It's not just Senate Democrats that President-elect Donald Trump has to worry about as he finalizes his Cabinet nominees. Many Republicans have sidestepped questions about some of President Trump's more controversial nominees, raising questions about which of his nominees will survive the confirmation process.
The candidates receiving the most pushback from inside the Republican tent are Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Department of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and President Trump. Kash Patel was chosen to lead the FBI.
One Republican Senate aide told Kohler that the four candidates are currently most at risk, perhaps because they are the ones President Trump is counting on more to advance his policies. spoke.
Hegseth currently faces charges of sexual assault, which he adamantly denies and has not been prosecuted. In the weeks after his nomination was announced, liberal media outlets ran numerous articles claiming that he has a drinking problem and is too sexually promiscuous. Hegseth has denied the allegations and has received support from other colleagues from his time at Fox News.
Gabbard has been harshly critical of the sending of military aid to Ukraine and has faced backlash from some Republicans for being sympathetic to Russia and its allies in the Middle East. In 2017, Gabbard met with Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad on a fact-finding mission and later said, “I will never apologize for doing everything in my power to prevent further harm to our brothers and sisters and to fight back.'' I have no intention of doing so.” “A productive regime change war that makes our country less secure, costs more lives, and costs taxpayers trillions of dollars.”
RFK Jr. has also been attacked for believing in what opponents call “conspiracy theories.” But as the Daily Caller reported, some of his views derided by critics, such as raising concerns about water fluoridation, are backed by science. (Related: Stream “SICK,” the Daily Caller's original documentary about corruption at major medical institutions)
As for Mr. Patel, Democrats are on an all-out offensive over his pledge to root out corrupt elements within the FBI that once undermined Mr. Trump's first term.
While most Trump supporters are accustomed to facing opposition from Republican senators such as Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Republican Senate aides are He cited Congressman and Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy as candidates to watch. The other is Republican South Dakota Sen. John Thune, who was elected in November to take over Senate leadership from longtime ally Mitch McConnell.
Former Defense Department Chief of Staff Kash Patel speaks at a campaign rally at Minden Tahoe Airport on October 8, 2022 in Minden, Nevada. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Kohler contacted all of these senators to see if they intend to support many of President Trump's nominees.
Mr. Rounds, who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Intelligence Committee, is scheduled to appear at the hearings for Mr. Hegseth and Ms. Gabbard, but has remained largely silent on whether he supports them. Kohler also asked Lowndes' office whether it supports Patel, but did not receive a response.
Cassidy, who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee (HELP) and is expected to question RFK Jr. and Trump's nominee for Labor secretary, Lori Chavez Delemer, also remained mostly silent. are. The caller asked Cassidy's office about his support for specific candidates and whether he supports Patel, but did not receive a response.
Mr. Cassidy's decision may have gotten even tougher Wednesday, when Louisiana Treasurer John Fleming announced a primary challenge to the incumbent.
On August 29, 2024, Republican presidential candidate and former US President Donald Trump holds a town hall campaign event with former US Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (I-HI) in La Crosse, Wisconsin. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Collins declined to say whether he supports RFK Jr. and Gabbard. and was non-committal About Patel.
“I don't know Kash Patel. I've heard of his name but I didn't know his background. There's a lot of work to be done before I can make a decision on him. “We found it important to review background checks, committee work, and public hearings in general,” she told reporters this week.
As for the other candidates, Collins' office told Caller that she likely won't take a position until the hearings are over.
Murkowski, like Collins, has been largely silent about her support for Trump's candidates, particularly RFK Jr. and Gabbard. Murkowski's office did not respond to the caller's questions.
Mr. Thune has not committed to supporting Mr. Patel as the next FBI director. Previously, there were questions about whether he would support a candidate who had not undergone an FBI background check, an idea that had been floated in some Trump circles.
Two other Republican wild card candidates who could pose obstacles to President Trump's nominees are Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina. Mr. McConnell has clashed with Mr. Trump countless times and has little concern about the election in Kentucky, where his term ends in 2027. Upcoming midterm exam.
Other Republican lawmakers are urging their colleagues to firmly support Trump's nominee.
“Donald Trump survived an attempt to be murdered and imprisoned by the perversions of the American justice system. The American people will elect him again to hammer down corruption in Washington and will choose the right team to do it. We gave him a mandate, and the Senate should unite behind his nominee, get confirmation, and work to make good on his promise,” Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee told the Caller.
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