Summary
President-elect Donald Trump’s team warned Republican lawmakers to support his controversial Cabinet picks or risk facing primary challenges funded by Elon Musk.
Amid scrutiny over nominees like Matt Gaetz for attorney general and Pete Hegseth for defense secretary, Trump insisted the president determines the Cabinet.
Resistance has grown among Senate Republicans, including Sen. Thom Tillis, opposing “recess appointments” to bypass confirmation.
Senators like Josh Hawley and Mitch McConnell emphasized the need for proper constitutional vetting of nominees despite Trump’s pressure tactics.
I view this as mildly positive. It means that more picks are in trouble, and the Senate is not just gonna roll over and recess them into their jobs without hearings. Senators who got elected this time, in particular, have 6-year terms that will outlast Trump’s term. Who knows what state MAGA and Musk will be in by then?
(There will be plenty of horrible picks that get through, of course, but the worst of the worst might get blocked by Republicans, just like Gaetz.)
This also really does show the power dynamic here. Musk is Trump’s sugar daddy. Trump’s entire career was built on spending Daddy’s money, why should his political career be any different? Musk owns Trump now, and I think this proves that.
For Musk, I personally hope he’s in the 6 foot under state pretty damn soon.
I was sick of that piece of shit before, but lately he’s been going full douche overdrive. He’s buying the entire government… If this isn’t the best damn case against having billionaires as a possibility I don’t know what is.
Just waiting for him to overdose on the ketamine he’s so fond of.
This is when I wish conspiracy theories of a deep state shadow government that takes out rogue actors were real
I do not believe for 1 second any of the talk from either Hawley or Tillis is truthful. They say they oppose the recess appointments but they will end up rubber stamping anyoneTrump puts forward. I really think Gaetz would have gotten through. Oh sure Mukorwski or Collins would be “very concerned” about it but would vote accordingly.
Seems like there isn’t any reason to play along with his horrible appointments unless you’re 100% on board already drinking the kool-aid. If you’re up in 2 years then bad picks will exacerbate the problems trump causes making '26 a referendum on trump which would be bad for any republicans. If you’re up in 2 or 4 years you’ll outlast trump and his ire won’t mean too much.
They’ll roll over. They always do. Any resistance is just for show. They don’t want to look completely spineless. Just mostly spineless.