-(4)-1731951738-q80.webp){kind=small}
Jason Miller, a longtime Trump insider, defended former President Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees on Friday, calling them "the ultimate disruptors" and expressing confidence that they would be confirmed despite growing resistance from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers.
“I’m not worried about any of the fantastic nominees that President Trump has put forward because these are the ultimate disruptors,” Miller said during an appearance on Fox News. “These are the folks that are going to depoliticize government.”
Miller’s comments came as some of Trump’s most high-profile nominees, including former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for secretary of Health and Human Services, faced significant challenges in their Senate confirmation hearings.
Critics on both sides of the aisle have questioned their qualifications, backgrounds, and views, leading to uncertainty over whether they will secure enough votes for confirmation.
Gabbard’s hearing, in particular, has drawn attention after she hesitated to label Edward Snowden a “traitor,” a moment that raised concerns among some Republican senators. Sen. Josh Hawley expressed his concern that Gabbard’s confirmation process could face obstacles, citing resistance from members of his own party.
“I’m worried by what I hear from some of my Republican colleagues. I’m worried that her nomination may be in jeopardy,” Hawley said Thursday in an interview on Fox News’ “Jesse Watters Primetime.” He argued that Gabbard was facing opposition because she challenges what he called the “surveillance state.”
It remains unclear whether Gabbard or Kennedy will receive support from Democratic senators. Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona noted that even some Republicans were uneasy about Gabbard taking charge of 18 intelligence agencies, given her past foreign policy positions and criticism of U.S. interventionism.
“I think some of them are still really, really uncomfortable with her running 18 intelligence agencies,” Kelly said Thursday on MSNBC’s “The ReidOut.”
Despite the uncertainty surrounding these nominees, Miller insisted that all of Trump’s picks were chosen to execute his vision and dismantle what he sees as excessive government politicization.
“I think this is a big part of the reason, quite frankly, why President Trump received 77 million votes this past fall, 312 electorals, of course, winning the popular vote, because Americans are sick and tired of the politicization, whether it be in law enforcement, the intel community, or even within health care,” Miller stated.
Trump’s push for non-traditional candidates reflects his broader goal of reshaping the federal government. However, resistance to his nominees suggests that even within his party, there are concerns about whether they can effectively lead their respective agencies.
As confirmation battles continue, it remains to be seen whether Trump’s vision for a “depoliticized” government will come to fruition or whether opposition from both Democrats and skeptical Republicans will derail his nominees.
