Donald Trump, Steve Bannon and the logo for The Center for Renewing America

Molly Butler / Media Matters

Research/Study Research/Study

MAGA allies in the media make the case for Trump to ignore the Senate confirmation process

Written by Gideon Taaffe

Published

President-elect Donald Trump has called for Senate Republicans to let him make recess appointments for top positions in his upcoming administration, and his allies in right-wing media are making the case for his plan.

Trump named several picks for prominent cabinet positions that have drawn scrutiny for their inexperience and controversial statements, raising concerns that he is focused primarily on filling his administration with loyalists. He also signaled his intention to push through his picks without scrutiny by calling on Republican senators to let him make recess appointments.

His allies in right-wing media are now arguing that recess appointments would be justified and calling on senators to bend to his will and forgo their standard confirmation process. 

Select a section

  • Trump has demanded support to use recess appointments for top members of his cabinet, and he plans to fill multiple posts with right-wing media loyalists

    • Trump posted on Truth Social on November 10 that “any Republican Senator seeking the coveted LEADERSHIP position in the United States Senate must agree to Recess Appointments.” As The Associated Press pointed out, Trump’s plan represents “a significant shift in power away from the Senate.” Though past presidents have confirmed appointments while Congress is in recess, it’s rare to use this process for high-level cabinet positions. The move would require Republican senators to pass a motion of adjournment with a simple majority vote. [NBC News, 11/10/24; The Associated Press, 11/14/24]
    • Trump’s nominees include multiple right-wing media personalities who are loyal to him but have little to no relevant experience and have peddled conspiracy theories and extreme views. He has named multiple current and former Fox employees to top posts, including Pete Hegseth, Sean Duffy, Tom Homan, Tulsi Gabbard, Mike Huckabee, and Michael Waltz, along with frequent Fox guests including Robert F. Kennedy Jr. [Media Matters, 11/13/24, 11/14/24, 11/15/24, 8/27/24; WNYC, On the Media, 11/15/24; Politico, 11/13/24; NPR, 11/16/24; CNN, 11/19/24]

  • Trump’s MAGA allies in right-wing media are championing Trump’s plan to force his nominees through without Senate confirmation

    • Center for Renewing America fellows Jeff Clark and Anthony Licata published a piece on the legality of Trump’s recess plan, saying he would be justified to pursue it. They wrote: “Given the extensive delays experienced during his first administration in getting the Senate to approve his nominees expeditiously, President-elect Donald Trump recently proposed the use of recess appointments, if necessary, to briskly stand up his new administration early next year. The question is whether the law and our history confirms the President’s belief that he should be allowed to assemble his Cabinet quickly via recess appointments? The answer is ‘yes.’” [Center for Renewing America, 11/17/24]
    • During an appearance on former Trump adviser Steve Bannon’s War Room podcast, Clark advocated for Trump to use the recess power. Clark claimed that “there are many of us who think that he [Trump] should” use the recess power in order to “set right the boundaries between the branches of the government.” [Real America’s Voice, War Room, 11/18/24]
    • Article III project founder Mike Davis responded to a question about recess appointments by saying, “Every option should be on the table.” [Real America’s Voice, War Room, 11/18/24]
    • Bannon told his audience members to call their senators and demand a 15-day recess for Trump to appoint his cabinet. Bannon told his audience that “we need you, when you call,” to tell your senator “the president needs 15 days recess — recess days in the first hundred.” [Real America’s Voice, War Room, 11/11/24]
    • Former Trump administration official Ric Grenell told Newsmax’s Greg Kelly that Senate Republicans should “at the very minimum, give him [Trump] a recess appointment and let the reform start.” [Newsmax, Greg Kelly Reports, 11/15/24]
    • Right-wing commentator Mike Crispi wrote: “Recess appointments solves all. It’s time to WIN!” [Twitter/X, 11/17/24]
    • Far-right podcaster and Trump ally Laura Loomer attacked Senate Majority Leader-elect John Thune (R-SD) for saying the Senate might struggle to get the votes to recess. She wrote: “The joke is on everyone who fell for the unity nonsense this election season. Senate Republicans are about to screw President Trump.” [Twitter/X, 11/15/24]
    • Fox News host Laura Ingraham said: “I certainly hope that as they carry out their advise-and-consent role, Republican senators remember that Donald Trump is the reason they even have a majority.” [Fox News, The Ingraham Angle, 11/14/24]