and Gabbard was confirmed as DNI in a 52-48 vote on Feb. 12. The result mirrored Kennedy’s nomination, with McConnell remaining the sole GOP dissenter. As Director, Gabbard will supervise the 18 agencies that comprise the U.S. intelligence community. Pledging to end the “weaponization and politicization” of American intelligence, her position as an outsider within the intelligence community will contribute to the wider Trump administration restructuring of the federal government. Gabbard’s realist vision of foreign policy will also likely draw the U.S. closer to authoritarian states, such as Russia, when cooperation is beneficial to American interests. 

President Trump did anything but “play it safe” with his cabinet nominations: several of his brazen choices faced intense scrutiny and doubt about their viability, and one even had to withdraw from consideration in December. Any gamble he took, however, has clearly paid off, as Senate Republicans – moderates and Trump loyalists alike – have coalesced around the President’s most controversial picks. These new figures are likely to be movers and shakers in their respective agencies, completing the new cast of America First characters in the executive branch. While any future policy implications remain to be seen, the fact that Hegseth, Kennedy, and Gabbard have withstood all that Senate Democrats and Mitch McConnell could throw at them should be a cause for celebration in the Trump camp. It also suggests that even Trump skeptics within Congress may still be willing, if not eager, to aid the President in passing future conservative measures. While he may have taken a four year interlude since his last time in the White House, Trump’s powerful influence in Congress has not waned in the slightest.

James Long (he/him) is a staff writer for On the Record from Knoxville, Tennessee. A freshman in the School of Foreign Service, he plans to major in International Politics and pursue a career in the law or government.