Will Donald Trump Get the Cabinet He Wants?

Donald Trump's cabinet announcements have courted controversy amongst Democrats and some Republicans. ITV News US Correspondent Dan Rivers reports on the likelihood his picks will get approved

Donald Trump always promised to shake things up in Washington.

His latest slew of nominees for cabinet though is highly controversial.

So contentious that they may struggle to get through the Senate confirmation process designed to weed out candidates who are unqualified or corrupt.

It will be his first test of authority and a sign of how much power he now wields.

Thursday night's news that Robert F. Kennedy Junior, nephew of John F. Kennedy, is being put forward as Health Secretary has sent shockwaves through the capital.

Not only does he have no qualification for the role, having neither served nor studied in the field, but he is also an avowed conspiracy theorist, who has doubted the efficacy of vaccines and suggested there is no link between HIV and AIDs.

Moreover, he has in the past suggested a global elite is planning a pandemic to overturn democracy and has a close association with the discredited British doctor Andrew Wakefield, who falsely drew a link between the MMR jab and autism.

He has also threatened to remove fluoride from drinking water in the US.

He is now being proposed as head of the Health and Human Services department with vast powers to regulate medicines.

He is not the only divisive pick for Trump’s inner circle.

Matt Gaetz is being put forward for Attorney General. His is a critical position, heading the Department of Justice and FBI.

Yet Matt Gaetz has no background in law enforcement or prosecutions. Even more alarming, he was investigated for trafficking a 17-year-old girl for sex.

No charges were brought and he denied doing anything wrong, but an Ethics Committee report has been written by a bi-partisan committee in the House of Representatives.

This investigation into the tawdry affair may however never be published because Gaetz has now quit from the House of Representatives, ahead of taking up his new role, meaning the committee has no jurisdiction over him.

Then there is Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democrat congresswoman and veteran, who quit the party and has ended up in Trump’s orbit, nominated as Director for National Intelligence.

Originally from Hawaii, she ran for the Presidency once for the Dems but now is seeking to serve with the Republicans’ most divisive leader.

She has been criticised for parroting Russian positions on foreign policy and controversially met Syrian President Bashar al Assad in 2017.

Pete Hegseth is another left-field choice.

He is a National Guard veteran but has no relevant experience to be Defence Secretary of the most powerful armed forces on earth. His main qualification appears to have been appearing on Fox News as an anchor and defence analyst and being someone who caught Donald Trump’s eye.

All of these nominations will have to get through a robust Senate confirmation process.

This will be one of the first tests of Donald Trump’s authority. John Thune is the new Republican Senate leader and will face pressure both from President-elect Trump to rubber stamp these positions, but also from moderate Republican Senators to push back.

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Those Republican Senators, like Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine, have already indicated their opposition to some of these picks.

Collins said of Gaetz this week, “I was shocked that he has been nominated. If the nomination proceeds, I’m sure there will be an extensive background check by the FBI, public hearings, and a lot of questions asked.”

Murkowski meanwhile said Gaetz wasn’t on her “bingo card” adding “I don’t think it is a serious nomination for the Attorney General.”

The Republicans are likely to have a majority of 3 in the Senate so if 4 rebel against Trump, it will block his selections.

Politics Professor, Dr Casey Burgat explained to US Correspondent, Dan Rivers how Trump could use Senate recess to push through his appointments

There is a possibility Donald Trump will try to bypass the process using what is called Recess Appointments. He has already said he intends to do this.

This is supposed to be designed to ensure the smooth running of government in exceptional circumstances when the Senate is in recess.

Clinton, Obama and both Bushes have used this procedure, but it is very rare for this to be used to push through cabinet-level appointments.

That’s only happened three times since 1900. It would require the Senate to be recessed for more than ten days and would require a vote for that to happen. It could also be challenged in court.

It’s not just that Trump’s cabinet selections are divisive - for many in the Senate, they are viewed as being downright dangerous and may force them to put their country before their fealty to Trump.Want an expert briefing on US politics? Listen to our latest podcast Talking Politics USA