Trump’s Nominations Will Test His Control Over the GOP

Most of President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet picks are likely to sail through the confirmation process. Only two thus far, Matt Gaetz and Pete Hegseth, have failed or have encountered serious difficulty, respectively. Though Hegseth has gained a second wind through grassroots support, his approval remains uncertain.

Two more individuals are likely to have a tough time getting approved for their posts: Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and his pick for Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard. These unconventional picks represent Trump’s populist coalition — they both are former Democrats and are promising to shake up the Washington establishment.

Both have issues in their past, which will make for difficult nomination battles. RFK Jr. has a history of adultery, which may have contributed to driving his ex-wife to suicide. His history of vaccine skepticism, which long predates the COVID vaccines, has concerned some establishment figures like Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX).

Tulsi Gabbard has raised some eyebrows on both sides of the aisle regarding her statements lambasting America’s post-Cold War foreign policy, and her past secret meetings with former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Many have even taken to smearing her — baselessly — as a “Russian asset.”

Because of their past as progressive Democrats, they still have some sway inside their former party. Progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) called RFK Jr.’s views on healthy food “exactly correct” and also defended Gabbard in the past from Democrats who insinuated she was a foreign asset.

Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) also signaled an openness to some of Trump’s nominees, but this handful of Senate Democrats may not be enough to counterbalance the Republicans hesitating to back Gabbard and RFK Jr.

The overwhelming majority of Republican senators are expected to support Trump’s nominees, but a handful of moderate members willing to push back against the president-elect will test his ability to unify the party behind his picks.

This battle in the Senate is really a proxy battle, pitting the older-guard GOP establishment vs. Trump’s populist-leaning Republican Party — and will also reveal whether Trump’s overtures to Democrats will prove successful.