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Hawley To Senate GOP Colleagues: Let Trump’s Cabinet Picks Testify Before Judging

Missouri Republican says he thinks the meeting with AG pick Matt Gaetz "went great."

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) urged his GOP colleagues on Wednesday to give President-elect Donald Trump ‘s Cabinet nominees “a shot” and hear them out during confirmation hearings.

Trump has indicated  he wants to use recess appointments to install Cabinet members, bypassing the typical process of hearings and votes, as not all his picks got a warm reception from Republicans.

But during a Fox News interview, Hawley pushed the view that “every single one of these nominees needs to have a confirmation hearing as quickly as possible” and said he plans to support all of them.

“I would just say to my Senate colleagues, listen, let these guys testify,” he added. “Give them a shot. I know some of these Senate GOP folks are saying, ‘Oh I’ve got concerns.’ That’s what a hearing is for.”

Hawley, who was speaking with host Jesse Watters, continued: “Don’t go out and bash these people and I tell you: at least allow them to make their case. And listen, I think they’ve got momentum.”

One firebrand Cabinet pick in particular — now-former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) for the attorney general role — has dismayed Democrats and even some members of Trump’s own party.

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Republican senators met with their colleague, Vice President-elect J.D. Vance (R-OH), and Gaetz earlier in the day as part of the Trump transition team’s effort to win over their support.

Hawley said he thought the meeting “went great and it’s full steam ahead.” He also dismissed the notion that some Republicans decided to vote against Gaetz even before talking with him.

“I’ve read about my colleagues, some of them here in the Senate who say, ‘We’ve got deep concerns.’ Of course I’m reading all of the slander and garbage in the press,” Hawley explained.

Hawley said the ruckus over Gaetz, including coverage of a House ethics investigation into him, and others is nearly what Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh dealt with as a nominee.

“The answer to that is let the guy speak,” Hawley said, adding Gaetz “deserves to be able to address this himself. He deserves to be able to lay out his vision and the president’s vision for the DOJ.”

Hawley also argued Trump should be allowed to have a Cabinet that “reflects his agenda” and noted that he believes the press and “the establishment” despise the breadth of the president-elect’s coalition.

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