Gabbard and Gaetz join Trump’s pick to lead the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth, a Fox News weekend co-host who lobbied Trump to pardon military service members accused of war crimes, as choices who would be certain to face near universal opposition from Democrats and have some Republicans expressing concern.
The president-elect’s first handful of picks went to people broadly acceptable to his Republican coalition, including his co-campaign manager Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida) as secretary of state and Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Florida) as national security adviser.
But Trump’s decision to choose Gabbard, Gaetz and Hegseth stunned senators and some of his own advisers, setting up multiple uphill confirmation battles that will test the incoming president’s political clout in the Senate, where his party is expected to hold 53 seats.
Gaetz, who has alienated many members of his own party, had been facing a House ethics probe over allegations of sexual misconduct, illegal drug use and accepting improper gifts. He resigned from Congress on Wednesday. House Ethics Committee Chairman Michael Guest (R-Mississippi), whose committee typically ends inquiries when members resign from Congress, told reporters on Wednesday that the panel would not rush out a report on Gaetz, who has denied any wrongdoing.
Trump is still toying with nominating anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for a Cabinet job, according to two people close to him who, like some others interviewed for this story, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the president-elect’s thinking.
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