On Friday (Nov. 15), CNN reported that President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team is opting to bypass traditional FBI background checks for some cabinet nominees. Instead, they are relying on private companies to vet potential candidates for administration roles. According to the publication, Trump and his allies view the FBI’s vetting process as overly slow and prone to complications that might hinder his ability to execute his agenda. Critics, however, argue that these thorough checks often uncover sensitive or embarrassing information that could be exploited for political purposes.
The news came as Trump considers several contentious candidates for key government positions. Among those under consideration are Matt Gaetz for attorney general, Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence, Pete Hegseth for secretary of defense and Robert F. Kennedy for health secretary. Additionally, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy were tapped to co-lead the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency.
As REVOLT previously reported, the Republican Party now has majority control over the House of Representatives, the Senate and the White House. Additionally, the Supreme Court is largely conservative, as six out of nine justices — including Chief Justice John Roberts — were selected by a GOP head of state. During his first term, Trump successfully nominated Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett to the judicial branch's highest post.
On Thursday (Nov. 14), Trump gave a victory speech during the America First Policy Institute gala at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. “In my first term, they said... ‘He didn't win the popular vote...’ And we won the popular vote by records, now. So, nobody can say that anymore about us,” he said to the crowd in reference to his 2016 campaign against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. “I didn’t win it. The people won it. The great people of our country won the popular vote.”