'There's another guy': Morning Joe names overlooked senator who could cripple Trump agenda
Panelists on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" predicted that Republican senators would hold the line on FBI background checks on Donald Trump's nominees to the Cabinet.
The president-elect's team has not yet signed required paperwork that would clear the way for his nominees to undergo thorough background checks, and has instead signaled they would prefer a private firm conduct those inquiries. But Democratic senators have said that's not acceptable, and some Republicans may take the same stand.
"There were real questions [being raised] about the Trump transition team not using the FBI for background checks," said MSNBC's Jonathan Lemire. "We had Republican senators, Lisa Murkowski expressed concerns about that over the weekend. They're trying to do it with private investigators who would not have nearly the access to criminal information that the FBI would. You're plugged in with the Trump team. Is there any sense they would reconsider their position, bring the FBI in, in light of the accusations against some of the most prominent picks?"
NBC News correspondent Vaughn Hillyard said he's gotten the sense that Trump prefers to skip that standard law enforcement background check because his preferred choices might not pass one.
"They say [they're] engaging with the [General Services Administration] about signing the memorandum of understanding, which would open up the capacity to do those security clearances and FBI background checks, but we're three weeks in now and there has been a concerted decision not to do that. Of course, as [co-host] Mika [Brzezinski] was suggesting, questions about Tulsi Gabbard's FBI background file, talking about Kash Patel, somebody who could run the FBI himself if Trump gets his desires and wishes.
"This is where if you are Donald Trump, there is a concerted understanding, recognition you may not want to know what is in the FBI files of some of these individuals because the nucleus of people who Donald Trump trusts in their fealty and loyalty to him is so small now, nine years on, you see some of these picks, these are individuals who he believes would take his orders in the White House and who he knows would obey those orders, that group of people, it is so small here in 2024."
Host Joe Scarborough said GOP senators have been signaling they'll block Trump nominees who haven't undergone proper vetting.
"If they can't pass the FBI background checks, you do have Republican senators saying on the record, kind of carefully, but behind the scenes, saying, 'Wait, we're going to have the second most powerful person in the world, who has got, like, the nuclear codes – we're going to let him run the Department of Defense if he can't even pass an FBI check?"
GOP senators already forced attorney general nominee Matt Gaetz to withdraw, and Hillyard identified two Republicans who might potentially block Gabbard and Hegseth.
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"They stopped Matt Gaetz, will they stop Pete Hegseth?" Hillyard said. "Will they stop Tulsi Gabbard? That would be the biggest declaration of the Republican Party that we have seen that there are some of these senators, Bill Cassidy [of Louisiana], Todd Young of Indiana, will they take a stand? It's not just legislation, it's a budget."
Scarborough agreed those senators would likely join with the group that blocked Gaetz.
"You named two people right there, Bill Cassidy and Todd Young, both serious legislators," Scarborough said. "Both of them care very deeply, Todd Young cares very deeply, Sen. Young from Indiana cares very deeply about America's national security, it's sort of his obsession. There's another guy I didn't even put on that list with [Lisa] Murkowski and [Susan] Collins and Mitch McConnell right there. I don't think he can get from where he is to a yes vote on a guy that can't pass an FBI background check and is not prepared for that position."
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