Four of President Trump’s Cabinet nominees have been confirmed by the United States Senate.
The U.S. Senate has confirmed President Trump’s nominees for Secretary of Defense, Secretary of Homeland Security, Secretary of State, and Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
Here is a look at the first four Cabinet members and the Senate’s approval process for each one.
Pete Hegseth, one of Trump’s most controversial picks, was confirmed with a vote of 51 to 50. Three Republicans voted against Hegseth, with Vice President J.D. Vance casting the tie-breaking vote. Republican Senators Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, and Mitch McConnell voted in opposition. During the vote, Democrats said accusations of sexual assault and excessive drinking were enough to be disqualifications.
Hegseth is a former combat veteran and Fox News host. He is a Princeton and Harvard graduate that gained a following of his own as the host of a weekend show. He has taken the controversial stance that women should have no role in military combat, which he softened heading into his confirmation hearing.
He faced allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman, though he has denied the claims and paid her $50,000. His former sister-in-law said in a recent affidavit that he was abusive towards his second wife. He denied that allegation as well.
Kristi Noem was confirmed as Trump’s Secretary of Homeland Security with a vote of 59 to 34. Seven Democrats voted in favor of her confirmation.
Noem is the former Governor of South Dakota. She held her state’s single U.S. House seat for eight years before becoming governor in 2019. She plans to prioritize border security and immigration enforcement in her new role. She became a staunch supporter of Trump and dispatched South Dakota’s national guard to the southern border to bolster security efforts.
Former Florida Senator Marco Rubio was confirmed by the Senate as the new Secretary of State with unanimous support. Democrats and Republicans praised his judgement on the floor.
Rubio has spent the past 14 years in the U.S. Senate. He is the son of Cuban immigrants, and was formerly a city commissioner. He was elected to the Florida House of Representatives and became the first Cuban American speaker in the Legislature’s history. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2010 and has since been part of much bipartisan work.
Rubio’s hawkish views on Russia and his support of America’s role in NATO have evoked concerns over the future of his relationship with President Trump
John Ratcliffe was confirmed to lead the Central Intelligence Agency. He was confirmed with a vote of 74 to 25.
Ratcliffe was the director of national intelligence during Trump’s first term. He is a former federal prosecutor who became a strong Trump ally. Trump originally chose Ratcliffe to serve in 2019, but he quickly withdrew from consideration after lawmakers raised questions about his qualifications. He was ultimately confirmed after Trump resubmitted the nomination.
Ahead in the confirmation process is Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s confirmation hearing for Health and Human Services on Wednesday. Slated for Thursday, Kash Patel and Tulsi Gabbard’s confirmation hearings will be held for FBI and Director of National Intelligence respectively.
