Official Senate voting records and analysis of voting margins

Trump Warns GOP Senators of Primary Challenges Over Opposition to Cabinet Picks Like Hegseth, Patel, Gabbard, and Kennedy

Dec 16, 2024, 04:53 PM

President-elect Donald Trump has indicated that Republican Senators who unreasonably oppose his cabinet nominees could face primary challenges. This statement comes in response to pushback from some GOP senators on nominees like Pete Hegseth for Defense Secretary, Kash Patel for FBI Director, Tulsi Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Health and Human Services. Trump's comments follow a series of threats from conservative activists and donors, including Elon Musk, who has spent over $250 million during the election to boost Trump and suggested he would support primary challenges against senators not aligning with Trump's agenda. Sen. Thom Tillis, who has jurisdiction over some of these nominees, has criticized these threats, calling the individuals behind them 'political opportunists' and arguing that nominees should be judged on their merits. Despite the pressure, some senators like Lindsey Graham have expressed a willingness to fairly evaluate Trump's selections. The conservative group Heritage Action has also announced a $150,000 digital campaign targeting senators who are on the fence about supporting Trump's nominees.