Republican Senate can prove Democrats wrong by rejecting Trump's ridiculous Cabinet | Opinion
Democrats warned that Republicans would bow to President-elect Donald Trump at every turn. The Senate could prove that notion wrong.
Democrats warning of the dangerous ramifications of a second Trump presidency term ought to feel validated following his ridiculous slate of Cabinet appointments. What if they were correct?
Between picking former Reps. Matt Gaetz for attorney general and Tulsi Gabbard for national intelligence director, President-elect Donald Trump has shown that he is not concerned with nominees being qualified or principled, which Democrats have warned us for years would be the status quo.
However, they were wrong about one thing, which is their fearmongering that the entirety of the Republican Party would go along with such lunacy. While I’ll be the first to admit that the GOP has ceded a lot of ground to the MAGA wing of the party, a significant portion is still willing to tell Trump when he is crossing the line.
This means Democrats have an unlikely ally in the traditional wing of the GOP when it comes to stifling some of Trump’s nominees and other ridiculous schemes: the Senate.
Many of Trump's Cabinet picks aren't qualified. Does that matter?
Trump has nominated a slate of Cabinet members who are unqualified and often malicious in their goals. Choices like Gaetz, Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services are not serious picks.
None of these candidates are qualified for their respective positions.
In the case of Gaetz, there was serious moral scrutiny surrounding allegations of sexual relations with minors, where some of the other nominees are not conservatives, a point I have made previously.
Gaetz has already withdrawn his name from consideration, and other outlandish choices are sure to follow suit as we approach confirmation hearings in January.
We have to remember that some Republicans did push back.
Senate GOP should continue to criticize Trump's Cabinet nominees
The primary way the Senate can restrain Trump is by examining his Cabinet choices, as it is one of the few executive actions subject to direct congressional oversight. A few senators have mustered the courage to oppose Trump's most ridiculous choices, like former "Fox & Friends Weekend" co-host Pete Hegseth for Defense secretary.
Senators, largely unnamed (though there are some educated guesses), have made it clear that some of these nominees will not pass a confirmation hearing in the Senate.
Trump’s frustration with the Senate is bound to show, and the infighting that has become typical for GOP leadership will grow as more of Trump’s picks are kicked to the curb. MAGA world is already expressing their disdain for GOP legislators who refuse to bend their knee, threatening to create primary challenges for senators who vote against Trump's nominees.
Trump has even explored methods of bypassing the Senate altogether, suggesting a ridiculous recess appointments scheme that would likely be shot down by the Supreme Court (the other favorite boogeyman of Democrats).
Americans need Republicans to examine Trump's presidency
In the weeks leading up to the inauguration, and potentially sometime after, Americans will have more clarity on just how much leeway the Senate will give Trump on his choices. So far, public opposition has only mounted against the most objectionable nominees. Will the Senate GOP's examination end with Gaetz?
Or will Gabbard, RFK Jr., Dr. Mehmet Oz ‒ nominated to lead the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services ‒ and Kash Patel ‒ Trump's choice to run the FBI ‒ get the same level of scrutiny?
Trump's first Cabinet had fewer confirmations at the two-week mark than any other president in modern politics, even with a GOP-controlled Senate. This time, the choices are far more controversial, so Trump should have difficulty getting senators on board.
For years, Democrats have hoped to smear the entirety of the GOP as being perfectly in step with Trump, but that couldn’t be further from the truth when it comes to the Senate.
That thought is more accurate for Republicans in the House, where the MAGA wing has a much stronger grip over the leadership. However, the Senate has proved time and time again that they are capable of restraining Trump’s most outrageous actions, particularly regarding nominations.
After years of chastising the effective leadership of Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Democrats owe Republican senators like him a great deal of gratitude for helping to prevent Gaetz from becoming attorney general.
What remains of the GOP's political spine resides primarily in the Senate, and they are proving it now as they stand up to Trump. Anyone willing to take on the headache of becoming one of Trump’s enemies for the sake of the country deserves the respect of Americans, regardless of your party. Right now, that respect should go to Republican senators.
Dace Potas is an opinion columnist for Paste BN and a graduate of DePaul University with a degree in political science.