President Donald Trump's slow pace in sending nominations to the Senate is exposing deepening friction with Republican senators, who say they are increasingly frustrated with the White House as the GOP's hold on the chamber beyond 2026 grows uncertain.
More than two dozen federal court seats sit vacant, along with the Labor secretary, FDA commissioner and dozens of other top posts, and a senior White House official told Politico that Trump is in no hurry to fill them.
“Ultimately, we need to have the right people in those positions,” said that official, who was granted anonymity to describe internal deliberations. “So if it’s acting for now, so be it. If [it] takes a little while to find that perfect person, then it takes a little while.”
That patience is not shared on Capitol Hill. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) said Republicans are "running short on time" and want judicial nominees moving faster. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) said he wants to see more nominations before year's end, calling judicial appointments one of Trump's "greatest legacies."
Trump has engineered the GOP primary ousters of two incumbent senators – Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and John Cornyn (R-TX) – who now have little reason to remain loyal to him, and one Republican senator predicted Cassidy would "play games" with nominees who have to go through the committee he chairs.
“Why give Cassidy a platform to get back at DJT?” said one source.
“I really don’t think a lot of senators are in any mood to give the president any wins because they’re frustrated with him,” agreed a third person, who is close to the White House.
Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) described "radio silence," and another GOP senator said they've heard nothing about the administration's plans for a Labor secretary pick.
Cassidy, for his part, has signaled he intends to do his job regardless of the personal politics, saying he'll "vote for the good of my country and the good of my state," as chair of the Senate HELP Committee, which oversees health, labor and other issues.
A spokesperson for his committee said Cassidy has supported every Trump nominee so far and pushed back on suggestions otherwise.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), who said he hasn't discussed the major HELP Committee vacancies with the White House, urged the administration to send nominees soon, noting that permanent appointees are preferable to acting ones.