President-elect Donald Trump has faced some backlash over his nominations of Matt Gaetz, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Tulsi Gabbard, Kristi Noem and Pete Hegseth
Political commentator Mark Halperin predicted that all five of President-elect Donald Trump’s “problematic” recent nominations to his administration will be confirmed.
Halperin told his 2Way audience that five of Trump’s Cabinet appointees—Matt Gaetz, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Pete Hegseth, Tulis Gabbard and Kristi Noem—will be confirmed by the Senate. Republicans have 53 of the 100 seats in Senate, forming a majority that could potentially help Trump get his picks through, even if they are controversial.
“We’re dealing with at least five, almost unfathomable choices for the normal rules”, Halperin said. “These are five people whose qualifications for these significant jobs whether it’s ideological or managerial or biographical are deeply in question by any standard, and it now falls to.John Thune and his 52 colleagues to decide what they want to do about this.”
Trump has nominated former Gaetz, a former GOP representative from Florida, as his attorney general. Former independent presidential candidate Kennedy was nominated Thursday as the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Former Democratic Representative Gabbard of Hawaii was nominated to be the Director of National Intelligence. Noem, the governor of South Dakota, was chosen for Secretary of Homeland Security. And Fox News presenter Hegseth was picked for Secretary of Defense.
Halperin noted that some aides and officials have suggested that “these three will get through but those two won’t.” There is no consensus around which two nominees are not confirmed either. Halperin suggested the “focus” will be on Gaetz and Kennedy but that people should not “underestimate the potential of the other three to be really problematic.
