Broad Approval for President-elect Trump’s Transition
Bottom Line: With Donald Trump now officially certified to be the next president of the United States we’re only 13 days away from the start of his second administration. Trump’s certification also officially allows the senate to begin the process of considering the president-elect's cabinet selections which require senate confirmation. This often-overlooked process is critical for the ability for an incoming president to successfully begin to implement their agenda. The speed with which confirmations take place often sets the pace for a president's first 100 days.
In Trump’s first term it took him 97 days to have his cabinet selections confirmed – the second longest process in modern presidential history. His aim has been to have his cabinet in place as soon as possible this time around. That was evidenced when he nominated his top 15 cabinet officials requiring senate confirmation nearly two months earlier than eight years ago, and faster than any incoming president. This has paved the path for Senate Majority Leader John Thune to schedule hearings prior to Trump’s inauguration on the 20th. Here are currently scheduled senate hearings for would-be Trump officials:
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio
- UN Ambassador Elise Stefanik
- Attorney General Pam Bondi
- FBI Director Kash Patel
- Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard
- CIA Director John Ratcliffe
- Interior Department Director Doug Burgum
- Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem
- EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin
That’s a total of ten cabinet officials with scheduled hearings next week in advance of Inauguration Day. By way of comparison only two officials had completed the process by Inauguration Day eight years ago. Also, notably, Americans are solidly behind the president-elect's transition process. 53% of Americans approve of Trump’s transition compared to 42% who disapprove. That’s notable as Trump won just under 50% of the vote – meaning over 3% of Harris voters currently approve of the president-elect. This broad mandate should help with the confirmation process of Trump’s cabinet nominees.