| Donald Trump once again has demonstrated he won’t shy away from controversy and confrontation — or testing the loyalty of GOP senators — in filling key posts for his administration. The latest example is his addition over the weekend of uber loyalist Kash Patel to replace Christopher Wray as FBI director to the list of would-be nominees sure to be contentious as they move through the Senate confirmation process. What’s not clear yet is whether there will be four Republican senators prepared to vote no with Democrats and sink his bid, or that of Fox News host Pete Hegseth, Trump’s likewise embattled pick for Defense secretary.  Patel Photographer: Yuki Iwamura/Bloomberg Patel will face scrutiny over his plans for the FBI, including the extent he intends to go after Trump’s enemies. His fundraising for those convicted in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol also could be an issue with the Republican senators who backed prosecuting those who ransacked offices or attacked police officers. Hegseth was already getting a wary eye from some Republicans over a 2017 sexual assault allegation. He was never charged and denied wrongdoing, but paid the woman to keep it quiet. Adding to that were new allegations published today in the New Yorker that he was forced out of two veterans’ organizations after allegations of financial mismanagement, sexual impropriety and personal misconduct. Other Trump picks also could face tough sledding, including Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health secretary. Trump’s grip on Republicans has only grown stronger since the election. But, as shown with the sinking of former Representative Matt Gaetz as attorney general, it’s not total. Three Republicans who will be in office next year voted to convict Trump at his second impeachment trial — Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins and Bill Cassidy. And a wild card is outgoing GOP leader Mitch McConnell, an institutionalist who has made his disdain for Trump very clear. Patel will also have to convince establishment-minded Republicans like Thom Tillis, John Cornyn and Mike Rounds that he’s worthy of the post. With Hegseth, a key senator to watch is Iowa’s Joni Ernst. She’s a senior member of the Armed Services Committee who served as a company commander in Kuwait and Iraq and has made fighting sexual assault in the military a priority. Still, history suggests it’s unlikely that multiple nominees will be rejected, even with a president known for breaking precedent. — Steven T. Dennis | 
