Josh Hawley Says Trump ‘Is Entitled to His Cabinet’ After He Voted Against Every Biden Cabinet Nominee

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) said he will likely vote for every appointee President-elect Donald Trump nominates because Trump “is entitled to his cabinet.” That is an approach the senator has not afforded President Joe Biden.

There are 15 executive departments comprising the president’s cabinet. Each department leader is subject to Senate approval, along with scores of other appointees in those departments and at non-cabinet agencies.

On Tuesday, a reporter asked Hawley about Trump’s nominee for attorney general, Matt Gaetz, who resigned from Congress last week. Gaetz had been under investigation by the House Ethics Committee, which reportedly heard sworn testimony stating he had sex with a 17-year-old girl at a party in 2017 when Gaetz was in his mid-thirties. Gaetz denies the charge.

Hawley said the former congressman deserves a confirmation hearing and that Trump deserves the cabinet he wants.

“Listen, if you have concerns, it’s fine, but don’t make up your mind yet. Let the guy testify first,” Hawley said. “I think that the president is entitled to his cabinet, entitled to his picks. My presumption is I’ll vote for all the president’s nominees. But again, let’s let him have his shot to answer all this.”

Hawley’s attitude is a complete reversal from the approach he took in 2021 when voting on Biden’s nominees. And it’s a trend that continues to this day. In 2021, Hawley voted against all 15 appointees Biden chose to serve in his cabinet.

Hawley voted against Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Bacerra (HHS), Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, (former) Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Marcia Fudge, Attorney General Merrick Garland, Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough, Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, (former) Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh, and Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen.

Watch above via CNN.