welcome
ABC News

ABC News

US Politics

US Politics

Why most of Trump's Cabinet picks will get confirmed by the Senate

ABC News
Summary
Nutrition label

86% Informative

Senate will likely confirm nearly all of Donald Trump's Cabinet nominees and picks for other key positions, writes Aaron Miller .

Miller : Nominees face more opposition nowadays, but rarely from the president's party, Miller says.

With 53 senators in the next Congress , Republicans can afford up to three defections and still win votes via Vice President-elect's tiebreaking vote.

Julian Zelizer : In the past, the Senate mostly deferred to the president's prerogative.

Zelizer says growing power of the president and the executive branch grew at the expense of Congress .

He says polarization of political parties and polarization of the Senate has led to a shift in Cabinet -level nominations.

In this environment, nominations for Cabinet posts take longer and face more opposition than once did.

Trump 's Cabinet -level nominees will face substantial opposition in the Senate .

With 53 seats in the next Senate , the GOP is well positioned to do Trump 's bidding.

Ernst expressed a more favorable view of Hegseth 's nomination, but Ernst is also up for reelection in red-leaning Iowa in 2026 .