During an interview appearance on NBC News' Meet the Press on Sunday, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a South Dakota Republican, wouldn't confirm if he's a "yes" on all of President-elect Donald Trump's Cabinet picks.
Thune told host Kristen Welker "my expectation is, as the leader of the Senate, that we're going to get the president his people as quickly as possible in the key positions where he wants them."
Newsweek has reached out to Thune's office and Trump's presidential transition team via email Sunday morning for comment.
Why It Matters
The fate of Trump's Cabinet remains uncertain after Republican senators spent much of December carefully avoiding questions about Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s vaccine views, accusations of sexual misconduct against Pete Hegseth, and former Democratic Representative Tulsi Gabbard's 2017 meeting with then-President Bashar al-Assad of Syria.
While some GOP senators have expressed full support for Trump's nominees, others have, for now, withheld their endorsement, particularly for his more controversial picks. This dynamic adds uncertainty to the confirmation process as Republicans narrowly assumed the Senate majority last week while Trump pushes for the immediate confirmation of his Cabinet.
Thune's past criticisms of Trump—particularly around the events of January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot among other contentious issues—make him a difficult candidate for Trump loyalists to embrace. Thune has taken steps to build rapport with Trump, meeting him at Mar-a-Lago last year and working to align on key Republican priorities. Thune's broad appeal to mainstream Republicans and his rapprochement with Trump could make him a bridge between the party's factions.
What to Know
There has been one casualty in the process so far—former GOP Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida who withdrew from consideration for U.S. attorney general after senators expressed private concerns about alleged sexual misconduct with a minor. Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing. Nevertheless, Trump has fervently supported the remaining nominees, including RFK Jr. for secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), Hegseth for secretary of defense, and Gabbard for director of national intelligence.
In Sunday's interview, Welker read Thune's statement that he released after the deadly New Year's Day attack in New Orleans, Louisiana, stating that the terror threat posed by ISIS "is a clear example of why the Senate must get President Trump's national security team in place as quickly as possible."
The FBI is investigating the New Year's incident on Bourbon Street as an act of terrorism. Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, was a U.S. citizen from Texas who previously served in the U.S. Army. An ISIS flag was found in his truck, and he posted videos in support of the terrorist group ahead of the vehicular attack, which killed 14 and injured dozens more, according to law enforcement. Jabbar was fatally shot by police in a shootout.
"As you know, there are Senate Republicans who say they still have questions about the qualifications, about the character of some of President-elect Trump's picks, from Pete Hegseth to Tulsi Gabbard. As we sit here today, are you prepared to vote yes on all of his nominees?" Welker asked Thune.
The Senate majority leader responded: "It's a process. And what I've promised them is a fair process. And so, these nominees are going to go through a committee where they're going to have to answer questions. There will be some hard questions posed. We're going to do everything we can to ensure that he has the people he wants in place. I think you give great deference and latitude to a president when it comes to people he wants to put into key positions. And national security ones are especially important. But the Senate has a role. Advise and consent. And we intend, we have a lot of our senators who take that role very seriously."
What Thune Said About Trump's Cabinet Nominees
Thune when asked by Welker if he's a "rubber stamp" on Trump's nominees: "Well, that's why we have a process. I've met with them. There are some of them I think that I've been really, really impressed by. And I think there are – as they go through the process, there will be opportunities throughout that where members, senators will have opportunities to make sure they're getting their questions answered. And we'll see. That's why we have the checks and balances in our system that we have. But my expectation is, and as the leader of the Senate, that we're going to get the president his people as quickly as possible in the key positions where he wants them."
Thune when asked if he's a "yes" on Trump's nominee for FBI director, Kash Patel: "I haven't been advertising or disclosing my positions on individual nominees at this point just yet. But my job is to make sure they get a fair process, and so I intend to do that. And I think that's underway."
Thune said when asked by Welker if Patel's priorities would be "fighting crime, protecting national security rather than settling political scores?" "I think that he understands what his mission would be if he is successful in getting confirmed to that position at the FBI. The FBI is an agency that I think is in need of reform and needs a good makeover so to speak and probably a good amount of housecleaning when it comes to just the perception the American people have of it. And these institutions that the American people need to have confidence and trust in, I think that confidence and trust has largely eroded. And there's an opportunity to fix that. I sat down with, met with him. I think he understands that that's the mission."
What They're Saying
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, on Meet the Press when asked if he's a "yes" on any of Trump's Cabinet picks: "No. I'm waiting for this process, this reasonable process that we've asked for, to unfold. Thorough background checks, hearings and votes."
Trump's son, Donad Trump Jr., during a recent media appearance: "You only have control of the Senate because of Donald Trump. Without that, you'd be relegated to insignificance."
Michael Glassner, senior adviser to the 2024 Trump campaign and deputy campaign manager and chief operating officer of the 2016 and 2020 Trump campaigns, and John Pence, senior adviser to the 2016 and 2020 Trump campaigns, in an opinion article for Newsweek last month: "Those who embrace the creative disruption of the new Trump administration and the America First agenda are poised to thrive like never before. The old Washington is gone forever, and that's great news for the American people."
What Happens Next
With Senate confirmation hearings beginning this month, even before Trump is inaugurated on January 20, senators will soon face the decision of how rigorously to scrutinize the nominees and whether they are prepared to vote against any of them.
With Republicans holding a 53-47 majority, Trump cannot afford to lose more than three votes on any nomination if Democrats remain united in opposition.
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