CNN
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Donald Trump is refusing to back down on his Cabinet picks, the first clash in an epic battle with Washington after he takes office next year.
In the coming days, Matt Gates, Tulsi Gabbard, Pete Hegseth, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will talk about the rule of law, U.S. intelligence, the military, and the health and well-being of all Americans.
The most provocative selectmen have all faced criticism that they lack the expertise and experience to run the vast and specialized bureaucracies under their control.
And new revelations and allegations about their pasts have intensified debate about their futures, as President Trump’s decision to exercise what he views as nearly uncheckable powers from the Oval Office It will be a test of intent.
CNN reported Saturday that Hegseth, who was nominated by President Trump to be secretary of defense, paid a woman who accused him of sexual assault in a settlement agreement that included a confidentiality clause, according to Hegseth’s lawyer. The Fox News anchor has denied assaulting the woman and has not been charged with a criminal offense or named as a defendant in a civil lawsuit in connection with the 2017 incident, his attorney said. The first sexual assault allegation against Hegseth caught the Trump campaign by surprise last week, after the president-elect had already chosen Hegseth.
The House Ethics Committee’s investigation into attorney general nominee Gates deepened the intrigue. The plot was debunked after a lawyer representing two of the witnesses in the investigation said Friday that one of his clients had witnessed Gaetz, a Florida Republican who resigned from Congress last week, having sex. It got even deeper. with minors. Gates has denied any wrongdoing, including having sex with or paying for sex with minors. He was not charged after a Justice Department investigation.
Gabbard’s suitability for the position of director of national intelligence has also come under increasing scrutiny, as her position could amplify propaganda from Russia, one of the secret community’s biggest enemies.
And some senior medical experts say Mr. Kennedy, a vaccine skeptic, has been in office for generations as Secretary of Health and Human Services, even though his outspokenness against processed foods has won the support of many top doctors. have raised concerns about whether they are qualified to protect medical advances. .
Not all of Trump’s choices cause uproar. The choice of Florida Sen. Marco Rubio as secretary of state drew praise from both sides of the aisle. However, in a previous government, the escalating controversy over the appointment of at least four key ministers would have been considered a disaster.
President Trump has been adamant that he will not back down, seeking someone who will help him achieve his goal of overthrowing the Washington establishment in a second term in which he has vowed to focus on retaliation. A source told CNN over the weekend that President Trump views Gaetz as his top pick. The president-elect says he wants the former Florida congressman’s confirmation “100%.” “He’s not going to back down. He’s giving it his all.”
Johnson told CNN that releasing the Gaetz ethics report would open a Pandora’s box.
President Trump asked the Senate to cooperate with recess appointments as necessary if the nominations cannot be confirmed. Using such a move as a first resort rather than a last resort, as has happened in the past, would allow President Trump, along with a pliant Republican Party, to circumvent Congress’s constitutional checks and balances and grant him broad and unrestricted powers. This will show that you are planning to take action. As president.
The outcome of the upcoming showdown will depend on whether Republican senators are willing to give up their authority to vet nominees and the intense political pressure that will surely be placed on them by the “Make America Great Again” movement. It depends on whether you succumb to it or not. The issue represents the first political crisis facing South Dakota Sen. John Thune, who will become Republican Senate majority leader next year. And even if senators take a stand against one or two candidates they deem unqualified, they could dump all the most provocative candidates and hand the new president a defeat. gender is low. That means it’s almost certain that some of them will take over the top jobs. Major government departments.
President-elect Trump is still working to complete his future governing team, with positions such as Secretary of the Treasury and U.S. Trade Representative remaining important to implementing his populist trade and economic policies. The storm surrounding the selection of candidates is deepening.
Gaetz is a pyrotechnic politician who has made a name for himself with his outspoken support of Trump and a series of political stunts, most notably in the days before the Ethics Commission was scheduled to release its report. This was partly due to his decision to resign from the House of Representatives. If he were not a sitting member of Congress, the investigation would end with the report hidden, despite calls from some Republican senators to see its contents.
House Speaker Mike Johnson told Jake Tapper on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday that while such an action would be unprecedented since Gaetz left Congress, the release of the report would be “a Pandora’s He said he would be opening the box. “The Senate has a constitutional advice and consent role and will fulfill that role,” the Louisiana Republican said. “They will be subject to a rigorous vetting and scrutiny process in the Senate, but they should not have to rely on reports, draft reports or draft reports prepared by the Ethics Committee for very narrow purposes. ” Prime Minister Johnson also said he had not discussed the issue with President Trump.
Johnson tells Tapper why House of Commons Ethics Committee report on Gaetz should not be released
Gaetz and several other Trump nominees have caused unrest in some circles given questions about their qualifications and past actions.
“I think the point about these candidates, some of them, is that they’re not qualified, they’re affirming disqualification,” Sen.-elect Adam Schiff said on Sunday’s “State of the Union.” ” he said. “That’s what President Trump is saying, because what he wants to do with these candidates is establish that Congress will not stand up to President Trump on anything,” the California Democrat said. spoke. “If they allow Matt Gaetz, he’ll do whatever he wants.”
Rep. Jim Himes, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, warned Sunday that Republican senators should look to their own legacy, not Mr. Trump. “These people are clearly unqualified and unprepared to run a very complex organization that they have been asked to run,” the Connecticut Democrat said on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” Ta. It added: “Republican senators who vote to approve the appointment of Matt Gaetz – Republican senators who vote for disruptors, social media performers, and individuals who have no respect for the rule of law.” Ta. Matt Gaetz, Robert Kennedy, or Tulsi Gabbard will be remembered by history as the people who completely abdicated their responsibility to Donald Trump. ”
During his campaign, Trump made no secret of his plans if he won a second term. Many of his most ardent supporters see the federal government as a liberal deep state that has failed to meet their needs. Moreover, President Trump remains angry at the establishment’s attempts to rein him in during his first White House term. Therefore, selecting ministerial candidates deemed unqualified to lead ministries may be an attempt to damage the credibility of the government itself.
The strategy was explained by the president-elect’s son, Donald Trump Jr., on Fox Business’ “Sunday Morning Futures.” “The reality this time is that we actually know what we’re doing. We actually know who the good guys are and who the bad guys are. We actually know who the good guys are and who the bad guys are. I know it’s fake,” he said. “It’s about surrounding my father with competent and loyal people. They will keep his promises. They will carry his message. Not people who think they know better.”
Trump Jr. also suggested that the uproar surrounding some of Trump’s nominations was precisely why Trump chose them, proving their credibility. “Many of them are going to face backlash for the same reasons. Again, they’re going to be the actual disruptors. That’s what the American people want.”
Given that Democrats are likely to vote en masse against it, it will take a handful of Republican senators to block Trump’s most provocative candidacy early next year. But several Republican senators made it clear Sunday that they have no problem with the people President Trump has chosen for government officials.
Sen. Markwayne Mullin has a long-standing personal feud with Gaetz and has disparaged Gaetz’s actions in the past. But the Oklahoma Republican said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that he plans to give Gaetz a “fair chance.” Furthermore, he added: “I’m in a tough situation. … I have to put aside my personal situation with Matt and look at the facts. If he’s qualified, he’s qualified.”
Missouri Sen. Eric Schmidt said he believes Trump’s nominee will be approved. “You need people you can trust to come into these agencies and create real reform plans. That’s why I think there’s real momentum, real momentum, to get these nominations confirmed.” he said on “Sunday Morning Futures.”
But on the same show, another Trump ally, Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville, warned that the confirmation process was “a lot of work” ahead, but also warned that Gaetz is the president-elect. He praised him as a “warrior” who was loyal to the “We know the numbers. We have to get this country back on track, so let’s do our jobs well. President Trump’s term is short. Four years is not a long time.”
Across the aisle, Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania implored Democrats to look ahead to the past four years and recognize the big picture instead of being at the mercy of President Trump over every controversy. He told “State of the Union” that what Gaetz and others have selected is “just an absolute troll” that suits Trump’s objectives. “He got what he wanted, like a freakout. … If there was a meltdown every time he tweeted, every time he promised, it would be four years.”
