‘No One Wants to Go Against Trump’: Insiders Say Republicans Will Cave on Controversial Cabinet Nominees

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The Trump administration is confident that three of his most controversial cabinet nominees will ultimately be confirmed despite public and private resistance from Senate Republicans, sources with direct knowledge of the process told Mediaite.

Confirmation hearings have concluded for the nominees – Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Health and Human Services secretary, Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence, and Kash Patel for FBI director – with votes scheduled for the Senate this week, starting Tuesday.

If their nominations advance out of their respective committees, the full Senate will have the chance to vote on their nominations. If four Republicans and all Democrats vote against a candidate it will be enough to sink their chances.

Kennedy, who ran against Trump in the 2024 presidential election as an independent and brokered a deal to drop out in exchange for the chance to serve in Trump’s administration, faced heavy resistance during his hearing last week, which centered mostly on his history of anti-vaccine advocacy and conspiracy theories related to health and science.

“The sharpest opposition is likely to focus on RFK Jr., setting the stage for a contentious battle over his nomination,” one source familiar with internal conversations regarding the hearings.

Ultimately, that opposition won’t matter, the source said. They pointed to the “political realities”, including the “threat of primary challenges and the risk of backlash” which will be enough to overcome any reservations held by Senate Republicans.

The Senate Finance Committee voted along party lines on Tuesday to advance Kennedy’s nomination to the full Senate. One Republican signaled grave concerns with Kennedy’s history of spreading false information about vaccines. Sen. Bill Cassidy, who worked as a physician before entering politics, grilled Kennedy during the hearings, and said he was “struggling” with the nomination due to his position on vaccines.

Over the weekend, supporters of Trump and Kennedy pressured Cassidy to support the latter’s nomination. On Tuesday, he cast the deciding vote to advance his nomination.

Democrats have made their opposition to Kennedy clear. A Feb. 2 letter from Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ron Wyden accused Kennedy of ““serious conflicts of interest” given his “financial stake in anti-vaccine cases against HHS-regulated companies.”

“These conflicts, combined with your decades-long career casting doubt about the safety and efficacy of life-saving vaccines, give us grave concern about your fitness to serve as Secretary,” they wrote.

On top of the concerns about Kennedy’s views on science, Democrats questioned the political scion in recent days over two sexual misconduct claims made against him, both of which ended in payouts to the alleged victims. Mediaite reported Monday night that one of the women was paid nearly $1 million to sign a nondisclosure agreement after she accused Kennedy of sexual misconduct.

Still, one source close to the Kennedy team said they’re bullish he’ll survive the opposition by virtue of pressure from Trump and his allies.

“The overall feeling is that Kennedy will be confirmed,” they said. “No one wants to go against Trump at this point.”

Another Kennedy insider agreed. Senate Republicans, they said, “don’t want to start a war with Trump out of the gate.”

Kash Patel, Trump’s pick to run the FBI, is also seen by the Trump camp as almost certain to be confirmed by the Senate.

He “has built considerable momentum by meeting with Senators and emphasizing his extensive experience as a public defender and prosecutor,” said one Patel ally.

Trump’s pick for director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democrat and one-time presidential candidate, had a rocky start to her nomination process. One source familiar with Gabbard’s private interviews with lawmakers said she was initially “underprepared” and did not “take her meetings seriously.” After facing tough questions in those private meetings, she turned things around at the confirmation hearings, the source said.

A Trump insider predicted that all three cabinet picks will be confirmed. They pointed to former Fox News host Pete Hegseth, who despite serious questions about his conduct and qualifications was confirmed as Secretary of Defense last month, as precedent that scandal-plagued nominees would pass through the Senate with little pushback.