Trump team ramps up pressure on Senate GOP to approve controversial nominees

President-elect Trump’s transition team is ratcheting up the pressure on Republican senators to embrace his controversial nominees to head the Justice Department, Health and Human Services, the Pentagon and other key agencies, arguing Trump needs his handpicked team in place as quickly as possible to bring change to Washington.

Republican senators say Vice President-elect Vance is heading the effort to shore up wavering GOP senators who were caught off guard last week by Trump’s most controversial picks, such as former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) to serve as attorney general and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to head the Department of Health and Human Services.

Vance will begin arranging meetings this week between key Republican senators and Gaetz, according to a source familiar with Vance’s plans.

He also will arrange meetings between GOP senators and Trump’s pick to head the Defense Department, Pete Hegseth, a Fox News host and combat veteran who reached the rank of major in the Minnesota Army National Guard.

Republican senators are feeling mounting pressure to get in line and support Trump’s nominees; colleagues warn they could face primary challengers if they buck the president-elect.

Vance is doing a lot of outreach in the Senate, said one GOP senator who requested anonymity to discuss the behind-the-scenes lobbying effort. “I think he’s worked through the whole Judiciary Committee. He’s calling folks, trying to get a sense of where things are.”

The senator said Vance is urging GOP senators to give Gaetz and Kennedy a “shot,” or at least “hear them out,” before making public statements about their fitness for office.

Two moderate Republicans, Sens. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Susan Collins (Maine), have already balked at confirming Gaetz.

Murkowski said last week Gaetz was not “a serious nomination,” while Collins said she was “shocked” by his nomination.

Brian Hughes, a spokesperson for the Trump-Vance transition team, said the incoming administration wants to lay the groundwork for Trump’s Cabinet picks to be confirmed shortly after he takes office in January.

“President Trump’s incoming administration is moving at an accelerated schedule in order to make good on getting key nominees confirmed in order to start delivering for the American people,” the spokesman said.

The transition official said Gaetz and Hegseth — along with former Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.) and Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), Trump’s picks to head the Veterans Affairs Department and serve as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, respectively — would begin meeting with senators this week.

More Hill visits will take place after the Thanksgiving recess, according to Hughes.

“Rep. Collins (VA), Rep. Gaetz (DOJ), Pete Hegseth (DOD), and Rep. Stefanik (UN) will all begin their meetings this week with additional Hill visits to continue after the Thanksgiving recess,” Hughes said.

Trump allies are already warning that senators who derail his Cabinet picks could find themselves in political danger, either by facing future primary challengers or losing support from loyal Trump voters come general election time.

“I would think there would be danger for people who are in reddish states or who have a lot of potential primary challengers. I think the administration is definitely going to keep score,” the senator said.

A second Republican senator who requested anonymity to discuss conversations with the Trump-Vance transition said Trump is serious about getting all of his nominees confirmed.

The source disputed speculation that Trump nominated Gaetz as a trial balloon to draw scrutiny away from other controversial picks, such as Hegseth, Kennedy or former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (Hawaii), who will be nominated to serve as director of national intelligence.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), one of Trump’s closest Senate allies, warned GOP colleagues last week they would become political targets by voting against Trump’s agenda.

“Republicans, if you’re not on the team, get out of the way,” Tuberville told Fox Business in an interview.

“If you want to get in the way, fine. But we’re going to try to get you out of the Senate too if you try to do that,” he said.

Trump raised the stakes shortly after he swept all seven battleground states on Election Day by declaring the next Senate majority leader would need to give him the power to make recess appointments.

Senate Republican Whip John Thune (S.D.), Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), who all were vying to become the next Senate majority leader when Trump made his demand, quickly agreed in hopes of securing more votes for the top job.

Thune later won the leadership race.

Senate Republicans now acknowledge they will be under heavy pressure to adjourn for longer than 10 days early next year to give Trump a chance to make recess appointments if Gaetz, Kennedy or another controversial nominee is unable to muster at least 50 votes to win confirmation.

Outgoing Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who usually defends the Senate’s right to exercise its “advise and consent” power over executive branch nominees, on Tuesday declined to offer any advice for Thune if Trump demands an opportunity to appoint people his Cabinet during a recess.

“We’ll just see how this unfolds,” he said. “We’ll see what happens between now and the new administration. And at that point, nominations can actually be sent forward, and we’ll figure how to handle them then.”

Outgoing Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) implored Thune to stand strong next year against any effort by Trump to force the Senate to take an extended recess to free his hand to make emergency appointments.  

“We think every nominee deserves a vote. A lot of that is in Sen. Thune’s hand, and it will be very important to see whether he stands by what we’ve had in America for hundreds of years: the Senate’s advice and consent,” Schumer said.

Some Republican senators are already pouring cold water on the theory that Trump could force the Senate to take a 10-day recess — or a longer break — by provoking a disagreement between the Senate and House over whether and for how long to adjourn.

Some conservative strategists believe Trump has power under Article 2, Section 3 of the Constitution to force the Senate into a recess, but it’s never been tested before in American history.

Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a close Thune ally, said “it’s a negotiating term,” implying Trump allies are mainly using the threat to gain leverage.

“I think it would be extremely difficult to get done,” he said of a recess forced by the president-elect. 

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