Politico: All Trump Nominees on Solid Ground
Politico contributor Jeff Greenfield made a prediction that has not aged very well.
Greenfield just penned an opinion piece on Politico stating that all Trump nominees, including several of the controversial picks, were on solid ground for being approved by the Senate.
On Thursday, however, Gaetz withdrew his nomination as Trump’s Attorney General, citing that it had become a big distraction.
Trump’s Nominees
The majority of Trump’s nominees are likely to sail through, but there were a handful that were clearly going to face challenges on both sides of the aisle.
The first was Matt Gaetz, who people on both sides of the aisle thought was unqualified for the position.
There was also the House Ethics Committee investigation that was hanging over his head, which Republicans bafflingly wanted to bury during his confirmation process.
As noted above, he has since withdrawn his nomination.
Tulsi Gabbard is likely to be challenged. Many feel as though she may be too passive to be the Director of National Intelligence, fearful that she would not pass on all intelligence to Trump to ensure the United States did not wind up in a conflict.
Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense is getting resistance. While Hegseth did serve, many people believe that simply is not enough experience to lead the DOD.
Kristi Noem is also getting resistance to lead Homeland Security. I have my concerns about that as well, and I have always liked Noem, but I question if she has the experience to lead that specific department.
Greenfield still believes they will all be passed through, citing that the last nominee to be rejected on the Senate floor was in 1989.
He further stated that this majority is more Trump-friendly, as well as Trump having the ability to “intimidate” Republicans.
While I do believe the majority of Trump’s nominations will pass through, I think we may see more people withdraw as Gaetz did if they know they are going to be rejected.
Of the additional three mentioned above, I would be shocked if all three managed to make it through the full process and become members of the administration at those specific posts.