LEILA FADEL, HOST:
Six of President-elect Donald Trump's cabinet nominees face confirmation hearings today on Capitol Hill. Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, the No. 2 Republican, says he expects swift approval and cooperation from Democrats.
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JOHN BARRASSO: Americans now have chosen a new direction. They chose this president, and the president's victory was decisive.
FADEL: NPR political correspondent Susan Davis joins us now to discuss. Hey, Sue.
SUSAN DAVIS, BYLINE: Hey, Leila.
FADEL: So before we get into hearings that are ahead today, what were the big takeaways from yesterday's hearing with Trump's pick to lead the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth?
DAVIS: It was certainly contentious at times under questioning from Democrats, particularly about his character and his qualification for the job, but Republicans were pleased with his performance. And after the hearing, he earned the public support of Iowa Republican Senator Joni Ernst, herself a military veteran. And she was one senator who had previously expressed some hesitation about the nomination. That tells me he's pretty confidently headed towards confirmation, although he might not be ready for Day 1, as President Trump would like. But it seems like it's a matter of when and not if.
FADEL: It's interesting 'cause he's seen as among the more controversial Trump picks, given his past comments on things like women serving in combat and the allegation of sexual assault, which he's denied. What did his hearing show about the path to confirmation for Trump's nominees? Will they be easy, as Senator Barrasso is calling for?
DAVIS: For some, they certainly will. At the top of that list, I would probably put Florida Senator Marco Rubio. He's Trump's nominee for secretary of state. He's well-known. He's vetted. He's well-liked. He's poised to be confirmed on Day 1. Expect a big bipartisan vote for him.
I'd also put former Congressman Sean Duffy in that group. He's Trump's nominee for transportation secretary. He also seems to be on a glide path to confirmation and is also really well-liked. I also can't help but noting, Leila, that he's an alum of the MTV reality series "Road Rules," and his job will be helping determine the rules for the road. It is just too good...
FADEL: (Laughter).
DAVIS: ...To let that slide.
FADEL: OK. And which nominees could get a little more pushback from senators?
DAVIS: I think the most closely watched today is probably going to be the Senate Judiciary Committee for Pam Bondi to be Trump's attorney general. She's obviously going to have a much easier path ahead than Trump's first nominee for the job, former Congressman Matt Gaetz, who had to step down. She brings much more qualification to the job. She's a former prosecutor. She's a former attorney general for the state of Florida. But she's also one of the nominees that's going to face some of the toughest questioning from Democrats. She's a longtime Trump loyalist. She's represented him in a personal capacity. So she's going to face questions about her fidelity to the law over fidelity to Trump, as well as her role in helping Trump try to undermine the 2020 election.
FADEL: Now, it's rare for the Senate to not confirm presidential picks. Do you expect all these nominees to get a green light in the end?
DAVIS: That seems most likely, and for a couple of reasons. Senators generally believe a president deserves to have the cabinet that they want. Second, Senate rules have changed. They only need a simple majority to confirm these, and Republicans have 53 votes. So these hearings are really less about winning over Democrats and more about keeping Republicans unified. And there isn't much political interest in opposing the president, particularly as conservative groups say they could threaten a primary against any Republican senator who does.
FADEL: That's NPR political correspondent Susan Davis. Thank you so much.
DAVIS: You're welcome. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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