The Senate switched to Republican control following the 2024 elections, leaving the GOP with a bigger majority than the one Democrats had and, one would think, making it easier for them to confirm President Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees.

Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky tested the party’s three-seat majority late last week by voting against the confirmation of former Fox News host Pete Hegseth, who has served two combat tours as an Army National Guard officer.

At the end of the day, a 50-50 tie was broken by Vice President JD Vance, confirming Hegseth and handing Trump a big win as he attempts to quickly fill key posts so he can begin implementing the kinds of changes and policies that won him a historic victory in November.

Confirming Hegseth may also have set the stage for tougher confirmation battles ahead involving Democrat-turned-independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and former Hawaii Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, another Army National Guard officer with combat deployment experience who has since re-registered as a Republican.

RFK Jr. faces significant challenges in securing the position of Health and Human Services secretary due to his past controversial positions on various health topics, including the efficacy of vaccines, and his liberal positions on abortion, which he has since modified.

Gabbard, meanwhile, who has been nominated to become director of national intelligence, will face tough questions from some senators regarding past visits to Syria and her positions on ending unlimited aid to Ukraine, a position shared by Trump but not one that is widely popular throughout Congress.

All said, according to UnHerd, confirming Hegseth despite a two-month assault on his character could make it easier for Republicans, and perhaps some Democrats, to eventually confirm Kennedy and Gabbard, both of whom face confirmation hearings soon.

As one Senate aide told UnHerd, the Hegseth vote was “a way to see which GOP Senators are ready to lead, follow, or get out of the way of President Trump’s agenda—and which ones are looking to sabotage it.”