Last semester, I wrote an opinion that argued that depending on how the Senate reacted to President Trump’s out-of-the-box picks (to say the least) would be a litmus test, determining the extent to which Trump controls Republican senators. After Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. were confirmed by the Senate, it’s clear Trump now owns the Senate.
During his first term as President, he frequently nominated individuals who believed in the system. Oftentimes, they directly went against Trump’s orders to maintain some semblance of normalcy within the federal government.
Trump learned his lesson. Since Trump was elected in November, he has made it a clear goal to avoid nominating GOP institutionalists to important cabinet positions. Nominees like Tulsi Gabbard, Pete Hegseth, RFK Jr., and Kash Patel are the premier examples of this new mindset of the Trump administration. These individuals have little to no formal experience for the positions which they occupy. Trump is not interested in experience; he only wants loyalty. All of these individuals have made clear their loyalty to Trump, especially within their respective Senate confirmation hearings.
To me, the clearest example of Trump’s power over the Senate was the vote on Tulsi Gabbard and RFK Jr. Last Wednesday, the Senate voted 52-48 to confirm Tulsi Gabbard to be the Director of National Intelligence. The day after, the Senate confirmed RFK Jr. as the Health and Human Services Secretary. The only Republican who did not vote to confirm these two nominees was Mitch McConnell who importantly, is not seeking reelection.
Both of these votes were met with initial party opposition from moderate Republicans such as Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. These Senators expressed explicit concern for Gabbard’s history of conspiracy theories and cozying up to dictators. They also expressed concern regarding Kennedy’s history of anti-vaccine rhetoric. However, Murkowski and other critics of these nominees folded and voted in favor, despite their clear concerns.
This is clear evidence of an emboldened Trump with increased power within Congress when compared to his last time in office. When paired with his barrage of Executive Orders, the clear power he exerts over Republican Congressmen should be concerning to anyone who values the institutional health of the Federal government, which Trump’s (and Elon Musk’s) explicit goal is to undermine. For the next two years, Trump will have immense power to enact the changes he sees fit.
While Kash Patel has yet to have a vote to be officially confirmed, the success rate to me suggests he will pass with a similar vote to Gabbard and Kennedy. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if McConnell is the only Republican to vote against the confirmation of Patel. To me, Patel’s nomination is most concerning as he is poised to lead the FBI. Patel has refused to acknowledge that Joe Biden won the election in 2020 and has made clear his willingness to prosecute political enemies of President Trump. Despite this, I am sure he will pass.
