Which Trump cabinet pick steps aside next? GOP has one in its crosshairs

Speculation is swirling over which of President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet picks will quit next after Matt Gaetz withdrew from attorney general consideration on Thursday.
With Gaetz out of the picture, attention has turned to another nominee who is also facing sexual misconduct allegations. Trump’s pick for Defense Secretary, former Fox News host Pete Hegseth, was accused of sexual assault in 2017 in California but no charges were ever filed. Hegseth has denied any wrongdoing.
Former Trump aide Alyssa Farah Griffin told CNN’s Jake Tapper that GOP senators will now focus their scrutiny on Hegseth, who she said has an “uphill battle to confirmation.”
“But Pete Hegseth, I think now that Matt Gaetz is out of the running, all of the Senate’s eyes are focused on this gentleman,” she said on “The Lead.” “I’ve only met him a handful of times. I’ve been with him when he interviewed Donald Trump. Trump has genuine affection for him. This is his handpicked choice. But the sexual allegations aside, he’s deeply unqualified for this role.”
Gaetz announced he would no longer be considered for the attorney general role this week after numerous GOP senators raised concerns about allegations of sexual misconduct brought against him.
After Trump revealed Gaetz as his pick for attorney general, the Florida Republican quit reportedly just days before the House Ethics Committee was set to release a report on allegations of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use brought against him. Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing.
Hegseth, a veteran, has also faced criticism for his lack of experience managing large numbers of employees and for the sexual assault allegations . Farah Griffin said that “the questions around his qualifications to be secretary of defense are really going to be front and center with Gaetz kind of out of the limelight now.”
Meanwhile, some GOP senators are already raising questions about Hegseth, with some pointing out that the military has a history of mishandling sexual assault cases.
Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) said that the accusations facing Hegseth are “concerning.”
“A pretty big problem, given that we have, we have, we have a sexual assault problem in our military that a number of us and certainly the champions being Kirsten Gillibrand and Joni Ernst, but I’ve been on board with them and in supporting the legislation to deal with it since the since the chain of command was not,” Cramer told CNN’s Manu Raju.
“I’m not going to prejudge him, but, yeah, it’s pretty concerning accusation,” he added.
Now numerous critics and pundits are speculating whether GOP senators could also sink Hegseth’s nomination, or other nominees who have been viewed as controversial, like former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard or Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Even though some GOP senators have expressed concerns about Trump’s cabinet picks, it is unlikely that they will defy the president-elect. Some Republican senators appeared to signal support for Hegseth after meeting with him on Thursday.
As the Hegseth nomination proceeds, Republicans also appear to be betting that they won’t face much backlash for publicly setting aside the allegations of sexual misconduct — especially after Trump won election after being found liable for sexual abuse last year.
Hegseth held a round of private meetings alongside incoming Vice President JD Vance on Thursday in an attempt to shore up support and told reporters afterward: “The matter was fully investigated and I was completely cleared, and that’s where I’m gonna leave it.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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