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Trump's Cabinet Picks Gaining Support 01/16 06:01
One by one, all the president-elect' s men, and women, are falling into
place in his Cabinet.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- One by one, all the president-elect' s men, and women,
are falling into place in his Cabinet.
While Defense Secretary pick Pete Hegseth's nomination was teetering toward
collapse just weeks ago, he now appears on track for confirmation after a fiery
Senate hearing that focused on his drinking, views of women in combat and lack
of high-profile management experience for the top U.S. military job.
President-elect Donald Trump's other nominees pushed Wednesday through a
gauntlet of confirmation hearings with the help of allied Senate Republicans
carrying them toward the finish line, despite Democratic objections. One of
them, potential FBI director Kash Patel, popped into a private Senate GOP lunch
Wednesday to say hello.
"These nominees are bold choices," said Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming, the
GOP whip, in earlier remarks.
He predicted the Senate will begin start voting on Inauguration Day, Jan.
20, to confirm Trump's picks.
A long haul for some of Trump's picks
To be sure, Trump's more controversial choices of Patel, Tulsi Gabbard and
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., have yet to come before senators for public
questioning. Once they do, they face a long haul ahead in winning over skeptics
from both sides of the political aisle, Republicans and Democrats alike.
In a letter to Republican senators Wednesday, an organization headed by
Trump's former vice president, Mike Pence, said it was "deeply concerned" over
Kennedy over his views on abortion, and urged senators to reject him for
secretary of Health and Human Services.
But Hegseth's ability to mount a political comeback, take the fight to his
critics and turn his nomination into a litmus test of Trump's Make America
Great Again movement stands as a powerful example of the incoming White House's
ability to get what it wants. The Trump team's allies, including billionaire
Elon Musk and others, amplified support for Hegseth, pushing him forward.
"If anyone in the Senate GOP votes against confirming Pete Hegseth after his
stellar performance today, there will be a primary challenge waiting for you,"
wrote Trump ally Charlie Kirk on X. "You can take that to the bank."
Momentum for Hegseth -- and some others
The Senate Armed Services Committee is expected to vote on Hegseth's
nomination on Monday, sending it to the full Senate for consideration, with
confirmation possible later that week.
With a nod of support from GOP Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, a combat veteran and
sexual assault survivor who initially had questions for Hegseth, the former
Army National Guard veteran powered past his biggest potential roadblock. Ernst
faced an onslaught of personal and political attacks as she wavered on
supporting Hegseth, an early signal to others.
Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., said the criticism of Hegseth was not as powerful
as the image of "a warrior with dust on his boots who's actually done the
things."
On Wednesday, a half dozen more Trump nominees appeared before Senate
committees as his team floods the zone, senators dashing between hearing rooms
to participate in as many sessions as possible.
Pam Bondi, the nominee for Attorney General, was grilled by Democrats
probing whether she believed Trump lost the 2020 election, she said Biden won,
or would stand up to presidential pardons for those convicted of crimes in
relation to Jan. 6, 2021.
"You say the right things, that you're going to be the 'people's lawyer,'"
said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.
"But I believe being the 'people's lawyer' means you have to be able to say
no to the president of the United States," he said. "You have to be able to say
Donald Trump lost the 2020 election, you dodged that question... You have to be
able to say Jan. 6 insurrectionists who committed violence shouldn't be
pardoned."
Bondi responded: "I don't have to say anything. I will answer the questions
to the best of my ability, and honestly."
Another Trump nominee, Russ Vought, a Project 2025 architect tapped to lead
the White House Office of Management and Budget, was asked if he would commit
to releasing congressional approved funding for Ukraine. He vowed to "always
commit to upholding the law."
And California Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla asked Trump's Energy nominee
Chris Wright if he still believes "wildfires are just hype," in the aftermath
of the devastating Southern California fires that have killed at least 25
people and destroyed thousands of homes.
Wright said he stood by his past comments. He then said climate change is
real before Padilla cut him off.
Republicans eye quick votes after Trump's inauguration
On Monday, Trump is expected come inside the Capitol after he is inaugurated
to sign the paperwork to formally nominate his picks for top Cabinet and
administrative positions, launching the confirmation process.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune has said the Senate will vote on nominees
as soon as they are ready.
First up could be Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., a former Trump rival for the
2016 GOP presidential nomination, who is now the president-elect's choice for
secretary of state.
Rubio promised an "America First" foreign policy agenda during his own
confirmation hearing Wednesday. As a well-known senator, he is expected to have
broad support from Republicans, as well as Democrats. His confirmation vote
could be as soon as Monday evening.
Other nominees, including Hegseth, are expected to face a tougher path to
confirmation.
Republicans narrowly hold a majority in the Senate, 53-47, but they are down
to 52 after Vice President-elect JD Vance resigned his seat last week ahead of
taking office. That means Trump's nominees need support from almost every GOP
senator for majority confirmation over objections from Democrats.
Moreover, Democrats are expected to mount procedural hurdles that would
require Hegseth and other nominees to go through multiple steps before final
confirmation. Consideration of Hegseth and others could drag toward the end of
next week.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer all but acknowledged Democrats, as
the minority, are essentially powerless to prevent Trump from getting his
desired team.
"It's important to have a record of these nominees," Schumer said Wednesday
as the hearings pushed ahead. "Even if they get confirmed in the end."
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