Republicans hope the attack will limit potential drama from some of his more divisive Cabinet picks like Pete Hegseth for secretary of defense, Kash Patel for FBI director, and former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence, Punchbowl reported.
Hegseth and Gabbard's hearings are scheduled for the week of Jan. 14, while Patel's may not happen until February, Punchbowl said. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., Trump's nominee for secretary of state, is expected to breeze through confirmation with bipartisan support.
Gabbard is meeting with Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., the top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee Monday, Punchbowl reported, having previously met with Democrat Sens. Jon Ossoff of Georgia and John Fetterman of Pennsylvania. She has already met with most Republican senators and all but one GOP senator on the intelligence committee.