Republicans on Capitol Hill are confounded by Trump’s subsequent Cabinet-level announcements, despite the fact that many have received widespread support.
None more so than previous Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, whom the president-elect tapped as his solicitor general.
Another contentious contenders that could also encounter Senate confirmation fights include Fox News host , Pete Hegseth, whom Trump nominated as his secretary of defense, ex-Rep.  , Tulsi Gabbard , for , director of national intelligence, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the director of the Department of Health and Human Services.
But not all of Trump’s nominees are guaranteed for a contentious battle, including Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL ), who is up for secretary of state and will likely breeze through confirmation. And if Trump does n’t find his manner, he’s now looking at pressuring Senate Republicans to use corner visits to pass verification.
As Trump tries to shore up support for his takes, the , Washington Examiner , grouped the Cabinet contenders according to which people would be the hardest to ensure in the Senate.
The candidate who has the most difficult battles
Before leaving the country shortly after his election was announced, Gaetz was well-known for his boisterous antics. When Kevin McCarthy was removed from office, Gaetz was the crucial leader.
The Department of Justice sex-trafficking inspection, which reportedly involved a small and ended in 2023 without any costs against Gaetz, who has denied any wrongdoing, is his most difficult way to verification.
A separate House Ethics Committee investigation that culminated in a report that has n’t been made public as a result of Gaetz’s resignation from Congress, which ended the investigation. Before casting their vote on his assurance, some Democratic lawmakers have demanded that the Ethics Committee report be made public.
One of the GOP lawmakers who doubted Gaetz ‘ appointment as the next attorney general was Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK). ” I do n’t think it’s a serious nomination for the attorney general”, she said.
Betting areas, which properly called the vote for Trump, are even putting Gaetz’s chances of verification on the lower end. His chances are 31 %, which is far below what Polymarket gives him.
Trump and Gaetz have reportedly scheduled meetings with Gaetz and Republican Judiciary Committee members in recent days in order to force them to support the confirmation.
” Matt just wanted to introduce himself”, Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA ) said about a call he received from Gaetz. ” I assured him, of course, he’ll get a good stir, and I congratulated him”.
Individuals who may face a difficult path back
After completing his 2024 pay, Kennedy rose to the top position as HHS minister, becoming a top Trump substitute.
But Kennedy is not a medical doctor, has previously served in business, and has a predilection for spreading conspiracy theories. He has also voiced his opposition to the COVID-19 vaccine, which some liberals are uneasy about, and he also has some pro-abortion right positions.
Democratic-aligned care advocacy organizations are plotting how to prevent Kennedy’s election. Sens. Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Murkowski, as well as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY ) and Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC).
But some Republican lawmakers are eager to see what he might do next. ” When he called me up asking, for example, his chances of confirmation, first words out of my mouth: ‘ Bobby, this is the answer to my prayers,’ and I sincerely believe that” , , Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI ) told reporters. His chances of passing the Senate are rated at 79 %, according to Polymarket.
Also, Hegseth’s journey to validation may experience problems due to his lack of experience leading an organization as big as the Defense Department. He has never served in a mature defense position despite having served as a furnished former. With 76 %, Polymarket evaluates his chances of passing the Senate.
Hegseth is also facing sexual abuse allegations that could lead to difficulties in January. Through a prenuptial agreement, Hegseth was able to pay a lady who had accused him of sexual assault, but his lawyer claimed the two had a mutual understanding during the conversation.
Republicans skeptical of Gabbard’s nomination as director of national intelligence reacted right away when she announced her candidacy for Trump’s director of national intelligence. Her opponents also cited her 2017 encounter with Syrian President Bashar Assad as another indication that she should n’t be confirmed.
Some Democratic senators, however, have opposed her verification. According to Collins,” I do n’t recognize her at all, so it would be early for me to make a view,”” but those are questions I would like to ask her.”
” She’ll be scrutinized”, Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL ) said. ” But I do think she’d find confirmed. We got 53 seats”.
She has a 78 % chance of passing the Senate, according to Polymarket.
Some did grumble, but these applicants may likely sail with
If Sean Duffy were to be confirmed transport minister, his biggest criticism would be his lack of experience.
Duffy is a former member of Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District, has appeared on numerous reality TV shows, and is a co-host of The Bottom Line on Fox Business along with his family, Rachel Campos-Duffy.
Despite the lack of credentials, Duffy has never faced criticism as much as some other candidates.
” Transportation policy has a long bipartisan history, and I look forward to continuing to maintain the tradition under Former Representative Sean Duffy’s leadership and working together to pass the next surface transportation authorization, creating more jobs, if he is confirmed as Secretary of the U. S. Department of Transportation”, Rep. Rick Larsen (D-WA ), the ranking member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, said.
Gov. Due to her jarring anecdote about killing her family dog, Kristin Noem (R-SD ) may have been cut out for a vice presidential position within the Trump administration, but she did so in exchange for a spot as Trump’s nominee for secretary of homeland security.
Noem would be in charge of protecting the country from a range of challenges, including securing the United States from the surge of illegal immigration, as head of the Department of Homeland Security. Although Republican senators may not be able to appoint her because Yet Noem does n’t have any prior experience working on the southern border.
As one House member put it bluntly,” If Donald Trump says jump 3 feet high and scratch your head, we all jump 3 feet high and scratch our head”, Rep.  , Troy Nehls , (R-TX ) said to reporters.
When a former GOP political enemy to Trump, Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND ) is now Trump’s pick to be the secretary of the Department of the Interior. Burgum may also brain up the National Energy Council, a previously created company.
Industry officials and Democratic lawmakers who praised Burgum’s efforts to establish “energy supremacy” in the United States have backed him.
” He recognizes how important our federal lands are for energy and mineral production, grazing, and recreation”, Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee ranking member , John Barrasso (R-WY ) said in a statement. ” As North Dakota’s government, he’s shown he can balance economic leadership with record power development”.
The Department of Veteran Affairs was even headed by Trump’s choice of Doug Collins, a former Georgia representative, and Air Force Reserve Chaplain. While in Congress, Collins did not serve on the House Veterans Affairs Committee, but he was a staunch liberal, gaining acceptance from organizations such as Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America.
Chris Wright, Liberty Energy’s CEO, is likewise Trump’s pick for secretary of the Department of Energy, and he will be a member of the Council of National Energy. He had denied the effects of climate change, but that likely wo n’t stop confirmation.
Those who have been mostly praised
Former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin, Trump’s choice to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, past Arkansas Gov.  , Mike Huckabee, Trump’s pick , as the U. S. adviser to , Israel, House Republican Conference Chairwoman , Elise Stefanik , (R-NY), Trump’s possible adviser to the , United Nations, and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL ), Trump’s secretary of state candidate, have frequently received wide acceptance from the GOP.
Rubio has also received praise from Democratic politicians, which bodes also for his assurance.
Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA ), a left-leaning lawmaker, praised Rubio’s selection on social media after his nomination was announced.
” Unsurprisingly, the other team’s choose may have social variations than my own”, he , wrote on X. Despite that, I’m eager to support my coworker @SenMarcoRubio’s assurance.
Stefanik gained more clout as college president resigned from their positions as a result of her performance in House hearings on school racism. She’ll probably get her strong security of Israel to the U. N. once she is confirmed.
Elon Musk’s friends
Elon Musk, a businessman, threw his hat in the ring for Scott Bessent, the hedge fund manager, to succeed Howard Lutnick, the businessman CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald and co-transition team leader.
” My see fwiw is that Bessent is a business-as-usual selection, whereas , @howardlutnick , will actually implement change”, Musk wrote on X, the social media website that he owns.
But, Trump nominated Lutnick as his business minister on Tuesday after the president-elect grew sick of Musk and Lutnick’s force plan. Despite Musk’s integration into Trump’s inner circle after spending$ 100 million to boost Trump’s reelection, Trump appears to be calling the shots.
Prior to the Treasury Secretary fight, Musk publicly supported Gaetz on X and endorsed Gabbard’s DNI nomination.
” Matt Gaetz has 3 vital assets that are needed for the AG position: a large head, a backbone of steel and an axe to grind”, Musk , wrote. ” He’s the Judge Dredd America needs to put powerful bad actors in prison and clean up the corrupt system.”
” Gaetz may be our Hammer of Justice”, he continued.
As a reward for his efforts to secure a second term for Trump, Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy may co-lead the Department of Government Performance.
David Sivak, Ramsey Touchberry, and Samanatha-Jo Roth contributed to this statement.
