As January comes to a close, the Senate has already confirmed eight of Donald Trump’s cabinet or cabinet-level nominees, with more confirmations likely in the coming days. Despite claims from Trump and his allies that the Senate is obstructing his administration’s ability to staff its executive branch, the numbers tell a different story.
So far, the confirmed nominees include Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin.
Additionally, two nominees—Chris Wright for secretary of energy and Doug Collins for secretary of veterans affairs—have already cleared cloture votes and could be confirmed as early as today. Four others—Pam Bondi (attorney general), Scott Turner (secretary of housing and urban development), Russell Vought (OMB director), and Elise Stefanik (U.N. ambassador)—have been voted out of committee, with Bondi’s cloture vote set for Monday. Meanwhile, committee votes for Howard Lutnick (commerce secretary) and Kelly Loeffler (SBA administrator) are scheduled for Wednesday.
A Historical Perspective on Cabinet Confirmations
While the pace of cabinet confirmations varies by administration, Trump’s current trajectory does not indicate undue delay. Looking back at past presidencies, both Bill Clinton and George W. Bush had most of their cabinets confirmed by the end of January. Clinton faced some difficulties due to multiple failed attorney general picks, but generally, early confirmations moved at a steady pace.
Notably, Trump’s first term in 2017 did experience a slowdown in Senate confirmations, a contrast to prior administrations. However, that delay was partly due to Trump’s own failure to submit nominations promptly. This time, despite Republican claims of obstruction, the Senate has moved relatively swiftly.
If Wright and Collins are confirmed today, the total number of confirmations will match past presidents at a comparable point in their first terms. In contrast, Biden’s cabinet confirmations in 2021 were also relatively slow, partly due to a delayed transition process.
Objections to Certain Nominees
While the Senate has been processing nominations at a reasonable pace, some nominees are facing opposition, not due to procedural delays but because of their controversial records.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth only secured confirmation with a tiebreaking vote from Senate President JD Vance. The fate of nominees such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (HHS secretary) and Tulsi Gabbard (director of national intelligence) remains uncertain. Meanwhile, Lori Chavez-DeRemer (labor secretary) and Linda McMahon (education secretary) have yet to receive hearings, though Chavez-DeRemer appears to have enough Democratic support to secure confirmation.
One nominee, Matt Gaetz, was withdrawn from consideration for attorney general, but so far, no nominee has been outright rejected. Historically, it’s not uncommon for a nominee to fail. Since 1989, every president except Biden has had at least one high-profile cabinet nominee withdrawn or voted down.
A Manufactured Crisis?
Trump and his allies have painted a picture of a Senate determined to sabotage his administration, yet the numbers suggest otherwise. While political fights over nominations are inevitable, the confirmation process has moved at a steady clip, particularly compared to past administrations.
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