'I am actually stunned': Political scientist shocked at Senate GOP’s 'unprecedented' move
Political scientist and scholar Norman Ornstein railed against Senate Republicans Wednesday for what he called their “appalling” and “unprecedented” confirmation of 107 nominees of President Donald Trump’s.
Late on Tuesday, The Senate confirmed the nominees – including the controversial confirmation of ex-NFL star Herschel Walker as the U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas – by using what’s known as the “nuclear option,” a procedure that allows for legislative leadership to bypass the 60-vote threshold by changing or eliminating the filibuster requirement for a particular vote.
The manner in which Senate Republicans hurriedly confirmed the more than 100 Trump nominees, however, was unlike anything Ornstein had seen in his more than five decades’ worth of experience with the Senate.
“I am actually stunned at Senate Republicans now. It is entirely unprecedented, and a reflection of the fact that the Republican Party is no longer a party but a full-blown cult,” Ornstein wrote in a social media post on X Wednesday.
“No vetting, no examination of whether the people they are confirming are fit for the jobs. It is beyond pathetic. Simple lackeys to their Dear Leader. None adhering to the oaths they took. True believers in vicious autocracy? Moral cowards. It doesn’t really matter. Appalling.”
Trump now has close to 300 civilian nominees that have been confirmed following Tuesday’s vote, which passed along party lines, and with little discussion or vetting from Senate Republicans. Other confirmations included in the 107 include Sergio Gor, former White House personnel director, who was confirmed as the U.S. ambassador to India, and former National Border Patrol Council President Brandon Judd, who was confirmed as the U.S. ambassador to Chile.
One House Republican has repeatedly called for Senate Republicans to utilize the nuclear option to end the ongoing government shutdown, and lambasted them for doing so to confirm Trump’s nominees, but not to force through a spending bill.
“The Republican controlled Senate used the nuclear option today to override the 60 vote rule in order to confirm over 100 Trump nominees, yet continues to claim Democrats are causing the shutdown,” wrote Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) in a social media post on X Tuesday night.
“Spoiler alert, the Republicans in the Senate can also use the nuclear option to reopen the government and override the Democrats just like they literally did today to confirm Trump nominees.”
I have been in & around the US Senate for well over five decades. Worked there, written about it, worked with dozens and dozens of senators of both parties. Even with fierce partisans protecting their presidents, there was always some sense of loyalty to their own institution. 1
— Norman Ornstein (@NormOrnstein) October 8, 2025