The Senate switched to Republican control following the 2024 elections, leaving the GOP with a bigger majority than the one Democrats had and, one would think, making it easier for them to confirm President Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees.
Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky tested the party’s three-seat majority late last week by voting against the confirmation of former Fox News host Pete Hegseth, who has served two combat tours as an Army National Guard officer.’
At the end of the day, a 50-50 tie was broken by Vice President JD Vance, confirming Hegseth and handing Trump a big win as he attempts to quickly fill key posts so he can begin implementing the kinds of changes and policies that won him a historic victory in November.
Confirming Hegseth may also have set the stage for tougher confirmation battles ahead involving Democrat-turned-independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and former Hawaii Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, another Army National Guard officer with combat deployment experience who has since re-registered as a Republican.
RFK Jr. faces significant challenges in securing the position of Health and Human Services secretary due to his past controversial positions on various health topics, including the efficacy of vaccines, and his liberal positions on abortion, which he has since modified.
Gabbard, meanwhile, who has been nominated to become director of national intelligence, will face tough questions from some senators regarding past visits to Syria and her positions on ending unlimited aid to Ukraine, a position shared by Trump but not one that is widely popular throughout Congress.
All said, according to UnHerd, confirming Hegseth despite a two-month assault on his character could make it easier for Republicans, and perhaps some Democrats, to eventually confirm Kennedy and Gabbard, both of whom face confirmation hearings soon.
As one Senate aide told UnHerd, the Hegseth vote was “a way to see which GOP Senators are ready to lead, follow, or get out of the way of President Trump’s agenda—and which ones are looking to sabotage it.”
As negative reports surfaced in the media about Hegseth—a Fox News host, author, and decorated combat veteran committed to extensively reforming the Pentagon and eliminating “wokeness”—his supporters began to liken his nomination to Brett Kavanaugh’s contentious Supreme Court appointment, the outlet noted.
When Republican senators like Joni Ernst of Iowa, herself a former Army officer and combat vet, started to express doubts publicly, Hegseth and his allies intensified their defense, characterizing the media leaks as a partisan smear campaign intended to tarnish the reputation of a respectable individual.
“This is Kavanaugh 2.0,” Hegseth’s friend Mark Lucas told the outlet in December.
Other sources told the outlet that the former Fox News star’s confirmation could pave the way for Trump’s follow-on nominees. One source said: “Hegseth’s confirmation will make it that much easier for Tulsi Gabbard, Kash Patel, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and others to survive,” before adding, “President Trump’s popular Executive Order momentum in his first week is making this even more likely.”
While the potential for overreach is clear during periods of high enthusiasm, Republicans remain confident that Hegseth will neither damage their support nor impede their progress. They also hope this confidence will extend to leaders like Gabbard and Kennedy, who are preparing for intense battles on Capitol Hill, UnHerd noted, adding that there is also some concern about potential “overreach” on the GOP’s part.
“This is an interesting lesson for Republicans and Democrats alike in the frenzied culture wars of 2025. Does overreach on #MeToo make it easier for real abusers to skate? Will supporting unconventional leaders make unconventional causes with legitimate aims less serious?” the outlet said.
“If so, can you actually accomplish anything without going to these extremes? I won’t pretend to know, but Republicans have spent years asking themselves that last question and the party’s answer is now clear.”
