Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., on Sunday said he "couldn’t be happier" with President-elect Trump’s Cabinet nominees, saying he will work to push them through as quickly as possible.
When Paul was asked during an appearance on "Sunday Morning Futures" whether he would support all of Trump’s picks for his inner circle, the senator responded, "I couldn't have picked better."
"The vast majority I will support on day one," the senator said. "We’ll try to get Kristi Noem through Department of Homeland Security, Russ Vought for [Office of Management and Budget]. … I think in the first week you'll have half a dozen of them approved in the first week."
Paul said that he will control one committee in charge of confirming the nominees, adding, "I pledge to get them through as quickly as possible."
Paul has said that he will chair the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee with the start of the new Congress in January.
Trump has handpicked an array of establishment and unconventional officials for the 15 top posts in his Cabinet, including Health and Human Services pick Robert F. Kennedy Jr., FBI Director selection Kash Patel and Sen. Marco Rubio as the nominee for Secretary of State.
Some of Trump’s picks proved controversial, such as Patel, Defense Secretary pick Pete Hegseth and Director of National Intelligence nominee Tulsi Gabbard.
In late November, Fox News Digital learned that nearly a dozen of Trump’s Cabinet nominees and other appointees tapped for the incoming administration were targeted with "violent, unAmerican threats to their lives and those who live with them."
Just five days before Christmas, President-elect Donald Trump announced he is appointing outspoken conservative and president of CatholicVote Brian Burch to serve as the U.S. ambassador to the Vatican.
The Vatican, also known as the "Holy See," is the center of the Roman Catholic Church, which is led by Pope Francis. There are roughly 52 million Catholics in the U.S.
Burch, a father of nine, is an outspoken supporter of the president-elect. His organization, CatholicVote, a conservative activist group, issued its first presidential endorsement in Trump’s favor this year.
Catholic voters across the country swung massively toward Trump in the 2024 election, contributing to his surprise blowout victory on election night.
In his post announcing the nomination, Trump credited Burch for his significant gains among Catholic voters in November, saying that Burch "represented me well during the last Election, having garnered more Catholic votes than any Presidential Candidate in History!"
"I am pleased to announce that Brian Burch will serve as the next United States Ambassador to the Holy See," said Trump. "Brian is a devout Catholic, a father of nine, and President of CatholicVote. He has received numerous awards, and demonstrated exceptional leadership, helping build one of the largest Catholic advocacy groups in the Country."
"Brian loves his Church and the United States - He will make us all proud," the president-elect said. "Congratulations to Brian, his wife Sara, and their incredible family!"
Burch responded to his nomination by posting on X: "To God be the glory."
"Words cannot express my gratitude to all those that have helped me achieve this nomination," said Burch. "I am deeply honored and humbled to have been nominated by President Trump to serve as the United States Ambassador to the Holy See."
He thanked his family, the CatholicVote team and gave special credit to his recently deceased father who, he said, "taught me to love the Church and the blessings and responsibilities of being a citizen of the U.S."
"The Catholic Church is the largest and most important religious institution in the world, and its relationship to the United States is of vital importance," said Burch. "I am committed to working with leaders inside the Vatican and the new Administration to promote the dignity of all people and the common good. I look forward to the confirmation process and the opportunity to continue to serve my country and the Church."
CatholicVote also responded to the announcement, saying the group is "immensely proud" of Burch and that his nomination "is a testament to the importance of Catholics to the United States."
"Under Brian's leadership, CatholicVote has launched influential campaigns exposing violence against Catholic churches and uncovering government overreach targeting Catholics and pro-life advocates," the group said. "Beyond his professional work, Brian is a devoted husband and father of nine children. His commitment to family life informs his passion for building a culture that upholds the dignity of every human person and supports the central role of families in society."
The new Trump administration will have several Catholics in high-ranking positions, including Vice-president JD Vance, Secretary of State nominee Marco Rubio, Health and Human Services Secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and border czar Tom Homan.
The position of ambassador to the Holy See requires Senate confirmation.
The Senate’s top DOGE Republican will send 24 letters – one to each major federal agency head – demanding a halt to last-minute work-from-home negotiations before President Biden returns to Delaware.
Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, chair of the Senate GOP Policy Committee, made the demand days after crafting legislation for 2025 that would "decentralize" and relocate one-third of the federal workforce outside Washington, D.C.
Ernst said that not a single government agency’s office space is half-occupied two-plus years on from the COVID-19 pandemic, and she previously called for the Biden administration to sell off unused real estate for taxpayers’ benefit.
In her letters, Ernst laid out that 90% of telework-eligible federal employees are still working from home and only 6% report they are working on a "full-time basis."
Additionally, she wrote that public-sector unions are purportedly "dictating personnel policy" without regard to federal directives from the Office of Management & Budget (OMB), which is running up a massive tab and leading to wastes of time, space and money.
"The union bosses are rushing to lock in last minute, lavish long-term deals with the lame-duck Biden administration—extending beyond President Trump’s next term in office—guaranteeing that bureaucrats can stay at home for another four years or longer," Ernst wrote in one letter prepped for Office of Personnel Management director Robert Shriver III.
"Apparently, protecting telework perks for public employees is a higher priority than showing up to serve American taxpayers," she wrote, calling Biden’s submission to union demands "shocking and unacceptable."
She noted it was a similarly liberal president who vociferously opposed unionization of public employees in the first place, as Democrat Franklin Roosevelt wrote in a letter to a union steward declining a 1937 invitation to a national federal employee union convention.
"All government employees should realize that the process of collective bargaining, as usually understood, cannot be transplanted into the public service," Roosevelt said.
"It has its distinct and insurmountable limitations when applied to public personnel management. The very nature and purposes of government make it impossible for administrative officials to represent fully or to bind the employer in mutual discussions with government employee organizations."
"The employer is the whole people, who speak by means of laws enacted by their representatives in Congress."
Ernst suggested federal workers and their union representatives have forgotten Roosevelt’s warning, citing the last-minute push to ratify collective bargaining agreements and telework privilege pacts before President-elect Donald Trump can begin his oversight endeavors through DOGE.
The lawmaker told Fox News Digital on Thursday that her report cited in the letters "exposed that telework abuse is so rampant in Washington that there are more reindeer on Santa’s sleigh than employees showing up at the Department of Energy headquarters."
"As if that was not bad enough, President Biden is working hand in hand with unions to help ink more last-minute contracts allowing for telework privileges for years. Bureaucrats have forgotten their job is to serve the public, and I am happy to remind them with a little Christmas cheer."
In the letter, Ernst pointed out situations she said show union bosses and career agency management have the "government wrapped around their finger."
In the letters, she embedded a photo of former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley while he was serving as Biden’s Social Security Administration chief and who was wearing a Captain America T-shirt alongside a purported union official at a party.
Ernst cited news reports of O’Malley going to Florida to party with union members before endorsing a contract preventing easy reduction of work-from-home ability.
She said O’Malley spent the trip "crooning" Irish ballads on his guitar and drinking alcohol.
"This buddy-buddy relationship between the Social Security Commissioner and the union bosses representing his workforce during what is supposed to be a negotiation resulted in a contract unbelievably slanted towards the union and against the interests of taxpayers and the mission of the agency," she said.
In another case, she pointed to Housing & Urban Development employees who may not have deserved the TFUT or "taxpayer-funded union time" they filed for.
One such worker successfully claimed compensation while in jail.
Ernst demanded the agencies report data on TFUT claims and payouts, unused or underused real estate holdings designated for use through collective bargaining, and any cases of each agency permitting unions or their employees to use department property at a discount or for free.
"Giving bureaucrats another four-year vacation from the office is unacceptable. Bureaucrats have had enough gap years—it’s time to get them back to work," she said.
Fox News' Julia Johnson contributed to this report.
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., has suggested that it is his duty to meet with President-elect Donald Trump's nominees, noting that his decision about whether to vote to confirm the candidates will stem from an open mind and informed perspective.
"I believe that it’s appropriate and the responsibility of a U.S. Senator to have a conversation with President-elect Trump's nominees. That’s why I met with Elise Stefanik and Pete Hegseth, just wrapped with Tulsi Gabbard, and look forward to my meetings with others soon," Fetterman declared in a post on X.
"My votes will come from an open-mind and an informed opinion after having a conversation with them. That’s not controversial, it's my job," he continued.
Trump has tapped Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., to serve as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Hegseth to serve as secretary of defense, and former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard for the role of director of national intelligence.
While Fetterman has previously noted that he plans to support Stefanik, it is unclear whether he will ultimately back Hegseth and Gabbard for confirmation.
Fox News Digital reached out to request comment from the senator, but a spokesperson did not provide any additional insight into Fetterman's voting plans regarding Hegseth and Gabbard.
Fetterman has been unflinching in his staunch support for Israel in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attack against the U.S. ally.
"Always was a hard YES for @EliseStefanik but it was a pleasure to have a conversation. I support defunding UNRWA for its documented Hamas infiltration and fully look forward to her holding the @UN accountable for its endemic antisemitism and blatant anti-Israel views," Fetterman declared in a post earlier this month.
He has also pledged to support Sen. Marco Rubio's confirmation to serve as secretary of state.
"Unsurprisingly, the other team’s pick will have political differences than my own," Fetterman noted in a post on X last month. "That being said, my colleague @SenMarcoRubio is a strong choice and I look forward to voting for his confirmation."
EXCLUSIVE – Former Sen. Kelly Loeffler of Georgia will make her first visit to Capitol Hill since President-elect Trump nominated her to steer the Small Business Administration (SBA) in his second term in the White House.
Fox News has learned that Loeffler will meet on Tuesday with roughly a dozen Republican senators. Among those she'll huddle with are Sen. John Barasso of Wyoming, who ranks third in GOP Senate leadership and is the incoming Majority Whip, and Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, the incoming chair of the Senate Small Business Committee.
Loeffler, who hails from a family of small business owners and entrepreneurs, was raised working on the family farm in Illinois. After becoming the first in her family to graduate college, she spent nearly three decades working her way up in the private sector.
Along with her husband Jeff, Loeffler built a Fortune 500 financial services and technology company from 100 employees to 15,000.
"As an entrepreneur and business leader who founded startups and helped build a Fortune 500 company, Senator Loeffler looks forward to meeting with her former colleagues this week to discuss empowering America’s job creators," Loeffler spokesperson Caitlin O'Dea told Fox News in a statement. "She is honored to be President Trump’s choice to lead the SBA, and, if confirmed, looks forward to advancing his agenda to make the small business economy great again."
Loeffler and her husband have long been major donors to Republican causes and and candidates, including Trump. Loeffler serves as co-chair of the president-elect's inaugural committee.
Trump called Loeffler, a longtime ally, "tremendous fighter" as he announced her nomination as SBA administrator.
And Ernst, in a statement, said that "as a successful business owner, Kelly knows what it takes to innovate and create jobs that support American families, and I am confident that she will fight to get Washington bureaucrats off the backs of our nation's small businesses."
While successful in the business world, Loeffler was not well known until becoming a politician.
After GOP Sen. Johnny Isakson resigned from the Senate at the end of 2019 due to his deteriorating health, Republican Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia appointed Loeffler to fill Isakson's unexpired term until the next regular election.
Loeffler narrowly lost to Democrat Raphael Warnock in a runoff election in January 2021, after no candidate topped 50% of the vote in a crowded field of contenders in the November 2020 Senate election.
President-elect Trump says he doesn't think Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will name his daughter-in-law Lara Trump to succeed Sen. Marco Rubio in the Senate.
"No, I don’t. I probably don't. But I don’t know," Trump said Monday as he took questions from reporters at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida. "Ron’s doing a good job. That’s his choice – nothing to do with me."
Trump last month announced that he would nominate Rubio, the three-term senator from Florida and a senior Republican member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Intelligence committees, to serve as secretary of state in his incoming administration.
Since then, the president-elect and some top Trump allies have recommended that Lara Trump, who from March until a week ago served as Republican National Committee co-chair, fill the next two years of Rubio's term in the Senate.
DeSantis has said he'll make a decision on the Rubio Senate replacement by early next month.
Trump on Monday praised his daughter-in-law, saying, "Lara's unbelievable. She was incredible. The job she did at the RNC…. she is so highly respected."
And he added that Lara Trump is highly sought after.
"I also know that Lara got so many other things. I mean she's got so many other things. People want her to be on television. They want to give her contracts," Trump said. "She's got so many other things that she's talking about."
The president-elect also praised Rubio, but added, "He leaves a vacancy in Florida and Ron's going to have to make that decision. And he'll make the right decision."
Sources have confirmed to Fox News that Trump told DeSantis that he would like to see his daughter-in-law succeed Rubio. But Republican sources in Florida suggest that DeSantis is more likely to name someone who's held public office in the Sunshine State.
And Lara Trump, in interviews with Fox News and the AP, has said she would "seriously consider" serving Florida in the Senate.
DeSantis, a one-time Trump ally who clashed with the former president last year and early this year during a very contentious 2024 GOP presidential nomination race, mended relations a bit with the former president after the primary season, as he endorsed Trump and helped raise money for the Republican nominee's general election campaign.
"Florida deserves a senator who will help President Trump deliver on his election mandate, be strong on immigration and border security, take on the entrenched bureaucracy and administrative state, reverse the nation’s fiscal decline, be animated by conservative principles, and has a proven record of results," DeSantis said last month.
And he noted at the time that "we have already received strong interest from several possible candidates, and we continue to gather names of additional candidates and conduct preliminary vetting. More extensive vetting and candidate interviews will be conducted over the next few weeks, with a selection likely made by the beginning of January."
The formal confirmation process for Rubio by his fellow senators won’t kick off until after Trump is sworn into office on Jan. 20.
President-elect Trump named a couple of key first-term allies to roles in his second administration, including Richard Grenell.
Grenell was the incoming president's pick as presidential envoy for special missions, a post that will likely drive the administration's policies in some of the most contentious regions of the world.
"Ric will work in some of the hottest spots around the World, including Venezuela and North Korea," Trump said in the announcement Saturday evening.
Grenell was Trump's intelligence chief during the president's first administration.
"In my First Term, Ric was the United States Ambassador to Germany, Acting Director of National Intelligence, and Presidential Envoy for Kosovo-Serbia Negotiations," Trump said. "Previously, he spent eight years inside the United Nations Security Council, working with North Korea, and developments in numerous other Countries."
Trump also announced Edward Sharp Walsh as his pick to serve as U.S. ambassador to Ireland.
"Edward is the President of the Walsh Company, a very successful nationwide construction and real estate firm. He is a great philanthropist in his local community, and previously served as the Chairman of the New Jersey Schools Development Authority Board," Trump announced.
The picks are the latest in a string of nominations the president-elect hopes the Senate will approve.
President-elect Trump nominated a few more candidates Saturday to serve in various positions during his second term.
Truth Social CEO Devin Nunes was picked as the chairperson of Trump's Intelligence Advisory Board (IAB). IBM executive Troy Edgar was tapped as deputy secretary of Homeland Security. And Bill White was chosen as the ambassador to Belgium.
Nunes, if confirmed, will lead the IAB, which advises the president on the legality of foreign intelligence activities.
"While continuing his leadership of Trump Media & Technology Group, Devin will draw on his experience as former Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, and his key role in exposing the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, to provide me with independent assessments of the effectiveness and propriety of the U.S. Intelligence Community’s activities," Trump said in the announcement.
Trump also named Edgar as his pick for deputy secretary of Homeland Security.
"Troy served for me previously as the Chief Financial Officer and Associate Deputy Under Secretary of Management for Homeland Security, where he did an outstanding job managing their $90 Billion Dollar budget, resourcing critical immigration policy, and funding Wall construction," Trump said.
"Troy is currently an executive at IBM. He holds an M.B.A. and B.S. of Business Administration from the University of Southern California," Trump said. "He was previously the Mayor of Los Alamitos, California, where he helped me lead the City and County revolt against Sanctuary Cities in 2018."
If the two are confirmed, Edgar will serve alongside South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, who was tapped as Trump's pick to lead the Department of Homeland Secretary.
Also on Saturday afternoon, Trump announced that businessperson and major political donor White would serve as the U.S. ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium.
White is the founder and CEO of Constellations Group, a Manhattan-based consulting firm, and previously served as president of the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum in New York.
"Bill is a highly respected businessman, philanthropist, author, and advocate for our Nation’s Military, Veterans, and First Responders. He is the CEO of Constellations Group, and former President of the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum," Trump said.
"Bill has worked tirelessly to support Great American Patriots who have given everything for our Country by raising over $1.5 Billion Dollars for our fallen heroes, catastrophically wounded, and severely burned Service Members. He is a twice recipient of the Meritorious Public Service Award for extraordinary service from the U.S. Coast Guard, and for outstanding support from the U.S. Navy."
White was a major Trump donor and surrogate for his 2024 campaign, though the millionaire investor backed former President Obama and Hillary Clinton in past races.
The picks are the latest in a long string of nominations the president-elect hopes the Senate will approve.
A top conservative grassroots group is launching a six-figure ad campaign to support the swift confirmation of President-elect Trump’s Cabinet nominees.
The $150,000 static digital ad campaign will target nine states with a "soft appeal" to voters who might, in turn, contact their senators and express how Trump "has a mandate from the American people," Heritage Action for America Vice President Ryan Walker said Thursday.
Walker said the $150,000 is the first tranche of $1 million the group has allocated through Inauguration Day to push for Americans to ask their senators to support the nominees.
The first ad of the campaign sought to bolster Defense Secretary-nominee Pete Hegseth, and the overall initial ad buy will last through Dec. 31.
Other ads have or will highlight former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, Kash Patel and former Florida Attorney General Pamela Bondi – all of whom are Trump Cabinet nominees.
This initial buy, Walker said, focuses on Alaska, Maine, Louisiana, Iowa, North Carolina, Kentucky, Indiana, Utah, South Dakota and Washington, D.C.
While most similar advertising campaigns may seek to appeal to voters in "swing states" or in a particular region of the country, the states included here have a unique link, Walker said.
Some of the states included in the first ad buy are home to senators who either appear on the fence or have not stated a solid commitment for or against nominees like Hegseth, Gabbard and Patel.
Alaska and Maine are represented by two high-profile moderate Republicans – Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins, respectively.
Both women voted to impeach Trump, but both also were supportive of some of the president-elect’s policies as well.
"[Trump has] really about 18 months to get a substantial amount of his agenda through before the midterms. And time is of the essence in getting these folks, these Cabinet nominees, in a timely manner," Walker said.
"Uniting the Republican conference around them is what we're trying to accomplish here."
Walker said Heritage Action is focusing on public commentary from senators in the target states, and also is very much in tune with which nominees are in the news or spending time on Capitol Hill on certain days.
Last week and this week, Hegseth made the rounds seeking support for his confirmation, so the campaign began with the former Fox News host, Walker suggested.
Next week, Health and Human Services Secretary-nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is expected to visit Washington for the same purpose, and the advertising campaign is ready to pivot to focus on the Democratic Party scion if necessary.
"We want to remain flexible in this campaign to be able to highlight in different states… or different nominees, depending on what the conversation is in the Senate," Walker said, adding a direct-text-message campaign will also follow this initial advertising endeavor.
While a majority of American voters questioned in a new Fox News poll say they are hopeful about the re-election of President-elect Donald Trump, they are divided when it comes to the president-elect's top nominees who will likely serve in his upcoming second administration.
Fifty-four percent of respondents in the survey, which was conducted Dec. 6-9 and released on Wednesday, said Trump's election victory last month in the White House race over Vice President Kamala Harris made them hopeful.
However, when asked about the president-elect's cabinet selections, which include some unconventional nominees, 47% of those polled said they approved, with 50% disapproving.
It was the same response when asked about billionaire Elon Musk serving as a close adviser to the president-elect during the transition from President Biden's administration to the Trump administration, with 47% approving and 50% disapproving.
Two other polls also conducted in recent days and released on Wednesday shed additional light on how Americans feel about the incoming administration and how Trump's handling the process of building out his government.
According to a CNN poll, 54% of Americans say they expect Trump to do a good job as president once he takes over the White House.
Additionally, 55% said they largely approve of how the president-elect is handling the transition.
That is a higher percentage compared to eight years ago, when Trump first won the White House, but it is still well behind other recent presidents, according to CNN polling.
Meanwhile, 47% of people questioned in a Marist Poll gave the former and future president a thumbs up when it comes to how he is handling the transition, with 39% disapproving and 14% unsure.
Not surprisingly, the polls point to a massive partisan divide on the question. In the Marist survey, 86% of Republicans approved of how the GOP president-elect is handling the transition. However, 72% of Democrats disapproved. Among independents, 43% disapproved and 38% approved.
"Although more people support Trump’s transition than oppose it, more independents are taking a wait-and-see position than more partisan voters," Marist Institute for Public Opinion Director Lee Miringoff said.
Miringoff added that "a note of caution for President-elect Trump is that fewer voters approve of the transition than gave a thumbs up to either Biden or Obama at this point."
The release of the polls came as Trump's cabinet picks continued to meet with senators on Capitol Hill ahead of confirmation hearings starting next month.
Trump named his nominees for his cabinet and his choices for other top administration officials at a faster pace than he did eight years ago after his first White House victory.
However, his transition has already faced some setbacks, including his first attorney general nominee, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, ending his bid for confirmation amid controversy over allegations he paid for sex with underage girls.
Trump last weekend made his first international trip since winning last month's election, and he was courted by world leaders during a stop in Paris.
Trump will be inaugurated Jan. 20.
Fox News' Victoria Balara contributed to this report.
As President-elect Trump and his transition team steer his cabinet nominees through the landmines of the Senate confirmation process, top MAGA allies are joining the fight by putting pressure on GOP lawmakers who aren't fully on board.
"There will be no resource that we won’t use to go after those U.S. senators that vote against Donald Trump’s Cabinet picks or his other nominees," longtime Trump outside adviser Corey Lewandowski told Fox News this week.
Fueled by grassroots support for Trump and his nominees, the president-elect's political team and allies are cranking up the volume.
Ernst, the first female combat veteran elected to the Senate, is considered a pivotal vote in the confirmation battle over Pete Hegseth, Trump's nominee for defense secretary.
Hegseth, an Army National Guard officer who deployed to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and who until last month was a longtime Fox News host, has been the focus of a slew of media reports spotlighting a series of drinking and sexual misconduct allegations, as well as a report alleging he mismanaged a veterans nonprofit organization that he once led.
Hegseth has denied allegations that he mistreated women, but did reach a financial settlement with an accuser from a 2017 incident to avoid a lawsuit. He has vowed that he won't drink "a drop of alcohol" if confirmed as defense secretary.
Ernst, a member of the Armed Services Committee, which will hold Hegseth's confirmation hearings, took plenty of incoming fire after last week publicly expressing hesitance over Hegseth's nomination.
While Trump publicly praised Hegseth late last week, as the nomination appeared to be teetering, top allies of the president-elect took aim at Ernst, who is up for re-election in 2026 in red-state Iowa.
Donald Trump Jr., the president-elect's oldest son and MAGA powerhouse, took to social media to target Ernst and other potentially wavering Republican senators.
"If you’re a GOP Senator who voted for Lloyd Austin [President Biden's defense secretary], but criticize @PeteHegseth, then maybe you’re in the wrong political party!" he posted.
Top MAGA ally Charlie Kirk quickly took aim at Ernst with talk of supporting a primary challenger to her.
"This is the red line. This is not a joke.… The funding is already being put together. Donors are calling like crazy. Primaries are going to be launched," said Kirk, an influential conservative activist and radio and TV host who co-founded and steers Turning Point USA.
Kirk, on his radio program, warned that "if you support the president’s agenda, you’re good. You’re marked safe from a primary. You go up against Pete Hegseth, the president, repeatedly, then don’t be surprised, Joni Ernst, if all of a sudden you have a primary challenge in Iowa."
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, a top Trump supporter in last January's first-in-the-nation presidential caucuses, wrote a column on Breitbart urging Hegseth's confirmation.
While she didn't mention Ernst by name, Bird took aim at "D.C. politicians" who "think they can ignore the voices of their constituents and entertain smears from the same outlets that have pushed out lies for years."
And longtime Iowa-based conservative commentator and media personality Steve Deace took to social media and used his radio program to highlight that he would consider launching a primary challenge against Ernst.
Ernst, who stayed neutral in the Iowa caucuses before endorsing Trump later in the GOP presidential primary calendar, may have gotten the message.
After meeting earlier this week for a second time with Hegseth, Ernst said in a statement that her meeting was "encouraging" and that she would "support Pete through this process."
But Ernst's office told Fox News that "the senator has consistently followed the process, which she has said since the beginning, and doing her job as a United States senator."
It's not just Ernst who has faced the fire from Trump allies and MAGA world.
Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, one of four remaining GOP senators who voted in the 2021 Trump impeachment trial to convict him, is also up for re-election in 2026 in a reliably red state. Cassidy is now facing a formal primary challenge from Louisiana Treasurer John Fleming, a senior adviser in the first Trump administration.
Sen. Mike Rounds, another Republican up for re-election in two years in GOP-dominated South Dakota, has also been blasted by Kirk, as well as by top Trump ally and billionaire Elon Musk.
And staunch Trump supporter Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama had a warning for Republican Senate colleagues who may oppose the president-elect's nominees.
"Republicans: If you’re not on the team, get out of the way," he told FOX Business.
Whether these early threats from Trump allies turn into actual primary challenges in the next midterm elections remains to be seen. And ousting a senator is no easy feat. It's been a dozen years since an incumbent senator was defeated during a primary challenge.
But Trump's team and allies are playing hardball in the wake of former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., the president-elect's first attorney general nominee, ending his confirmation bid amid controversy.
There has been a full-court press by Trump's political orbit to bolster Hegseth — in order to protect him and some of the president-elect's other controversial Cabinet picks.
"If Trump world allowed a couple of establishment senators to veto a second nominee, it would have led to a feeding frenzy on Trump's other nominees, and so the thinking in Trump world was we have to defend Pete not just for the sake of defending Pete, but also for the sake of defending our other nominees," a longtime Trump world adviser, who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely, told Fox News.
Fox News' Emma Colton, Cameron Cawthorne, Julia Johnson, Tyler Olson and Chad Pergram contributed to this report.
President-elect Donald Trump nominated a few more candidates on Wednesday night to serve in various positions during his second term.
He tapped Kari Lake as the next director of the Voice of America, a state-funded U.S. government broadcaster. Lake was a longtime Arizona broadcaster who ran unsuccessfully for public office in 2022 and 2024.
"I am pleased to announce that Kari Lake will serve as our next Director of the Voice of America. She will be appointed by, and work closely with, our next head of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, who I will announce soon, to ensure that the American values of Freedom and Liberty are broadcast around the World FAIRLY and ACCURATELY, unlike the lies spread by the Fake News Media," Trump wrote in a release.
Voice of America is an influential broadcast channel that serves news, information, and cultural programming through the Internet, mobile and social media, radio, and television. The broadcaster serves in over 40 languages.
Trump also named Dr. Peter Lamelas, a physician, philanthropist, and businessman, as the next U.S. Ambassador to Argentina. Lamelas immigrated to the U.S. from Cuba and founded MD Now Urgent Care in Florida, the state's largest urgent care system.
"As a child, Peter and his family fled communist Cuba and LEGALLY immigrated to the USA, starting with nothing, and achieving the American Dream," Trump wrote in the announcement on Truth Social.
Lamelas was previously appointed to the Department of Justice's Medal of Valor Review Board during Trump's first term and has served as a town commissioner in Manalapan, Florida, and on the state's Board of Medicine.
Also on Wednesday evening, Trump announced Daniel Newlin, a law enforcement veteran, as the next U.S. Ambassador to Colombia. In addition to a 28-year career with the Orange County (Florida) Sheriff's Office where he worked as a fugitive detective, Newlin is also a business executive and entrepreneur.
"With his Law Enforcement expertise enabling him to navigate complex international issues, and his business insights fostering economic partnerships, Newlin stands as a powerful advocate for U.S. interests, and a Champion for strengthening ties, and making a difference in the World," Trump wrote.
The picks announced Wednesday night are the latest in a long string of nominations the president-elect hopes the Senate will approve.
President-elect Trump tapped Kari Lake as the next director of the Voice of America, a state-funded U.S. government broadcaster.
"I am pleased to announce that Kari Lake will serve as our next Director of the Voice of America. She will be appointed by, and work closely with, our next head of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, who I will announce soon, to ensure that the American values of Freedom and Liberty are broadcast around the World FAIRLY and ACCURATELY, unlike the lies spread by the Fake News Media," Trump wrote in a release on Wednesday night.
Lake was a longtime Arizona broadcaster who ran unsuccessfully for public office in 2022 and 2024.
Voice of America is an influential broadcast channel that serves news, information, and cultural programming through the Internet, mobile and social media, radio, and television.
EXCLUSIVE: A Marine lieutenant colonel from Ohio who publicly spoke out against the Afghanistan withdrawal will lead rank-and-file service members door-to-door in the Senate next week in support of defense nominee Pete Hegseth.
Stuart Scheller, who was imprisoned in a Jacksonville, N.C., brig for his public criticisms of military brass, told Fox News Digital Wednesday he is organizing enlisted men and women to engage with senators next Wednesday.
Scheller stressed that service members who are participating are not prominent fellows at think tanks or in any governmental or related seats of power.
"Pete has made public comments that he wants to move to a meritocracy, and he believes that we need more courage in the ranks. So, I'm not saying that I wouldn't have been reprimanded [if he was secretary]," Scheller said.
"I still think there probably was some reprimand that needed to happen, but it would go across the board.
"The difference is, if Pete was the secretary of defense, the general officers would have also been held accountable [for the botched withdrawal], and I would not have had to go to the lengths that I had to go to bring attention to the situation."
Scheller said that, in the last decade or two, the U.S. military is "not winning anything, and we need to turn it into a winning organization."
Scheller said Hegseth has planned to hold accountable Pentagon leaders who have "become stagnant" in the lieutenant colonel’s words.
He also stressed that Hegseth is the first Pentagon nominee in decades who is not from the officer corps or defense contracting firms.
Outgoing Secretary Lloyd Austin III is a retired CENTCOM general but also came from the board of Raytheon.
"Forty years to become a four-star general really removes you from the forces," Scheller said of the past several officer-corps secretary choices overall.
"Pete’s middle management — a major. I mean, he’s like the perfect guy ... and he's been sitting here talking to veterans when he was developing his book, trying to understand their pulse and the heartbeat. So, that book that he wrote probably prepared him in terms of the current culture and sentiment and frustrations more than any other secretary of defense."
As for his plans for the Hill next week, Scheller said he and fellow service members are focused on those who may appear to be on the fence about Hegseth.
"I'm looking for more [of] the right people than the total quantity," he said.
Scheller will also release a video announcing his Wednesday mission.
"[Hegseth] is a combat veteran from our generation and … he’s not a puppet for the military industrial complex. He's not going to end up on one of their boards like every general officer of our generation," Scheller says in the video.
"I'm going to be in Washington, D.C., walking through the halls of the U.S. Senate, talking to all the U.S. senators, advocating for peace."
Roughly half of Americans approve of how President-elect Trump is handling his transition to a second term in the White House, according to two new national polls.
Fifty-five percent of Americans said they largely approve of how the president-elect is handling the transition from the Biden to Trump administrations, according to a CNN poll released on Wednesday.
That's a higher percentage compared to eight years ago, when Trump first won the White House, but it's still well behind other recent presidents, according to CNN polling.
Meanwhile, 47% of people questioned in a Marist Poll also released on Tuesday gave the former and future president a thumbs up when it comes to how he's handling the transition, with 39% disapproving and 14% unsure.
Not surprisingly, the Marist survey indicates a massive partisan divide on the question, with 86% of Republicans approving of how the GOP president-elect is handling the transition. But 72% of Democrats disapproved. Among independents, 43% disapproved and 38% approved.
"Although more people support Trump’s transition than oppose it, more independents are taking a wait and see position than more partisan voters," Marist Institute for Public Opinion director Lee Miringoff said.
Miringoff added that "a note of caution for President-elect Trump is that fewer voters approve of the transition than gave a thumbs up to either Biden or Obama at this point."
Marist questioned 3,131 adults nationwide from Dec. 3-5 for their survey, with an overall margin of error of plus or minus 2.1 percentage points.
The CNN poll was conducted Dec. 5-8, with an overall sampling error of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.
The release of the polls came as Trump's cabinet picks continued to meet with senators on Capitol Hill, ahead of confirmation hearings starting next month.
Trump named his nominees for his cabinet and his choices for other top administration officials at a faster pace than he did eight years ago, following his first White House victory.
But his transition has already faced some setbacks, including his first attorney general nominee - former Rep. Matt Gaetz - ending his bid for confirmation amid controversy over allegations he paid for sex with underage girls.
Meanwhile, Trump last weekend made his first international trip since defeating Vice President Kamala Harris in last month's election, as he was courted by world leaders during a stop in Paris, France.
Trump will be inaugurated on Jan. 20.
According to the CNN poll, 54% of Americans say they expect Trump to do a good job as president once he takes over in the White House.
FIRST ON FOX - More than 30 House Republicans who are military veterans are expressing their "strong support" for Pete Hegseth, President-elect Trump's nominee for Defense Secretary.
In a letter to Republican Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, the incoming Senate majority leader, and Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer, the current majority leader, the House GOP lawmakers "call on the Senate to honor its constitutional duty of advice and consent by conducting a fair, thorough confirmation process."
The letter, shared first with Fox News on Wednesday, was written by Rep. August Pfluger of Texas. He urges that senators evaluate Hegseth's nomination "solely on its substantive merits— his distinguished military service, academic credentials, and a bold vision for revitalizing our national defense."
Hegseth, an Army National Guard officer who deployed to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and who until last month was a longtime Fox News host, has been the focus of a slew of reports spotlighting a series of drinking and sexual misconduct allegations, as well as a report alleging he mismanaged a veterans nonprofit organization that he once led.
Trump's defense secretary nominee has denied allegations that he mistreated women but did reach a financial settlement with an accuser from a 2017 incident to avoid a lawsuit. He has vowed that he won't drink "a drop of alcohol" if confirmed as defense secretary.
While Hegseth's confirmation is still far from a sure bet, a very public pronouncement of support from Trump late last week, behind-the-scenes efforts by Vice President-elect Sen. JD Vance to persuade his GOP Senate colleagues to support the nominee, and Hegseth's own determination, seem to have resuscitated a nomination that appeared to be teetering last week.
Pfluger, in the letter, emphasizes that Hegseth's "ability to communicate across institutional landscapes—with military leadership, congressional representatives, and frontline troops—will set him apart. His media expertise and transparent communication style will be crucial in executing a clear vision that cuts through bureaucratic inertia."
"Mr. Hegseth represents the strategic reset our defense infrastructure requires: an unorthodox yet qualified leader who can streamline the defense bureaucracy, accelerate modernization, and ensure America remains the world's most formidable military power," Pfluger argues.
Pfluger, an Air Force Academy graduate who served as a pilot on active duty for two decades and flew combat missions in Iraq and Syria. He later served on the National Security Council during Trump's first term in office before winning election in 2020 to the House in Texas' 11th Congressional District.
The letter is co-signed by Rep. Michael Waltz of Florida - Trump's pick to serve as his national security adviser in his second administration. Waltz, a colonel in the National Guard, received four Bronze Stars while serving in the Special Forces during multiple combat tours in Afghanistan, the Middle East, and Africa. In 2018, he became the first "Green Beret" elected to Congress.
The fellow veterans putting their signatures on the letter are - in alphabetical order - Republican Reps. Mike Bost of Illinois, Andrew Clyde of Georgia, Elijah Crane of Arizona, Jake Ellzey of Texas, Scott Fitzgerald of Wisconsin, Scott Franklin of Florida, Mark Green of Tennessee, Clay Higgins of Louisiana, Wesley Hunt of Texas, Ronny Jackson of Texas, Trent Kelly of Mississippi, Nick LaLota of New York, Barry Loudermilk of Georgia, Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, Morgan Luttrell of Texas, Brian Mast of Florida, Richard McCormick of Georgia, Max Miller of Ohio, Cory Mills of Florida, Barry Moore of Alabama, Troy Nehls of Texas, Zach Nunn of Iowa, Guy Reschenthaler of Pennsylvania, Keith Self of Texas, Greg Steube of Florida, William Timmons of South Carolina, Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin, Brandon Williams of New York, Ryan Zinke of Montana, and Dan Crenshaw of Texas.
EXCLUSIVE: A top U.S. senator is expected to demand that Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo explain her reported plans to exhaust the remainder of the CHIPs and Science Act’s multibillion-dollar appropriations before President-elect Donald Trump takes office.
"Your recent mandate to the Department of Commerce staff to work overtime–including weekends–spending billions of dollars in funding provided by the CHIPs and Science Act as quickly as possible before President-elect Trump takes office in January is extremely concerning," Senate DOGE Caucus leader Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, writes in a letter that's to be given to Raimondo on Wednesday.
Ernst called on Raimondo, the previous Rhode Island governor, to immediately halt all last-minute spending plans.
Raimondo recently told Politico she’d "like to have really almost all of the money obligated" from what is one of President Biden’s major government spending initiatives "by the time we leave."
The CHIPs Act, sponsored by then-Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, sought to invest in domestic semiconductor manufacturing, research, development and other related endeavors.
In her letter, Ernst said microchips and other "essential goods" strengthen the U.S. economy and supply chain.
She said that the success of the CHIPs Act hinges on careful planning and execution, which, according to her interpretation, are not reflected in Raimondo's remarks regarding the upcoming final rounds of spending.
"[B]inge buying shopping sprees by bureaucrats shoveling billions out the door before your term expires" are unwise, she said.
"This is not a time to let the CHIPs fall where they may," she said, pointing to reports that nearly $280 billion in COVID-19 response funding was wasted or subject to fraud.
"Shoveling out heaps of taxpayer dollars as fast as possible, with little to no oversight, is part of the reason the United States government is nearly $36 trillion in debt today," Ernst wrote.
In exclusive comments to Fox News Digital, Ernst quipped that while "Black Friday might have come-and-gone, the Biden administration is on a spending spree, convinced every tax dollar must go."
"We’ve never seen bureaucrats work this hard, and you can be sure they made a list and aren’t checking it twice to find out who is naughty and nice. This is backwards and underscores the need for DOGE to shake up Washington and bring some much-needed Iowa common sense to the capital," she said.
In her letter, Ernst wrote that with $25 billion of $53 billion in available appropriations already earmarked, it is difficult to believe the same level of oversight will be given to the last-minute expenditures as there likely was for the first two years’ worth.
In addition to her criticisms and demands that the spending be halted, Ernst asked Raimondo to inform her on several related fronts before the day the new Congress is seated next year.
Ernst is requesting the total number of ongoing negotiations between Commerce and CHIPs Act fund applicants, the duration of planned CHIPs projects and the amount of money spent via the CHIPs Act both prior to and after Trump’s election win.
She will also ask Raimondo how her team is coordinating with the Trump transition on this matter.
Trump has chosen Cantor-Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick to succeed Raimondo on Jan. 20.
Fox News Digital reached out to Raimondo on the general subject of her remarks to Politico. A Raimondo representative directed Fox News Digital to a portion of her interview: "You know, there's a deadline, there's a clear deadline with a change of administration. So, certainly, a deadline focuses the mind. But this was the plan we were on all along to complete this mission. I don't worry terribly about any of the CHIPs money being rolled back, as you say. I mean, the Commerce Department is somewhat unique in so far as everything we've done and are doing is bipartisan," Raimondo said.
As Pete Hegseth, President-elect Trump's defense secretary nominee, returns to Capitol Hill on Tuesday to meet with more Republican senators, his once apparently teetering nomination now seems to be on much firmer ground.
While Hegseth's confirmation is still far from a sure bet, a very public pronouncement of support from Trump, behind-the-scenes efforts by Vice President-elect Sen. JD Vance, and Hegseth's own determination seem to have resuscitated a nomination that appeared to be headed toward life support.
"We look forward to earning these confirmation votes," a confident Hegseth said Monday night in an interview on Fox News' "Hannity."
In the wake of former Rep. Matt Gaetz, the president-elect's first attorney general nominee, ending his confirmation bid amid controversy, there has been a full-court press by Trump's political orbit to bolster Hegseth in order to protect him and other controversial Cabinet picks.
"If Trump world allowed a couple of establishment senators to veto a second nominee, it would have led to a feeding frenzy on Trump's other nominees, and so the thinking in Trump world was we have to defend Pete not just for the sake of defending Pete, but also for the sake of defending our other nominees," a longtime Trump world adviser, who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely, told Fox News.
Hegseth, an Army National Guard officer who deployed to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and who until last month was a longtime Fox News host, has been the focus of a slew of reports spotlighting a series of drinking and sexual misconduct allegations, as well as a report alleging he mismanaged a veterans nonprofit organization that he once led.
Hegseth has denied allegations that he mistreated women but did reach a financial settlement with an accuser from a 2017 incident to avoid a lawsuit. He has vowed that he won't drink "a drop of alcohol" if confirmed as defense secretary.
Trump's defense secretary nominee was interviewed hours after meeting a second time with Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, the first female combat veteran elected to the Senate and a member of the Armed Services Committee, which will hold Hegseth's confirmation hearings.
Ernst, a conservative lawmaker first elected to the Senate in 2014, is considered a pivotal vote in the confirmation battle over Hegseth, who in the past has questioned the role of women in combat.
The senator is also a survivor of sexual assault who has a strong legislative record of addressing sexual assault and harassment in the military.
After meeting with Hegseth, Ernst wrote in a statement Monday that "as I support Pete through this process, I look forward to a fair hearing based on truth, not anonymous sources."
Ernst emphasized that "following our encouraging conversations, Pete committed to completing a full audit of the Pentagon and selecting a senior official who will uphold the roles and value of our servicemen and women – based on quality and standards, not quotas – and who will prioritize and strengthen my work to prevent sexual assault within the ranks."
Hegseth, speaking with Fox News' Sean Hannity, noted that "it was a great meeting. People don't really know this. I've known Sen. Ernst for over 10 years.
"You get into these meetings, and you listen to senators – it's an amazing advise and consent process – and you hear how thoughtful, serious, substantive they are on these key issues that pertain to our Defense Department," he continued. "And Joni Ernst is front and center on that. So to be able to have phone calls and meetings time and time again to talk over the issues is really, really important. The fact that she's willing to support me through this process means a lot."
Last week, after her first meeting with Hegseth, Ernst said in a social media post that she and Trump's defense secretary nominee had a "frank and thorough" conversation.
A day later, when asked in an interview on Fox News' "America's Newsroom" if she wasn't ready to vote to confirm Hegseth, the senator replied, "I think you are right."
Even Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a longtime Trump ally in the Senate, was expressing serious concerns about Hegseth's nomination.
Fox News and other news organizations late last week reported that Trump was potentially considering nominating Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as defense secretary as a possible replacement should Hegseth's nomination falter.
But on Friday, Trump took to social media to praise Hegseth.
"Hegseth is doing very well. His support is strong and deep, much more so than the Fake News," the president-elect wrote. And he praised Hegseth in a high-profile network TV interview over this past weekend.
Vance, who remains a senator from Ohio until he steps down to assume the vice presidency, has been working behind the scenes to consolidate support for Hegseth among his Republican colleagues in the Senate.
"It's fair to say that JD has been Pete's biggest champion internally in Trump world and has spent a lot of time over the last two weeks helping shore up support for Pete among his colleagues in the Senate," a source in Vance's political orbit told Fox News.
Meanwhile, Trump's political team and allies – fueled by grassroots support for Hegseth – turned up the volume.
"There will be no resource that we won’t use to go after those U.S. senators that vote against Donald Trump’s Cabinet picks or his other nominees," longtime Trump outside adviser Corey Lewandowski told Fox News.
Donald Trump Jr., the president-elect's oldest son and MAGA powerhouse, took to social media to target wavering Republican senators.
"If you’re a GOP Senator who voted for Lloyd Austin [President Biden's defense secretary], but criticize @PeteHegseth, then maybe you’re in the wrong political party!" Don Trump Jr. wrote in a social media post.
MAGA allies quickly targeted Ernst, with talk of a primary challenge when the senator faces re-election in 2026.
"This is the red line. This is not a joke.… The funding is already being put together. Donors are calling like crazy. Primaries are going to be launched," said Charlie Kirk, an influential conservative activist and radio and TV host who co-founded and steers Turning Point USA.
Kirk, on his radio program, warned that "if you support the president’s agenda, you’re good. You’re marked safe from a primary. You go up against Pete Hegseth, the president repeatedly, then don’t be surprised, Joni Ernst, if all of a sudden you have a primary challenge in Iowa."
State Attorney General Brenna Bird, a top Trump supporter in last January's Iowa presidential caucuses, wrote a column on Breitbart urging Hegseth's confirmation.
While she didn't mention Ernst by name, Bird took aim at "D.C. politicians" who "think they can ignore the voices of their constituents and entertain smears from the same outlets that have pushed out lies for years."
And longtime Iowa-based conservative commentator and media personality Steve Deace took to social media and used his radio program to highlight that he would consider launching a primary challenge against Ernst.
Deace, who supported DeSantis in the Iowa caucuses, said, "I am willing to primary her for the good of the cause if I'm assured I have Trump's support going in. Or I am willing to throw my support and network behind someone else President Trump prefers to primary Joni Ernst instead."
Also helping Hegseth is his defiance.
Hegseth told reporters on Thursday that "this will not be a process tried in the media. I don’t answer to anyone in this group. None of you, not to that camera at all. I answer to President Trump, who received 76 million votes on behalf... and a mandate for change. I answer to the 100 senators who are part of this process and those in the committee. And I answer to my Lord and Savior and my wife and my family."
And on Fox News' "Hannity," Hegseth charged that "the left is trying to turn this into a trial in the media, a show trial. And we're not going to let that happen."
Fox News' Emma Colton, Cameron Cawthorne, Tyler Olson, and Chad Pergram contributed to this story
Seventy-seven Nobel Prize winners have come out against the nomination of environmental and health activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.
In a letter first reported by the New York Times, the Nobel Laureates urge members of the United States Senate to reject RFK Jr.'s nomination, raising concerns about his "lack of credentials" in health science or administration, opposition to vaccines and promotion of "conspiracy theories" about mainstream medical treatments.
"Placing Mr. Kennedy in charge of DHHS would put the public’s health in jeopardy and undermine America’s global leadership in the health sciences," the letter cautions.
Kennedy, the son of former U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, is an environmental lawyer and activist who founded the Children's Health Defense, a nonprofit group accused of spreading misinformation on vaccines, including debunked claims that vaccination causes autism. President-elect Trump declared his intention to nominate Kennedy to lead HHS in November after Kennedy, who ran for president as an independent, endorsed Trump for president.
The letter cites Kennedy's opposition to widely-accepted public health interventions, including vaccination and the fluoridation of drinking water, to suggest his confirmation could lead to public harm. The Nobel Laureates also allude to his rejection of scientific evidence that shows H.I.V. causes AIDS.
Additionally, the Nobel Laureates call Kennedy a "belligerent critic" of the agencies he would oversee as Health Secretary, including the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institutes of Health.
Kennedy has accused the FDA of "corruption" and called for "entire departments" at the agency to be cleared out. He has also called the CDC's vaccine division a "fascist enterprise" and accused health agencies of being captured by the pharmaceutical industry, according to NBC News.
The Nobel Laureates insist the next health secretary "should continue to nurture and improve — not to threaten — these important and highly respected institutions and their employees."
If confirmed, Kennedy would oversee a vast health policy bureaucracy that includes 13 agencies, operates with a $2 trillion budget and administers Medicare, Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act and other crucial federal health programs.
The Department of Health and Human Services guides public health policy for disease treatment and prevention; provides grants for medical research and community health programs; assists with child welfare programs, including adoption, foster care, child care and child abuse; develops bioterrorism defense strategies; resettles refugees who seek asylum in the United States and much more.
"President Trump has asked me to do three things: 1. Clean up the corruption in our government health agencies. 2. Return those agencies to their rich tradition of gold-standard, evidence-based science. 3. Make America Healthy Again by ending the chronic disease epidemic," Kennedy posted on X after his nomination.
Kennedy is not the only recent HHS nominee to face public scrutiny over his apparent lack of health credentials. Conservative groups opposed President Biden's 2020 nomination of then-California Attorney General Xavier Becerra to lead the department on grounds that Becerra, a former congressman and lawyer, had no related health experience.
The Senate confirmed Becerra 50-49, with the support of all Democrats and just one Republican, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine.
Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, the first female combat veteran elected to the Senate and a member of the Armed Services Committee, has signaled toward supporting President-elect Trump's nominee for defense secretary.
After meeting on Monday for a second time with Pete Hegseth, Ernst wrote in a statement that "as I support Pete through this process, I look forward to a fair hearing based on truth, not anonymous sources."
An Army National Guard officer who deployed to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and who until last month was a longtime Fox News host, Hegseth has been the focus of a slew of reports spotlighting a series of drinking and sexual misconduct allegations.
Hegseth has denied allegations that he mistreated women and has vowed that he won't drink "a drop of alcohol" if confirmed as defense secretary. A separate report showcased allegations Hegseth mismanaged a veterans nonprofit organization that he once led.
Ernst, a conservative lawmaker first elected to the Senate in 2014, is considered a pivotal vote in the confirmation battle over Hegseth, who in the past has questioned the role of women in combat.
The senator is also a survivor of sexual assault who has a strong legislative record of addressing sexual assault and harassment in the military.
She said in her statement that "following our encouraging conversations, Pete committed to completing a full audit of the Pentagon and selecting a senior official who will uphold the roles and value of our servicemen and women – based on quality and standards, not quotas – and who will prioritize and strengthen my work to prevent sexual assault within the ranks."
Ernst's office told Fox News on Monday that "the senator has consistently followed the process, which she has said since the beginning, and doing her job as a United States senator."
After meeting with Hegseth last week, Ernst said in a social media post that she and Trump's defense secretary nominee had a "frank and thorough" conversation.
A day later, when asked in an interview on Fox News' "America's Newsroom" if she wasn't ready to vote to confirm Hegseth, the senator replied, "I think you are right."
Ahead of his second meeting with the senator, Hegseth told Fox News' Aishah Hasnie, "I'm really looking forward to meeting with Sen. Ernst. I appreciate her. I respect her background and her service. She's incredible. And the ongoing conversation has been very fruitful."
Over the past few days, a high-profile Trump ally has threatened to fuel a primary challenge against Ernst when she's up for re-election in 2026.
"This is the red line. This is not a joke. … The funding is already being put together. Donors are calling like crazy. Primaries are going to be launched," said Charlie Kirk, an influential conservative activist and radio and TV host who co-founded and steers Turning Point USA.
Kirk, on his radio program, warned that "if you support the president’s agenda, you’re good. You’re marked safe from a primary. You go up against Pete Hegseth, the president repeatedly, then don’t be surprised, Joni Ernst, if all of a sudden you have a primary challenge in Iowa."
In Iowa, conservative commentator and media personality Steve Deace took to social media and used his radio program to highlight that he would consider launching a primary challenge against Ernst.
"Defeating an incumbent US Senator takes high name ID, connections, and funding potential," Deace wrote. "I'm one of the few people in Iowa with all three."
Deace, who supported Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in this year's Iowa GOP presidential caucus, said, "I don't want to be a Senator, but I am willing to primary her for the good of the cause if I'm assured I have Trump's support going in. Or I am willing to throw my support and network behind someone else President Trump prefers to primary Joni Ernst instead."
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, a top Trump supporter in the Iowa caucuses, wrote a column on Breitbart urging Hegseth's confirmation.
While she didn't mention Ernst by name, Bird took aim at "D.C. politicians" who "think they can ignore the voices of their constituents and entertain smears from the same outlets that have pushed out lies for years."
David Kochel, a veteran GOP consultant who was a key strategist and early backer of Ernst during her successful 2014 Senate campaign, told Fox News that "Joni Ernst is doing what the Constitution says what her job is, which is advise and consent."
"I think that everybody should just give her the space to do her job, and making threats to a combat veteran usually doesn't work out great," Kochel said.
Trump has praised Hegseth in the past few days.
"Hegseth is doing very well. His support is strong and deep, much more so than the Fake News," the president-elect wrote on Friday.
But Fox News and other news organizations have reported that Trump is potentially considering nominating DeSantis as defense secretary as a possible replacement should Hegseth's nomination falter.
Ernst's name has also come up as a possible replacement.
But the senator said last week in an interview with RealClearPolitics that "I am not seeking to be secretary of defense."
Fox News' Chad Pergram, Tyler Olson and Julia Johnson contributed to this report.
