Peter Hamby: “The first big showdown for Democrats will likely take place in the Senate, where a battery of Trump’s controversial cabinet nominees are set to face confirmation hearings. A new poll from Echelon Insights, in partnership with Puck, suggests that Democrats have an opportunity to drive a wedge between the American public and Trump on the subject of his more outré picks: Pete Hegseth for secretary of defense, Kash Patel for FBI director, Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for secretary of health and human services.”
“While a slim majority of likely voters in the poll (52 percent) approved of Trump’s transition so far, their views shifted when asked questions about his nominees, their experience, their views, and the role of the Senate in approving those nominations. Americans overall defend the Senate’s right to confirm or reject presidential nominees, even if it conflicts with a president’s wishes.”
