Fetterman Turns Against Trump’s Embattled Cabinet Picks

Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are arguably President Trump’s most controversial Cabinet choices, nominated for director of national intelligence and secretary of Health and Human Services, respectively. Now, Senator John Fetterman (D-Pa.) is making waves by announcing he’ll vote against both nominees—despite previously signaling he might be open to them.

Both Gabbard and Kennedy cleared their respective Senate committees along party lines, but their nominations have been met with fierce debate. Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman and Iraq War veteran, has drawn fire from both liberals and conservatives for supporting a pardon for Edward Snowden, the controversial whistleblower who exposed U.S. government surveillance programs. Her challenging of the mainstream narrative on Ukraine and 2017 meeting with then-Syrian President Bashar al-Assad have only added to the controversy.

Kennedy, meanwhile, has long been a lightning rod for criticism over his vaccine conspiracy theories. Medical professionals worry that, if confirmed, his skepticism could lead to a decline in vaccination rates, sparking broader concerns about public health policy and the return of vaccine-preventable diseases.

As the Pittsburg Post-Gazette reports:

“I have met with most of the Cabinet nominees and have carefully watched their confirmation hearings,” the Pennsylvania Democrat said in a post on social media site X Thursday night. “After considering what’s at stake, I have voted against moving forward to the confirmation of Ms. Gabbard and Mr. Kennedy, and will be voting NO on their confirmations.”

Mr. Fetterman, who last month denied rumors that he was considering switching parties, has supported some of Trump’s nominees, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., Trump’s pick for United Nations Ambassador.

Mr. Kennedy, a longtime environmental lawyer and pro-choice advocate whose run for president stalled last year, has a track record of spreading misinformation on medicine and vaccines. 

Ms. Gabbard, former Democratic congresswoman and lieutenant colonel in the National Guard, has become one of Trump’s staunchest supporters. But she has no formal intelligence experience, and she’s drawn criticism from both parties for parroting Russian propaganda and casting doubt on U.S. intelligence reports about Syria’s use of chemical weapons against civilians

Fetterman’s stance is especially noteworthy given his maverick reputation and the fact that Trump won Pennsylvania in November, thanks in no small part to blue-collar white voters—a demographic that was once a cornerstone of the Democratic Party’s base. While the senator has reaffirmed his commitment to Democrats, he’s selectively broken with his party on certain confirmations. In addition to Rubio and Stefanik, he backed Attorney General Pam Bondi, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and HUD Secretary Scott Turner—aligning with his Republican colleagues. However, he withheld support for Russ Vought as OMB Director and Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense.

Fetterman’s latest decision reinforces the deep divisions over Trump’s Cabinet, showing that even in a politically shifting state like Pennsylvania, some lines remain firmly drawn.

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