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The Guardian - Back to homeThe Guardian

Reuters

What you need
to know confirming Trump's cabinet

By Tom McCarthy

  • Twenty-one cabinet nominees chosen by Donald Trump must be confirmed by the Senate

    Getty Images
    The White House On Election Day

  • The cabinet is made up of the president's most powerful advisers, including the secretaries of defense, state and treasury

  • Cabinet confirmation is a major test for any new president – a promising sign if it goes well, and an embarrassment, at least, if not

  • The current Republican majority of 52 Senate seats is great for Trump. Cabinet confirmation requires a simple majority of 51 votes

    Jan Diehm

  • Each nominee must sit for questions before a Senate committee before his or her confirmation vote

    CQ-Roll Call,Inc.
    Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act

  • The grilling can be intense – and it's possible that Republican defections could thwart one or more of Trump's nominees

  • But most of them are expected to skate through – with the possible exception of secretary of state nominee Rex Tillerson

    Getty Images

  • The former ExxonMobil CEO may face questions about his perceived close ties to Russian president Vladimir Putin

    AFP/Getty Images

  • Hearings start on Tuesday and the first confirmations are expected shortly after the inauguration

  • Some cabinet-level positions – including controversial appointments – do not require Senate confirmation

    Getty Images
    President Obama Delivers Statement At The White House

  • These folks, including chief strategist Steve Bannon and national security adviser Michael Flynn, are already White House-bound

    Getty Images for SiriusXM

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