Blackmail, intimidation, threats… Republican Donald Trump is not his first attempt. He even made it his trademark. And admirers of the 47th President of the United States have understood this well. To the point of themselves following in his footsteps. Before the vote of the electoral college (made up of 435 representatives and 100 senators) which will confirm the composition of the American government on January 20, the real estate magnate’s allies are full of inventiveness to convince the most skeptical Republican senators.
And the least we can say is that this campaign is starting to bear fruit. Some senators from Grand Old Party (GOP), like Joni Ernst of Iowa and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who were unsure whether to vote in favor of Pete Hegseth’s nomination to head the Pentagon, have now reversed their decision. Same turnaround for the controversial appointments of former Democratic representative Tulsi Gabbard to the post of head of American intelligence, and that of Kash Patel to director of the FBI, criticism of which diminishes as meetings between candidates and senators.
Follow to survive
Coincidence? Senator Lisa Murkowski doesn’t believe it. The Republican declared during a conference Thursday, December 12 that the message from Donald Trump and his admirers was clear: if legislators wish to “survive” in politics, they had “an interest in making the right decision.” The spotlight on potential recalcitrants would thus jeopardize their careers, which would explain the recent retractions.
If the president-elect’s allies are working hard to intimidate their peers, it is because the confirmation of nominations depends on only one condition: the unity of the Republican Party. In the next Senate, GOP supporters will have 53 seats, compared to 47 for the Democratic Party. A number sufficient to guarantee the confirmation of a minister if the Democrats vote unanimously against him. But in the event that more than three Republican senators are not in favor of the appointment of a minister, the latter will be refused access to the government.
A fate that former Fox News host Pete Hegseth could experience. Accused of sexual assault in 2017 and excessive alcohol consumption, the Republican quickly found himself in the sights of senators. Seeing the tide turning, Donald Trump then considered replacing him with the governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis. During these days of uncertainty, Republican Senator Joni Ernst, a member of the Armed Services Committee, told Fox News that she was not ready to support the candidacy of Pete Hegseth, and that she wanted “the “all allegations” against him be verified as part of a “thorough review process”. But after an online intimidation campaign by pro-Trump influencers, based on rumors about Joni Ernst’s divorce, the senator reversed her decision. From now on, it intends to support the former presenter “throughout the procedure” and denounces the allegations against him as coming from anonymous sources, one of the key elements of Pete Hegseth’s defense.
Interested support
Other Republican senators, for their part, assured that they would not allow themselves to be influenced by their peers. “In my opinion, [l’intimidation] is daily […] because of the extreme left and the extreme right sometimes. So I’m used to it,” said lawmaker Susan Collins. Typically, senators are more insulated from political pressure than their counterparts in the House of Representatives, due to their six-year, four-year terms. longer than that of the lower house But in 2026, some could lose their seat in the senatorial elections. The support of the Republican Party is therefore precious to them.
Especially since this year, the situation is very different from 2016, the year of the previous election of Donald Trump. At the time, the senators did not feel indebted to the man who was then a novice in politics. But today, many Republicans brought to power by Donald Trump could, in return, confirm the appointments desired by the 47th President of the United States. At this time, Pete Hegseth remains the subject of an FBI investigation into his background. Answer on January 20.