When President-elect Donald Trump takes the oath of office on Monday, only one of his hand-picked national security picks will likely have been confirmed by the U.S. Senate: Marco RubioTrump’s choice for Secretary of State.
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Republicans like Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) were beat the drum for weeks about the importance of quickly confirming Trump’s team to ensure there are no gaps or gaps in national security. He entered the Senate last week, note down that Trump had nominated his core team before Thanksgiving and, given his electoral mandate, must have his nominees in place when he takes office.
“These nominees are bold decisions. You are motivated. You are competent. They are committed to the safety of every American.
“Most importantly, they show that President Trump is serious about bringing fresh eyes and real change to Washington.
“That’s exactly what the American people elected him to do.
“Senate Republicans are committed to quickly assembling President Trump’s team. Our committee chairs work hard to ensure that every candidate receives a fair and speedy review.”
As the confirmation hearings began, Barrasso continued to call for Trump’s national security team to be prepared for a breakthrough, particularly calling attention to the need to confirm Pete Hegseth as defense secretary.
Pete Hegseth is confident, well-read and should be quickly confirmed as President Trump’s Secretary of Defense. pic.twitter.com/Ojqln03j7j
– Senator John Barrasso (@SenJohnBarrasso) January 14, 2025
Unfortunately, Senate Democrats seem determined to drag out the Hegseth confirmation process as long as possible, leaving us wondering what happens if we don’t have a SecDef on Monday? After all, conflicts don’t stop spiraling and bad actors don’t take the day off.
We know for sure that Biden’s SecDef, Lloyd Austin, will no longer be at the helm. As RedState’s Nick Arama reported Friday, Austin was heckled by Pentagon staff as he made his final exit and rode off into the sunset.
What was Austin best known for? Probably when he went missing due to illness – without telling anyone – at a critical moment. The terrible withdrawal from Afghanistan was also under his supervision, and no one was held responsible for it. You want to talk about Pete Hegseth? I don’t think Hegseth will be missed or unaccounted for like Austin.
We know for sure that Donald Trump will be commander in chief as of Monday at noon ET, but it’s a little unclear what will happen across the Potomac River at the Pentagon. As of Friday, no acting defense minister was present setsenior military officials in the Army, Navy and Air Force to begin preparations in the event they need to intervene.
Hegseth’s nomination is expected to be voted on by the Senate Armed Services Committee on Monday, but it could be several more days before it goes to the full Senate for a vote. In the meantime, a remnant of the Biden administration could blanket these days, but it appears that there is a reluctance among short-term workers to remain in office, even for a low time, because they may be required to implement Trump’s policies.
Therefore, the ball is in Team Trump’s court.
Officials told ministers that while things could change between now and the inauguration, the Trump team is eyeing Gen. Randy George, the Army chief of staff, as the service’s interim head. They said Gen. David Allvin, Air Force chief of staff, and Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the Navy chief, are aware that they may have to intervene if a civilian is not named as acting secretary and they are preparing for that possibility.
Four years ago, Trump’s deputy defense secretary, David Norquist, remained in office until Lloyd Austin was confirmed. If the Biden team doesn’t show the same civility, then it sounds like a plan is being put into action to ensure that the military might of the United States remains intact.
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