Email your senators NOW to demand they reject Trump’s loyalist Cabinet picks!
Dear MoveOn member,
The 119th Congress has officially been sworn in.1 And with a slim Republican majority in the Senate, they will aggressively start the process to confirm Trump’s Cabinet nominees, starting with hearings, even before he is inaugurated on January 20.
Trump handpicked loyalists who will fall in line to enact his Project 2025 agenda. Republicans have already said that they plan to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, restrict our rights to protest and dissent, defund the Department of Education, and make substantial cuts to pivotal programs such as Medicare and Medicaid—and Trump’s Cabinet will make sure it happens.
To block these nominees, we will need every Democrat to object and just four Republicans to peel away from Trump and the MAGA majority. To do that, it will take all of us doing whatever we can to pressure our senators to do the right thing.
While a majority of Trump’s Cabinet nominees are a threat, there are a select few who are so extreme, dangerous, and controversial that we believe we can block their confirmation. Here’s some background on each of them:
Kash Patel, nominee for director of the FBI: First and foremost, Patel has no law enforcement credentials. He’s committed to weaponizing the FBI to go after Trump’s political enemies and has talked openly about prosecuting journalists. He is a threat to free speech and our right to protest, and he’s clear Trump loyalist motivated by political revenge.2
Pete Hegseth, nominee for secretary of defense: Currently a Fox News political commentator, Hegseth lacks any relevant experience to manage defense budgets and military strategy. Furthermore, he does not believe women are capable of serving in combat roles in the military and has been accused of sexually assaulting a young woman months after his wife gave birth. He also doesn’t believe injured veterans should receive government assistance.3
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., nominee for secretary of health and human resources: Put simply, more people will get sick and die under his leadership. He intends to eliminate research on treatment and cures for infectious diseases and totes anti-vax conspiracies putting us all at risk. His complete lack of experience will jeopardize critical programs like Medicare and Medicaid that millions of Americans depend on survive. RFK Jr.’s also committed to supporting Trump’s “pro-life agenda.”4,5
Linda McMahon, nominee for secretary of the Department of Education: A billionaire and former CEO of wrestling company WWE, with no education experience, McMahon will work to eliminate the Department of Education and promote voucher programs, which drain resources from public schools and send taxpayer money to unaccountable private schools. McMahon is also named in an ongoing sexual abuse lawsuit involving minors during her time as WWE CEO.6
Tulsi Gabbard, nominee for director of national intelligence: Gabbard has a history of changing her viewpoints and her values depending on who is in power. She has no loyalty to the American public and will use her position as a MAGA loyalist to continue to cozy up to dictators like Vladimir Putin and spread dangerous propaganda that undermines the safety of our communities.7
The bottom line is that these MAGA loyalists, if confirmed, will put all of us at risk, from our national security to our health care to our freedoms. We must demand that our senators reject these self-interested Trump nominees who will put their profits over serving everyday Americans and instead select people that who protect our freedoms and lives.
Thanks for all you do.
–Kelsey, Mia, Nakia, Justin, and the rest of the team
Sources:
1. “Live Updates: New Republican-led Congress kicks off its first day in 2025,” NBC News, January 3, 2024
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/live-blog/congress-first-day-2025-live-updates-rcna184508
2. “Who is Kash Patel, Trump’s pick for FBI director?”, CNN, December 2, 2024
https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/02/politics/who-is-kash-patel-trump-fbi-director/index.html
3. “7 things to know about Pete Hegseth, Trump’s defense secretary pick,” PBS News, November 18, 2024
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/7-things-to-know-about-pete-hegseth-trumps-defense-secretary-pick
4. “What to know about RFK Jr.’s stances on key health issues and what he could do at HHS,” CBS News, November 15, 2024
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rfk-jr-stances-health-issues/
5. “RFK Jr.’s nomination gathers steam after Senate meetings,” The Hill, December 22, 2024
https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5051723-gop-senators-robert-kennedy-jr/
6. “Top Three Reasons Linda McMahon Should Not Be Secretary of Education,” NEA Today, November 20, 2024
https://www.nea.org/nea-today/all-news-articles/top-three-reasons-linda-mcmahon-should-not-be-secretary-education
7. “5 things to know about Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s choice for director of national intelligence,” PBS News, November 14, 2024
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/5-things-to-know-about-tulsi-gabbard-trumps-choice-for-director-of-national-intelligence
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