Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R‑AL) expressed his confidence that President-elect Donald Trump has already properly vetted his appointees and that the GOP should not challenge those nominations.
Trump’s decision to name Former Fox News Anchor Pete Hegseth as his Defense Secretary prompted negative press about him. Some outlets reported allegations from anonymous sources that Hegseth had a problem with alcohol while working at Fox, which has been heavily disputed by his former coworkers. Tuberville has already voiced his approval of Hegseth.
“Who are we to say that we’re a better vetter and picker of people than Donald Trump?” Tuberville told CNN reporter Manu Raju in the halls of the United States Capitol. “Donald Trump did all the vetting they needed to do on Pete Hegseth.”
Tuberville added that it should be up to Democrats, not Republicans, to investigate Trump’s picks.
“We have to be convinced. I mean, they should do all the background work, they should go after our nominees. I have not heard very little from the left,” Tuberville added.
Online, Tuberville pointed out that zero Democratic senators voted against President Joe Biden’s Cabinet four years ago. Meanwhile, his own party is splintering on Trump’s Cabinet in jabs to the president-elect.
“And I just can’t believe we have people on our side there saying, ‘well, I’ve got to look at this. Got to look at that.’ What they’re doing is they’re throwing rocks at Donald Trump. They’re not throwing them at Pete Hegseth, they’re throwing them at Donald Trump because they’re saying, ‘well, we don’t believe you did the right vetting and we don’t believe he can do the job,’” Tuberville said. “Wait a minute. That’s not our job to do that. That’s the Democrats.”
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Hegseth also has the public support of Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R‑TN), Markwayne Mullin (R‑OK), and James Lankford (R‑OK), among others.
The Senate has the power to “advise and consent” the president’s choices for his Cabinet per the Constitution.