Republicans are pointing to the attack in New Orleans on New Year’s Day that left 14 people dead to stress the importance of quickly confirming President-elect Donald Trump’s nominees for his second administration.

What You Need To Know

  • Republicans are pointing to the attack in New Orleans on New Year’s Day that left more than a dozen people dead to stress the importance of confirming President-elect Donald Trump’s nominees for his second administration quickly
  • Some of Trump’s picks, particularly a few tapped for posts dealing with national security, have faced controversy on Capitol Hill, the details of which were expected to be hashed out in the confirmation process
  • “The threat posed by ISIS will outlast this administration, and this is a clear example of why the Senate must get President Trump’s national security team in place as quickly as possible,” incoming Senate Majority Leader Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., wrote on X

Some of Trump’s picks, particularly a few tapped for posts dealing with national security, have faced controversy on Capitol Hill, the details of which were expected to be hashed out in the confirmation process. 

In a post on X on Thursday, the incoming Senate Majority Leader Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., pointed to the suspect who drove a truck, which beared a flag of the Islamic State group, through a crowd celebrating the new year on the city’s Bourbon Street to argue the attack is part of a much larger national security concern. 

“The threat posed by ISIS will outlast this administration, and this is a clear example of why the Senate must get President Trump’s national security team in place as quickly as possible,” he wrote. 

Another member of Republican leadership in the upper chamber, Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., meanwhile, used his own post on X to write that “Lives depend” on the Senate confirming Trump’s national security team “as soon as possible.” 

Several other Republicans, such as Alabama Sen. Katie Britt, echoed the sentiment in statements, while the president-elect’s incoming national security adviser, Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., went on Fox News to make the case that having Trump’s picks in place is key to avoiding the safety vulnerabilities that come with a presidential transition. 

“This is why getting President Trump’s Cabinet in is so important,” Waltz said, going on to specifically mention the president-elect’s picks for homeland security secretary, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem; FBI director, Kash Patel; defense secretary, Pete Hegseth; Secretary of State, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.; CIA director, John Ratcliffe; and director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard. 

“That has to be in place day one, guys, because this is a moment in transition of vulnerability and President Trump is going to project, because he is, a leader of strength,” Waltz added. 

A few of those picks, particularly, Hegseth, Gabbard and Patel, have faced a slew of questions from senators on Capitol Hill, including some Republicans, since Trump announced their selections and, in some of their cases, are expected to face intense and potentially lengthy confirmation processes. 

Trump’s inauguration is set to take place Jan. 20.