Congress

How healthy are Donald Trump’s nominees?

Published

1 year ago

January 14, 2025

President-elect Donald Trump’s top nominees are about to go under the Senate spotlight.

Hearings kick off on Tuesday, and while some of Trump’s most controversial picks appear to be on track for confirmation, others remain short of the support they need, according to conversations with a half-dozen GOP senators and aides.

This week’s public questioning could be decisive: “Right now, I think it looks like smooth sailing, but sometimes unexpected things happen,” Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said.

With a 53-seat majority and incoming Vice President JD Vance available to break ties, the nominees could be in trouble if they lose support from more than three GOP senators. Several Republicans, whose comments are being closely watched by their colleagues, have been careful to stay publicly neutral on some.

But Republicans are also under fierce public pressure to move quickly toward confirmations, with Trump prepared to lash out publicly at any GOP lawmaker who waffles and some allies threatening potential primary challenges.

With that in mind, here’s a checkup on 18 of Trump’s most prominent nominees:

Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Defense

Tuesday, Jan. 14, 9:30 a.m., Senate Armed Services Committee

We might have had to make a “death watch” category a month ago, when Hegseth was swamped with allegations of sexual assault and alcohol abuse. But he has managed to resuscitate his chances at confirmation, denying any wrongdoing and riding a MAGA pressure campaign back into contention. And this week’s hearing in the Armed Services Committee could make or break whether he ultimately gets confirmed. The public grilling is guaranteed to revive many of the ugly headlines seen after Hegseth was nominated, but Trump has stood by him and his allies have made clear they will go after GOP senators who go wobbly. Senate Majority Leader John Thune told Fox News’ Laura Ingraham last week that Hegseth “has a path” to confirmation — still far from a guarantee.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services

Date TBA, Senate Finance and HELP Committees

Trump’s most endangered pick is the former Democrat with controversial views about, well, just about everything. Senate HELP Chair Bill Cassidy (R-La.) gave a less-than-enthusiastic readout of his recent meeting with Kennedy last week, saying that they had a “frank” conversation but declining to say if he would support Trump’s pick. His skeptical stance on vaccinations has garnered skepticism, and in some cases criticism, from Cassidy, as well as Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). Those four senators alone would be enough to sink Kennedy’s nomination on the floor; Collins and Murkowski also sit on HELP with Cassidy. Also problematic: his previous comments supporting abortion, which have irked anti-abortion groups. One key question: Can Kennedy win over any Democrats?

Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence

DATE TBA, Senate Intelligence Committee

Early predictions were that Gabbard, an outspoken critic of the U.S. national security establishment, would have trouble gaining confirmation to the nation’s top intelligence role. But recently GOP senators have spoken positively about their private meetings with her, moving her forthcoming nomination out of DOA territory. That doesn’t mean she is safe: Republicans privately warn that Gabbard’s fate will likely be decided by her hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee, which will include a closed-door session. And Gabbard’s chances might not be entirely under her control: “Her chances decrease as Hegseth’s improve,” said a person familiar with committee discussions about her nomination. “Republicans are concerned about Gabbard but don’t want to torpedo too many of Trump’s nominees.”

Kash Patel, FBI Director

DATE TBA, Senate Judiciary Committee

Trump’s pick of Patel to lead the FBI — effectively ousting Director Chris Wray before the end of his 10-year term — sent shockwaves through Washington, including in the Capitol where some Senate Republicans were hoping he would pick former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.). But since then Patel has managed to assuage his GOP skeptics, or at least keep them on the fence, after a series of one-on-one meetings. Other top Republicans, including members of leadership, have predicted that he will be confirmed or downplayed concerns that he would use the FBI to carry out a vendetta against Trump’s political enemies. Expect Patel to face questions about that very topic during his Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.

Pam Bondi, Attorney General

Wednesday, Jan. 15, 9:30 a.m., Senate Judiciary Committee

A former Florida attorney general, Bondi’s credentials have resonated far better with Senate Republicans than Trump’s original pick, former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.). Picked for the gig just hours after Gaetz dropped out, she has won rave reviews from the Senate GOP ever since. That makes her chances of confirmation seem particularly strong. But it’s unlikely Bondi picks up much Democratic support, if any. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the top Judiciary Democrat, met with Bondi earlier this month, but came out with a scathing statement that doubted her suitability for the job. Bondi has been closely aligned with Trump for years and served as his personal attorney following his loss in the 2020 election. That’s led to concerns among Democrats on whether Bondi would separate her role as attorney general from her fealty to the president.

Kristi Noem, Homeland Security Secretary

Wednesday, Jan. 15, 9 a.m., Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee

In Noem, Trump is seeking to put a fierce supporter in charge of carrying out his sweeping plan to crack down on immigration. Noem found herself at the center of a days-long controversy last year over an excerpt from her autobiography in which she wrote about fatally shooting her dog Cricket. And Democrats have also raised red flags over Trump’s border and immigration plans, which were at the center of his battles with his congress during his first administration. Yet Noem’s nomination has largely flown under the radar on Capitol Hill as she’s quietly met with senators ahead of her hearing.

Doug Burgum, Interior Secretary

Thursday, Jan. 16, 10 A.M., Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee

The former North Dakota governor is expected to easily be confirmed, potentially even with bipartisan support. Yet his nomination became the center of a partisan committee clash last week that could inject tensions into his hearing this week. New Mexico Sen. Martin Heinrich, the Energy panel’s top Democrat, accused Chair Mike Lee (R-Utah) of scheduling a hearing before the committee had received all of its paperwork; Republicans said they expected to have the documentation in time for the hearing. Expect Democrats to grill Burgum on Trump’s vows to undo Biden clean energy policies.

Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Labor Secretary

Date TBA, Senate HELP Committee

Chavez-DeRemer might be the closest Trump gets to reaching across the aisle: Though she’s a former Republican House member, she was also a co-sponsor of the Protecting the Right to Organize Act last Congress, organized labor’s top legislative priority. Teamsters President Sean O’Brien is among those supporting Chavez-DeRemer’s nomination. But while there are a few semi-labor-friendly Senate Republicans, they are rare. Most are firmly opposed to expanding union rights and are looking for Trump’s Labor secretary to roll back Biden administration regulations. Still, there’s little sign they’ll put up roadblocks here, even with some in the business community fidgeting over her nomination. She might even pick up a few Democrats along the way.

Sean Duffy, Transportation Secretary

Wednesday, Jan. 15, 10 a.m., Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee

Duffy — a former House Republican from Wisconsin, Fox Business personality and “Real World” alumnus — is expected to be easily confirmed. Some Democrats have already indicated that they will support him, absent a major misstep. Duffy beat out two other members of Congress who were also viewed as in the running: Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.) and former Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.). He’ll take over the department that is dealing with a spate of recent near-collisions on runways plus aging aviation equipment.

Marco Rubio, Secretary of State

Wednesday, Jan. 15, 10 a.m., Senate Foreign Relations Committee

The Florida senator is arguably in the best shape for confirmation of any of Trump’s nominees. Senators already know him. As the former ranking member on the Senate Intelligence Committee and a longtime Foreign Relations member, his international affairs chops are hard to assail. And he has solid relationships with members on both sides of the aisle, with a number of Senate Democrats already pledging to support his nomination on the floor. If Democrats give Trump any Day One confirmations, expect Rubio to be among them.

Chris Wright, Energy Secretary

Wednesday, Jan. 15, 10 a.m., Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee

Wright, a longtime oil industry CEO with skeptical views on climate change, will be hard to swallow for Democrats but appears perfectly fine to Republicans. Wright’s policy preferences are well in line with the president-elect’s: He’s been critical of efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions and transition to cleaner energy sources. Members of the Senate GOP have lauded the pick, including members of leadership, pointing to a speedy confirmation.

Scott Bessent, Treasury Secretary

Thursday, Jan. 16, 10:30 a.m., Senate Finance Committee

Bessent has been coasting through his meetings with lawmakers and staff — teeing up a swift path to confirmation for the longtime hedge fund manager. Republicans have quickly coalesced behind him, while moderate Democrats haven’t totally ruled out supporting him on the floor. Bessent has been a Wall Street ally to Trump and joined the president-elect on the campaign trail at multiple points this cycle to talk economic policy. Bessent worked closely in the past with Democratic megadonor George Soros, but that doesn’t appear to be weighing him down among conservatives. Senate Finance Chair Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) has committed to moving Bessent’s nomination quickly.

Elise Stefanik, United Nations Ambassador

Thursday, Jan. 16, 10 a.m., Senate Foreign Relations Committee

The New York congresswoman, once among Trump’s most ardent allies on Capitol Hill, appears to be on a glide path to confirmation. Though Stefanik frequently tangled with Democrats during her time in Congress, New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, offered a politely worded statement after their meeting. Republicans view Stefanik as a pick who could potentially be confirmed on Jan. 20 — though that would likely require buy-in from every Democrat to speed up the schedule.

Scott Turner, Housing and Urban Development Secretary

Thursday, Jan. 16, 10 a.m., Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee

Turner is a relative cipher among Trump’s slate of Cabinet nominees: He previously headed up the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term, working with so-called “opportunity zone” tax incentives. But that post did not require Senate confirmation for the former NFL player, who now works as a motivational speaker and as “chief visionary officer” for a Texas-based housing developer. He’ll face tough Democratic questions over Trump’s plans to Biden initiatives at HUD, but expect little GOP skepticism.

Doug Collins, Veterans Affairs Secretary

Date TBA, Senate Veterans Affairs Committee

Trump’s pick of the former House Republican from Georgia would put a long-time loyalist — one who helped lead the opposition to his 2019 impeachment in the House Judiciary Committee — in charge of the sprawling, politically sensitive VA. While Collins was viewed by many as a surprise pick, his nomination has not generated major partisan fireworks, and he’s expected to easily be confirmed. Still, expect Collins to field questions from Democrats on whether he has plans to further privatize the department.

Howard Lutnick, Commerce Secretary

Date TBA, Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee

Lutnick parlayed his role as transition co-chair into a Cabinet nomination, and Trump has already tasked the billionaire megadonor with carrying out some commerce-related talks — including meeting with Canadian representatives to discuss upcoming trade negotiations, with Trump’s tariff threats weighing heavily on the North American alliance. There’s been little sign of pushback from Republicans, and he’s picked up a few nice words, at least, from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who met with the nominee last month. Schumer said in a statement that he’s known the fellow New Yorker for years and that “he’s an intelligent and capable man.”

Linda McMahon, Education Secretary

Date TBA, Senate HELP Committee

McMahon has been making rounds with committee staff and members since late last year. Her credentials for the job are more about her status as a longtime Trump loyalist and current co-chair of his transition team than her life experience, though she did serve for a year on the Connecticut Board of Education. That said, McMahon is likely to easily slide toward confirmation. The former professional wrestling executive previously served as head of the Small Business Administration during Trump’s first term, meaning most Republican senators are comfortable with her, even if her views on education are somewhat opaque.

Brooke Rollins, Agriculture Secretary

Date TBA, Senate Agriculture Committee

Rollins is expected to easily gain confirmation, with support from several Democrats likely. The bipartisan backing for Rollins had made her a potential Day One confirmation, which requires buy-in from all 100 senators to move quickly, but the schedule for moving her forthcoming nomination has hit paperwork delays. Her hearing hasn’t yet been scheduled, and Republicans say they expect Chair John Boozman (R-Ark.) to give seven days’ notice before holding one.

Jasper Goodman, Meredith Lee Hill, Eleanor Mueller and John Sakellariadis contributed to this report.

Congress

Capitol agenda: Trump leaves Congress in dark on Iran deal

Published

35 minutes ago

June 16, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

Senate Republicans want a say on a deal President Donald Trump is touting to end the monthslong war in Iran.

The absence of publicly released text for the “memorandum of understanding” Vice President JD Vance reportedly signed with Iranian officials Sunday sparked bipartisan scrutiny on Capitol Hill about what the deal might entail.

Senators in both parties agreed: More information needs to come to Congress soon, and any agreement touching on the future of the Iranian nuclear program would have to eventually be subject to a congressional vote.

“If you want a deal to last, it can’t be an executive agreement,” said Sen. James Lankford. “We’ve got to have a vote of Congress to be able to solidify [it] long term.”

The Trump administration said it expects release of the memorandum of understanding no later than Friday.

The agreement reportedly includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping, but it’s not clear to what degree Iran will be required to abandon its nuclear program. The White House circulated talking points to Hill Republicans Monday touting the deal, including that “Iran will never have a nuclear weapon” and “energy prices … are coming down,” according to a copy of the document reviewed by Blue Light News.

“If it’s a secret deal, then how can I take it seriously?” Sen. Thom Tillis told reporters.

Weighing heavily on several lawmakers is the possibility of an agreement landed by the administration looking very similar to the last Iran nuclear deal, consummated more than a decade ago by then-President Barack Obama amid a bipartisan uproar over trading sanctions relief and cash concessions to the Iranian regime in return for curbs on its nuclear ambitions.

Democrats believe Trump should’ve never abandoned that deal — known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action — in his first term, while GOP defense hawks despised it from the start.

“If [the Iranians] can enrich [uranium] anywhere at all, then it’s the same as JCPOA,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham of the Trump administration’s forthcoming deal. “If they can’t enrich, then that makes it a good deal.”

One legacy of that 2015 controversy: the GOP-controlled Congress at the time passed legislation allowing for congressional review of any agreement dealing with the Iranian nuclear program. That law gives members the ability to kill a deal via a disapproval resolution that could be subject to presidential veto.

In the absence of further details, senators mainly agreed that they wanted a chance to formally review and vote on Trump’s deal — even as some Republicans predicted the administration would find a way to avoid that happening.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Monday there is “probably some expectation” that his chamber would ultimately vote on the agreement while declining to weigh in on the particulars.

“I just don’t know enough about it yet, and I don’t think even the people who follow this stuff closely up here know that much about it,” he said, adding that he expected Vance or other administration officials to brief members on the deal at some point.

What else we’re watching:

— DEMS NONCOMMITTAL ON SPEEDY CLAYTON CONFIRMATION: It’s unclear if Senate Republicans will be able to move at the lightning speed they’d hoped to in confirming Jay Clayton to serve as director of national intelligence by the end of the week. If every Senate Intelligence member agrees, Clayton could get a committee vote Thursday following his Wednesday hearing. Confirming Clayton on the Senate floor hours later would require getting agreement from every senator to speed up the process. Opposition from a single member would punt a vote to next week.

— THUNE AIMS FOR HOUSING BILL PASSAGE THIS WEEK: Thune is hoping his chamber can pass an updated version of a bipartisan housing affordability bill by the end of the week. The legislation comes after talks between Thune, Senate Banking Chair Tim Scott and ranking member Elizabeth Warren. Two Senate Democratic aides granted anonymity to discuss ongoing plans said the bill was also discussed with the House and the White House.

Katherine Hapgood contributed to this report.

Congress

Senate Republicans want a say on Trump’s Iran deal

Published

12 hours ago

June 16, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

President Donald Trump is touting a deal that would end the monthslong war with Iran — and potentially ease some of the political headwinds bearing down on Republicans.

GOP lawmakers still have lots of questions.

The absence of publicly released text for the “memorandum of understanding” Vice President JD Vance reportedly signed with Iranian officials Sunday left an information vacuum on Capitol Hill, where senators of both parties were left airing concerns about what the deal might entail.

Even most Republicans agreed: More information needs to come to Congress soon, and any agreement touching on the future of the Iranian nuclear program would have to eventually be subject to a congressional vote.

“If you want a deal to last, it can’t be an executive agreement,” said Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.). “We’ve got to have a vote of Congress to be able to solidify [it] long term.”

The bipartisan scrutiny of the long-brewing agreement is a legacy of the last Iran nuclear deal, consummated more than a decade ago by then-President Barack Obama amid a bipartisan uproar over trading sanctions relief and cash concessions to the Iranian regime in return for curbs on its nuclear ambitions.

Trump withdrew from the deal in his first term, and now he is back with an agreement that — pending release of the text and final negotiations yet to come — could end up looking like Obama’s deal. That has raised the hackles of both defense hawks who despised the original agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and Democrats who believe Trump never should have left it in the first place.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), one of those defense hawks, told reporters that he was “pulling for a deal,” while also making note of serious discrepancies in the terms that have emerged thus far.

“The MOU being described by us sounds really very good; the MOU being described by Iran sounds awful,” Graham said.

“If they can enrich [uranium] anywhere at all, then it’s the same as JCPOA. If they can’t enrich, then that makes it a good deal,” he continued, adding in a separate conversation that he was “skeptical that Iran will ever go there” to cease enrichment.

The Trump administration said it expects release of the memorandum of understanding no later than Friday.

The possibility that Congress would take any kind of vote on the agreement is also a legacy of the 2015 deal. Amid bipartisan concern about the Obama administration’s pursuit of nuclear talks, the GOP-controlled House and Senate that year passed legislation allowing for congressional review of any agreement dealing with the Iranian nuclear program.

That law, however, does not require Congress to approve a deal — it rather gives it the ability to kill a deal via a disapproval resolution that could be subject to presidential veto. That means each chamber would have to effectively muster a two-thirds majority to block Trump, something it did not come close to doing in 2015.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Monday there is “probably some expectation” that his chamber would ultimately vote on the agreement while declining to weigh in on the particulars.

The lack of specificity was par for the course on Capitol Hill Monday, with many senators expressing exasperation that text of the signed agreement has not yet been released.

“If it’s a secret deal, then how can I take it seriously?” Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) told reporters.

The agreement reportedly includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping, but it’s not clear to what degree Iran will be required to abandon its nuclear program. Vance indicated in a series of interviews that the administration will attempt to ensure Iran does not develop or obtain a nuclear weapon but left details regarding civilian nuclear facilities and potential uranium enrichment unaddressed.

The White House circulated talking points to Hill Republicans Monday touting the deal including that “Iran will never have a nuclear weapon” and “energy prices … are coming down,” according to a copy of the document reviewed by Blue Light News. The administration also argued in the memo that the agreement “beats” the Obama-era agreement.

In the absence of further details, senators mainly agreed that they wanted a chance to formally review and vote on the deal — even as some Republicans predicted the administration would find a way to avoid that happening.

“I don’t expect that to happen,” Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said about a vote. “They’ll try to write it around the treaty requirements, so I don’t expect we’ll vote on it.”

Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) said the administration should send the deal to Congress “if they want it to be something other than a political agreement, like the JCPOA was.”

Most congressional Republicans have been eager for Trump to find a way out of the nearly four-month war, which has driven up energy prices ahead of the November elections. Thune predicted Monday that a deal would “have a very positive impact on the economic situation in the country and that obviously will translate into the political situation in the country.”

Some of Trump’s most vocal allies on Capitol Hill praised the agreement Monday.

Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) said has had conversations with senior White House officials and he was “very hopeful.” Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), who is likely the next Senate GOP campaign chair, added on X: “President Trump deserves our trust and support as he works to bring peace to the Middle East.”

Democrats were largely keeping their powder dry Monday on how they would handle a vote on the agreement. Some could find it hard to oppose a deal that ends hostilities on negotiated terms roughly similar to what was secured under a Democratic president in 2015.

But plenty of Democrats questioned what was gained by the conflict.

“We still don’t know the details,” Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said on the Senate floor. “The American people need to know exactly what’s in the deal. … We know this for certain: We are worse off than before Trump began his foolish war of choice.”

Meredith Lee Hill contributed to this report.

Congress

Thune is ‘hopeful’ Mitch McConnell will return this week

Published

17 hours ago

June 15, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Monday he hopes his predecessor as top Republican, Mitch McConnell, returns this week from a hospitalization.

Thune said he had not yet spoken directly with the 84-year-old Kentuckian but is getting “readouts from his staff.”

Asked about McConnell’s condition or if he knew if he would be back this week, Thune told reporters, “I’m hopeful that he’ll be back this week.”

A McConnell spokesperson said Sunday that he had been admitted to the hospital but did not provide details on his condition or why he was hospitalized — a break from recent prior instances where the seven-term senator was hospitalized.

A former McConnell staffer who spoke on the condition of anonymity was told the senator was doing much better Monday without any further details on what put him in the hospital.

Daniel Desrochers contributed to this report.