Trump orders Senate GOP to not 'fast-track' confirmations — will some nominees change?

After strongly defending even his most controversial nominees, and amid growing skepticism, pushback, and occasional mockery, even from Republican senators, President-elect Donald Trump issued a confusing statement Tuesday night, ordering Senate Republicans to not “fast track” any “nominations.”

It appeared to be either a signal he might want to reconsider some nominees facing difficult confirmations by suggesting he has not made any nominations official and will do so only after he is sworn in next month, as some news outlets have suggested, or that—as some other news outlets suggested, he was referring to the last of President Biden’s nominees.

Trump also ordered Senate Republicans to not make any “deals” with Democrats. The Senate majority is currently in control of Democrats.

A New York Times tracker currently lists 53 Trump nominations that would need to be confirmed by the Senate.

“To all Senate Republicans: NO DEAL WITH DEMOCRATS TO FAST TRACK NOMINATIONS AT THE END OF THIS CONGRESS,” Trump wrote Tuesday night on his social media website.

READ MORE: Why Aren’t More Democrats Speaking Out Against RFK Jr.’s HHS Nomination?

“I won the biggest mandate in 129 years,” he said, a claim many disputed. Some also pointed out that he did not even win a majority of the popular vote.

“I will make my appointments of Very Qualified People in January when I am sworn in,” he added, appearing to suggest the nominations he has publicly stated may be subject to revision.

The U.S. Constitution requires presidents to submit nominations to the Senate for certain positions, including their cabinet. Presidents cannot “appoint” cabinet officials, although in his first term Trump often made “acting” appointments.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is continuing to schedule votes for Biden’s judicial nominees, with votes expected Wednesday.

It’s also unclear what metric Trump is using to claim “the biggest mandate in 129 years,” especially since elections are held in even, not odd years.

“On a percentage basis, Trump’s 2024 winning margin was the fourth smallest since 1960,” according to Politifact, based on votes counted as of Nov. 21, 2024. Also, “Trump’s 2024 raw vote margin was smaller than any popular vote winner since 2000, and the fifth-lowest since 1960.”

An unofficial analysis shows Trump’s 2024 popular vote margin of 1.48% ranks 47th out of 59 presidential elections, although that has not been verified.

Out of all the nominations Trump has made, one of his earliest was the most controversial. Now-former U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, Republican of Florida, for U.S. Attorney General. Gaetz was forced to pull out after Republicans balked over allegations of sexual misconduct and possible teenaged sex trafficking, among other possible wrongdoings.

RELATED: Gaetz Rages at Secret Vote to Release Ethics Report, Insists He Was ‘Fully Exonerated’

But more recently, other nominations have received varying degrees of pushback. Among the most controversial are: Pete Hegseth for U.S. Secretary of Defense, Tulsi Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence, and Robert F. Kennedy for Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Amid a flurry of news reports examining former Fox News weekend host Pete Hegseth, a December 1 examination of “Pete Hegseth’s Secret History” by The New Yorker’s Jane Mayer was among the most damaging to his confirmation bid.

Robert F. Kennedy is also under scrutiny, as he sits down with GOP senators this week to discuss his confirmation.

In a rare move, several Republican senators appeared to criticize or even mock RFK Jr.’s nomination in recent days, as The Washington Post, which is tracking the positions of all senators on RFK Jr.’s confirmation, reported Tuesday.

“I’m very concerned, being the incoming chairman of agriculture,” Senator John Boozman (R-AR) said.

“I have never flinched from confronting specious disinformation that threatens the advance of lifesaving medical progress,” Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who fought polio as a child, remarked.

“Our Iditarod race was all about getting the diphtheria vaccine to save a whole community,” Senator Lisa Murkowski declared.

“If he has a different point of view [on vaccines], then he’ll have to explain,” said Senator Mike Rounds.

“One of my first questions will probably be where he got his PhD in cellular and molecular biology. Oh wait. He doesn’t have a PhD,” snarked Senator John Kennedy.

“In previous administrations, the belief was that [the health secretary’s] view on the issue of abortion was important,” lamented Senator Jerry Moran.

U.S. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) over the weekend warned any pressure mounted on senators to try to force them to confirm Trump’s nominees could backfire.

Speaking about third party organizations, Senator Tillis noted some are fundraising off their efforts to push certain nominees to be confirmed, Politico reported.

“Here’s what I would tell them: If they really support President Trump’s nominees they should stand down and let the nominees win on their own merits and I think most of them will.”

He also warned nominees they will have to be prepared to answer tough questions.

“Nothing is sacred — family, past experiences, personal experiences, high school yearbooks. The nominees need to get ready and they need to answer these questions to the satisfaction of the Republican members minimally,” Tillis said.