Senate Republicans had been warned that blocking President-elect Donald Trump's cabinet nominations will see them facing primary challenges funded by Big Tech mogul Elon Musk.
Musk was instrumental in bankrolling Trump's presidential campaign and has been weighing in on the president-elect's cabinet choices. (Related: Trump taps Musk, Ramaswamy to lead Department of Government Efficiency that will focus on reducing government spending.)
The warning came even before former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) withdrew his name from consideration to be Trump's next attorney general following an outcry from several Republican lawmakers, including outgoing Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Susan Collins (R-ME) and Markwayne Mullin (R-OH) and Senator-elect John Curtis (R-UT), all of whom had opposed Gaetz's nomination to head the Department of Justice over concerns regarding allegations of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use.
Gaetz denied all the accusations and said he would just drop his bid to be attorney general because he was "unfairly becoming a distraction." According to reports, several senators have said they want the full "process" and vetting of candidates to play out.
"The Constitution gives us a role in personnel called advice and consent. My view is that's exactly what will unfold here when these nominees are actually sent forward, and we'll treat them like we've treated all others with the proper vetting," said McConnell.
But Trump reportedly wants to solidify his control over the Republican Party ahead of his second term. He wants to make sure they are all on the same page.
"If you are on the wrong side of the vote, you're buying yourself a primary. That is all. And there's a guy named Elon Musk who is going to finance it," an unnamed senior advisor from Trump's team told ABC News' Selina Wang. "The president gets to decide his cabinet, no one else."
Senators to intensify scrutiny of Trump's other "controversial" nominees
Several moderate and independently-minded GOP senators are flexing their muscles regarding Trump's cabinet appointments, testing their political resolve as the incoming president's MAGA voter base demands that Republicans rally behind him to quickly get his team in place.
Republicans will control 53 seats in the incoming Senate – meaning, they can only afford three GOP defections on any vote to confirm a nominee or pass legislation with Vice President-elect J.D. Vance serving as the tie-breaker.
Observers expect the senators to intensify their scrutiny on a trio of Trump picks who are raising alarm bells on Capitol Hill. They include former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, nominated to be Director of National Intelligence; former Fox News host Pete Hegseth, nominated to be Secretary of Defense; and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., nominee to head the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Hegseth is facing questions about a 2017 incident where a woman told police he took her phone and blocked her from leaving his hotel room before sexually assaulting her. He was not charged, but confirmed he paid the accuser in a confidential settlement. The issue has come up in his meetings with Senate Armed Services Committee members whose votes he will need.
"Well, it's a pretty big problem, given that we have a sexual assault problem in our military," said Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND), who added that he backed bipartisan legislation by Sens. Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) to prevent sexual assault in the military.
"This is why you have background checks, this is why you have hearings, this is why you have to go through the scrutiny," Cramer added. "I'm not going to pre-judge him, but yeah, it's a pretty concerning accusation."
Meanwhile, Kennedy and Gabbard have their past controversies that could become "red flags" for senators. Kennedy has previously made public his concerns regarding many vaccines, the fluoridation of drinking water and restrictions on the consumption of raw milk.
As Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kennedy would be overseeing 13 federal agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health.
Gabbard, the former Democratic representative for Hawaii who joined the Republican Party in October after endorsing Trump, has faced scrutiny for making positive comments regarding Russia and for meeting with dictatorial Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in 2017.
Head over to Trump.news to read updates on key positions in the next administration.
Watch the video below where Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) vows to support all of Trump's nominations.
This video is from the TrendingNews channel on Brighteon.com.
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