{"id":2370945,"date":"2024-11-19T16:57:01","date_gmt":"2024-11-19T21:57:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ranking-trumps-cabinet-picks-that-will-be-hardest-to-confirm-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-11-19T16:58:59","modified_gmt":"2024-11-19T21:58:59","slug":"ranking-trumps-cabinet-picks-that-will-be-hardest-to-confirm-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ranking-trumps-cabinet-picks-that-will-be-hardest-to-confirm-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Ranking Trump&#8217;s Cabinet picks that will be hardest to confirm &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Franking-trumps-cabinet-picks-that-will-be-hardest-to-confirm-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2370945&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>As\u2064 President-elect\u2063 Donald \u2063Trump prepares to\u2063 form his\u2064 Cabinet, several nominees are emerging with varying levels of support and potential for contention\u200b in Senate confirmations.<\/p>\n<p>High-profile nominations include Tulsi Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for\u200b Secretary of the Department\u2063 of Health and Human Services. While Trump appears \u200bto\u2063 have some favored candidates who \u2062may face smoother confirmation processes\u2014such as Senator Marco Rubio for Secretary of State\u2014others like Matt Gaetz for Attorney General could face significant challenges.<\/p>\n<p>Gaetz&#8217;s\u200d path to confirmation \u2064is complicated by past \u2062controversies, \u2063including a three-year investigation into allegations of sex trafficking that concluded without charges. His resignation from Congress has also led to calls for \u2064the\u2062 release of an ongoing Ethics Committee report that might have critical findings against him. As a result, betting markets rate his chances of confirmation at a mere 31%.<\/p>\n<p>In contrast, \u200dKennedy\u2014who has been a prominent figure in\u2064 discussions around health and vaccine skepticism\u2014may also face opposition, particularly from Democratic-aligned healthcare advocacy groups. However, some Republicans support his nomination, and betting markets currently estimate his confirmation chances at 79%.<\/p>\n<p>Other nominees, like Pete Hegseth\u200c for\u2062 Secretary of Defense \u2064and Gabbard for DNI, may encounter scrutiny due to \u200cpast controversies, with \u200dHegseth facing \u200dallegations of sexual assault, albeit denied, and Gabbard&#8217;s prior criticisms of \u2063U.S. \u2062foreign policy drawing concern from conservative factions.<\/p>\n<p>While some \u200bnominees may face a rocky road, others like Sean Duffy\u200d (Transportation) and Kristi Noem (Homeland Security) are expected to sail through due to relatively \u200dlow \u200dopposition, despite questions about their qualifications. Support for these nominations appears to hinge heavily \u2062on party loyalty and Trump&#8217;s\u2063 influence\u2062 over Republican senators.<\/p>\n<p>As Trump navigates these nominations, the dynamics within the Senate will\u200d play a crucial role\u2064 in shaping his administration&#8217;s initial \u2062direction and policy approaches, with some senators already expressing their intentions regarding specific nominees.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Trump&rsquo;s Cabinet scorecard: Ranking the nominees with the hardest Senate confirmations<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1884847\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>President-elect <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Donald Trump<\/a> moved at breakneck speed in announcing members of his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/trump-transition\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">second administration<\/a>. <\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>While many have been met with widespread approval, Trump&rsquo;s recent <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/cabinet\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Cabinet<\/a>-level announcements are causing some consternation among Republicans on Capitol Hill. <\/p>\n<p>None more so than former Florida Rep. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/matt-gaetz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Matt Gaetz<\/a>, whom the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-selects-new-cia-director-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Trump selects new CIA director - Washington Examiner\">president-elect tapped<\/a> as his attorney general.<\/p>\n<p>Other controversial nominees that could also face Senate confirmation battles include Fox News host&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/pete-hegseth\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Pete Hegseth<\/a>, whom Trump nominated as his secretary of defense, ex-Rep.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/tulsi-gabbard\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Tulsi Gabbard<\/a>&nbsp;for&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/defense\/3229131\/tulsi-gabbard-trump-appointed-director-national-intelligence\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">director of national intelligence<\/a>, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.<\/p>\n<p>But not all of Trump&rsquo;s nominees are guaranteed for a contentious battle, including Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), who is up for secretary of state and will likely breeze through confirmation. And if Trump doesn&rsquo;t get his way, he&rsquo;s already looking at pressuring Senate Republicans to use recess appointments to bypass confirmations.<\/p>\n<p>As Trump tries to shore up support for his picks, the&nbsp;<em>Washington Examiner<\/em>&nbsp;grouped the Cabinet nominees according to which ones would be the hardest to confirm in the Senate.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The nominee who faces the hardest battle <\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (right) talks with Matt Gaetz (center) and Ginger Luckey Gaetz (left) before President-elect Donald Trump speaks during an America First Policy Institute gala at his Mar-a-Lago estate on Nov. 14, 2024, in Palm Beach, Florida. (AP Photo\/Alex Brandon)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Before resigning from Congress hours after his nomination was announced, Gaetz was well known for his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/3230119\/nine-times-matt-gaetz-stirred-controversy-congress\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"firebrand antics\">firebrand antics<\/a>. Gaetz was the key ringleader in ousting former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy from office.<\/p>\n<p>But his most challenging path to confirmation is the aftermath of the three-year Department of Justice sex-trafficking investigation allegedly involving a minor that ended in 2023 without any charges against Gaetz, who has denied any wrongdoing.<\/p>\n<p>Gaetz also faced a separate House Ethics Committee investigation that culminated in a report that has not been released due to his resignation from Congress, which ended the inquiry. Several Republican lawmakers have called for the Ethics Committee report to be released before voting on his confirmation, which remains dim. <\/p>\n<p>Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) was one of several GOP lawmakers who cast doubt that Gaetz would become the next attorney general. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think it&rsquo;s a serious nomination for the attorney general,&rdquo; she said.<\/p>\n<p>Betting markets, which accurately called the election for Trump, are also putting Gaetz&rsquo;s chances of confirmation on the low end. Polymarket <a href=\"https:\/\/polymarket.com\/event\/which-trump-picks-will-be-confirmed?tid=1732031221420\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">rates<\/a> his chances at 31%, far below any other nominee.<\/p>\n<p>Trump and Gaetz have spent recent days calling Republican senators of the Judiciary Committee to pressure them to vote for the confirmation, while Vice President-elect J.D. Vance is reportedly arranging <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3234179\/matt-gaetz-senate-republicans-fair-shake-attorney-general-confirmation-jeopardy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"meetings\">meetings<\/a> between lawmakers and Gaetz.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Matt just wanted to introduce himself,&rdquo; Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) said about a call he received from Gaetz. &ldquo;I assured him, of course, he&rsquo;ll get a fair shake, and I congratulated him.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The candidates who might have a rocky road ahead<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">President-elect Donald Trump (right) shakes hands with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (left) at a campaign rally at the Desert Diamond Arena on Aug. 23, 2024, in Glendale, Arizona. (AP Photo\/Evan Vucci)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Kennedy became a top Trump surrogate after ending his 2024 bid, which earned him the top position as HHS secretary.<\/p>\n<p>But Kennedy is not a medical doctor, has never served in office, and has a penchant for spreading conspiracy theories. He has also voiced skepticism against the COVID-19 vaccine and has some pro-abortion rights stances that several conservatives are blanching at.<\/p>\n<p>Democratic-aligned healthcare advocacy groups are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/live-updates\/2024\/11\/18\/congress\/health-groups-aim-to-stop-rfk-00190215?nname=politico-nightly&amp;nid=00000170-c000-da87-af78-e185fa700000&amp;nrid=00000156-001c-d9e7-afde-22bc1e7a0000&amp;nlid=2670445\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">plotting<\/a> how to block Kennedy&rsquo;s nomination. They are targeting centrist lawmakers such as Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Murkowski, as well as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC).<\/p>\n<p>Yet some Republican senators are excited about his possible new role. &ldquo;When he called me up asking, for example, his chances of confirmation, first words out of my mouth: &lsquo;Bobby, this is the answer to my prayers,&rsquo; and I sincerely believe that,&rdquo;&nbsp;Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) told reporters. Polymarket rates his chances of passing through the Senate at 79%.<\/p>\n<p>Similarly, Hegseth&rsquo;s path to confirmation may face problems due to his lack of experience leading an agency as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/defense\/3230599\/pete-hegseth-pentagon-bureaucratic-behemoth\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"large as the Defense Department\">large as the Defense Department<\/a>. Despite his experience as a decorated veteran, he has not served in a senior defense role. Polymarket rates his chances of passing through the Senate at 76%.<\/p>\n<p>Hegseth is also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/top-gov-desantis-challenger-paid-thousands-to-liberal-activist-currently-facing-sexual-assault-allegations\/\" title=\"Top Gov. DeSantis Challenger Paid Thousands to Liberal Activist Currently Facing Sexual Assault Allegations\">facing sexual assault allegations<\/a> that could cause problems come January. Hegseth paid off a woman who accused him of sexual assault through a nondisclosure agreement, but his lawyer said the encounter between the two was consensual, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/politics\/2024\/11\/16\/pete-hegseth-sexual-assault-accuser-paid\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><em>Washington Post<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Gabbard&rsquo;s announcement as Trump&rsquo;s nominee for director of national intelligence was immediately met with some disagreement from conservatives wary of her past sympathies for Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Her detractors also singled out her 2017 visit with Syrian President Bashar Assad as another reason she shouldn&rsquo;t be confirmed.<\/p>\n<p>But few Republican senators have come out against voting for her confirmation. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know her at all so it would be premature for me to reach a judgment, but those are questions that I would want to ask her,&rdquo; Collins told<em> <a href=\"https:\/\/jewishinsider.com\/2024\/11\/tulsi-gabbard-nomination-director-of-national-intelligence-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Jewish Insider<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;She&rsquo;ll be scrutinized,&rdquo; Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) said. &ldquo;But I would imagine she&rsquo;d get confirmed. We got 53 votes.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Polymarket rates her chances of passing through the Senate at 78%. <\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Some will grumble, but these candidates will likely sail through <\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Rep. Sean Duffy (R-WI) speaks during a hearing on July 18, 2018, on Capitol Hill in Washington. President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Duffy to be transportation secretary. (AP Photo\/Jacquelyn Martin, File)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Sean Duffy&rsquo;s biggest criticism is his lack of experience if he were to be confirmed as transportation secretary.<\/p>\n<p>Duffy is a former representative of Wisconsin&rsquo;s 7th Congressional District, has appeared on several reality TV shows, and is a co-host of <em>The Bottom Line <\/em>on Fox Business along with his wife, Rachel Campos-Duffy.<\/p>\n<p>Despite the lack of qualifications, Duffy has not faced opposition as much as some other candidates.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Transportation policy has a long bipartisan history, and I look forward to continuing to maintain the tradition under Former Representative Sean Duffy&rsquo;s leadership and working together to pass the next surface transportation authorization, creating more jobs, if he is confirmed as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation,&rdquo; Rep. Rick Larsen (D-WA), the ranking member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, said.<\/p>\n<p>Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD) may have lost out on a vice presidential role within the Trump administration because of her jarring anecdote of killing her family dog, but she nonetheless got a spot as Trump&rsquo;s nominee for secretary of homeland security.<\/p>\n<p>As head of the Department of Homeland Security,&nbsp;Noem would be in charge of protecting the nation from a wide range of threats, including securing the United States from the rise of illegal immigration. Yet Noem doesn&rsquo;t have direct experience working on the southern border, although that likely won&rsquo;t stop Republican senators from confirming her.<\/p>\n<p>As one House member put it bluntly, &ldquo;If Donald Trump says jump 3 feet high and scratch your head, we all jump 3 feet high and scratch our head,&rdquo; Rep.&nbsp;Troy Nehls&nbsp;(R-TX) said to reporters.<\/p>\n<p>Once a former GOP presidential rival to Trump, Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND) is now Trump&rsquo;s pick to be the secretary of the Department of the Interior. Burgum will also head up the National Energy Council, a newly created agency.<\/p>\n<p>Burgum has the support of industry groups and Republican senators who welcomed his work to establish U.S. &ldquo;energy dominance.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;He recognizes how important our federal lands are for energy and mineral production, grazing, and recreation,&rdquo; Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee ranking member&nbsp;John Barrasso (R-WY) said in a statement. &ldquo;As North Dakota&rsquo;s governor, he&rsquo;s shown he can balance environmental stewardship with record energy development.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Trump also tapped Air Force Reserve chaplain and former Georgia Rep. Doug Collins to be head of the Department of Veteran Affairs. While in Congress, Collins did not serve on the House Veterans Affairs Committee, but he was a staunch conservative, gaining approval from groups such as Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America.<\/p>\n<p>Chris Wright, Liberty Energy&rsquo;s CEO, is also Trump&rsquo;s pick for secretary of the Department of Energy, and he will be a member of the Council of National Energy. He had denied the effects of climate change, but that likely won&rsquo;t stop confirmation.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Those who have been largely praised <\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">President-elect Donald Trump announced Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) as his pick to be his new secretary of state on Wednesday afternoon.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin, Trump&rsquo;s choice to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, former Arkansas Gov.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/mike-huckabee\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Mike Huckabee<\/a>, Trump&rsquo;s pick&nbsp;as the U.S. ambassador to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/israel\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Israel<\/a>, House Republican Conference Chairwoman&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/elise-stefanik\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Elise Stefanik<\/a>&nbsp;(R-NY), Trump&rsquo;s potential ambassador to the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/united-nations\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">United Nations<\/a>, and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Trump&rsquo;s secretary of state nominee, have generally received wide approval from the GOP.<\/p>\n<p>Rubio has even received praise from Democratic lawmakers, which bodes well for his confirmation. <\/p>\n<p>Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), a left-leaning lawmaker, praised Rubio&rsquo;s selection on social media after his nomination was announced. <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Unsurprisingly, the other team&rsquo;s pick will have political differences than my own,&rdquo; he&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SenFettermanPA\/status\/1856330619623494125\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">wrote<\/a> on X. &ldquo;That being said, my colleague @SenMarcoRubio is a strong choice and I look forward to voting for his confirmation.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Stefanik&rsquo;s performance during House hearings on college antisemitism brought her more star power as college presidents resigned from their positions. She&rsquo;ll likely take her strong defense of Israel to the U.N. once she is confirmed.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Elon Musk&rsquo;s favorites <\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">President-elect Donald Trump looks on with Elon Musk, right, at a UFC 309 mixed martial arts flyweight title bout, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo\/Adam Hunger)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Tech billionaire Elon Musk <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3233103\/elon-musk-risks-overstepping-boundaries-trump-treasury-secretary-battle\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">threw his hat<\/a> in the ring for Howard Lutnick, the billionaire CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald and co-transition team lead, to become Trump&rsquo;s treasury secretary over hedge fund manager Scott Bessent.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;My view fwiw is that Bessent is a business-as-usual choice, whereas<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/howardlutnick\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">&nbsp;@howardlutnick<\/a>&nbsp;will actually enact change,&rdquo; Musk wrote on X, the social media website that he owns.<\/p>\n<p>However, Trump nominated Lutnick as his <a href=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/@realDonaldTrump\/posts\/113511235978420631\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">commerce secretary<\/a> on Tuesday after the <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">president-elect grew weary<\/a> of Musk and Lutnick&rsquo;s pressure campaign. Despite Musk&rsquo;s integration into Trump&rsquo;s inner circle after spending $100 million to boost Trump&rsquo;s reelection, Trump appears to be calling the shots.<\/p>\n<p>Before the treasury secretary scuffle, Musk posted his <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/elonmusk\/status\/1856799225109168285\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">support<\/a> for Gabbard&rsquo;s DNI nomination and championed Gaetz on X.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Matt Gaetz has 3 critical assets that are needed for the AG role: a big brain, a spine of steel and an axe to grind,&rdquo; Musk&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/elonmusk\/status\/1858766986508927479\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">wrote<\/a>. &ldquo;He is the Judge Dredd America needs to clean up a corrupt system and put powerful bad actors in prison.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Gaetz will be our Hammer of Justice,&rdquo; he continued. <\/p>\n<p>Musk, along with Vivek Ramaswamy, will co-lead the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3228045\/trump-taps-elon-musk-vivek-ramaswamy-government-efficiency\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Department of Government Efficiency<\/a> as a reward for his work in getting Trump to a second White House term.<\/p>\n<p><em>David Sivak, Ramsey Touchberry, and Samanatha-Jo Roth contributed to this report. <\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1884847\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1884847\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Trump&#8217;s Cabinet: Ranking nominees facing tough Senate confirmations<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2658,"featured_media":2370946,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/trump_maga_merger_webp.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[4955,16629,5894,3634,32076],"class_list":["post-2370945","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-cabinet","tag-confirmation","tag-politics","tag-trump","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/trump_maga_merger_webp.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2370945","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2658"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2370945"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2370945\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2370953,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2370945\/revisions\/2370953"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2370946"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2370945"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2370945"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2370945"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}