Betting odds reveal Trump Cabinet pick facing most jeopardy in Senate confirmation hearings

President-elect Donald Trump is looking to assemble a Cabinet consecutive retired of cardinal casting afloat of TV personalities, MAGA loyalists and firebrands, but immoderate of his much arguable picks could look a brutal confirmation process. 

Republicans volition power the Senate travel January, but immoderate person signaled they could beryllium consenting to transverse the GOP president-elect and adjacent artifact respective of his Cabinet nominees. 

Trump's prime for Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, his prime to pb the Health and Human Services Department (HHS) Robert Kennedy Jr. and Pete Hegseth, who is tapped to pb the Defense Department, person emerged arsenic the nominees astir apt to look aggravated scrutiny. 

When it comes to betting odds, Hegseth is seen arsenic the nominee slightest apt to beryllium confirmed successful the Senate with lone 56 percent placing bets successful his favor, according to Polymarket. 

It comes aft MAGA favourite Matt Gaetz withdrew his sanction arsenic nominee for lawyer wide past week successful a daze move. Some Republicans down closed doors said they could not enactment him implicit allegations of intersexual misconduct involving a minor. 

Trump alternatively named different adjacent state erstwhile Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi arsenic his nominee for apical instrumentality enforcement serviceman to regenerate Gaetz. 

Many Republican senators person praised the picks portion immoderate Democrats have sounded the alarms.

But Republicans person an lone 53 spot bulk successful the Senate meaning if conscionable 4 lawmakers instrumentality contented with immoderate nominee, their confirmation could would beryllium blocked.

GOP senators including Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, James Lankford of Oklahoma and Kevin Cramer of North Dakota are immoderate of those who airs challenges for Trump's nominations. 

Gabbard, a erstwhile Democratic congresswoman, is 1 of the names that has drawn immoderate of the harshest disapproval from Democrats and adjacent Republicans person questions astir her being picked arsenic Trump's apical quality official. 

Trump's erstwhile UN ambassador Nikki Haley past week called her a 'Russian, Iranian, Syrian, Chinese sympathizer' on her vigor program. 

Asked astir her information connected Sunday connected CNN, Lankford did not definitively travel retired successful enactment oregon against her confirmation. 

'We're going to spell done hearings. We're going to get everything out. We're going to get facts and accusation and the full story,' helium said. 

Asked astir concerns, Lankford said helium has 'lots of questions.' He noted specifically her gathering with Syrian Dictator Bashar al-Assad successful 2017. 

Gabbard's confirmation could get exceptionally disfigured with senators blasting her implicit her past comments but besides going aft each other. 

Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) said she is acrophobic Gabbard is simply a Russian plus connected Sunday. 

'The U.S. quality assemblage has identified her arsenic having a troubling relationships with America's foes, truthful my interest is that she couldn't walk a inheritance check,' Duckworth said. 

'I deliberation she is idiosyncratic who is wholly backed and supportive of [Russian President] Putin, and I interest that she volition not person America's champion interests astatine heart,' she argued. 

Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) fired backmost astatine Duckworth's comments arsenic 'ridiculous' and 'outright dangerous.' 

'If she was compromised, if she wasn't capable to walk a inheritance check, if she wasn't capable to bash her job, she inactive wouldn't beryllium successful the Army,' helium claimed. 'Tammy is perfectly dormant incorrect connected this, and she should retract those words.'

Another nominee who is headed toward a nasty confirmation combat is Hegseth, who is nominated for defence secretary. 

The TV property and seasoned was accused of intersexual battle successful California successful 2017, but charges were not brought.

DailyMail.com revealed exclusively connected Sunday Hegseth besides had a babe with his Fox News shaper conscionable weeks earlier the alleged assault. 

He besides has faced fierce disapproval for arguable comments that women should not service successful combat.

But adjacent Trump state Senator Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) connected Sunday defended Hegseth. 

'Don't fto these allegations distract us. What we request is existent important change. The Pentagon has been much focused connected pronouns than they person lethality the past 4 years. We request to get backmost to business, and I deliberation Pete is conscionable the idiosyncratic to bash it,' Hagerty said. 

Meanwhile, Senator Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) argued the crushed for the confirmation process is to get the afloat story. He said it would let senators to inquire questions and springiness Hegseth the quality to respond.

He argued Hegseth was ne'er charged, and adjacent earlier the hearings helium said helium already plans to enactment the confirmation. 

'I'm a yes connected Pam Bondi, I'm a yes connected Pete Hegseth, I'm a yes connected Tulsi Gabbard, absolutely,' Schmitt told NBC's Meet the Press.

While Gaetz withdrew earlier helium could extremity up successful the blistery spot earlier senators, Bondi is expected to look a grilling during her confirmation. 

But disapproval is mostly expected to travel from Democrats who would not person the powerfulness to artifact her confirmation connected their own. 

Bondi served arsenic Florida's lawyer wide from 2011 to 2019. Democrats' main concerns are implicit her adjacent ties to Trump and whether she would usage the bureau to bash his bidding. 

She argued successful 2020 that Trump won Pennsylvania adjacent though helium did not. She also served arsenic 1 of his lawyers successful his 2020 impeachment trial. 

With her being named Trump's caller prime to pb the Justice Department, her comments connected Fox News wherever she declared 'the prosecutors volition beryllium prosecuted' person resurfaced. 

Some Democrats person adjacent acknowledged Bondi is technically qualified for the occupation but zeroed successful connected her narration with the president-elect. 

They previewed immoderate of the questions she could look during confirmation volition apt revolve astir whether she inactive believes Trump won the 2020 predetermination against President Biden and however she intends to usage the office.

But portion Democrats cogwheel up for a bruising confirmation conflict implicit immoderate of Trump's much arguable nominees, they person signaled determination are those who could rapidly sail done confirmation with bipartisan support.

Senator-elect Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) told NBC News Meet the Press connected Sunday that Senator Marco Rubio is good qualified to go caput of state. He did not travel close retired and accidental helium would ballot to corroborate Rubio but was leaning toward it. 

But Senator John Fetterman (D-Pa.) said helium does program to ballot to corroborate Rubio and is unfastened to confirming different nominees.

Fetterman clarified connected Fox News Sunday helium is not committed to supporting his one-time Senate rival Dr. Mehmet Oz, but helium is unfastened to it. Oz was tapped by Trump to pb the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

'I’m unfastened to a dialog present what helium has to accidental astir these things,' helium said. 'I’m not definite wherefore that’s controversial.' 

A much contentious prime from the president-elect is his prime of Kennedy Jr. to pb HHS for a bid of reasons including his anti-vaccine stance.

It remains to beryllium seen whether Kennedy tin garner capable enactment with Republicans. 

Among those who could play a cardinal relation arsenic to whether helium is confirmed is Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), a polio survivor, who is stepping down arsenic GOP person but inactive wields large power successful his caucus. 

So far, McConnell has been mum connected his ain enactment for Trump's nominees, but helium has said it is important that the Senate does its owed diligence successful vetting his picks. 

But caller polling shows Republicans overwhelming enactment Trump's nominees named truthful far, so Republicans astatine this aboriginal signifier could tread lightly.

The CBS News canvass recovered 75 percent of Republicans said Rubio was a bully prime portion 71 percent enactment Trump naming Gabbard arsenic a nominee. 

80 percent of Republicans said Kennedy was a bully choice. A lesser but inactive wide bulk of 64 percent of Republicans claimed Hegseth was a bully choice. 

But overall, Americans inactive privation the Senate to clasp confirmation hearings. 76 percent said determination should beryllium hearings. Just 24 percent said Trump should beryllium capable to name radical without them. 

Even a bulk of Republicans said determination should beryllium Senate hearings with 55 percents supporting to 45 percent who said Trump should beryllium capable to name radical without.