Trump’s outside Cabinet picks are quickly gaining support

WASHINGTON (AP) — One by one, all president-elect s, men and women set up in his office.

While the Secretary of Defense chooses Pete Hegseth’s nomination was on the verge of collapse just a few weeks ago, he now appears on track to be confirmed after a fiery hearing in the Senate who focused on his drinking, views of women in combat and the lack of high-level management experience for the top job in the U.S. military.

President-elect that of Donald Trump other nominees were pushed back on Wednesday a series of confirmation of charges hearings with the help of allied Senate Republicans, they led them to the finish line, over Democratic objections. One of them, potential director of the FBI Kash Patelarrived at a private Senate GOP luncheon Wednesday to say hello.

“These candidates are bold choices,” Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming, the GOP whip, said in earlier remarks.

He predicted the Senate would begin voting on Inauguration Day, Jan. 20, to confirm Trump’s picks.

A long haul for some of Trump’s choices

Certainly, Trump’s most controversial choices regarding Patel, Tulsi Gabbard And Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., have not yet appeared before senators for public questioning. Once they do, they will have a long road ahead of convincing skeptics on both sides of the political aisle, Republicans and Democrats.

In a letter Wednesday to Republican Senators, an organization led by Trump’s former vice president, Mike Pencesaid he was “deeply concerned” about Kennedy’s views on abortion and urged senators to reject him as secretary of Health and Human Services.

But Hegseth’s ability to organize a political comeback, lead the fight against his detractors and turning his nomination into a litmus test for Trump’s Make America Great Again movement serves as a powerful example of the new White House’s ability to get what it wants. Allies of the Trump team, including billionaire Elon Musk and others, have amped up their support for Hegseth, push him forward.

“If anyone in the Republican Senate votes against confirming Pete Hegseth after his outstanding performance today, you will have a major challenge ahead of you,” Trump ally Charlie Kirk wrote on X. “You can put that at the bank.”

Momentum for Hegseth – and a few others

The Senate Armed Services Committee is expected to vote on Hegseth’s nomination Monday, sending it to the full Senate for consideration, with confirmation possible later in the week.

With a nod of support from Republican Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa, a combat veteran and sexual assault survivor who initially had questions for Hegseth, the former Army National Guard veteran has moved past his biggest potential obstacle. Ernst faced a wave of personal and political attacks as she hesitated to support Hegseth, an early signal to others.

Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., said Hegseth’s criticism was not as powerful as the image of a “warrior with dust on his boots who actually got things done.”

On Wednesday, a half-dozen additional Trump nominees appeared before Senate committees as his team flooded the area, with senators rushing between hearing rooms to get in as many sessions as possible.

Pam Bondinominee for attorney general, was asked by Democrats whether she thought Trump lost the 2020 election, she said Biden won or would oppose presidential pardons for people convicted of crimes in relationship with January 6, 2021.

“You’re saying the right things, that you’re going to be ‘the people’s lawyer,'” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.

“But I believe that being the ‘people’s lawyer’ means you have to be able to say no to the president of the United States,” he said. “You need to be able to say that Donald Trump lost the 2020 election, you dodged that question… You need to be able to say that the January 6 insurrectionists who committed violence should not be pardoned.”

Bondi replied: “I have nothing to say. I will answer questions to the best of my ability and honestly.

Another Trump candidate, Russ Voughtan architect of Project 2025 chosen to lead the White House Office of Management and Budget, was asked if he would commit to unlocking congressionally approved funding for Ukraine. He vowed to “always be committed to upholding the law.”

And California Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla asked Trump’s energy nominee Chris Wright if he continues to believe that “wildfires are just hype”, in the wake of the devastating fires in Southern California that killed at least 25 people and destroyed thousands of homes.

Wright said he stood by his past comments. He then said climate change was real before Padilla cut him off.

Republicans eye quick votes after Trump inauguration

On Monday, Trump is expected to enter the Capitol after being inaugurated to sign the documents needed to formally nominate his picks for the top Cabinet and administration posts, kicking off the confirmation process.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said the Senate will vote on the nominees as soon as they are ready.

The first could be the senator. Marco RubioR-Fla., a former rival to Trump for the GOP presidential nomination in 2016, who is now the president-elect’s choice for secretary of state.

Rubio promised an “America First” foreign policy agenda during his own confirmation hearing Wednesday. As a well-known senator, he is expected to have broad support from Republicans as well as Democrats. His confirmation vote could take place as early as Monday evening.

Other candidates, including Hegseth, are expected to face a tougher path to confirmation.

Republicans narrowly hold a majority in the Senate, 53-47, but they fell to 52 after Vice President-elect JD Vance resigned his seat last week before taking office. That means Trump’s nominees need the support of nearly every Republican senator to gain majority confirmation over Democrats’ objections.

Additionally, Democrats would have to overcome procedural hurdles that would require Hegseth and other nominees to jump through several hoops before final confirmation. The review by Hegseth and others could extend into late next week.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer has all but acknowledged that Democrats, as a minority, are essentially powerless to stop Trump from building the team he wants.

“It’s important to have a record of these nominees,” Schumer said Wednesday as the hearings progressed. “Even if they are finally confirmed.”

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Associated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick, Matt Brown, Farnoush Amiri and Josh Boak in Washington and Jennifer McDermott in Providence, Rhode Island, contributed to this report.